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Mystery Inc. meet Holmes and Watson!

I am having a lot of fun with this Victorian Scooby Doo au!!

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Dbd Valentine icons so far 🥳💖

You can get yours HERE

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Did Charles ever fall into a lake perhaps during a school outing? Did Edwin hug him to keep him warm after that?

Or did Charles get lost after he had a fight with someone and Edwin talked with him to keep him company until they were found?

So far, nothing like that happened to Charles! But sometimes, just like any 4–year-old, Charles gets sad. Once, when Edwin noticed, he wanted to make his bestie feel loved and decided to make Charles a whole book all about Charles!

Charles couldn’t believe ten whole pages of nice things about himself.

Here is the book:

Above: Cover page of the “CHRL (Charles)” book, as written by Edwin. (Daddy Crowley taught him how to draw sparkles!)

Below: Charles is “STRG (Strong)” and can lift heavy rocks with his big muscles.

Above: Charles is “BRV (Brave)” and stands up to big Simon on behalf of “SmL (small)” Edwin.

Below: Charles is “SMAt (Smart)” — answering the ABC questions that Miss Nurse asks.

Above: Charles is “KiND” to everyone at school, according to Edwin. Here he is “HLP MONti (helping Monty)” dig in the sandbox.

Below: Charles loves to “HUG FRMZ (Hug Friends)” — okay Edwin is a little jealous when it’s not him. Edwin, are you sure Charles hugs Thomas?

Above: Charles can eat lots of “SPiSi (Spicy)” food like curry, wasabi, or basically anything that Edwin’s tummy cannot handle. “Wow” is right!

Below: Charles can “JUMP” the pommel horse. Here is Miss Jenny with her whistle and Edwin cheering Charles on.

Above: “BENTR (Adventure)” here is Charles leading the way on an ice cream adventure that definitely happened in Edwin’s heart and soul.

Below: “SMiL (Smile)” Charles does have “NiS TEF (nice teeth)” because he is good at brushing and gargling. Edwin thinks this is grand.

Above: Charles gave Edwin a big hug and Edwin gave Mr Kutta a hug when Edwin got hurt.

Below: “Mi CHRL (My Charles)” C: “FRENZ OK (We’re friends, okay?)” E: “OK”

And in response…?

Charles was so happy.

Readers, what do you do to make your bestie happy when they’re sad?

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Colored panel. Coloring just this one page re-affirms my decision to do black and white bc I'm so precious about color id NEVER finish.

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Hello!

question for everyone, kids and adults alike: who's your favorite person in kindergarten and why?

to the mod: not a question, just wanted to say your idea is very cute and your art as well. have a nice day!

Thank you! We’re very happy you’re all loving this AU!

We sat the kids down and asked them a bunch of questions. Here are the results:

Best friends:

Favourite friends:

Friends:

Scared of:

Enemy:

Rival:

Class pet:

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The Midnight Club - Season Two

I'm very disappointed that Netflix has decided not to pursue a second season of THE MIDNIGHT CLUB.

My biggest disappointment is that we left so many story threads open, holding them back for the hypothetical second season, which is always a gamble.

So I'm writing this blog as our official second season, so you can know what might have been, learn the fates of your favorite characters, and know the answers to those dangling story threads from the first season.

So for those of you who want to know what we were planning to do, here's a look at what would have been season 2!

AMESH Season 2 would open with Amesh, his glioblastoma advancing quickly. He would tell the first story of the season, but would be struggling to make it through. We'd focus on his love story with Natsuki for those first few episodes as it becomes clear that Amesh's death is imminent.

Meanwhile, Ilonka is trying to reconcile how she was fooled by Julia Jayne, all while falling further in love with Kevin, and she realizes he may be fading faster than he lets on.

Ilonka begins a serialized story in an effort to encourage him to "stay alive a little longer," like he did in season one. And the story she tells is... REMEMBER ME.

This was the thing I was most excited about for this season.

REMEMBER ME is one of my all-time favorite Pike books - it tells the story of a teenage girl who is pushed off a balcony, and awakens as a ghost. She has to navigate being a spirit while trying to solve her own murder. We would have stretched this story out over 5 episodes. We were going to use it as a vehicle for Ilonka to try to come to terms with the fact that she is going to die, and to begin to trying to wrap her head around being a ghost... but this is the coolest part... the lead character of Ilonka's story wouldn't be played by Ilonka. She'd be played by...

Anya.

Because this is how we live on, isn't it? In the minds of those we leave behind. And Ilonka would use REMEMBER ME as a way to imagine her dear friend Anya, waking up as a ghost, navigating the afterlife. And this sets up one of the best mechanisms of the show - even if a character dies, as long as they're remembered by members of the club, they live on in their stories.

As the story starts to pick up steam, though, the group will have to deal with the death of Amesh, which he greets with grace and bravery.

In his final moments, he sees someone in his room - the Janitor from the first season, as played by Robert Longstreet, who says comforting things to Amesh even though he can't respond.

In his final, final moments, the SHADOW descends upon Amesh, and he is engulfed into it, which reinforces the idea that the Shadow is DEATH...

With Amesh's death comes something that upends the entire thing: a NEW PATIENT. We didn't work out too much about who this would be, but it would be a new roommate for Ilonka. Someone taking Anya's old bed. Ilonka would find herself being initially cold to her - just as Anya was when Ilonka arrived. Even feeling like this new girl shouldn't necessarily be ushered into the Club. But of course they would develop a beautiful friendship over the course of the season. The new girl joins the club, where something else exciting is happening - Cheri is telling a story. We hadn't decided which one, but I think it might have been MONSTER.

Natsuki would be the next to die, which would be heartbreaking. And again, she would talk to the janitor just before it happened... and again, the Shadow would come in the final moments.

For Spence, though, things would take a different turn.

The advancements in HIV treatment in the late 90's would come into play, and we'd see his prognosis change. The HIV cocktail came out in Dec 1995, and we really wanted to explore that.

Spence would ride the swell of antiviral advancements, and by the end of the season, he'd no longer be classified as terminal. In the finale of season 2, Spence would leave Brightcliffe just like Sandra did in Season 1, heading off to manage his disease and live the rest of his life.

But onto the BIG MYSTERIES of the season one... here are some answers: What is up with Dr. Stanton's tattoo and bald head? Well, a few things. First, Dr. Stanton is actually the daughter of the original Paragon cult leader, Aceso. Her nickname was Athena, she wrote the Paragon journal that Ilonka found in S1. She turned on her mother and helped the kids escape, but because she was part of the cult in her teenage years, she had the tattoo.

It was her initials that Ilonka found carved into the tree in season 1 (her maiden name was Georgina Ballard, hence the G.B. that Ilonka finds carved in the tree).

She hated what her mother became, and the atrocities of the cult. She reclaimed the property after her mom was gone, and wanted to change it into a place that celebrated life. She was trying to undo her mother's legacy and leave something behind that was beautiful. She is wearing a wig at the end of S1 not because of a sinister reason, but because she is undergoing chemo. Dr. Stanton has cancer. Having helped so many people deal with disease, she now has to deal with it herself.

Her treatment would be successful, and she'd go into remission, but having to face that - while caring for the terminal kids at Brightcliffe - was going to be a very introspective arc for Stanton.

What about the Living Shadow? It's Death, right? Well... no.

At the end of the season, Kevin will die... followed shortly by Ilonka. And as she is dying, two things will happen. First, she'll find herself talking to the Janitor, played by Robert Longstreet... and she'll make a discovery.

HE is Death. And nothing to be afraid of. It turns out no one else ever saw this character. Stanton has a cleaning service, and the Nurse practitioners make up the rooms - the only people who ever saw this mysterious Janitor were the patients. He is Death, and offers them kind words before they die. Then what was the Shadow?

This is an idea we take directly from the book REMEMBER ME, and we'll see it play out in the final moments of Ilona's final tale. In Pike's book, Shari is pursued by a dark entity called The Shadow. When it finally catches her, though, it turns out it is not a bad thing at all.

The Shadow is THEMSELVES. It's the Unknown. As it engulfs someone, in the last moment of their life, it takes them through a place of understanding and catharsis, preparing them for the next step.

THIS is what happened to Anya in S1 when the Shadow finally reached her - that's why she fantasized a life beyond Brightcliffe, which ultimately let her find acceptance of her death. It looks different for everybody, depending on their mind-set - because it is simply an extension of themselves.

The Shadow is just the final catharsis, a return to our original form - it is a moment of true understanding, and once we experience it, we move on to the next place.

We see the Shadow in full effect when it finally comes for Kevin. KEVIN DIES with Ilonka at his side, and it leads to the biggest reveal of the season:

Who were the Mirror Man and the Cataract Woman?

They were Stanley Oscar Freelan and his wife, who built Brightcliffe (fun trivia, he is named after the real-life Freelan Oscar Stanley, who built my favorite hotel in America - the Stanley Hotel. The Stanley is also the inspiration for THE SHINING!).

But more than that... there's a reason that Ilonka only sees Stanley in the mirror, and sees the Cataract Woman whenever she looked at Kevin. This is something else we took from Pike's original book... these aren't ghosts, but glimpses of PAST LIVES.

Ilonka WAS Stanley Oscar Freelan, and Kevin WAS his wife. They've lived many lives this way, and are true SOUL MATES - they always find each other, and they always fall in love. In this life, they knew it would be a short one, so they agreed to find each other in the house they built. They've been "remembering" who they are, and glimpsing their former selves in reflections, and sometimes when they look at each other. This is also why Ilonka's very first words to Kevin in S1 were "Do I know you?" and why Kevin thought she was familiar as well. They are two souls who always find each other, again and again.

The story is this: Stanley was dying, and built this cliffside home hoping that the seaside air would help him. It did, and he far outlived his prognosis (this is also true of the real-life Freelan Stanley). However, his wife began to succumb to dementia.

She would wander the halls, looking for him ("Darling!") and would even forget to feed herself ("I'm starving...") and she eventually refused to leave the basement. Heartbroken for her, Stanley painted the walls to resemble the woodland view, and the ceiling to resemble the night sky, so that it would be a little more beautiful for her.

He also painted a labyrinth on the floor, which was a technique used to try to curb the effects of dementia. She'd walk the pattern of the maze and it was believed it could help her cognition. Eventually, she developed frightening cataracts, but Stanley loved her through it all.

They were soul mates.

So while they seemed scary in season 1, that was just how Ilonka and Kevin's mind were trying to remember their pasts. We even had their faces distorting in ways consistent with how memories degrade over time. When the Shadow comes for Ilonka, and gives her this understanding - this "remembering" - she realizes she has nothing to fear. She and Kevin will shed these personas and be reborn, and have the joy of finding each other another way. The Shadow comes for her, Death takes her gently, and Ilonka goes off with Kevin back into the cosmos, ready for their next incarnation. The series would end with Cheri telling this story to a whole new table of patients, including our new series leads. Most of our original cast now would exist as stories, a story told to the next "class" of storytellers at the table, all of whom we will have met by the end of the season. A story called "The Midnight Club."

Well, that's it... that was what we had in mind. It's a shame we won't get to make it, but it would be a bigger shame if you guys simply had to live with the unanswered questions and the cliffhanger ending. I loved making this show, and I am so proud of the cast and crew. Particularly our cast, who attacked this story with incredible spirit and bravery each and every day.

But for now, we'll put the fire out, and leave the library dark and quiet. To those before, and to those after. To us now, and to those beyond.

Seen or unseen, here but not here.

I'll always be grateful that I got to be part of this Club.

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if i had a nickel for every supernatural show i've watched with british teens that's gotten cancelled i'd have three nickels

which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's happened three times

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am i crazy, or does charles look incredibly flirty in this shot?

like boy control yourself and that tongue lmfao

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Winter lock screens commission for @carpediemma

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Did Mr. Kashi get Edwin's letter about the Cat Ice Cream for Thomas?

Yayyyy we get to talk about Mr Kashi! We love him so much, okay? Here is a little overview of who he is, for those who don't know:

And here is a list-up of the menu and who likes which ice cream! Sometimes Mr Kashi comes to the school to visit his close friend Miss Nurse.

After Edwin wrote his special letter requesting the cat-shaped ice cream with the bubblegum nose for Thomas, there was a sort of long adventure which we won't get into just yet, but rest assured Edwin is a smart little boy who has a great skill for escaping the kindergarten when he sets his mind to it. (He didn't go alone, either.) Anyway, Edwin's letter ended up in Miss Nurses's hands, and Miss Nurse showed it to Mr Kashi.

What happened next is another story, but after long last, finally Edwin and Charles were able to get Thomas his ice cream! (Yes, Charles did do something nice for Thomas at Edwin's request.)

Here we can see Charles's version of events, which is probably the closest to the truth:

Notice Edwin and Charles holding hands and eating their ice creams (Orange Italian Ice for Edwin and a Cookie Sando for Charles) while Thomas ogles his cat ice cream. Mr Kashi and Angie are also pictured in the background.

Next is how Edwin saw things:

When Charles and Thomas started to get along, Edwin worried just a little that Charles would have a new best friend. What he didn't catch onto was that Charles and Thomas are still competing for his attention and were bickering as they ate their ice cream.

Last but not least, here is how Thomas saw things:

We can see Thomas being a regular delulu 4-year-old in his drawing. First off, he's the only one with ice cream when everyone was eating. Second, there is absolutely no way Edwin was smiling and holding his hand. Charles may or may not have been cross with him, that's debatable, but he was never that far away. Papu, who looks so proud of Thomas here, was not even present as this happened during a school outing. Thomas. Are you sure!?

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do the kiddos like hugs?? do they get enough hugs?????

They absolutely do get all the hugs they want!

Charles loves hugs! Hugs aren’t common in the Rowland household when his dad is around, but when he’s away, mummy spoils Charles with hugs. He quickly learns that hugs are her way of telling him he’s safe and loved. So when he’s in school, he shares them with friends. Edwin and Mr. Kutta are his favourite to hug—aside from mummy. And although Edwin isn’t much for hugs, he melts into Charles’ all the same. 

Edwin is not a hugger. He’s as picky with hugs as he is with food, and he rarely initiates them. The only times he does is when he’s with Charles and/or his dads, but his dads reassure him that that’s fine. While Niko hugs people as freely as Charles, Crystal would rather someone hold her hand in comfort when she’s sad; Edwin’s learned that people show love and support in all sorts of different ways.

Crystal did not grow up with hugs. She was brought up to be a proper, polite young lady, and affection wasn’t something she’s used to. Hugging is new and awkward for her, but Niko and Charles are teaching her how to do them properly. And although Crystal still finds hugging a bit weird, she’s learned to see them as another way to show affection with her friends and her beloved butler. She’s practicing hard so when her aunties come to visit, she can hug them perfectly.

Niko believes her mama, papa, and baba hugged her as soon as she was born. Mama and baba made sure to let her know every day that they both love her very much through hugs, and although Niko knows hugs can mean so many different things, she thinks they’re the simplest and best way to show someone they’re important to you. She would hug the whole world if she could! So if she refuses to hug you… well. That just means she doesn’t like you very much.

Thomas is very prickly with hugs. Because he only knew Papu, Auntie Tess, and his toy Burger for the longest time, he’s only really comfortable hugging them and a few other people, like his best friend Niko and maybe Crystal. And although he’d rather initiate hugs, he’s learned that sometimes he has to wait for friends to tell him it’s okay to hug them. Thomas would really love to hug Edwin, and he’s currently practicing how to ask him for one politely at home with Papu.

Monty is not used to hugs as well. Esther isn’t a very affectionate mother, and as an ambitious actress, she’s often busy with new projects. But once Charles hugs him for the first time, Monty discovers he quite likes them, and begins asking for them in his own way. Thomas is his favourite to hug—he privately thinks the chase and the squeaky noises Thomas makes are absolutely hilarious.

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Art for an AU that the Payneland Party is cooking up- (based on @tragedy-machine ‘s art) - where Edwin barely escapes from hell just as Charles is dying, and both of them make it out alive if impossibly changed. @ask-geralt is the mind behind all the writing for it.

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Fem bkak as that tiktok trend (I love them)

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I am a Charles Rowland slut okay and this is why I can say how much he fucking annoys me with his whole act towards Crystal in the beginning. Listen

He's such a teenage boy about it, which is annoying already- you know when your friend has a new crush and then suddenly everything is about the crush? You'll at least roll your eyes at that, it can get frustrating really fast.

But THEN. BUT THEN

Since he is not, in fact, a normal teenager as much as he wants to pretend he is, he's actively bringing a stranger into the agency which is not only his and Edwin's business but also their home.

(this has nothing on Crystal btw. She has no memories or fucks to give. She's totally valid for going along with whatever happens)

Imagine you share a house with your best friend and they suddenly drop someone on the couch and announce the person is staying. What the fuck.

AND TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, Charles spends days if not weeks choosing Crystal's side in almost every argument. When he says he agrees with Edwin on something he even goes "I know, I know" and rolls his eyes like he hasn't been with Edwin for 30 fucking years agreeing on a bunch of things.

(It's funny how then, in episode 6, when he doesn't want to take up Monty's case, he thinks Edwin will agree with him. Hah. How the turn tables, etc)

It bothers me so much and it has nothing to do with the romantic part of it, but with the fact Charles is just not being a good friend. It's no wonder Edwin is being such a bitch, although he too is missing the mark and letting it all out on Crystal who is literally just there.

Anyway. I love Charles with all my heart and that's why I reflect on his flaws and shitty behaviors too. And everything turned out well in the end, yeah, yeah, but ugh dude c'monnnnn

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So here's my explanation for the Core Four Pony designs :)

Edwin

For his design, I gave him this more blue-ish color scheme, just like the one in the series. I thought a unicorn would fit him very well, since he knows a lot of spells and all. He's also a big nerd, and that reminded me of Twilight.

Charles

- At first, I thought about giving him a red fur color, but since his red shirt has a lot of red and it would probably overlap too much.

- Him being an Earth Pony comes from the fact that he's "the brawn". He's strong, resilient, protective, and I imagine him being super agile with his cricket bat, being able to do all kinds of tricks, even searching his infinity bag without using magic, which also reminded me of Applejack :)

Both of them have no cutie marks since, in this AU, they died before finding their purpose.

Crystal

- First things first, I absolutely LOVED drawing and painting her hair here.

- Her being a unicorn comes from the fact that she is a very powerful magic user in the series

- Her cutie mark is pretty much based on those three blue eyes from inside her mind and her official poster (also, I did take some inspiration from the All Seeing Eye and Jonathan Sims from The Magnus Archive, which is a mystery and horror podcast that I really really recommend for those that don't know it :) )

Niko

- An Earth Pony, since she's a "normal" human in the series, and her very pink-ish aesthetic , alongside her bubbly personality, reminded me of Pinkie Pie (Except for the fact that she may become a alicorn once she becomes the Director)

- Just like the series, in this AU, her hair becomes white, and she gains her cutie mark after those events, cause she finds her purpose in helping her friends and those in need instead of isolating herself

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this is officially my first drawn Krystal