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Heart “Crazy on You”

 

spirit
noun: The non-physical part of a person regarded as their true self and as capable of surviving physical death or separation

 

If only you could bottle spirit. The black market would be awash with it and dispensaries would be stacked to brimming with the stuff. Alas, humanity hasn’t yet found a way in which this is achievable as yet which makes it all the more invigorating when a soul exudes it so effortlessly. Our Dark Queen, the majestic Diane Foster, has it in embarrassing abundance. I have now had the pleasure of witnessing this first hand and gleefully report that my numerous scribings about Lady Die have been very much on the money. She is an enigma, a crimson rose decorated in gently unfurling petals but with rows of regimented thorns beneath each singular stipule.

One solitary moment confirmed such to Keeper and that was during a photo shoot aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Los Angeles. She had been markedly under the weather leading up to the shoot but there was no evidence of that when the camera started rolling, or indeed beforehand. An ocean liner possibly isn’t the most conducive environment to giving the best account of yourself when feeling sub par but, she not only managed this feat, but left me all at sea with every last frame of movement. I didn’t seek confirmation of her aptitude, indeed, I was already very much aware of the proud lioness stood before me. That didn’t make it any less stimulating to watch, those resplendent peepers mesmerized my soul and y’all know exactly what I’m talking about as they habitually do yours also.

So what is true beauty? I would argue that it is shining the way forward for others when their passageway isn’t necessarily lit. Her illuminations through the darkness guide us to exactly where it is we desire to be ourselves and that is not to be taken lightly. We’re all horror buffs, the black sheep in the crowd, white elephants in the room. She brings us together through our beloved medium by lighting fires inside of us, each one ignited by one look into her soul. They say that a photo can tell a thousand tales and this is the case each time she prowls before the lens. Striking that balance between innocence and downright malevolence can be troublesome but every glance from Lady Die tells forbidden tales, some hopeful and others bleak and uncompromising. Moreover, she always retains perfect equilibrium throughout.

It’s this perfect balance that enables us to invest far more in Diane than any other scream queen on the circuit. The eyes are a formidable tool and hers give exquisite commentary into both the light and dark which exists within her labyrinthine soul. One constant is integrity and another would be belief. Speaking as one of life’s little bruised apples, this resonates strongly to Keeper. I’m sure that I haven’t suffered any more heartbreak or vilification than the next guy but I, for one, feel unwavering hope when watching this tour de force practicing her delightful art. She never stops believing that she can achieve her goals and that is a massive stimulation for me as a scribe and for countless others aspiring to ply their trade within the ever-broadening horror staple.

It is easy to forget that there was life before the TOK Grue-wagon came trundling into town but she had a vast array of feathers already in her cap before its conception. Touring around the states from an early age allowed her an exclusive vantage of the business and she could effortlessly have pursued any number of other careers but that is where the integrity I speak of comes in. She has stuck to her guns and followed the path less traversed in order to make her childhood dreams a reality and the bullshit that invariably comes with the entertainment industry has eluded her or, at least, she hasn’t let it affect her or sway her course. It’s this conviction which bleeds through our screens each time we watch our Bloody Queen.

It is no coincidence that the many of us who she addresses on a regular basis feel such warmth and compassion. Having met our monarch I can attest to its authenticity. She oozes affection from each of her pores and understands the vitality of being a providing a positive role-model. We Grueheads consist largely of lost souls who seek only to be found and dusted down, and Lady Die leads the line from the very front, showing that it is okay to have that belief and become exactly who it is that we damned well should be. Who is to tell us any different? Haters? She has faced adversity and continues to do so but the way in which she chooses to deal with such naysaying is to let her art do the talking and never question her validity. This is infectious and, speaking as a scribe who spent twenty years foundering in a lack of self-worth, I have drawn much inspiration from the way in which she conducts herself.

We are all aware and have been for some time now that the new dawn is almost upon us. The Orphan Killer: Bound X Blood will enable her to further develop her character and embrace her family ties as hinted on in the first film. Having spent time with the treatment while it has been inaugurated I can personally guarantee that her story arc is set to take a rather ominous trajectory and that means her undergoing all manner of changes as she accepts her pre-ordained heritage and strides towards perpetual darkness. It is this personal journey which becomes such a mouth-watering proposition when faced with a professional of Diane Foster’s indisputable caliber. Every fiber will be invested as it always is with anything she turns her hand to.

She could have chosen Broadway, mainstream studio-led period dramas and the like or a career in popular culture as proven by her successful stint in the original Pussycat Dolls line-up. However, it is horror where her heart lays and where she continues to ply her trade. As a lifelong enthusiast of the macabre the elements are already in place and that love for one’s craft is essential to reaching your zenith. She appreciates this vitality and, moreover, endorses it and this affords us the chance to remain committed to our own cause and never surrender our ideals. We chose her as our sovereign because of the belief that she inspires, because of the affection we hold her with and, she, us and because, in thirty years, the horror genre has been starved of a true icon the likes of which were on tap during the eighties. Her ruby-strewn regalia fits her most delightfully.

Four Seasons

 

Four seasons she brings
Four swansongs she sings
Each touches our souls
As every bell tolls

 

Her Spring kindles faith
It stifles each wraith
Leads us deep into lair
With a hint of despair

 

Her Summer it swelters
Those peepers just melt us
Dissipates our defenses
Then fucks all our senses

 

Her Autumn is bleak
Overspills with mystique
Our hearts break in tandem
At her dark memorandum

 

Her Winter gifts terror
Preys on human error
Its wretched affliction
Her sole jurisdiction

 

In rain, sleet or snow
Intense heat or cruel cold
There’s rhyme to each reason
In each of her seasons

 

 

 

Leading the sin,

Keeper of the Crimson Quill

First Knight of TOK

Copyright: Crimson Quill: Savage Vault Enterprises 2014