News updates and Johnny overload
Hey gang, I've been productive the past day or so! Shock and awe, I know I know. Hellsingfanchick has been off to Chi-town on her choir thing and so I've taken time to sit down and FINISH MY GOD DAMN PROMPTS. WOOT!!
Unfortunately, I won't have them up until Sunday probably, simply because I have a lot going on this week between work and outings and that sort of thing. But they are done, they are finally DONE. It's been...what four months? Christ I'm such a lazy little ass about this stuff I'm ashamed of myself.
After I get everything put up this weekend though we'll be opening round 5 shortly, and I vow to get everything done in one month this time. Oddly enough, it'll be the final round! Oh noes?! What then?
Em' and I haven't officially discussed it, but we'll probably just put up another set of prompts and start all over again. It's enjoyable and even though I've been lazy about it I think it helps bring fans of our weird/twisted/sometimes sick little fandom together. Spreading Depp Slash love for everyone!! XD
One prompt I will post here is the one requested by twilitreader who wanted Sweeney/Victor Van Dort. Because I found that when I finally sat down and wrote it I actually liked the pairing! Maybe it's because Victor is so much like Ichabod it hurts, or something about pairing Todd with someone timid and innocent makes me squee. I have no plans to make the pairing official, Sweeney's got his hands full with Fred and Ichabod as it is!
It was fun all the same though.
Title: Untitle as of yet.
Author: Terrabm (Siriusfanatic, Curiouswords)
Fandom: Sweeney Todd/ Corpse Bride
Pairing: hints of Sweeney/Victor
Rating: PG-13
Summary: While visiting a London grave yard Victor makes a surprising new friend. Prompt request for “memories.”
Victor crossed the damp gloom of the grave yard with a shiver and thoughtful sigh. He had overcome his fear of such places long ago, and now viewed them in an entirely different light all together. One does not pass through the land of the dead and the living without coming out differently. That didn’t make him any less uneasy about it, however.
As he walked in solitude, breathing deeply the crisp early spring air, he found he was no longer alone in the grave yard. Another man stood a yard or so away from him now, seeming to have materialized out of dew and mist. He wore a long black overcoat over top of a shorter grey waist coat. His black boots were muddied, as if he had been tromping through the wet grass for some time. But more noticeable than this was his head of jet black hair that was a wild bramble that framed his face. He looked up from his vacant stare then, having noticed Victor watching him.
“Good day,” Van Dort called nervously, embarrassed of having been caught staring. He waved polietly to the other fellow, in hopes not to offend him. The man nodded but did not speak and looked away again.
Victor began to turn and walk away, feeling unwanted, when he noticed that the other man had been staring at a blank spot upon the ground. There was no headstone, no marker at all to signify a grave. But he had thrown a rose there all the same.
Against his better judgement, Victor started towards the stranger again, clearing his throat. “Have they not acquired a headstone yet?” he asked in his quiet, quivering voice. “No stone.” the wild-haired man said, his voice a gruff muffle that Victor had to lean closer to hear. “No grave, either.”
“Oh,” the younger man replied softly. The implications were that the man could not afford a burial plot, or that there was simply no body to bury. Either would be impolite to press upon. “Was it someone dear to you?”
“My wife.” the man mumbled, his voice breaking just a little. Victor raised a hand to his cravat, a reaction of dismay on his part. “I am so very sorry, mister...uh...?”
“Todd.” the stranger answered. “Sweeney Todd.”
“My sincerest sympathies to you, sir.”
Todd looked at him a bit more closely now, and now Victor could see the bright shock of silvery white to the left of his part. It seemed clear to the for younger man that the man before him had suffered some sort of severe traumatic experience, given his haggard and morose appearance. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t a handsome man, for he certainly was. Todd seemed surprised at the sincerity in his voice. “And who have you come to pay respects to, sir?”
Victor blushed a little. “I’m afraid I’ve no grave to visit myself.” he began, fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves. “You see, she was a dear friend, but she had no proper grave. So, I visit her memory where I might. All I have is memories.”
Sweeney Todd nodded, seeming to understand. After all, that was all he himself had, and they were blurred and fading at best. Victor glanced again at the rose upon the ground in front of them. “You do the same for your beloved.” Again he nodded, not seeming fond of speaking. After another long moment of thoughtful silence passed between the two men, Victor spoke again.
“I confess I am not from the city, and I’ve no head for directions. Might you point me in the direction of the nearest eatery, Mr. Todd?”
Todd turned away from his silent vigil and began to walk, motioning for Victor to follow him. “There’s a pie shop about two miles from here, if you’ve strong legs, sir. I’ll buy you a pie and a drink.”
“Oh that’s very gracious of you, Mr. Todd!” the thin, pale man from the country gasped. He admitted to himself that he had not expected the man to be at all the way he was, he seemed such a frightening character at first. But now there seemed to be more loneliness and sadness about him than any sort of threat. “I would be grateful to get out of this damp and in front of a good fire.”
Again, Todd only nodded.
“I’m Victor Van Dort, by the way. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sweeney Todd.”
When they reached the gated walls of the cemetery, Todd stopped and peered closely at Victor’s powder white features with great scrutiny and appraisal. “How about a shave, Mr. Van Dort?” he asked carefully, brushing a hand along his cheek to feel the faintest hint of stubble there. “I’m a barber you see.”
The faintest hint of pink came into Victor’s almost colorless face at the man’s hand upon his cheek. “Oh my, I hope I don’t look that unkempt!” he mumbled nervously.
“Not at all,” Sweeney amended. “You look weary is all sir, and after a drink and a meal I shall be glad to tidy you up and send you home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Todd! It’s good to meet such a kind man as yourself in this city, I had heard such frightful stories.”
Something dark and delighted gleamed in the barber’s sunken eyes that gave Victor a shudder then, though he could not quite understand what it was. Todd put his arm around his slight boney shoulders and together they walked.
***
Sitting tucked away in a corner booth at Mrs. Lovett’s shop, Victor contentedly sipped his tea and ate his biscuits quietly. Though Todd had offered to buy him a pie, Victor declined. He was used to a rather bland diet, and the exotic smells from the shop were already befuddling his very delicate senses. The barber sat across from him, drinking black coffee and spoke barely a word, but his dark piercing eyes rarely wandered from Victor’s thin frame.
“How long have you been a widower, Mr. Todd?” Victor asked, after swallowing a mouthful of biscuit and jam. Todd’s silent stare was unnerving and he wished to break it.
“Nearly fifteen years.” the older man muttered. Fifteen long, terrible years since the day he’d been dragged away in irons from his beloved and their child, never to see them again.
“How tragic! Your wife must have been very young. Have you any children?” Victor ventured.
“No.” Sweeney lied. He took another mouthful of hot black coffee and looked at the fire over the rim of his mug. “I do not wish to speak further of it.” he said when he had swallowed. “Tell me of your friend, Mr. Van Dort. The one who’s memory you visit in random church yards.”
Victory wiped his mouth delicately. “I knew her only briefly,” he began hesitantly, for no one save his parents and his wife knew of the events that had transpired. They would think him mad if he were to ever tell the truth. “But she taught me more about life than anyone I have ever encountered.”
“She sounds enchanting.”
“Her name was Emily.” Victor nodded sadly. “Though I am saddened by her absence, I do not grieve. I know she was found the peace she deserves.” he said fondly. He looked carefully then at his host. “But it is not the same for you, Mr. Todd?”
The frown upon the barber’s face deepened and his dark eyes narrowed, though not at Victor. “She was stolen from me,” he growled. “My Lucy...”
For a moment he seemed to lose himself in his own dark thoughts, then quite abruptly he was pulled back. He looked at Victor now with a cool, composed expression and stood. “How about that shave, Mr. Van Dort? Free of charge.”
Above, the barber’s shop seemed to mirror the gloom and sadness of it’s proprietor. Sweeney removed his coat and hung it neatly upon the hook near the door. The younger man cautiously made his way across the dimly lit room, the oppression of it weighing upon him like a wet blanket.
“If it isn’t too bold to say, Mr. Todd, your parlor looks as if it could use a bit of cheer.” he said, trying to sound jovial, though he felt anything but in this dark and gloomy space. The barber took his shoulder and ushered him to sit down upon the red velvet cushions of his chair. “It lacks a woman’s touch, I’ll admit.” he said, almost smiling.
“I really must thank you again, Mr. Todd. You are a most gracious host. I mustn’t linger long, however. My Victoria will worry for me if I am gone too long.”
Todd gave a pause at this, just as he was tying the cloth around Victor’s very thin neck. He seemed caught off guard somehow, and all the stoic sureness he held fled him then. “Your Victoria?” he asked, voice barely a whisper at his ear as he bent over his shoulder. He glanced down at his customer’s pale hand upon the arm of the chair. Surely enough, it was adorned with a simple gold band. “You’re married.”
It seemed an accusation as he spoke, as if Victor had lied to him somehow. The young man turned in his seat, looking up at the barber who stood there staring down at him. “Why yes, I’m sorry. I hadn’t thought to mention such a thing.” he blinked.
Sweeney stared at him blankly, but there was turmoil in his dark eyes. “Mr. Todd? Is everything alright?” Victor asked worriedly.
The barber turned away from him suddenly, walking to the small vanity behind the chair. He was looking a frame that was perched upon it, illuminated by candle light. It seemed to be a picture of a woman and baby.
“I’m...sorry, Mr. Van Dort, I’m afraid I have to send you on your way.” the hunched man said then, his voice tight and guttural as if it were an effort for him to speak calmly.
Victor rose quickly from the chair, leaving the cloth lying upon it. “Mr. Todd, have I offended you somehow?” he asked worriedly, for this change seemed so sudden and unwarranted.
“I said be on your way.” Todd growled at him again, still refusing to look at him.
“Well I...” Victor gulped, smoothing back his own dark hair as some of it had fallen into his eyes. “I insist on paying you for the food then before I go.”
“Just leave.” this time Sweeney’s shoulder shook and his voice rose a little more with a desperateness Victor couldn’t understand.
“But Mr. Todd, I don’t understand-!” he gasped.
The barber whirled on him then, and there was a mad light in his eyes as he came to stand before him. “I do not serve your kind here, Mr. Van Dort!” he shouted. Victor sputtered, cowering under Todd’s fearful figure. The barber grabbed his arm and hauled him towards the door at the opposite end of the shop that lead to external landing. “Good decent men have no business in my shop.” he growled.
Now Victor’s head was truly spinning. “Now just a moment!” he cried, trying to wrench out of Todd’s firm grip upon his arm. The next moment he found himself forced against the door, the barber’s bright gleaming razor held mere inches from his face. Todd’s menacing reflection was mirrored in it’s shine, as was his own terrified features. “You will leave now, and quietly, Mr. Van Dort,” Todd snarled at him, face very close to his own. “And you will never darken my doorway again. For if you do, young man, I shall shave you so clean that they will scarce know where to find your head!”
Trembling Victor nodded. He had lost his voice to his terror. Todd withdrew from him then, flinging open his door with such force that it rattled its hinges and the bell clanged loudly before being knocked to the floor. The barber turned his back on him then, expecting to hear the thunder of Victor’s feet as he fled down the stairs to the street below.
But there was no sound at all. Victor didn’t move. He was paralyzed to the spot. “Mr. Todd, I can sense you’re in a lot of pain. I may have a way to help you. I want to help you...” he found himself saying, without really realizing it.
Todd did not look at him, but stood there silently. Victor saw that his right hand was clenched white-knuckled around his razor. “Leave...just leave. Please.”
Finally, Victor pulled himself together, gathering the courage to stand on his own feet without help from the wall. “Very well, I will go.” he said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. “But I wish to part as friends. I would forget your outburst Mr. Todd. I know you didn’t mean it.”
The barber glared darkly over his shoulder at him, but did not speak. It made Victor question his rationality. Pulling on his jacket, the young man from the English country side took a few more dangerous steps towards the man before him. He put his arms around him. “I do want to help you, Mr. Todd.” he whispered.
For a moment or so, the barber allowed the young man to embrace him, but eventually shrugged him away. “Out. Out now, or so help me I’ll make you regret it.”
Victor nodded and began to turn...when suddenly Todd caught his arm and pulled him back. Victor gave a muffled gasp of surprise when the other man pressed his lips hungrily against his. A fiery flush rushed across the younger man’s pale face. The kiss was brief, and when it ended, Todd flung him towards the door once more and this time Victor did not linger.
He darted down the wooden stairs to the streets below and had nearly rounded the corner of the alley before he stopped and looked behind him. From this spot on the street corner he could still see the barber’s shop window, gleaming in the fading sunlight. And he thought for a moment, that he saw Mr. Todd watching him.
Victor looked back mournfully at him, then turned and started hurriedly down the street again.
In other news still, the lovely and talented WickedWonka has been busy making some spoof vids on YouTube of Sleepy Hollow and From Hell at my suggestion no less. :) Go and check them out, they are a hoot.
From Hell
Click to viewSleepy Hollow
Others worth checking out are her "Ed Wood" spoof, "Mad Love" series staring the Joker and Harley Quinn and "Sweeney Frood" trailer. Pimpage...XD
In more Depp news, I finally watched Arizona Dream on Youtube. I have to say...wtf ?? I thought the movie failed in many aspects as to what it was trying to convey. It was trying to be deep and artsy, but just couldn't quite get there. So many of the characters were so larger-than-life that it was difficult to see them as real people. Faye Dunaway for instance, annoyed the living shit out of me. She was hysterical--and not the funny kind, the crazy kind--through 99% percent of the movie and there was no real rhyme or reason for the way she acted other than she was a woman clearly in the grips of a mid-life crisis who is clinging to youth through dating MUCH younger men.
Axel's friend or cousin Paul was another one of those character who was just too big for himself. He was just a punk kid who aspired to be an actor and failed over and over again. All attitude. I would have liked to have seen a more serious or softer side of him. Instead he was like a living cartoon character. And obnoxous one at that.
Avoiding side characters like the uncle, that leaves us with Grace and Axel.
Grace I actually liked. Not at first of course, but other than Axel she was the one person with a well rounded personality that I could actually engage in. I was almost happy for her at the end when she finally killed herself. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel that way, but I did. It was like she had finally found the courage to free herself, even if it was tragic. Actually, she reminded me a little of William Blake's character in Dead Man. A character you knew was going to die from the beginning.
That leaves Johnny's Axel. I love him. Depp is such an amazing actor even at that age, I was so impressed. Of course he's had significant growth since then.
Anyway, the film's worth a look at for any hard-core Depp fan if you haven't already seen it.
I plan on watching Cry Baby, The Brave and a couple others soon as well. I still haven't found time for Donnie Brasco or Before Night Falls though. (sigh)
Meanwhile, I am currently reading The Rum Diary and soon plan to read Shantaram. Shantaram has already particularly caught my interest and I can't wait to see Depp in these rolls, though I'll have to wait a few years. :( For now I shall have to be happy with Mad Hatter and Dillinger. :) It's just conjecture on my part, but I've already started concept art for both characters of Paul Kemp and Lindsey.
More about these roles here:
johnny-depp.org/projects/upcoming/shantaram/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantaram_(novel)
johnny-depp.org/projects/upcoming/rumdiary/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rum_Diary_(novel)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rum_Diary_(film)#Film_version
As you can see, I'm having WAY too much fun with this stuff as usual. I'm about four chapters into Rum Dairy, and I find it a little bit boring, though Paul is sounding more and more like George to me. Perhaps that is my own twisted perception?
Okay! I'm done now, so I hope you all have a good night!