#giles threatens him so effectively he shuts up about it

[prose-for-hire]

The Magic of Tupperware

Pairing: Spike x fem!demon!reader

Request: I'd love to see the Scooby gang's reaction to Spike's gf. He hypes her up to be this strong badass who could kill anyone but when she finally meets the gang everyone's confused cuz she's polite & sweet & cute. On patrol with everyone, Spike is super protective of her which leads to him being kidnapped & then GF shows the gang how badass she is as she hunts down and destroys the ghouls who took Spike (maybe some fluffy care for wounded Spike that clashes with her badassery?)

Requested by: Anon

Warnings: Reader is kinda violent. Violence/fighting. Blood mention.

A/N: It’s the longest I’ve written on here, I always get carried away on a back story.

I took liberties with the demon the reader is (Fae is a catch-all I think I just needed something that wasn’t human and wasn’t vampire lol). Use your imagination if you want to be something else !!

You and spike had met in a demon bar. You appeared human, pointed ears was a myth at least in your lineage, and so he wasn’t really sure what you were doing there. You were descendent from fae. You didn’t have wings or anything to that effect, but a spell had been cast on your eighteenth birthday that meant you had strength, reliant on earthly forces for your power. You hadn’t aged much since then, your skin aged much slower than human. You would live a long life, appearing youthful for centuries at least.

He asked you why you were there – you even smelled human. You explained, hit it off, and you have been together for a while now. You had surprised him and confessed your love for him first, leaving him in awe that you were as invested in the relationship as him. Spike hadn’t introduced you to the Scoobies despite being together for a year, although he told you a lot about them. It didn’t stop him bragging about you at any given opportunity to them either.

Spike now lived with you in your little one-bedroom flat, the crypt had been nice and all but you were becoming inseparable and you wanted to share a cosy place together. You had shipped some necro-tempered glass from the manufacturer in LA and had it installed on the sly so that he could be comfortable. This glass meaning he could be in direct sunlight through the windows.

You were kind. Sweet-tempered for the most part. Your strength was often used for good, but perhaps in a more abstract sense than the Scoobies may agree with. You would do anything for him because you loved him so much and you knew without doubt he felt the same for you. However, especially when it came to him, you had a protective streak and it could get ugly.

One of the many times Spike had gushed about you, had left the Scoobies unsure. One, about the actual legitimacy of this ‘significant other’ they have never even seen after a whole year and two that he actually appeared to gush about you. Like, non-stop. Nobody could shut him up.

Spike had been, once again, punched in the face for his suggestion to a problem that launched him into a rant that turned into talking about you, “She’s gonna sort the lot of you right out. One look and you’ll be trapped in her eyes. She’ll kill you. She’ll bloody torture you and laugh while you writhe on the floor like-” Spike cut himself off, you had told him not to brag about you this way. You liked a little mystery and also, you didn’t enjoy bragging the way he did. You knew the slayer wouldn’t like you if he told them of the ways you had killed various demons that threatened either you or Spike.

There was a new threat in town. A vampire cult. Their goal was to turn people and then ‘elevate’ them as a higher being by torturing them until they sign away their un-life to the cause. They were very powerful and bonded by the violence that would break even the strongest will. It was a massive problem, Buffy and the others had been overwhelmed the last time they had faced the group and had barely got away unscathed. This was why they were going back with reinforcements. Buffy had explained that they really should meet you and also, they needed the numbers. It was hard to tell how big the threat from the group truly was from a vague prophetic dream and a half-translated text.

That evening, you and Spike entered Giles’ home and Spike made a show of introducing you to the others.

“This is y/n” spike said, pride in his voice evident, his eyes never leaving yours as he introduced you to the scoobies. He was besotted with you. Nobody else mattered in the room when you were in it. You were perfect, the sweetest person he had ever met rolled up into the tough exterior of someone who could handle themselves at a rate that could match him.

“What a lovely home you have!” You say sweetly, the sincerity acutely evident to the room, “It’s so nice to finally put faces to the names” you went around and greeted everyone individually as if they were Spike’s friends, a pleasant little smile that read as almost shy to the others.

Buffy squinted at you, on guard, but she was still pleasant. Willow and Tara offered you a smile, telling you they liked your outfit. Xander and Anya were both speechless, which should be a day memorialised for years to come. Neither of them were speechless often. You weren’t what they had expected. They had thought you would at least have scales or something. But you were innocent-looking and incredibly polite as you greeted them. Dawn squealed, instantly thinking you were the coolest. Spike had told her so many stories and she had tried twice to follow him to where you lived without luck.

“Oh, uh, well yes. Welcome” Giles sputtered; you were exactly nothing like he had pictured. Xander, Buffy and Willow just stared in shock. You spoke for a while, friendly small-talk with the group that was genuine. You really did want to hear about them, meeting new people was always interesting to you. You were a perfect sweetheart, by all accounts, and nobody could understand how you and Spike had even happened. You opened your mouth to tell them something before someone spoke over you.

“You are not like how Spike described. I don’t believe you could have fought five vampires and a fyarl demon by yourself” the woman, Anya, said bluntly finally finding her voice.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. I think” You offer with a pleasant smile, trying to figure out how to phrase what you wanted to say, “He’s said a lot about you all, he, uh- he uh- barely stops talking about you” You finish awkwardly, still smiling at the group. Spike hadn’t told you anything particularly good about any of them, so you couldn’t say you had heard good things. You didn’t tend to lie.

“Love!” He warned, trying to get you to be quiet but you giggled softly and he melted. He pulled you into his side, wrapping his arm around you and making sure he was in contact with you.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to tell them you’re usually threatening to kill them” you whispered in his ear, punctuating your words with a soft kiss next to his ear, making him smile. He loved that you cared so much that you’d protect him from them threatening him if they found out about that.

“Um, so, patrol then?” Xander asked, not able to stop staring at you much to Anya’s annoyance, leaving Buffy to take control. You would all descend on the graveyard in question together before splitting off into smaller groups to find the threat.

As you all walked towards one of Sunnydale’s many graveyards, you felt a few questioning glances on you and then on the tub you were holding. It was as if they were expecting you to turn on them at any moment. You slowly started to open the lid, their eyes widening in case they needed to fight.

“Oh! I brought snacks! Can’t patrol without cookies” You smiled, offering the younger group some homemade cookies, you had wanted to make a good impression. Spike rolled his eyes at your nature but took one for himself. They were his favourite kind and you had baked them with this in mind. Everyone delved into the tub you brought along with you, grinning wide, except Giles and Buffy. They were a little more wary of you.

Everyone was told to split up. Spike looked at you, silently threatening Buffy to try and split you both up. You and he took the west and the others squabbled among themselves for who would be with who. You left them to it. You walked for a little while, giggling and talking softly as you both were simultaneously hyper-aware of movement around you. Spike heard something and went behind an old mausoleum to check as you walked a little ahead slowly, so that he could catch up.

You were tough. A fighter. One with the elements. One thing that you never quite mastered, however, was the element of surprise. Instead, they had surprised you. Meaning you were caught without so much as a defensive stance at the ready.

“Get off!” You shouted as you were ambushed by several more. It had surprised you, usually you could handle it.

“Mm, this one’s for turning” one spoke as they kept your hands behind your back. One stroked your cheek, liking the fight you displayed. Spike ran up to them, having heard the struggle.

“You don’t lay a bloody finger on her, mate!” Spike shouted, anger lacing his voice, his temper would never cool with the vamps threatening you. Leering. Talking of siring you. Offering something so intimate. It was worse than propositioning sex.

He didn’t wait for the others, who were making their way towards the fight, he just took them on. They dropped you, but everything went slow motion. As you turned around, ready to fight alongside your love, they disappeared as if out of thin air with Spike.

You screamed bloody murder. Looking around, realising they had used some kind of transportation magic. You could feel it. Stupid cults and their powers. They were stronger because there was so many of them. You kicked the dirt where they had been only moments before in anger before turning to the rest of the group who had managed to get themselves over to where you were about two minutes too late. You couldn’t help snapping. Insulting Buffy, the supposed Slayer, for her horrible plan.

“Splitting up never works! You left him to be taken!” You stated, exasperated you had gone along with it just to be polite, “I’ll have to do it myself – here, hold my Tupperware” You start to get mad towards the real target, throwing the object towards Xander who catches it, eyes wide at your change in demeanour. How dare they take your Spike?!

You close your eyes, contacting the elements. Your fae ancestors working with you. You needed to find him and fast. You didn’t like the sound of being signed over to them yourself, much less your soulmate. You started to stalk off, trusting you were being pulled in the right direction. Knowing your ancestors approved of Spike, knew that you needed to be with him. You could tell the group was following you as you turned your pace into a run. You needed to get to him. Fast.

When you arrived at an abandoned warehouse, after a while of almost non-stop running to the outskirts of the town, you sensed there were seven. Seven horrible, evil beings holding your Spike hostage. This wouldn’t do. Couldn’t do. You needed him. You knew he would be fighting well himself, against whatever hold they had on him, but you needed to get in there. Giles tried to get you all to hang back, regroup. But you ignored him. There was a time and a place for pleasantries. You were probably older than him anyway in reality.

Instead, you charged in. A head start on everyone and you were faster than most. They had been torturing him for not breaking and joining them. They had started to threaten him with you, saying they would do worse to you. You saw Spike tied up, horrible angry wounds marked his body. His chest was bare, face bloody and not from a meal. It was his blood. This enraged you. Blood boiling thick and gelatinous in your veins. They had to pay. At a speed faster than the evil group could get their bearings, you were running at them fists raised.

You took the first three out with ease, working on pure rage. The next was more of a struggle as they rounded on you. Spike struggled against his restraints so he could join you in the fight, but he was weakened from the pain they had inflicted. You were tackled by one, restrained your arms above your head. You spat in the vamps face, kneeing him in the groin which loosened his hold on you enough to move from under him and dust him.

By the time you had recovered and were spinning into a brutal kick towards the fifth, the Scoobies had all made it into the warehouse behind you. Ready to fight. But you didn’t give them chance. You were working on pure rage. You took two long knives from your waistband, concealed in a way that not even Buffy had spotted as you cut the rest down mercilessly. Decapitating the final two and leaving them to turn to dust.

The scoobies stared in shock. Each mouth open wide in a mix of awe and horror. Half expecting you to turn on them. But you had no need to hurt them, for the most part they tolerated Spike. The day they didn’t and they started hurting him, was the day they should be scared (Spike had never told you the way Buffy had a tendency to beat him up for this very reason. You were strong, but taking on a Slayer would worry him too much – she tended to bounce back even after death).

You dusted your hands off, a satisfied little smile that Spike found adorable before your face drained, you needed to check on Spike. Tend to him. You rushed towards him, he had managed to escape the restraints while you distracted the group by, well, killing them. He had slid down the wall, sitting against it for support – the wounds still seeping blood and he appeared to be a little dazed. You were worried, his face had started to swell.

“Oh, sweetheart… look at you” tears started to well in your eyes at the state he was in. You wanted him well again. You leaned in, a small kiss pressed to his cut lips. The brief kiss telling him how proud you were to him for protecting you, how grateful you were to him and how much you loved him. Would always love him. You were a team and he was so glad you were there with him. Had come straight to get him. He wasn’t sure how long he would have lasted otherwise. He was just glad they had taken him instead of you. He would give himself time and again just so it had been him half-tortured rather than you.

Everyone appeared to have whiplash from your emotions running through so quickly. You had switched from sweet and caring to tough and scary before being back at caring again.

“Tupperware!” You shouted over to the boy who awkwardly fumbled with the tub and threw it back to you. You close your eyes, imagining what you needed to be in there before opening it and magically, it appeared just as you dreamt it. A first aid kit and a little herbal remedy for him to drink. It was items you had transported from your house into the tub. Your strengths were many.

You doted on him. Your touch so light, soothing. You never wanted to cause him pain. You cleaned him up, held him as much as you could without hurting him. The scoobies were at a loss. You were like two opposites, soft and gooey but with hard edges.

You took him back to your shared home, doting on him until he was well enough again. You snuggled up to him, caring for him and occasionally keeping the Scoobies happy (and away from Spike) by helping them instead of him out patrolling, putting his un-life at risk.

You didn’t want him in any danger, knowing that he would always protect you in the way you protected him.

#Spike x reader #spike x you #spike imagine #spike btvs #female reader #fae reader #btvs #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #buffy the vampire slayer imagines #x reader #Buffy Summers #Anya Jenkins #Rupert Giles #Xander Harris #Tara Maclay #Dawn Summers #whole scooby gang #blood mention #btvs x reader #violence

[mythiica]

Reader x Giles Christophe - A Lesson on the Human Body

Title: A Lesson on the Human Body

Fandom: Midnight Cinderella

Character: Giles Christophe

Genre: smutty smut

Warnings: ;)

Kinks: agoraphilia (sex in public places), body praise + worship, orgasm control + denial, edging, hair pulling, humiliation, desk sex,  

Intended Gender Audience: Female audience

Word Count: 2395 words

Other comments: slight au? Like i reference a physician that actually existed and is in a different universe than midcin, but shshsh enjoy the porn; also @xathia-89 here you go xD have fun!

When Giles slams the textbooks onto the table, you nearly jump out of your chair like a scared cat. The sudden noise echoes throughout the library, making your heart lurch out of your chest. You look up at your tutor with a distasteful pout.

          “Having a nice nap?” he inquires as he opens the book and flips to a new chapter. “You still have lessons today. Had you not been up so late yesterday with Leo and Alyn, you would have gotten a proper night’s sleep and would not be slacking off now.” Giles voice is not particularly harsh – in fact, you believe he is teasing you more than he is scolding you.

         “I was having a nice nap, thank you very much! And I was only helping them organize things.”

         Giles flips a page and nods his head without looking up at you.

         Of course he doesn’t believe you.

         When you cross your arms over your chest and lean back, Giles turns the book around and prompts you to read. There is a detailed diagram of organs in the human body and it is accompanied with labels and descriptions. “I thought we were reviewing history today?”

         He clicks his tongue. “You might find this more interesting, actually,” Giles retorts before picking up a quill. “Read it aloud.”

         Groaning, you rake your fingers through your hair and begin to read the paragraph. The small font makes the words blur together, causing you to occasionally stumble over syllables. Upon mispronouncing a word, Giles raises an eyebrow at you.

         “I don’t know how to say it.”

         “Sound it out.”

         “I’m not a child! I don’t need to sound it out.” You huff and try to calm down as you cheeks are now flushed. “It’s a name, and I don’t know what the a with two dots means.”

         Giles stands up and walks around the table, his heels clicking against the wooden floors. “Gräfenberg,” he dictates, the sound rolling off of his tongue. “The a with two dots is called an umlaut. They are specific to a certain language.” When Giles leans over your shoulder, you can smell faint traces of his cologne lingering on his collar. “Normally, you would pronounce it as ‘a’, but the dots make it pronounced like you would a flat e. Understand?”

         When his hair falls over his shoulder, it brushes against your neck. Your breath catches in the back of your throat and you nod your head.

         “Keep reading.”

         You expect him to return to his seat, but instead, Giles stays put to monitor you. After flipping the page, he seems to get closer, almost like he’s scrutinizing over every single word your pronounce. So you pause and turn your head to look at him. When you do, you nearly bump your nose against his neck – that’s how close he is.

         “Must you peer over my shoulder so intensely like that?”

         Giles looks at you from the corner of his eye, and the corners of his mouth curl upwards into a smile. “I’m simply testing a hypothesis of my own.”

         “Oh?”

         He reels back and turns the page for you. “Did I say you could stop reading? At this rate, we’ll be here for a few days just getting through his lesson.”

         Rolling your eyes, you glance at the new paragraph. “Reproductive system?! Why am I reading about this?!”

         Giles laughs. “Clearly you were not paying proper attention to the previous sections if you’re only now realizing the topic at hand.”

         “I-I don’t understand,” you confess.

         His hand lands on the arm of your chair, and he turns it around. The feet of the chair scrape against the floor as you are spun around. Your nose nearly touches his as he presses his forehead against yours. Giles’ breath lingers on your skin and sends goosebumps down your arms.

         “Giles?”

         “What do you not understand?”

         Your lip trembles with anticipation. “Why are we reviewing this?”

         His hand lands on your thigh and his fingers strum against the skirt of your dress. “Why ever not? It is part of the designed curriculum for you. And, as princess, you should be able to handle it. Unless they were mistaken in choosing you-” he teases.

         “No!”

         “Are you raising your voice at me?”

         You bow your head meekly. “Sorry.”

         Giles catches your chin and tips your head up. “Back to the lesson. Do you know what Gräfenberg discovered?”

         Shaking your head, you try to peek over your shoulder to try to find the answer in the textbook, but Giles slams it shut. “I will take that as a no then.” He tucks a few stray strandsof hair behind your ear and pulls your legs apart before wedging himself between your thighs. “Do you care to learn?”

         Swallowing hard, you manage to mumble, “Yes.” Your blood boils with arousal as his aura shifts from teasing to lustful. Although he keeps his appearance composed, you can tell that he has other motives.

         Despite this, you don’t expect his lips to land on your neck. Suddenly, he’s kissing your skin with a passion you didn’t fully realize he had. Giles slips down to his knees as his hand lingers on the back of your neck. When he leans back, a string of saliva keeps you connected. “So you plan to stay awake for this?”

         “Y-Yes, Gil-”

         “Professor.”

         You balk at him, unaware he had a thing for name calling. “Professor…”

         “Good girl,” he purrs as his hand goes up your skirt. The tips of his fingers brush over the inside of your thighs and sends electric pulses throughout your body. Inhaling sharply, you spread you legs apart further as to allow him better access.

         “Gräfenberg was a physician that specialized in many things. Among his discoveries, he created a special type of contraceptive that proved to be very effective.” Giles’ voice is low and steady, enticing you as you listen to his words. “He is most famous for finding a particular spot that will make you unravel quickly.”

         His fingers prod at your entrance, coaxing a surprised yelp from your lips. “Professor!”

         Giles leans forward and pulls your leg over his raised knee. “Hm?”

         Slinging your arms over his shoulders, you pull him into a kiss that catches him off guard. Despite this, Giles pushes his tongue into your mouth and his fingers past the satin of your undergarments. His fingers enter you in a swift motion, claiming any thoughts that might have been running around in your mind. Arching your back against him, you break away from the kiss and look down, only to be disappointed because the fabric of your dress is obscuring your view.

         Chuckling, Giles kisses the corner of your mouth before trailing his lips down your jawline and neck. “Curious, aren’t you? You want to watch as I stretch you?”

         When you whine, Giles silences you with another kiss and continues to pump in and out of you. As you grow closer to your edge, you lean your head back onto the table as moans drip from your mouth without realizing it. You are tempted to scream profanities, but suddenly, you remember that you are in the library.

         “G-Giles-”

         “(Y/n).”

         “Giles, we’re–ahh!” He curls his fingers and rubs a spot that sends your toes curling. The tension builds up in your abdomen and threatens to release. “We’re in the library!” you manage to say before you cover your mouth as to keep yourself from being too loud.

         “What an interesting observation~ That we are. Best you try and keep quiet then. Our lesson is not over-” Giles kisses the sensitive spot behind your ear, sending you into a moaning mess. Even with your hand over your mouth, he can still hear the beautiful sounds you make. “This is the spot he discovered. It’s named after him – the g-spot. Isn’t that interesting?”

         You crane your neck to the side and mewl for him. “I-I’m going to cum!” Your legs tremble with euphoria when he scissors his fingers inside of you, but before you have a chance to go over your edge, Giles pulls away. He removes his hand from under your skirt and takes pleasure in watching your juices trickle down the side of his digits.

         Whining in protest, you throw your other leg over the arm of the chair. “W-What was that for?” you demand as your cheeks flare a bright red.

         “Didn’t I tell you that I was testing something for myself?”

         “And what is that?”

         He smirks at you, making your stomach flip over. “I want to see how many times I can bring you to your edge until you beg for me.”

         You groan just by hearing this, and he proceeds to push your skirt up around your waist as to remove your undergarments. Catching the edge of the fabric, you hold it in place so that you can watch him as he drags his tongue across your wet folds. The sensation sends you spiraling into a sea of pleasure, so you throw your head back and let your hand tangle in his hair.

         Although your high from earlier has died down a bit, Giles satisfies your lustful desires as he laps at your bundle of sensitive nerves.

         “I wonder…” he dawls as he inserts his fingers into once more. Giles curls his fingers as he had before, but this time, they prod against your g-spot just as he flicks your clit with his tongue. The combined sensation sends you howling with bliss and you tighten your grip on his hair. When you tug, he groans against you, and the vibration makes you tense your muscles. You expect him to allow you this pleasure, but instead, he pulls back again.

         “No!” you complain. You remove your fingers from his hair and attempt to help yourself finish, but Giles catches your wrists.

         “Now, now. Good things come to those who wait.”

         Giles hoists you up and trades spots with you; he sits in your chair and he places you on his lap. You adjust yourself so that your cunt rests on his thigh.

         “Do you expect me to finish myself on you?”

         He simply smiles.

         “You sadistic-”

         “You were the one that fell asleep during my lesson. Consider this punishment. Hopefully, you will learn your lesson after this.”

         Giles tenses the muscles in his thighs, giving you a hard surface to grind against. You bite your lip and consider your position. It would be humiliating if you cum on his thigh, but at the same time you are so desperate for release that you throw your arms around his neck and begin grinding forcefully against him.

         All the shame that holds you back suddenly dissipates when his hands land on your hips and he pushes you down harder onto his leg. You look up at him, only to find him smirking contently, and it only turns you on more.

         “Will you let me cum this time?”

         He ponders for a moment before cupping your face gently. “Will you beg for me?”

         Giving him your larges puppy-dog eyes, you press your chest against his and grind hard against him. The rough fabric of his trousers drives you insane – to the point where you feel the knot in your abdomen finally coming undone. Moans roll off of your tongue as you reach your climax, and Giles drags his fingers up your spine. They land on the lace keeping your dress closed, and while you are preoccupied with your reward, he undresses you.

         Panting heavily, you sling your arms around his neck and kiss him. Giles slips your dress down your shoulders, and when you stand up, you step out of the gown. You stand in front of him, only wearing your corset.

         Giles peers up at you before standing up as well. He hooks his arm around your waist and pulls you close to his body. Warmth emanates from his skin and when you press your hand to his chest, you can feel his heart beating quickly.

         “Hm… have you learned something?”

         “I don’t know…” you tease, “I think I need one more lesson.”

         He raises an eyebrow at you. “Oh?”

         “I”ll pay attention, I promise.”

         Giles takes your hand and spins you around, putting you against the desk. You lean back and watch him slowly unbutton his shirt and then his pants. “Oh I would hope that you do. There will be a quiz afterwards.” He reveals his hardened cock and rubs himself against your swollen folds.

         “Mmm… please-”

         He leans over you as his member enters you. Caged under his body, you cling to his shoulders as he begins to thrust into you. Pleasure wracks your body over and over – unlike it had earlier. He fills your womanhood and delivers you sensations you’ve never felt before. His deft fingers trace your curves, and despite being separated by the thick fabric of your corset, you can feel everything he does to you.

         Giles cups your face and kisses you deeply, his tongue entering your mouth.

         Overwhelmed with pleasure, you squirm and extend your arms, pushing some books off the edge of the desk. Giles clicks his tongue when he leans back. “Oh no, don’t be naughty. Books are to be coveted~” His hands wrap around your abdomen and he pulls you upwards.

         He bucks his hip against you, until his hips collide with yours. You spiral down into your happiness, and you let your head hang backwards. Before you have a chance to warn him, your climax hits you hard, and your legs tremble as he continues to pump in and out of you.

         “Professor~ Won’t you cum inside of me?”

         Giles eyes flash and he groans as you say that. He kisses your neck and teeths on your skin, giving you a well-shaped hickey. “Well, since you asked so nicely…” he whispers into your ear as you feel his warmth filling you.

         Running your hands through his hair, you stroke his face gently and give him a lopsided smile.

         “Thank you for the lesson, professor.”

         He laughs and tucks your face into the crook of his neck. Stroking your hair, he whispers, “What a good girl you are.”

         Goosebumps run down your shoulders, and you blush deeply. “We’re still in the library,” you remind him softly.

#midnight cindeella #more like midnight sinderella #midcin #midsin #otome #cybird #;) #giles christophe

[ythmir-writes]

fandom: Midnight Cinderella character: Nico Meier

warnings for slight spoilers, and pain; occurs in Nico’s route after his return to Wysteria from Stein

originally posted on main original timestamp: 26 January 2016

You Can’t Come Back

“Princess?”

(Y/N) snapped out of her reverie as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She quickly turned around and met Leo’s frowning face. “Yes?”

“That was the third time I called out to you.” Leo peered at her through his glasses.

Giles was behind Leo, looking just as worried as the older Crawford twin. It took a moment before (y/n) realized where she was and what she was doing.

Wysteria. Briefing. Plans to disperse the opposition to the princess system.

She had documents in her hand but couldn’t quite remember how she had gotten them. Leo must have handed it to her. Or had it been Giles?

She looked at Leo again - had they been discussing something? Was it her turn to speak? “I…” she hesitated, gripping the documents tighter, feeling the paper crumple slightly in her hand. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

The question didn’t quite register itself inside her head. Or maybe it was that it did and that would explain why her heart ached and sank. Was she all right? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t quite sure of anything at the moment. But she had slept a dreamless sleep hadn’t she? And she had a hearty breakfast earlier. Besides, it had already been two days since her return from Stein, so why was she…?

“I’m okay.”

Even she didn’t believe the sound of her voice.

“I’m just…”

She bit her lip, trying her best to steady herself and not let the fact that Nico…

That Nico was not…

The tears pricked at her eyes and she quickly tried to wipe them away as subtley as she could. It was no good to cry, no; no good to bawl out and be emotional about something that even she was powerless to change.

“Princess,” Leo said gently, glancing at Giles who nodded his head, “If you need to take a moment, Giles and I will -”

“No.” Her voice was firmer this time. To continue letting things get out of hand was irresponsible. She’d been coddled enough, and almost always allowed someone else to take care of things for her. And the last time she allowed that… things hadn’t exactly ended the way she wanted.

She took a deep breath, composing herself, steeling every fiber of her being before looking at them both. “Let’s continue discussing the plans.” She looked at the documents in her hands.

She needed to concentrate.

She needed to be productive.

She needed to be strong.

That was why she had agreed to move herself outside of palace, she reminded herself. Opposition from the rebel citizens would best be dealt with if their movements were far from prying eyes and earnest ears. Too many nobles and beaurucrats had taken advantage of her little stint in Stein to try and grab the throne. Included in those efforts were attempts at trying to recruit as much of the palace staff as possible to serve as spies. Some have been dealt with but Giles wanted to be certain.

Focus.

He and Leo - even Duke Howard for that matter - had done what they could to keep the princess system intact. Her sudden reappearance had caused most of the dissidents to recant and pledge allegiance to the princess elect but there were still enough of the rebel group to try and stage something radical. A coup. An uprising. Heaven forbid, even civil war. There was no telling what could and could not happen.

Focus.

Protea had interpreted her disappearance as an act of allegiance with Stein, and was preparing for the worst. Laurelia had acted neutral for more than three decades but rumors of spearmen marching into the city using the cover of night, and the all to real fact that it was repairing and strengthening its walls, were the kind of rumors that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Too many openings and too many avenues for mistakes. They needed to act swiftly to stamp any and all opposition out. Or at the very least, render them ineffective.

She needed to focus on that now.

“Most of the kitchen staff has been checked and double checked.” Giles said. “Additional measures were implemented to make sure that no one could infilrate us in that way again.”

“That’s a relief.” (Y/n) flipped through the papers as fast as she could. “Oh! The checkpoints we placed are proving to be an effective deterrent.”

“Yup. No more surprise armsdealing. Some nobles had a fit about that though.” Leo chuckled.

“We will have to thank Duke Howard.” (Y/n) said.

More discussions. More plans. Most of it was coming from Leo and Giles, who had more experience in the matters than her. Despite that, (y/n) felt hopeful as the hours passed by. Hopeful, yes. But mostly relieved, finally able to focus her thoughts more on productive matters, and less on self-pitying thoughts about how Nico…

No. Not again.

Not anymore.

Letters came in: declarations of loyalty, invitations and offers of help, some were wellwishers, from families who were glad that the princess was safe within the country again. At teatime, more documents were carried by the knights into the study. (Y/n) began going through them immediately.

“Page twelve has the locations of the remaining meeting places we haven’t been able to shut down.” She said. “Most have been taken care of… in two days?” (Y/N) scanned the page quickly before looking behind her where a map of Wysteria had been pinned to the wall. Red tacks had been used to mark possible buildings used as fronts to support the dissidents. And there were a lot. “That’s amazing! I didn’t know we had enough knights to be able to cover the provinces fast enough -”

“It wasn’t just my knights.” Alyn entered the room, face scowling as Leo greeted him with a wave. He stood next to (y/n), putting her between him and his twin. He then looked at Giles, focusing his gaze so he didn’t so much as have Leo in his line of sight. “You were right, Giles.”

“I try not to let that get to me too much.” Was the royal adviser’s reply. Part of (y/n) expected Giles to be smiling but his lips were getting thinner by the second.

“I don’t understand.” (Y/n) said. “This is supposed to be good news, right?”

“If we knew who was helping us.” Alyn replied. “But we don’t.”

“What?”

“Which could mean two things. It may mean that they’re actually helping us. Or they’re not and they’re busy pushing their own agenda.” Leo added.

(Y/n)’s gaze shifted from Leo to Alyn. “If this group is taking out our enemies, shouldn’t we be at the very least relieved? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”

“It isn’t a group.” Alyn’s voice was low and (y/n) stared at him. “We have an idea but I don’t trust that information broker one fucking bit.”

Giles sighed loudly, putting down his cup. “Sid has never been wrong either.”

(Y/n) slowly turned her head to look at Giles, hoping that the rush of emotions she was feeling was anything else except dread.“You all know something I don’t, don’t you?” She said in a quiet voice.

Nobody in the room said anything.

(Y/n) placed the documents in her hands unto the table as casually as she could, schooling her features carefully into an emotionless mask. One step. Two. Four. Then she stopped and looked at the three men who had all stood up and were watching her. It was only Leo who had a sympathetic look on his face.

For a moment, she almost didn’t want to continue but if there was anything she learned from Stein, and from the current political situation she was trying to extract herself from, it was that she was the one wearing the crown. She had responsibilities. She had duties. Yes, she could never hide nor unburden herself of that. But there was something else she had, that for too long she had refused to utilize.

Not anymore.

“Giles Christophe. I am your princess, am I not?”

“(Y/N) -”

“Am. I. Not?” She asked again, steel in her voice now. Steel that she was using to hide the tears she could feel were threatening to show again.

And she had damn nearly spent the whole day -

“Yes, your highness.“Giles said.

"I assume you decided to hide this information on your better judgment?”

“Yes.”

“And that this better judgment dictated upon your conscience to hide a small detail. A detail that could have been easily overlooked where it not for someone hinting at it?”

Giles’ eyes were narrowed at Alyn, who raised his hands in defeat. “Yes.”

“And that this detail would not have affected any of the plans that were already laid out.” It was (Y/n)’s turn to narrow her eyes at Giles. She paused for a moment, seeing the bigger picture. “As a matter of fact, you already took it into account.”

“Yes.”

“Giles is our dangerous wolf.” Leo piped.

“Dangerous indeed.” (Y/n) repeated, clasping her hands together to stop herself from shaking. But it wasn’t anger she was feeling.

Giles sighed loudly, crossing his arms. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he looked at (y/n), it was surprisingly gentle. “I had intended to reveal it at a later time, (y/n). It’s something better off your mind and i wasn’t - still not, to be honest - convinced it would be productive to discuss plans with a princess whose state of mind is clearly on something else.”

“Not your call.” (Y/n) shook her head.

“It was a bit presumptious, I know.” Giles answered.

“It’s him, isn’t it?”

“I was simply trying to protect -”

(Y/n) raised her hand to stop him from continuing. Her insides throbbed with a thousand emotions she couldn’t name, each turning and crashing with each other that she felt like she was going to burst. She balled her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms so much it hurt.

“Next time,” she finally said. “Be more forthcoming about these things.”

“Princess…” Leo started, hesitated, and then went on, “There’s no reason for you to push yourself like that.”

“There’s no need to coddle me. I can handle this much.”

“(Y/n) -”

“Please.” She insisted. “If you keep protecting me like this, how else will I move on?”

The three men looked at each other, and somehow without saying anything came to a consensus.

“Of course.” It was Giles who spoke.

“Thank you.” (Y/n) looked at them and was surprised to see them smiling. “What?”

“Nothing, really. Just that the little princess is all grown up now.” Alyn was smiling. He blew out breath, then added. “I can still remember how you used to scale palace walls.”

“Alyn!”

“Don’t forget the time she almost cried because she bumped into a Contessa on her first saloon.” Leo teased.

“I did not cry!”

“You were so innocent back then.” Giles’ tone was almost wistful. “To think that you would pull an authority card against none other than me.”

“I didn’t mean -”

“Stop with those excuses, you nitwit.” Alyn’s hand was on her head now. “I don’t know what happened between you and that little runt and frankly I don’t care. You’re here now. And we’re here for you, you got that?”

The tears that threatened to spill were no longer tears of sadness and she let out a small choked gasp as she fumbled for her handkerchief. As she wiped at her tears and listened to Leo teasing Alyn for making her cry, with Giles offering her his own handkerchief, her chest swelled with love and gratefulness for them.

This was what she had now.

This was her family now.

Despite the fact that the worst scenario could happen to Wysteria, (y/n) felt a little hopeful. There were better days to come.

Until two weeks into her stay in the mansion.

As an additional measure of protection, it had been decided that the Princess Elect should take up lessons in self defense. Alyn had been teaching her the basics and when he was away, some of the knights pitched in to help. She learned how to wield a sword and throw knives, how to deflect, and how to gauge an enemy’s skill by the way they held their weapons. She was no expert and quite frankly, had nearly zero talent and built in athleticism.

But she was observant. And she had sharp eyes. Or at least, that was what Alyn had added as a footnote when he listed her “knightly qualities”. Which had been next to nothing.

“Remember,” Alyn added. “What do you do when you see an intruder?”

(Y/n) rolled her eyes. “Call for help.”

“Damn right. You think ten days of holding a sword makes you invincible?” He pointed at the pair of knights in the corner. “Alfred and Tobias are my best men. You go to them when I’m not here.”

And Alyn wasn’t here now.

She had been practicing parrying for half a day now with Alfred and Tobias. Alfred was commenting on the way she was using her wrist and was about to say something else when both he and Tobias jerked their heads towards the woods, tensing.

“Is everything all right?” She asked.

The two knights gave each other a look. And (y/n) recognized that look. It was the same look Alyn had when things weren’t all right.

“Yes.” Tobias coughed uncomfortably.

(Y/n) frowned, sheathing her sword. Tobias was a bad liar and he looked away in shame when she gave him a stern look.

“Princess, you should head back-”

“Oh no.” (Y/n) cut in. “We are going to go there and see what’s hiding -”

“With all due respect, your Highness.” Alfred continued. “Our instructions were to keep you safe.”

“I will be safe. I’m with you two.” And before either knight could object, (y/n) beelined towards woods, giving the two men no other choice but to follow her.

To be honest, (y/n) was hoping it was just an approaching messenger, or a random animal. It was just an hour past noon, and the sun was still high in the sky, but the dense foliage had an eerie feel to it. Alfred and Tobias both looked wary and uncomfortable and as they went farther and farther away from the mansion, (y/n) felt like they were being watched. And Tobias merely confirmed (y/n)’s gut when he motioned for them to stop.

“Princess,” Alfred said. “Needless to say, this is bad idea.” His jaw was tense and there were more lines between his brows that (y/n) could count.

“Let’s hurry back.” Tobias said.

(Y/n) hesitated. Somehow she felt like she needed to go further but couldn’t quite place a finger on why. Frowning, she looked at Alfred. “Are we expecting anyone today?”

Alfred shook his head. “Sir Alyn isn’t expected to return until tonight.”

One last look into the forest then (y/n) turned towards Alfred. “All right. Let’s go back. Tobias, let’s -”

“(Y/n), watch out!”

Before she could even react, someone pushed past her, shoving her away from where metal clanged loudly against metal.

“Princess!” Hands pulled her up unto her feet and away from the sound of grunting and fighting. It was Alfred. But then who was -

“Nico!”

There was no mistaking the lean frame and the messy tussle of carnation hair. And the short sword. Oh my god, (y/n) could recognize the short sword from a mile away.

“Don’t hurt him!” Was all (y/n) could scream. There was hesitation in Nico’s movements and what could have been a fatal wound was maneuvered into something less final and bloody. Nico jabbed the hilt of his sword into Tobias’ stomach, forcing the man to recoil before thrusting the same blunt end square unto the knight’s jaw.

“Why you little -” Alfred stepped forward, placing himself between (y/n) and Nico. He drew his own sword and Nico turned his attention to the blond knight, leaving the gasping Tobias behind him.

There was a flurry of movements faster than (y/n) could follow, faster than any training she had had. And for a moment, she could only stare in disbelief, realizing her utter incompetence.

Ten days doesn’t make me a knight.

A knight’s fight was not her fight. Alyn had made that clear.

But she had her own unique weapons, didn’t she?

“Nico, stop it!” (Y/n) shouted as loudly as she could. “Or so help me god, I will put you under arrest!”

That forced Nico to stop midswing before backing away from Alfred. He stared at (y/n), confusion giving way to disbelief.

“Please, stop fighting.” (Y/n) continued. “These men are Wysterian knights. Alyn placed them as my bodyguards.”

“I’ve never seen them before.” Nico’s eyes turned daggers as he looked at Alfred.

“They were never at the castle often.”

“Princess,” Alfred’s gaze never left Nico. He still held his sword defensively, placing it inbetween him and the other knight. “We should apprehend this traitor at once.”

“What the hell did you call me?” Nico’s frown deepened.

“I called you a traitor.” Alfred said. “A Stein knight going undercover to infiltrate Wysteria.” Alfred spat. “You shame a knight’s honor. You have no place -”

“Alfred, stop it.” (Y/n) stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She heard Nico scowl but paid him no heed. “Get Tobias back to the mansion.”

“B-but my lady!”

“Nico will not hurt me.” (Y/n) said firmly. “I want to speak to him. In private.”

“He can do that inside the mansion walls, my lady.” Tobias was on his feet now, blood running down his nose.“In chains.”

(y/n) took a deep breath “Nico will not be coming back to us.”

“What?” It was Nico this time who was confused. “(Y/n), I’m here because -”

(Y/n) forced herself not to look at Nico. “Alfred, please?”

Alfred shook his head. “Tobias and I will watch you from there.” He waved his hand behind him. “I’m sorry your highness, but I cannot leave you alone like this and sleep well at night.”

(Y/n) hesitated. She didn’t want the two knights eavesdropping into their conversation. But there was no way in hell that Nico would lay a foot in the mansion and survive. “Very well.”

(Y/n) watched as Alfred motioned to Tobias. Undiscernable hand signals were exchanged and (y/n) wondered if Nico understood. She looked at him and felt her chest tighten again as she saw that he was staring at her and none of the earlier ferocity was to be seen. Nico’s golden eyes were gentle and kind. And he smiled at her almost as if they were the only ones there.

(Y/n) tried smiling back but her chest felt like a thousand waves were crashing against each other, and whatever emotion crept to her face made Nico pout in worry. (Y/n) tore her gaze away, taking in a deep breath.

Tobias and Alfred each took a side opposite each other, walking only as far as eavesdropping was impossible. (Y/n) waited for them to move further but neither knight budged.

“(Y/n)…” Nico had sheathed his sword and was smiling again now yet she could see the creases of weariness in his eyes. He sighed and then chuckled. “I missed you.”

“Nico, I…” She missed him. She missed Nico so much. As much as she hated to admit it there hasn’t been a day when she didn’t think of him.

For a moment, (y/n) forgot everything she had gone through and all she felt she needed to do was to run into Nico’s arms and never let go. She wanted to kiss him, to feel him in her arms, to feel the way he lifted her in arms in turn. And his laugh. Gods, she missed his laugh.

But that was only for a moment.

Things were different now.

“Reports have been received that a mystery man is going out and about and overthrowing those opposing the princess system.” (Y/n) forced her tone to be as neutral as possible. “Was that you?”

Nico sighed again, his smile rueful now. “Yes.”

All the pent up emotion she felt the past three weeks suddenly came rushing back into her chest that she shook as she stepped towards Nico. And before she could even begin to completely understand what happened, she had smacked Nico hard in the face.

The sound shocked her as much as it did him. Nico’s eyes were wide, his hand barely touching his cheek that was quickly turning a shade of red.

“Did King Byron order you to do this?” (Y/n) demanded. “Did he?”

Nico made no comment.

“Did King Byron as the sovereign of Stein ask you to lend a hand in the political issues of Wysteria?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?” (Y/n) felt the first tear run down her cheek. Then another, and another.

She didn’t wipe away her tears this time. No. For too long she had been holding in her emotions - or was it that she had been holding them at arm’s length? And now that Nico was here… Now that Nico had returned…

(Y/n) almost jumped. Nico was suddenly near her, placing a hankerchief on her cheek. “I wanted…” his voice was barely a whisper. “I wanted to protect you. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

No…

“It wasn’t the same. I was always looking for you, always wondering if you were okay.” He looked at her squarely now and she could see the pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry, (y/n). We’ve talked, I know. But as the days went by, I understood what you meant. I shouldn’t have -”

“Stop!”

“What?”

“Just fucking stop!” All manners were beyond her at this point and she pushed Nico away from her. “No. Enough of that. I’m not going to go through this again!”

How many times had they had this conversation? Too many. How many times had she cried for him to not go? Too many. How many times had she tried talking to him, explaining to him, practically coaxing him to stay? Too many.

Even she had her limits.

“(Y/n) listen to me,” Nico’s voice was pleading as he tried to reach out to her but she took a step back, then another, and another, shaking her head all the while.

“No.” Even to her ears, her voice was loud and firm and laced with everything she had felt when he left her carriage on their way back to Stein. It was angry. It was bitter.

It was hurt.

“You come into Wysterian territory without a formal order from Stein. You interfere with political issues without so much as a sanction from your king! This is wrong, Nico! You should stop from engaging in these acts -!”

“This isn’t for King Byron!” Nico was holding back his own tears now, his hands balled into fists. “It was for you. It was for me.”

“Stop it! You think you can just leave and then expect me to welcome you back with open arms as if nothing has changed?”

”(Y/n), I’m sorry for all -”

”I don’t need that now!”

“It was for us, (y/n)! I did it for us!”

(Y/n) shouted in frustration, unsheathing her sword and pointing it at Nico point blank. To say that Nico was shocked would be an understatement. He had gone pale, his eyes round and horrified, his mouth open in disbelief.

“Leave! Or by the authority vested in me as Princess Elect, I will put you under arrest!”

Enough.

They’ve said their goodbyes weeks ago.

There would be no point in repeating all that.

#midnight cinderella #nico meier #ythmir writing #ythmir fanfics

[the-master-cylinder]

SUMMARY The Warlock is taken captive in Boston, Massachusetts in 1691 by the witch-hunter Giles Redferne. He is sentenced to death for his activities, including the death of Redferne’s wife, but before the execution, Satan appears and propels the Warlock forward in time to late 20th century Los Angeles, California. Redferne follows through the portal.

When the Warlock crash lands in the flat of a waitress named Kassandra and her gay roommate, Chas, he is taken in by them. While Kassandra is out, the Warlock attacks Chas, cutting off his finger with a carving knife to acquire his ring, before biting out his tongue, leaving him to die of shock. The Warlock confronts a fake psychic, tricking her into allowing her to be possessed by Satan who tells him to reassemble The Grand Grimoire, a book scattered in three pieces across the world that will reveal the “true” name of God which when spoken backwards will unmake Creation. Satan promises to make the Warlock his second-in-command if he accomplishes this task. Ripping out the psychic’s eyes and using them as a Satanic compass, the Warlock finds the first piece of the Grand Grimoire hidden inside an antique table at Kassandra’s flat. Whilst there, he places an ageing curse upon her and takes her bracelet. Redferne arrives with a “witch compass” with which to track the Warlock. After Redferne explains some basic rules of Witches and Warlocks, such as their weakness to purified salt, Kassandra follows him in order to regain her bracelet which will break the spell and allow her to become young again. Meanwhile the Warlock acquires the power of flight by murdering an unbaptised child and boiling his fat.

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Using Redferne’s witch-compass, Redferne and Kassandra pursue the Warlock to the rural home of a Mennonite family where the Warlock has located the second piece of the Grimoire, increasing his power. After a brief battle with Redferne, the Warlock attempts to fly away but is struck down by a weathervane thrown by Redferne. Redferne, Kassandra and the Mennonite couple hold the Warlock down and attempt to bind his hands and feet with a pair of blessed manacles that will stop him from using his power but the Warlock hexes the Mennonite farmer with the Evil Eye before escaping on foot. Redferne gives Kassandra a blessed hammer with which to hammer nails into the Warlock’s footprints while he and the farmer’s wife carry the ailing farmer back to the house. While the Warlock sheds his shackles, Kassandra follows him and hammers nails into his footprints, causing the Warlock unbearable agony. He manages to escape via a train but not before Kassandra recovers her bracelet from him, restoring her youth. The farmer dies, leaving Redferne even more determined to hunt the Warlock. Kassandra does not wish to go with him but is reluctantly persuaded to when Redferne tells her that the Warlock intends to destroy the universe.

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They take a plane to follow the Warlock to Boston where the third and final piece of the Grand Grimoire is supposed to be buried on sacred earth. There they arrive at the Church where the Grimoire is held and warn the local priest that the Warlock is coming for it. The priest, whose family have protected the Grimoire for generations, reassures Redferne and Kassandra that the book is buried in sacred earth, directing them to the graveyard where it is buried. Upon arriving however, Kassandra realises that due to construction, many coffins have been moved from the graveyard to the other side, which is not consecrated ground. They find Redferne’s coffin and break it open to get the Grimoire when the Warlock arrives, having forced the priest to reveal the location of the book by threatening to give his wife a miscarriage. Redferne quickly carries the book onto hallowed ground but the Warlock grabs Kassandra and threatens to kill her if Redferne does not bring him the book. Redferne challenges the Warlock to a fair fight without weapons or magic and the Warlock agrees. He flings Kassandra into a lake and he and Redferne fight. The Warlock quickly gains the advantage and Redferne is forced to cheat by throwing soil from the sacred ground in the Warlock’s face. With the rules broken, the Warlock uses his magical abilities to subdue Redferne and claim possession of the final third of the Grimore. He assembles it and learns the true name of God.

Before the Warlock can speak the word backwards, however, Kassandra stabs him in the neck with the syringe she normally uses to inject insulin, which she has filled with salt water from the lake. The Warlock’s throat seals shut and he bursts into flames. Redferne and Kassandra bid one another an emotional farewell before Redferne returns to his own time. Kassandra takes the Grimoire and buries it in the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

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DEVELOPMENT The project began in the mind of writer D. T. Twohy, “For a long time I was dabbling with the premise that the warlock would be the good guy,” said Twohy in an interview during filming at a church in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. “I spent, if not wasted, a good six to eight weeks trying to make the warlock somebody who was persecuted during the witch craze of the 17th century, and came forward to this time and experienced much the same persecution here for other reasons. It didn’t work that way. Only when I reversed that expectation and made the warlock a bad guy did everything begin to fall into place.”

His script was first discovered in the offices of Inter-Ocean Films, a company that specializes in the sale of movies to foreign territories. After they spent some time developing the script together, a director and another writer were brought in to work on it, but it still wasn’t filmable, according to producer Arnold Kopelson. It was at that point that New World Pictures suggested bringing in director Steve Miner. Recalled Kopelson, “They had been suggesting him right from the beginning. When we finally got together I realized this guy was right.”

Miner returned to Twohy’s earlier draft, and worked with him on fashioning the final screenplay. Such was their relationship that Twohy was accorded the rare privilege for a screenwriter of being present during production. Twohy said that it’s “reflective of the relationship I have with Steve Miner. He and I became creative brethren on this project. We saw no reason to terminate that relationship.”

One thing that meant was that Twohy began to get involved in considering financial limitations on the film. While early on he refused to let such matters “inhibit my imagination,” he found certain practical problems when he and Miner began budgeting out the special effects. The film’s total budget could not exceed $15 million. One such problem arose with one of the warlock’s powers: the ability to create ectoplasm which could then be hurled as a bolt at his helpless victim.

“We feared for a while that we’d have to trim our ectoplasm out,” said Twohy. “We rewrote it, taking it out, but in the rewrite we couldn’t really find a suitable replacement for it. So we wound up switching special effects companies to somebody who could do it more economically and so they say-better.” Dreamquest was originally scheduled to do the special optical effects, including the ectoplasm. They were replaced by Perpetual Motion. Its proprietor, Barry Nolan, became the optical effects supervisor for the film. Such things as whether the budget is too high or too low remains relative, of course. Kopelson noted that WARLOCK will be “the most expensive movie that New World Pictures has ever been involved with.”

Miner also had a large say in the casting. Kopelson had wanted Lori Singer and Julian Sands, but it was Miner who suggested that Sands play the warlock instead of the witchhunter. Kopelson agreed, recalling what Oliver Stone had done casting Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger against type in PLATOON. Asked about Sands being cast against type, Miner laughed, “You don’t know Julian, obviously. To me, he’s always been a perfect warlock.”

For his part Sands said he “liked doing something a little different” since this is the “first malevolently sinister role” he has gotten to play. Sands also enjoyed playing with some of the humorous elements of the script, “If you can make a cocktail of BEWITCHED and THE ÉXORCIST you’ll get an idea of what the warlock is capable of.”

Miner insisted that both the warlock and Redferne the witchhunter be cast with English actors. Richard E. Grant, who makes his American film debut as Redferne. “I thought it was very important to cast the two males with English actors,” said Miner. “It starts in colonial United States which was an extension of England. They’d been off the boat for five years, ten years at the most. They’re English.”

That desire to at least make a stab at realism in the midst of a story about a warlock is what brought the production to Copps’ Hill cemetery in Boston’s historic North End-a short walk from Paul Revere’s house. The production built its own version of Boston Harbor, including the city’s skyline, on a Los Angeles soundstage.

While Miner’s credentials both inside and outside the horror genre are secure, for most filmmakers such films are used as a stepping stone to what are perceived as more prestigious projects. Why, then, would a producer who has an Oscar on his mantelpiece for one of the most successful Vietnam films want to make a film about witchcraft and the supernatural?

As Sands noted. screenwriter Twohy has invested the dialogue with a great deal of humor and put a fresh spin on conventional horror flick wisdom. Miner has done all he can to bring it convincingly to the screen. eliciting solid performances from everyone but Singer who, apparently, was difficult on the set. Worse. the people holding the purse strings at the late, lamented New World handcuffed Miner. whose FX ambitions exceeded his cash flow.

Sands understands Miner’s dilemma. “The thing about a limited, budget is it means people really have to think very hard and the preparation has to be very good. They have to be alert and inventive. Despite the limited millions, you have to put every dollar on the screen. Steve did just that. He’s a very balanced director.

The budget crunch forced Miner to create atmosphere and to suggest, more than he shows. Still, Warlock boasts its share of gruesome moments, such as the chopping off of fingers and the aforementioned tongue-biting and eye-gouging. Sands didn’t hesitate to go all out for the nastier scenes. “You’ve got to go for those.” Sands maintains. “That’s the fun for me. I enjoyed playing those scenes for just whoever was in the room, one or two dozen people. That was an audience and it was a performance. Now, it’s there for whoever sees the film.

“That was the appeal of the Warlock for me, that sort of heightened, almost stylized fun to be had with this malevolent creature. A lot of my friends said. Oh, you shouldn’t do a horror film, blah, blah, blah. But I just do what I feel I’ll enjoy.”

The tongue-bite scene, however, nearly made the actor ill. “It’s a hell of a French kiss. I did feel like throwing up after I bit it out of the actor’s mouth and it was sitting in mine. I was just happy to spit it into the frying pan,” he jokes.

SPECIAL EFFECTS A scene that proved too unpleasant for some people was Warlock’s breaking lady” sequence. In it. Sands freezes the body of the topless channeler (Woronov), knocks it to the ground and proceeds to stomp on her chest until he frees Satan’s eyes from her breasts. Now. Sands merely plucks out Woronov’s eyes, not exactly something we haven’t seen before, “That first sequence was shot. and I don’t know why it was cut: I think audiences at test screenings found it just too much.” Sands muses. “I don’t know who was in the audience, whether it was executives or people’s wives or brothers. But yes, the eyeballs used to be in the breasts. I see them.” details Sands in a most happy voice, “and I freeze her up and she falls over. I stomp all over her breasts to get to the eyes balls. People just found that too politically offensive, too humanitarianly offensive. There was something too brutal about the Warlock’s boots stomping on her.

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Woronov was outfitted in the scene with latex appliance breasts devised by Oscar nominee Carl Fullerton, the film’s makeup supervisor, who was assisted by Neal Martz.  The building of the breakable glass body was largely the work of Neal Martz, experimenting with candy glass. “The actual manufacturing was done by myself and Vinnie Altamore,” Martz states. “We had to paint in a layer of skin first inside the negative mold.

Underneath that, you’d have fascia or fat, and next to the fat come the muscle groups. Then you have bones and organs. It was all made of candy glass. Most of the candy glass people said you couldn’t mold it. We went the route of painting it in and letting it dry. You’d get a few cracks, and then you’d paint another layer, and that would seal those cracks. We did it for a test, and it worked so well that we decided this is the way we’d have to go because the look of it was exactly what they wanted.”

The transformation sequence was achieved through a combination of picturization and lap-dissolving. “We put her in a chair that would lock off her head,” Fullerton says. “We colored her a little. The important thing is that the subject does not move. We had to shoot three different stages of her in the freezing-up process, which we did with complicated coloration and also an ice material that we added to her. That worked beautifully.”

Miner reportedly reshot the scene with a demonic makeup to suggest the eyes are ripped from the psychic’s face instead.

Another effect in the film that did not come off as planned was Fullerton’s elaborate old-age prosthetic makeup for Lori Singer, who plays a hip waitress who befriends the witchhunter and gets caught up in the battle of good vs. evil. For a sequence where Singer is aged prematurely by the warlock, Fullerton came up with a series of makeups to progressively age the young actress. Although the elaborate prosthetics had been tested and okayed, Singer nixed them on the day of shooting. The first stage of the makeup was to suggest an age of 40 years. Singer refused to wear any prosthetics for this stage at all, forcing Fullerton to resort to such techniques as stippling, shadow, and a grey wig.

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For the more advanced makeup, intended to suggest an age of 60, Singer agreed to wear appliances on her cheeks and chin but not on her nose or eyes. This was a considerable frustration for Fullerton, who found it difficult to blend the prosthetics on Singer’s face. “She has all the classic signs of youthful beauty: smooth skin, long neck, blonde hair,” said Fullerton. “It’s my feeling that she designed the makeup. That’s a personal defeat for me, but will that ruin the film? No: if the scene plays well, it will still work.”

The optical effects for WARLOCK are the work of Perpetual Motion, a small effects company brought onto the production when the original effects supplier failed to submit an acceptable budget. Visual effects supervisor Patrick Reed Johnson gave the work to Perpetual Motion because “Most of the places we talked to had staffs of 40 or 50. Perpetual Motion has a grand total of six-a small efficient crew.”

With almost no time for preparation, such as steady-testing cameras for plate photography, and no one from Perpetual Motion available to be on the set, Johnson underwent a promotion to Visual Effects Supervisor and went to Boston to supervise the shooting of background plates for later optical work.

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“We’ve done a few unorthodox things in terms of shooting plate shots,” said Johnson. One composite scene that required effective miming from Grant involved the witchhunter throwing a weather vane like a javelin at the flying warlock and impaling him in the back. Johnson suggested shooting it optically instead of the physical effect that was planned. “So we filmed Grant as though he had the vane in his hand and then the warlock Sand’s stunt double reacting with the proper timing.” said Johnson. “We’re going to blue-screen in the miniature weather vane and shadow, and have it sail a distance of 100 feet.”

POST PRODUCTION

Another deleted scene shows the Warlock using a spell involving a chicken to track Redferne and Kassandra. A version of the scene remains in the novelization.

SCORE/SOUNDTRACK

Warlock (1989) Jerry Goldsmith

CAST/CREW Directed Steve Miner

Produced Steve Miner

Written David Twohy

Julian Sands as Warlock Lori Singer as Kassandra Richard E. Grant as Giles Redferne Mary Woronov as Channeler Kevin O’Brien as Chas Richard Kuss as Mennonite Rob Paulsen as Gas Station attendant

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Cinefantastique v19n03 Cinefantastique v19n04 Fangoria#80 Fangoria#84 Fangoria#101

Warlock (1989) Retrospective SUMMARY The Warlock is taken captive in Boston, Massachusetts in 1691 by the witch-hunter Giles Redferne. He is sentenced to death for his activities, including the death of Redferne's wife, but before the execution, Satan appears and propels the Warlock forward in time to late 20th century Los Angeles, California.

#80sFilms #80sHORROR #NewWorld

[jenniferstolzer]

Buffy season 1 disk 2

ep 5 Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

this is the second vampire in the show that looks like Trakis

Wait you came here for Buffy not B5 references? So sorry they aren’t stopping.

Buffy’s hot for mysterious poetry boy in the library. It’s a cute scene of her showing some vulnerability. Then she ends by asking Giles if her dress makes her look fat. Fat girls are gross you guys. Girls should always be worried about if they’re fat. Boys don’t like chunks man, especially when they’ve got 0 body fat. No Im not going to stop, it pisses me off. Get back to the vampires. 

Holy shit Xander “for kissing you and telling the school how easy you are.” Buzz off bro. I’m staggered. 

Willow was worried about Giles, which she had reason to be b/c now he’s locked in a bathroom. 

Angel is pretty much Tuxedo Mask. He arrives as sexy as possible, says little, helps not at all, leaves mysteriously.

omg take Owen to the funeral home. He’s so excited. You can leave him by the coffin displays and he’ll be occupied for hours trying them all on for size.

I like action Giles even if he’s really bad at it. And.... knocked unconscious! He’s def gonna be my fave. 

Oh come on, buff vampire, you jumped right into that incinerator, that was so easily avoided. 

Owen is an adrenaline junkie and only wants to date Buffy b/c nearly got him killed. And he reads Emily Dickenson. Maybe he should see the councilor from the last episode. 

I’m glad Watcher is not a gender specific job like Slayer. Also Giles wanted to be a fighter pilot. And he’s such a good dad. and Buffy is worried about getting him hurt. Omg I’ve found my platonic duo. The show has officially nabbed me. 

6 The Pack

There are were-hyenas in this. I’m in. 

“You haven’t had a crush lately?” “No, not lately.” Buffy... it was last episode. Also Angel is way too old for Buffy, even not being a vampire. 

I’m not going to point out every time a fat joke gets made. Just assume there’s at least one per episode.

I love Herbert. And the principle. I like them both :) 

Xander’s moodier than usual. They have to work really hard to show that b/c he’s moody all the time. Lol that pig is totally not making those noises. 

I hope Xander gets eaten. I won’t miss him. DONT YOU DARE EAT THAT PIG HE IS THE LIGHT OF GOOD!

Lol Buffy complains to Giles that Xander’s being a jackass. Giles is like “Xander’s just like that.” I knew you were my favorite, G. NO HERBERT OH NO YOU MONSTERS! The principle is upset b/c you ate his pet and he SHOULD BE BECAUSE HE LOVED THAT PIG!

HOLY SHIT THEY ATE THE PRINCIPAL, TOO! This ep is brutal! That poor animal loving man. 

DO NOT EAT THE LADY WITH THE INFANT

Hyenas will track the missing member of their pack until they find them. Well how terribly convenient. Established in this ep that Hyenas call your name. Maybe they should have been possessed by a parrot. 

Giles do not go in the hyena house alone. That zookeeper is sketch as hell. He’s standing in there and he’s like “Oh damn I stumbled into it again.” It’s great watching him realize he’s messed up. Then he gets beaten up again. I’m glad (most) the characters are not dumb.  

RIP Herbert and Herbert’s dad

7 Angel

The Three are like Blade in Triplicate. Also a Fumigation Party is hilarious. 

Everyone learn from Buffy. If you’re in a pissy mood, you probably need to go to bed. Say goodnight, it’s the responsible thing to do. 

She shouted “Get in, come on!” but it sounded an awful lot like an ADR line. I think they did that when they realized Angel just came in uninvited then told her vampires can’t come in uninvited. In universe, though? Very very lucky Buffy shouted “Get in!” when she did or he’d be torn apart by evil Blades. 

“Angel?” “Yeah?” “Do you snore?” I thought that was really cute ^^

“We’re not going to be fighting Friar Tuck.” Shut up Buffy, you don’t know that. 

Angel admits to being a cradle robber. 

I like the way vampires work in this universe. They’re demons that take over peoples bodies. They steal your identity, but once you turn you’re dead b/c you lose your soul. I like that a lot. I predict it gets ret-conned. 

That tattoo was 200 years old? Heck no, unless he was in for a really recent touch-up. 

The Master or whoever is reminding me so hard of G’Kar right now, lol. It’s b/c he’s posturing like a diva and shaking his head around a lot. The way his makeup wrinkles doesn’t help the likeness although G’Kar is far handsomer. 

Misunderstanding. Come back from commercial and Angel’s tossed out a window. That was an excellent transition. 

I love Giles sitting with Buffy’s mom talking about parenting concerns since they’re pretty much her parents. Does Buffy’s mom have a name? 

So Angel was cursed to have his soul back by gypsies. Somehow both a trope and a subversion of a trope? And speaking of tropes, blonde chick saunters in wearing another school girl uniform like its a fetish. 

The Master then has a room-trashing temper tantrum shouting. “She was my favorite for four hundred years!” and he officially sheds his G’Kar and becomes the new Radu.

There is no way I can be threatened by him or his Damien. 

8 I Robot... you Jane.

I’m excited for this one b/c it promises to have a robot in it. 

SHIT THERE’S A DRAKH IN THIS!!! KILL IT WITH FIRE!

Recall from the whole Na’Far thing back in episode 4 that the same makeup/special effects shop worked on both Buffy and Babylon 5 so it may just be a Drakh, I mean who the hell knows? They’re definitely using the same design language for the vampires they did for like every alien in Crusade. 

OMG Giles’ name is Rupert. And hearing all this 1997 technology scare is just HILARIOUS. What would Rupert say if he knew I had a computer in my butt pocket that could run the space shuttle? Also Miss Calendar is flirting so hard with Giles it’s like the little boy pulling his crush’s pigtails on the playground. 

Dangit! There’s no robot! It’s Tom Riddle. 

OMG Miss Calendar’s crimped hair is atrocious. 

lol and if Buffy knew about the future and how online dating is like the #1 way to meet people in the 2010s she’d be saying much different things. Buffy is right about the chemistry thing though. Having a relationship based on personality is great but when you meet in person and there’s no chemistry that’s a thing that needs to be dealt with and OH MY GOSH THAT LAPTOP OH MY LORD

Tonight on this very special episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, cat-fishing, gaslighting, and you. 

Good thing this late-90s computer has a speak and spell function so Willow and Malcolm can speak all their lines. 

Miss Calendar just pulled the race card for some reason? “You think knowledge should be kept in depositories were only white guys can get them.” Like... in the 90s were poc not allowed in libraries? I mean women obviously are b/c Miss Calendar’s there. She came in there specifically to fight with her boyfriend Giles over whether or not books suck -- which they don’t. And neither does the internet. If she is a computer and Giles is a book their kids are going to be well educated. 

Buffy was saved by her rubber soled shoes. 

lol the one computer guy is named Dave. “I’m sorry Dave” says the computer. Then he pens Dave’s suicide note. That was done on purpose and I love it. PS the Internet is scary! SCARY OOOH DANGER! DANGER! FEAR!

We get to see Willow’s room! Also I love 90s fantasy tech.

Miss Calendar is a self-proclaimed techno-pagan. “There are more of us out there than you thin.”

OMG THERE IS FINALLY A ROBOT IN THIS EPISODE AND ITS A FREAKIN ROBO DRAKH! I gotta find a way to put this guy in Babylon 6. He’s a riot. 

“I don’t dangle a corkscrew from my ear.”

“That’s not where I dangle it.” 

Giles: 

Okay disk 2 is over. I’m liking the show even more as the edges continue to wear off. The datedness is hilarious and doesn’t spoil a thing about it. It adds a richness and layer of entertainment not even intended by the original team.

#buffy the vampire slayer #jen watches #liveblogging

[tialovestelevision]

The Initiative

Hey! It’s time for the season to actually get a plot, instead of only rumors of one! Yay! 1. Spike getting tased will never get old. Stuck-up bastard. Entertaining stuck-up bastard, but stuck-up bastard. 2. Well, we start with a huge batch of objectification. I like your friends already, Riley! 3. “The girl’s so hot, she’s Buffy.” 4. Forrest made a Star Trek reference in the midst of his objectification train. 5. Buffy’s Slayer-strength broke the ice cream machine. 6. “There’s a sign of good taste.” Oh, Riley, all the very few points you’ve earned so far… going… going… 7. Well, Spike’s not looking too good. How long’s he been without blood? 8. Now he’s behind glass. Electrified… glass? With scientists? Are they scientifically studying vampires? That’s AWESOME. 9. “The latest in fall Fascism.” Huh. Good Xander line. 10. Ah, Giles’s “Xander…” face. My favorite Giles face. 11. They just dropped a blood packet into Spike’s cell. It’s drugged. 12. Spike cares who it is. But now he thinks Buffy turned him into the science prison. 13. Professor Walsh is mean. Like, actively mean. “It’s not my job to coddle my students.” “You’re right. A human being in pain has nothing to do with your job.” 14. Xander has military equipment. 15. Xander’s mom made fruit punch for him and Giles. 16. Riley just punched Parker. He earned it. 17. Wait. Forrest has said grosser things than Parker’s toilet seat bit of horribleness and Riley is still his friend. What is WRONG with these people? 18. Yep. He didn’t punch Parker for saying something terrible about women. He punched Parker for saying something terrible about a woman he wants to fuck. 19. Oh, you stupid, stupid science people. He’s playing possum. And now he’s going to kill you very dead. 20. Well, Spike just got one scientist to tranq another scientist. And has set another vampire free. Then threw that vampire at the commando guys. 21. Riley is in Buffy’s room. He wants to talk to Buffy, but only Willow is home. 22. Willow is hiding Buffy’s weapons. Riley helped her. 23. Willow is not happy at all after Oz left. Riley handled that with grace. 24. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like Buffy before.” Got that right. 25. “I’ve seen honest faces before. They usually come attached to liars.” Wow. Kidney punch, Will. 26. Buffy likes cheese. That’s a start. 27. Oh, it’s Harmony. Spike found her. She slapped him. Wow, he’s a manipulative bastard. 28. Spike wants to kill Buffy. Harmony wants to slap Spike around. 29. Giles and Xander are on patrol. Sorry, Giles. 30. Willow is helping Riley. And threatening him. With a shovel. 31. Wow, he is bad at this. But he remembered the cheese. 32. I also like cheese. Just saying. 33. Now Xander and Harmony are threatening each other. And fighting. Badly. This is hilariously embarrassing. Like, wow. This is wonderful. 34. Xander did get important intel from Harmony. That Spike is back, and trying to kill Buffy. 35. Riley is talking about how badly he did at hitting on Buffy with Willow. 36. They’re playing a Dingoes song. Willow is really extra sad. Riley had them kill the song. Willow is going home and sending Riley to tell Buffy that. 37. Xander found Buffy and killed Riley’s attempts at hitting on Buffy. Forrest thinks Buffy and Xander are off to have sex. They have a retinal scanner. 38. Now they’re in the vampire science lab elevator. They’re the commandos. The commandos are the Initiative. They have quite the base. 39. And Professor Walsh is in charge. Spike is Hostile 17. 40. Hostile 17 escaped before 3 PM. It’s into the night now. Why are they just starting a recovery effort? 41. Xander’s back to his usual. He took a moment to insult Buffy’s interest in Riley. 42. Buffy is out on campus looking for Spike, or hoping Spike is looking for her. But Spike just found where Buffy’s room is. And the Initiative found Buffy. 43. Now Buffy and Riley are trying to get rid of each other so they can hunt Spike. 44. And there’s Spike at Buffy’s room. Where Willow is. Alone. 45. Well, this is uncomfortable. Very rapey. But now Spike is sitting on the end of the bed. He couldn’t bite Willow. 46. So he’s getting splitting headaches when he tries to bite Willow. He’s very angry about that. 47. Okay, this scene is really funny. Like, REALLY funny. It would be funnier if they hadn’t made his first attempt at biting her so rapey, but it’s really funny. 48. “You know, this doesn’t make you any less terrifying.” “Don’t patronize me.” 49. Finding vampires with an infrared camera? Awesome. Using it to look through walls? Pretty sure it just doesn’t work that way… the brick would all be one temperature. 50. And now the Initiative has locked Willow in with Spike. And shut off all the lights. And stormed the dorm. 51. Willow threw herself at the Initiative, which giave Spike a chance to run. But he can’t bite the Initiative either, and they’ve now bagged his head. And he’s broken loose while they were arguing about whether to capture Willow. Buffy showed up and is now attacking the Initiative with a flare gun and fighting them. This gives Spike time to get away. 52. Forrest is after Spike, who just dove out of the building. Buffy’s hand-to-hand with Riley. Riley recognized her and ended the mission, and now the lights are back on. 53. So now we know what happened to Spike. He has an implant that keeps him from hurting living creatures without intense pain. 54. Now Riley is talking to Buffy. He knows she fought him, but she doesn’t know he fought her. 55. Riley is, in fact, peculiar. Overall: They really want me to care about the Initiative and Riley, don’t they? But I don’t. The Initiative is a terrible military group (seriously, writers, do research - you can’t dress characters in camo and have them throw some military jargon around to make me believe they’re an elite commando team) and Riley’s just… bland. I think I’m supposed to see him as… chivalrous?... when he punches Parker, but instead his conversation with Forrest takes all the moral weight from that act and makes it a guy slugging another guy for dissing his girl, when he hasn’t even asked the girl if she’d ever want to self-identify as “his.” They did two very effective scenes with Willow and Spike back-to-back, but each one makes the other not work nearly as well as it does on its own. Spike’s initial attempt to bite Willow is violent and power-gamey and brutally unpleasant to watch, which works given what vampires do, and their conversation afterward linking his inability to bite her to impotence is immensely funny, but putting them together makes it harder to either laugh at the conversation or be scared of the attack. None of this is to say I didn’t enjoy the episode. I did! It was just enjoyable in spite of itself.

#buffy the vampire slayer #willow #spike #buffy #riley #buffy season 4 #season 4 #the initiative