#heath.... the hothead.....

[grxffiti-on-your-grave]

Sooo. The monster high thing looks. bad. btw

#poysonal #ok to rb this is so. #what are they doing!!!! #what the fuck was the thought process here!! #lagoona looks like some dollar store white girl mermaid halloween costume #deuce looks like jughead #draculaura.... just. wow #clawdeen got violently whitewashed and looks like some tumblr hispter but the outfit is. somewhat close #i've seen so many frankie cosplays that are better than what they did to her here #cleo..... i'm so sorry ma'am i do see your ONE gold highlight #heath.... the hothead..... #i have no words tbh #who are you #komos looks like henry cavell #it's. a complete redesign that was totally unnecessary #bloodgood's design is. fine i guess #but guys come on here #Instagram

[jennrypan]

Somethin about this clawdeen seems..so easy to pushover.

Like with how shits going ima take a guess and say. Cleo bullies Clawdeen cuz shes gonna be the new girl instead of Frankie.

And Frankie the crazy party girl and Draculara the..witch will threaten to spell Cleo or some shit and Clawdeens just gonna..be a push over, with all of her personality rewritten just because.

No its not cuz she has glasses. Its just the track record of all these riverdale-ified shows. So.

If im right Nickelodeon owes me 5 millions dollars.

And if im wrong..they STILL owe me 5 million dollars for bringin this shit into the world.

#j.p speaks #monster high #they all look like party city cosplayers #why didnt they TRY #why are cleo and clawdeen so damn light skinned. #they couldnt at leaast make the cast more diverse. #deuce is GREEK why is some white boy playinh him #heath is not even a hothead. he was a wimp who tried his best and thats why people loved him #he was impulsive #i hate yall

[redmaskofme]

Monster High’s very own hothead, it’s heath burns

#monster high redesign #monster high g3 #monster high gen 3

[boardboxes]

Let’s discuss what I would change about the monster high live action … costumes …

1. Heath I’d really just change his hair. Like make it more spiky and less.. 2012 floppy.. also he’s not rlly a hothead so I hope they don’t make him a jerk or a bully. He’s a dorky nerd that loves Abbey

2. Cleo. I would add wraps on her costume and way more elements of her ancient Egyptian culture. I’d also add that iconic eyeliner she rocks in the animated show and the blonde highlights. Just overall more bling

3. Frankie, I don’t rlly have too many qualms with this like I think the dress and preppiness is good but I would swap those leggings for fishnets. And I cant see if she has bolts on her neck or whatever but add those and more scars for where she was put together

4. Clawdeen…. Uhm she’s supposed to be a fashion designer and there’s some shit crashing. I’d take out the moon shirt and make it match her jacket/skirt more. And I’d make her hairier. I mean, she is a wolf. So why is she so shiny

5. THEYVE MASSACRED MY GIRL OMFG okay so costume .. fine? I’d change the fact that she’s a sorceress because she’s not. I’d add her white color and make her skirt poofier. And add her iconic pigtails back

6. Cleo wouldn’t be caught dead with this dude so uh. Change it up. Make those glasses sunglasses, stop posing like an idiot. Give him snakes and that side shave, other than that. Outfit is relatively fine

7. Who the fuck even are you. I don’t even know what to say but change this whole thing up bc this is not lagoona. The hair is like ? okay but the outfit is horrendous and needs to be fixed rn

8. Bloodgood <3 nothing she’s perfect

#monster high #long post

[deuces-stone-cold-style]

From what I can tell seeing the trailer and leaks, Heath is not a bully with anger issues, they just couldn’t think of a better fire pun than "Hothead"

#monster high #heath burns

[delightfully-deranged-dagur]

So, as you know, I'm working on a project called, Monster High Reimagined.

And as I'm working on it I try to have a good understanding of the character and what worked in the original. Especially regarding character design.

Now lets go over everything about the live action designs that don't work.

Frankie Stein

So Frankie in my opinion is the best design here. Though she's nowhere near the perfection of the original. The only thing that bothers me here is that neon pink lightning bolt earring. And it's solely because of the color, just recolor it to a more fitting color and you can keep it! But maybe just remove it entirely.

Draculaura

I. Hate. Her. Hair.

That color pink doesn't even fit with the skintone, it blends together way too easily. I hate it.And why is she a sorceress? Is she even still a vampire?!

The outfit is, okay. But her hair just ruins it.

Clawdeen Wolf

So Frankie was the main character of the original, and Draculaura in the first reboot. So I guess going by theme song, it is Clawdeen's turn. Can't wait to see Deuce be the main character in reboot 5.

But design wise, her outfit could work, I feel like the colors just need to be adjusted. And maybe remove the fur coat. I like the glasses. Also her skin should be darker. Howleen was always the lighter skinned wolf. At least before her redesign.

Lagoona Blue

Her last name is Blue! Not Rainbow! What is this! This isn't Lagoona! What's with the skin fins? Who approved this?! Say what you want about the first reboot at least they got Lagoona's colors right.

Cleo De Nile

Where. Are. The. Bandages?!? She's not a mummy without bandages! She's just some girl. And why make her hair blue? Why does she look white and yellow at the same time!?

Deuce Gorgon

I'm willing to look past there not being snakes, cgi is expensive and looking at Lagoona I feel like the budget was 50 bucks.

But I can't look past him having a camo print when it should be scale print! And why aren't his glasses sunglasses?! He's not hiding his eyes at all! That's one of the most important things about his design!

Heath Burns

.......why?....

Just. Why?

First of all, I don't feel like his clothes are what bring him down, but they certainly don't help. It's the direction where they took his character.

Heath isn't a Hothead except in a literal sense! He's a dumbass! With a big ego! But he's not someone with a temper! That's Manny!

And I can't tell if it's the lighting or if he has black lipstick.

And the hair....it shouldn't go down. It should point up! Like a flame!

Headmistress Bloodgood

The only thing I have to say, is that I don't like that red on her jacket. It's too bright.

But I am very happy to see her back.

Overall, I don't have high hopes for this movie.

But regarding the cartoon, we got these leaked designs for Draculaura and Deuce. Still hate Drac's hair but Deuce looks 10 times better. I'm a bit more optimistic about the cartoon. But the original will always be the best.

#monster high #frankie stein #draculaura #clawdeen wolf #lagoona blue #cleo de nile #deuce gorgon #heath burns #headmistress bloodgood

[inkabelledesigns]

I’m not one to talk about stuff that frustrates me in the doll world, but man, this is really frustrates me. So Monster High is getting a live action reboot, and everyone and their brother is telling me about it because they know I love Monster High. And you know what, I appreciate that they remembered it’s one of my interests and try to connect with me over it, that’s nice. But every conversation I’ve had has ended the same way, in everyone sharing disappointment that this new movie is missing the charm of the original. I show people what the live action looks like vs the series that inspired it, and not one has been excited for the new thing once they know where it comes from.

A lot of what I’m about to say can be summarized as “if it were a new generation instead of a reboot, I would like it,” but I’m gonna go more in depth under the cut here. 

The thing that kills me about this movie is that it feels like it’s another story wearing the Monster High name in order to have a chance at selling, and I’m bothered by that. Okay, so Clawdeen is the new ghoul at school this time, why? We had a solid what, seven years of that being Frankie’s role, what do we gain from Clawdeen being put in that role instead? Where did Draculaura’s love of witchcraft come from, why wasn’t that given to Cleo instead when she was always the one messing with talismans for comedic episodes in the original show? Why has Heath been turned into the hotheaded bully stereotype? What happened to Deuce’s story with being half normie and needing his shades to protect those around him? Why is the fantasy skin tone roughly preserved for most characters but not Lagoona? I have a ton of gripes about Lagoona, so much of her style has been changed. The tomboy aesthetic, down to earth nature, the Australian accent, she doesn’t seem like she’s even related to the original character, and that’s a shame. Because you know what kills me? I would LOVE this character if I didn’t know it was supposed to be Lagoona. She’s got a fun style that I vibe with a lot, I am so into having more aquatic monsters like we did with Sirena and Lorna, but she’s wearing a name that isn’t hers. That’s not Lagoona, that is a new character wearing her name because the creators don’t seem to have faith that they can make something new without the original’s branding and reputation. That’s what kills me, these characters aren’t the same, they’re clearly a new vision, and I wish they’d just gone all the way with changing it rather than going halfway. 

Like if you told me this was a new group of students, a new generation with new names and personalities, I would buy it, I would totally be on board. It’s like what MLP does, each series is a different generation, and sometimes they take place in the same world at different time periods, sometimes they share elements, but they don’t have to. That would have been an easier approach to accept. Instead, by doing a reboot and changing so much of the old, it feels like they’re spitting on the original, and that frustrates me. Like I could get behind some of the changes if they were equipped to different characters (see Cleo getting into witchcraft since it makes sense with how she was written formerly), but it feels like the people working on this franchise now have a total lack of understanding of why the original was charming. It feels like they don’t care. It feels like this is wearing the MH brand because they don’t have faith that it would sell without it, and that just makes me sad.

The big gripe I have is that this movie’s trailers seem to indicate that the main conflict is the monsters being afraid of a student with secret human heritage. And we know that Clawdeen is a werewolf, which is, you know, part human. So you can totally see where this is going. Clawdeen is gonna be in trouble, they’re gonna shoehorn in something with Draculaura doing her new witchy stuff to try and make Clawdeen not part human, it’s gonna fail dramatically, her cover is gonna be blown, people are gonna riot, and somehow it’ll be resolved within the timespan of the film. It’s incredibly predictable, and given how human some of these characters look, I’m a little annoyed by it. Like look, Cleo is a mummy, mummies were humans once. Frankie is literally stitched together from pieces of living things, and while I know the media of the original made it out to be synthetic instead of actual human flesh, my point still stands, that is still very human in nature. Ghoulia is a zombie, zombies were once living humans. Draculaura’s original story had her as a human that got turned by Dracula in order to save her life when her mother died, she was HUMAN. And let’s not forget Deuce, a monster who is only half gorgon, as his mother, Medusa, had him with a human father, something she won’t talk to him about because they’re estranged. And while we’re on the subject, what about Jackson and Holt? They are a huge deal when it comes to monster and humans, do they not exist in this world yet because of this story? 

It just, grr it’s so FRUSTRATING that they chose this as the plot. They could have chosen ANYTHING as the plot to this world, and they chose the least logical path possible. Nevermind the fact that they couldn’t be bothered to use the term normies for humans like all the other MH media did, no, how dare we be consistent. It just feels like there’s no respect for the original source material. If you’re gonna reboot something, you do your homework on it, figure out what made it successful and include elements of that while still creating your own thing. 

Today we had a doll leak that showed our main three ghouls, and I’ll be honest, I don’t dislike the dolls. I think all three of them have some okay points, but they aren’t Draculaura, Clawdeen, or Frankie. If you sold them to me as new characters, I would like them so much more, I’d even find them cute. The leak of Cleo remains my favorite of the bunch so far, she looks really good. The ears are really nice, the body shapes are okay, the face paint is even alright. It’ll take time to get used to the new faces, but they aren’t bad, they just aren’t Monster High as I’ve grown to love it. They could still be Monster High, I just wish they were new characters, like genuinely, that would solve so many problems. I can ignore a bad live action movie plot, I don’t have to watch it when it comes out (nor do I have to watch the leaked full version that’s roaming around), but I do have to deal with the fandom side of things, and that’s not a fun time. I struggle with change, especially when the change is unnecessary. There was no reason to reboot Monster High. Don’t change the thing I love, make your own thing that’s even better and unique to your team/the time it’s made in. This reboot feels like it’s a fanfiction role swap AU that got to be made into a canon product, and I don’t want that. I’m fine with fanfiction existing, that’s a great thing for a “what if,” but that’s where it belongs, as a thing to play with, not as canon. 

#monster high live action #frustrated ranting

[momdusa]

Heath the Hothead? Heath is a GOOF don't do that to him. I like Bloodgood and the main three. Trying to figure out Deuces hair Hair. Still waiting to see how I feel about Lagoona.

[naywass]

Heath was Elena’s and Gabe’s son. He lived his youth being pampered and living the wealthy life due to Elena’s family’s wealth and Gabe’s inheritance. He was a hotheaded heartbreaker. He was happy and hedonistic, believing life was best when you divulged in life’s pleasures. He spent the majority of his young life in a penthouse suite with a revolving door of beauties and buddies - always a party to be had, before moving to a huge house in Del Sol Valley.

#H generation #sims4 #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 story

[limesunset]

thoughts on mh movie character posters

draculaura- i love this design for her! i think they captured her very well while also making her modern with the split dye hair. and ofc the addition of witchcraft to her character! i think this could be a really fun and exciting change. we'll have to see what they do with it. i think it's good to give draculaura more of a hobby as she never really had one of her own before. we could be seeing a more serious incarnation of draculaura than we have seen before.

frankie- my favorite character and i think they did her justice! this outfit captures her preppy school girl style while adding some edge! i love this for frankie and i love her actor seems to be having fun in this role! curious to see how frankie's powers are going to work in g3.

cleo- for me, this outfit is very reminiscent of her boo york look! i love this color scheme for cleo. we haven't seen much on cleo yet. i am wondering if she is going to be an antagonist or not? i would love to see her start as an antagonist and become friends with the ghouls over time!

deuce- i think they are definitely going for the misunderstood loner type of character with deuce in this incarnation. i find that really interesting! there's not much to say about his outfit. he's got a beanie now and snakes barely peaking out from under the beanie! probably more of a live-action limitation than anything. interestingly, he is also wearing regular reading glasses instead of sunglasses now! i wonder how that's gonna work with his powers...

heath- for me, he looks the worst out of the bunch. the makeup looks too much like makeup instead of just the character. the outfit is very reminiscent of the original though! notably, his tagline is "the hothead." some have been speculating he may be more of an antagonist- i wonder if there's any merit to that?

komos- a brand new character! there's not much to say on him as he looks just like a human with horns lol. i am speculating he may be the villain.

bloodgood- perfect! there's really not much more to say!

lagoona- the biggest change to any character by far! i can personally see why they went this route to modernize lagoona. i still see her sporty style here. it's just a different and more modern take on it. it's a big change but i think i like it! her tagline is "the bestie with bite." what does that mean?? wondering what her character is gonna be like!

and last but not least..

clawdeen- i think she looks perfect! her look is so cohesive and so clawdeen! it's very stylish and they hit all the marks, crescent moons, fur coat, and cheetah print! i personally love the addition of glasses to clawdeen. i think it's super cute!

#monster high #monster high movie

[byneddiedingo]

Yvonne Buckingham in Sapphire (Basil Dearden, 1959)

Cast: Nigel Patrick, Michael Craig, Paul Massie, Bernard Miles, Yvonne Mitchell, Olga Lindo, Earl Cameron, Gordon Heath, Jocelyn Britton, Harry Baird, Orlando Martins, Rupert Davies, Freda Bamford, Robert Adams, Yvonne Buckingham. Screenplay: Janet Green, Lukas Heller. Cinematography: Harry Waxman. Art direction: Carmen Dillon. Film editing: John D. Guthridge. Music: Philip Green. 

The police procedural/whodunit faces several problems inherent to the genre when it comes to not giving away the ending: One is that the "who" is never the one the police suspect. Another is that it's also never the one you first suspect. And a third is that if either the victim or the prime suspect (or both) belongs to a socially marginalized community -- racial, religious, sexual, etc. -- then the perpetrator is not going to be a member of that community. So when a Black woman who is passing for white is found dead on Hampstead Heath, the first suspect is her fiancé, a white man. Still, as the evidence mounts, there are more and more reasons to suspect him until suspicion arises and evidence is found that the murderer was a Black man. Is Basil Dearden's procedural Sapphire going to be an exception to the rules of the genre? Dearden's film has not aged well. Its portrait of British racism is outdated, and even the jazzy musical underscoring by Philip Green is of another era. At one point, the score even resorts to a "dun-dun-DUNN" sting when a somewhat minor revelation occurs. In short, it's a lot like an old-fashioned one-hour TV procedural. The chief inspector, played by Nigel Patrick, is one of those British cops who keep their cool at any turn, while his assistant (Michael Craig) is a hothead who jumps to conclusions that are invariably wrong. There are moments of real energy in the film, especially when the cops are invading the turf of London's Black community, though the movie's point of view is as secure in middle-class respectability as the victim's father (Earl Cameron), a physician dressed in tweeds.   

#Sapphire #Basil Dearden

[fortune8one]

Fire Starter

I've been told I was too passionate about things. I get to animated, heated. So? What's your fucking point?

Do you not stand for anything before throwing words at others ferocity or excitement? Why AREN'T you as passionate about things you apathetic sloths? Where's your drive? Why you no doctor yet? What's in your wallet? What would you do for a klondike bar? What's your deal? Why so many damn questions?

Has everything been so overstimulating, oversexualized, overhyped, overworked and understated that you just lost the will to be anything more than a zombie?

If the fire is gone from you, don't try to pour your indifference on mine.

(Music by ME - Graphics, Concept, Animation by ME. What can I do for you?)

#fire #smolder #fire storm #fire starter #think piece #think peace #passion #heath ledger #apathy #hothead #ferocity #excitement #video #edit #genius #adobe photoshop #cc #business #design #work #visual arts #hollafortune #fortune8one #freelan #graphics #namaste #beats #music #producer #original music

[in-flagrante]

Michelle Dockery on her new dog Alfie, directing, and whiskey

‘Lockdown? It was an interesting time,’ says Michelle Dockery at the start of our Covid-compliant phone conversation about acting, the pandemic and her favourite whisky.

‘It certainly became an opportunity to ponder on things that I took for granted. We were in our “bubble” and I watched TV way more than I usually do. Hugh Laurie was brilliant in Roadkill [the BBC’s political drama written by Sir David Hare]. I loved that. And I became a big fan of podcasts.’

Which one in particular?

‘Desert Island Discs.’

She was close to tears listening to the actor and director Samantha Morton on the show.

‘She was a big inspiration to me in my teens.’

Has Dockery been invited to become a castaway?

‘I would leap at the chance,’ she says. And she’s drafted her list of favourite tunes already. ‘There’ll be a lot of Joni Mitchell.’

Dockery is best known to British audiences for portraying Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey. But her origins are far from aristocratic. She was brought up in Romford in Essex. Her father was a lorry driver and her mother worked in care-homes. They were keen for their daughter to expand her interests and they enrolled her in a local dance-school.

‘It was at the end of the street where I was growing up. My mum and dad encouraged me to have confidence and I loved dancing. It was my first passion.’

She saw her future as a ballerina. At school an influential teacher, Miss Birt, was keen to develop her pupils’ interest in the theatre and she arranged a school-outing to see Helen Mirren in Antony and Cleopatra. Dockery was hooked.

‘At a very early age I realised it wasn’t actually dance I wanted to do. It was acting, taking on characters. Miss Birt encouraged me to audition for the National Youth Theatre. And I loved it.’

But things weren’t easy after leaving drama school. She describes the uncertainty of an acting career as ‘like jumping off into a very unknown abyss. I went through phases of time-off and not knowing if the next part is around the corner. I gave in to the unpredictability of it all.’

The turning point was Downton Abbey and the part of Lady Mary. After that the offers started rolling in.

‘I enjoy playing complex characters and embodying people who are very far from who I am,’

Unlike some actors, she doesn’t deliberately set out to surprise audiences with dramatic transformations.

‘I don’t plan too much. I don’t think “now I’ve done that character I need to do something completely different.”’

She’s also a gifted singer. She was invited to perform at the 50th anniversary of Ronnie Scott’s in Soho and she occasionally appears with Sadie and the Hotheads, a band formed by Elizabeth McGovern who plays her mother in Downton.

Samantha Morton, her role-model, began as an actor and branched out into directing. Would she follow that path?

‘I’ve seen enough of the way in which directors work to give it a go,’ she says. The essence of the job is ‘forming a relationship with the actors.’ Her plan would be to ‘start small and build up my experience with an episode [of a TV series].’

Could she direct a film about the life of Joni Mitchell?

‘Maybe. If she’d let me.’

She’s in no hurry to abandon her on-screen career just yet. ‘Acting is still my main course.’

When not at work she enjoys visiting Hampstead Heath where she exercises her dog, ‘a Bedlington whippet with a bit of Saluki in him’. She chose the name Alfie – ‘as in, “what’s it all about, Alfie?”’ – after the iconic 1960s movie starring Michael Caine and Shelley Winters. Her other passion is reading which she finds hard to concentrate on while acting.

‘Your head’s in the script and that’s a distraction.’

She’s also partial to the odd dram of whisky.

‘My dad’s half-Irish so whisky has featured in his life, shall we say.’

She’s proud to have been asked to front a new campaign for Glenfiddich.

‘I’m keen on their readiness to progress the perception of whisky to new audiences and, as a woman, to encourage gender inclusivity in the industry.’

The campaign images were created by Misa Harriman, a UK-born Nigerian cameraman who was the first black photographer to shoot a cover for British Vogue.

‘A photographer for our time,’ she says.

The centrepiece of the campaign is the Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23-Year-Old. This rich single-malt is matured for over two decades in American and European oak casks.

How would she take the Grand Cru – with ice, water, soda or ginger?

‘Neat,’ she says.

https://life.spectator.co.uk/articles/michelle-dockery-acting-is-unpredictable-but-i-love-it/

#michelle dockery #glenfiddich #spectator life #interviews

[phantomlordreshiram]

Since I beat the league and got a dragonite in soulsilver, I decided to give more info on Heath, such as Birthday, Full name, friends, relatives, enemies, romantic interest, nickname, etc.

Name: Heath Kenton Richter

Nickname: The Teen Who Takes to The Skies!

Birthday: October 9, 2005

Birthplace: Accumula Town, Unova

Nationality: Johtohian, Unovan

Family: Cheren (Cousin), Alizeh R. (Mother), Lance (Brother), Altair R. (Father).

Romantic Interest: Lyra

Friends: Morty, Gino (Silver), Chuck, Bugsy, Lance, Whitney, Karen, Gabriel (from Leafgreen)

Enemies: Giovanni, Proton, Ariana

Rivals: Gino (Silver), Ellis, Gabriel, and Lance.

Favorite Pokemon: Typhlosion, Lugia, and Umbreon.

Personality: Hotheaded and individualistic, Heath prefers battling, both pokemon and his personal issues, alone. He is a kind person but it is easy to push his buttons. When in a good mood, he is a goofy and fun-loving teen.

Relationships with Lance: Heath looks up to Lance as a brother. His assortment of Flying types got Heath to aspire to be a flying type specialist, like one of his childhood friends Falkner.

#heath is my soulsilver oc #trainer heath #pokemon oc bios #pokemon oc headcanons #heath richter

[i-breathe-therefore-i-read]

Witch & Wizard Series by James Patterson

Whit and Wisty Allgood, a witch and wizard with extraordinary abilities, have defeated the ruthless dictator who long overshadowed their world. But for the first time in their lives, the powerful brother and sister find themselves at odds as Wisty is drawn to a mysterious and magical stranger named Heath. 

Wisty has never felt as free as she does with Heath, especially when the two of them share and test their magic together. But when a merciless Wizard King from the mountains suddenly threatens war, Wisty must make an excruciating choice. Will she unite with Whit to fight the mounting dangers that could return their world to a tyrant's domain? Or will she trust the beautiful boy who has captured her heart?

*What I thought: 2.5 out of 5 stars

read: 3/19

This book was just eh. Kids getting kidnapped - eh, people dying - eh, “hot guy” shows up - eh, makes out with said “hot guy” - eh, twists with guy - eh....see where I'm going with this? Nothing happened that grabbed my attention the way it’s supposed. I guess the writing didn’t grab me? Honestly I wanted to stop reading but I felt the need to finish it to finish the series.

I don’t remember much of the other books in the series but that I liked them and thought it was a cool idea. Also that it felt like different people wrote it. Well I look back and it’s true, different people wrote it and that’s probably why I didn’t care for this one. 

I found Wisty unbearably annoying. I remember liking her before but not in this one. She’s all about what she wants to do and gets mad at people because they don’t agree with her. Total hothead in more ways than one. Blech. 

Whit I liked. He’s more levelheaded and he’s the one that was determined to fix things peacefully with the Mountain King until it didn’t go as planned. But at least he tried!

I’m going to read the next book and hopefully it redeems this series for me because this book destroyed what I liked about the first three books. 

Whit and Wisty Allgood have fought and defeated their world's most pernicious threats: the evil dictator, The One Who Is The One, as well as his wicked father and son. But just as the heroic witch and wizard start to settle into their new roles in governance, a deadly crime wave grips their city, with all signs pointing to a magical mastermind every bit as powerful and heartless as The One. Now the siblings find themselves persecuted as the city turns against all magic users, and questioning everything, including each other--and, for the first time, their abilities. Can they confront the citizens' growing hostility and their own doubts in time to face the new enemy barreling toward their gates?

*What I thought: Nothing I DNF (if anything 3 stars of what I read)

Read: 3/19-6/19

I found this better than the last book but I got to chapter 45 and stalled for almost three months. I have no interest finishing it. I’m just going to act like the third book was the last one in the series lol🤷‍♀️

#the kiss #witch & wizard series #my bookish thoughts #the lost

[fightevilandthengetblownup]

Smoke & Trouble I

—

The sound of brass instruments and the disjointed drumming of a jazz beat filled the paved street as the automobile pulled to a stop on the opposite corner to the once rundown building. The windows were frosted and opaque, with only the fuzzy shadows of silhouettes moving behind them being visible through them alongside the yellow glow of the lighting inside. The facade had finished its repaint the previous week, dark charcoal tones offset by the golden lettering of the establishment’s name above the door. The Fort had been reborn like a pheonix from the ashes two years earlier.

The blond man opened the door to his drivers seat, slipping from the vehicle quietly as he reached into the backseat to withdraw the dark cane with only the slightest orante detailing visible under his palm and the silver point digging into the gaps between the stone pavement. He drew his cap lower over his face as he made his way towards the building, cane clicking on the stones as he moved aong the busy street.

The city had changed significantly within the last two years - factories growing larger and larger, the slums spreading further and further, and Small Heath building up from the slums to the epicentre of power for the underbelly of the city. The Faceless Shadows had grown along with it, their numbers expanding and their reach with the assistance of their alliances to the Catholics in the north and the successful intergration of legitimate gambling licences and investments through the Visyak Family Ltd with the Shadows other lines of work building them into the untouchable controllers of Birmingham and those smaller towns and cities nearby.

Michael lit a cigarette as he walked towards the pub, which had been the very first of the legitimate Visyak Family investments prior to its destruction. Two years had been a long time to rebuild the facility, however other elements had to be addressed first, other areas had to be rebuilt first, other hurts had to be healed first. The blond man rested his weight upon the cane as he made his way inside, the warm glow off of the golden trims drenching his hair golden too.

It had been two years since that week when everything had changed for them, and limping his way across to the private room, still private and left for Shadow business, Michael knew that nothing had diluted the power he held in this space. A limp from the gun shot to his thigh, where two inches further left would have had him bleeding out on the dusty country road, did nothing but add to the dangerous edge to the Shadow leader.

His brother’s and son were all already seated around the tables in the back room, drinks before them and a space awaiting his arrival.

“Good first night of business, boys?” “It would be if Ian’s girl hadn’t been allowed to choose the music.” “Nothing wrong with the new sound, Uncle Jeff-” “It’s a goddamn fucking racket is what it is.” “Yeah, but look out there what it gets them girls doing.”

Michael slid into his seat with a sigh as uncle and nephew began bickering for the tenth time that month since the newest addition to the family had begun suggesting ideas, expressing opinions and talking back to the older Shadow. Looking out the open door to the open areas of the pub, whereby a group of young women including the dark haired wife of the youngster were all dancing freely as would never have occurred even two years prior. Amongst the crowd, Shada was clearly visible dancing with a champagne flute in hand.

“Jackson…” Michael growled out the word with a raised brow at their sister’s antics, and the youngest of the brother’s got up wordlessly to collect the girl for a drink at the bar instead.

Jeffrey’s arguments appeared to dull at the sight of the gyrating women, skirts flapping about their thights and laughter filling the pub in such a way that had not been heard in the area since before even the war. His son’s blue eyes were fixated upon where his new wife Lenore was dancing within the crowd as well. Michael had not particularly approved the pair, but all were allowed their childish mistakes, and Michael had made his own at his boy’s age. The wedding had been quick and quiet as it had been his own twenty years ago, though the pair had been practically inseperable for the last four months. By Ian’s age, he already had a wife with the boy on her hip, and the way the two were going, the whole family expected similar news soon enough.

Letting out a stream of smoke, Michael surveyed what he could see of the pub, styled after the extravogent clubs flooding London and drawing the eye of those with either too much money or too little sense, with too many nightmares and stresses and a desire to escape from the grit and grime of the daily toil.

Destroying the old to make way for the new world, Michael knew the destruction of the original Fort under the guise of arsonist’s of their home had paved the way for the Shadows into the modern day. Flexing his weak leg under the table, he knew that week so many weeks ago had pushed the whole family forward despite the set backs of it, and this grand reopening of The Fort renamed as it was in respect as Harry’s Fortress would be the next push for them all.

—

Sunday race days were back to being one of his favourite days of the week. Usually it meant an early rise with whomever was the lady of choice the previous night - be her a new conquest or one of his old faithfuls - and a hot breakfast of tea and whiskey to fight off the accumulating hangover. Then he’d don his favourite Sunday suit, the one that allowed for the most ease of movement, and was dark enough to hide any unsightly stains that may occur throughout the day. And then onto the races, either north or to the west depending on the month, to crack down on his boys’ and spend the afternoon drinking and smoking with the leader of the Catholics in the bar on site while their coins would roll in.

He was up to that point today, and returning to their table towards the side of the dance floor where both men could survey those around them as well as keep a wall at their backs, Jeffrey sank into his chair with a smirk - glass sat carefully upon the wood table top ignoring the coaster for it completely.

“Just heard from the boys that all is looking well for the day. None of those fucking Black Eye boys trying to cause a fuss this week, and plenty of wagers to make us all happy.”

“Some of us happier than others, too. That horse of yours back on it’s winning streak today?” Gabriel smirked back, his own glass almost empty. The exasperated look from his wife as he sat his drink back down on the table top was clear that she thought he had had enough and it had barely past midday. "How much that horse won for you Shadows since you got him? You looking at adding a new one to the roster yet?”

Jeffrey frowned at that comment, not sure what to make of it before shrugging a shoulder as he looked out at the floor of dancing couples. Not the same as had begun taking over the Fort since the reopening, but the traditional stiff movements and old fuddy duddys with no rhythym. “You’d have to ask one of the others about those for an exact answer but pretty sure it’s paid for Ma’s new house-”

“Didn’t she move in with that copper?” “Ex-copper. Bloke bloody retired last year, such a shame, would have been useful having the head ‘form on the books.” “If you boys are ever in trouble, make sure to ask for Dean Winchester - Castiel’s got him on the books good and solid.”

The dark haired man gave a sharp nod at the other’s comments, well aware the recently appointed Chief Constable was on the Catholics payroll. There had been rumours of it being more than money changing hands, however there had been even more rumours of what happened to those who shared those whispers. He tipped his head back, finishing the remains of his glass with a smirk, returned to the table beside the other’s empty glass as well.

“Regardless, that pretty pony has more than made up for it’s cost.”

“Has it now? It’s full cost, huh.” The words surprised the Shadow from the usually silent woman, her red lips pulled into a knowing smirk. There was something truly smug in her look, and a dark sense to the words as Kali looked across at him. “Dear, my glass is empty. Could you?”

“Of course, mon amour.” Gabriel rose to his feet quickly at the query, his own face studiously blank as if not reacting to his wife’s original comments at all. He disappeared into the crowd of dancers in the general direction of the bar without another word, nor a concerned look at all at leaving the woman with the known hothead.

Jeffrey however reacted much more slowly to the pointed comment, hand digging into his jacket pocket for a smoke as he looked at the dark skinned beauty carefully. Lighting up, he leant back in his chair with an air of feigned disinterest. “The cost was paid for within the first two races from what I recall-”

“I asked about it’s full cost, not the pounds put out for it.” “What else did it cost than pounds then?” “I have not seen your younger brother at the races in almost two years, is that right? And from what I have heard, there were some additional items exchanged related to the animal.” “Where would you have heard that from?”

The Indian woman simply shrugged a shoulder, red stained lips stretched wide in a vindictive smile as she looked back at him. Jeffrey could feel his free hand, the one not flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette, clenching into a tight fist at her smug non-response. He was not above hitting a woman if it was required, and the self-satisfied look made him think it may well become required any moment soon.

“I would imagine that you Shadows would have learned by now between your sister, that whore and your own mother to stop underestimating a woman’s power, Jeffrey.” Kali’s tone was almost acidic in her softly accented voice, as the goddess stood up at her husband’s approach. Circling an arm around his shoulder and planting a kiss on his cheek, the woman shot Jeffrey one more knowing smirk before making her way into the crowds with her champagne in hand.

“What has my wife done now?” Gabriel’s worn tone smoothed some of the fury Jeffrey had begun to feel, eyes trying to follow where the dark haired woman disappeared to but losing her quickly.

“Loose lips sink ships, Gabriel, and it seems your wife’s lips are extremely loose.” Jeffrey growled back, accepting the glass of whisky from the other with a scowl. “Might want to look into that.”

—

The pair were the only two still remaining in the office suite that evening as dusk had been left far behind and the streets had been swallowed entirely by the darkness of true night. Visyak Family Ltd had some of the most impressive offices in the city, dark mahogany and crisp leather providing cover for the darker secrets of the business’ legitimate and illegitimate dealings, and only the two men were all that remained of the work force as the clocks approached midnight.

Jackson rubbed tiredly at his eyes for a moment as he looked down at the small sheaf of papers detailing their planned trip into the city to the finite detail he always maintained for such activities. The planning for all eventualities, the carefully compiled dossier on their prospective partner and all those connected to him, the rows and rows of calculations on how to achieve the goal as profitably as possible.

The other man was sat across the desk from him, copying word for word each page passed to him into the thick black leather journal for their trip. The writing was cramped, tiny and dark with the odd ink splotch getting on the corners of the pages.

As the clock moved to strike one, the pair finally rested back in their chairs as the last dot and slash was finished, and the file was tucked away safely in the locked cabinet.

The dark haired man collected two glasses, pouring a large splash of brown liquor into each as he moved to sit down on his side of the desk again. His office was not as spacious nor well outfitted as his older brothers’ - the third best office for the third brother after all, despite his ideas, his ambitions and his careful planning being the true factor behind their success. His office may not be the best, but as both men sipped at their drink, Jackson did not bite down the smile at the knowledge that his office had the best alcohol by far.

“So, now all we need is a cover story for our London jaunt.” He said with a sigh, blue eyes closing tightly as he reclined back in his leather desk chair as if closing them would be enough to heal the strain of another late night in the dimly lit room reading and writing files.

“What possibilities have you come up with thus far, Jacky?” The other man, his right hand man in all ways in the last two years quietly. Richard ‘The Wolf’ Amon had grown quickly in the years since his faked death. His head still rung with the sounds of war on more occasions than he would like, however he had been accepted into the business more fully than he had in past. The tasks and drive giving the man something to focus on other than the screams of the incoming detonations.

“Ma is due back this weekend from her... vacation, perhaps that could be an excuse to accompany her return.” “Bit late notice wouldn’t it be?” “Perhaps...”

Jackson frowned slightly as he shared a look of exasperation with the culry haired man across from him. The whole success of this meeting was hinged upon being able to successfully organise, orchestrate and operate the plan without the knowledge of the rest of the family. That the hour was so late, that both had been working non-stop for four hours on the practical and future elements of this venture did not excuse their inability to craft an acceptable lie to conceal their actions within. Blue eyes stared into the brown liquid of his glass as if they were hiding the last piece to his puzzle, just below the reflective surface.

“Would your sister wish to go to London? Maybe we could chaperone her.” Amon questioned quietly, eyes diverted towards the only window in the room as if not wanting to meet the others eye. The man had taken his one-time assignment watching over the only girl of the Visyak family to be a long-term task; often found following the girl about Small Heath or the rest of Birmingham as if he was her own shadow. It was not uncommon to see the dark haired pair, with the curly-haired man carrying an umbrella for the other, or her outter coat thrown over his arm when the sun came out. “You’d like that wouldn’t you.”

The pair lapsed into an awkward silence at that point, one of the men flushed and focussed upon his drink to avoid responding; the other focussed more upon how to hide his business travel into the city from the rest of the family. His meeting was not for the Visyak Family books nor the Faceless Shadows ledgers yet; until an arrangement and agreement made, this could not appear anywhere in the official or unofficial accounts, nor had he discussed his plans at any family meetings since he had first begun investigating the opportunity.

Much like with that horse and those godforsaken guns, this was part of Jackson Visyak’s personal and private goals to achieve. Part of his secret goals to step out from beneath the ever reaching shadows of his older brother’s - a cog in the machine designed to allow him his own emancipation from Michael’s controlling behaviour and Jeffrey’s dark reputation. If he, the youngest, the smallest, the runt of the family could pull this together, Jackson would never again stand beneath anyone in his family and eventually the whole nation. Never again would someone look at him and remember his failings.

“Perhaps Shada would enjoy a trip to the city...”

—

It was a typically wet English day, dreary weather and grey clouds with the never ending cold that would soak straight into your bones the moment the drizzle would start. The clouds were dark and threatening to let loose their bounty, but it had kept off thus far as the couple stepped off of the train and were waved to cheerfully by the two smiling women that had come to see their return.

“Ma!” “Elle!” “Girls!”

The greetings came loud and happy as Eleanor released her husband’s hands to embrace her daughter and granddaughter-in-law tightly. Both girls had become close friends in the last year since the engagement, and Eleanor was so pleased to find that that had not changed while she was away enjoying her travels abroad.

As Eleanor pulled back from the hugs, she smiled to herself as Shada threw herself at her new step-father to likewise greet the typically grumpy man. Robert Singer was well known for his perpetually existing frown, however that had not stopped the dark haired girl from treating him like a member of the family the moment he had slipped the golden band on her mother’s finger. The man had grumbled about it at length the week before they left for the continent, but Eleanor could always see the small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth under the scruff when he would do so.

There was a cough from behind the giggling girls, and Eleanor found herself quickly covered by a large umbrella moments before the downpour began.

“Thank you, Richard dear.” “You’re welcome, Mrs Visyak- uh.. Singer?”

Smiling at the typically nervous boy in response, the older woman found her arm threaded through her husband’s as the quintet made their way out of the station and into the shiny black Pierce-Arrow awaiting them. The car was new, Eleanor did not recall it being in the collection just two months ago, and as the five made their way to the elegant house Eleanor and her now husband had moved into before their honeymoon began she spotted the rest of the fleet of vehicles ranging from the old Chalmers from four years earlier, to the Buick’s her son’s frequently drove around in, to the one Rolls Royce Michael had indulged himself in after the injury. Something about making a classic impression with a modern design. The vehicle maketh the man, or some such rot.

“Is the whole family here to greet us?” The grumbled words came from the man in front seat, the cap upon his head pulled down further over his forehead as he seemed to shrink into the seat. Her husband never appreciated being the cente of attention. She knew first hand that while he could be charming, confident and downright commanding in the right circumstances, that being faced with her entire brood and their collective expanding circle of quasi-family members was not one of those circumstances. “Thought they’d be...getting ready for a race or something.”

“Races aren’t until Sunday, silly! Plus, we all wanted to welcome you home good and proper.” Eleanor watched as her daughter replied haughtily, though the sweet smile on her face as she leant forward to wrap an arm around the man’s shoulder belied the potential condescending nature of her words. “Jacky and Amon also had to run by my trip with the others, so we figured why not a family meeting too.”

Eleanor felt the blood rush from her face at that, eyes wide as she clambered from the car with the assistance of the young man who’d driven them. He then turned his attention to helping the other girls from the car, following the pair into the house ahead of the newlyweds.

“They’ve called a family meeting already?” “Guess we’re throwing you in the deep end, love.” “Thought I was through with this when I retired. They do know retirement is supposed to be peaceful...” “I’m sure that this year will be more peaceful than the last.”

“Last year your eldest was still healing from getting shot in some unknown incident he still will not share the details about, your middle boy was in jail almost as much as out, and your youngest-”

Eleanor coughed loudly as Robert appeared to be working himself up into one of his infamous rants, hands tugging this way and that at his cap as if unable to reach a comfortable point with it. Her own hands reached for his as they stood on the path leading towards the door and the madness that was her family behind it.

“Love, this year... this year will be our year. Our chance to start anew together, our new life together. It will be the start of our story, and we will not dwell on the troubles of the past.” She spoke firmly, fingers weaving through his, and the older man smiled ruefully at her optimism.

Pressing a kiss to her lips that sent butterflies through her as they always did, Eleanor sighed softly in response to the man’s gruff response, “I wish that could be, Elle’, I wish that for you.”

—

The music was loud. Loud enough to make the crystal chandeliers shake and shiver in time with the giddy crowd circling beneath it in exhuberant movements. If she looked close enough at the dark corners around the room, it would be clear dancing and drinking were not the only activities being engaged in that night within the private club. In the quiet swells of the unpredictable jazz tunes filling the building, the sounds of moans, groans and the occasional scream could be heard from those secret and almost private spaces.

The dark haired girl was not there for those engagements however. The Marie Antoinette glasses used by the premises suited the glamour the club tried to present, while also maintaining the seductive streak, that gentle brush against what a good girl would be seen engaging in and what she wouldn’t. Lifting her glass to her lips, crystal cold against her lips, and the deep plum lipstick mark of her kiss left upon it as she turned to watch the revellers, eyes wide and drinking in the sights like her lips drank down the French wine.

So many luxurious fabrics, so many golden accents and illuminated refractions danced around the room alongside the dancers themselves; bathing the darkness in the rainbow and sucking the eye away from the secret engagements.

When her brother and Amon had suggested a trip to the city, she was certain they had not intended to for her to go to a place such as this. She was certain if her brother could see where she was, he would have her in the backseat of his Buick heading back to Birmingham within moments. His friend would not have allowed her within the lobby itself, let alone through to the main room of the club. If Jeffrey were the brother, he would be in one of the booths with his cock being sucked and a glass in each hand without a care at all at her presence. If it were Michael.. well, Michael never suggested anything of interest any more.

Sighing, Shada turned back to the bar itself as she finished her drink and flagged down the barman for another.

“I am glad to see I am not the only woman, unaccompanied, this evening.” The voice spoke from beside her, a gentle Russian accent gliding over the words like the silks both women wore.

The woman had a look of amusement on her face, her dark eyes rimmed in black liner and lips a bloody red. Her dark hair was amassed around her head in waves, and there was a modern headpiece band across her forehead. It shone in the dim light, the beautiful diamonds and rubies decorating the silver looking almost as if they were real.

Shada’s eyes focussed upon their glimmering, if they were real, this woman was about to become her new best friend.

“Seems that there were quite a few of us earlier.” “Yes, it does seem that way. Perhaps we are arriving late to the party.” “All the acceptable men appear to have-” “Made their way to secluded places with the less pretty women?”

Shada found herself smiling at the woman’s comment, flicking her own hair back from her shoulder as she turned her full attention to the other woman. “Nice to meet you, I’m Shada Visyak.”

“Ruby Tolstoy, please to meet you.” The slightly disjointed words came out with a friendly smile from the Russian as the barman returned to fill both womens glasses. “I am happy to meet lady much as myself.”

Shada smirked a little in return, twisting in her chair and recrossing her legs as she looked the other woman over. Aside from the extremely expensive looking headpiece, she appeared to also have excellent taste in clothes as much as she herself did. Both women had on stylish dresses, with delicate beading over the intricate lace work, and if Shada was not mistaken the other’s silk slip beneath her overdress was almost as good as her own. The Shadow was drapped in black silk, black mesh and black lace with deep purple beading; while the Russian was in a deep red ensemble. However while the other had the beautiful headpeice that had recently come into style, her own neck was adorned with long silver chains and pearls instead of diamonds and rubies.

“Perhaps you like dance together instead of with pitiful men not worth dirt beneath foot?”

“You would not have to ask me twice!” Shada smiled back at the other, as she tapped her glass to the others with a clink. The pair finished the most recent round of champagne, each savouring the bubbles as much as one can, before both girls rose to their feet.

Taking a hold of the other woman’s hand, Shada weaved the pair of them towards the dancefloor to join in the spirited mass of bodies, to move to the music, to lose hours into the early hour of the morning when the sun would rise and dye the sky red.

—

“Welcome to me bakery. We bake the brown bread, we bake the white bread, we make the best bread in London, you know.” The cheery sounding words were matched by the warm smile and the open arm gestures about the factory as he was guided through into it’s depths. The smell of molasses surrounded them, thick and sticky in the air, clogging up Jackson’s nose as they moved through the busy distilery. “Over ten thousand loaves a week, we bake. Anything like this up in your little back country sticks?”

“Not to this extent,” he replied, hands tucked into his coat pockets as the pair stopped at a table littered with bottles and glasses. Jackson looked about old factory, the store room with the curved red bricks above them filled with barrels in each store section. “Ten thousand a week you say?”

“Between the bread and the other bread, ten thousand.” The shorter Jewish man replied back, waving a hand at the table. “Want to try some of me wares? Brown or white?”

“Brown.” “Brown it is. Be a good lad, pour ‘im some brown would you. What you think of that, mate?”

Jackson waited for the nameless man behind the table to pour a splash into a glass, before trying the warming brown drink. Rum was not his preference, but it was a desirable asset in the America’s, even more so now that there was the loom of prohibition. Real whiskey would always be worth more, but the mark ups would lose their chance for a wider market.

“Not bad...” “Not bad? What fuckin’ bullshit. Brown bread is for the workers, it’s trash, awful stuff that is. White is for the bosses.” “Got to know where you come from, Mr. Gallagher.” “True that, true that. Come’on then lets get down to real business.”

Andy Gallagher lead the pair back towards the office in the back corner of the factory. Away from the cloying scent of cooking sweet sugar mixes, away from the heat of the distilery spires. Away from the downcast eyes of the factor workers. The shorter man did not make an exceptionally threatening look to him, scruffy hair and a somewhat unkempt beard, shorter stature and a stained white shirt with his waist coat and apron just as brown with dirt and signs of work. However the hard set of his jaw, the few dark patches of ink visible on his skin where the sleeves were pushed up and the way none of his workers even dared look up at his passing, made it clear he was not a pushover.

Entering the office, the Jewish man moved straight for his seat behind the desk, and Jackson ambled in behind him. Sliding his jacket off and throwing it over the back of the chair before it, before sitting down himself. Lighting up a cigarette, he pinned the other with a piercing look.

“You boys from Birmingham..I’ve heard some very bad, bad things about you lot.” “I came here to discuss business with you, Mr. Gallagher. You are no squeaky clean operation here yourself, so..” “Eh that is true, business it is then.”

Both men raised a brow at one another, one appearing calm and relaxed as the king of his own castle, golden chains around his wrists and fings on his fingers glinting in the lantern light, while the other appeared to sink into the darkness of the underlit room, dark suit and darker hair hidden in the shadows his group were named for.

“You’re in the losing side of a war here, Mr. Gallagher, against the Reapers and those new witches alike.” “A war ain’t over till it’s over, mate. You’ve been in wars, you know this.” “Our war is over, it’s your war now - and we could be of great assistance in yours. You need to be more realistic.”

The baker’s eyes fashed slightly, a small frown forming on his face as he leant forward in his chair, elbows resting atop the desk surface as he surveyed the other. Jackson merely stared back, steely blue eyes taking in everything and not reacting as the other man seemed to slid into his own thought process.

“Realistic?!” “If you weren’t in a war, you wouldn’t have sent that telegram last month.” “That was just a friendly ‘hello’ of all things-” “Look, you are losing here. Your distilery makes up ten percent of your takings, another ten is in security and the rest is from the race tracks right? You’re not going to like what I have to say, Mr Gallagher-” “Andy if you’re goin’ to be rubbin’ me this closely, sweetie.”

Jackson bit down a growl at the man’s interruption and his cavalier, crass words, though the wave of the baker’s man for him to continue allowed him a sigh. “Your bookies are getting chased off the tracks, we can help with that. The premises that take your rum are getting closed down, we can help with that. People not trusting your protection any more, we can help with that. And all we ask in return is a partnership.”

“We can help, aye?” Andy Gallagher’s eyes lit up at that, a grin sliding across his face as he fished a bottle of whiskey from the drawer of his desk. “And where is the rest of this we, Mr. Visyak. Where is the rest of your collective Visyak Family, huh? Where are those little Shadows that storm about Birmingham, eh?”

“I am the one you are working with, Mr. Gallagher, and you will come to see just what I can achieve for the both of us.”

—

#peakyverse fic #AU stories