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selenedistress · 6 months

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I'm not a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fan. Which is to say, I never bothered with it and never cared for it one way or the other.

But half of my friend group are horse show fans and I have absorbed so much about the show through osmosis, fanfic readings and select watch-togethers, that I have this weird, warped, allegory-of-the-cave-esque view of the show that I honestly really vibe with.

The Pinkie Pie I know has been reflected through so many mirrors and passed through so many filters that she has transformed into something completely new, yet recognisably Pinkie.

I know not what Applejack struggles with in the day-to-day, because none of the scarce material I have consumed, canon and not, talk of her inner world.

Rainbow Dash's voice is both the excitable, bold and throaty voice of her show voice actor, and the equally excitable but simple-minded affectation of her Rainbow Dash Presents version.

I love Rarity with all my heart, but is she the real Rarity? Or simply her idea? An equine Dulcinea? Nevertheless, I've been trying to train my Rarity impression. It's like posh, but also fun?

I don't have much to say about Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, but I am certain I will as time goes by. I will consume fragments of many different Twilights Sparkle and Flutters Shy until I have a complete image of them in my head. Not unlike that scene in The Truman Show (1998) where Truman collects magazines to create a collage of the portrait of the woman who changed his life.

So am I a fan of the horse show after all? I can't in good conscience claim that. That would be stealing valour from the people who care beyond the superficial aspects and engaged deeply with the material. But I'm happy to cheer along, like the kid being brought to a football match by their parents. Except I care a vast amount less about football than I care about MLP. I could get through the MLP movie (it has neat songs). I could never get through a football match. Alas.

I do unironically love Vylet Pony though, like, oh my god have you listened to Carousel? that shit is fucking tight. It slaps, it slaps me wholly and utterly. I've been listening and relistening to it for three days now. The album is a journey, you HAVE to listen to it.

#mlp fim #horse show #stray thoughts #ponies #pinkie pie #applejack #rainbow dash #rarity #twilight sparkle #fluttershy #my little pony #alas #music taste #vylet pony #carousel

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ibrithir-was-here · 1 year

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Phantom of the Opera Remake Dream

So I have no idea why I dreamed this. I haven't listened to Phantom lately at all, but-- last night, I dreamed that there had been a remake of the Phantom of the Opera musical as a big screen film attempt again.

In the dream reality this had come out a few years back and had done well overall, though there were controversies.

It was incredibly visually beautiful film. I remember feeling like it felt like a Guillermo del Toro fantasy sort of thing with a touch of Tarsem Sighn, really honing in on POTO as a modern-day fairytale horror movie and more focused on making an immersive dream like world than really being accurate periodwise.

The costumes were beautiful, especially in the Masquerade scene, where Christine and Raoul were actually wearing masks too for once. Think Labyrinth meets Eiko Ishioka. And there was a whole motif of White,Red, and Black going on through the three main characters where it symbolized how innocent or corrupt they were becoming as the horror of the Phantom's haunting went on. Christine starts out pure white for example and gradually gains other colors and the Phantom's only white was his mask, which was a literal false face.

The controveries had come in that several of seemingly set points of the musical had been reworked. From least to most controversial:

Christine in the movie was now book accurate blonde (I remember thinking she looked a little like Florence Pugh but not exactly).

Several scenes were added in to give Christine and Raoul more instances to bond and really create a deeper relationship, and Raoul was a much more active character now, he and Christine acting more as a team eventually

The Phantom's ghostly/otherworldiness was kept ambiguous much longer, so much so that the audience starts to wonder if maybe he really is some sort of vengeful spirit, not an angel but something unhuman, possibly even demonic. We know we should know he's just a man doing conjuring tricks but we're suddenly unsure.

Also his mask was now a full mask instead of a half one, sometimes even covering his mouth entirely, such as in the Masquerade scene were he's all in red except for a full black skull mask.

Also his face is never actually fully shown. We see people react to it, and glimpse warped reflections of it in water and cracked mirrors but never see the full thing (how they would have pulled off the final confrontation scene I have no idea)

And finally, most controversial amoung dream film critics though I'm sure it woupd have done numbers on Tumblr xD ---they made it a proper Love Triangle where the Phantom despite his jealousy and hatred of Raoul starts to be charmed by his devotion and innocence and Raoul despite his desire to protect Christine from this admittedly dangerous presence finds himself being drawn in just as she was.

The entire Past the Point of No Return song was reworked/restaged so now Raoul at one point sneaks on stage to aid Christine and he and the Phantom end up dueling and singing parts together, sometimes so close they're literally cheek to cheek.

I woke up at 5 to that image and frantically wrote it all down and made a pinterest mood board 😅 So definitely expect some art for this!

#my writing #dreams #phantom of the opera #poto #poto musical #poto movie #christine daae #raoul de chagny #poto erik #erik phantom #andrew lloyd webber #guillermo del toro #darn i really want a Guillermo del toro phantom now

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orangelightsabers · 1 year

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just throwing out a school for good and evil (sge) rough draft idea I had where Agatha was Dovesso’s biological daughter and Sophie isn’t her twin sister but they’re still best friends and consider themselves sisters and anyways, the idea was a mix of the books and the movies and—

Agatha of Gavaldon could still faintly recall a time in which she did not yet live in Gavaldon. Indeed, long before her mother-who-was-not-yet-her-mother took the eerily quiet three year old under her wing and household after finding her roaming the edge of the village near the Endless Woods, Agatha lived in another place, a place where she was raised under the careful eyes of her two mothers, escaping the harsh words and panting of ‘witch’ that followed her in Gavaldon. Her mothers, although Agatha could no longer recall their faces, was imprinted in the young girl’s mind, herself associating one mother with a shock of red hair and the other with a wild curl of golden locks. Unlike the people of Gavaldon, including Agatha’s own adoptive mother, they did not believe Agatha to be a witch, instead indulging Agatha in the nickname of “little princess,” leading one to believe that one, or both, of Agatha’s mothers must have been queen for her to gain such a title. Agatha, on the other hand, always believed that they must have seen something she could not, for long after the curly black haired girl could no longer stand to gaze in the mirror at her reflection, their words of her beauty still followed her, haunting her with the feeling as if she was failing them as a young lady when her curls failed to straighten under her best friend’s efforts and boys avoided her in fear of her cursing them.

At the end of the day, however, Agatha could not fault her mothers for abandoning her, for it was in Gavaldon that she met Sophie, her best friend. Sophie, with her Good deeds of the day and obsession with cucumber facials, couldn’t have been farther from the opposite of Agatha and her dark clothing; yet, this is what made them such good friends for both were outcasts: Agatha for her “witchy” ways and Sophie for her strive to be good in such a way that not even the School Headmaster could deny her entry into the School for Good and Evil. Furthermore, Sophie was the only friend Agatha had ever had, besides Reaper, her cat who hated Sophie with a passion that Agatha’s human friend seemed to rival despite her attempts of covering it under high pitched squeals every time Reaper attacked the blonde with his sharp claws.

……………………………………

“There’s been a mistake. I’m not meant to be here! Agatha belongs at this school, not me!”

A look of uncharacteristic startleness came over the woman’s face, her face paler than before. “What did you say?”

“If your friend is who I think, then there has been no mistake at all.”

“Excuse me?” Sophie practically shrieked, her face uncharacteristically twisted into a scowl before she promptly smoothed it, remembering that wrinkles were not pretty. She couldn’t believe the nerve of the teacher to take one look at her and decide that she belonged here…with evil. It was obviously Agatha that belonged here, with her black drab of clothing and the muttering of ‘witch’ that followed her throughout their village ever since they were little. She was good and Agatha was evil. It was just a fact of life to Sophie, like how Thomas of Gavaldon was the most attractive boy in the village and how applying cucumber facials religiously prevented acne and warts. So naive she was that she couldn’t fanthom a world in which she was wrong.

To her surprise, Lady Lesso scowled back at her, face warping with emotions Sophie couldn’t recognize but still made her have to shove back the urge to cower and whimper out of fear. The woman must have sensed Sophie’s fear for she straightened, gazing at Sophie almost smugly as if she got pleasurable glee out of scaring her. Sophie felt sick as the reality of where she was began to sink it, as she began to comprehend that it was going to be harder than she thought to switch schools if no one believed she didn’t belong here.

Where was Sophie’s prince to save her from this nightmare?

Where was Agatha?

It would have felt remotely hopeless to most but instead, Sophie seemed to swell with glee as the thought of her friend crossed her mind. They would see, Sophie told herself, thinking of Agatha and her dark clothing surrounded in a place where she obviously didn’t belong. They would see when Agatha began to fail every class and Sophie remained in hers, failing with a smile on her face and kindness in her heart.

…………………………………..

“Do I know you?”

Agatha froze, eyes wide as she stared hestitantly into brown ones eerily similar to her own. She swallowed.

“What is your name, child?”

“Agatha….Agatha of Gavaldon.”

“Agatha,” the woman swallowed, a stricken look crossing her face as her kind smile faded into a weary one, “that’s a pretty name.”

Agatha hestitated, feeling as if something was occuring at that moment that she would not realize until much later. “Thank you,” she murmured before remembering the reason she wanted to meet the dean in the first place. She straightened. “There’s been a mistake. I don’t belong here.” She looked around at all of the pretty dresses and golden mirrors, taking in the smell of perfume that wafed through the air all around her, but most of all she recalled the way the other girls had looked at her as if…as if she was evil, just as the people of Gavaldon looked at her. Her shoulders fell and she grimaced, gesturing to her dark clothing. “My friend Sophie belongs here. She’s good…better than me.” She murmured the last part so quietly she was sure the other woman didn’t hear her.

Yet, Clarissa Dovey did hear her and she almost wept, for not only did Agatha of Gavaldon remind her of another young girl she mentored that turned into a wonderful princess after a little encouragement and self-acceptance, but she would have recognized the brown eyes that shone with insecurity anywhere…for Agatha of Gavaldon had her mother’s eyes.

For the first time in a long time, Clarissa felt herself swell with hope.

“They abandoned me,” Agatha whispered, avoiding her reflection, eyes tightly screwed closed. The dean faltered, her hands falling away from adjusting Agatha’s dress to take in the words the young woman was speaking, Agatha sounding the most earnest Clarissa had heard from her. Agatha felt the need to clarify herself, something strange to her as she was never open to anyone this much, not even Sophie. “My mothers…They…” Agatha chuckled, emptily, sounding as if all of the joy had been wiped from her. Despite her best efforts, a single tear trickled down her face as she swallowed, hard, opening her eyes to gaze at the marble floor. “I was found roaming the Endless Woods as a child, alone and very hungry. I could barely remember my name. For days after my adoptive mother found me, I begged for the people that I can no longer remember.

“You don’t think you’re beautiful?” The dean of Good cradled Agatha’s face, their foreheads pressed together as brown eyes stared into brown.

Agatha swallowed. “Not like you,” she whispered.

Clarissa’s face softened. “You think w—your mothers abandoned you, left you in the woods to die because you weren’t enough?”

“Dear child, my little Agatha, we are one in the same.”

For the first time in years, Agatha saw her reflection side by side with the dean and she almost wept, for she saw the dean’s eyes, which she always believed to be so pretty, reflected back in her own face.

…………………………………

“We thought you had died,” Clarissa spoke, still cradling Agatha protectively in her arms.

………………………………..

Once upon a time, evil fell in love with good. Of this union, a child was born, a child with the ability to warp the balance of good and evil, twisting it to her own favor.

#sge #school for good and evil #dovesso #lady lesso #clarissa dovey #agatha of woods beyond

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charliejaneanders · 10 months

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Hi Charlie Jane! I think you've said story structures can be like straightjackets, but are there any you have found particularly useful or fun? (Ok if the answer's no... or a secret! ☺️ )

Whoa, wait, what??? I love story structure. It's one of my favorite things to mess around with. On the other hand, I get annoyed with people who insist you have to follow the three-act structure of a Hollywood movie. (Especially if they insist you have to follow a strict formula where everything happens in a certain order or whatnot.)

Structure can be so weird and fun and entertaining — you can have as many acts, and as many climaxes and resolutions, as you want. Check out what @miatsai just wrote about the two-act structure.

My absolute favorite thing is to have something HUGE and shocking happen at the exact midpoint of a novel, that turns everything upside down, and then the second half of the novel is dealing with that. Sometimes you can get a mirror effect where everything changes halfway through, and the second half is a reflection of the first, and the ending is like a warped version of the beginning. That's my favorite. My new adult novel The Prodigal Mother has a lot of that.

#writing #books #am writing #am writing fantasy #book tumblr #structure

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saturniandevil · 10 months

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August 2023 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's August forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and Michael J. Morris. Under the Venus retrograde we've seen Twitter's rebranding, the success of the Barbie movie, and SAG-AFTRA actors joining the WGA on strike, including the London premiere of Oppenheimer where the stars walked off the carpet, as part of the strike means stopping publicity appearances. Saturn in Pisces has also corresponded to new research finding "forever chemicals" in more than half of American cities' tapwater--we're now starting to get structured about it.

We're going into this month under a Venus retrograde, which began July 22nd. Here's the graphic:

August 1st - Full Moon in Aquarius

With Mars trine Jupiter and the Moon/Sun squaring him, we have some positive influences during the Venus retrograde, especially since this activity is in the fixed signs. With the ruled by the Sun and Saturn, the center of the solar system and furthest visible planet, we question what's at the center and what's on the periphery: "What's happening in my life that's part of larger social systems?" Austin also brings up necessities we have to address, which Mars in Virgo is well-suited to help us investigate. However, with the upcoming Mercury retrograde as well, issues may not be immediately soluble--some things take three passes to get right. The mutable energy of Mercury in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces gives us opportunities to be flexible to changes.

August 7th - Auspicious election for the month (not pictured)

Set at just after sunrise at 6:12AM local time, this chart has Leo rising and Venus in the first house. Jupiter is in Taurus in the tenth house (whole signs), as is the Moon who is exalted in this sign. Thus this chart is good for both tenth and first house matters. The fixed sign placements are slow, but sturdy and lasting. As the moon rules this chart's twelfth house, her proximity to the Midheaven makes it a good time to bring our hidden efforts to the surface.

August 9th - Mercury trine Jupiter, Venus square Uranus (not pictured) Mercury will trine Jupiter twice more as he retrogrades, and soon Mars will leave Virgo, removing some obstacles. Michael predicts that we'll be well-equipped due to Mercury's dignity along with Jovian support. Similar to the Venus retrograde, getting into it is the hard part. Venus & Uranus also help us think outside the box with regard to our desires--what's no longer exciting to us? Follow what brings you joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.

August 13th - Sun-Venus Cazimi This marks the halfway point of the retrograde and prompts deep reflection on questions of what we want or have wanted, and how to go forward. It's also important to prioritize our desires to get the best results. Once we know we can feel the full depth of emotion and satisfactions, which shackles will we break? We've gotten to the heart of the matter. We can also draw from the myth of Inanna in the underworld, the events of which line up perfectly with observable astronomical phenomena (ex. evening star Venus becomes invisible and reemerges as a morning star, the lunations line up with the eight gates where she must surrender her talismans and robes....).

August 16th - New Moon in Leo

Our hosts say this lunation is heavily influenced by the preceding astrological events already discussed here.

August 22nd - Mars Opposite Retrograde Neptune Their conjunction back in May 2022 may give some clues as to how it emerges now. Watch out for paranoia and acting out based on warped imaginations. Exercise caution when you're unsure of the facts.

August 23rd - Sun enters Virgo, Mercury stations Retrograde Mercury's station is tinged by the Mars-Neptune opposition just hours before. Mercury is desperately searching for clarity. With Mars also in Virgo, we want to cut out excess, but may not have the clearest vision.

August 27th - Mars enters Libra This concludes the Mars-Saturn opposition that peaked in late July and also represents a loss of dignity for Mars. In general, Mars in Libra reminds us that while we want to forge our own paths, we are inherently interconnected to each other. It's not always easy to depend on others. Expect to see some frustration in the Libra area of your charts as we attempt to sever with the tools of diplomacy. Mars wants to be active, and laziness can also crop up.

August 28th - Uranus stations Retrograde Happening at 23 degrees of Taurus, we'll feel this change of motion as it overshadows the upcoming lunation.

August 30th - Pisces Full Moon

This is our first lunation with the Moon conjunct Saturn since he entered Pisces back in March, though this separation ameliorates some of the tension, as does some support from Jupiter via sextile. The Moon will also be close to the Tail of the Swan in Cygnus, associated with artistic creativity as well as some divine connotations. Austin describes this as having a "huge, heavy imaginative depth." The heaviness of Saturn and the retrogrades of Venus and Mercury will have some light shone on them by this Moon. How can I live with this? What wisdom do I attain by bearing witness?

Early September will bring us some more conclusive resolution as we experience the second half of the Venus retrograde.

#astrology #forecast #august 2023 #transits #the astrology podcast #venus retrograde #mercury retrograde #mars in virgo #mars in libra

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delaneydaywrites · 22 days

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fiction of a teenaged fan

pairing: y/n x y/n

word count: 947

genre: poetic non-fiction reflection

warnings: poetry, freakish obsession, non-fiction prose

a/n: this is a final draft poem based in my journey of discovering, reading, obsessing, living, and writing fan fiction through my some 22 years.

taglist: any and everyone

I look up at the flatscreen sitting on top of the warped grayish wooden dry sink that my mother has had since the dawn of time. Closing my eyes, the ROUS (rodents of unusual size) come onto the wide glass tv screen. I can't help but yell to turn it off! Reaching for the remote to shut off the nightmare inducing creature on the screen before me. My tiny 10 year old finger hovers over the Dish Directv red off button, when Westly dives head first into a wrestling match with the ROUS. The rodent gnaws on this sculpted shoulder. Fake blood soaks into his jet black cotton blouse that is in the process of being ripped to shreds.

I watch in horror, fearing for the life of the young man. I look at the heroine, Buttercup, and wonder if she is feeling in a similar way as myself. She has a similar look to myself, I think, but I am clearly more upset. I’ve moved to my feet somehow, standing directly in front of the television screen, when Westly death rolls the rodent towards the randomly spitting fire pits and sets the beast on fire. He stumbles towards his love, grabbing his sword and stabs the ROUS until there is nothing but the wails of the large rat dying. I watch in awe for the rest of the hour and something long movie.

That night I went to bed and dreamt myself in Buttercup’s position. The most beautiful woman in the world as the book starts. Meeting a farm hand who would later become my Dread Pirate Roberts, and we would ride off into the horizon on white horses. That was the first time I wished to be a part of the story. Yearning to have a man fight a disgusting large rat for me during a time of elementary school relationships and crushes became the talk of the 5th grade class. For the next two years I would spend my days and nights, dreaming myself into various movie universes. I was Sandy to John Travolta, Ruth to Mary Stuart Masterson’s Idgie. It wouldn’t be until I actually digested my first book, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, that I would learn about fan-fiction.

It was Kennedy that introduced Emma and myself to fan-fiction. She told us that it was easier to read yourself in the story than to imagine it. Having since just read, and I mean actually read, my first book in the aforementioned series. I fell in love with the Character named Newt. This character was described as having a limp and a British accent; this would be the introduction of my obsession with accents which my rather British boyfriend should thank profusely. I read a self-insert fan-ficton where y/n is one of only two girls in a maze with around 100 boys of varying ages. She falls in love with Newt and helps to heal him from the loneliness of living in this Maze with no memory of who you are. I read story after story all with this similar or same plot. When I ran out of stories for a character I sought out attempting to write my own.

As someone who had an immense hatred for reading and writing, I found this a fun challenge for myself. The earliest fan-ficiton that I have a strong memory of writing is one for the book turned tv series The 100. I had no idea how to take a story that already existed and create my own spin on it. So I sat there watching 5 minutes of an episode, and writing that down from y/n’s pov. I was only able to write three chapters like that, before I got bored. It’s still on Wattpad, but I won’t subject you to that mess. As I wrote more over the years, switching from movies and tv shows, to books, to korean pop music. I have grown in both my technical skills, and my confidence. I grew a following of my kpop fan-fictions who loved my writing and the storylines I created with their favorite members. I wrote one while at work one morning and by the time I woke up the next morning, I had 500 likes. I felt like a real writer.

That was back in 2022, when I changed my major to creative writing from social work, to follow my new dream of becoming an author one day. Now as a 22 year old college graduate, who is going to England for a masters program in publishing and creative writing, I am on my way to completing that silly dream. I often think back to that little girl who yearned to live in the movies she watched all those nights alone. Then to the teenage girl who wrote about being loved when no guy ever looked her way. I picture the three versions of myself in a room and look at them with teary eyes as they smile proudly at who they have become. I still yearn to live in make believe worlds. The real world I am forced to live in scares me more than any post-apocalyptic world or fire swamp in a fantastical one. This one becomes too much for me often. The anxieties of standing on the edge of countless possible futures is all too much. So I run to fight dragons, defeat wizards, and ride off into the sunset with my knight in shining armor. In these worlds I know I will have a happy ending, and no matter how much I might try, I know that won’t always be the reality in the real world.

#writeblr #delaneydaywrites #writing #prose poetry #writers on tumblr #poetry #poems on tumblr #words words words

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the-royal-petals · 2 years

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Oneiric | Multiverse of Madness ( Fix-It fix) | Chapter 1 | [Preview]

Description: Stephen Strange isn't the most open person in the world, which makes him one of the most mysterious people on the planet, but the one thing that they do know is his selflessness to help others.

For the last few days, he has been facing the same dream---a dream that stems from an incident from his childhood. At first, it was merely as annoying as a fly buzzing in the room, but as time went by, he felt his reality slip away from him, to the point he had to confess to Wong about his troubles.

So one day when it comes to helping himself, Stephen revisits an unlikely place with a few of his friends in hopes to get rid of his reoccurring nightmares.

Warnings: Drowning, descriptions of nightmares, angst.

Notes: Hello everyone! Here are a few things I'd like you to know before reading this. This is my first time writing something that combines the Marvel Comics and the MCU into one story; please forgive me if anything is incorrect or any characters are out of character.

My aim for this story is to include stuff that I believe should've been included in the movie and change some stuff around. I did enjoy MoM but I do believe there are a few things that could've been changed.

Please do give constructive criticism on grammar, or anything that feels off. But do tell me how to improve as that would be very appreciated. My writing isn't the best and I am hoping you could give me a chance <3

I apologise for this being so long-winded, but I hope you enjoy <3

Stephen was heading back to the one place he hoped he’d never see again.

He hadn’t been here in a long time, not since the incident. Stephen couldn’t stop replaying the memory in his head, and despite how much he tried, he couldn’t save her. He couldn’t save Donna.

This was the 5th time he has had this dream this year. He approached a small wooden cabin that still had its signature homely feel. Moss grew on the outer rims of the wood, climbing up to the overhanging roof where three tiles hung off. Three windows overlooked the lake on the front, and a single window overlooked Wendigo Forest on the right. On the roof, a brick chimney rose a couple of metres, still covered in a blanket of soot that kept his family warm whenever he visited.

The lake bed sat a couple of metres away; a pier hung over the edge. It was a place he used to sit when he was younger. He’d dangle his legs off the edge and watch his reflection as the water lapped and splashed at the wooden poles, occasionally spraying onto his feet. This time, he could see that the lake was frozen over. The lake had a dark-grey tint to it which grew darker as it stretched into the distance.

The sun hung low behind the mountains, casting a shadow onto the lake, turning the sky into a gloomy wonder, dragging its surroundings into darkness. Stephen could see a couple of trees dancing in the shadows, warping into mocking figures he swore had faces. The branches grew sharp teeth as he stared for a prolonged period as he stood on the wooden pier.

The cold air pierced through his skin, forcing him to hug himself to conserve the remaining heat. As he looked out, a tiny figure emerged in the distance. It seemed like a young girl, almost like a child. As she approached, Stephen immediately recognised her to be his sister. She wore the same clothes as she did on the day she drowned. A light-beige jacket with a fluffy white collar, and a winter bobble hat that was woven with the colours of the rainbow. Her boots and trousers matched the coat, winter boots and the same beige and fluff wrapped around the bottom of the legs.

This couldn’t be real. She died.

“Stephen! Come play with me, I’ve got something to show you!” Donna stared up at him with innocence; a doe-like stare forced him to smile at her. He felt something clench his heart, stealing a breath from him as he watched her grow closer.

How can he stop her?

Stephen gulped and took in a shaky breath, blaming it on the cold and not on his nerves that were threatening to break through. “How about we stay inside? It’s getting too cold and I think mum wants to watch a movie with us.” He suggested, though he could already feel her disappointment.

Donna frowned and tugged at his sleeve. “Do we have to?” She complained, looking out at the lake, “this is the first time the lake has frozen over and I was looking forward to it.”

God dammit.

Of course, he remembered how little it had snowed when he was younger. It was as rare as him being able to get a girlfriend. Going with Donna would be a death sentence for her; he couldn’t say no to her. Maybe he could use magic to save her? Would it be possible to go to the other side of the lake?

“I don’t know, Donna.” He said, looking at the pile of snow in the distance, “it’s getting dark. It could probably snow more tomorrow? The ice, uh. . .” he gestured to the crack, “it doesn’t seem safe.”

Saying those words felt like he was spitting venom, shutting down her hopes and dreams. This was about saving his sister. He couldn’t lose her again.

She looked at the lake and pouted, giving it a farewell before heading back towards the cabin. Donna gave him another glance before opening the door and wandering inside, dumping her winter jacket at the front door. At that moment, he felt like he had just committed the biggest crime against humanity.

Stephen followed her.

Opening the door, he expected to be in the living room. On the other side, cold air rushed from the mountains and smacked him in the face, causing him to shield his eyes and once he opened them, he was standing at the side of the lake again.

“DONNA?!” He called out into the darkness.

Around him, he could feel nothing. Darkness skewed his field of vision, tunnelling it so the only thing he could see was a metre in front of him. The wind picked up, whooshing past, blocking out any chance of being able to hear anything. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Donna was supposed to be in the house. Maybe he had accidentally cast a teleportation spell? Or saved Donna and this was his punishment?

“STEPHEN!” In the distance, he could hear a faint scream, muffled by the howling wind. He pushed forward.

crack.

Stephen looked down. He knew he was on the lake. Reaching out he attempted to create a portal, swirling his hand in a circular motion, but to no avail. He felt like he was back on Mount Everest again, forced to open a portal out of his arrogance. On his hand, he noticed the lack of sling ring, or any sort of sparks of magical presence.

But something told him to keep pushing.

Every step he took, the ice cracked further, the muffled screams became clearer.

“STEPHEN! HELP--! I CAN’T SWIM.”

Shit. How the fuck did this happen? She was just in the house.

He knelt down at the edge of the ice; the cracks stretching out every second, threatening to take Stephen down with it. But he didn’t care, he had to help her. Stephen reached out for Donna, grabbing her hand. Donna pulled him forwards, dragging him towards the black abyss that is the lake below. Her gasps and pleas echoed louder as the shadows grew closer, pulling him further towards the edge.

Stephen plummeted into the lake, water rushed into his lungs before jolting up.

He had failed again.

---------------------------------------------

[ I do not want this translated or reposted on any other platforms. This will only be avaliable on:

Archive of our Own; The_Royal_Petals

Quotev: @.averypoofity

Tumblr: @the-royal-petals]

Tags: @shadowmarvelartist , @strangeobsessed @doctorofmagic -- [Hey I hope it's okay to tag you! I remember talking to you and you wanted to see where I was going with this. I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think on twitter <3]

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Final note: Please let me know how I can improve this! This isn't the final version, so do give me some feedback if you can! Based on this chapter alone.

#feedback #marvel #fix it fic #Stephen Strange #multiverse of madness #nightmare #dreams #preview #constructive criticism welcome #fanfic #wong #angst #i need some feedback so please tell me what you think #please be nice about it ahah #but do tell me how to improve i need help 😭

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cowteapot · 2 years

Text

Babysitters Club

Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: You drag Eddie to babysit with you and find he’s actually really great with kid

Warnings: suggestive comments, language and overall fluff

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Long slender arms warp around your waist as you stand in front of the mirror fixing your hair, your boyfriend Eddie’s face appears on you shoulder in the reflection, he rubs his nose against your neck leaving slow kisses “Eddie.” You sigh, eyes closed as you lean into his touch you can feel his smirk against your warm skin, long arms snaking up your body to rest on your chest “we could stay here tonight, just us.” He whispers as he stares at you through the mirror, you watch as you run a hand up his hair before grabbing his ear and pulling him back “not so fast Munson. You promised me you’d do this with me, no backing out now” he groans loudly. Stepping down the stairs Eddie follows behind you like a puppy right on your tail “I know I promised I know but-” he almost trips on the last step “i hate kids. They’re sticky, loud, hyper and dicks” you raise a brow “so they’re like you?” This gains a loud gasp and a had throw up to his heart “you take that back y/l/n” you ignore him as you grab your keys, spinning them on your index finger, you strut out the door and towards your car leaving a pouting Eddie at the door “you coming? Or would you rather watch wheel of fortune with my mom?” “Yea I’m coming. I’m coming.” He trudges toward you car and quite literally throws his body into the seat “we’ll have you home and in bed my “8:30” you ruffle his hair earning and slap to your hand “let’s just go”

“We’re gonna have a great time Mrs.Wheeler!” You grin at the woman as she kisses the crown of Holly’s head. You close the door behind her before turning back to the two kids, well Holly and Eddie, “why couldn’t Mike watch her? Or Nancy?” Eddie groans, “Mikes at Wills and Nancy is with Johnathans” Holly states looking up at the taller boy “what she said” you point before walking into the living room “so Holls watcha wanna do? Color? Watch a movie? Play?” The girl stands and thinks a moment before darting off to her room only to appear a moment later with three coloring books and a large box of crayons before slamming them down on the coffee table in-front of you “i got one for your boyfriend” she heaves out plopping down onto the floor, you sit next to her grabbing the Duck Tales coloring book “come on Eddie!” You beckon but he stands his ground, arms cross, eyebrows furrowed he shakes his head “no. Nah ah I am not coloring. Never in a billion years”

“Y/N for fucks sake give me the yellow!” “Edward! Small ears!” “Well give me the fucking yellow” you throw the yellow crayon hitting him in the face as Holly turns red with giggles. Eddie currently sat crisscross applesauce on the floor of the Wheeler home with a Care Bears coloring book sprawled out in-front of him which he was taking quite seriously “thank you y/n. As you can see birthday bear MUST be yellow” he now carefully scribbled in the bears face, Holly leaned over to watch “well, you can make birthday bear whatever color you want” he looks up at the girl under his thick lashes “well. Holly. I prefer to keep to the original source material” she laughs “what’s that?” “What?” “Source material” it comes out kind of jumbled as she can’t really say it fully “like what it was originally” she furrows her brows looking down at her brightly colored page of mostly scribbles, “Eddie. Will you help me color?” She stares over at his surprisingly neatly colored bears, all inside the lines and evenly colored he nods “sure grab a page”

You the original babysitter had basically been abandoned sitting on the sofa watching the young girl in your boyfriends lap color in her own coloring page the help of Eddie “ok Holly keep the blue inside sleepy bear” she sticks her tongue between her lips in concentration, “yea just like that. Good” he cheers her on as she finishes placing the crayon down. You peer up at the clock on the wall, it’s hands pointing at 7:53 “speaking of sleepy bear” they both turn to look up at you, two sets of puppy dog eyes starring at you “give us ten more minutes please y/n” “yea! She’s getting so good at it” they both whine and pout but you shake your head “no come on Holly, your mom said bedtimes at 8. We gotta get your teeth brushed” Eddie stands up with her in his arms pouting “you’re just a party pooper” before he stomps off with the girl. You sigh out a laugh following him, you three stand in the bathroom, Holly on her little step stool in-front of the mirror, little pink toothbrush held tightly as she brushes back and forth “no no your doing it all wrong” ring clad fingers wrap around her wrist guiding her hand in a circular motion “this is how you make sure they’re super clean” after she finishes brushing her teeth you three walk to her room, getting up in her bed she lays down with blankets pulled up to her chin she receives a kiss on the forehead from you and a fist bump from Eddie.

“So it went smoothly?” Karen asks as Ted digs through his wallet “yea! She and Eddie got on real well” Karen laughs at this “oh Ted pay them already they’re probably freezing out there waiting for you” you two stand on the porch awkwardly as the couple argue before two twenties are placed in your hand “have a good night you two and thank you so much!” She closes the door and you pass a twenty to Eddie who great fully takes it “for all my hard work I should get yours too babe” he wraps an arm around your shoulder as you two walk down the drive way to your car “yea for someone who hates kids” you roll your eyes while unlocking the doors, plopping down in the seat he turns to you “i do. Holly tho, she’s cute you can’t hate her. Those little blonde curls. Ugh” he throws his head back smiling “also who taught you to color?” You question “and how do you know ALL of the Care Bears names? Like it’s freaking impressive I don’t think I could name a single one” he laughs over at you “I’m just so smart and talented and handsome and everything else” you punch him in the chest “I’m never complimenting you ever again”

#eddie munson fluff #stranger things #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #holly wheeler #eddie munson

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rosetintedgunman · 1 year

Text

Buckle up kiddos. Tonight, I'm going to tell you all about Santa!Wilford (or Wilford Warfclaus, etc). First, I shall bribe you with three doodles to show the differences between how he is normally, how he would look in winter if someone knows the secret, and on Christmas Eve/Day before it all starts reverting back.

No matter how he looks, he's a cutie. Scientific fact.

Now, you may be thinking, "Ash, this is a ridiculous idea that isn't relevant at all". I simply shake my head and tell you to pay more attention. At the end of Markiplier TV, Wilford starts performing an improv scat/performance. One of the lines is "I killed Santa Claus [...] No presents for the children of the world". It's a throwaway joke, sure, but I always remembered it. Plus, it's the only rambling about a cultural/historical figure that made it into the final cut (Mark's bloopers make other references to history).

Then, a few years ago, I was watching the S.anta C.lause movie. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. It's silly and wholesome. But the general plot is this: if you kill Santa Claus and put on the coat, the clause comes into play and makes you take over. And you won't believe what Wilford did.

This meant, in this timeline, Wilford ended up with this HUGE responsibility. And he hated it. He ignored it every year until mid-December when he either had a strong instinct pulling him back, or elves literally kidnapped him. He should have been stuck in the North Pole full-time, but his own reality warping powers trumped that. It's also why he doesn't look the part most of the time. There was an upside to all this: Wilford finally was able to start vaguely keeping track of time.

But then… there was one year, fairly recently, where he put out a statement banning the naughty list for that year. He realised everyone was feeling rotten, and it might be nice to have something good to look forward to. That idea placed a tiny gear in his brain.

(It's said that Christmas was the most magical in a long time)

At some point during the following year, the gear clicked, and Wilford realised the responsibility he had. Somehow, despite everything that had happened, all the blood on his hands and madness in his head, he was in charge of something that brought happiness. He decided, for the first time, to make a proper effort. This included helping with the heavy lifting, and also trying to come up with "You Survived the Year" gimmicks for those that didn't believe in him.

This year has been a curious one. He's regaining more of his memories as William, and he's more aware of the present moment than ever before. He's been hopping between the Roller, the Studio, and the North Pole, and you might think this is far too much for one character in one verse…. But that's exactly what William did.

You see, after the war, William hated downtime. He didn't like sitting around, doing nothing, and thinking about everything that happened. He had a bunch of free time in the trenches and it's not a good place to reflect on life. William began keeping himself as busy as possible. When things were good, he was working as Mark's handyman, covering duties in the barracks, and working on renovating the little cottage he was living in. Thus, the idea of juggling several jobs isn't that far fetched to Wilford. In fact, with how he can teleport and take shortcuts, it's easier to manage them all.

So what of others knowing? By default, your character won't know. At the time of writing this, Wilford would have half-white hair and a white beard. However, he can hide these when he isn't in the North Pole, and he'll do so as much as possible. He doesn't understand why he can't tell anyone he wants, but it's a rule that he begrudgingly has to follow. It won't stop him trying to find out what people are hoping for or try to motivate adults to take part again, for instance.

Saying that, he can tell people. If he's dating someone long-term, he has to let them know. They would notice the long disappearances. Anyone associated with Christmas or other Holidays would see through his illusion. If it's someone he absolutely trusts, he might drop a hint, but it would be dependent on the individual. Otherwise, he'll laugh off any suspicion, admitting that his tubby shape gives off that impression.

It is a gimmick, absolutely, but it also plays a part in my interpretation of Wilford. It's helped him keep track of time - since taking on the role, he has barely fallen out of time, compared to constantly doing so beforehand. It's given him connections unrelated to the other Egos, and a chance to interact with others in a strange way. It's allowed him to have somewhere where he can be childish and silly and be encouraged. It's a place where he physically cannot take out his gun without it disappearing in a puff of glitter to be temporarily confiscated. All in all…. It's done him good. And maybe, one day, he'll tell someone because he thinks spending time in a place like the North Pole would do them some good too, but we'll see how things go. And! After a lot of begging he's been given a suit that is a little more pinkish-red than it ought to be!

At the end of the day, Wilford is the first Santa to already have reality warping powers. When everything else in his life fades away, he'll always have the Santa role. He can't stay dead, after all, so the clause would never pass on to another. With that in mind, he'll try and do what he can to bring a bit of joy.

Especially to his friends. He's a little biased.

#reporterheadcanon #long post #(I think I've had this on the blog the whole time; or at least for three years)#(whichever it is I am very proud of this silly thing. afaik I haven't seen anyone else take this idea and run with it)#(he has also been trying to use the day to celebrate people surviving the year regardless of beliefs or traditions. You deserve a reward!)#on the tablet #(whoops I better go sleep)

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togglesbloggle · 2 years

Text

Don't Actually Watch It, Though

I know it’s hopelessly meme-ized at this point, and that’s honestly a bit sad, because the worldbuilding in Morbius is genuinely neat in places. Like, it’s a terrible movie, no question, and the characters and writing are top-to-bottom preposterous, but every once in a while they back a cool world out of a bad story almost by accident. It’s all the more impressive in this case, because of course it’s a comic book movie. You’d expect the deeper lore of a vampire flick to suffer from the requirement that Captain America be living just down the street, right? But that’s the happy accident of it all, I think- having to wrestle with that, and grabbing for the specific solutions it does, ends up giving the whole thing an element of genuine romantic horror that you otherwise usually see in only the good vampire stories. (Honestly this is probably the only way they actually managed to convince Matt Smith to be in it.)

None of this is quite made explicit, but the central insight that makes (the world of) the movie add up is that supes can take the role of The Good in a comic book universe, instead of the more traditional religious symbolism, and that you can recreate that fallen/cursed feeling in romantic vampires by defining them as much in opposition to superheroes as to God in a metaphysical sense. Much of (traditional) Dracula’s iconography is defined in opposition to Christianity, right down to the blood-drinking that mocks the ritual of communion, the lifeless rising from the grave, etc. And Morbius can’t leave this legacy behind entirely; it’s not like you can have a vampire flick without drinking blood. But centuries of pop culture treatment have sort of carved out a zone where you can add your own flourishes in the vampire archetype, and what Morbius chooses to add is actually pretty fun! It reflects and warps our expectations of superheroes, just as Bram Stoker reflects and warps Christianity, and manages to actually recreate that ‘fallen’ sense of tragedy and alienation in a way that I suspect a straight treatment of the subject would not.

Like, take the short memory thing- the rolling three days that vampires take to forget events. Textually it’s ‘the inflexibility of a brain that’s made immortal’ or whatever, and they gave it an in-universe medical explanation so that the Designated Love Interest could show off her medical chops. But it also echoes comics themselves, how heroes occupy a kind of eternal Now. When that eternity becomes explicit in the text as a parody of itself, it also becomes a visceral symbol of isolation and loss, the hero through a dark mirror.

Or, to take another example, the complex relationship that Morbius!Vampires have with masks and faces. Old vampire lore already has the no-reflection thing, and it’s no great leap to extend that to recordings and cameras and things, but it’s genuinely kind of spooky to have these vampires reflect their victims instead of mere absence, and it gives a disquieting tenor to their otherwise merely plot-convenient ability to take on old memories as well. And there’s that echo of supes again. Superheroes create their own faces, as masks, to build that larger-than-life image. Vampires twist and mock this- they also choose their faces, but in the way that a thief chooses a target. The gut punch when you realize that vampires could steal Tony Stark’s face, but they could never steal Iron Man’s, and what that means for them.

Anyway, one can’t effortpost about this movie too much, but you can see what I mean. It’s an elegant way to combine the dark romanticism of the vampire myth with the narrative structure and themes of comic books, without much compromise. Just a shame that it’s wearing such a silly hat.

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bred-crumbs · 2 years

Note

Hmm. Something I would like to bring up with Jade, Jake, Roxy, and Dirk, is that honestly I think their perception of gender is very much effected by their isolation. With Jake of course he has for more of an external influence than the rest of the three because of the sheer amount of movies he watches, but it's still something where only having the influence of Hollywood and not having people around him, his idea of gender is very much based in those movies. Funny enough I think one of the reasons where I think he would be okay with his chest is because of those absolutely shredded actors where they have massive pecs. To him having a chest, mixed with his muscle structure, is just like the guys in the movie he looks up to.

Then we look over to Jade and Jade is someone where her only external influence of gender is some stuff online and the paintings upon paintings of women that her grandfather kept. I think this, mixed with her autism, makes her feel very isolated from any sense of "feminity" because she isn't curvy and she doesn't have perfect hair or anything. I think Jade Harley has a disconnect from the gender binary and I think her isolation generally adds to this.

Then with Roxy and Dirk, the total destruction of society as they know it gives them the chance to have their own version of what gender is. I think that if you asked them what being a guy was and what being a girl was they would give you fundamentally "wrong" answers. They have built their identities, and ideas of identity, in reflections of shadows. When you are the only two people in the world left, your idea of social constructs are going to be different than what they were back when there were people to enforce them.

(btw of course the autism effects more than just Jade's gender, it effects all four's genders. I just felt it was incredibly noteable for Jade)

HOO OK TIME TO TRY TO ANSWER THIS ONE AGAIN

Honestly I don’t tend to primarily think of jake as a trans man but I really love this hc, and yeah he was far more affected specifically by movie media and it’s tropes than any of the alpha kids and it’s interesting how much it’s built into his character and gender. Like for me his idolization of femme fatale characters and girl characters in general is huge on why I hc him as transfemme/nonbinary, there’s just so many ways to interpret him along with the media he like

🤝 Somebody said it ty, no matter how u see jade that gender can autistic 🤝

Ok the thing with dirk and roxy is Jesus is gender perception warped, building your ideas about identity based on what little knowledge remains about a dead culture you were never apart of is rough to say the least. I love to interpret them as transmasc and transfemme respectfully bc they took what they looked up to from a era they were never part of and tried they’re best to imitate it even if it came out somewhat wonky traditionally. They’re hanging on by thread to something they can’t experience but still have to attempt to fit in with its culture, but they’re def still trying to do it their own way

#asks #and np I like reading essay type thoughts lmao sry it took so long to get to this

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jsab-crisis · 2 years

Note

Oi¡

First time I'm asking so uh

I have multiple questionsss

(You don't have to answer all of them¡)

If I remember correctly, one someone asked if Square's bandages were for decoration or served an actual purpose¿? The question was never answered and I'm still curious about it.

From the beginning of the comic; What did Blixter do and why was it that when he was being executed (What I'm assuming was) New Game's face was present?

Also were Square and Blixter ever gonna be a like a thing asking for friend/hj

> Are Square's arm bandages decorative or serve an actual purpose?

They're actually injuries he gained from fights. He had made a lot of bad enemies back when he was doing petty theft so the consequences of those forced actions are catching up to him. Square usually fights back or just lets it happen (the latter being most common), the guy is really going through a lot and doesn't have the self respect to even stand up for himself.

There was going to be a scene where Rai (the yellow circular shape with a floating piece eye. Often known as the one who pulled the electric level in Blixter's dream) makes a come back and is harassing Square. Why? He works for Wilt and he's supposed to be keeping an eye out for any potential danger that might come to Blixter (ironic, right?)

Wilt is a mobster- a mob boss actually, has their own group. They're the one pulling the strings behind the scenes yet it will eventually lead to its downfall. Rai stuck lit cigarette butts against Square's arm and Square didn't fight back.

So, in short, Square sustained injuries. He eventually stands up for himself and make an effort to right his wrongs with Blixter's help, finally getting the support he needed to get his life back on track.

> What was the dream all about? (Blixter's execution and New Game's appearing)

...honestly? I have no recollection what the actual reason behind it was. Thing is, during production, the story is constantly warping and changing as my creative process changed. It wasn't just my art style that was morphing throughout the pages, no, it was also my brain.

That dream was more of a movie reference (several? Maybe) if I remember it. Let's Talk About Kevin being one of them, that movie stuck to me when I first watched it. Crisis AU was more rooted from an Indian movie called Three Idiots but since we're talking the dream sequence... well--

There's no solid answer because it's warped in the back of my head. Was it all a metaphor? Literal? Was Blixter's actual fate or someone else close to him? I really wish I can properly answer this but I can't form a solid answer to something both vague and literal. A flaw in story writing on my end.

How would I decipher it or at least improve from that? Well;

"Blixter has his own issues rooted from his lack of friends and barely experiencing the outside world, his fathers put him in a small safe bubble in which he is unable to properly grow as a person. This will lead to him being unable to take responsibility of his own actions nor properly face the consequences, he will struggle and fall into a doomed mindset-- akin to Square.

That dream was more of an internal fear of becoming someone he doesn't to become, a fear rooted inside him in the form of poison (hence why he puked while he was in the electric chair).

When the judge listed his vague crime and evidence, it reflects that no matter what, it is still Blixter's doing. It's never said what he actually did, it was kept vague; it could have been different! Murder? Maybe not!

What matters is that, deep down, Blixter sees himself as someone doomed from the start because he's terrified."

That's my two cents.

> Also were Square and Blixter ever going to be like a thing?

Do I not draw them fruity enough. Are the hints not THERE. THE BLOG BANNER IS THEM HOLDING HANDS.

THESE BITCHES ARE QUEER, GOOD FOR THEM.

#Ask #Crisisspeaks #crisis au

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fairydust-stuff · 2 years

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Black Butler: Alois Trancy, hate, Mental illness, and Gender roles? Spoilers for season two

Alois trancy seems to be hated for various reasons, i’ve heard fans talk about what an awful character he is. he’s selfish, abusive, evil ect.

The curious thing is all the Black Butler Characters are immoral, only about two or three aren’t. And Alois isn’t the most cruel, or most hard hearted of any of the characters shown on Black Butler. Madam Red is Jack the Ripper, The Count Druit selling people on the black market, and Agni was a criminal who slaughtered people just because he had class issues.

Now maybe these characters aren’t that popular, but i know of three very amoral characters who are loved by the fans who cann’t stand Alois.

One Grell is a comedic phycopath, who murdered Madam Red her lover, for refusing to kill Ciel. But humor aside lets take a look at her personality, She is completely selfish, vain and takes stalking and ignoring consent to a whole new level. Will sleep with anything that moves demon dogs included, Remember she was ready to help Ciel, because he promised to let her do what she wanted to Sebastian. The guy who hates and is repulsed by her. She even says dispite her feelings for Sebastian she’d hack him up and is completely serious when she says it.

Sebastian- Lets ignore how hot he is, although fan girl do realize he’s a mutilated crow right? Another Amoral character he is a demon who is preying on a child, seasoning his soul so he can simply have a good meal. Sebastian smirks at Ciel’s suffering and pain constantly. Manipulates and lies when it suits him and enjoys squishing humans who have no chance aginst him like bugs. In season two he violated Ciel’s trust lied to him, and once Ciel was a demon and had no soul Sebastian killed him. Proveing the only warm feelings Sebastian has toward kitties.

Lastly Ciel himself he’s saddistic, cold, cruel and willing to sacrifice what’s left of his family and friends for revenge. To avenge his pride. He has already killed two people and ordered the deaths of many more. Shows no remorse and will let his Demon be abused to suit his purposes or will pimp him out.

All these characters have personality traits Alois has been accused of or warped into by fanfiction. He does in fact share these same traits with other characters so why are they loved for them, while he’s hated? I think it has to do with gender roles and the idea of people being unable to accept, what they do not perceive as normal behavior. People hate what they don’t understand.

It all starts with media,. years of watching boys and men in fiction shrug off every trauma and abuse, and remain unaffected by it has made viewers forget. In real life Boys who go through half the things they go through in movies, books, and television would end up completely messed up. Media and society stresses this idea of manly strength boys, don’t get hurt, boys don’t cry boys can take anything. Any boy who cann’t is weak hence, complete contempt for Alois trancy’s character. Who gets hysterical when the lights go off and cries a lot and gets scared.

He’s very emotional, needy and immacurity in contrast the Ciel who’s cold detachment, apparent “machurity” and calm disposition reflects the manly ideal. Ciel goes around ordering Sebastion to kill people and in fiction male characters are judged by their willingness to wield power. Alois has power but would rather have Claude as an friend then a slave.

Plus Alois likes blue bells, wears frilly nightgowns, dresses up as a girl and likes soft girly colors like pink and purple and his carefree attitude toward gender roles and implied sexuality is bound to make anyone who’s homophobic or insercure uncomfortable. He dosen’t care about dignity, money or power like Ciel another what men want steriotype, but instead wants comfort, safety and love.

Alois is mentally ill so his behaviors and mood swings scare people, and make them feel uncomfortable much like how people react when confronted with real mental illness. Its easier to judge then to understand.

When people see someone like Alois they feel resentful and feel the need to put them in their place. They scream ” Stop acting like that!” But that’s why i love Alois. Throughout the show he was told by everyone. That he was filthy and worthless, crazy and weak that his emotions were wrong even his demon Butler Claude told him, Alois was unworthy because he loved him. Everyone around him perfer’s the cold detached Ciel phantomhive.

Only Hannah a fellow outcast accepts and loves Alois for who he is faults and all. She helps Alois triumph in the end and in the end its he who controls the fates of the oh so perfect Ciel, and both demons. In the end he wins the game because he embraces his emotions and turns them into a strength beating the more manly, cold detached and more popular characters.

Claude is also really cold and calculateing and Sebastian simply uses emotion to manipulate people, underneath the mask he’s also pretty chilly. This makes some fans angry because Alois character not only challanges social and gender roles with his behavior but succeeds even when it seems he’d been crushed like a bug.

Grell is aloud to have the same behaviors as Alois and viewers are fine with it, because Grell is a trans women. Women are supposed to be passionate and emotional according the the sterotype.

Or maybe i’m over thinking it and fans just hate Alois because he’s going aginst Ciel and they like Ciel and he put Sebastian out by making him unable to eat Ciel’s soul. Or even they see him as a threat to their Sebastian X Ciel ship. And maybe people just love Grell beacuse of her big chain saw. I don’t know for sure those were just my thoughts on the matter.

#alois trancy #essay #ciel phantomhive #black butler #sexism #hompobia #gender roles #ableism #mental illness

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declanowo · 7 months

Text

31 Days of Horror - Day 25 - Five Nights at Freddy's

25/10/23

I remember the first time I decided to engage with Five Nights at Freddy’s as a series. I think it might be where my love of horror truly started, although I didn’t branch out into movies for a while longer, as far as I can remember. With my grandma, I had just dropped off a few presents to my cousin for his birthday, and when I got back, I decided to be brave and watch something scary; I believe this was just around the release of the fourth game, and so, the game’s popularity was at its highest - I was so very terrified of the idea of the series, but incredibly intrigued. Instead of watching someone playing the game, I turned to the Game Theory videos, where I binged them all, curled up on my sofa terrified. After watching one, I couldn’t help but watch more, and in that moment, I fell in love with the series.

I have been excited for the Fnaf movie since inception, from the vague rumours, cancelled ideas and eventual release of the movie. While I will get into spoilers momentarily, I will say I loved this film, I was smiling widely for the majority of this film, excited by every little detail! I don’t think the film was perfect, there are a myriad of issues I had, but I can’t say I didn’t have an amazing time watching it. Upon leaving the film, I was still deeply excited about it, and found myself knowing it would be received decisively - which it appears I was correct about - but I think for newer people, or fans of all areas of the franchise, not just the games, it is a very pleasant and fun film!

Okay, onto the film itself. The plot takes elements from the first three games, mostly the first, with a few characters plucked from elsewhere. However, the film tells its own unique story, which I enjoyed a lot! I remember before the film came out watching as people speculated about how Mike and William didn’t recognise one another when they first met, which of course was simply explained by this being a completely different timeline - these characters aren’t related. Instead, it explores its own story, using the games as a framework for telling it! A while back, I had an interview for a uni, where they asked me what my favourite film adaptation of a novel was. Upon reflection, we discussed how the best adaptations rise from doing something unique with the source material - why watch the film, when instead you could simply read the book that does everything beat by beat the same? Therefore, I believe that regardless of what the outcome is, and how fans react, this is a good adaptation.

Most of the characters in this are great - our lead, Mike, is portrayed in a very fun way by Josh Hutcherson, and I found him to be an incredibly compelling protagonist, his story slowly unravels across the film, and he was a believable character for sure! I especially loved his relationships with other characters, mainly his sister as portrayed by Piper Rubio and Vanessa, played by Elizabeth Lail. Everything about him was great, and I enjoyed the vibrant dream sequences he endures, alongside the turmoil he is forced into. Mike is obsessive, he’s lost in dreams that his relationship with reality grows to be warped, he loses track of what really matters to him, and it makes him all the more interesting.

Another aspect of the film I loved was the animatronics. Although I have read some complaints about them, I found them to look amazing, their dance sequences especially, and the score that accompanies it is super good! They are incredibly menacing when they need to be, yet at other times they are endearing! To me, they shined both at being appealing and scary, and their movements really sold me on that! Films such as Willy’s Wonderland and The Banana Splits Movie have animatronics that look like people in suits, in contrast this film makes them feel inhuman, their movements are robotic and eerie, there is an unpredictability to them. One sequence in particular shows them as being kind, they build a fort together, and it helps for the audience to drop our guards somewhat. I have seen a whole heap of criticism for this sequence, with people suggesting the silly and campy tone to it ruins the entire film, but to me, it shows a unique side to them that reflects what they are - animatronic mascots designed to entice children. Duality is seeped into them, and they are creatures that have no control over themselves, they are both children, and horrific murderous ghosts.

In contrast to the aforementioned sequence, I think the scene where we watch a group attempt to trash the pizzeria, only to be picked off by the animatronics is very scary. Honestly, my only complaint with it is that I wish we saw more stuff like this in the film. Its use of shadows is scary, it makes us dread looking around the frame, it creates a deep sense of dread and fear. All of these kills rule too - it allows them to get creative, without being too graphic in what they show, instead, much like the games, it leaves the rest to our imaginations, which is likely scarier than what they could do! Each animatronic of the main four gets to shine here, and it gives them all personality that I adore! Like I said, I just kind of wish we got to see more stuff like this - a rare time I wish we saw a longer film actually, it feels like there is so much potential, but I feel this only highlights my love for it! Wanting more can only be a good thing.

While watching, I was constantly excited about the set design, from the props to, of course, the pizzeria set itself. It felt so lived in and real, it was ancient and dark, while bearing the nostalgic flare and charm that is needed for the place! Every time we returned to it, I could hardly contain my excitement.

I want to end on a positive note, so I feel like going through some issues I had now is good! For one, I wish we saw more of Golden Freddy, and I guess just the other animatronics doing stuff too! I loved everything we got, from the scary to the funny, but it only left me hungry for more! Everything about them worked for me, and I guess it just felt like they were underutilised at times.

Some plot points also felt like they were hurtled through - I imagine when writing this film, a lot of issues arose as far as the lore of the games, and how it should be incorporated. There is a point where you reach a crossroads; retelling aspects like having children haunting the suits is a boring reveal that most people know, but the characters don’t, so how can it be integrated in a way that the characters understanding makes sense, but the audience doesn’t get bored of the drawn out spiel. Ultimately, I just felt like it didn’t take long for Mike to get on board, which isn’t inherently bad, but I felt like it all fell into place too quickly. Like I said, I get why! They did what they could with such a tricky dilemma.

Vanessa is an interesting character. Her design in the games is the most interesting thing about her - the bunny suit is instantly recognisable, and distracts from the sometimes confused and muddied character. I still like her a lot. In this film, they took a different direction, which I liked! It feels like in a sequel they could still follow through with her bunny form, which could work similarly to how Afton controls the animatronics. I did also enjoy the subversion of the twist, where William is her father instead, and I was pretty proud of myself for theorising about it when we first met her! However, she sometimes still felt kind of one note and bland, I can’t quite explain it! She has so many interesting pieces, yet I feel the mystery of who she is sometimes took away from her character.

Finally, I felt like there was an overuse of the kid actors, rather than the animatronics! I get what they were going for, and I enjoyed them in the dream sequences which felt creepypasta inspired in a really good way! However, it does sometimes take away from the tense atmosphere for me when instead of the animatronics, we are staring at a group of children. I think I wouldn’t mind so much if there were some more sequences of the animatronics killing, but alas, it is what it is! Now onto a positive, one I have had to sit on a lot! That being Springtraps depiction. I love the character a lot, he is one of the best looking animatronics in my opinion, at least, his first appearance was! In the novels, which I have only read snippets of, I found the way he was written to not be very scary or interesting, with his dialogue being clunky and pretty bland! Here, we also see Springtrap talking, however, for me, it works here. Likely, this comes from better dialogue from him, and the amazing acting by Matthew Lillard, who I love so much and was very excited to see in this film. I am a huge fan of Scooby-Doo and Scream, so when it was announced he was playing William Afton, I couldn’t wait! And yeah, he puts on his crazy performance, and I loved it a lot. Not to mention how amazing I found Springtrap to look here! Once again, I just wish there was more of him! I enjoy his presence being limited, sure, it makes him scarier! The whole film he is built up as this mythical figure, and his final reveal is terrifying, but it didn’t feel like enough for me. Maybe this is just my desire for more Matthew Lillard always, but I would have enjoyed seeing him more. Although, his acting as her stabs his daughter is haunting, I can’t wait to see it again when it releases on streaming, because wow. There is a possibility that this William Afton is my favourite, but I’m not too sure just yet.

As I’ve been writing this, I’ve watched more reviews pour in for the film, a lot bad, some good, and I find myself hoping that as more people watch it, they too will enjoy this. At the very least, people enjoy it enough for a sequel to be made, because wow I am desperate for a sequel! This film leaves so many open doors and possibilities, and I would be delighted for it to get more praise as well as another instalment. I almost feel like this is a film that will see a renaissance in a few years, where people will fall in love with it after knowing what to expect more. I don’t want to dwell on what others are thinking, because I loved it! This is one I am definitely wanting a physical copy of, and I can’t wait to rewatch it again soon.

9/10

#halloween #horror #horror movies #creative writing #literature #reviews #review #horror film #horror movie #five nights at freddy's #fnaf

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existentialmagazine · 7 months

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Review: Delving into dark wave and dreamy sounds all at once, emize shares her new reflective single ‘return the gaze’

Brooklyn-based producer and artist emize has grown from her classical training within her youth, originally finding herself through drama in impressionist music and creating orchestra scores in her teens. Later inspired by SOPHIE, FKA twigs, Arca & Object Blue, emize began to take her skills into the world of industrial, thundering, and yet delicate sounds, a merging of her orchestral days into something more electronically ladened. In the quiet of her bedroom, her music was her confidant, and now within her forthcoming EP ‘text me when u get home’ she begins to show off her previously unseen capabilities. Her latest offering from this body of work is the remarkable ‘return the gaze’, a profound and reflective take on the state of our modern world.

Listening to emize is like the dimming of a movie theatre for the most dramatic opening sequence, with goosebumps rising along your arms and your heart racing, you know right away that what you’ve gotten yourself in for is one hell of a ride. As ‘return the gaze’ begins with the most abstract assortment of sounds alike nothing else you’ve heard before, the futuristic world of emize will quickly become one you wish to soak yourself entirely within. From a static, whirring distortion to heavy electronic pulsations that set a striking base of beats, ‘return the gaze’ almost feels like it’s laced in the scenes of a neon-lit alleys amidst a bustling cyberpunk city, not just instrumentally distinct but completely transportive in the soundscape it delivers. Things lurk more into a dark-wave approach for the verses interruption, lingering in drawn-out synth that’s almost like muffled sirens; intermittent pounding beats and a spoken-sung approach from emize drenched in warped vocal effects for that added technological foundation the song seems to reside within. Things take a complete shift for the pre-chorus though as emize softly haunts through a flowing higher range and airy delivery, a moment of delicacy and intimacy as though this were emize’s respite in a world otherwise always watching. Paired with this sincere moment are loosely played electric guitar strings and subtle beats, an intentionally stripped-down break that sets you up for the calm before the storm. Things don’t rest for long though as emize has other plans, coming in bold and unafraid for a groundbreaking chorus, thumping through your earphones with bombastic layers of multiple beats, drum clashes and high guitar strings strung out and contorted for effect. At over three minutes in length, ‘return the gaze’ has a lot more to offer in the journey of its sound, but we’ll leave it up to you to discover those secrets.

Though we couldn’t help but compare the sound to that of a neo-city of sorts, ‘return the gaze’ lyrically reflects on the streets of the real world we live in, clasping around a sense of disturbing and almost jarring sound shifts to deliver a narrative weaved with deep significance. Writing of the everyday experience that comes with existing as a woman, ‘return the gaze’ snaps back at the male gaze and the systems in place across the world like patriarchy, sexism, capitalism, and the horrendous rise in things like anti-Asian hate crimes, meaningfully seeking change from the corruption and policies that continue to fail us. From one of the opening lines ‘everything that we’ve been told, play nice’ , emize seems to touch on the way women often find themselves fearing for their lives when approached and leered over, always told to be mindful of their words and reactions rather than the abusers face their crimes. As she continues that ‘I’ve seen ones like you before’ , emize ensures it’s clear that we are surrounded by these people who abuse their power, unsafe and left to fend for ourselves without protection. But things take a darker turn when she sings ‘quietly I’ve been chasing’ , a snap back at the fearful encounters and instead turning the tables, leaving the predator to become the prey. Locked in this standoff, the hook of the single rings out ‘return the gaze, don’t walk away’ , holding her place in a world that does not allow her the courtesy of simply being. Rallying for the creation of a ‘new world’ , ‘return the gaze’ is an anthem with a message, an urge to retake power from old white leaders who make policies at the expense of QTBIPOC and people at the margins.

Check out ‘return the gaze’ for yourself here to take on the expedition that emize’s sound takes you on, as well as an unsettling message within created to really leave you thinking deeper.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Steph Pan

// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

#tatiana

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