#i even have an icon of him in a flower crown............destiny
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Rising Dawn Chapter 3: Thunder and Flower
The Bullhead awaited them, its metal exterior gleaming under the desert sun. Sun and his team approached, knowing Nora would await them inside. The mission to the south of Vacuo was unusual; few Huntsmen ventured there despite its dense population.
Nora had been absent lately, consumed by a relentless pursuit of Jaune's whereabouts and any clues about The Crown. As they boarded the Bullhead, they found Nora already seated, but she appeared markedly different from their last encounter.
Her once vibrant hair now hung long and unkempt, a wild mane of orange cascading around her shoulders. Her once vibrant outfit had faded and worn, evidence of relentless missions. Even her iconic weapon, Magnhild, showed signs of wear from countless battles.
Yet it was Nora's eyes that revealed the toll of her quest. Once bright, they now held a weariness that spoke volumes.
"Hey, Nora," Sun greeted, attempting cheerfulness.
Nora blinked, her response sluggish. "Hey," she replied, her voice heavy.
"How have you been?" Sun inquired, taking a seat across from her.
Nora stretched, wincing in discomfort before settling back. "Tired," she admitted. "Feels like I haven't slept in days,"
Sun nodded knowingly. "Probably because you haven't," he observed. Concern etched into his features, Sun pressed, "Have you found anything about Jaune?"
Nora sighed heavily. "Hardly anything," she confessed. I've only heard whispers of the Crown's failed attempts to abduct individuals with powerful semblances, and rumors are circulating about their influence over certain bandit tribes, but besides that, nothing concrete," she said.
"So, we're still in the dark," he observed, a note of frustration creeping into his voice.
A troubled expression accompanied Nora's nod, her hesitation evident as she began to speak. "But..." she started, her voice trailing off into uncertainty.
Sun's curiosity piqued at Nora's pause, a flicker of concern crossing his features. "But what?" he prompted gently, sensing the weight behind her unfinished sentence.
Nora's expression turned grim, "If any of these rumors are real, then they're not just a bunch of Rouges trying to stir trouble," She told him, "Sun, they're aiming for something much bigger, They're gearing up for war—a full-fledged army, possibly large enough to threaten Vacuo itself,"
Sun's expression mirrored Nora's concern as he absorbed her words. "A terrorist organization is building an army to attack a city and the Huntsmen Academy... It's like history repeating itself," he sighed heavily. "Have you told Ren?" Sun inquired, his tone laced with concern.
Nora's silence stretched, hanging heavily in the air, indicating the gravity of the situation between her and Ren.
Sun's worry deepened at Nora's lack of response. "Is it that bad?" he asked, urging her to share her concerns.
Nora averted her gaze, a pang of regret evident in her voice. "I haven't spoken to him since we learned about Jaune," Nora told Sun. "He and I... I don't think that's ever gonna be the same,"
"Nora, I'm sure if you'd talk to him about how you felt-" Sun started, his voice soft with encouragement.
But Nora interrupted him before he could finish, her tone heavy with resignation. "He gave up, Sun," she lamented her words carrying the weight of disappointment. "I can't... Not with Jaune,"
"Why?" Sun asked, puzzled.
"Letting go of Jaune is like letting go of a part of myself," Nora confessed, her voice cracking with emotion. "I've lost too much already,"
"Pyrrha?" He asked.
Nora nodded. "I've already had to come to terms with Pyrrha's decision, accepting that she chose her "destiny" over us," Nora told him with a bitter tone. "And I... I can't do the same with Jaune," Nora admitted, her voice faltering.
Before the conversation could unravel further, Sage intervened. "The pilot says it'll be a long journey, about an hour or so," he informed them, diverting the discussion. He then smiled softly at Nora, "Eaten anything?" He asked her as he sat next to Nora.
Nora made an effort to regain her composure, her movements deliberate as she shook her head slightly. Her gaze shifted to Sage, a weary smile playing on her lips. "Nah," she responded, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. "I'm fine," she reiterated, though the fatigue in her tone belied her words.
Sage regarded her with a mixture of concern and understanding. "Are you sure?" he asked gently, his eyes conveying his sincerity. "You seem worn out,"
Nora's smile faltered for a moment before she mustered a nod. "Yeah, just a bit tired," she admitted, her shoulders sagging slightly. "But I'll manage,"
Sage remained skeptical, so he reached into his pocket and withdrew a large breakfast bar he had stashed earlier that morning. Holding it out to Nora, he spoke gently, "Eat," He told her, "We've got a long flight ahead of us, and it seems like you could use the energy," he teased.
Nora's gaze lingered on the breakfast bar for a fleeting moment, her thoughts momentarily distant. Then, with a soft smile, she reached out and accepted the offering from Sage's hands, handling it with care. Deliberately, she peeled back the wrapper, revealing the treat inside.
As she reclined in her seat, Nora closed her eyes, savoring the anticipation of the first bite. The bar's aroma teased her senses, offering a brief respite from the weight of her exhaustion. With a contented sigh, she took a bite, relishing the flavors that danced across her palate.
Opening her eyes, Nora was met with her companion's concerned gaze. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully between chews, the warmth of her appreciation evident in her voice.
Once the breakfast bar had been consumed, Nora crumpled the wrapper in her hand and slipped it into her pocket, making a mental note to discard it once they reached their destination.
Exhaustion weighed heavily upon her, like an invisible burden pressing down on her eyelids. Nora could not summon the energy to keep them open despite her best efforts. Her eyelids remained shut as if weighted down by bars of solid gold, the weariness of her body overwhelming her.
Leaning back against the cool metal wall of the Bullhead, she sought a moment of respite, allowing herself to drift in the soothing hum of the aircraft's engines. Minutes passed, and sleep enveloped Nora like a comforting blanket. Her head lolled to the side, resting on Sage's shoulder as she snored softly.
Sun observed her peaceful slumber with a tender smile, relieved that she finally found respite after countless sleepless nights.
"She needs our help," Sage remarked solemnly.
"Sage's observation is spot-on," Scarlet interjected, his tone reflecting a mixture of concern and determination. "Nora's been pushing herself beyond her limits."
Sage nodded in agreement, his expression serious as he turned to Sun. "We can't just stand by and watch her struggle," he added, his voice tinged with urgency.
Neptune chimed in, his voice echoing their shared sentiment. "Agreed," He replied. "We need to step up and support her however we can,"
Sun nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he concurred. "Velvet's been worried sick about her and how she hasn't been taking care of herself and seeing it firsthand... I just can't stand by,"
"I don't think I've ever seen her this bad," Neptune said. "Not even after Beacon's fall," he noted.
Scarlet nodded, "Even after Beacon, she kept going, but... we all have our limits," he remarked.
Sun's tone turned firm as he rallied his team. "That's why we're all in this together. CFVY, ABRN—we're all concerned for her well-being and need to support her in any way we can,"
Sage's expression grew serious as he raised an important question, "And what if we find Jaune? What if he fights us, or worse, isn't the same person we remember?"
Sun furrowed his brow, grappling with the implications of Sage's question. "That's a tough scenario," he acknowledged, his tone tinged with concern. "We can't ignore the possibility that things with Jaune aren't the same,"
Neptune nodded in agreement, his expression thoughtful. "It's a risk we need to be prepared for," he added, his voice betraying a hint of apprehension.
Scarlet leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Sage. "But what if we can't reach him?" he posed, his voice edged with uncertainty. "What if he's too far gone?"
Sage's expression remained grave as he contemplated the questions posed by his teammate. "We can't dwell on the worst-case scenario," he asserted, his tone resolute.
Sun nodded in agreement, determination flickering in his eyes. "Agreed," he affirmed. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together,"
Sage acknowledged Sun's words with a solemn nod, his expression reflecting a mixture of understanding and apprehension. His gaze drifted to Nora, her peaceful slumber a stark contrast to the turmoil that awaited them. "We'll need to remain vigilant," he remarked quietly, his voice tinged with concern. "For Nora's sake," he nodded.
While Nora and team SSSN embarked on their journey aboard the Bullhead, another member of the now-disbanded JNPR found himself grappling with his own challenges.
In his office, Theodore sat behind his desk, a hint of unease in his expression, though a gentle smile played on his lips as he regarded the young man sitting opposite him. "Ren, how have you been feeling?" he inquired softly.
Lie Ren, the usually stoic and composed team member, now faced a fierce internal struggle as he navigated a maze of emotions and uncertainties. He appeared to be in less than optimal condition. His attire showed no signs of neglect, nor did his physical appearance, yet the dark bags under his eyes betrayed his lack of sleep. Ren's fatigue stemmed not from physical exertion, as he had solely focused on his academic pursuits, abstaining from missions for over two months.
Rubbing his eyes with his left hand, Ren cast a sorrowful glance at the headmaster before he spoke. "I... I haven't been feeling the greatest, Headmaster," he confessed. "I've been struggling to sleep well,"
Theodore raised a curious brow, "And why is that?" he asked.
Ren sighed deeply, "Because I've been... consumed by thoughts of everything I've lost," he explained. "I can't help but wonder if my parents would be proud of me, of who I've become,"
Theodore regarded Ren with empathy. "Do you believe they would be proud of you, Ren?" he gently pressed.
Ren's expression faltered, his sadness noticeable as he swallowed hard and drew in a shaky breath. "I... I don't think so," he admitted with a heavy heart.
"Why do you believe they wouldn't be proud, Ren?" Theodore inquired gently.
Ren's breaths came in shaky bursts as he struggled to convey his feelings. "Because of what I've become..." he began, his voice tinged with anguish. "Because I'm someone who's hidden how he feels, too afraid to face the pain because I'm a coward who abandoned his friends and chose to flee rather than confront the truth because I... I'm a fool who let go of a friend, abandoned another, and let the love another gave me slip through my fingers..." His voice cracked, and tears streamed down his cheeks as the floodgates of emotion finally gave way.
Theodore reached for a tissue from the box on his desk, extending it to Ren, who accepted it gratefully, using it to wipe away his tears. It was evident to Theodore that Lie Ren was grappling with a torrent of emotions, and he couldn't fault the young man for feeling overwhelmed. After all, one teammate had seemingly abandoned them, another had joined a terrorist organization, and the final one had left due to what Ren perceived as weakness.
With a look of pity, Theodore couldn't help but feel partly responsible for Ren's distress. "Ren, I'm sorry to hear about all this, and I want to help you," he offered sincerely. "If you're willing, I can arrange sessions with Dr. Amari, our academy's therapist; additionally, you're welcome to talk to me whenever you need," he suggested. "Would that be acceptable?" he asked gently.
Ren appeared to mull over the offer, initially hesitant. However, to Theodore's relief, Ren nodded slowly. "I... would like that," Ren admitted, his tone slightly brighter. "Thank you, Headmaster,"
A soft smile touched Theodore's lips as he nodded in response. "Good," he affirmed. "I'll arrange sessions with Dr. Amari and inform you of your first appointment. For now, please prioritize rest, Lie Ren. You need it," he advised with a gentle tone.
As Ren rose from his seat and exited the office, Theodore removed his glasses and set them down on his desk with a weary sigh. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he couldn't help but voice his frustrations aloud.
"I don't enjoy these... "games" we're forced to play, Ozpin," Theodore murmured to himself, addressing the absent headmaster. "Though I may seem young, I'm growing weary. My heart aches under the weight of our responsibilities... Too many young lives lost, too many souls adrift," he griped with a heavy heart. "I'm just... so tired," he confessed, his voice tinged with sadness and fatigue.
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The following day, within the lively village of El Paso, a bustling settlement that Nora and SSSN had reached the day prior, Nora and Sage found themselves atop a modest watchtower nestled behind the town's protective walls. Down below, the cacophony of chattering pedestrians would have drowned out their conversation. Yet, amidst the bustling activity, their dialogue within the watchtower held a gravity that surpassed the racket of the village below.
Sage observed Nora and noted a slight improvement in her demeanor compared to the previous day aboard the Bullhead. However, he recognized that a single night of rest wouldn't resolve everything instantaneously. "You should be resting and eating," Sage advised her, concerned about lacing his words. "Not up here with me on watch," he added, expressing his worry.
"I'm fine," Nora retorted bluntly, her response devoid of any hint of compromise.
Sage shook his head, determination etched in his features. "You need to take a break," he insisted, his tone firm this time. "You've been pushing yourself too hard lately," he reasoned, hoping to convey the seriousness of the situation.
Nora's gaze sharpened as she turned to face him, her expression fraught with frustration. "I. Am. Fine," she retorted forcefully, her voice tinged with anger at the suggestion of weakness.
"You aren't," Sage retorted, irritation now evident in his demeanor. "Look, I know you want Jaune back; he's your teammate and leader, hell, I'd feel the same if it were anyone from my team. But I also know when I need to take a step back and prioritize my well-being, or else I'll end up burning out," Sage reasoned with a sense of urgency.
Nora's glare intensified her expression a mixture of fury and defiance. "You don't know anything," she seethed, her voice laced with resentment.
Sage bristled at her accusation. "Excuse me?" he demanded, his frustration palpable. "I don't know anything?" he repeated incredulously.
"Yeah," Nora affirmed, her tone dripping with anger and disdain.
Sage's temper flared. "I spent sleepless nights fretting over Sun," he confessed, his voice tinged with exasperation. "I may not have shown it, but trust me, I confided in Neptune and Scarlet about my concerns; Sun's a formidable fighter, one of the best I know, but his impulsive decision to chase after a girl had me on edge; Guys can do foolish things when they're infatuated," Sage explained, his frustration evident.
"Oh? And how would you know?" Nora snapped with frustration, her words sharp with irritation. "With that brooding of yours that you do all the time, I doubt you've been approached by one of your oh-so 'adoring' fans!"
Sage's expression hardened at her retort. "This is coming from the woman who looks like she just hit every branch on a tree!" he shot back, his tone tinged with sarcasm.
Nora let out a low growl of annoyance. "Oh, please! Even looking like this, I can turn more heads than you ever have!" she retorted, her voice dripping with defiance.
"Oh really? Is that why Ren isn't here!?" Sage retorted, his words biting with a hint of bitterness.
Instantly, Sage regretted his remark, recognizing the cruelty in his words, but it was too late to retract them. Before he could apologize, Nora's fist connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. Despite her fatigue, Nora's punch packed enough force to floor a man of Sage's stature.
Nora strode to the trapdoor, her footsteps echoing faintly in the empty space. "Asshole," she muttered under her breath as she descended the ladder.
Sage winced as he sat up, his hand gingerly rubbing his sore jaw. He knew he'd feel the bruise tomorrow, but for now, his Aura could mend the discomfort. He needed to rectify his mistake before it escalated any further.
Scarlet's head popped up from the trapdoor, his brow furrowed in concern. "Everything alright, Sage?" he inquired, his voice filled with worry. "I just saw Nora stomping back to the Inn, looking like she could scare off a pack of Grimm," he added.
Sage nodded, exhaling heavily. "Yeah, I... I messed up," he confessed, his tone tinged with regret.
Offering to take over watch duty, Scarlet gestured for Sage to go after Nora. With a nod of gratitude, Sage descended the ladder and made his way back to the Inn where they were staying. Passing by the bustling marketplace, he finally reached the Inn's entrance, greeted by the warm smiles of the Innkeepers, a kind-hearted couple.
The wife's eyes twinkled with amusement as she regarded him. "Here to check on the girl, huh?" she teased, a knowing grin on her lips.
Sage nodded, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.
The husband chuckled heartily, his laughter filling the air. "Well, don't keep her waiting then," he advised with a friendly pat on Sage's shoulder. "That girl's got a glare that could freeze a Beowulf!" he winked.
As Sage ascended the stairs, a nagging worry wormed its way into his mind. Did they suspect something between Nora and him? The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine. No, that couldn't be it. It was absurd even to entertain such a notion.
Each step brought him closer to the inevitable confrontation with Nora, and an unsettling feeling gnawed at his gut. He couldn't quite pinpoint the source of his unease, but the prospect of facing a woman capable of single-handedly taking down a team of Hunters was undeniably daunting. The memory of his mother's fierce anger flashed through his mind, reminding him of the chilling power wielded by a furious woman.
Despite his trepidation, Sage pressed on, determined to make amends with Nora and end their tension.
Standing at the door to Nora's room, Sage rapped his knuckles against the wood. "Nora? Can I come in?" he inquired.
Silence greeted him.
"Nora?" Sage called out again.
Still no response.
Drawing in a deep breath, Sage summoned his courage, turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. "Nora, I wanted to-" he started, but his words caught in his throat as he took in the scene before him.
Nora's back was turned to him, the absence of a bra revealing the scars and burns marring her skin. Sage's eyes widened, horror flickering across his features.
Nora whipped around to face him, her expression stern. "Can't a girl get a little privacy?" she demanded sharply.
Flustered, Sage spun on his heel, facing the closed door. "F-Forgive me!" he stammered out hastily.
Quickly wrapping a towel around her chest, Nora regarded Sage with a raised brow. "You wanna tell me why you're here?" she questioned.
Still avoiding her gaze, Sage offered an apology. "I-I wanted to apologize for what I said back up on the watchtower," He replied. "I... Didn't mean it," he admitted.
Nora let out a heavy sigh as she sat down, removing her boots and socks. "It's fine; I know you didn't mean it," she conceded. "I didn't mean what I said either; I just... Ugh, I'm tired," she confessed wearily.
Understanding softened Sage's expression. "I know, and I'm sorry," he responded gently. "We saw how tired and exhausted you were yesterday on the ride and were all worried about you, Nora."
Nora's voice trembled with emotion as she opened up. "I... I'm just afraid that if I-I'm not looking for him, he's gonna slip away farther and farther, and I... I can't let another person I love leave me behind! I-I need to know why! Why did he leave!? Why did he turn his back on everything w-we fought for!? Does he hate us!? Did we push him that far that he joined the enemy!?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she poured out her fears.
Moved by her distress, Sage closed the distance between them, enveloping her in a comforting hug. Nora clung to him, finding solace in his embrace as her tears dampened his shoulder.
"Nora... I'm not sure why Jaune left, why he joined the Crown, but I know that when you find him, and I know you will, you'll find your answers," Sage assured her soothingly.
Sniffling, Nora looked up at him, her gaze searching his face for reassurance. "How do you know?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Meeting her gaze, Sage spoke with quiet conviction. "Because I think that deep down, Jaune will always have a special place in his heart for you because I know he looked to you and to Ren as family," he explained. "When you got Shade with us, I saw how he tried to hold everything together with you two, how he tried to be the leader you two needed; he cared for both of you, and I'm sure somewhere in there, he still does."
Nora's features softened, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes. "Sage..." she murmured gratefully.
Their exchange was charged with emotion, an unspoken tension lingering in the air as they drew closer to each other. At that moment, it felt like the weight of the world had lifted, and anything was possible.
Suddenly, the door burst open, startling them both. Neptune stood in the doorway, weapon at the ready, his eyes widening in surprise at the scene before him. "Hey! We've got a problem you- OH!" he exclaimed, taking in the situation with a mixture of shock and amusement.
Startled out of their impulsive moment, Nora dashed into the bathroom, leaving Sage standing there in shock as he turned to Neptune with a quizzical expression.
"What is it?" Sage inquired.
Neptune's demeanor quickly shifted to seriousness. "Ah, right!" he exclaimed. "Scarlet spotted a group of bandits two miles out, and I think Nora might want to meet these bandits," he explained.
"Why?" Nora's voice came from behind the bathroom door.
"Scarlet said it was hard to spot at first, but he managed to get a good look at the emblem on a banner they were carrying," Neptune replied with a grave tone. "It's a Golden Crown."
Upon hearing this, Sage pivoted towards the bathroom door. "When you're dressed, meet us outside!" he called out as he darted past Neptune, who quickly followed suit.
"Got it!" Nora's response echoed from the bathroom.
As Sage and Neptune hurried to join the rest of their team, Scarlet and Sun stood watch on the tower, peering through binoculars at the approaching threat.
"How close are they now!?" Scarlet inquired.
"About a mile out!" Sun reported.
Sun lowered the binoculars, his expression darkening as he contemplated the implications of the approaching raid party. Dealing with bandits was one thing, but the sight of the banner confirmed the gravity of the situation. At first, he had been reluctant to believe Nora's rumors, but now, faced with tangible evidence, he had no choice but to accept the truth.
The reality was sinking in: the Crown had gained control over the bandit tribe or coerced them into joining their ranks. This development signaled trouble ahead, evoking memories of the chaos that had engulfed Beacon.
It seemed history was poised to repeat itself, and Sun knew they had to be prepared for whatever came next.
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I'm gonna leave it there! Get you guessing on what's gonna happen next! Also, how do you like the change in my writing style? I'm trying to improve on it after some advice from a dear friend, and I hope it didn't take you guys out of it with the new style.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and hope to see what Jaune is up to in the next chapter in the two-month time skip and are eager to see Nora and Ren's development in the story! Oh! Look at that! Some Nora and Sage romance? Oh~! I wonder if we'll get more of that~?
Anyway, I Hope you enjoyed it! Goodnight!
#rwby#rwby rising dawn au#jaune arc#gillian asturias#nora valkyrie#lie ren#sage ayana#rwby fanfiction#nora x sage#nora valkyrie x sage ayana#rwby jaune x gillian#jaune arc x gillian asturias#rwby sagestorm#sagestorm#rwby ships#rwby knightscrown#knightscrown
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Calanthe was not a racist homicidal tyrant: a useless and bitter rant of someone whose favourite character ever got mercilessly butchered.
WHY ARE YOU WRITING THIS?
Well, let me give you a little bit of a backstory. I first read the Last Wish and the Sword of Destiny in 2012, when I was 14 years old. I instantly connected with the character of Calanthe, and after her death, it took me nearly a year to be able to pick up the saga itself. Ever since, she remained my favourite fictional character ever. As a little girl in misoginistic Poland, I was so lucky to have her as a role model. Because she fought for herself, she took no shit from anybody, she had love and respect of the people around her, and yet she had such tenderness and kindness about her that many strong woman-trope characters are missing these days, and that is exactly what happened to Calanthe when she was being translated to the screen. In 2015 The Wild Hunt was coming out and there were rumours of Ciri being included, so you can imagine my absolute glee and the hope I was filled with to have some more content with that one woman that meant so much to me growing up. And you can imagine my disappointment when all we got about her were a couple tiny mentions, even though the events of the Wild Hunt happen not even a decade after her death. Then the show by Netflix was announced and, once again, I had super high expectations. I wanted to see the wise, kind, beautiful Queen brought alive. December 2019 rolls in, and my hopes are being steamrolled. So here I am, 22 years old and crying over a fictional character, because one of the best written female characters ever (in my opinion) entered mainstream as a bullish, racist, homicidal tyrant. So let me address the biggest changes the show made to my beloved Calanthe Fiona Riannon, the Lioness of Cintra.
THE LOOKS
That was obviously the first thing that threw me off. I was quite enthusiastic when the cast was announced, but then as the first promo pictures were released, my enthusiasm was slowly dying down. In the books, Calanthe’s looks are adressed very often:
“As before, the queen wore emeralds matching the green of her dress and her eyes. As before, a thin gold crown encircled her ash-gray hair.” Sword of Destiny.
I tried to convince myself that Jodhi May won’t be a bad Calanthe so hard that I actually made this poor ass EDIT to feed my delusions and cheer myself up. In comparison, HERE is my personal favourite art of Calanthe that I find is the most accurate to the book portrayal.
Even when the first trailer dropped I was still trying to convince myself that even though she has none of her Elder Blood features or her iconic emerald green, that she wore exclusively in the books, she couldn’t be that bad. Right? Wrong.
THE DEMEANOR
This is probably the biggest change. Calanthe was one of the wisest, most gracefully-written characters in the entire saga, and I really hoped to see that on screen. She was quick-witted, calculating, but at the same time caring enough to let her daughter choose her own destiny in the end (even if it was to be with a hedgehog-headed man twice her age). Her smiles were said to always be full of kindness, she was acting very proper and clearly cared about her image. I’m not going to be getting too much into it with my own words, let these examples speak for me:
'Ah, Geralt,' said Calanthe, with a gesture forbidding a servant from refilling her goblet. 'I speak and you remain silent. We're at a feast. We all want to enjoy ourselves. Amuse me. I'm starting to miss your pertinent remarks and perceptive comments. I'd also be pleased to hear a compliment or two, homage or assurance of your obedience. In whichever order you choose.' [...] 'Hochebuz,' said Calante, looking at Geralt, 'my first battle. Although I fear rousing the indignation and contempt of such a proud witcher, I confess that we were fighting for money. Our enemy was burning villages which paid us levies and we, greedy for our tributes, challenged them on the field. A trivial reason, a trivial battle, a trivial three thousand corpses pecked to pieces by the crows. And look - instead of being ashamed I'm proud as a peacock that songs are sung about me. Even when sung to such awful music' Again she summoned her parody of a smile full of happiness and kindness, and answered the toast raised to her by lifting her own, empty, goblet. Geralt remained silent. The Last Wish.
'Aha,' said Calanthe quietly, clearly pleased. 'And what do you say, Geralt? The girl has taken after her mother. It's even a shame to waste her on that red-haired lout, Crach. The only hope is that the pup might grow into someone with Eist Tuirseach's class. It's the same blood, after all. Are you listening, Geralt? Cintra has to form an alliance with Skellige because the interest of the state demands it. My daughter has to marry the right person. Those are the results you must ensure me.' The Last Wish.
‘Very well then. As queen, I shall convene a council tomorrow. Cintra is not a tyranny. The council will decide whether a dead king's oath is to decide the fate of the successor to the throne. It will decide whether Pavetta and the throne of Cintra are to be given to a stranger, or to act according to the kingdom's interest.' The Last Wish.
'Pavetta!' Calanthe repeated. 'Answer. Do you choose to leave with this creature?' Pavetta raised her head.
'Yes.' The Force filling the hall echoed her, rumbling hollowly in the arches of the vault. No one, absolutely no one, made the slightest sound. Calanthe very slowly, collapsed into her throne. Her face was completely expressionless. The Last Wish.
Guards, armed with guisarmes and lances, ran in from the entrance. Calanthe, upright and threatening, with an authoritative, abrupt gesture indicated Urcheon to them. Pavetta started to shout, Eist Tuirseach to curse. Everyone jumped up, not quite knowing what to do.
‘Kill him!' shouted the queen. The Last Wish.
CINTRA, RACISM AND MURDERING HER OWN PEOPLE
In the books, Cintra was often mentioned to be obiding by the rules of the elves:
‘Dear child,’ said Vesemir gravely, 'don’t let yourself get carried away by your emotions. You were brought up differently, you’ve seen children being brought up in another way. Ciri comes from the south where girls and boys are brought up in the same way, like the elves. She was put on a pony when she was five and when she was eight she was already riding out hunting. She was taught to use a bow, javelin and sword. A bruise is nothing new to Ciri—’ Blood of Elves.
There were many elves and dwarves living peacefully within its borders. Calanthe’s two names - Fiona and Riannon, come from her ancestors that are respectively a quarter and a half elf, and known to be that. Calanthe was the one who taught Ciri that non-humans are not dangerous:
‘I’m not afraid at all!’ Ciri suddenly cried, assuming her little devil face for a moment. ‘And I’m not parrotised! So you’d better watch your step! Nothing can happen to me here. Be sure! I’m not afraid. My grandmamma says that dryads aren’t evil, and my grandmamma is the wisest woman in the world! My grandmamma… My grandmamma says there should be more forests like this one…’ Sword of Destiny.
There was no actual reason nor basis for the showrunners to make her racist and make her murder elves. Having her walk into her own daughter’s birthday party, bathed in elven blood, while she knows that the same blood flows in her own veins, at least partially, was completely unnecessary. Even in the polish version of the show from 2001 Calanthe said:
RELATIONSHIP WITH GERALT
This probably hits me the most on personal level, because I feel like Calanthe had a huge impact on Geralt’s growth as a character, and with such a drastic change to their relationship, I’m unsure as to he will now proceed to develop. Calanthe was, in large, one of the first people in the books that treated Geralt as anything more than a mutant. Here are some of my favourite scenes between the two, in comparison with how their relationship was portrayed in the show:
"At times, no, for years at a time, I deluded myself that you might forget. Or that for other reasons you might be prevented from coming. No, I didn't want anything unfortunate to happen to you, but I had to take into consideration the dangerous nature of your profession. It is said that death follows in your footsteps, Geralt of Rivia, but that you never look behind you. Then... when Pavetta... You know already?"
"I know," Geralt said, inclining his head. "My sincere condolences..."
"No," she interrupted, "it was all long ago. I no longer wear mourning clothes, as you see. I wore them for long enough.” Sword of Destiny.
He slowly pushed the cup on the table so that the clink of silver on malachite would not betray the uncontrollable trembling of his arm.
"You don't deny it?"
"No."
She bent to seize his hand with vigor.
"You disappoint me," she said, giggling prettily.
"This isn't voluntary," he responded, laughing as well. "How did you guess, Calanthe?"
"I did not guess." She did not release his hand. "I said it at random, that's all."
They broke out in laughter. Sword of Destiny.
"I will not take it. It is too great a responsibility, one that I refuse to assume. I would not want for this child to speak about you the way... the way I..."
"You hate this woman, Geralt?"
"My mother? No, Calanthe. I doubt that she was given a choice... or perhaps she had no say? No, she had, you know, enough formulas and elixirs... Choice. There is a sacred and incontestable choice of every woman that must be respected. Emotions are of no importance here. She had the indisputable right to make such a choice. That's what she did. But I think about meeting her, the expression on her face then... it gives me a sort of perverse pleasure, if you understand what I mean." Sword of Destiny.
A rosebush grew next to the gazebo. Geralt plucked a flower, breaking its stem and then knelt, his head bowed, presenting the flower in his hands.
"I regret that I did not meet you sooner, white-haired one," she said, accepting the offered rose. "Rise."
He rose.
"If you change your mind," she went on, sniffing the flower, "if you decide... Return to Cintra. I will wait for you. Your destiny will be waiting for you, as well. Perhaps not advitam aeternam, but for some time, no doubt."
"Farewell, Calanthe."
"Farewell, witcher. Look after yourself. I... I sometimes feel... in a strange way... that I am seeing you for the last time."
"Farewell, my queen." Sword of Destiny.
FALL OF CINTRA AND CALANTHE’S DEATH
We were robbed of so many epic scenes that truly took away from Calanthe’s millitary accomplishments and showed none of the strength and determination she originally had:
"The Nilfgaardians dealt the first blow," he began after a moment of silence. "There were thousands. They met with the armies of Cintra in the Marnadal valley. The battle lasted all day: from dawn to dusk. Cintra's troops valiantly resisted before being decimated. The king died, and that's when the queen..."
"Calanthe."
"Yes. Seeing that her army had succumbed to panic and scattered, she gathered around herself and her standard any who could still fight and formed a line of defense that reached the river, next to the city. All the soldiers who were still able followed."
"And Calanthe?"
"With a handful of knights, she covered the troops' crossing and defended the rear. They say she fought like a man, plunging into the thick of the battle. She was impaled by pikes when she charged against the Nilfgaardian infantry. She was then evacuated to the city.
What's in that flask, Geralt?"
"Vodka. Want some?"
"Well then, gladly."
"Speak. Continue, Dandelion. Tell me everything."
"The city wasn't properly defended. There was no headquarters. The defensive walls were empty. The rest of the knights and their families, the princes and the queen, barricaded themselves in the castle. The Nilfgaardians then took the castle after their sorcerers reduced the gate to cinders and burned down the walls. Only the tower, apparently protected by magic, resisted the spells of the Nilfgaardian sorcerers. Even so, the attackers penetrated inside four days later without making camp. The women had killed the children, the boys and girls, and fell upon their own swords or... What's is it, Geralt?"
"Continue, Dandelion."
"Or... like Calanthe... head first, from the battlement, the very top... It's said that she asked to be... but no-one would agree. So she climbed up to the crenelations and... jumped head first. They say they did horrible things to the corpse afterward. I don't want... What is it?” Sword of Destiny.
I understand that this happened because of limited screen time, probably, but the whole Fall of Cintra had been squeezed into what seemed to be a single day, a crushing defeat for Calanthe’s forces, and probably in some way, punishment for her pride.
AFTER CALANTHE’S DEATH
While reading the rest of the saga, these little snipits of people talking about Calanthe, mentioning her, often with respect and reverence, mentioning how her people mourned her and swore revange for her, truly kept me going through. I wished that, at the end, Ciri would find it in herself to return home and liberate it, as back then I had no way to spoil myself the ending. In the books, you can really feel the outrage almost all of Continent feels after the murder of Calanthe:
[...] Cintra is a symbol. Remember Sodden! If it were not for the massacre of that town and Calanthe's martyrdom, there would not have been such a victory then. The forces were equal — no one counted on our crushing them like that. But our armies threw themselves at their throats like wolves, like rabid dogs, to avenge the Lioness of Cintra. Blood of Elves.
[...] Bear in mind that these men left their homes and families, and fled to Sodden and Brugge, and to Temeria, because they wanted to fight for Cintra, for Calanthe’s blood. They wanted to liberate their country, to drive the invader from Cintra, so that Calanthe’s descendant would regain the throne. Baptism of Fire.
In the show, there is none of that. In fact, people seem to be full of disdain and hatred for her, saying things such as:
which, in turn, fills me with dread for the upcoming seasons, because I can already feel all the further butchery coming my beloved Queen’s way.
IN CONCLUSION
In all honestly, there is very little the Calanthe from the show has in common with the one from the books, the one I originally fell in love with. Which is not to say that Netflix’s Calanthe is not a great character in her own right, because who doesn’t love a badass sword-wielding Queen, but as a portrayal of the greatest ruler within the Witcher universe, and one of, in my opinion, best written female rules in literature, she falls flat, and that’s what pushed me to write this useless and slightly bitter rant, in hopes to maybe interest more people in the original version of Calanthe and maybe, just maybe, prompt some of you to read the saga or, at the very least, the short stories.
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D-8 SVT 5TH ANNIVERSARY: FAVORITE GOING SEVENTEEN EPISODE - MT SVT REALITY, GOSE 2019 EP 3-4 & 7, DEBATE NIGHT, SVT PLAYGROUND, DON'T LIE, BOO SEUNGKWAN'S PAST LIFE DESTINY, INSOMNIA ZERO (#2), AND MORE
Season 1 began in 2017 (another reason 2017 is ironically Seventeen's year) and SVT content was changed forever.
It began as more of a behind the scenes with everything from Don't Wanna Cry, Diamond Edge, Clap promo, and all the fansigns inbetween. This season just made me really sad I wasn't a carat sooner but it was a cool vlog for the boys and they were so excited to be filmed, precious bubs. I don't really have a favorite episode but here are some iconic/favorite moments
"Goiiiiing.. SEVENTEEN!" "goinggoing~~~"
Covering the camera with Hoshi's hand
"What if I die?!" "Then you die!"
SVT Energy Skincare™
Jun leaving people "frozen"
Angry MC Santa Wonwoo
Asking for the unicorn frap at Starbucks and having the order total turn out to be $17 thus triggering the members
Minghao flexing on everyone's life (again) on the trampoline
Hoshi being depressed about not getting bday wishes
Dino's "fanboys"
"Americano, aMEricano, ameRIcano, ameriCANo, americanO"
Make It Shine blooper
The dog from the concert poster photoshoot
Dabhao was thriving
My I behind the scenes 🥰
Any Junhao moment bc I'm whipped
Little 8 practicing his singing 🥺
Trauma (Seungkwan remix)
Spin-Off started introducing us more to GoSe in a variety format
We got variety-esque episodes like with the members cooking, writing letters to themselves, making flower crowns, drawing, and the arcade episode! But it was still mostly vlog-esque where we got to see behind the scenes of Thanks, Ideal Cut Concerts, Japan Arena Tour, 3rd Anniversary, their exhibit, Oh My/YMMD, and BSS promo. Again making me emo I wasn't a carat earlier missing all these iconic moments 🥺
My favorite episode is easily MT SVT REALITY and Hoshi yelling out the window still might be one of the most iconic moments ever, PERIOD. My other fave moments include
DK and Jeonghan fake laughing for like 5 mins straight
Minghao's mullet, period.
Driver Minghao for TTT
Jun abandoning DK to help Wonwoo with his apron instead
The birth of the legendary "T H E to the 8" rap (feat. the return of imma)
Producer Woozi
Episode 20 (yes I have that memorized) when Minghao hosts a cute little hotel date 🥺 he tells fans not to think of him romantically and then pulls this shit pretending to feed us and everything which is why I'm sad lol
Minghao's giggle when he did the bottle flip 🥺
Vernon full on losing it during an arcade game while Hao who's playing with him is dead silent
V8 vs. older bros
"you're over, Yoon Jeonghan"
Junnie winning at the fighting game uwu
The iconic Thinkin About You looks
That pose Jeonghan does that screams "your crush is coming, act natural"
Mingyu getting too excited and spitting on the cake so the members cover it but Mingyu thinks they're doing a team cheer
Hoshi screaming "2 captains!" repeatedly while Woozi regrets his life's decisions
Killing the8 in mafia just for returning from China
GoSe 2019 was the birth of the true variety show. They even made a theme song and everything 🤣😭 SVT are such natural entertainers ohmygod (and the editors really stepped up their game thank u staffs)
There was still some behind the scenes like the 4th Anniversary, Japan concerts, and Minghao instructing for Chinese Ver. of home, but they kind of started transitioning behind the scenes content to a different spot on the channel and honestly carats are so well fed with content #blessed. ALSO THIS WAS AROUND THE TIME I BECAME A FAN IM EMO
My absolute fave eps are the ones when they were brainstorming their own ideas for the show (3-4), the making of the intro/theme (7), debate night, and SVT playground but honestly the whole fucking season has so many iconic moments
Vernon not being able to read red marker bc of his red glasses
Jun's 1+1
Honestly it's so entertaining hearing them talk about their ideas even without them implementing them yet, they're seriously so creative
They do skits/roles so well like Jun pretending he's from the Chinese restaurant next door and Woozi being CEO of Going Entertainment dndkdk I cannot make this shit up
"Jeonghan act tired" Jeonghan: *fully falls to the floor and drags his body to the couch djdkdkdkkdld he's so fucking dramatic I'm still dying at this
Wonhao running around dead S.Coups
Minghao doing the going dance down the stairs (flexing again)
Pabo latte
Enthusiastic Minghao in Japan 🥺
The MBTI hidden camera
Diva Boo being pissed he didn't get Beyonce's MBTI but someone else did
Monsta X saving them at karaoke
Pigeon DK thriving during debate night
Geppetto Minghao looking fine af during debate night "I said so many nonsenses, I hope you liked it"
TTT fun - meerkat line rise, Jeonghan and Hoshi catching bugs but screaming the whole time, network love unit playing except Hao and he just gives them a cute "fighting!" Like they're his kids but he's just trying to relax lol, more mafia, Jun being hilarious during try not to laugh, S.Coups wanting to kill the staff (as usual), THE MEMBERS PLAYING WITH KITTENS
Froghao was thriving during svt playground
Bothering Woozi during secret santa
Hao's face when Jeonghan took the iPad
Dino literally got gifted a brick??
Junnie's light up grills
GoSe 2020 continues the variety so well and each member gets a month! So sad they shortened the theme but they gave us subs! Also the previews for next episode are great! They also stepped up the editing too. They are all working so hard for this and it really pays off
My favorite episodes so far are Don't Lie, Seungkwan's Past Life Destiny, and Insomnia Zero (especially part 2). I'm so damn hyped for Debate Night 2. Again so blessed for this content 😭🙌
It's harder to list moments when the entire episodes are iconic!!
DK failing at his own mystery food game
Minghao literally lucky number 8
The saga of Minghao being amazed at Mingyu's eating continues
Hoshi singlehandedly admitting he's mafia then getting Mingyu killed instead then openly killing the citizens at night without needing to hide and then winning the game ohmygod I cannot at how fucking wild and hilarious this episode was
Sleepy Jun during Seungkwan's Past Life Destiny
Junhao, evil twins, seoksoon, mingyuzi rise
Dino rejecting Mingyu with a moonwalk
The overall betrayal of couples omg
SA DALLA
Jun showing the Made in China tag djdkkd
Limbo was fucking wild
The members are all whipped for Woozi that shit made me soft as hell
Talking shit when other members are trying to sleep
Woozi loves dad jokes so much omg
They are so damn dramatic for the ASMR in Insomnia Zero pt 2 omg
TASTY
Jeonghan purposely not answering Hoshi's call to come back
Hoshi giggling that Woozi lost and Woozi fully having a crisis
Wonwoo identity crisis as one of the chill members
Brain Survival and Escape Room made my brain hurt but they're so smart
Minghao jump scare poor bb
Kicked out members becoming audience reactors
DK and Jeonghan fucking around with the props instead of helping
Their delivery food episode just made me hungry
S.Coups not flinching one bit at arm wrestling Hoshi
Trying to act cool when the move spots on the chess board
Seungkwan's wipe out
Getting debate night 2 really saved my life I can't wait for the rest of 2020
I typed way more than I should have but I just love Going Seventeen and all Seventeen content, being a carat really is a blessed life!
#seventeen#svt#challenge#im behind bc of finals#gose#going seventeen#WATCH IF TOO#IF IS SO FUNNY#i know i wrote way too much#if anything this is for my own record lol
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It’s a Party Here in Twilight Town
Read on AO3.org
The rainy season was about to start on Destiny Islands, and the humidity hung in the air all around the islands. The sweltering heat tortured everyone and spared no one. She could feel the sweat beading under her hair while she ran. The cool air was a relief to Kairi as they scurried inside the grocery store. She grabbed a cart and pulled it close. They had their mission and needed to complete it in the time limit. Failure was not an option.
“How many candles did she ask for?” Kairi asked Riku.
He pulled out the list the good fairies gave him. Three different fonts jumped out at him. Why couldn’t the three of them ever agree on anything? It was impossible to decipher anything on this list.
“Riku! Time is of the essence,” Kairi urged.
He groaned. “I can’t read the list. It looks like Fauna asked for seventeen candles; one for each layer.”
Kairi nodded absently. “Wait!” She snatched the list out of his hand. The loopy script was clear. “She can’t be serious. We can’t have a seventeen-layer cake!” A family stared at her as they passed by.
“Fauna insists that with a little help, the cake will be excellent. I will admit,” Riku said sheepishly. “Merryweather looked less than optimistic.”
Kairi sighed, then squared her shoulders. “No stopping it now. At least we’re not baking it.” She handed the list back to Riku. She adjusted her headband. “Let’s go get the best candles we can.” With a fist bump, they set off.
—
Lea envied Riku and Kairi. They got the easier end of the tasks. Meanwhile, he and the Twilight Town gang were stuck decorating with Flora and Merryweather. The two fairies never got a long, and as the unofficial team leader, Lea had to make sure there were no casualties. Even if he had to follow their every order.
“A little more to the left, Lea! Don’t tarry Isa! The flowers won’t arrange themselves!” Flora directed. “We don’t want them to look helter-skelter.”
Isa muttered something under his breath and tightened his grip on the stems. Lea shot him a look. Not the time for any beserking. Isa frowned in return.
The red fairy brought them the pink banner. “Here is the centerpiece. Hang it over the stage, please, boys.” Flora shoved it into their arms. “I need someone much taller than me.”
Lea sighed and carried the cloth. The red banner did scare him a bit. Merryweather hated the color, and he knew better than to cross Merryweather. During their training, she set an enchanted mannequin after him when Kairi said that her favorite color was red. They were only saved because she was busy on the other end of the room. Hayner, Pence, and Roxas were following her lead and hanging blue stars everywhere. Olette and Xion spent all night making those stars, and he could admit that they were the only good part of the decorations.
“Merryweather!” Flora boomed. “We agreed on red stars.That blue garbage clashes with the theme!” She scolded her sister.
The fairy in question scrunched her face in anger. “We never said red anything, least of all that banner you’re hanging up!” With a point of her wand, Merryweather shouted, “Make it blue!”
Isa dropped the banner immediately and left Lea to take the brunt of the blast. The two fairies ignored the consequences of their fight and flew at each other for another round of arguing. The rest of the room was silent. Or it was until Roxas, the little punk, started snickering. Once he started the rest of them caught on. Lea turned and caught his reflection in one of the mirrors. His beautiful hair was blue. Not any blue, but just like Isa’s hair. What a travesty.
He heard Isa take a deep breath in, and before he could add any insight, Lea snapped, “Not one word.”
—
Ventus dodged a flying mixing bowl as he entered the kitchens of Le Grand Bistrot. “Whoa, is everything alright in here?” He asked worriedly. The kitchen was a mess. Spurts of flour covered the walls, and there were bits of egg shells all over the floor. Magical pots and pans danced all around him. He turned the corner to see three ghostly figures and Fauna, the green fairy. She wore a tan apron and her iconic hat on her head.
“Why thank you for asking dear. Without your help, I could not have possibly done it on my own!” The cheerful fairy said. Upon further inspection, the three ghostly figures were Terra, Aqua, and Naminé.
Aqua shook her head behind Fauna and mouthed, “Save yourself.” Ventus didn’t need to know any context to understand that he needed to escape.
“Ventus, please assist your friends in making a few layers of cake. I baked nine already!” Fauna flitted away to check on her nine layers of cake.
“How many layers?” Ventus asked for clarification.
Terra shook out some of the floor caught in his hair. “She wants to make it seventeen layers. One for every year. I told Aqua that it was unfeasible.” He glared at her.
Aqua raised her hands in surrender. “She said she made a cake for Aurora before. I didn’t know she meant with magic!” She pulled Naminé in front of her and started to wipe off the flour on her face. “Poor Naminé thought that this would be better than the other two fairies.”
Ventus smiled and pulled out his phone. “Actually Roxas just sent me this picture. I think you dodged an arrow there.” Naminé grabbed the phone from his hands and began giggling. Aqua took a peek. Poor Lea was looking blue in more ways than one.
“Come on guys. This cake won’t bake itself,” Terra chided. “It’s no party without a cake.”
The door burst open and revealed Scrooge McDuck. “Dinnae you worry lad! Little Chef is already on the job. He’s baking a beautiful tart for the event.”
Naminé piped up, “Who is Little Chef?”
Ventus patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t ask. You do not want to know.”
—
Time was running out. Donald and Goofy had the most important job of all, and they had no idea where to go. Tonight’s party would be incomplete without their target. No one had heard from him in weeks, but they didn’t lose hope. They spent the last week visiting all of his favorite worlds. Halloweentown, the Caribbean, Neverland, and even Atlantica! Not a word.
Donald, ever the calm head, quacked angrily. “Why is he so irresponsible? He knows he should have his phone on him at all times!” He smacked the controls on the Gummi Ship.
“Gawrsh, you don’t think he’s avoiding us, do you?” Goofy asked quietly. Donald crossed his arms and turned away. He couldn’t entertain those kind of thoughts. They would find him, and when they did, they would drag him to his own party!
“And Riku said he wasn’t in the realm of sleep?” Donald asked.
“He didn’t see him anywhere there…” Goofy trailed off. He wasn’t one to worry; things had a way of working out. Still, after everything all of them had been through, this would be their first real chance of celebrating everything after a long time. Hopefully, it all worked out.
—
He checked the items on his latest list.
Martial arts with Mulan
Belly roaring at Beast’s Castle
Sledding with Elsa and Anna
Frolic in the Corona Flower Fields.
It was invigorating. Before, he was too busy saving the worlds to enjoy the life he had. Now, he was free to see all his friends whenever he wanted. The lanes between were easier to traverse now that he had the power to travel in them. He pulled his phone out and snapped a selfie (is that what Chip called it? He needed to check with Ienzo). The Corona flowers were blooming for the spring, and it was a sight to see. He couldn’t help but take a picture.
‘Can’t wait to send this one to Kairi. She’ll be so jealous,’ Sora thought. Wait, there was a notification waiting for him.
From Kairi?
Event Invitation: Your presence is requested at Le Grand Bistrot, Twilight Town 7 PM MST. It is requested, but it is also mandatory. Do not be late, you lazy bum.
What? No one told him about anything in Twilight Town! He scrolled down to find various unread messages from Donald and Goofy. It was already so late.
He held his hand to the crown at his throat. He thought of the words of his master and all those before him. May my heart be my guiding key. He was late for a very important date.
—
“I feel a disturbance in the Lanes Between,” Master Yen Sid, from his seat at the table, called the audience to attention. “He is coming!”
Kairi stood on the stage. “This is not a drill! This place is a disaster, and the guest of honor is on the way. Everyone to your stations!”
The Guardians of Light were not party planners. The decorations were set on fire not once, but three times. Fauna’s cake melted all over the stage. Until five minutes ago, Donald and Goofy moaned about their wayward, missing ward. All the while, Riku and Kairi kept the hope that their best friend would make it to his own birthday party.
“Psst, lass,” Kairi heard the whisper behind her. Mr. McDuck held a pretty box in his hands. “This is the contribution from Little Chef with his compliments.”
She opened the box and found the most beautiful cake she had ever seen. “Mr. McDuck, this is too much.”
“Your boy will appreciate that more than, well whatever that is.” He gestured to the goop leaning over on the other side of the stage. Kairi knew seventeen layers would be too many. She was about to respond when Riku pulled her off the stage.
“He’s here. Turn out the lights!” He called to Hayner and Pence. Holding the cake tightly, she followed Riku’s lead to the front of the room. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.
—
The windows of the restaurant were dark. Was he that late? His stomach fell as he pushed the door open to the bistro. “Hello? Kairi?”
The lights flickered on and he was greeted by the warmest sight in the world. Riku, Kairi, and all of his friends shouting, “Happy Birthday Sora!”
The tears stung his eyes as Riku pulled him into a hug. “Happy birthday.”
Sora wiped away a tear. “You did all this for me?” He looked around. Stars hung from all corners of the room, and attached to each one was a version of his keychains. They hung a banner in his favorite colors, red and blue. And was that a cake on the stage? Even Sora could admit the cake was lackluster, but it was the thought that counted, right? “Thank you all, so much.” He sniffled.
“Hey don’t cry before you’ve cut the cake.” He heard Kairi say. Sora looked up to see her carrying another cake. One that he had seen before.
“Happy birthday Sora,” she whispered before throwing her arms around him. He held her tightly against him, wishing he could make each moment last forever tonight.
She wiped the tears from his cheeks. “You have always done so much for all of us. Not one of us in here would be here without you. This is a small token of our appreciation.” Kairi wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Riku draped his arm over his shoulder as well. “After all, you’re our guiding key. What better way to celebrate?”
Sora laughed. If he tried to say anything, he knew he would cry once again. “Then it’s time to party!”
—
Happy 17th Birthday Sora. No matter where you are, you are always in our hearts.
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My Waterloo (Trixya) - Miss Bianca
Summary: “It’s like the song is prodding at Katya to do something, to just surrender already, and let himself try happiness for a change. And maybe it’s the late hour, or the sight of Trixie asleep on his shoulder, but Katya kind of wants to just fucking take the leap and do it.”
A/N: I’m back, guys, but writing a different ship this time. An anon requested a fluffy Trixya fic surrounding Waterloo, maybe it having some special meaning to them, and I suddenly remembered my own conclusion that even though the song came out in the 70s, it was still somehow written about Trixya. So this is just a lil oneshot, set during their tour of Australia back before Unhhhh and all of that. The fic does have to do with the song, so being familiar with the lyrics is useful. Drag names, male pronouns. I’d love any and all feedback!
It’s three AM, and Waterloo is stuck in Katya’s head.
The song is catchier than a cold, and he can’t get rid of it. Normally, he wouldn’t mind - he likes Waterloo. It’s more his current situation, as it relates to the song, that makes it problematic, because his brain has anxious speculation down to a science.
The idea of grabbing his earbuds and listening to something else is dismissed as quickly as it comes, mostly because at the moment, Trixie is asleep next to him.
Even though it’s irritating, he has to appreciate the irony of the situation. Trixie being cuddled up next to him is both the reason why Katya would rather not have Waterloo stuck in his head at this precise moment, and the reason why he can’t go get his earbuds and listen to something else.
Trixie is bare-chested, and clinging to Katya’s arm like it’s a stuffed animal, warm cheek squished against Katya’s shoulder. He’s also snoring quietly, which is something he’ll deny tomorrow morning in a muffled yell while he brushes his teeth, wearing nothing but a towel.
Katya smiles faintly at the dimly lit ceiling. Briefly, he wonders whether this is a normal-people-feeling, this tugging in his chest that makes his stomach flip whenever he imagines being domestic with Trixie.
From the day he’d met him in the workroom, Trixie had swept Katya up into a hot pink, sweaty, malibu Barbie and blonde russian lady-Ken Los Angeles fairytale, filling Katya’s head with crazy ideas like destiny, and love at first sight, and sharing a dog and life and pastel yellow rubber duck.
It was as if Trixie was trying his hardest with every laugh and smile and phone call at midnight to make Katya abandon his bitter grip on reality and fall, hard. And for the first time ever, he had.
Dating isn’t a thing that Katya does, and he rarely thinks about the implications behind being in love with someone. As a result, he had no idea what to do with this new information, and still doesn’t - and if he’s honest, it scares him. A lot.
Katya never would’ve expected Trixie to make his heart ache like this, but here he is. He thinks that maybe, normal-people-feelings like romantic love really are as dramatic as they’re made out to be.
A lot of the time, he does want to say something about how he feels. Or maybe just kiss Trixie randomly before they go to sleep, or reshape one of Trixie’s flower crowns into a makeshift bouquet and profess his love. But then he remembers that the thought of being in a committed relationship is fucking terrifying. And for Trixie, a real relationship is the only option.
So now, they’re stuck in some kind of fucked up limbo, touring together and sleeping in each others’ beds most nights, but only kissing for audiences and leaving everything unspoken.
Katya would like to think that they’re both just waiting for the other to make the first move. Realistically, though, he knows that Trixie won’t make the first move, not unless he knows Katya wants to be with him for real.
So they’re both keeping their mouths shut, but Katya’s the only person they’re really waiting on here.
Katya sighs, blinking up at the ceiling and rubbing at his eyes with his free hand.
Waterloo, I was defeated, you won the war, the voices sing in Katya’s head. He can’t help but picture Trixie’s face, eyebrows raised, a small smile on his lips. Waterloo, promise to love you forevermore.
It’s like the song is prodding at him to do something, to just surrender already, and let himself try happiness for a change. And maybe it’s the late hour, or the sight of Trixie asleep on his shoulder, but Katya kind of wants to just fucking take the leap and do it.
The idea to do Abba songs for their lipsync duet had been an odd one, but Katya really was down for anything, just as long as it made Trixie happy. Of course, Dancing Queen was an obvious choice for one of the numbers - cliched, catchy, and unbelievably iconic.
Trixie claimed to have picked the other, Waterloo, at random. But at this point, Katya is convinced that the choice must’ve come down to either witchcraft, conspiracy, or Trixie’s history with musical theater. Most likely a combination of the three.
And it’s weird, Katya knows that. Having a corny, perky song from the 70’s as a soundtrack to what exists of his love life is weird. But he’s pretty sure - no, positive - that Waterloo was somehow written about him and Trixie.
And he’s starting to suspect that Trixie knows this too, and has since the beginning.
And if Trixie does know, Katya speculates, he must’ve picked it deliberately, in some crazy Ryan Murphy-esque scheme to use music to fix all of his relationship troubles.
It was a pretty good scheme, though, Katya has to admit. Mostly because it had worked.
“Tracy,” Katya whispers loudly, in a sudden burst of bravery.
There’s no reply, and Katya taps his fingers against his palm anxiously, worrying his lower lip between his teeth until it’s sore.
“Tallulah.”
Still no reply, and Katya sighs dramatically, his body almost buzzing with building anticipation. He doesn’t even know what he’d say if Trixie was awake, and it occurs to him that maybe he should rehearse it first.
Trix, did you pick Waterloo deliberately? Was there a reason?
No, too pushy. He tries again.
I was thinking about Waterloo. Not the historical event, the song, y’know, the one you wanted us to perform for thousands of overexcited club-goers.
Already too long-winded.
Trixie, do you think Abba wrote Waterloo about us?
Trixie would only assume he was setting up a time-travel joke, and in all fairness, he’d probably be right.
Tracy, I think I’m finally facing my Waterloo. As in, it’s in front of me, right now. It’s you.
Sounds too much like a joke.
“Brian,” Katya says finally, tapping Trixie’s stomach with his knuckles. “Brian.”
Trixie wakes up with a gasp and a jolt, and when Katya looks over at him, he’s wide-eyed and confused.
“Wha-”
“Ithinkyou’remywaterloo,” Katya interrupts, the words coming out in a rush, all blurred together. He can hear his own heartbeat, suddenly far faster than is probably healthy.
Trixie frowns at him.
“Kat, it’s the middle of the night and I, like, just woke up,” Trixie says, exasperated. “Maybe try talking slower?”
“I think,” Katya starts again, swallowing hard and looking at Trixie again. “You’re my waterloo.”
There’s a pause, a moment of total silence.
Trixie’s mouth falls open slightly, his eyes suddenly alert and awake. And then, he stifles a yawn, and props his head up on his hand, blinking down at Katya nonchalantly.
Katya stares back at him, baffled by his lack of response.
“Are you gonna explain, or…” Trixie says finally, tone almost sassy.
“My waterloo,” Katya repeats slowly, and Trixie only raises an eyebrow at him. “I’m…I’m surrendering? You won.”
“As great as it is to finally win something, I’m still gonna need you to decode what exactly you’re saying,” Trixie snarks.
“The song, Trixie!” Katya exclaims. “How are you not getting this?”
Trixie shrugs.
Katya lets out a sigh, frustrated at how difficult Trixie is making this.
“The song that we perform, together, inspired by Napoleon’s surrender at Waterloo, that you picked out for us,” Katya tries. “And you make me look like a real woman because you’re so much taller than me, and…”
“Yeah…?”
“The song, Waterloo,” he continues to ramble, gesturing with the hand that’s not being held against Trixie’s chest. “You know, ‘my fate is to be with you’, ‘promise to love you forevermore’, ‘I feel like I win when I lose’ and all of that romantic cliche bullshit? Waterloo?”
Katya stares up at him for a moment, eyes wide, expecting some kind of response.
The corner of Trixie’s mouth twitches slightly, and Katya narrows his eyes.
“Wait a second, are you fucking with me?”
“No, of course not,” Trixie replies, clearly trying to stop the smile from spreading across his face.
“Oh my god, Tracy, you cunt!” Katya exclaims through a wild burst of laughter.
Trixie is full on grinning now, excitement written all over his face as he laughs. His hand slides into Katya’s, interlocking their fingers between their bodies, and Katya’s heart jumps.
“I still want an explanation,” Trixie insists.
“I hate you,” Katya comments, shaking his head, his cheeks already sore from how big his smile is. He looks up at the ceiling again, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.
“No you don’t.”
“No, I don’t,” Katya agrees. “I love you.”
He looks back at Trixie just in time to see the other man’s lips part slightly, his eyes soft as he stares down at Katya.
“I love you too,” he says quietly.
“But are you like, like, um,” Katya starts, nervously. “I mean, I’m…I’m in love with you, Brian.”
“I know,” Trixie says, smiling. “That’s what I meant, too.”
“But -”
“I’m not just gonna fuck you, though,” Trixie interrupts.
“No! No, that’s okay,” Katya says quickly. “I don’t want you to do that, that’s not what I - what I want, either.”
It’s quiet for a moment, and Trixie swallows visibly, his thumb running over the back of Katya’s hand.
“You sure you really mean that?” He asks finally.
“Yeah,” Katya nods. “I’m giving in. Can I take you out on, like, a date or something? We can do it your way, or, I mean, any way you want, because I have no fucking clue what I’m doing at all, and I just want you to be happy. ‘I was defeated, you won the war’, and all that.”
“‘Promise to love you forevermore,’” Trixie sings the next line of the song under his breath, squeezing Katya’s hand and smiling at him so affectionately that it feels like his stomach might literally burst from the butterflies.
“So that’s a yes, then? I’m taking you out?”
“Can you kiss me first?”
“I don’t know if you want that,” Katya says, shaking his head. “You’re shirtless, and I don’t trust myself to -”
Before he can get another word out, Trixie’s kissing him, quickly letting go of his hand in favor of cupping his jaw instead to pull him closer.
They’ve kissed before, onstage and in front of a camera that one time, but that had lipstick and an audience and a point involved. And besides, it wasn’t really them, Brian and Brian, doing the kissing.
This isn’t like that. This feels totally new, and real, and private. Trixie is kissing him like he’s been waiting to do it for months, and Katya knows the feeling. He tastes like mint from his toothpaste and strawberry lip balm, and the unique combination is suddenly Katya’s favorite thing in the universe.
When Trixie finally lets him go, hand sliding down to rest on Katya’s chest, Katya can’t help but grin up at him giddily.
“What?” Trixie demands, the corner of his mouth curled up in a half smile.
“Nothing,” Katya says quickly, grabbing Trixie’s hand from his chest and interlinking their fingers instead. “Nothing, I just, I really do love you.”
There’s not a lot of light in the room, but Katya swears he can see Trixie’s cheeks turn pink, and he almost wants to cry from the rush of adoration that surges through his chest.
“Shut up,” Trixie mutters finally, looking down.
“I do!”
Trixie just shakes his head, and repositions himself Katya’s arm is around him. He lies back down again, his head resting on Katya’s chest now, tucked into his side.
“Oh, so we’re cuddling for real now,” Katya observes. His heartbeat is still ringing in his ears, but he thinks he likes the closeness. “Okay, that’s cool.”
“Good,” Trixie murmurs.
Katya sighs, and they fall silent. The chorus of Waterloo loops through Katya’s mind, still on repeat, and he can’t help but smile.
Waterloo, couldn’t escape if I wanted to. Waterloo, knowing my fate is to be with you.
“Trix?”
“Mmm?”
“Are you going to sleep?”
“Trying.”
“Oh, okay,” Katya says hurriedly. “I’m sorry, I’m just -”
“Wired, I know,” Trixie finishes for him, his voice heavy with sleep. “Here, lemme have my hand back.”
Katya lets go of his hand, frowning slightly, and lets out a little ‘oh!’ as Trixie rests it on his side instead, arm wrapped around his middle.
With a sigh, Trixie starts to stroke his side gently through the soft fabric of his t-shirt, hand moving up and down slowly beneath his ribs. The close contact is nerve-wracking and different for Katya, but he doesn’t want to say so, because then Trixie might move away.
“It’s okay,” Trixie murmurs, and Katya realizes he must be able to feel the tension in his body. “You’re safe with me.”
“I know,” Katya whispers. “I know that, I do. Don’t, um…don’t stop.”
“Okay.” Trixie yawns. “I might fall asleep, though.”
Katya giggles, and he thinks he can feel Trixie smile against his chest, but maybe that’s just his imagination.
“Love you,” he says again after a moment, his voice still barely a whisper.
“Shhh.”
“Sorry.”
#katya zamolodchikova#trixie mattel#trixya#fluff#song fic#oneshot#miss bianca#rpdr fanfiction#submission
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Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story
Link Buys Now: https://kingteeshops.com/toy-story-2-is-the-best-toy-story/
Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story
Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story
It’s also one of the best movies ever made.
With Toy Story 4, Pixar has the unenviable task of following up what was already a perfect trio of films, charting themes of birth, life, and death with lovely grace, despite the fact that their main characters are just a bunch of toys.
That it is able to find yet another new spin on the secret lives of toys is a testament to the studio’s continued strength of imagination. That it finds a new angle on the themes of mortality that 2010’s Toy Story 3 already handled, but one that is bittersweet and wistful to the sheer bombast of Toy Story 3, is even more impressive.
I greatly love both Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4. But in recent years, I’ve begun to bristle a bit when Toy Story fans say the third is the greatest of the movies. This is, of course, inevitable in a franchise where every movie is superbly designed, lovingly written, and wonderfully performed. There will be partisans of all four films until the end of time.
But I am here to tell you that people who don’t think 1999’s Toy Story 2 is the greatest Toy Story film or that the two films that follow it will forever live in its shadow are wrong. Toy Story 2 isn’t just the best Toy Story movie. It’s a genuine American movie classic.
Toy Story 2 delves into themes both the Toy Story franchise and Pixar itself would dissect over the next decade
Buzz and Woody’s friendship drives all of the Toy Story movies.
The first Toy Story was released in 1995 and became the biggest hit movie of that year. It was the first animated feature entirely created with a computer, and even though it looks primitive by modern standards, Pixar’s choice to depict characters made out of plastic means that its artificiality has held up in a way that other computer-animated films from the ’90s just haven’t.
What’s more, Toy Story — which didn’t feature big musical numbers and focused on a buddy comedy between a cowboy and a space ranger, rather than an adolescent coming of age story — felt remarkably different from the other animated movies of the ’90s, its technology aside. It changed the industry so much that American studios almost never produce hand-drawn animated films anymore (a travesty, but not really Pixar’s fault), and it was recognized for its achievements with not just a massive box office intake, but a handful of Oscar nominations too (as well as a special-achievement award for being the first “feature-length computer-animated film”).
Naturally, Disney, who distributed the film, wanted a sequel. But Pixar was reticent. Consequently, Toy Story 2 was originally designed as a direct-to-video sequel to that film, before early work on the movie (initially by a very small team within Pixar) suggested it would play well in theaters.
In late 1998, however, folks within Pixar (including Toy Story 2 co-director John Lasseter, who was booted from Pixar in 2018 after accusations of rampant sexual harassment) got a look at the then-current state of Toy Story 2 and feared it would compromise whatever love the American public had for Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the toys. Their bet was that they could make a movie that would live up to the legacy of the original and still hit the movie’s projected November 24, 1999, release date — leaving them a little more than nine months to lock the film.
That resulted in a production schedule that was decidedly worker-unfriendly (since the movie was in production basically around the clock for those nine months). And an awareness of that level of “crunch,” as well as Lasseter’s involvement, can make Toy Story 2 harder to revisit.
Yet there’s a wild creativity to Toy Story 2 that arises from Pixar’s desperate need to prove itself. Its 1998 release, A Bug’s Life, was warmly received, but nowhere near the level of Toy Story’s universal acclaim; some critics compared it unfavorably to the competing computer-animated release Antz, which came out a couple of months earlier from Dreamworks and has aged atrociously. (It’s one ugly movie.) Still, at the time, Antz’s celebrity voice cast — including Woody Allen, Sylvester Stallone, and Sharon Stone — and its “what if a Woody Allen movie was about a bug?” premise made it seem like the more “adult” choice.
Thus, Pixar went into Toy Story 2 with a chip on its shoulder. That shines through, but the sheer “we have to fix this now” desperation that resulted from the one-year-to-fix-this-movie timeline created a film that enriches and deepens the ideas introduced in the first Toy Story.
Where Buzz had the identity crisis that drives the first film (in which he has to accept that he is a toy), now it’s Woody who discovers that he is actually a 1950s holdover, a quite valuable TV show tie-in toy who can fetch a pretty penny on the collector’s market. But to become his best, most famous self, he would have to ditch Andy, the kid who owns him and all of his toy friends, by moving to live in a museum in Japan. He will get the immortality of being perfectly preserved on a shelf. But he won’t have Andy or his friends.
The Toy Story movies very loosely form a series about raising children and coming to realize that as your children get older, you get older too, and a little closer to death with every passing year. On this thematic level, then, Toy Story is about Buzz, like a new dad, learning that his needs often have to come second to those of his child.
This basic idea becomes even more potent in Toy Story 2, where Woody literally has to accept that his destiny is vaguely utilitarian, that he exists to fill a void in Andy’s life, and eventually, Andy will be done with him. But he can make Andy’s life better in that time, and that will have to be enough.
What’s beautiful about Toy Story 2 is how these themes develop mostly by implication. Toy Story 3 takes place in a world where Andy has grown up, and it gains substantial emotional power from that. But its choice is, effectively, whether or not to accept that time moves forward, and that your friends and loved ones will get older and die. Which is to say, it’s not actually a choice, because time will move forward whether you want it to or not.
But Toy Story 2 takes place at a time in Andy’s life when Woody really could choose himself and leave the kid behind. It might be more personally fulfilling, even, to embrace his cult icon status and live out his life in the hermetically sealed environment of a museum. We even get to see what will happen to Woody if he chooses to remain with Andy instead of that museum in a poignant flashback to the way Jessie, a cowgirl doll, remembers the girl who loved her, then tossed her aside as she grew older. It comes complete with a heartbreaking Sarah McLachlan performance, and is perhaps the saddest moment in the entire Pixar canon. And that’s saying something.
youtube
So, yes, if Woody wants personal fulfillment, he should probably choose the museum. But there would be no risk in it. Raising and loving a child is, on some level, a choice, each and every day, to accept the end of the self in favor of another person who needs your love, protection, and help.
But Toy Story 2 is also a rollicking adventure tale with tremendous storytelling economy
The toys go on a quest to save Woody, which adds lots of adventure and comedy to the film
If all Toy Story 2 had were weighty themes, however, it would be a bit of a bummer. What sets the film apart from the other Toy Story movies is how beautifully those themes are integrated into an incredibly fun adventure story that leaves plenty of room for action sequences and comedic flights of fancy. What’s more, it accomplishes this in just 92 minutes, while also giving every single major character their own story arc.
Much of Pixar’s success as a studio — “this was made by Pixar” has become a selling point in and of itself — can be tied to how good it is at classical Hollywood storytelling construction, screenwriting basics like paying off setups, and creating believable character motivations. These skills are present in Toy Story and A Bug’s Life, but they took full flower in Toy Story 2.
Take something as simple as Rex the dinosaur trying and failing to beat a Buzz Lightyear video game at the start of the film. At first, this feels like a silly one-off gag about how Rex’s tiny arms can’t work the controller as well as he’d like. But then, late in the film, the movie pays this off in the form of a sequence where Rex essentially has to live out the sequence he was stuck on from the video game in the real world. What was a funny joke becomes a thrilling moment of a character facing up to his own weaknesses and overcoming them.
That the movie finds a way to do this with every single character is striking, but even more incredible is that Toy Story 2 also finds ways to play off the character arcs developed in the first film, particularly when it comes to Buzz, who confronts another Buzz Lightyear doll who doesn’t yet realize he’s a toy and is forced to deal with just what an idiot he was back in the first film. It’s terrifically funny, and it allows the film to subtly underline the ideas of personal growth seeded throughout the movie.
Toy Story 2 succeeds because it’s a thematically thoughtful movie, yes, but it’s also a fun movie. That has given it a reputation among some fans that it’s a little slight, and it has the lowest average rating on IMDB of the first three films. (Time will tell how fans rate the fourth.) But the way that Toy Story 2 weds its themes to its more rollicking elements in a way that complements both makes it among Pixar’s crowning achievements. Compare it to, say, Toy Story 3: a real tearjerker, but one where the movie’s adventure story (about escaping a day care center) has next-to-nothing to do with its themes about mortality and aging.
One of Pixar’s greatest strengths when it comes to its storytelling is how often its stories aren’t about individuals overcoming all odds to win the day, but about individuals abnegating their own desires in favor of what’s best for the community. Toy Story 2 makes this the core of every scene, every moment, every joke.
Toy Story 2 is a beautiful, complex film about what it means to choose others instead of yourself every time, and about the weight of making that decision. (Intriguingly, Toy Story 4 explores the flip side of this idea. I won’t spoil it too much, but I think I might come to think of it as just as rich as this film.) But it’s also about how that choice really is a choice, one that different people might make in different ways. That it’s also one of the most action-packed Pixar movies of them all and stuffed with great jokes marks it as a tremendous achievement. It’s not Pixar’s first movie, but it’s the movie when Pixar became Pixar.
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Text
Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story
Link Buys Now: https://kingteeshops.com/toy-story-2-is-the-best-toy-story/
Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story
Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story
It’s also one of the best movies ever made.
With Toy Story 4, Pixar has the unenviable task of following up what was already a perfect trio of films, charting themes of birth, life, and death with lovely grace, despite the fact that their main characters are just a bunch of toys.
That it is able to find yet another new spin on the secret lives of toys is a testament to the studio’s continued strength of imagination. That it finds a new angle on the themes of mortality that 2010’s Toy Story 3 already handled, but one that is bittersweet and wistful to the sheer bombast of Toy Story 3, is even more impressive.
I greatly love both Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4. But in recent years, I’ve begun to bristle a bit when Toy Story fans say the third is the greatest of the movies. This is, of course, inevitable in a franchise where every movie is superbly designed, lovingly written, and wonderfully performed. There will be partisans of all four films until the end of time.
But I am here to tell you that people who don’t think 1999’s Toy Story 2 is the greatest Toy Story film or that the two films that follow it will forever live in its shadow are wrong. Toy Story 2 isn’t just the best Toy Story movie. It’s a genuine American movie classic.
Toy Story 2 delves into themes both the Toy Story franchise and Pixar itself would dissect over the next decade
Buzz and Woody’s friendship drives all of the Toy Story movies.
The first Toy Story was released in 1995 and became the biggest hit movie of that year. It was the first animated feature entirely created with a computer, and even though it looks primitive by modern standards, Pixar’s choice to depict characters made out of plastic means that its artificiality has held up in a way that other computer-animated films from the ’90s just haven’t.
What’s more, Toy Story — which didn’t feature big musical numbers and focused on a buddy comedy between a cowboy and a space ranger, rather than an adolescent coming of age story — felt remarkably different from the other animated movies of the ’90s, its technology aside. It changed the industry so much that American studios almost never produce hand-drawn animated films anymore (a travesty, but not really Pixar’s fault), and it was recognized for its achievements with not just a massive box office intake, but a handful of Oscar nominations too (as well as a special-achievement award for being the first “feature-length computer-animated film”).
Naturally, Disney, who distributed the film, wanted a sequel. But Pixar was reticent. Consequently, Toy Story 2 was originally designed as a direct-to-video sequel to that film, before early work on the movie (initially by a very small team within Pixar) suggested it would play well in theaters.
In late 1998, however, folks within Pixar (including Toy Story 2 co-director John Lasseter, who was booted from Pixar in 2018 after accusations of rampant sexual harassment) got a look at the then-current state of Toy Story 2 and feared it would compromise whatever love the American public had for Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the toys. Their bet was that they could make a movie that would live up to the legacy of the original and still hit the movie’s projected November 24, 1999, release date — leaving them a little more than nine months to lock the film.
That resulted in a production schedule that was decidedly worker-unfriendly (since the movie was in production basically around the clock for those nine months). And an awareness of that level of “crunch,” as well as Lasseter’s involvement, can make Toy Story 2 harder to revisit.
Yet there’s a wild creativity to Toy Story 2 that arises from Pixar’s desperate need to prove itself. Its 1998 release, A Bug’s Life, was warmly received, but nowhere near the level of Toy Story’s universal acclaim; some critics compared it unfavorably to the competing computer-animated release Antz, which came out a couple of months earlier from Dreamworks and has aged atrociously. (It’s one ugly movie.) Still, at the time, Antz’s celebrity voice cast — including Woody Allen, Sylvester Stallone, and Sharon Stone — and its “what if a Woody Allen movie was about a bug?” premise made it seem like the more “adult” choice.
Thus, Pixar went into Toy Story 2 with a chip on its shoulder. That shines through, but the sheer “we have to fix this now” desperation that resulted from the one-year-to-fix-this-movie timeline created a film that enriches and deepens the ideas introduced in the first Toy Story.
Where Buzz had the identity crisis that drives the first film (in which he has to accept that he is a toy), now it’s Woody who discovers that he is actually a 1950s holdover, a quite valuable TV show tie-in toy who can fetch a pretty penny on the collector’s market. But to become his best, most famous self, he would have to ditch Andy, the kid who owns him and all of his toy friends, by moving to live in a museum in Japan. He will get the immortality of being perfectly preserved on a shelf. But he won’t have Andy or his friends.
The Toy Story movies very loosely form a series about raising children and coming to realize that as your children get older, you get older too, and a little closer to death with every passing year. On this thematic level, then, Toy Story is about Buzz, like a new dad, learning that his needs often have to come second to those of his child.
This basic idea becomes even more potent in Toy Story 2, where Woody literally has to accept that his destiny is vaguely utilitarian, that he exists to fill a void in Andy’s life, and eventually, Andy will be done with him. But he can make Andy’s life better in that time, and that will have to be enough.
What’s beautiful about Toy Story 2 is how these themes develop mostly by implication. Toy Story 3 takes place in a world where Andy has grown up, and it gains substantial emotional power from that. But its choice is, effectively, whether or not to accept that time moves forward, and that your friends and loved ones will get older and die. Which is to say, it’s not actually a choice, because time will move forward whether you want it to or not.
But Toy Story 2 takes place at a time in Andy’s life when Woody really could choose himself and leave the kid behind. It might be more personally fulfilling, even, to embrace his cult icon status and live out his life in the hermetically sealed environment of a museum. We even get to see what will happen to Woody if he chooses to remain with Andy instead of that museum in a poignant flashback to the way Jessie, a cowgirl doll, remembers the girl who loved her, then tossed her aside as she grew older. It comes complete with a heartbreaking Sarah McLachlan performance, and is perhaps the saddest moment in the entire Pixar canon. And that’s saying something.
youtube
So, yes, if Woody wants personal fulfillment, he should probably choose the museum. But there would be no risk in it. Raising and loving a child is, on some level, a choice, each and every day, to accept the end of the self in favor of another person who needs your love, protection, and help.
But Toy Story 2 is also a rollicking adventure tale with tremendous storytelling economy
The toys go on a quest to save Woody, which adds lots of adventure and comedy to the film
If all Toy Story 2 had were weighty themes, however, it would be a bit of a bummer. What sets the film apart from the other Toy Story movies is how beautifully those themes are integrated into an incredibly fun adventure story that leaves plenty of room for action sequences and comedic flights of fancy. What’s more, it accomplishes this in just 92 minutes, while also giving every single major character their own story arc.
Much of Pixar’s success as a studio — “this was made by Pixar” has become a selling point in and of itself — can be tied to how good it is at classical Hollywood storytelling construction, screenwriting basics like paying off setups, and creating believable character motivations. These skills are present in Toy Story and A Bug’s Life, but they took full flower in Toy Story 2.
Take something as simple as Rex the dinosaur trying and failing to beat a Buzz Lightyear video game at the start of the film. At first, this feels like a silly one-off gag about how Rex’s tiny arms can’t work the controller as well as he’d like. But then, late in the film, the movie pays this off in the form of a sequence where Rex essentially has to live out the sequence he was stuck on from the video game in the real world. What was a funny joke becomes a thrilling moment of a character facing up to his own weaknesses and overcoming them.
That the movie finds a way to do this with every single character is striking, but even more incredible is that Toy Story 2 also finds ways to play off the character arcs developed in the first film, particularly when it comes to Buzz, who confronts another Buzz Lightyear doll who doesn’t yet realize he’s a toy and is forced to deal with just what an idiot he was back in the first film. It’s terrifically funny, and it allows the film to subtly underline the ideas of personal growth seeded throughout the movie.
Toy Story 2 succeeds because it’s a thematically thoughtful movie, yes, but it’s also a fun movie. That has given it a reputation among some fans that it’s a little slight, and it has the lowest average rating on IMDB of the first three films. (Time will tell how fans rate the fourth.) But the way that Toy Story 2 weds its themes to its more rollicking elements in a way that complements both makes it among Pixar’s crowning achievements. Compare it to, say, Toy Story 3: a real tearjerker, but one where the movie’s adventure story (about escaping a day care center) has next-to-nothing to do with its themes about mortality and aging.
One of Pixar’s greatest strengths when it comes to its storytelling is how often its stories aren’t about individuals overcoming all odds to win the day, but about individuals abnegating their own desires in favor of what’s best for the community. Toy Story 2 makes this the core of every scene, every moment, every joke.
Toy Story 2 is a beautiful, complex film about what it means to choose others instead of yourself every time, and about the weight of making that decision. (Intriguingly, Toy Story 4 explores the flip side of this idea. I won’t spoil it too much, but I think I might come to think of it as just as rich as this film.) But it’s also about how that choice really is a choice, one that different people might make in different ways. That it’s also one of the most action-packed Pixar movies of them all and stuffed with great jokes marks it as a tremendous achievement. It’s not Pixar’s first movie, but it’s the movie when Pixar became Pixar.
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