#they shall replace my old icon
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There he is, the Flowery Plague Doctor Dude!
#sangthart#:))) first time finishing a drawing in like a year#they shall replace my old icon#plague doctor#chamomile flowers and lily of the valley in case you're curious#plaguedoctorart
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Meeting the Parents (part two):
Part one Part three
Synopsis: part of my high school AU for my Star Wars OCs, where everyone is still alive and no one dies. Juliette’s parents learn their teenage daughter is hanging out some new friends versus the old ones they met/remember from elementary and middle school. With both parents going away for a business trip during a very important weekend, it’s time they meet Juliette’s new friend group… of 20+ teenage boys.
————
The car pulled up to the curb, getting a few curious stares and gawking wide eyes.
Juliette sank in the leather seats, feeling her skin heat up as her peers watched the Mustang idle there. All wondering who was inside the expensive, eye popping red hull with black racing stripes.
“I could’ve walked…” she said quietly.
“Nonsense, ad’ika,” her father unlocked the doors. “It gives me five extra minutes with my favorite girl.”
“I thought mom was your favorite,” Juliette teased.
He held a finger to his lips, “don’t tell on me, or I’ll tell all your little boyfriends embarrassing stories.”
“Buir, no,” she kissed his cheek, “love you.”
“Love you too,” her father shifted gears. “Have a great day.”
She reluctantly opened the door, and slipped out as everyone stared at her. Some in disbelief, others like they forgot her family was rich.
Her father drove off, and she felt frozen as the whispering began. She wondered how much trouble she’d get in if she turned and ran.
An arm wrapped around her, pulling her out of her panic and planting a kiss on her temple.
“Hi, Angel,” Digger brushed his nose against her cheek, “you look beautiful.”
She smiled, and relaxed, “thank you, goofball.”
He gave her another kiss on the cheek, then walked her inside where the rest of his squad was hanging out by their lockers.
“Anyone seen Keks?” Juliette asked them, “I got a present for him.”
“Is it food?“ Hound snickered.
“Of course it’s food,” Juliette held up the container, “it’d be an insult to bring him anything else.”
“I want to know where he puts all that food,” Zombie leaned on the locker.
“Fast metabolism,” Keks popped up behind her, “did you really bring me pancakes?”
“Yes,” she held up the container.
“Vhat a voman,” Keks took the container, “seriously, such an icon.”
“We know,” Mutt laughed.
“That’s why we love her,” Hound grinned.
Digger rolled his eyes, smiling, “sorry, she’s taken.”
Calico faked a gag, “ew. Keep that disgusting love stuff private.”
Keks popped open the lid, “anyone vant a bite?”
Zombie raised his hand, “as long as I’m not getting bitten for taking your food.”
Digger punched the top of his locker, popping the door open. As always, she admired his satisfied smirk as he took out his textbook, and closed the door.
“Shall we?” He turned to her.
“We shall,” she smiled.
****
Fury: I messed up
Fury: please forgive me. I didn’t mean to.
When Juliette saw that pop up on her phone, she subtly slipped her cell under her science binder, grateful to be seated in the back of the class next to Hardwire and have Mirage and Shadow’s bulkier frames in the lab table in front.
Juliette: What’s wrong?
Fury: I was talking to Ace about tonight, and a couple of your gamer buddies joined in.
Fury: Grimm overheard
Juliette: Oh.
Juliette: Is he upset he’s not invited?
Fury: that’s where the mess up is…
Fury: I said he was invited and you just didn’t have his number
Fury: I’m so sorry! I panicked :(
Hardwire nudged her.
She covered her phone, pretending to pay attention as their teacher walked around, passing back quizzes from last week and droning on about their upcoming solar lab.
“…I will allow you to pick your groups of four. Due to safety concerns by your parents and guardians, this lab will be replacing our chemistry experiment using the burners.”
A couple guys snickered, stealing glances at Hardwire. It was enough to make him pull up his hood, and rest his head in his arms.
Poor Hardwire, she rubbed his back.
The teacher returned to the front of the room, and began writing on the whiteboard with a squeaky marker.
Juliette lifted her binder.
Fury: I’ll tell him I lied
Fury: I don’t want you uncomfortable
Fury: I’ll make sure he knows I screwed up. all the blame will be on only me
Juliette: He can come
Juliette: Grimm is my friend too
Juliette: Sort of…
Fury: yeah. that’s pretty much what everyone says :)
Fury: I’ll make it up to you
Fury: I promise
Juliette: *hearted Fury’s message*
She hid her phone again as the marker’s cap clicked on, then the next lesson began.
****
The final bell rang, and Juliette approached her locker that already had her favorite Fett leaning against it sucking on a lollipop and a strawberry one waiting just for her.
“Hi, Cos,” she began spinning the lock.
“Starlight,” he unwrapped the pop, “I have a question.”
“What’s up?” Juliette opened the metal door.
He held out the lollipop, “do the others know what they’re getting into?”
Juliette closed her mouth around the candy, “nope. I think only you, Fury, Hardwire, and Digger know I live in a mansion.”
“Fun,” Cosmos stole her magnetic mirror from the metal door, “so, meet up is still 5:00?”
“Yup,” she reorganized her textbooks, then smiled at the Polaroids hanging in her locker.
Cosmos traced his scar on his chin, “can I come early then? I can help set up, and also establish that I’m the alpha best friend and everyone else is just extra.”
Juliette snorted, “sure, Cos.”
Cosmos held up her mirror, want to check yourself before your boyfriend shows up?”
“Too late,” Digger hugged her from behind.
She giggled as he rested his chin on her head, “hi, Goofball.”
“Hi, Angel,” he kissed the top of her head, “the squad and I are doing a grocery run. Need anything for tonight?”
Juliette found his hand on her waist, and squeezed it, “just your dumb face.”
“Can do,” Digger hugged her tight, “later, Angel. Later, Cosmos.”
“See you, Digger,” Cosmos two finger saluted.
He disappeared off into the sea of high schoolers, and Juliette closed her locker sighing.
“Don’t say it,” Cosmos groaned.
“I miss him,” she pouted.
“And you say it anyways,” Cosmos took her hand, “come on, Starlight. Let’s prep for tonight.”
****
Stickler: Anyone need a ride to Juliette’s tonight?
Dabbler: I do!
Tag: Frenzy and I are going to walk
Tag: but thank you for asking
Baby: so wher does she live?
Radar: In a castle made our rainbows and gummy bears! xD
Frenzy: LOL RADAR!!!! XD
Tracks: *liked Radar’s message*
Goose: she lives in that big fancy mansion with the big gates and security system
Ace: she does?
Squirrel: ya dude
Squirrel: she’s rich
Sticker: Her parents are rich
Max: guys…
Radar: SEE! CASTLE!
Baby: damn…
Dabbler: I use to ride by that place all the time! She lives there?!?!
Max: guys!!!!
Squirrel: went there once for halloween
Squirrel: jumbo size candies
Frenzy: I LOVE THAT HOUSE!!!!
Goose: they always go all out for holidays! I like going by during Christmas
Goose: crazy to think she’s been living their the whole time!
Ace: my mind is blown!
Max: GUYS!!!!!
Cosmos: You all know she’s in this chat
Cosmos: Right?
Max: I tried to warn them :/
Dabbler: hi Juliette! your house is cool!
Juliette: :)
#caribou speaks#caribou ocs#star wars#star wars the clone wars#juliette trix#cosmos#corporal keks#sergeant digger#calico#hound#mutt#zombie#commander hardwire#captain stickler#baby#radar#dabbler#frenzy#tag#tracks#squirrel#max#goose#ace
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WRITE IN FRONT
•i wrote this short work about Enjolras&Grantaire… could u make some comments if u have somethin' to say after u read this? i'll be glad to see my works have some reflections and i really need some suggestions!
•warnings: this work is about their dying hours.
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The residual warmth of his palm prevented Grantaire from hearing the successive shots very clearly.
"Now I'm the one who's been shaken by an angel." That was all Grantaire's mind conveyed to him, until he began to feel as if his mind was ready to end this never-ending to exhaust the cheap labor of thinking, and to spend its old age in the dark underground. "Then this is the death that those royal family and nobles feared, and now I can taste their fear, and I didn't expect it to be almost like drunkenness—isn't it! " He thought. "Now I'm lying here as if I'm drunk, unable to move, the smell of blood has replaced the suffocating smell of alcohol before, this pain is somewhat similar to the pain of strong alcohol burning the stomach, but it's more intense. Look at the bright red on the chest again! Who put on the Robespierre-style waistcoat for me? Although I haven't been able to take a beautiful woman on my arm in the summer when the flowers are blooming, to the freshly cut straw pile in the field, to breathe the scent of tea in the vast world, and travel is not as interesting as drinking, but it is also time to travel around the world after death! "
Grantaire was about to start his journey, and when he half closed his eyes he felt he had some strength left, and something unfinished. So he raised his head and looked at his god. Enjolras's beautiful, blue, clear blue eyes without a trace of haze, which fascinated Grantaire, had dimmed the fire, and could no longer let him burn to the bone. "It turns out that the sun that shines all over the earth will eventually go out, and it will take away the cold and pale moonlight along with it." Grantaire thought vaguely, counting the bullet holes on Enjolras' body from top to bottom, "One, Two, three... eight. Hey! What naughty urchin dares to throw marbles beside the most beautiful icon, and destroy the most successful creation of the merciful God? On the breast of Prometheus there will be seven more diamond nails. Well done, and now I shall have eight holes in my heart! "
When the pages of the book of thoughts were burned to the last corner by the lit match, a drop of blood from the marble statue fell on the tip of Grantaire's nose, walked along the bridge of the nose in a zigzag way, and stayed between the eyebrows, there was still a trace of hotness, which was illuminated by the lamps of revolution. It was the last sliver of light left by the sun to the human world, and Grantaire had it all to himself. He was a little proud, feeling that when he was on the verge of death, he was ignited again, as if he had been ignited by the unburned heat countless times before. He felt his heart beat violently again with the dripping blood, even if only for a short time.
"Flee from this dry and narrow land, where the cold night will fall! Today is the end, and it must be the end," he said to himself. Yet a secret joy filled him with inexplicable pride that at last he had the wings of Icarus, and was successful, near the unattainable sun. Grantaire looked into Enjolras' already hollow blue pupils again, recalling the pity in Enjolras' eyes the first time he looked at Enjolras through the noisy crowd of the tavern and the overturned wine bottle. This was his last memory when he was about to forget everything.
Dionysus came to an end. In the blur, only darkness remained around, and Grantaire seemed to see the ashes of the wings behind Enjolras. An angel escaped from the protection of heaven and died forever. Grantaire, the believer of the angel, who had devoutly kissed the ground under his feet, was now lying on the ground he once kissed, and was about to go with his faith.
Grantaire closed his eyes, and headed for a permanent hangover.
THE END
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thanks for your patient readin'!
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everything i love about hunchback of notre dame
*the g-slur will be replaced with roma, romani, or something else and will have brackets ([ ]) surrounding it to indicate a word change*
Olim -
i love the build up at the end into bells of notre dame
bells of notre dame -
”and some say the soul of the city’s the toll of the bells, the bells of notre dame” the fact that it’s esmeralda singing it. we’re already off to a great start.
jehan’s voice is so nice it’s beautiful
the foreboding saints after jehan dies and right into the “ahhhhs’
“and the saints regarded frollo from their stone facade and he felt their gaze as if it were the eyes of God” - the difference between the stone saints for frollo and quasi is so interesting. One sees them as terrifying, boring into his soul because of his darkness within, while the other sees them as his friends and aid on his journey.
the way frollo says quasimodo
“now here is a riddle to guess if you can, sing the bells of notre dame”
“what makes a monster and what makes a man?” - song by Quasi. It just makes me tingle, I love it.
the way this song sets up so many motifs is just so good
Out There -
the beginning is manipulation 101 (it is I alone, your only friend, how can i protect you, etc)
michael arden is an icon i swear. he is phenomenal. his e m o t i o n
“but part of theeeeeem and Ooooooout there”
“out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives”
“heedless of the gift it is to be them. if I were in their skin I’d treasure every instant”
“i swear i’ll be content with my share. won’t resent won’t despair old and bent I won’t care. I’ll have spent oooone daaay out theeeeeeeeeere”
Amazing, showstopping, what a way to open a show and introduce a character, I cry almost every single time
Topsy Turvy pt. 1 -
“somehow i can wander through this helter skelter without fear now. no one sees i’m here now out here in the woooorld!” ugh i love him
“on the sixth of januervy” too catchy
Rest and Recreation -
I used to hate this song but now i’ve matured and learned that it is amazing
I just love the tune, idk, it’s so fun and catchy until you get to the bridge and that’s what i love
“rest and recreaaaaaa- four years at the front...” that’s on ptsd
“the air filled with a stench of bodies in a trench. whoever pays the most i call my liege.” just the bitterness when he says that line. Amazing.
“and whatever i do i’ll make sure this is true i will never go back again.” i literally adore this part so much. it gives him so much motivation.
and then we go right back into him being flirty because he’s covering up his ptsd with fun
“But for a few night fun is my mission” oh me oh my that’s very attractive
he sounds so awkward talking to frollo im going to cry
“there is no time for rest and recreation,” poor guy
Rhythm of the Tambourine -
“flash of an ankle flip of a skirt...come see me dance, hey what can it hurt?” I just love how she sings this part its so well done
the dance break music is amazing. it’s just so nice and a great vibe.
“this girl who is she” the layers!!!! all three of them doing it in rounds!!! I love it!!!
“she dances like the devil//she dances like an angel//an angel” AHHHHH beautiful, great way to show the differences in characters
“but with such fire// such fire” I am in love with this line oh my gosh. like frollo is thinking about hellfire and pheobus is just like heart eyes
i am also in love with esmeralda thank you
Topsy Turvy pt. 2 -
“aren’t you going to join in on the competition?” she’s so cute and pretty and i love her
“we asked for the ugliest face in paris and we found him, aye?” love
“eeev...ry..bod...y”
“Hail to the king....oh what a king...girls give a kiss...we’ve never had a king like this!” just so much fun to sing
Into Notre Dame -
“how could you do this to me?” more manipulation
“like a begger recieving an alm.” i love a good simile
“the light of notre dame” I love the way she sings this, it’s just so good
God Help the Outcasts -
“were you once an outcast too?” i love this because the answer is yes. Jesus was treated as other because of His teachings. He was most definitely an outcast, literally cast out of so many different towns. And He does listen to her prayer and it just makes me so emotional.
i literally...there is nothing wrong with this song. everything about it is beautiful.
“God help the outcasts or nobody will” chills every single time
“I ask for love I can possess. I ask for God and hos angels to bless me” right into “I ask for nothing, I can get by” I LOVE IT SO MUCH it’s so beautiful.
the chorus of this show deserves a raise
“but I know so many less lucky than I” really helps to show Esmeralda’s character a lot I think.
Top of the World -
such a beautiful song like I could write the entirety of this song here because I love it so much
I love the saints part so much
the part when the saints are singing and esmeralda are singing is just beautiful especially the part “here at the top of the world(E)//look at you sitting at the top of the world(S)”
“the two of us sitting/the two of us sitting/the two of you sitting” right into “On top of the world!” one of my favorite parts of the entire show oh my goodness. The way Quasi, Esmeralda, and the Saints all blend together so well is just askjhfklafkj
Tavern Song -
I can’t not dance to this song oh my it’s so so so fun.
just like the melody especially during “in the dark of the night, in the dead of the winter...come keep me warm until morning” I LOVE
It gives me very much Jack and Rose vibes from that part in Titanic
“with the taste of the wine, hold me close while we’re dancing, but I hear you sighing, winter is dying, you’ll keep me warm until morning” HER VOICE IS SO GOOD
the cross between the tavern folk singing and frollo singing in the Hellfire tune is just so good. just so good. i’m going to cry this show is beautiful.
the fading “come keep me warm until morning”s is UGH so good
Heaven’s Light -
When I tell you how much I adore this song....
his voice is just so soothing. the little flute thing in the background is just so sweet
the way he sounds so happy the first time he says “Heaven’s light” i love him so much
“but” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i cannot
“I swear it must be heaven’s liiiiiiiiiiiiiiight” one of my favorite notes in the entire show i swear it’s so beautiful
also the bells of notre dame going right into Hellfire....ICONIC
Hellfire -
One of my favorite villain songs ever. Especially in this version, you can really hear his inner turmoil over Esmeralda. and i just love it.
from the get go, frollo is trying to put him above everyone (”you know i am a righteous man”, “so much purer than...”) and yet he is still struggling with lust like everyone else...he’s still a sinner
“i feel her, i see her, the sun caught in her raven hair, is blazing in me out of all control” SO GOOD
“Like fire, hellfire” go look back at what he says in rhythm of the tambourine because it’s the same thing and i just
“is turning me to sin” blaming esmeralda for his own sinful thoughts. it is not her that is turning him to sin. he is sinning of his own accord. but also the desperate way he says sin is always so interesting
“it’s not my fault, i’m not to blame, it is the [roma] girl, the witch who set this flame! It’s not my fault, if in God’s plan, he made the devil so much stronger than a man!” I really really love this series of lines so much. I can’t really explain it, but especially that last part. it just breathes a supposed “holy man” who can’t accept that his sins are his own and caused by himself so he’ll blame every single other thing other than himself. i’ve known too many people like this.
“protect me maria, don’t let this siren cast her spell, don’t let the fire sear my flesh and bone” just so good. I love the voices in the background.
“destroy esmeralda and let her face the fire of hell, or else let her be mine and mine alone” he would rather condemn an innocent woman than confront his own sin. again, so many people are like this today. it’s just so thrilling to see that mindset condemned in media. also, patrick page is amazing
“hellfire, dark fire” the tone switch from him being scared of the hellfire the first time he said it to now he’s using it as power (how many of us have had hell weaponized against us? raise of hands?) is just so frightening and amazing all at the same time
“God have mercy on her, God have mercy on me” I cannot tell you how much I love this line. it is phenomenal, especially the way Page sings it. I think that it is one of the central lines to his character (along with the “wicked shall not go unpunished” which i’ll probably talk about later)
just the emotion he has in his voice when he says this line....chef’s kiss.
especially with the next line (”but she will be mine or she will burn”), it seems like he knows what he’s doing is wrong (hence why he needs mercy), but he’s going to do it anyway
Esmeralda -
easily one of my favorite songs in this entire show. what an amazing end of act song oh my
the trumpets!! at the beginning!!! I love it!!
“being under suspicion of sorcery, witchcraft, and the arts of hell” that is not actually why he’s arresting her which doubly means he knows that what he’s doing is wrong
the tune of this song is SO GOOD I LOVE IT
“these are the flames of Esmeralda...” this dude is obsessed with fire
feels very much like the mob song from beauty and the beast
“with the might of Notre Dame” using God in such a vulgar manner is blasphemous and frollo knows it. he’s using God’s might and strength to hunt down an innocent woman because he can’t control his own desires. I’m losing my mind
“but the madam, that whore, denied it and swore by the saints, the saints of notre dame” i have no idea why but I adore this line and i love the way that it was song. I used to think that the madam was actually just esmeralda in disguise which made the next part of the song seem all the funnier
the little lute strumming after frollo says “very well, we’ll set fire to it” because pheobus is having a change or heart
“and he held the torch that crackled like the [woman’s] voice....and he knew this was the moment he must make a choice” this is why i like the play phoebus and not really the movie phoebus very much. i just love it
the chorus singing God help the outcasts in the background...amazing...chills
“you’d throw away a promising career” Frollo’s desperate attempt to get him to comply
“God help the outcasts, or nobody will!” I LOVE THIS PART WITH MY WHOLE SOUL IT IS SO GOOD sometimes i’ll listen to this song on repeat just to hear him say this
“you’re relieved of your patrol” “consider it my highest honor.” Iconic. just...so good. gives me very much “thank you for your consideration” vibes
the way frollo says kyrie eleison here is just so good
frollo’s little speech is very cool with the chorus in the background
I love Quasi’s little frantic verse there. you can hear his desperation in “fire, fire, smoke and flame” and then “is that all that I can do?” he wants to help his friend but he can’t and I know how horrible that feels
phoebus part!!!!! I love it!!!! his voice is so nice!!! “with my career and body left for dead” nice, good, amazing.
“out there...” AHHHHHHH YES MOTIFS
“somewhere she is lost//somewhere she is lost//Esmeralda!” love this bit so much
“the flames grow tall and sharp as fluer de lis” what a good metaphor, so good, so nice, I love the chorus they’re all amazing
“all paris burns for esmeralda” now we’ve got burning again. are we talking about how paris is literally on fire because frollo is insane or is it the mob mentaility that is “burning” inside of them? good question.
“and still it all comes down to her and me” says three people. I love the melodies here. chills. so many of them. I love.
“the devil dwells in esmeralda//oh esmeralda//oh esmerlada//oh esmeralda” AHHHH again AHHHHHHH i love this bit (yes I know I say that a lot but its the truth)
“wake up the city and sound the alarm!” good yes
they’re all singing different bits and it’s growing and your heart is pounding until....
“these are the flames of esmeralda”
and then it all falls apart again oh my gosh it’s beautiful
until
“the bells of notre dam!” and the “ah, ah, ah”s that I adore so much I love this song so much
Entr’acte
I can’t imagine how fun this would be to sing. it’s just a vibe
Flight Into Egypt -
I used to skip this song but I have since learned the error of my ways because i love it
“then Quasimodo you can too” love that, just like he says it
“and she gave it to you because she knows you’re smart” the fact that these are just part of his imagination so it’s really him telling himself he’s smart and i’m going to cry I love him so much
“and this jewel must show where we’re supposed to meet” love his voice so much
“it’s a map. it’s a map!” he’s so excited. he deserves the entire world.
“I’ll save esmeralda, her angel will be me,” brb crying
“for her I will be strong” still crying
I love the entire end bit how their voices meld and the music swells all up until Quasi sings the last bit. it’s just so amazing
The Court of Miracles -
I’ve always loved this song. it’s so fun, but also sad.
“brother you’re there” YES
“but the dead don’t talk so you won’t be reveal what you found!” dead man tell no tales vibes
“Not terribly different from bees in a hive” I love how erik says this line. claupin would be so fun to play oh my.
“where it’s a miracle...if you get out alive”
“any last words....i thought not *laughter*” obsessed with this
“but we must protect at all cost our secret, it’s our lives or yours!” and that’s the sad reality. that’s what makes this song sad to me.
“So you’re going to hang!” a lighter note as an end. very nice.
In a Place of Miracles -
a few notes in and i’m already crying
this song is so beautiful and i adore it. it makes me sad in a million ways but it also makes me so happy. the play did such a great job of making me love pheobus and esmeralda but also feel so, so bad for Quasi
“but somehow you have made me someone new” yup i’m definitely crying
“now i’m asking if you’ll let me come with you” you can’t see me but the tears are real
“though our lives are tattered and torn, all i’m feeling now is reborn. i must be...”
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Pheobus and esmeralda’s voices just meld together so well im gonna cry it’s so nice
and as soon as the first chorus is over, the tears of happiness turn into tears of anguish because Quasi pulls up with his heaven’s light reprise and it tears my heart to shreds
my heart breaks for him
esmeralda and quasi singing at the same time gives me very much eponine and marius vibes from a heart full of love (we love victor hugo so much /sar)
like the parallels in what the both of them are saying is just phenomenal
“no more need for a heart of stone//better to have a heart of stone!” AHHHH STOP I LOVE IT AND IT HATE IT AT THE SAME TIME
“that holds no hope in heaven’s light” stop i’m so sad
and then the chorus come in and it’s just so beautiful
“will we reach a friendlier shore, will we find a haven once more, where we’ll be in a place of miracles...” it’s so gorgeous
“where’s my place of miracles//in a place of miracles” that sound? yeah that’s me sobbing in the corner
and it builds again and i love it so much it’s just so beautiful
Justice in Paris -
this is the least played song on spotify (by like hundreds of thousands) and I think that’s so funny
but i think the chorus does such a great job here, as usual, because they just have that menacing sound to them
Someday -
another of my favorite songs. this one is hauntingly beautiful and I have so many opinions. get ready.
esmeralda is just so sad and you can hear it in every single word she says. god my heart is already breaking.
“that i’d live to see a day of justice dawn” i haven’t actually seen the stage version so i’m not sure if they have the part where she cries out “justice!” when quasi is getting attacked, but this part just hurts me to the soul because of that specifically. she cried out for justice and now she gets none.
“and though I will die long before that morning comes, i’ll die while believing still it will come when I am gone” this line just hits so, so hard. i can’t even talk about it.
just imagining her singing this and pheobus listening to her with tears in his eyes...nope i cannot...i will cease to exist
and then he joins in and i can just imagine her feeling no longer alone because she’s hoping that it comes “someday” and he’s echoing it, assuring her that it will. I can just picture her trying to stay strong as she says “Godspeed this bright millennium on its way” but she can’t and so her words fall out as she’s saying “let it come” and she can’t finish
but pheobus finishes it for her. “someday” and I can just see her breaking down. she’s going to die and she never gets to see it, but he assures her that it’s coming.
and he starts it up again. he starts singing again, and I think that it gives her the strength she then needs to finish.
“someday, these dreams will all be real. Til then we’ll wish upon the moon!” of all the lines in the entire play, this is my absolute favorite. the way the sing it, the power they hold, their voices blending together so smoothly and perfectly. i cannot handle how amazing it is.
“one day...some day...soon” and just like that, i am sobbing. beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful.
While the City Slumbered -
i love this little song. it’s so pretty and fast and it just gives us exactly what we need to know. love.
Made of Stone -
Now to the last of my favorite songs. (Finale doesn’t count because although I love it, it hate it). You wanna know which song has the top score of making me cry the most? That’s right. This one right here.
Let’s get into it.
the talking at the beginning is a yes from me.
“I only make things worse!” felt that
also, the sound of him sobbing ruins me.
“how do you know what I believe, what do you know of me? what do you know of all the things I feel? you’re only made of stone” finally him acknowledging that they’re not actually real and all apart of his imagination.
“who is it that you see, instead of seeing what I am for real?” imposter syndrome? I understand that.
“this twisted flesh and bone” the EMOTION
“you’re a liar” bro i cannot physically handle this. i can’t. I will cry. I am cry
“would that I were made of stone like you,” back to that place of miracles song. i just
he’s just so desperate. the only thing he could ever trust has fallen. He has nothing left. he can’t even trust himself (because that’s really all the stone saints by)
“shut my brain down, if I were senseless, I’d prefer it” i totally understand the feeling of this. so often when thing go wrong in my life, i would like to shut down completely and stop existing and I think that’s what makes this song hit so damn hard
“another gargoyle on this turret, spitting rain down to the stones below!” there is so much passion in his voice I love it so much. michael arden deserves the entire world for this performance
“i’ve waste my faith believing in saints of plaster,” OUCH
“the only one worth believing in was my master,” OUCH AGAIN
“he’s the one who never lied. he told me it was cruel outside. he told me that i had to hide. his words were cold as stone, but they were true.” i can’t describe how emotional these lines make me. because he’s right but also it is such a painful, hard truth. ugh, i
“not like you”
“take all the dreams you’ve stone, take all your lies and leave me alone”
“alright Quasimodo, we’ll leave you alone,” that one hurt because as someone who pushes people away when they’re self destructing, the most painful part is seeing them actually leave you. even though you asked them too.
“you’re right Quasimodo, we’re only made of stone, we just thought that you were made of something stronger.” now that’s a mic drop
That would cut so, so deep.
“never again to wonder what’s out there” m o t i f s
“let it remain unknown. and my one human eye forever more be dry until the day i die, as if I were made of stone”
such a beautiful, heartbreaking, real song that I think so many people can relate to. I know I can. I have cried to this song so many times. I love it.
also, he holds that note for so long i’m impressed.
Finale -
this song is long so get ready for it.
the crimes that Esmeralda is guilty for are not the ones that she was originally hunted for. he switched up his story.
“the sentence is death!” immediate kyrie eleison (which i think is for frollo and not esmeralda)
she spits in his face like a freaking queen
“esmeralda!” Quasi’s cry is just so heart shattering and emotional I am so sad
“he could remain stone no longer” I love that
“sanctuary! sanctuary!” with the victorious sounds in the background are just so amazing
“hear me, people of Paris, how much oppression will you allow?” with the chorus singing Someday in latin in the background?? I am not crying again “someday, your patience will finally break. why not make someday come right now?”
that part is just chef’s kiss. I love it so much. also, that’s the last we hear of pheobus. I’ve always wondered if he died so someone whose been in/seen the play, could you tell me?
quasi’s prayer to the saints is just so good. i just love it so much. so beautiful. and it being similar in tune to Heart of Stone and having the part “raining fire on the stone below!” is just so good
and then the moment between quasi and esmeralda is just...
“you are home.” “home.”
and then we go to the top of the world reprise. haha. haha. ha.
“in my eyes you are beautiful too,” comparing him to the beautiful morning
“i don’t think...forever...”
“you’re such a good friend quasimodo” “yes your friend”
and then she freaking dies and i’m so sad
and then the music changes so quickly and it makes my heart drop every time
“because of you” cut deep
“at last we’re free of esmeralda. now that she’s gone, a poison dies with her.” to the tune of esmeralda. bitch i would have thrown frollo off that roof too
“here in our sanctuary...sanctuary” “sanctuary? no sanctuary without her”
“even...loved her.” “love? what do you know of love?” I adore this part because Quasimodo finally realizes that Frollo’s treatment of him wasn’t love. It never was.
“no. you are the weak one. you the wicked one. And the wicked shall not go unpunished!” I cannot explain the fire that this lights in my bones. it’s amazing. just so good.
and then all the voices, like the saints, come in “the wicked shall not go unpunished. the heart of the wicked is of little worth. the wicked shall not go unpunished” and they’re no longer on frollo’s side (they never were)
the rising voices as quasi picks up frollo and is going to kill him *chef’s kiss*
“You don’t want to hurt me” “yes you do” so, so, so, so, so good. i can’t even explain. it’s just good.
in to the abyss below!
damnation!
“the world is cruel, the world is ugly” yes
“but there are times and there are people when the world is not” i’m not 100% positive, but i’m pretty sure that’s jehan again and that’s just so beautiful.
“and at it’s cruelest it’s still the only world we’ve got” the bitter truth
“out there” yup yup yup crying you can’t stop me
The bit with the chorus singnig someday in latin and english...i literally cant handle it. it is so freaking beautiful. and the violin? the woman singing is an icon. the voices blend together so beautifully. I am overcome with emotion. i-
Quasi singing the last “someday”
and then the blending into the beginning song and ugh
“but here is a riddle to guess if you can, what makes a monster and what makes a man?” with the entire ensemble? yeah, that one feels good.
and being left off with the “ah”s
yeah, brb, i’m going to go listen to it again.
#hunchback of notre dame#disney#alan menken#hunchback of notre dame musical#disney musical#musicals#theatre kid#everything i love about#quasimodo#esmeralda#phoebus#frollo#judge clause frollo
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“The Xiangji Studio” by Gui Youguang (1506-1571) - the last paragraph of this essay is one of the most iconic lines in classical Chinese prose because there’s so much depth of feeling hidden in one simple and unadorned sentence. Translation by David Pollard:
The Xiangji Studio is an old apartment giving onto the southern verandah. The living space is only ten feet square, just enough for one person. The structure is a hundred years old, so the dust filtered in, the rain poured through. When one wanted to shift the position of the table, one could find no other place to put it. Then too the studio faces north, which means it got no sun: by afternoon it was already dark.
I had some repairs made, which stopped the roof leaking. I had four windows cut in the front, and a wall built to encircle the courtyard, so as to catch the southern sun. Thanks to the light reflected by the wall, the interior was bright for the first time. I also had orchid, cassia, bamboos and trees planted here and there in the courtyard, which enhanced the aspect of the existing verandah. With borrowed books filling my shelves, I would lie back and intone and chant, or sit upright and meditate. Though the pipes of Nature played round about, it was quiet and still in the courtyard. Sometimes small birds came to feed there, and did not fly away when humans approached. On the night of the full moon, when the bright moonlight reached halfway down the walls and the cassias shed a dappled shade which moved when the wind stirred, one knew then what bliss was.
But while I enjoyed many pleasures residing there, I had my share of sadness too.
In the beginning my courtyard linked north and south compounds in one whole, but when my father’s generation divided up the property, numbers of little gates and walls were installed internally and externally: wherever you went you came up against them. The dog that belonged to the household on the east went and barked at the people on the west; guests had to thread their way through the kitchen to get to their feast; and chickens even roosted in the reception rooms. At first fences were put up in the courtyards, then walls replaced them, and everything was changed round again.
There is an old lady still in our household who once lived there. She was maid to my grandmother, and nurse to two generations. My late mother treated her with great kindness and consideration. On the west side there is access to the mistress’ bedchamber, and my mother had had occassion to come into this room. The old lady was fond of telling me, ‘This is where your mother stood.’ She was recalled: ‘I was nursing your sister in my arms, and she was crying at the top of her lungs. The mistress tapped on the door with her fingers and asked, “Is the child cold? Does she want a feed?” And I answered her from this side of the partition.’ Before the old lady had finished I burst into tears, and she was overcome also.
From the age of fifteen I used this annex as my study. One day my grandmother came by. ‘Son, I have not set eyes on you since I can’t remember when,’ she said, ‘Why do you hide away here from morn till night, just like a young lady?’ As she was closing the door behind her, she said to herself: ‘It is a long time since we have had a successful scholar in the family. Perhaps with this young man there is some hope?’ In a moment she was back with an ivory tablet, saying: ‘ My grandfather, Director of the Court of Sacrificial Worship, held this when he attended court in the Xuande reign. In time to come you shall use it.’
When I look back, these memories of days gone by are as fresh to me as if they had been of yesterday. They make me cry my heart out.
There was formerly a kitchen to the east of the studio; people had to pass in front of the studio on their way there. I closed my windows and kept out of the way. In time I could tell who it was by their footsteps.
The studio caught fire four times in all. That it was not destroyed I put down to the protection of gods.
Five years after I wrote this piece, I married, and my wife came to live in the family house. She would often come to my studio, and ask me about events in history, or practise calligraphy bent over the table. When she paid the customary return visit to her mother’s house, she recounted these matters to her little sister, who asked: ‘They say you have a studio in your new home. Could you tell me what they mean by “studio”?’
Six years later, my wife died. The studio went to rack and ruin, but I did nothing to repair it. Two more years on, I underwent a long illness, and out of boredom had the studio refurbished, making some small alterations to the layout in the process. But afterwards I was mostly away from home, and rarely used it.
There is a loquat tree in the courtyard that my wife planted with her own hands the year she died. Now its leaves make a dense canopy.
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Pirates of the Caribbean
This is an ask from @shrigma-male, but i accidentally deleted the ask.. so sorry! I am high key excited to get an ask about this topic, as the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is probably one of my earliest animatronic centric obsessions. not only is it one of the earliest and most impressive feats of Imagineering, it also remains solid to this day. it houses a great many iconic animatronic figurines, all of which work together in perfect harmony to capture beautifully life filled scenes of a cohesive storyline. Its individual ride concept was so strong that it birthed a line of clones and even a famous movie franchise. isn’t that sick? a RIDE was the key source material for a whole movie series! but it’s unsurprising, with the time and care poured into the ride. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you think about it, the ride is JAM PACKED so there is a LOT to talk about. This will only be a super brief post information-wise, but who knows? There may be more to come if this performs well. Apologies, my life’s not going great at the moment and i don’t have a lot of spare time so this is not as high a quality as i would like it to be.
Here’s my fast fact file on it!
Debut: March 16, 1967
Withdrawal: All rides are still operating
Attraction: The Pirates of the Caribbean
Locations: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disney (but this one’s heavily modified)
Attraction Type: Dark ride
Riders Per Vehicle: 23–24
Number of vehicles: 50
Animatronics: 119 ish but it depends on the ride version
Ride videos: The entire ride varies from version to version and different people want to see different parts. i’m leaving you guys to find your own ride videos. it’s a very popular ride, just type on in to youtube and you’ll find heaps of nice high quality ones.
The thing that stands out about this ride is the theming and the sheer amount of effort put in to creating an immersive environment. the ride houses an impressive 119 audio animatronics, 53 of which are animals. There are 630,000 gallons of water in the ride (original Disneyland) and takes three whole days to drain. there are over 40,000 gold coins in the treasure room scene alone. It holds what could possibly be considered Disney’s first themed restaurant which can be seen at the start of the ride. It is objectively one of the coolest things I’ve ever ridden. I want to call specific attention to the boat scene, where cannons fare at each other from opposite ships, creating glowing impacts and throwing water about. the first time I rode it it ensnared my attention and completely suspended my disbelief.The ride system is based on the one used in it’s a small world, due to that rides incredible success in debuting a boat-based transport system. Although I hate it’s a small world with a burning passion and refuse to write anything on it, I must be forced to admit that it did wonders as a test on how to create a good dark ride, emphasising key features such as a high rider capacity, boat-based transport system, and proving that animatronics are an incredibly attractive key event. Since the 60’s when it debuted, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride has gone through many changes throughout its location, including entire scenes being added and removed. but what it has maintained throughout its historic run time is its notoriety and splendour. the key change that I will bring up is the 2006 and 2007 renovations that include more theming from the very successful movie franchise. slightly unrelated, but the song “Yo ho, a pirate’s life for me” was actually first written for the ride. The rides are all being constantly updated in minor ways whether it’s slightly improving the animatronics, touching up background details or changing costuming. I’ll attach here a brief sort of timeline of the ride that I’ve whipped up here, but it only touches on the most notable modifications. sorry about how crap-tier it is..
Now, to talk more specifically about animatronics. The animatronics used on this ride are some of the earliest made by Disney. some are really quite basic, with their full range of motions being a singular full body action such as raising and lowering out of a barrel, but others move heads and arms in (sort of) lifelike actions. Some are newer, (specifically captain Jack Sparrow), but most are the original ones from the 60’s. One of my (and everyone’s tbh) favourites is the redheaded lady. She is (very originally) named Redd. Previously she was being sold off for auction, but in 2018 she was swapped to being an auctioneer. She has stunning red curls and a beautiful dress to match, and now holds a gun. here’s a little before and after.
in the same refurbishment that changed her the mist screen in the tunnel before the fort battle was removed and replaced with a pirate in a cage who turns into a skeleton via an optical trick as well as an octopus playing with some medallions, along with the original 1967 narration about cursed treasure being restored. Her new version is based off none other than Anne Bonny herself (worth a google, she’s a fucking BOSS (like seriously!! Queer history icon!!! LOOK 👏 HER 👏 UP 👏 )) . She’s also displayed in dead man’s cove in a portrait, which I think is kinda neat. Her Paris version is completely silent, but the others yell about selling rum. Sadly I have never actually seen the new Redd in person, as I have only ridden the ride in Tokyo (where she is still being sold).
Now, the barker bird! oh how I love him so <3 he’s a little green pirate parrot, who spent his days crying about the ride. he was originally in the queue area but got kicked outside eventually to help deal with crowd control. he was then gotten rid of in 2006 in the big movie refurb. He was remarkably similar to the original barker bird who resided outside of the Enchanted Tikki Room; however, the pirate version has a peg leg, eye patch, tattoo on his chest and wondrously villainous hat. he was originally based off of Captain Flint, the parrot from Treasure Island. It is theorised that he has a skeletal clone inside the ride; the parrot belonging to “the Dirty Feet pirate”.
When you first get on the ride, the first animatronic you come across is Old Joe. he is an animatronic character used in multiple different attractions, including Liberty Belle Riverboat, The Western River and Mark Twain Riverboat. in each version, he lives in a shack and is associated with the banjo. I say associated because it is actually a really common misconception that he actually plays the banjo. he does not, it is just a dark scene and there is banjo music playing around him. you can see the tip of his pipe glowing as you approach it in the ride, lit up alongside the fireflies. he is a small taste of what is to come.
Barbossa replaced the original pirate captain of The Wicked Wench in the boat battle scene in the mass movie renovation. he is my tied favourite with the redhead, as his dialog adds so much to the scene. his character moves in a beautiful fashion, lit up by a spotlight. His face is artfully painted, capturing what I believe to be the most human expression in the entire ride. His boat is fighting a Castillo del Morro fortress of Isla Tesoro, whilst busy searching for treasure and presumably captain jack sparrow. in 2011 his WDW version’s outfit was swapped over to his privateer uniform from On Stranger Tides, to keep the ride tied to the movies. What can be considered quite odd is that in Paris’s later renovation, the Captain did not replace the Wicked Wench captain, and was rather added in to a scene at the end of the ride, in the skeleton grotto. he is standing on the shipwreck beside the skeleton helmsman, carrying a lantern.
The auctioneer. I don’t like him. greasy man. his eyes are wild. He’s originally voiced by Paul Frees (an icon, a legend) and is inspired by Captain Bartholomew Roberts (considered the most successful pirate in the golden age of piracy. He is also a pirate from the ship The Wicked Wench, and his auction is set up near a canteen called "La Cantina”. very creative. He was originally selling brides (human trafficking, not very snazzy) but now he sells chickens he stole from townspeople. however, this is unsuccessful. In the Paris version, instead of the chickens he is trying to sell a painting of Jean Laffite. Funnily enough, Jean is one of Disney’s sort of “stand in” pirate characters that they frequently just use whenever they need a pirate to slide in. Unfortunately, the auctioneer is always kept relatively up to date with the shiniest, newest technology that Disney can spare, and is always one of the most advanced figures on the ride. doesn’t deserve it, he’s slimy and I don’t like him. I should probably mention that he doesn’t actually have a name other than the auctioneer. There’s also a clone of him used in the haunted mansion for the duelling animatronics. loser.
This is a very long post, so I shall cut it here. I will leave you with an image gallery, further reading and a possible promise of a part two if this post does well. Thank you!
(ok so i actually haven’t got any further reading gathered yet. give me like 6 hours and ill fix it in an edit. i promise. i just want to get this post out asap)
#animatronic#audio animatronics#Audio Animatronic#animatronics#Disney#disney parks#pirates#pirates of the caribbean#redd#captain barbossa#history#long post
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Chapter 4 – It is always 1895 [TAB 1/1]
TAB is my favourite episode of Sherlock. It is a masterpiece that investigates queerness, the canon and the psyche all within an hour and a half. Huge amounts of work has been done on this episode, however, so I’m not going to do a line by line breakdown – that could fill a small book. A great starting point for understanding the myriad of references in TAB is Rebekah’s three part video series on the episode, of which the first instalment can be found here X. I broadly agree with this analysis; what I’m going to do here, though, is place that analysis within the framework of EMP theory. As a result, as much as it pains me, this chapter won’t give a breakdown of carnation wallpaper or glass houses or any of those quietly woven references – we’re simply going in to how it plays into EMP theory.
Before digging into the episode, I want to take a brief diversion to talk about one of my favourite films, Mulholland Drive (2001).
If you haven’t seen Mulholland Drive, I really recommend it – it’s often cited as the best film of the last 20 years, and watching it really helps to see where TAB came from and the genre it’s operating in. David Lynch is one of the only directors to do the dream-exploration-of-the-psyche well, and I maintain that a lot of the fuckiness in the fourth series draws on Lynch. However, what I actually want to point out about Mulholland Drive is the structure of it, because I think it will help us understand TAB a little better. [If you don’t want spoilers for Mulholland Drive, skip the next paragraph.]
The similarities between these two are pretty straightforward; the most common reading of Mulholland Drive is that an actress commits suicide by overdose after causing the death of her ex-girlfriend, who has left her for a man, and that the first two-thirds of the film are her dream of an alternate scenario in which her girlfriend is saved. The last third of the film zooms in and out of ‘real life’, but at the end we see a surreal version of the actual overdose which suggests that this ‘real life’, too, has just been in her psyche. Sherlock dying and recognising that this may kill John is an integral part of TAB, and the relationships have clear parallels, but what is most interesting here is the structural similarity; two-thirds of the way through TAB, give or take, we have the jolt into reality, zoom in and out of it for a while and then have a fucky scene to finish with that suggests that everything is, in fact, still in our dying protagonist’s brain. Mulholland Drive’s ending is a lot sadder than TAB’s – the fact that, unlike Sherlock, there is no sequel can lead us to assume that Diane dies – and it’s also a lot more confusing; it’s often cited as one of the most complicated films ever made even just in terms of surface level plot, before getting into anything else, and it certainly took me a huge amount of time on Google before I could approach anything like a resolution on it!
Mulholland Drive is the defining film in terms of the navigating-the-surreal-psyche subgenre, and so the structural parallels between the two are significant – and definitely point to the idea that Sherlock hasn’t woken up at the end of TAB, which is important. But we don’t need to take this parallel as evidence; there’s plenty of that in the episode itself. Let’s jump in.
Emelia as Eurus
When we first meet Eurus in TST, she calls herself E; this initialism is a link to Moriarty, but it’s also a convenient link to other ‘E’ names. Lots of people have already commented on the aural echo of ‘Eros’ in ‘Eurus’, which is undeniable; the idea that there is something sexual hidden inside her name chimes beautifully with her representation of a sexual repression. The other important character to begin with E, however, is Emelia Ricoletti. The name ‘Emelia’ doesn’t come from ACD canon, and it’s an unorthodox spelling (Amelia would be far more common), suggesting that starting with an ‘E’ is a considered choice.
When TAB aired, we were preoccupied with Emelia as a Sherlock mirror, and it’s easy to see why; the visual parallels (curly black hair, pale skin) plus the parallel faked death down to the replacement body, which Mofftiss explicitly acknowledge in the episode. However, I don’t think that this reading is complete; rather, she foreshadows the Eurus that we meet in s4. The theme of ghosts links TAB with s4 very cleanly; TAB is about Emelia, but there is also a suggestion of the ghosts of one’s past with Sir Eustace as well as Sherlock’s own claims (‘the shadows that define our every sunny day’). Compare this to s4 – ‘ghosts from the past’ appears on pretty much every promotional blurb, and the word is used several times in relation to Eurus. If Eurus is the ghost from Sherlock’s past, the repressive part of his psyche that keeps popping back, Emelia is a lovely metaphor for this; she is quite literally the ghost version of Sherlock who won’t die.
What does it mean, then, when Jim and Emelia become one and the same in the scene where Jim wears the bride’s dress? We initially read this as Jim being the foil to Sherlock, his dark side, but I think it’s more complicated than this. Sherlock’s brain is using Emelia as a means of understanding Jim, but when we watch the episode it seems that they’ve actually merged. Jim wearing the veil of the bride is a good example of this, but I also invite you to rewatch the moment when John is spooked by the bride the night that Eustace dies; the do not forget me song has an undeniable South Dublin accent.* This is quite possibly Yasmine Akram [Janine] rather than Andrew Scott, of course, but let’s not forget that these characters are resolutely similar, and hearing Jim’s accent in a genderless whisper is a pretty clear way of inflecting him into the image of the bride. In addition to this, Eustace then has ‘Miss Me?’ written on his corpse, cementing the link to Moriarty.
[*the South Dublin accent is my accent, so although we hear a half-whispered song for all of five seconds, I’m pretty certain about this]
Jim’s merging with Emelia calls to mind for me what I think might be the most important visual of all of series 4 – Eurus and Jim’s Christmas meeting, where they dance in circles with the glass between them and seem to merge into each other. I do talk about this in a later chapter, but TLDR – if Jim represents John being in danger and Eurus represents decades of repressed gay trauma, this merging is what draws the trauma to the surface just as Jim’s help is what suddenly makes Eurus a problem. It is John’s being in danger which makes Sherlock’s trauma suddenly spike and rise – he has to confront this for the first time – just like Emelia Ricoletti’s case from 1895 only needs solving for the first time now that Jim is back.
At some point I want to do a drag in Sherlock meta, because I think there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye, but Jim in a bride’s dress does draw one obvious drag parallel for me.
If you haven’t seen the music video for I Want to Break Free, it’s 3 minutes long and glorious – and also, I think, reaps dividends when seen in terms of Sherlock. You can watch it here: X
Not only is it a great video, but for British people of Mofftiss’s age, it’s culturally iconic and not something that would be forgotten when choosing that song for Jim. Queen were intending to lampoon Coronation Street, a British soap, and already on the wrong side of America for Freddie Mercury’s unapologetic queerness, found themselves under fire from the American censors. Brian May says that no matter how many times he tried to explain Coronation Street to the Americans, they just didn’t get it. This was huge controversy at the time, but the video and the controversy around it also managed to cement I Want to Break Free as Queen’s most iconic queer number – despite not even being one of Mercury’s songs. There is no way that Steven Moffat, and even more so Mark Gatiss would not have an awareness of this in choosing this song for Moriarty. Applying any visual to this song is going to invite comparisons to the video – and inflecting a sense of drag here is far from inappropriate. Moriarty has been subsumed into Eurus in Sherlock’s brain – the male and the female are fused into an androgynous and implicitly therefore all-encompassing being. I’m not necessarily comfortable with the gendered aspect of this – genderbending is something we really only see in our villains here – but given this is about queer trauma, deliberately queering its form in this way is making what we’re seeing much more explicit.
Nothing new under the sun
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes)
"Read it up -- you really should. There is nothing new under the sun. It has all been done before." (A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes)
“Hasn’t this all happened before? There’s nothing new under the sun.” (The Abominable Bride, Jim Moriarty)
This is arguably the key to spotting that TAB is a dream long before they tell us – when TAB’s case is early revealed to be a mixture between TRF (Emelia’s suicide) and TGG (the five pips), and we see the opening of ASiP repeated, we should be questioning what on earth is going on. This can also help us to recognise s4 as being EMP as well though – old motifs from the previous series keep repeating through the cases, like alarm bells ringing. Moriarty telling Sherlock that there is nothing new under the sun is his key to understanding that the Emelia case is meant to help him understand what happened to Jim, that it’s a mental allegory or mirror to help him parse it. This doesn’t go away when TAB ends! Moving into TST, one of the striking things is that cases are still repeating! The Six Thatchers appeared on John’s blog way back, before the fall – you can read it here: X. It’s about a gay love affair that ends in one participant killing the other. Take from that what you will, when John’s extramarital affection is making him suicidal and Sherlock comatose. Meanwhile, the title of The Final Problem refers to the story that was already covered in TRF and the phone situation with the girl on the plane references both ASiB and TGG, and the ending of TST is close to a rerun of HLV. It’s pretty much impossible to escape echoes of previous series in a way that is almost creepy, but we’ve already had this explained to us in TAB – none of this is real. It’s supposed to be explaining what is happening in the real world – and Mofftiss realised that this was going to be difficult to stomach, and so they included TAB as a kind of key to the rest of the EMP, which becomes much more complex.
However, if we want to go deeper we should look at where that quote comes from. I’ve given a few epigraphs to this section to show where the quote comes from – first the book of Ecclesiastes, then A Study in Scarlet. It’s one of the first things Holmes says and it is during his first deduction in Lauriston Gardens. This is where I’m going to dive pretty deep into the metatextual side of things, so bear with the weirdness.
[we’re going deeper]
Holmes’s first deduction from A Study in Scarlet shows that he’s no great innovator – he simply notices things and spots patterns from things he has seen before. This is highlighted by the fact that he even makes this claim by quoting someone before him. If our Sherlock also makes deductions based on patterns from the past, extensive dream sequences where he works through past cases as mirrors for present ones makes perfect sense and draws very cleverly on canon. However, I think his spotting of patterns goes deeper than that. Sherlock Holmes has been repressed since the publication of A Study in Scarlet, through countless adaptations in literature and film. Plenty of these adaptations as well as the original stories are referenced in the EMP, not least by going back to 1895, the year that symbolises the era in which most of these adaptations are set. (If you don’t already know it, check out the poem 221B by Vincent Starrett, one of the myriad of reasons why the year 1895 is so significant.) My feeling is that these adaptations, which have layered on top of each other in the public consciousness to cement the image of Sherlock Holmes the deductive machine [which he’s not, sorry Conan Doyle estate] come to symbolise the 100+ years of repression that Sherlock himself has to fight through to come out of the EMP as his queer self.
This is one of the reasons that the year 1895 is so important; it was the year of Oscar Wilde’s trial and imprisonment for gross indecency, and this is clearly a preoccupation of Sherlock’s consciousness in TFP with its constant Wilde references, suggesting that his MP’s choice of 1895 wasn’t coincidental. Much was made during TAB setlock of a newspaper that said ‘Heimish The Ideal Husband’, Hamish being John’s middle name and An Ideal Husband being one of Wilde’s plays. But the Vincent Starrett poem, although nostalgic and ostensibly lovely, for tjlcers and it seems for Sherlock himself symbolises something much more troubling. Do search up the full poem, but for now let’s look at the final couplet.
Here, though the world explode, these two survive
And it is always 1895
‘Though the world explode’ is a reference to WW1, which is coming in the final Sherlock Holmes story, and which is symbolised by Eurus – in other chapters, I explain why Eurus and WW1 are united under the concept of ‘winds of change’ in this show. Sherlock and John survive the winds of change – except they don’t move with them. Instead, they stay stuck in 1895, the year of ultimate repression. 2014!Sherlock going back in his head to 1895 and repeating how he met John suggests exactly that, that nothing has changed but the superficial, and that emotionally, he is still stuck in 1895.
Others have pulled out similar references to Holmes adaptations he has to push through in TAB – look at the way he talks in sign language to Wilder, which can only be a reference to Billy Wilder, director of TPLoSH, the only queer Holmes film, and a film which was forced to speak through coding because of the Conan Doyle estate. That film is also referenced by Eurus giving Sherlock a Stradivarius, which is a gift given to him in TPLoSH in exchange for feigning heterosexuality. Eurus is coded as Sherlock’s repression, and citing a repressive moment in a queer film as her first action when she meets Sherlock is another engagement by Sherlock’s psyche with his own cinematic history. My favourite metatextual moment of this nature, however, is the final scene of TFP which sees John and Sherlock running out of a building called Rathbone Place.
Basil Rathbone is one of the most iconic Sherlock Holmes actors on film, and Benedict’s costume in TAB and in particular the big overcoat look are very reminiscent of Rathbone.
Others have discussed (X) how the Victorian costume and the continued use of the deerstalker in the present day are images of Sherlock’s public façade and exclusion of queerness from his identity. It’s true that pretty much every Holmes adaptation has used the deerstalker, but the strong Rathbone vibes that come from Ben’s TAB costume ties the 1895 vibe very strongly into Rathbone. To have the final scene – and hopefully exit from the EMP – tie in with Sherlock and John running out of Rathbone Place tells us that, just as Sherlock cast off the deerstalker at the end of TAB (!), he has also cast off the iconic filmic Holmes persona which has never been true to his actual identity.
Waterfall scene
The symbol of water runs through TAB as well as s4 – others have written fantastic meta on why water represents Sherlock’s subconscious (X), but I want to give a brief outline. It first appears with the word ‘deeper’ which keeps reappearing, which then reaches a climax in the waterfall scene. The idea that Sherlock could drown in the waters of his mind is something that Moriarty explicitly references, suggesting that Sherlock could be ‘buried in his own Mind Palace’. The ‘deep waters’ line keeps repeating through series 4, and I just want to give the notorious promo photo from s4 which confirms the significance of the motif.
This is purely symbolic – it never happens in the show. Water increases in significance throughout – think of Sherlock thinking he’s going mad in his mind as he is suspended over the Thames, or the utterly nonsensical placement of Sherrinford in the middle of the ocean – the deepest waters of Sherlock’s mind. Much like the repetition of cases hinting that EMP continues, the use of water is something that appears in the MP, and it sticks around from TAB onwards, a real sign that we’re going deeper and deeper. I talk about this more in the bit on TFP, but the good news is that Sherrinford is the most remote place they could find in the ocean – that’s the deepest we’re going. After that, we’re coming out (of the mind).
Shortly after TAB aired, I wrote a meta about the waterfall scene, some of which I now disagree with, but the core framework still stands – it did not, of course, bank on EMP theory. You can find it here (X), but I want to reiterate the basic framework, because it still makes a lot of sense. Jim represents the fear of John’s suicide, and Jim can only be defeated by Sherlock and John together, not one alone – and crucially, calling each other by first names, which would have been very intimate in the Victorian era. After Jim is “killed”, we have Sherlock’s fall. The concept of a fall (as in IOU a fall) has long been linked with falling in love in tjlc. Sherlock tells John that it’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the landing, something that Jim has been suggesting to him for a while. What is the landing, then? Well, Sherlock Holmes fell in love back in the Victorian era, symbolised by the ultra repressive 1895, and that’s where he jumps from – but he lands in the 21st century. Falling in love won’t kill him in the modern day. What I missed that time around, of course, was that despite breaking through the initial Victorian layers of repression, he still dives into more water, and when the plane lands, it still lands in his MP, just in a mental state where the punishment his psyche deals him for homosexuality is less severe. This also sets up s4 as specifically dealing with the problem of the fall – Sherlock jumps to the 21st century specifically to deal with the consequences of his romantic and sexual feelings. There’s a parallel here with Mofftiss time jumping; back when they made A Study in Twink in 2009, there was a reason they made the time jump. Having Sherlock’s psyche have that touch of self-awareness helps to illustrate why they made a similar jump, also dealing with the weight of previous adaptations.
Women
I preface this by saying how incredibly uncomfortable I find the positioning of women as the KKK in TAB. It’s a parallel which is unforgivable; frankly, invoking the KKK without interrogating the whiteness of the show or even mentioning race is unacceptable. Steven Moffat’s ability to write women has consistently been proven to be nil, but this is a new low. However, the presence of women in TAB is vital, so on we go.
TAB specifically deals with the question of those excluded from a Victorian narrative. This is specifically tied into to those who are excluded from the stories, such as Jane and Mrs. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson’s complaint is in the same scene as John telling her and Sherlock to blame the problems on the illustrator. This ties back to the deerstalker metaphor which is so prevalent in this episode; something that’s not in the stories at all, but a façade by which Holmes is universally recognised and which as previously referenced masks his queerness. Women, then, are not the only people being excluded from the narrative. When Mycroft tells us that the women have to win, he’s also talking about queer people. This is a war that we must lose.
I don’t think the importance of Molly in particular here has been mentioned before, but forgive me if I’m retreading old ground. However, Molly always has importance in Sherlock as a John mirror, and just because she is dressed as a man here doesn’t mean we should disregard this. If anything, her ridiculous moustache is as silly as John’s here! Molly, although really a member of the resistance, is able to pass in the world she moves in in 1895, but only by masking her own identity. This is exactly what happens to John in the Victorian era – as a bisexual man married to a woman, he is able to pass, but it is not his true identity. More than that, Molly is a member of the resistance, suggesting not just that John is queer but that he’s aware of it and actively looking for it to change.
I know I was joking about Molly and John’s moustaches, but putting such a silly moustache on Molly links to the silliness of John’s moustaches, which only appear when he’s engaged to a woman and in the Victorian era. He has also grown the moustache just so the illustrator will recognise him, and Molly has grown her moustache so that she will be recognised as a man. In this case, Molly is here to demonstrate the fact that John is passing, but only ever passing. Furthermore, Molly, who is normally the kindest person in the whole show, is bitter and angry throughout TAB – it’s not difficult to see then how hiding one’s identity can affect one’s mental health. I really do think that John is a lot more abrasive in TAB than he is in the rest of the show, but that’s not the whole story. Showing how repression can completely impair one’s personality also points to the suicidal impulses that are lurking just out of sight throughout TAB – this is what Sherlock is terrified of, and again his brain is warning him just what it is that is causing John this much pain and uncharacteristic distress.
This is just about the loosest sketch of TAB that could exist! But TAB meta has been so extensive that going over it seems futile, or else too grand a project within a short chapter. Certain theories are still formulating, and may appear at a later date! But what this chapter (I hope) has achieved has set up the patterns that we’re going to see play out in s4 – between the metatextuality, the waters of the mind and the role of Moriarty in the psyche, we can use TAB as a key with which to read s4. I like to think of it as a gift from Mofftiss, knowing just how cryptic s4 would be – and these are the basic clues with which to solve it.
That’s it for TAB, at least in this series – next up we’re going ever deeper, to find out exactly who is Eurus. See you then?
#tjlc#emp theory#thewatsonbeekeepers#my meta#meta#mine#chapter four: it is always 1895#vincent starrett#mofftiss#1895#bbc sherlock#johnlock#tjlc is real
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if you had to pick a new mol from every widm seizoen, who and why
(So no jan for s18)
oh fuck.
well.
let's do this, shall we?
MASSIVE SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT FOR S10-21 OF WIE IS DE MOL
seizoen 10: arjen. he's a chaotic man and could do it well.
seizoen 11: art. he was such a moron during his original seizoen and we need a himbo mol. plus, soundos would've won and she would have deserved it so much (not that she didn't originally but we move). also, to hear patrick say "art who is my very good friend and not de mol"? iconic.
seizoen 12: i wanna say frits as a joke but the more i think about it it would be super funny because we already poke fun at him for being a vvd'er. you really can't trust him.
seizoen 13: carolien. she's gorgeous. she's smart. she could have molled so well.
seizoen 14: TYGO. TYGO GERNANDT. he deserved to make the finale and he already acted like a mol 99% of the time.
seizoen 15: i hate you for making me replace margriet but...it's time for another himbo mol and it's rik's turn to mol. he only made the finale because of his bond with marlijn so to see him mol? perfect. chef's kiss.
seizoen 16: i don't even remember this seizoen except for art speaking spanish, let's just go with ellie.
seizoen 17: literally anyone but thomas. i don't care. make jochem de mol.
seizoen 18: hear me out...stine. it would be so fucking funny for ms 'i can't lie' and 'i will meditate to find de mol' to BE de mol.
seizoen 19: robèrt. would be shocking and a betrayal to have the softest man of the seizoen who literally baked jamie a birthday cake to be a traitor and a mol.
seizoen 20: mil. mil mil mil. i don't need to explain myself here.
jubileumseizoen: i still think this should have been an all old mols seizoen but if i have to go with the actual returning kandidaten...horace. would have been very funny to see mr 'trust nobody' be the one you can't trust.
seizoen 21: josh. the BETRAYAL. but only if splinter made the finale too. otherwise charlotte because she did 90% of renée's work for her.
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Everything Burns - Chapter One
Story Description: Inside of Scarlett a monster lurked, only once has she let it breath, but that was long time ago. Now she was normal just like anyone else, that is until The Joker smashes his way into her life. She must choose go with the Joker and live a life of anarchy and exhilaration or stay where she is living the life of everyone else, the choice seems simple to her.
This story will include slightly OCC joker as I am writing to him as an evil lunatic but for one girl he is kinder and protective. If you do not like this kind of Joker do not read any further.
Also as many DC Fan knows The Jester is already a character, I am aware of this, and I also am aware that he is a vigilante. However, as he is a relatively unknown character I am going to be using his alias in my story as an unconnected person.
Word count: 2,047
Pairing: Heath Joker X OC
Warnings: Suggestive language, mild violence
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Chapter One: The Jester
Her head hung forward as though she were dead. Her body held no tension whatsoever apart from the Cheshire smile plastered across her face. Her long legs stretched out in front of her, resting on the heels of the PVC platform boots she wore. Her arms hung by the handcuffs tethering her to the chair, she was sat in. They were biting into her skin as her body hung forward forcing her arms back, though she didn't seem to notice or even care. The interrogation room was cold and damp, the paint was new and left an unsavoury flavour to the air. Gotham Police Station was recently rebuilt after the explosion just over a year ago.
She had not moved at all since she was placed in that room, nor did she make a sound. She wore make-up not dissimilar to his, but it was smudged and running in places leaving patches of skin bare. The bangs of her midnight black hair hung in front of her face, hiding her eyes from view.
The bells on the ribbons in her hair jingled as the door to the interrogation room was opened.
She did not even attempt to look up as he entered the room, her pose set like a statue.
He was of average height, aged 40 to 50, his dark hair showing signs of grey. He wore a simple suit and pair of glasses. His face was aged beyond his years with a deep heaviness that told of his long work hours and hardships. He was a seemingly unremarkable-looking man, yet to so many, he was an icon of strength and righteousness. His face was grim as he stared at the young woman in front of him.
Behind him hovering in the doorway was a young officer in uniform. He was tall and strong-looking, he looked around uneasily his eyes lingering too long on the girl in the clown getup. He clearly knew exactly who she was.
"Go on," said the older man to him and with a nod the young officer left locking the door behind him.
Finally, the girl looked up at him her smile never ceasing. It was the kind of smile that young children do for a camera, wide and cartoon-like. He dropped a file in front of her, her eyes fell on it and she began to laugh. The sound grew louder and louder until she was bent over in hysteria. It was the kind of laughter people fear, full of desperation and bitterness but most of all insanity.
He sat across from her his eyebrows knitting together in sadness and confusion as to how she had fallen this far, but maybe she hadn't fallen at all maybe she had been in this place all along and was simply hiding all this time.
"Scarlett?" he said softly the laughing instantly stopped and the room echoed with her last laugh. Her gaze went black and the smile fell, this face was far more terrifying than the last.
"YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!" she screamed her voice going unfathomably deep and dark.
"What should I call you then," he asked calmly, trying not to allow his shock to be known.
"Jester," she said simply her face lighting up with that strange smile again and her voice returns to that of a high childlike sing-song manner.
"Is that what he calls you?" he asked his eyes motioning to the holding cell through the door where she had come from, where she knew he still sat, waiting for the right moment, she had no doubts in him, he had never let her down before. Not now, not every. He had broken them out of Arkham, he could get them out of here.
"Yes, sometimes," she said her voice high and happy, her eyes glazed over for a second and a new smile filled her face, it was the first real emotion he had seen in her since she had been taken here. But it faded fast replaced by the skin splitting grin that she was now known for.
"Shall we have a look at your file then, Jester?" he asked but he had already begun to open the file.
"If you wish, Commissioner" she sang his title happily, her eyes never leaving his, internally he shivered.
It had been 23 years ago that Jim Gordon had first met Scarlett Jesterson.
She was only four years old and yet had gone through a lifetime of suffering.
He was a newbie cop when they found her, he was not yet tarnished by the scum of Gotham city. The call had rung in, screams and cries had been heard late last night coming from a shipping container at Gotham Docks.
No one was prepared for what they found inside, but they could hear the child screaming, her voice hoarse. It was early morning, the light was dim, so as the doors opened they pointed their torches inside, the screaming of the child louder than ever.
That moment as he looked inside that container, he realised the true evil of the city he called home, he realised the true evil of humankind.
He doubted that he would ever get over seeing something so hideous and evil, but even worse he worried about that little girl, he knew she would never truly recover from what her young eyes had witnessed.
The doors were pulled fully open and a joint gasp left the lips of all who looked on, a few lost their lunch and others stared unable to look away from the horror inside.
There, in the shipping container was a little girl of maybe 3 or 4 years old, stood in the middle screaming for all she had lost. She was dressed in a pretty light blue frilly dress, but it was stained with blood. From head to toe, she was drenched in thick red claret. She wailed her voice cracking as she held on tightly to a severed head and stared desperately at an empty blood-stained chair in the corner.
The container pooled with blood, the girl soaked through as she stood in the depths of it all. Her face was red from the body that had been slaughtered before her young eyes. Later when the police would identify the that there were in fact 2 victims, the child's mother and another woman. A chainsaw would later be discovered as the murder weapon used to not only kill but completely dismember the bodies.
Gordon had been the only one to tear himself back to reality and rush forward to snatch up the child cradling her in his arms, as the head fell from her grasp and she screamed, he wondered if she would ever truly stop screaming.
The child was cared for at first by a foster parent who though had cared for children with troubling pasts, had never quite had anything as bad as what this little girl had witnessed.
The police would later try to interview the child but she would become hysterical and proved to be far too traumatised to give evidence. After a year of foster care, the child was given to her father, who had been in prison during the murder, for fraud. Gordon was wary of handing the child over as he had become slightly attached to the young girl, as well as her father was a well known English con artist, though it had never been proved with evidence that he was dangerous, Mick Jesterson was well known and feared in the streets of Gotham.
Less than a week later, unable to find any reason to have the child taken away from his care, Mick and his daughter Scarlett returned to England a strange smile on the toddlers face. The murderer with the chainsaw was never found.
To be honest Jim never thought he would see Scarlett again and then just over 11 years later he met a happy well adjusted intelligent 15-year-old girl. She had gained an English accent and showed no signs of her horror-filled childhood. Jim wondered if she didn't remember it, he hoped she didn't remember it.
She had returned to Gotham with her father and his new bride to be, Jackie who had been born and breed in Gotham itself, but Jim suspected other reasons for the Jesterson's return.
Though she seemed happy and as though her past was but a forgotten drop in the ocean, alas it was not. She remembered it, she remembered how the chainsaw sounded as it ripped through her mother's spine, she remembered how her mothers leg still kicked when they were no longer attached to her body, she remembered how her mother had begged for Scarlett to be let go, as her arms were removed. She remembered it all and it tainted her very existence. Gordon wondered sometimes if she had had a normal life would she still become one of Gotham's most wanted criminals and one of Arkham's most notorious patients.
He looked up at the grinning woman in front of him the jagged scar from her bottom lid of her right eye running down to the top of her cheek, looked like the streak of a tear in this light. It led from her right eye which was completely white, as though frosted over. It was a haunting look. He wished that the horrors she had seen had been forgotten just like he thought they had not so long ago. He sighed and she giggled a high squeaky sound.
There was a loud booming sound outside the interrogation room, but Gordon ignored it. The woman in front of him right now was far more important.
"Did he give you that?" Gordon asked motioning to the scar trying not to stare at her haunting eye. He wondered if she could see out of it at all. She seemed to be thinking for a second then she laughed again.
"Yes and no," she said and the grin spread across her face again.
"Does he often hurt you?" asked Gordon as he shut her file.
"When I ask him to" she replied still smiling. "Sometimes I like it rough," she said winking at him.
A laugh was heard over the intercom, it was him, there was no way you wouldn't recognise that manic laugh. The one-way mirror exploded as the bullet hit it. As the dust settled the Joker stepped over the small wall and into the interrogation room. He hit Gordon hard with the butt of his gun as the police officer tried to attack. The older man's body falling to the ground in a heap.
Joker pulled a string of keys out his pocket and approached the girl on the chair.
"Your knight has arrived," he said winking at her and she blushed under her white make-up.
Gordon tried to move as he watched The Joker un-cuff The Jester and help her to her feet. If they hadn't been wanted murderous psychopaths the scene would have been almost cute as she pecked The Joker on the cheek and thanked him. Jim's head was swimming and he couldn't focus as he tried to stop them.
"Come on gorgeous, our ride is waiting," said the Joker to his girlfriend who simply nodded and held onto his hand.
"This has been fun Jim, we should do it again sometime," said The Jester as she and The Joker made their way back over the small wall and out of the interrogation room.
The police station was filled with dust from the explosion the Joker had used to free himself and Jester. They ran out of the station and into the van that was waiting outside, the driver did not need to be told as he floored the accelerator and the van took off down the street.
Scarlett looked over at the painted face next to her and grinned he looked back and mirrored her expression.
"I do love, that smile," he said to her as he pulled her onto his lap, and slipped his arm around her waist.
"Same here!" she said happily before the pair kissed his red lipstick mixing with her purple.
The Joker pulled away and rested his head on Jester's forehead and grinned madly at her and she laughed.
#heath ledger#heath ledger joker#heath ledger joker x OC#heath ledger joker smut#heath ledger joker X original character#heath ledger x femOC#ledger joker#joker x OC#ledger joker x OC#ledger joker smut#joker#joker x Reader smut#joker smut#heath leader joker fanfic#health leader joker fanfiction#ledger joker fanfic#ledger joker fanfiction#the dark knight#the dark knight joker#the dark knight joker fanfic#the dark knight joker fanfiction#the dark knight joker x oc#the dark knight joker smut#tdk#tdk joker#tdk joker x reader#character insert#tdk character insert#the dark knight character insert#the dark knight character insert fanfic
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Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures #005
bildoom1.zip
THT: Threnody (oh shit)
Heroes 2 (oh fuck)
Hells Half Acre
Demon's Revenge
Dreams
FATE01.WAD "Fate Series"
bildoom1.zip
Uploaded to the archives in 2011, but with real date being 1995. This WAD with 3 maps is probably one of the reasons why so many tenge are afraid to explore the /idgames archives randomly. It is clearly a rather novice WAD from 1995 that has all the kind of bugs and factors that we would find during that decade. Admittedly, 1995 was not a very bright year for WADs, but what can we expect? They were barely a year old with real editors. One way or another, this collection of 3 maps is one that has a certain childish charisma that I can't help but laugh at. It's crap, sure, but even in the crap there's a certain charisma.
The first map is probably the most understandable of them all. It looks pretty ugly and plays pretty ugly. The use of only one type of texture on extremely high walls is quite common, as well as a strange use of linedefs that seems to mimic a kindergarten crayon drawing. On the other hand, the path is understandable enough and the secrets connect well enough to at least deliver some playability.
The second map is a simple combat arena with Mancubus and a few extra enemies. From an objective point of view, it's the best map in terms of quality for the simple fact that it doesn't ask for much and does what it needs to do. And yet it is mediocre.
The third map is probably the most interesting in terms of design, but a headache in terms of path-finding. What we have here is a layout that starts with a hub system that hides a multitude of secret paths in total darkness. We have to search through each of the paths until we find all the keys to escape this nightmare in a final fight. While the beginning gives a certain sense of adventure, it quickly becomes a miserable dungeon crawler with unfair combat and lots and lots of darkness. I don't want to imagine how this looked in the original DOOM.EXE. In conclusion, it's very bad, but I've seen worse.
THT: Threnody
A collection of 20 maps makes this a respectfully large megawad that works in the style of Community Project, with the difference that the authors have managed to work under a fairly cohesive factor that gives a certain palpable identity to THT. Speaking of THT, this is also a WAD in the form of a tribute to one of the legends of the community, one of our greatest pillars and fantastic creator. THT stands for Ty Halderman Tribute, creator of the iconic TNT mappers group and also the maintainer of /idgames archive from 1997 to 2015. That's an amount of effort that very, very few of us in the community will ever manage to encompass. That's a lifetime of providing us with both content and pure hard work. This WAD is a dedication to Ty, a love letter of sorts that without needing to be an exact replica of his past works, has certain monuments to his legacy. A WAD that contains a particularly special essence, let's see what it is all about, shall we?
While the megawad is designed in the form of a tribute, it does not attempt to replicate Ty's style exactly, nor copy directly from his creations; on the contrary, it chooses a system of references so subtle that they function like little poems whispered in silence. As we move forward, we will see things that remind us of his great contributions, while at the same time we play with the vague notion that we were already in this place once. A kind of dream that we never dreamed, and in that this megawad manages to carry that fantastic tribute idea.
I may have felt quite frustrated at times thanks to the constant hordes of enemies and the pseudo-slaughter gameplay at times, but every stage made it worthwhile. On the other hand, I'm capable of putting up with punishing combat, but confusing layouts? That really kills my patience, but I understand that sometimes the glory and fun lies in this singular aspect, the exploration and the feeling of being lost. On the other hand, don't let my words sound so extreme, this isn't Eternal Doom either, but you will need to pay attention and take note of where you've been and where you're going. If you like that, then you will love it. But even if you don't, let me tell you that I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the megawad. It's a long, but satisfying adventure that ends on a nostalgic note through space and time, like a dimensional goodbye from mirrors we don't see. A fine tribute that I'm sure Ty would love.
Heroes 2
An interesting megawad that works similar to what we would find in the ''shovelware'' discs of the 90s, that is, a compilation of random items united under the desire of commercialization. On the other hand, Heroes 2 doesn't have more than 3000 levels and won't make us regret our existence... that much. It is a compilation of 32 maps for Doom 2 compiled during 1996. What we will find here are maps so 90s that we will breathe both nostalgia and frustration. All the tropes that are common during these times lie in this megawad in such a way that it becomes like a kind of relic museum. It's perfect if you love this kind of WADs, but on the other hand, it's a great punishment if you prefer the life changes of modern times.
Hells Half Acre
From 1996, there is not much to expect in this WAD. It is a map that replaces E2M1 and contains some questionable design decisions. It starts with a simple room that then expands to reveal a pool connected to a multitude of paths. These paths are a marvel. As lost as they are cramped, it feels like I'm playing Daggarfall or a dungeon simulator. Possibly that was the author's intention. There is nothing special about this WAD that seems to set no higher expectations. While the design isn't truly terrible, it isn't great either and falls perfectly in the realm of mediocre in all its features. From the bland gameplay to the extremely confusing path system, the progression is just too boring. You don't miss anything by skipping this map, so it's an experience I'd totally recommend ignoring.
Demon's Revenge
A solid level designed with a theme reminiscent of Thy Flesh Consumend. Quite small but with enough detail and good touch to give it a charismatic essence that successfully unfolds in an enjoyable average time. With a relatively challenging gameplay, the level features an excellent balance between visuals and combat, offering a solid effort that is worth playing, even if it doesn't stand out for much else. Small errors here and there in decision making can be found, but overall, there's nothing major that truly destroys the map. As I said, solid all around. The only strange thing is that it doesn't have any MIDI songs, which makes it feel slightly awkward, but still fun.
Dreams
Simple, concrete and without much appearance. This is a 1996/7 level that doesn't try to be pretentious and delivers what it sets out to. A short level with a dungeon design that combines the classic textures of a hellish fortress with a few tints of absolute darkness. Nothing special but nothing terribly bad. Decent, honestly.
FATE01.WAD "Fate Series"
It looks like this is a 90s marathon this week. A simple, straightforward WAD replaces a single map and offers a system based on three connected rooms on a ''find the key'' basis. Combat is explosive, intense but simple without much tactical tact or any sort of deep mechanics within it. It's not too bad, but I would honestly classify it as mediocre. Nothing special or worthwhile.
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*tosses a bin of pen icons* BRING IT ON
i have a custom dice roller up so i’m going to do Small dumps for 5 different characters based on my d70 let’s get this party STARTED.
53, 56, 38, 57, and 37 jfdklsaj damn this dice roller really wants me to talk about Tiama fjdasl. It’s been trying this since the start but I’ve never been in the mood to talk about them lmfao. But I’m Into It This Time.
53 - Kahnahal: Kahn is a Fucking Wild little shit of a trooper. Like. Holy shit. He belongs to my doomed timeline and he’s so wild. Dude’s got the most obnoxious luck in the galaxy, and it’s like someone taking a Pass/Fail option for either a 8 Bajillion point gpa or a ‘get suspended, expelled, and then Murdered’. On a D20, he either gets a 1 or a 20. There is no in between, only crit success and crit fails. Like, bro wears sith armor with the republic insignia badly spray painted onto a the pauldrons and One Leg. It should not work to get him behind enemy lines. He is a TROOPER, he has a GUN. But it DOES work. But on the flipside he’s missing one of his lekku because he fuckin blasted it off on a crit fail day. Just another on my list of togs that are Fucking Disasters tbh fjdklsa.
56- Tiama: OKIEDOKE, another one for the Doomed Timeline fjdla. Tiama’s what happened when I went ‘I need a character with all the chaotic and falling-apart energy of Brian David Gilbert and I need that Now’ and then I made them Rhaeyk’s roommate. So Tiama exists now fjla. They’re my only Zeltron, and they’re like, remarkably chill for how much Chaos they have crammed into them fjdkal. Although they have the Delightful dialogue between them and Rhaeyk that is:
"If you burn down the apartment again I'm making you move in with my mother! Don't think I won't!"
"You wouldn't."
"You're on thin ice, soldier. I don't want to replace my equipment again."
"Ama."
"Don't test me, Rhaeyk. I don't have your government paycheck."
38 - Kisuran: KISU, OH POOR DISASTEROUS KISU. He’s part of a mini-continuity that’s full of Chaotic Nonsense and also A Terrible Jedi. Kisu’s my sith pureblood smuggler lol, and he is Extra As Fuck (lmfao if that phrasing is even remotely relevant anymore. i haven’t seen it in a while but i’m gonna keep using it anyways). His boyfriend is that timeline’s trooper, bc i was like ‘haha what if,,, sith pureblood smuggler,,, and chiss trooper,,, o3o’ and now we have Kisu and Corin lol. Kisu’s a clumsy garbagefire tho, I love him. He Cannot be trusted with anything fragile he Will yeet it out the window at maximum speed by tripping over his own feet.
57 - Lord Halicos: SPEAK OF THE FUCKIN BITCH AND HE SHALL APPEAR. Fuckin talked about him in the babbling about Miakar and Here The Bitch Is. This is Miakar’s dad. This, this absolute fuckwad, is one of my most horrible characters. He’s entirely a background character but he’s Important and fckn, this is the man that Miakar decided to replace with Quinn as far as ‘this is my dad’ things go. Halicos is the only person Miakar’s afraid of. And he’s terrified of him. Halicos Get Stabbed Challenge 2k21. Deserves to be stabbed for causing Fear in the chaos baby and for winning the Terrible Parent Award. Koriatta also was originally apprenticed to Halicos, before Zal went ‘yeah, I’m your dad now. Fuck this guy’ and basically stole her. Because Halicos is terrible. Old man needs to get Rekt. Gonna get every kid he picks up Yoinked because he doesn’t deserve to be in charge of kids.
37 - Kryage: KRYAGEEEEE, ANOTHER TOG WHO IS A DISASTER FJDKLASJ. She also happens to be a Rare Breed among my characters in that she knows Exactly what the fuck she is doing and is Confident in it. She’s fuckin awesome. I love her jfdlkaj. She belongs to Kehsk’s continuity, off doin her own wild ass shit. fjdakl my best friend has been working through my oc powerpoint (a seperate one) and bastardizing it and it’s the funniest shit. Kryage got the ‘MMMM, HOT LADY’ mark of approval bc she’s Confident and Has Her Shit Together jflkdsa. It’s fantastic. She’s great. What a fuckin disasterous pile of ‘I’m Hot Shit And I Know It’ fjdklasj.
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PLUS EST EN VOUS Review
(Over a week later, and I’m finally posting this.
At least I don’t have to worry about another episode coming out before it’s posted.)
Okay - there’s a lot to cover, so without further ado...
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Things I liked about the finale:
All of the beautiful Cass / Rapunzel scenes!
They were so emotional and beautifully done, it felt like everything that needed to be said was said, and seeing them act like friends again was very cathartic for me. In a lot of ways, Cass & Raps’ relationship reminds me of some of my own (old ones that didn’t end so smoothly, and then newer ones that I can already tell will leave a lasting impression on my life) and seeing them reconcile and talk about how much they meant to each other really warmed my heart. A best friend is an irreplaceable thing, and I love that their interactions showed that. I also really appreciated the “I love you”s, because the world needs more of those between friends. And it also reminded me of Eugene saying the same thing to Lance, in Beyond the Corona Walls.
The awesome Team Awesome content!
There was an abundance of it in this episode, and I loved every second of it! Truth be told, I was never a big “Team Awesome” fan until S3 came around. The relationship always felt a tad too one-sided to me, and I just couldn’t see them being particularly close, at least not as close as Varian and Rapunzel. The fandom helped me warm up to the idea a little bit, but this past season definitely sold it for me. Eugene has really matured and become a lot less self-involved since the first time they met. I absolutely love that he’s turned into sort of a cool older brother figure to Varian (in fact, many of their interactions are reminiscent of moments I’ve shared with my own brother) and Var now looks up to him rather than just the “Flynn Rider” persona. The fact that Eugene could tease him about his past mistakes and Varian just turned around and casually joked right back? That made my heart happy.
Speaking of maturing & happy hearts -
I’M SO PROUD OF THIS BOY!!!
I know I say that a lot, but He’s just come so far since S1, or even the beginning of S3! There were a ton of little moments showcasing his growth in this episode. Such as:
- Jumping onto the piano to help Raps rally the troops (did anybody think we were going to get pianist Varian? I sure didn’t, but I’m not complaining.)
- Stating with certainty that he can rebuild Demanitus’ portal, before even seeing the schematics, and just overall showing more confidence in his abilities. (Quirin looked so proud when he was building the portal...you know, before going all mind-slave and trying to pull the lever.)
- Being the first - the FIRST - of the gang to walk into Demanitus’ tomb. This may seem small, but it was such a 180 from Be Very Afraid, where he was nervous and trailing behind Raps the entire time. Now he’s not only joining in on the adventure, he’s taking the lead on occasion!
- Rigging Quirin’s helmet with a temporary stun mechanism as a fail-safe for the mind-trap. He seemed hurt and offended when Eugene initially brought up the possibility of his dad being a double-agent, but even so, he listened. He put common sense and the safety of others before his own feelings, and that’s not an easy thing to do.
- Firing an explosive concoction straight into the face of an enormous demon monster??? I mean,...heck yeah, boy!! Also - using his past mistakes (i.e. the amber and monster!Ruddiger) and repurposing them towards something good.
I could go on, but you get the idea. he’s just come so far and I could not be more proud of his development. And the fact that he went on to become Corona’s Royal Alchemist Engineer was just the cherry on top! YOU DESERVE IT, BOY!!! 👏👏👏
You know who else I’m proud of? Rapunzel.
She was never my favorite character in the series (despite being the protagonist,) but this story - and this past season in particular - has really endeared me to her. She’s grown so much, she’s become a strong and wise leader, and I’m proud of her for it. Honestly, I’ve related to her far more this past season than any other. And I don’t know if that’s because she’s older and more mature now, or because her naivete and eager-to-please attitude is all but gone, or because she just felt a lot more real and vulnerable in recent episodes - but I really, truly love her. And I’m happy to see her story reach its completion.
(Also - long-haired brunette Raps is my new favorite thing, tbh.)
THIS:
‘Nough said, I think.
The epic new powers and abilities (and return of some old ones)!!!
There were so many moments while watching the finale where I was literally just yelling at my sister like “wHOA, DID YOU SEE THAT?! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!” I had no idea that Cass could make ANIMATED WOLF HEADS of the black rocks, that completely blew me away! And then there were those golden rocks that Zhan Tiri manifested, that was so cool! I wonder if the sundrop alone could make those appear, or if you had to have both of the elements to make it work.
Also - the Healing Incantation was finally brought back! I knew it would be, eventually, but I’d almost completely forgotten that was a plot point by the time the finale came around. It was good to hear Mandy’s voice saying those familiar, nostalgic words again. And she put so much emotion into it!
Now, onto the less fun stuff...
Things I disliked about the finale:
(Feel free to skip over this section if you’d rather just focus on the positives, I fully understand. I’ll do my best to be fair and only address the things that really stood out to me.)
This subplot went on for far too long:
It was pretty funny for the first few minutes (and I’m sure the animators loved getting to go crazy with the characters’ designs like this,) but after awhile, I was like “is this really what we want over half of our cast to be doing during the BIG FINALE?” I mean, we already had the monkey gag, which I actually thought was a riot. And this one came right in the middle of a pretty climactic moment, so it just seemed kind of out of place.
I’ll admit, the snake-hair joke and Lance’s multiple eyes had me rolling, but ultimately, I just felt like this whole bit only served to waste limited time that definitely could have been better utilized.
The portal was too quickly demolished.
They could have at least come close to a success with it before it was destroyed, so that it didn’t feel completely useless! I get that they wanted ZT to be defeated by her own power, and I’m down for that, but if the portal’s sole purpose within the story was just to temporarily remove all the secondary characters in limbo so that the mains could do their thing, I can’t really get behind it.
Especially seeing as their only Plan B was “throw things at the giant all-powerful octopus monster,” come on, guys. I would have preferred that be a last-resort after several failed attempts at other pre-orchestrated plans. They could have had Varian and Quirin working on repairing the portal while the others distract/attack Zhan Tiri and THEN have her destroy it (purposefully, rather than by some random falling rock.) Or, maybe everyone could have been in on the plan to get the sundrop and moonstone to meet, and then have Raps and Cass are the ones who finally succeed in doing it. I don’t know, I just feel like there was a lot of wasted potential there.
This scene:
I’m going to be perfectly honest, this scene bothered me. For a multitude of reasons:
Firstly; it was a shot-for-shot copy (not a parallel, a copy) of the iconic New Dream moment from the movie, just replacing Eugene with Cass. That wasn't necessary, Cass and Raps have their own unique relationship and their own moments, they don’t need to steal Raps & Eugene’s. This should have remained a New Dream-only thing, in my opinion. (Especially seeing as her parents already stole their gondola bit...I’m mostly joking about that one.)
Secondly; it didn’t make sense? Rapunzel was standing just as close to the blast as Cassandra, yet she wasn’t harmed at all. In fact, she seemed completely unfazed by it. Why was Cass the only one effected? (And we can’t even make an argument that the moonstone shard protected her, because the powers were lost the moment the two fused.) If they needed a brush-with-death scene, why not have ZT hurt Cass? I feel like that would have been a lot more dramatic, especially after manipulating her for an entire season.
And finally; it made every other character’s “death” seem unimportant in comparison.
I get that the writers needed Raps to use the Healing Incantation, but, EVERYBODY ELSE WAS ALREADY HALF-DEAD, AT THIS POINT. I’m sorry, but, why wasn’t that incentive enough to use the healing power? Why did we need to have Cass’s near-death on top of everybody else’s?
I mean, I would’ve been maybe a little bit more okay with it had Rapunzel mourned everybody’s death and not just Cass’s, and then used the power to save ALL of them at once. But instead, she completely forgot about everyone else until the very last second, which was frustrating. I’m not a fan of plot devices that ignore other characters, especially when the protagonist is supposed to care about them but then just doesn’t even seem to remember that they exist for a hot minute. This felt like the ending of Freebird, only worse because you can’t make the excuse that she was unaware.
(Just to be clear, I’m not blaming Rapunzel. I know it wasn’t meant to come across that way, I just feel like it was not well executed.)
There are a lot of ways that this could have been done differently.
Rapunzel and Cass could have BOTH been devastated about their friends/loved ones, I would have loved to see Cass show genuine concern and remorse towards the OTHER people whom her actions hurt, not just Raps. Or, Rapunzel could have at least landed near Cass so it would’ve made sense for her to notice her first, and then looked around and noticed everybody else before using the healing incantation. At least that way, the other characters wouldn’t have felt so much like a second-thought.
I don’t know, I just didn’t appreciate the treatment of the supporting cast in this scene at all. It felt like they were forgotten right up until the very last second.
Cass didn’t get to sing in any of the songs.
I was really surprised by this, I figured given how important her role had become, she’d get to sing at least one line (like Lance and Varian did.) But nope. Actually, a good 90% of the music in this episode was sung by Raps, and as much as I love the songs & Mandy’s beautiful voice, I was hoping for the other characters to be a little bit more involved. Especially in the Life After Happily Ever After (Reprise), that would have been a great opportunity to have everybody sing together.
Things I would have liked to see in the finale:
More information about Demanitus and ZT.
We got so little! I was expecting this episode to answer all of our questions about that two, but I still have no idea; what their relationship was, where Zhan Tiri came from, why exactly she wanted the power (besides just to have it for herself, I guess), or how they came across the SD and MS in the first place! Like, just a little bit more information would have been nice, the only thing the flashback really gave us was what ZT looked like before spending a few millenia in limbo. (Also - apparently Corona is several thousand years old??? Which, I didn’t know, I was under the impression that it was a fairly new kingdom.)
Closure for this relationship:
This is probably what I was most disappointed by.
Honestly, I’m still kind of surprised that this didn’t happen, even just a little bit. Given that Cass was wearing the Cassandrium at the end, we can safely assume that they at least parted on good terms. But the last few exchanges that they had really gave me the impression that we’d be getting some kind of closure before the credits rolled. We were given two whole episodes focusing on the unique bond that these two share (that’s more than we were given for Cass & Eugene,) they were painted as parallels, so it only makes sense to give them a proper wrap-up. In CR, Cass seemed hurt and devastated after realizing that she’d effectively pushed Varian away, it’s clear his friendship meant a lot to her. Not to mention, Var had the best understanding of Cass’s feelings, he could relate to her - especially about her guilt and fear of not being forgiven. But despite all of the build-up & foreshadowing, they didn’t even get an on-screen goodbye? Not a single “thank you” or “I’m sorry”?
I realize that the main focus was always on Cass & Raps’ friendship, and I’m totally fine with that. I’m just saying that after all the obvious parallels and time invested in this relationship, it would have been nice to get some closure. I just wish they’d included at least one little dialogue exchange to wrap it up in a satisfactory way, like we got with Cass and Eugene.
Actual pay-off for all the Varian - Demanitus parallels.
I think we can all agree that this seemed like it was going somewhere, and then it just...didn’t. He did rebuild the portal, but it turned out to be useless, and outside of that, the similarity was never touched upon. Not by Rapunzel, or Zhan Tiri, not even Xavier made the connection. I mean - this kid is doing at 15/16 what Demanitus did in the latter half of his life. He’s not only following the legendary engineer/inventor’s footsteps, he’s expanding the legacy. If that’s not foreshadowing for something, I don’t know what is!
And I do love the fact that he became the Royal Alchemist Engineer, but at the same time, I just feel like there was so much wasted potential in this almost-but-not-quite-subplot.
An actual Brotherhood reunion, without all the mind-trap influence.
It would have been so interesting to see them all interacting! I was surprised that, even though Edmund and Quirin were both in the same place for most of the episode, they never really interacted? Outside of mind-controlled Quirin, Hector, and Adira attacking Eugene & Edmund, they didn’t exchange so much as a word. And I get that a lot of that was time restraints, and having to focus on more important plot points (as Edmund said “bigger fish”) but honestly, if they had time to thrown in all that netherworld nonsense, a little Brotherhood interaction doesn’t seem like too big of a favor to ask.
Rapid-fire Opinions:
Favorite song: Through it All
In my opinion, this song is the best group number in the show (not counting the ones only sung by main 3, such With You By My Side or Next Stop Anywhere)
It’s not quite as epic as Ready As I’ll Ever Be, but it has an infectious beat and a triumphant melody that I really enjoy. Also, the scene as a whole was so cheerful and fun, and we got Varian, Lance, Kiera, and Catalina all playing various instruments! (Plus more New Dream dancing! ❤ )
Favorite callback to a previous episode: Easy answer, because it comes from (what is still) one of my favorite episodes in the series - the Cassandrium.
Favorite scene: This one’s a little tough, but I did really enjoy the little moment that Eugene and Varian had after Quirin was incapacitated by the helmet.
I also loved the final scene where Cass said goodbye to Rapunzel and they gave each other the biggest, warmest hug I’ve ever seen in animation history (and the prior exchange between her and Eugene was really sweet, as well.)
OH! And how could I forget? That beautiful New Dream proposal. 💜
That was absolutely perfect. The animation, the music, Mandy & Zach’s incredibly heartfelt voice work, just...I loved everything about it.
Most underrated moment: Catalina pushing Kiera out of Zhan Tiri’s way and getting grabbed herself. (Show of hands, who else briefly forgot that she was a werewolf and had a small heart-attack in that moment?)
Theories I had that were proven true:
- Cass leaving Corona to “find her own destiny.”
I’d always felt like Cass never really had a dream of her own; she didn’t know who she was, and she was never going to get the answers by staying by Rapunzel’s side. So I had a strong feeling that she would be leaving, but I’m glad to see that it was on good terms.
- Everyone vs Zhan Tiri.
Granted, like most people, I was under the impression that Xavier’s “magic and alchemy” statement would be more...relevant? Turns out, we read into that way too much. Which, honestly, is a tiny bit disappointing, but it was still cool to finally see Zhan Tiri at her most powerful.
- Varian becoming Corona’s Royal Alchemist Engineer.
This is a theory I’ve had since my early days in the fandom, and I’m glad to see it finally confirmed! My only complaint is that we didn’t get to see Rapunzel bestow the honor upon him, because I would have loved to see that exchange.
Theories that were not proven true, but I still believe:
- Varian (and possibly Quirin) being a descendant of Demanitus.
You can pry this one out of my cold, dead hands, there are way too many clues pointing to it. I’m not even sure if Demanitus has any descendants (again, we have very little information on him still) but if he does, Varian’s a prime candidate. His lineage comes from the Dark Kingdom, he’s a genius alchemist/inventor, has a personal connection to both the Sundrop and the Moonstone; honestly, I’m kind of surprised this possibility was never even considered, at least one, in canon.
- Cass will eventually return to Corona.
I have no idea when, why, or how, but I truly believe she will. Her spirit may be roaming free at the moment, but the heart always returns home. And - as it stands right now, at least - her heart is still waiting in Corona. In the meantime, though, I’m glad she’s living her best life, seeking out adventure wherever destiny leads her! She deserves it <3
Well, that’s my full Plus Est En Vous/Tangled the Series Finale review!
I’d love to hear everybody else’s thoughts on the final episode, as well; how many people were satisfied vs unsatisfied with the ending? What were everyone else’s favorite moments, what else would have been nice to see? Let me know!
Final words: This show and this fandom have meant so much to me, and I’m far from done loving it. I still have many projects in the works to celebrate the show and its completion, but in the meantime - thanks for reading.
And God bless the amazing team that came together to bring us this incredibly beautiful, meaningful, story which will always have a special place in my heart.
#artistnotes#tts#tangled the series#plus est en vous#character analysis#episode analysis#episode review
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April 3, 2021: Duck Soup (1933)
Time for talkies! That sounds weird, doesn’t it?
The year after The General, the first writing was put on the wall for Keaton and Chaplin with the controversial film, The Jazz Singer. In that movie (which, yes, prominently features blackface, but moving on for now), the eponymous Jazz Singer talks on screen, with the audio being synched up to his mouth moving. This was the birth of the “talkie”, or a film with diegetic sound (sound coming from the film itself, rather than the score). The silent film industry heard the death knell rapidly approaching.
But from the death of one, comes the birth of another. Sure, slapstick would still persist in talkies, inheriting the remnants of the vaudeville era that Chaplin and Keaton heralded from. But now that sound was available, a whole new form of film comedy could be introduced. Enter: The Marx Brothers.
Leonard (born March 22, 1887), Adolph (born November 2, 1888), Julius (October 2, 1890), Milton (October 23, 1892), and Herbert Marx (February 25, 1901) were all born in New York City to German and French Jewish immigrants. Unsurprisingly, at least one of their parents (their mom, Minnie) was a performer, in a continuing trend with all of these guys. Her entire family were performers, especially her brother Abraham, a very successful vaudevillian who went by A Shean. The five brothers soon also fell into this profession.
The began with their uncle in vaudeville, and they became fairly successful. Originally known for their singing, they shifted to comedy after a performance in 1912. The two eventually fused, turning them into a comedy act with music in it. And at some point during this time period, the brothers were playing a poker game with a cartoonist, who gave the brothers their iconic names. Respectively, they became Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo. And a new troupe was born, but only on stage. It’d be another 17 years before they broke into film. Well, except for Gummo, who went to World War I, then never came back...to the theatre. Just wasn’t his thing. He went into the raincoat business! Anyway...
By 1929, two more things had happened: the first talkies had been introduced, and the Marx Brothers were one of the most popular theatre acts in the country. They also had some competition in that arena from two other acts. On stage, three brothers, Moses, Jerome, and Samuel Horwitz, also Jewish and also from New York City, joined up with a man named Ted Healy, and a comedian named Larry Fine, and formed the vaudeville group known as the Three Stooges.
Meanwhile, in silent film, British comedian Stan Laurel teamed up with American comedian Oliver Hardy, and the two made a lot of short silent films together, all of which were shorts. The tall, talkative, and rotund Hardy and the thin, stoic, childlike Laurel were a perfect pair and were known as, of course, Laurel and Hardy.
These two groups were worthy competitors, both for the Marx Brothers, and for Chaplin and Keaton’s form of comedy. And their popularity similarly built over the course of the 1920s. But the Marx Brothers were then given a unique opportunity, before any of the others had the chance. In 1929, Paramount Pictures funded a film, 93 minutes long, which brought the Marx Brothers to the big screen. And this film was a talkie, called The Cocoanuts.
The Cocoanuts was pretty successful, and certainly launched the career of the Marx Brothers. Laurel and Hardy had a talkie come out earlier that month, but it was a short rather than a feature film. And the Stooges wouldn’t be in a film at all until the following year! The Marx Brothers made the leap to the silver screen with verbal comedy, arguably before any other major comedians had the chance to.
The next year, Animal Crackers came out, launching them to even greater fame. This is especially in the case of Groucho Marx, whose greasepaint mustache and quick wit was a huge hit with audiences all over. They moved from New York City to Hollywood, and became bonafide movie stars. Monkey Business in 1931 was their first production not based on their stage acts, and was also a big hit. Horse Feathers in 1932 increased that fame EVEN FURTHER, and there was absolutely no way their stardom could increase from there.
Right?
1933. The Marx Brothers meet up with Leo McCarey, a director you may remember from An Affair to Remember, back in February. They reunite with Margaret Dumont, a comic foil to the brothers who had been in The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers, and the honorary fifth Marx Brother, according to Groucho (sorry, Gummo). Paramount Pictures funded them for the last time, and the brothers would make a film that wouldn’t perform well in the box office...but is considered their great work on film, basically universally.
Let’s watch it, shall we? Time for some Duck Soup! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Recap
After the opening credits, which includes a bunch of ducks in a bucket ON FIRE, JESUS, we enter the country of Freedonia, a small, bankrupt, and fictional country. The leaders, including President Zander (Edmund Breese), are asking wealthy widow Gloria Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) to give them ore money. She agrees, on one condition: that the President step down, and that a man named Rufus T. FIrefly (Groucho Marx) be appointed new leader of Freedonia.
At a party celebrating his ascension, we met Ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern), the ambassador of a rival nation, Sylvania. With his beautiful spy Vera Marcal (Raquel Torres), he plots to take over by having her woo Firefly. At this point, his secretary, Bob Roland (Zeppo Marx), arrives to the hall, and the group questions where Firefly is. They note that he’s always on time, and begin to sing the national anthem in anticipation of his arrival. Sucks that he’s still in bed.
He slides down a fireman’s pole as they continue to repeat the anthem, as if repeating a theatre cue, and begins...well, he begins being Groucho Marx. He spits out so many lines at such a rapid pace, it’s genuinely difficult to keep up with it while typing. Check out the scene yourself, if you’re curious! Best part is when Teasdale is talking about her late husband.
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Get used to clips; I’ll be adding a lot of them, I’m sure. This segues into another song about the new laws that Firefly is planning on imposing with his administration. He forbids whistling, so I’m never going here. He also bans dirty jokes, smoking, chewing gum, amongst other things. He also basically promises that the country’s going to be far worse than it’s been before. So, yeah, promising.
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This is interrupted by an appointment to see the House of Representatives, and he heads there with the help of his car’s driver, Pinky (Harpo Marx). However, the sidecar somehow isn’t hooked up to the motorcycle, and Pinky drives off without Firefly anyway. Funnily enough, the silent Pinky is actually a spy for Trentino, along with Chicolini (Chico). They go to report back to Trentino.
Their report reveals two things: they were tailing the wrong person, and they’re very bad spies. Disappointed, Trentino sends them back out for some reason, and they eventually get into a fight outside, which also involves a short-tempered lemonade vendor. Which is, unsurprisingly, another very humorous exchange.
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After destroying both his livelihood and sanity, the two pose as peanut vendors and are quickly found by Firefly, who basically IMMEDIATELY appoints Chicolini to a government position, as the Secretary of War. Just then, Pinky steps in, answering a phone with his signature horns as a response.
After replying to all of Firefly’s questions with various pictures on his body (again, this is very funny), Pinky also leaves, only to be replaced by Bob the Secretary, who suggests trying to get rid of the two-faced Trentino by insulting him, with the intent to get Trentino to slap him, and give him cause to get rid of him once and for all. He once again gets in a car driven by Pinky to go there, only for Pinky to take off once again.
At the party, Trentino is trying to woo Mrs. Teasdale, in order to get her money. Firefly shows up, insults Trentino, only for Trentino to insult him back. He slaps Trentino in response, leading to the opposite intent, and Trentino declares that the countries are now on the verge of war. That night, Teasdale speaks with Trentino, who is to be summoned back to his country. However, he promises to remain if Teasdale can convince Rufus against war.
Rufus agrees to come over, and proceeds to flirt with/intensely neg Mrs. Teasdale. He meets with Trentino once again, who is also with Vera. After another confrontation in which Rufus makes a reference to an old song about my African Americans exist (it’s not called that, and it’s SO BAD, but it’s not with malicious intent; just ignorance), and war between Freedonia and Sylvania is even more likely than before.
That night, Pinky and Chicolini are sent by Trentino to infiltrate Mrs. Teasdale’s place, as Vera has discovered that the war plans were given to her for safekeeping (which we actually saw previously). As they search the house, Teasdale calls Firefly, and asks him to come over and take the plans. He agrees, and Chicolini (who was waiting for him at his room), takes the opportunity and locks him in his bathroom. He dresses up as Rufus and impersonates him to get the plans.
However, Pinky does exactly the same thing, leading to three of them in the same house. Chicolini and Pinky run downstairs, and Chicolini heads to get the plans, now knowing their location. He accidentally turns on a speaker, and runs off. He accidentally runs into a mirror, breaking it. This is just as Rufus heads downstairs to look for his imposter, and that...leads to arguably the most iconic comedy sequence of all time.
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It’s in almost complete silence, and the two are so perfectly synchronized, it’s unbelievable. And it is VERY funny. I mean, it’s famous for a reason. It’s just genuinely a great sequence. But, at the end, Chicolini is caught, and we next jump to a trial, which is, you guessed it, very funny. It also produces on of Groucho Marx’s best and most famous one-liners.
Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you; he really is an idiot!
However, Mrs. Teasdale makes one last ditch effort to prevent war. However, Rufus talks himself out of the effort, slaps Trentino again, and it’s officially war. And what follows is...well, what I can only define as Marx Brothers musical number chaos. It’s war.
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Also, I think that’s the last video I can add on this post. Damn, didn’t know there was a limit for that. Anyway, the whole thing is a crazy-ass production, followed by an insanely chaotic climax on its own. Pinky finds a woman he was looking at romantically earlier, and it turns out that she’s the wife of the lemonade vendor from before. He hides in the bathtub as he’s coming in, then erupts out of the bathtub playing a bugle when he comes in. It’s...it’s hard to describe, but it’s pretty funny.
War begins in earnest VERY quickly, and while this entire sequence is pretty amusing...it just reminds me that World War II is yet to happen, and that these guys have NO IDEA how bad war is going to get in the next few years. Whoof. Anyway, Chicolini and Pinky switch sides a couple of times, until eventually siding with Firefly. But pretty soon, the war destroys most of Freedonia, and Rufus, Chicolini, Pinky, Bob, and Mrs. Teasdale are all together in a shelter.
Trentino shows up, and he gets trapped in the door, as if he were in the stocks. The guys pelt fruit at him while he’s caught in there. Declaring victory, Mrs. Teasdale sings the Freedonia national anthem. The boys respond by throwing fruit at her instead, and...that’s it!
Yeah, that’s Duck Soup! Holy shit, that was...both exactly what I was expecting and not really what I was expecting at all. Huh. I’ll get into it, but it was at least very funny! See you in the Review!
#duck soup#duck soup 1933#leo mccarey#the marx brothers#the marx bros#groucho marx#groucho#harpo#harpo marx#chico#chico marx#zeppo#zeppo marx#margaret dumont#louis calhern#raquel torres#edgar kennedy#comedy april#user365#365days365movies#365 movie challenge#365 movies 365 days#365 Days 365 Movies#365 movies a year
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Melody (S.W.A.L.K) 1971 Livewatch
I have seen this movie. but not the whole thing (i got interupped the first time i watched it)... so here goes!
movie load please
20 seconds of logos???
guitar song™
this movie is so nostalgic for no reason
Mark Lester and Jack Wild: did you mean, Oliver Twist and The Artful Dodger?
and tracy hyde shes here too
i love this movie sm wtf
can these credits end????
ok yes they can
70s film marching band scene
ornshaw drinking whiskey before band bc why not
danny is bby
mY mOtHeR dId It SiR
dannys mum is so annoying wtf
i really love tom ornshaw
run bitch run
The BB™
SET FIRE TO THE NEWSPAPER???
look at his lil face ❤
MELODY MY DAUGHTER
a gowdfish please
aww look at her
“ive done all those things i wanna try something new” LIKE DRAWING TIDDIES? DANIEL
“ah a boy gave it to me at school” was it ornshaw, i bet it was ornshaw
BITCH YOU RIPPED DANNYS TITS DRAWING
melody girl you cant play that fucking recorder
this film has great cinematography wtf
Melody Perkins Deserves The World !!
the gang go to school
Ornshaw Gets Bullied
“the jewish boys may now leave for private study” what about the jewish girls?? there’s clearly girls in the class?? why do they have to listen to the bible
ornshaw’s porn bible
DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHO JESUS WAS???
dont smoke at school kids
okay so shes peggy, why is she credited as maureen. who the fuck is maureen
hear me out, muriel is a lesbian. noone kisses for over five minutes unless youre proper horny and this bitch is like thirteen. she also says “i dont know, i never used to kiss boys”, because SHE DOESNT. shes lying because she doesnt kiss boys. shes closeted and thats whys she says she does. also, she got angry at peggy for saying she fancied a boy.
W I C
“saucy turtles make terrible bathmats, charley” okay okay jeez
ornshaws accent is everything
The Gang sneaking through the fence what will they do
uh oh danny
AWH YOURE BARMY
thats def gonna explode later
ornshaw gets kicked off the bus
but now hes on it
ornshaw and danny have such a wholesome friendship too bad melody ruins it oh wait
you’ve heared of ornshaw gets kicked off the bus now get ready for... ornshaw gets kicked out of the strip club!
you cant get a taxi!!! watch me hoe
where did ornshaw get the chewing gum from wtf
“shes always talking about people like you...” OH OKAY DANNYS MUM IS CLASSIST
“he could do with a heart attack!” WOAH OKAY
time skip to school
oh no danny’s seen melody
“we have three admirers of the dance!” ah shit
ah so maureen is the girl in green
why is ornshaw just standing there
FREE YOURSELVES
the girl gang is hilarious i love them
Muriel Kisses A Tombstone
uh oh dannys been found out
“HES A COWARD CMON”
ornshaw just yeeted his cat
i hate dannys mother sm
assembly time, an iconic part of british comprehensive school, since covid, i cant say i miss it
danny and melody !!
DANNY PLAYS CELLO THIS IS IMPORTANT INFO
melody and her friend are there because plot
melody sweetie baby i love you but you cant play the recorder
THEYRE PLAYING IN HARMONY DKDJSKDJSJKK 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
this is cute as fuck
melody is babey
oh explosives time??
i just dubbed these kids ornshaw and the pyrotechnics crew and it fits
dannys parents are annoying
i quite literally hate them
DANNY SPILT HIS COKE ITS SUCH A SIN
“neviw”
melody girl are you okay
melody are you lying about getting raped
oh time skip to school
we’ve hardly seen ornshaws home life so when will we properly meet him??
god i fucking love ornshaw its mad
oh this is an iconic scene if there ever was one
“go on tom dance with her” oh the ONE TIME ornshaw is called by his first name
youre mad !!
“girls are a load of snotty nose little so and sos” ornshaw aro king
is ornshaw.. scared of women
whatddya mean i dont dance very well!?
is it bad i lowkey crackship peggy and ornshaw now
YOU DANCE STUPID!
no one:
ornshaw: kicks peggy in the shin because he cant dance
“you big fat fool” yikes
danny u ok
ALL ORNSHAW AND HIS MATES DO IS CREATE EXPLOSIVES DJDKJSKt
oh it worked for once
i feel so fucking sorry for melody wtf
bb 🥺
im at the bit where melody is crying while putting on her mothers makeup
SWEETIE ITS OKAY
OH TIME SKIP TO SPORTS DAY!
this film is so fast were already an hour in!
ornshaw giving actually solid life advice?? are you sure this is the same movie
“you youre gonna be bloody useless!”
i literally love ornshaw so much
FUCK DANNYS MUM
GO ON DANNY
YES MY BOY
time skip to school 3982903843290
wtf is a young latin scholars book
lahtimah
not ass latimer, arse
i hate the latin teacher
ornshaw every second: right uh erm um uh so yes sir oh uh mhm
*ornshaw and danny shoving pillows up their underwear*
“dont worry about it!!” dude hes getting spanked by the latin teacher ofc hes gonna worry about it
ornshaw and latimah
“vacate your mouth”
“because its a silly out of date language sir!!!” hes not wrong
uh oh
what will slapping ornshaw’s ass with a dap even gonna do???
oh hi melody forgot about you
AWH DANNY SWEETHEART
“cmon danny dont let her see you cry!” i want a friend like ornshaw man
melody is just STANDING THERE LIKE GIRL LEAVE
“you can buzz off now love, tara, tooduhloo” have i said i love ornshaw? because i love ornshaw
danny dont abandon ornshaw !!
oh this is sad
danny? danny?? danny!!!??? DANNY!!?? 🥺🥺🥺
ORNSHAW RIGHTS MAN
ive felt sorry for literally all three of these kids now
ah fuck now ornshaws having a mental breakdown in the school halls
danny and melody’s relationship is so innocent and wholesome
this is literally so bittersweet, like we’re seeing danny and melody being all cute and happy but we know that back in school ornshaw is literally having a breakdown over them
im tearing up over a movie about schoolchildren in puppy love
“will you love me that long?” “of course! ive loved you a whole week already!”
“hes come to tea! his name is daniel!” melody hes not your pet
melodys dad seems so cool why was he arrested
donald????
i genuinely love melody’s dad
melody dramatically eats toast
time skip to school AGAIN
OH GOD I’M ACTUALLY CRYING
melody and danny are out on a date having fun and its the same song playing as the scene earlier on when danny and ornshaw went off somewhere at the start of the movie, melody has quite literally replaced ornshaw
i have real tears rn
they skipped school to go to weymouth
danny and melody are literally adorable man
“shall we get married?” arent yall like 12????
oh back to school they got in trouble for skipping
apparently the poor cast got spanked for real and like yikes
we want to get married :D
ITS NOT MENT TO BE FUNNY!!
leave danny alone!
leave melody alone!
ornshaw please stop
ornshaw stop taunting him this is gonna end shittily
OH SHIT
THEYRE STRAIGHT UP FIGHTING
ORNSHAW AND DANNY ARE MF WRESTLING EACHOTHER TO THE GROUND
okay now ornshaw is literally beating him up okay
danny this is your fault for ditching him for melody sorry
top ten best anime fight scenes
latin man is back because plot
DID ORNSHAW GIVE HIM A BLOODY NOSE
i’m sorry danny 😭😭
ORNSHAW. DESERVES. THE. FUCKING. WORLD. AND. MORE.
let melody and danny get married!
wait so if 20 is twice as old as her then shes.. ten?? i think
melody ily
“all i want to do is be happy” BABY
OH FUCK YOU MRS LATIMER
oooh
THEYRE GOING TO GET MARRIED BY THE RAILWAY
ornshaws unnamed friend is the true hero of this movie
is this the movie climax???
run! ornshaws unnamed friend! run!
IM SORRY THE’RE LITERALLLY GETTING MARRIED I’M 😭
“we are gathered here today to join this man and woman in holy matrimony.. shaddup”
ITS NOT FUNNY ITS SERIOUS
IS ORNSHAW STRAIGHT UP MARRYING THESE TWO IS HE THEIR VICAR
HE IS AS WELL
“DICKS IS COMING!!!” as soon as they were getting the rings
RUN !!!!
ornshaw just threw the bible at his re teacher from the re scene at the start i love him
DANNYS MUM HAD IT COMING
name a more iconic trio than melody perkins, danny latimer, and tom ornshaw, i’ll wait
GO PEGGY!
ORNSHAWS UNNAMED FRIEND IS GONNA FINALLY GET HIS BOMB WORKING!
YES
GO ORNSHAWS UNNAMED FRIEND
“i’ll get you ornshaw!” dude how is this his fault its yours for unterupting the wedding latin man
again ouf is the true movie hero
wait latin man is dicks??? whos wannabe remus lupin then????
this just in: ouf is actually named stacey
oh god thats actually such a bittersweet ending
melody and danny trolleying off into the sunset
im actually crying like a baby rn
god that was such a good movie
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17/10/20
Hello! The past weeks kept me busy, but some progress was made:
Still a couple more fashion concepts were completed for Blind Impressions.
Slowly advanced on Silk Dove, notably with “rendering” tests.
Worldbuilding & Fashion, pt. 3
Last times, I discussed astrology and the Inquisition, both key institutions in An Thây, our setting. A third one will give you a fuller picture: the all-powerful royal administration.
Authority, it is preached here, should never be a given, but deserved. Heavens and hells bestowed power upon the most worthy among women, the current queen; and, after her body is burned, only her most meritorious daughter will rise, crowned. It follows that blood, by itself, cannot distinguish candidates: solely their deeds can.
Hence was born a soon sprawling organisation, reaching every domain from justice to trade, politics to printing, medicine to fashion. A queen sees, samples and regulates everything; her representatives, then, record every birth and tree planted, every grain of salt and dirt speckling the paved roads, every word spoken against her reign. The royal examination, through which future officials are chosen, became a ritual, a dream: that of a life forever above poverty, full of honours and delights, such as the privilege of having concubines.
Our heroine, Briac, dreamed of this, too. Growing up a servant in a judge’s household, she looked up to these women with admiration in her eyes, working hard, studying every night. Of course... magic cruelly changed her path. She still holds all these ideals dear, though. Justice and merit, triumphant! Ah, we shall see how this will change through the story...!
Rough designs, again. I admit I struggled a bit with those concepts; because of the way I decided to draw them and, perhaps, doing a lot of them in a row... for the administration, I specifically wanted to blend in some inspirations from the Middle Ages - thus the hats and some thicker layers of clothing. Ah! I certainly learned one doesn’t improvise folds! what a nightmare!
What do you think? Does anyone drawing similar concepts have advice for me, aha?
I have some other concepts done for next time, but I will probably focus on different aspects for a while. Characters, maybe?
Rendering & Silk Dove
Sadly I could not dive into coding yet, though I am pretty convinced I am going to favour Unity rather than ren’py for this. The visual aspect of Silk Dove scares me a bit, as if I stick to ren’py, I feel like it would cause more problems than necessary. We shall see!
In the meantime I made small advancement on the storyboard, fought with character designs and posings, and tried some “rendering” tests... and these, finally, were conclusive! I am still playing around with the ways things will be drawn or coloured, however it is now much less uncertain than it seemed before! Here’s an example:
It’s still rough, so the final images will be cleaner than this, but still it helped me figure out what I could do and in which direction I wanted to go! I was worried I might not progress on Silk Dove as quickly as I hoped... this showed me that, granted I have the time to work on it, I can do it. Some aspects will prove challenging, yes - not insurmountable though!
(As you can see, I replaced my icon with it... the previous one was becoming old, aha!)
Closing Words
I initially planned on updating this blog once a week, but I might switch it for once every two weeks instead. My workload sometimes prevents me from working on these projects in a manner that can easily be shown to you (which is to say... visually). It’s a good incentive to be efficient that said!
I shall end this with a song that I heavily associate with Blind Impressions... even since its inception - I even used it for a little “intent video” for the project, aha! (Not sure what name it would have in English?) Now, that was an interesting exercise... in any case, I really like its relative slowness and peculiar atmosphere, almost like a memory.
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Have a nice day!
#upcoming game#devlog#vndev#english visual novel#visual novel#lycauris logs#blind impressions#silk dove
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