#* arc ↷ williams / supernatural.

[euryleli]

I don't think anyone from the byers-hopper family is going to die!

I would love to hear more about your theories regarding this subject if you really think there's an actual chance of characters like Will and El (or even Jonathan) dying in st5 - because from where I stand, I just... can't see it happening!

It doesn't make sense to me for a number of reasons!

First there's Will: a closeted gay teen from the 80s living his WORST life in smalltown, Indiana. Will, a boy who has been bullied his entire life not only by his peers but also by his own fucking father - all in the name of this inherent otherness he carries that's been associated with his queerness since episode 1 from s1!! The boy that's always described as kind, honest and sensitive - the little kid who changed the world of every single one of his loved ones with his absence. William Byers, the boy who went to hell, spent a week there and then came back all wrong, slowly losing his identity because he was fucking possessed by this otherworldly creature - who was burned out of him, mind you AND the after effects of his frolicking in the upside down for seven days straight and late possession by freaky monster #1 led to a connection that haunts him TO THIS DAY!

THEN (because it can't get better) we have stranger things season 3 and 4 where will byers gets beaten time and time again by forced conformity, internalized homophobia and, of course, the usual supernatural Horrors that we're all acquainted with (and that have a canonical narrative connection to all the issues previously mentioned but wtv)!

Ur telling me that this boy who hasn't known A SINGLE DAY OF PEACE in his LIFE (because Will had it bad before the upside down), who's the only confirmed gay character (as of now) AND the one who doesn't believe he can or even deserves love?? Is going to die??? This boy is not gonna have his happy ending? Will Byers, the starting point of this whole story is gonna be used as a pawn to... what? Further develop a straight relationship that actively hinders the arc of the female main character (El)? His death is gonna "complete" his arc and we'll deal with another case of the "Bury Your Gays" trope? Mike's character is gonna be buried alongside Will then because if his ending is one of conformity then all his actions throughout the series make no god-damned sense - basically he's just an asshole and an awful fucking friend? What the actual fuck??

So... Will dies, saves everyone but leaves Joyce and Jonathan completely heartbroken? Even when their love for Will is what kick-started the whole show? The show started with us rooting for them to find Will and they did!

But oh... wait... he died lol

It doesn't make sense, narratively speaking.

"What about El, then?" you ask!

Look, I'm slightly scared for her too but I genuinely think they're not gonna kill her off and the main reason is Hopper. What's the point of having Hopper grieve Sarah, his first daughter who tragically dies at a young age from cancer, just to make him start coping with her loss, bonding with El - actively viewing her as his family - to then take that family from him A SECOND TIME?? WHAT'S THE POINT OF THAT?

Aside from El's arc and her development as a young girl who was robbed of her childhood and sense of self for so long finally coming into her own person (not Hopper, not Mike, just El), killing her off is an efficient way to ruin not one but TWO of the most beloved characters in stranger things.

Having either Will, El or both of them dying in the finale would be a tragedy and yes, stranger things has it's moments where everything goes wrong and people die (and stay dead) but...

It's not supposed to be a tragedy.

That's not the kind of show we're watching.

Hell, you can say that they're going to kill the other family members then! But I don't see them killing Joyce or even Jonathan (although I can admit I'm not fully confident on that last one) because - again - it defeats the whole purpose of the show and Hopper came back from the dead already, the duffer brothers are not gonna kill him AGAIN (El grieving her father a second time is just as bad as Hopper grieving Sarah, then El)

The Byers are the heart of the show and sure... stranger things s3 and s4 kind of lost the plot on that front, but we're definitely getting back with willel and their final arcs in s5 (their family, now with Hopper and El, will be heavily featured in their development)

So, yeah...

Stranger Things is, fortunately, not a tragedy - and considering the love I have for all the characters (especially the Byers-Hopper) I can't say I'm upset about it.

[kirwell]

OKAY, after rewatching Teen Wolf after like 10 years, and being as obsessed as I am with Transformers Prime, it's come to my attention just how wildly similar these four characters' relationships and situations are,,, and I LOVE it

This has to be one of my fav parent/child dynamics, next to "man worn down by the world accidently adopts a girl and becomes their dad" trope- aka Joel/Ellie - aka Lee/Clementine. Bonus points if the dad dies horribly.

But onto the point-

We have Melissa McCall- a divorced single mom, raising a teenage son in high-school, who is a hardworking, overworked nurse struggling to make ends meet at home.

And we have June Darby- a divorced single mom, raising a teenage son in high-school, who is a hardworking, overworked nurse struggling to make ends meet at home.

Both remain in the dark about what their sons are truly involved in, and worry about their recent behavior.

NOW, the sons.

Scott McCall- an awkward teenage boy with an average life who works a part-time job to help cover the bills at home.

Jack Darby- an awkward teenage boy with an average life who works a part-time job to help cover the bills at home.

(They also both have crushes on a girl at school that they want to impress- but unlike Sierra, Allison is actually a part of the main cast and plotline)

Both of their lives are overturned when accidentally encountering something extraordinary, and it changes them forever.

For Scott, it was being turned into a werewolf, becoming part of this secret world, and finding out who he is and rising to something he never thought possible. He becomes a leader and a True Alpha.

For Jack it was discovering an alien race marooned on Earth fighting an age-old war, becoming part of this secret world and finding out who he is and rising to something he never thought possible.

He becomes a protector and an Honorary Prime.

Both Melissa and June are introduced to the main events of the show by being put in danger and being saved by their sons. Of course they don't react to everything well at first, scared and afraid for their kids' safety, but eventually coming to terms with the importance of the roles their sons now play, supporting them and becoming healers for the teams.

The relationships between the moms and sons only grow stronger, and the love they have for each-other is always present on screen, even in times when they are at odds with each-other in difficult situations.

I just think this is so sweet. I feel like typically with shows about teenagers and crazy drama, they're fighting with their parents and don't get along at all. But Melissa and June are such great mom characters, and Scott and Jack have close bonds with them.

When Team Prime was in hiding, Jack breaks down and calls his mom, despite knowing how dangerous it would be to open that line of communication cus of the Cons hunting them. Miko and Raf didn't even consider calling their families during that time to let them know they were alive after disappearing.

Obviously, Teen Wolf had way more seasons and time to flesh out their relationships, while TFP didn't, which is a big shame. There was still so much untapped potential for TFP- especially for the humans, before it was canned.

Scott got to reunite with his estranged father (who is funnily named Rafael), and there was a lot of strife there, but eventually the trust was rebuilt between them.

I would've loved a family arc with the Darbys! The only time Jack's father is mentioned is in that one ep with June and Fowler dealing with Knock Out- and BOY I would've liked to see more of that explored upon.

Also another funny comparison I'm just now realizing...

Melissa was friends with a law enforcement character- Sheriff Stilinski, who both got involved with the supernatural elements of the show. And June became friends with a law enforcement character- William Fowler, after being exposed to the Cybertronian War. Both of these guys are awesome and loveable too. Fowler is rough around the edges, but he's easily one of the best human ally characters ever in TF.

Idk,,, i just think this comparison is neat and I had to talk about it. Jack is my favorite of the Trio kids, and anytime I can yap about him in any interesting way, I gotta!

[willbyersabyss]

Will isn’t important to the plot and the entire show is supposed to revolve around El. Will’s supernatural plot is there to unite El with Mike and give her an opportunity to fight monsters who took Will solely to look for her. Will’s queer arc doesn’t matter. He’s just a late bloomer and they made him gay as fanservice. At the end of the show, Will will sacrifice himself to Vecna after being harshly rejected by Mike. This isn’t a homophobic choice, it’s realistic because it’s the 80s. Then El and Mike will get married at the age of 17 and name their firstborn William to honor Will’s sacrifice.

[j4m3s-b4k3r]

CREEPY Steve

2024 is the 50th anniversary of Stephen King’s first published novel, CARRIE. The story of a bullied telekinetic teen, who gets blood-soaked payback at her prom. Since then, he's written 65 novels, 200 short stories, and 5 nonfiction books. A freakish feat, almost worthy of one of his supernatural characters.

King’s first published story was when he was 19 years old. He continued selling short stories after graduating from the University of Maine, and while teaching English at a public high school, all later collected in NIGHT SHIFT. He's averaged more than a book a year since 1974. Many of his novels were initially released under a pseudonym, lest their sheer number dilute his ‘brand’. I became aware of King via the early movie adaptations of his books. CARRIE, THE SHINING, and THE DEAD ZONE. A great introduction, as those early films were all good, whereas most adaptations of his work are terrible, sadly. 

During one of the Halloweens in the covid era, Julia & I got into a CREEPY STEVE frame of mind. Watching the better film adaptations, and listening to audiobooks. Those narrated by Will Patton were faves, as he really brings the characters to life. The Bill Hodges trilogy - Mr MERCEDES, FINDERS KEEPERS and END OF WATCH - were all marvellous, and introduced the wonderful character Holly Gibney. Who then appeared in further stories of her own. 

There are 10 Stephen King short story collections, and all that I’ve read contain several gems. JUST AFTER SUNSET has the terrifying (yet somehow hilarious) tale of a man trapped and left for dead in a capsized porta-potty. DIFFERENT SEASONS contains the stories that inspired THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and STAND BY ME. Donald Sutherland starred in a great film entitled Mr HARRIGAN’S PHONE, taken from IF IT BLEEDS. Which also contains another great Holly Gibney story. 

ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT, is an engaging book, narrated by the author himself. Part memoir and part how-to instructional. Reminding me of William Goldman’s ADVENTURES IN THE SCREEN TRADE, in that it can’t truly deliver the secrets to making the magic that it promises, but serves up entertaining & revealing autobiographical anecdotes instead.

We are now used to seeing vampires in contemporary settings, so some of the 1970s impact of SALEM’S LOT has been lost. But both the book and its movie adaptation have many indelible images. Such as a vampire child hovering at the window.. (an inspiration for John Ajvide Lindqvist perhaps?)

After listening to book after book of King’s, and loving their brilliantly observed characters, and wonderful dialog, DARK TOWER was conspicuous for not having the elements that are normally intriguing in his books. Maybe I’ll give this series another shot someday, as friends swear it gets better. 

We read THE SHINING and its sequel, DOCTOR SLEEP, watching & enjoying both movie adaptations. King apparently despises Kubrick’s version of THE SHINING - "The book is hot, and the movie is cold; the book ends in fire, and the movie in ice. In the book, there's an actual arc where you see this guy, Jack Torrance, trying to be good, and little by little he moves over to this place where he's crazy. And as far as I was concerned, when I saw the movie, Jack was crazy from the first scene.” 

After reading the book, I understand King’s critiques, and agree with his second point. Jack Nicholson seems already about detonate on his drive to the hotel. Whereas King’s Jack was driven to madness by the malignant spirits within it. However, Kubrick’s film is so indelibly stamped into my mind, that I cannot unsee it. Nor unlike it neither (sorry, Stephen).

“Plot is, I think, the good writer’s last resort and the dullard’s first choice. The story which results from it is apt to feel artificial and labored.” - Stephen King.

I work in storytelling too, but in my biz it’s the dullard’s choice all the way - everything plotted & discussed, ad infinitum. King apparently starts with the merest idea, then writes straight ahead, surprising himself as he goes. A magician pulling a string of goodies out of his own head. At his best, this approach produces stories that feel naturalistic, with surprising twists and turns. 

At his worst, it can be rambling, meandering and self indulgent. Especially when he struggled with addiction. Apparently, King was so out of control in the late 1980s, that he was confronted by an intervention after finishing the TOMMYKNOCKERS manuscript. A pity then that the editor wasn’t given more latitude in tidying up that waffling mess before it went to print..

Stephen himself agrees - “I mean, The Tommyknockers is an awful book. That was the last one I wrote before I cleaned up my act. And I’ve thought about it a lot lately and said to myself, “There’s really a good book in here, underneath all the sort of spurious energy that cocaine provides, and I ought to go back.” The book is about 700 pages long, and I’m thinking, “There’s probably a good 350-page novel in there.”

We enjoyed the screen adaptations of IT, CHRISTINE, 1922, THE MIST, and 11.22.63. After soaking in worlds King has created, on page & screen, it became clear that the recent NETFLIX hit, STRANGER THINGS, is merely glorified Stephen King fan fiction. By the end of the pandemic, we’d chewed through many stories, yet only a mere fraction of The King Catalog. 

King is thought of as a master of the paranormal, but his real genius is for the everyday. Some of my favourites King stories are his straight crime fiction, or stories about real life. Even his famous horror stories are grounded by settings in relatable blue collar situations.. The writer Peter Straub even compared King to Dickens: “Both are novelists of vast popularity and enormous bibliographies, both are beloved writers with a pronounced taste for the morbid and grotesque, both display a deep interest in the underclass."

How does a man who’s been a millionaire for decades, with a very recognisable face, keep an ear for dialog patterns of common folk? Does he wear a disguise, and lurk in truck stops, diners, dive bars, and greyhound bus stations, taking notes?

 “He's one of the first people to talk about real Americans and how they live, to capture real American dialogue in all its, like, foulmouthed grandeur... He has a deadly ear for the way people speak... …Surface-wise, King's work is a bit televisual, but there's really a lot going on." - David Foster Wallace

Lately, we’ve embarked on yet another quest to chip away at the KING oeuvre. Having already fallen in love with Bill Hodges & Holly Gibney, it was fun to watch the Mr MERCEDES TV series. Even though the filmmakers took liberties with the characterisations. Rather than the shy, smoking, middle aged, OCD woman of the novels, the TV Holly is a perky & cute 30 something. An autistic variation on the manic pixie dream girl trope. (sigh..)

Taken from a short story collection entitled EVERYTHING’S EVENTUAL, the gripping movie 1408, starring John Cusack & Samuel L. Jackson, is the creepy story of a skeptical paranormal investigator, whose cynicism is challenged by spending a harrowing night in an actual haunted hotel room.

In THINNER a selfish fat lawyer is cursed into anorexia by a gypsy. Entertaining, in 'the guy deserves everything he gets' manner of a parable from the Twighlight Zone. It seems to have inspired Sam Raimi's DRAG ME TO HELL.

GERALD’S GAME seemed like a story written on a bet, or an author’s exercise - “write a novel where the protagonist never leaves their bed for most of the story.” To me it felt like it might have worked better as a short story. When King fails (for me, anyway) it's when there hasn't been enough editing.

King has apparently said that PET SEMATARY was his book that scared him the most, and it is extremely creepy, but for me, MISERY was even more terrifying. I'd already seen the film, and Kathy Bates’ Oscar winning performance, but the book is even scarier somehow. There’s nothing paranormal about this story. There is utter horror, but it is the worst kind that there is - the twists & turns of the human mind.

Despite, or perhaps because of, King’s great popularity, literary critics long damned him with faint praise. In 2003, when he received the National Book Foundation’s ‘Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters’, some became openly hostile:

"The decision to give the National Book Foundation's annual award for "distinguished contribution" to Stephen King is extraordinary, another low in the shocking process of dumbing down our cultural life… ..What he is is an immensely inadequate writer on a sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, book-by-book basis." - Harold Bloom

Bloom is dead, so King gets the last word - “A lot of today's reviewers grew up reading my fiction. Most of the old critics who panned anything I wrote are either dead or retired".

In 1999, Stephen King was flattened by a vehicle while walking along a highway - "After the accident, I was totally incapable of writing. At first it was as if I'd never done this in my life. ...It was like starting over again from square one." As someone who was been flattened too (but in a very different way) one of the many inspiring things about King is how he recovered from that terrible accident, to do some of his very best work.

CREEPY STEVE is a one-man multimedia idea engine, keeping the publishing & Hollywood machines running. We are still enjoying poring through the King library (listening to THE INSTITUTE now) so if any of you have further recommendations, please let me know in the comments!

[castlebyersafterdark]

honestly, the fact that noah is a sore loser is for me the no.1 byler endgame evidence hahahah

niche i guess unless you actually follow or pay attention to him, so ofc anyone who blindly hates him wouldnt know. but that boy? THAT boy? who gets angry losing some stupid game? is THIS happy with s5? and you think will isn't getting served some freshly squeezed mike wheeler for keepsies for LIFEEEE? bitch, come on. get. real.

😆 (i mean ofc he would still be obliged to do the job but he wouldnt be making such a fuss of it all, if he didnt like it. ya know. kinda like... dont say it... millie)

This is a good point!!! I honestly honestly think that Noah wouldn't do us all dirty like this, going online on his little bedside tiktok chat seshes acknowledging Byler so much and being giddy about it if his baby, his pride and joy William Byers wasn't getting the boy. That would be really weird especially as a young gay guy who understands fandom? Noah "I'm the happiest I've ever been" and the double triple quadruple meaning to that admission. He's gotta be winning this thing!! He's getting the perfect happy ending. He and Finn have said the show ends perfectly, their characters get a happy ending - especially Will. WHAT other ending is fitting for Will to be honest??? Oh, he's alive and the evil is defeated. Yall, that applies to any character.

Will is in love. Will's gotta get his love reciprocated to have a satisfying arc completion, because there's something to root for there. YES - the supernatural, the upside down, Henry's whole deal, and he's got a more major role in that than others... but defeating Vecna and restoring peace to Hawkins is also the goal of every single other main character in the series. There are individual motivations as well for everyone. WHAT is Will's secondary arc? And it's not "oh, he's gonna come out and everyone will accept him." The thing is at this point in the show, not that his coming out story isn't important - but by means of knowing the characters, the most important ones in his life are Joyce and Jonathan and one of those people already accepted him. No one watching thinks for a second Joyce is an emotional roadblock. Who is??? Mike. Accpeting him and reciprocating him. Because Will doesn't believe it. Will doesn't believe he'll have romantic love. But we're to root for him now. So, we're intended to root for Byler.

Our fond little sore loser has nothing to worry about. He's raking in the protagonist love interest payoff glow up. He's excited and thrilled and invested in the story and the cast surrounding him. Not saying it too deeply either but we know what we're implying here with someone not seemingly so into season 5 and the diminished hype. Wonder why...

[zahri-melitor]

New 52 Bat Comics: What to read

Claiming everything in this 5 year period is irredeemable is a long ask, and there’s both some stories in here that are important in terms of ‘where things happen’ and others that are just genuinely entertaining reads. I enjoyed myself on multiple occasions as I worked through this period, and I'd like to put a spotlight on those occasions.

Here’s my suggestions of what to pick up if you are interested:-

Batwoman, particularly J.H. Williams III’s run (#1-24). If you have any interest in Kate Kane at all, this picks up immediately following Rucka’s Elegy storyline in ‘Tec, and only has the smallest levels of retcons built in to update from pre-Flashpoint (Cameron Chase gets a character reset, the DEO is slightly different, there’s a chunk of alluded to backstory with Renee Montoya that’s been shaken up by Montoya losing a lot of her history). Marc Andreyko’s run should have been better than it was – he handles the editorially-mandated Kate and Maggie breakup in a way that’s very familiar if you’ve read Andreyko’s Manhunter, but never manages to achieve a particularly interesting plot. I would however suggest reading the Batwoman Annual written by Andreyko, even if you stop at Andreyko, as it ties off the Williams III story.

Gotham By Midnight: Gotham police’s secret magic division, where Jim Corrigan, as the Spectre, is dealing with supernatural threats. Exactly the sort of minor series that gives more depth to Gotham as a city.

Detective Comics #30-44: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s run on ‘Tec and the guest story from Ben Percy (Terminal 1&2) is probably my favourite mainline Batman storytelling of all of n52. It’s very police force based, rather like Rucka and Brubaker’s runs in the early 2000s. It’s focused on Harvey Bullock, but in a compelling way. They handle the concept of Batman, both from Bruce and from an outsider’s perspective, in a way that reminds me of some of the best Batman storytelling. The first two arcs are better than the third, for the unavoidable reason that Jim Gordon’s Batman in the third arc. Ben Percy’s Terminal 1&2 is a genuinely compelling airport disease outbreak story, and unlike a bunch of these types, holds up to read post-2020.

Arkham Manor: Despite what the title might make you believe, this is a delightfully fun story. Come for ‘what happened when Arkham Asylum fell into a hole in the ground’, stay for possibly my favourite Victor Fries characterisation ever. Next time anyone tells you Bruce Wayne doesn’t care about the rehabilitation of criminals, remember he gave up his HOUSE so they had somewhere safe to stay and he convinced the cops and psychiatrists to let Victor Fries live in an igloo on the Manor lawn basically for enrichment purposes.

Gotham Academy: look, if you want a lighthearted school story about teens that dips into some of the weirder mythology of Gotham without getting too bogged down in it? This is a fun read. There is definitely bonus when you know various other Gotham properties well, but at heart it’s just a magical/meta-filled school.

We Are Robin: I really like this as a story fleshing out Gotham and what Robin as a concept means to the children and teens of Gotham. Duke’s great and this solidifies a lot of the characterisation Snyder gave him and really grounds him with a backstory, but Riko Sheridan is also sparkling off the page with potential.

Batman & Robin, #1-23. Frequently frustrating, this is probably the best balance of writing of Damian in n52 and of Bruce’s feelings towards Damian. The 5 issues immediately after Requiem really set out for me the difference in discussion of death of a child between 1989 and ALPOD and 2013 and Damian’s death. I also think this contains the best writing of Damian actually struggling with his legacy as a ROBIN and with his feelings as the youngest child of the family.

Robin: Son of Batman: this in contrast is more of a look at Damian’s backstory PRIOR to his first appearance in Gotham and dealing with his feelings and penitence for his actions with the League of Assassins. It’s good if you want a whole-hearted attempt at balancing the inherent contradictions between “Damian’s existence and childhood is a betrayal by Talia that is hard to forgive” and “Talia as a complex character who loves her son”.

[lxmitlxss]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Mobile Friendly Muse List

as of 08/29/24

Canon Characters

Pandora Hearts:

Xerxes Break

Gilbert Nightray

Vincent Nightray

Elliot Nightray

Levi Baskerville

Vanitas no Carte:

Noé Archiviste

Vanitas

D. Grey Man:

Allen Walker

Lavi Bookman

Marian Cross

Tikki Mikk

The Ancient Magus Bride:

Elias Answorth

Ruth

The Millionaire Detective: BALANCE UNLIMITED:

Haru Kato

Moriarty the Patriot:

William James Moriarty

Sherlock Holmes

Angels of Death:

Zack

Trigun/Trigun STAMPEDE:

Vash the Stampede ( both versions )

Nicholas D. Wolfwood ( both )

Millions Knives

Meryl Stryfe

One Piece:

Sanji Vinsmoke

Zoro Roronoa

Trafalgar Law

My Hero Academia:

Izuku Midoriya

Shoto Todoroki

Denki Kaminari

Shouta Aizawa

Keigo Takami (Hawks)

Dabi

Jujutsu Kaisen

Yuji Itadori

Megumi Fushiguro

Nobara Kugisaki

Satoru Gojo

Suguru Geto

Yeah I haven't finished this one so BE KIIIIIIND

K Project

Yashiro Isana

Saruhiko Fushimi

Reisi Munakata

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Durarara!:

Izaya Orihara

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Atsushi Nakajima

Sigma

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Dan Heng

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Veritas Ratio

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Gallagher

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Seele

Huohuo

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PROMARE

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Rensuke Kunigami

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Hyouma Chigiri

Danganronpa

Byakuya Togami

Junko Enoshima

Leon Kuwata

Yugioh

Yugi Mutou

Yami Yugi

Joey Wheeler / Katsuya Jonouchi

Seto Kaiba

Ryou Bakura

Yami Bakura / Bakura

Duke Devlin / Ryuji Otogi

Jaden Yuki / Judai Yuki

Syrus Truesdale / Sho Marufuji

Yusei Fudo

Crow Hogan

Leo / Lua

Marvel

Tony Stark

Loki

Hawkeye

Bucky Barnes

Clint Barton

Moon Knight ( Marc & Steven )

Steve Rogers

Thor

Phil Coulson

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Peter Quill

Rocket Racoon

Steven Strange

Eddie Brock ( mix comic/Sony )

Full Metal Alchemist

Edward Elric

Alphonse Elric

Winry Rockbell

Van Hohenheim

Maes Hughes

Alex Louis Armstrong

King Bradley

Lust

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Vaan

Balthier

Prompto Argentum

Ignis Scientia

Servamp

Lawless

Shadowhunters

Magnus Bane

Supernatural

Castiel

Doctor Who

Tenth

Jack Harkness ( req only, might end up discord only )

BBC Sherlock

John Watson

Black Butler

Sebastian Michaelis

Ciel Phantomhive

Alois Trancy

Finnian

Mey-rin

Ronald Knox

Mashle: Magic and Muscles

Mash Burnedead

Dot Barrett

Ghost Hunt

Kazuya " Naru " Shibuya

Hazbin Hotel

Sir Pentious

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Judar

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Sinbad

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Aladdin

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Loki

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Fenris

Persona

Joker/Ren Amamiya

Sojiro Sakura

Munehisa Iwai

Yu Narukami

Makoto Yuki

Tatsuya Suou ( req, discord prefered )

Princess Tutu

Ahiru/Duck

Fakir

Mr. Cat

Droccelmeyr

Pike & Lillie

Pretear

Himeno Awayuki

Hayate

Sasame

Kei

Go

Mannen

Hajime

Shin

Petite Princess Yucie

Arrow/Arc

Gaga

Cube

Soul Eater

Soul Evans

Death the Kid

Dr. Stein

OCs can be found over on @beyondlxmits

[pinkeoni]

Byler & Possession Plots

Reading the show through more of Men, Women & Chainsaws

When talking about occult horror in her book Men, Women and Chainsaws, Carol J. Clover writes—

"On the face of it, the occult film is the most "female" of horror genres, telling as it is regularly does tales of women or girls in the grip of the supernatural. But behind the female "cover" is always the story of a man in crisis."

One of the examples that Clover provides is also one of the most popular possession stories— William Peter Blatty's novel and William Friedkin's film The Exorcist. Little Regan Macneil may have been the one possessed, but as the title suggests, the story is really about a man, the exorcist.

I do believe that season twos possession plot does a little more for the possessed than the examples Clover gives in her book, it is interesting that it does follow a similar formula to other possession plots, in that while the story is definitely about the possessed, it's also about the male character that sticks by their side.

So using Clover's book as a guide, I wanted to look again at season two's possession plot and see what it's saying for both Will and Mike's story, how it aligns with other possession stories, how it improves upon them, how it falls into similar pitfalls, and what is reveals about Byler.

The show does do a little better than other possession plots in that it does focus on the perspective of the possessed, Will, and how all of this is affecting him personally. We hear a little bit from Regan in The Exorcist, although the focus is centered much more on how her possession is affecting her mother and of course, her exorcist. The story centers around her, but it’s not really hers. Will’s possession feels a lot more like his story.

As for Mike, he starts the season grieving the loss of El and likely feeling guilt for her “death.” She “died” saving Mike, and Mike was unable to save her. There's a strong theme of heroism at play here. Mike (innocently) put the expectation onto El that she was a superhero. Mike's idea of heroism relates to the ability to perform impossible "Yoda" like tasks, such as lifting objects and killing monsters with your mind. As such, Mike doesn't recognize his own heroism, such as bringing El in and showing her kindness and friendship. This insecurity is later confirmed in season 4.

Mike's story doesn't really start rolling until he goes to check on Will. There, he's able to find purpose and finds his own way to be a hero. maybe without realizing it, he is able to save someone. Mike was there to help Will by offering emotional support, as well as aid him in finding some agency in the situation.

The possession for this season along with the El/Mike/Will triangle reminds me of a film that Clover discusses called Witchboard but with a few key differences. In the film, a woman named Linda is possessed by a spirit after messing with a Ouija Board she got from her ex Brandon, leading Linda’s boyfriend Jim to find a way to free her. The film ends with Jim and Linda getting married.

Similar to The Exorcist, Linda is the possessed person but the story isn’t really hers, it’s about Jim and his arc to becoming a more emotionally open boyfriend. In fact, the emotional core of the film is actually between Jim and his relationship to Brandon, whom Jim reveals is actually an old childhood friend until they had a falling out. Clover notes a particularly homoerotically charged scene in a motel room where Jim and Brandon are able to talk out some of their feelings.

While the possessed person is now Will, the character split is the same. El is not a passive character at all, but her story is still almost entirely split from the boys. She starts off the season missing Mike, but similar to Mike, she chooses to leave him, and her story really kicks off when she seeks out Mama and Kali. Both of them may have started the season thinking about the other, yet they choose to take their stories in different directions.

So maybe that’s why the end of the season feels like the end of Witchboard, which Clover described as the film's “pale, heterosexual ending” where Jim and Linda get married. The season ends with El and Mike at the Snow Ball, which to be fair is set up enough— this is making good on the promise that Mike made to El in the last season. But Will, who has spent most of the season by Mike’s side, is left entirely to the wayside. He gets his own dance partner, but it’s a nameless character who calls him his mean nickname. Mike gets to dance with El, Lucas gets his dance with Max, and Dustin discovers some self confidence when he dances with Nancy. Every ending feels like something that was someone built up— except for Will’s. Will didn’t show any interest in Snow Ball girl before, or any girl at all. It feels unsatisfactory.

Similar to other possession plots, it does fall into the similar pitfall where during most of the last third of the season, Will is barely even there at all. He spends most of his time asleep, and when he is awake— similar to Regan in the last bit of The Exorcist— he’s no longer Will.

And maybe that’s why the shed scene feels so hard hitting. Mike reminds Will of a moment where Will had agency, when he chose to be Mike’s friend. And as a result, he’s able to break through.

To me, that moment feels more like a culmination of both of their arcs for this season, way less than the Snow Ball ending. Mike takes action and calls out to Will, and in an act of agency, Will answers.

There's more interesting stuff from the chapter that I decided not to include here, and I honestly suggest that you go read the book yourself. It's super interesting and highly informative.

Oh, and happy Day 3 of Bylerween 🎃 @bylerween2023

[chriscdcase95]

Unlife is Strange: “Double Exposure” update  

So while I’m preparing the next chapters for Unlife is Strange, I thought I’d make an update post. Especially with Life is Strange: Double Exposure being announced.

Having worked on Unlife is Strange since 2020, I only had only one real curveball in 2021, when True Colors was announced. Before that, I had an entirely different arc for Steph Gingrich, writing her to be Rachel’s love interest. 

When True Colors was released, I ended up doing a full revamp of Steph’s arc and role; even giving her a power explaining how Steph could live her canon life, and go through what she did in the fic. In the current story, I’m even including Alex and Steph in the main plot. 

Will Double Exposure get the same treatment ?

That's actually a tough one. The easy answer would be “No” because Unlife's version Max and/or Chloe lived a radically different lived than what Double Exposure presents…but at the same time, the deal that applies to Steph could apply here.

Spoilers below

In Unlife is Strange, this is what happened with Max and Chloe.

In the “Route A” chapters — following a “Sacrifice Arcadia Bay/Parting Ways” timeline — Max and Chloe settled down in Seattle. Max is finishing school, and Chloe is a stay at home mom, raising their two year old son, William “Bill” Price Caulfield. 

In “Route B” chapters  — following a “Sacrifice Chloe/Redemption” timeline, Max is still raising Bill as a single mom, and working photography jobs, though not as prolific as Double Exposure presents her. Chloe has also awakened as a vampire shortly after her death…and has seeing Max in secret for years, while Max publicly keeps up the façade of Chloe being long dead.

It also turns out both Max and Chloe were involved with the Federal Bureau of Control (from Control) some time between 2014 to 2020, before Max retired…and eventually pulled back in. The full details will be revealed in future chapters. Point is, it doesn’t really fit where we see Max in Double Exposure.

The easy thing would just be to discount it, but my solution to include True Colors may work both ways. Which brings us back to Steph, and where it gets interesting.

Like I said, when I originally wrote Steph into this story, I planned for her to be Rachel’s love interest. When True Colors came out, I found a way to make it work and gave Steph a power of her own.

In Unlife, we’re introduced to a Steph who went on to become a stage actress in LA, and got into a toxic relationship with a rich and powerful influencer, before reuniting with Rachel after the latters vampire resurrection. This Steph had a troubled relationship with her father and stepmother, and hasn’t even heard of Haven Point…

Before  we eventually find out, Steph has a supernatural affliction, in that she has a Tulpa; a version of her that lived a radically different life after Arcadia Bay, than her canon counterpart. The “real” Steph is the canon!Steph who became a DJ in Haven Point, fell in love with Alex Chen, and doesn’t recall being a stage actress. This causes Steph to disappear and reappear between two different lives, causing her to blink out of people’s memories depending on what life she goes too.

The Tulpa!Steph is the one who Rachel falls in love with. Steph and her tulpa self aren’t initially aware of eachother, but recall their “other” eachother’s lives as if they were dreams. In the current storyline, Alex and Steph try to get to the bottom of Steph’s affliction, with the FBC reaching out to them.

This should explain it better.

So where does this leave Double Exposure ? As far as Unlife is concerned, it’s a radically alternate timeline. But depending on how it plays out, it may or may not be part of another tulpa effect. 

I may make my final decision when the game comes out, but don’t expect Safi to show up in Unlife any time soon.

TLDR: Maybe, but it won't be considered part of the fic's “main” timelines.

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

Hello, can I ask from both this ask game :

https://www.tumblr.com/threecheersforinking/677824836625694720/anime-ask-game?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/rafael-silva/90297624190/send-me-a-fandom?source=share

For series : Moriarty the Patriot and Tian Guan Ci Fu....

Thanks ⭐

First One, MtP version:

Send me an anime (preferably one I’ve seen) and I’ll tell you my

Favorite Character: William or Albert depending on the day

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: Chapter 67. Just Chapter 67. I love it so dearly.

Character I Think is Underrated: Mycroft I guess?

Character I Think is Overrated: uhhhhh I'm personally kind of meh about Moran? I don't dislike him I just don't think about him much? The playing card thing with William is very sweet though.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Sherliam, obvs, followed very closely by Mycal.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: the trajectory towards hope. It could so easily have been a tragedy, but having suicidal characters whose arc could have very "naturally" concluded in their deaths instead live and push forward? Just makes me very happy.

First One, TGCF version:

Send me an anime (preferably one I’ve seen) and I’ll tell you my

Favorite Character: I love both of the mains but I think Hua Cheng might have the tiniest fractional lead? I dunno. Both of Hualian lol.

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: I'm just a sap for all the romantic bits, but I especially love "Only after having met you did I rediscover that it's such a simple thing to be happy." More a favourite line I suppose haha! But that just sticks with me so much.

Character I Think is Underrated: Qi Rong. I love that little gremlin. He's terrible and he makes me cackle.

Character I Think is Overrated: I'm always a little puzzled by fic and stuff about Shi Wudu. No hate, he just didn't really leave an impression on me at all.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Hualian. I am not a very original person 😂

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: (I realize I keep referring to the book here rather than the existing donghua. Whoops. 😅) I am really just in this one for the romance. Romance for romance's sake. It's lovely and I love it. But also all those out of pocket bits like "the heavenly city is a giant transformer that does battle with a huge statue of the mc powered by true love's kiss and wielding a sword made out of several of his acquaintances" are so funny.

Second One, MtP version:

The first character I first fell in love with: William

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:  Sherlock lmao

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: In more recent times within the fandom it seems Milverton has become something of a dark horse fave and I just. I do not get it. But glad y'all are having fun.

The character I love that everyone else hates: I dunno?? I've repeatedly turned Mycroft into some kind of supernaturally perfect daddy dom Gary Stu, which people could justifiably hate, but I seem to have successfully found my audience for that so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Huh. Don't think I have any of these.

The character I would totally smooch: Bond. He just seems like he'd be really great for a quick friendly smooch and wouldn't make this whole self-insert scenario weird and complicated 😂 

The character I’d want to be like: Also Bond, actually. He's got this specific kind friendly ease and confidence I would like to have

The character I’d slap:  I feel like Moran needs a friendly slap now and again just to keep him humble lmao

A pairing that I love: Just to branch off from the usual Sherliam and Mycal answer, I also like Bond/Hudson

A pairing that I despise: I guess the closest I come would be Milverton/Ruskin?? But even then it's like. I don't really put energy into despising ships I don't like, I just avoid them and enjoy the things I do like.

Second One, TGCF version:

The first character I first fell in love with:  I fell in love with Hualian at the same time, when an amv happened across my youtube dash that heavily featured the scene of them walking through the bloody forest in the wedding clothes with the umbrella. The gothic fairytale romance of it all enchanted me right from the get-go.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:  Yin Yu maybe? I don't spend a lot of time thinking about him but when I do I'm immensely fond of him.

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: I like Mu Qing but I'm nowhere near as invested in him as a lot of people seem to be.

The character I love that everyone else hates: Qi Rong maybe kinda?

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Again, idk lol

The character I would totally smooch: Yushi Huang

The character I’d want to be like: Hua Cheng.

The character I’d slap: Pei Ming just cuz that's basically what he's there for lmao

A pairing that I love: side-stepping the obvious again, I quite like the thought of Fenglian having a very innocent but meaningful crush on each other as teenagers

A pairing that I despise: again, wouldn't quite say "despise" but I am baffled by Qi Rong/Lang Qianqiu

[spacetimeaccordionfolder]

Comic Recommendations!

things I like that you might also like?

Namesake by Meg Lavey-Heaton and Isa Melançon (2010- present, updates Tuesdays)

This was described as a "fairytale about fairytales" before Once Upon a Time was a thing

From the Official description:

"When Emma lands in another world following a library fire, she discovers she’s a Namesake — one with the power to open portals to other worlds via the power of their name: strange, fantasy, and fairy-tale lands we know thanks to literature, cinema, and folk tales. The rules of Namesakes are quite clear - Alices always go to Wonderland. Wendys always go to Neverland. However, Emma finds herself in Oz, where she is expected to act as the latest in a long line of Dorothies. She instead unveils a magical conspiracy plot that’s more than 100 years in the making.

While Emma is stumbling down the Yellow Brick Road, her younger sister Elaine discovers she’s a Writer — one gifted with the power to make stories come to life. Will Elaine be her sister’s key back home?

Aided by magic-wielding witch twins from Oz, a half-Cheshire Alice, a devilishly charming “giant killer” named Jack, a sword-wielding Lost Girl, a hungry card soldier, and a confused Canadian, Emma must walk through many stories to find everyone’s happy ending."

Characters are wonderful. Warrick and Emma you are amazing

BEAUTIFUL ART

romantic relationships have a slow build that I as a greyromantic enjoy and love very much

this comic literally helped me figure out I was ace thanks to one of the main characters

Wilde Life by Pascalle Lepas (2014- present, updates Mon, Wed, Fri)

a journalist from Chicago moves to Podunk, Oklahoma, rents a haunted house off craigslist, and immediately stumbles into supernatural shenanigans. What else are you going to do at 25?

supernatural adventure/ horror (keep the horror in mind. things get scary sometimes)

comment section with recurring jokes and puns. It's hilarious. It also has alt text after the first or so chapter

Characters Include:

Oscar Wilde (no not that one), literally just some guy

Clifford Norman, the teenage ginger werewolf (It's a family name)

Sylvia Snyder, ghost of a 1940s mathematician

Eliza Proctor, a local witch with many secrets.

Aurora by Red (of Overly Sarcastic Productions) (2019- present, updates Mon, Wed, Fri)

"A ragtag crew of heroes embark on a journey to rescue a god from an immortal witch, stop a dragon from breaking the world, and maybe even talk about their feelings once in a while."

from the about page

(note - I hyperlinked the prologue because that does not automatically show up in the archive. go to the first page button to find it otherwise)

GLOW EFFECTS

the story. the art. the characters. wonderful

Alt text and comment section for humor

If you follow me you have probably heard me talk about this comic I love it

White Noise (2011- present, on hiatus till 12/8/24, updates Sundays noon PST)

"When Hawk's brother Emry is killed and his half-sister Liya stolen away by otherworldly soldiers, Hawk is determined to find the only family he has left, no matter what it takes...even if that means crossing a country that wants creatures like him snuffed out.

Liya, meanwhile, finds herself alone on another planet populated by monsters. Full of grief over her lost brothers and anger at the enemy now surrounding her, she struggles to understand this new world she's been forced to take part in--and slowly begins to realize that all the things she thought she knew about it were wrong."

from the about page

Very interesting world(s)! Various monsters, spirits, humans, etc.

Interesting characters!

Another comic that helped me figure out things/unlearn stuff.

Finished its first arc in fall 2022 and has done small comics since in preparation for arc 2

Thunderstar - 2021 to present, updates Mondays, Fridays

I speed read this all this past weekend. Delightful.

"Amanda Williams is an adventurous goth girl and a great pilot in the Royal Starfleet. When her boyfriend is kidnapped by an evil cult for their own nefarious purposes, it's up to her and her high-strung engineer to defy the odds, cross the galaxy and save her boyfriend before it's too late."- from the spider forest description.

The drawing style reminds me of Genndy Tartakovsky.

It's just kind of fun to read about a goth captain, her teenage sidekick, and her swashbuckling boyfriend working to stop an evil cult.

Castoff by Star Prichard, 2015- present, Mondays and Fridays

"After getting kidnapped and dragged halfway across the world, scaredy-cat Vector finds himself a long, long way from home. Now, with the help of a short-tempered bounty hunter, a happy-go-lucky cartographer, and many more unlikely friends, he has to try to make it home in one piece." from about page

Neat magic mystery.

Soul to Call - currently updating every other monday

16 years post apocalypse, 2/3rd of humanity is dead and abominations roam. Avril seeks out an Anathema, a creature rumored to have the abilities she needs to reunite with her father.

Look at the trigger warnings on the about page, please.

There's also the Blind Prince on Webtoon and every other one I read there is on hiatus. I may add those another day.

[the-monkey-ruler]

The Librarians (2014) 图书馆员

Starring: Bob Newhart / Christian Kane / Jane Curtin / John King / John Larquette / Lindy Booth / Matt Frewer / Noah Wyle / Rebecca Romijn / Lesley-Ann Blade Genre: Drama / Comedy / Action / Fantasy / Adventure Country/Region of Production: United States Language: English Date: 2014-12-07 (USA) Number of seasons: 4 Number of episodes: 42 Single episode length: 42 minutes Also known as: Librarian IMDb: tt3663490 Type: Crossover

Summary:

The series follows four people newly recruited by The Library: Colonel Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn), of the NATO Anti-Terrorist Unit, destined to be the new Guardian; Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim), a consummate thief who can hack an NSA computer as easily as he can steal a Fabergé egg; Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), a brilliant scientist and mathematician who possesses a trace of magic; and Jacob Stone (Christian Kane), polymath, linguist, expert in architecture, art, art history, archaeology and world cultures of the past and present, including Native American cultures, and other fields too numerous to mention, including bar fighting. The latter three received invitations from the Library at the same time as the current Librarian, Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle), but for various reasons didn't show up for their interviews.

In a break with the concept established in the films that there can be only one Librarian at a time, the first episodes reveal that the state of the world is so dire that it needs a team of Librarians, with Baird serving as Guardian of all four. With the help of Jenkins/Galahad (John Larroquette), immortal manager of the Library’s Annex, they solve impossible mysteries, rewrite and fix key moments in history, recover powerful magical artifacts, fight against supernatural threats, and learn important things about themselves and each other. In the first season, they battle the forces of the Serpent Brotherhood, led by the mysterious immortal Dulaque (Matt Frewer). Carsen, who spends the first season searching for the main Library (removed from time and space at the beginning of the series) appears in some episodes.

The second season offers up a pair of new villains, both from fiction: Prospero (Richard Cox), from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Moriarty (David S. Lee), Sherlock Holmes' chief nemesis. The former is positioned as the greater evil, attempting to use magic to destroy the world in order to remake it more to his liking. Moriarty is more of a gray villain—generally aligned with Prospero but willing to side with the Librarians when it suits his own interests.

The third season introduces a new adversary, Apep, the Egyptian God of Chaos. Defeated centuries before by the first Librarian, Judson (Bob Newhart), and his Guardian, Charlene (Jane Curtin), he is resurrected when his sarcophagus is opened and embarks on a mission to release pure evil into the world, possessing many different people along the way. While they are trying to stop Apep, the Librarians' actions are closely monitored by General Cynthia Rockwell (Vanessa Williams) from a new secret government agency, called DOSA (Department of Statistical Anomalies).

The fourth season does away with season-long story arcs in favor of stand-alone episodes, with three ongoing issues: Before the vernal equinox, Flynn and Eve must undertake a ceremony that will bind them to each other and to the Library, as Charlene and Judson did before them. They will become immortal and bind the Library to Earth, giving it a human connection and a human heart rather than the cold, implacable and dangerously self-centered attitude that would characterize it without that bond. (We learn in season three that the Library is a conscious entity.) The return of Nicole Noone, Flynn's first Guardian, believed dead and now immortal, raises many questions. And conflict arises between the Librarians over former Librarian Darrington Dare's assertion that there can only be one Librarian at a time, or the result will be disastrous. These three stories are not resolved until the last episode.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Librarians_(2014_TV_series)

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.68b0b42a-ee97-a6b1-d1f2-cfa3c2b2ef7a?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb

[bracketsoffear]

Ashley Williams (The Evil Dead) "Originally just an ordinary guy, Ashley Williams had his life ruined from a cabin trip gone wrong. Ash is now pessimistic alcoholic who is constantly put into situations where he has to hunt down the supernatural creatures, Deadites.

While this may seem to make him a Hunt avatar at first, Ash doesn’t want to hunt Deadites and would be happy just hanging out in his trailer while they caused chaos. Unfortunately for him, Ash is one of their favorite targets so begrudging time and time again he has to do battle with the forces of evil. Each time surviving and being sick of this nonsense"

Naru (Prey) "She is able to successfully outsmart and defeat a Predator over the course of the story. She's associated heavily with the hunt, being both hunted by the Predator and eventually hunting it herself. Her arc is about becoming a true hunter, but she never leans into avatar territory enough to be a full blown Hunter."

[iliiuan]

Epic Fantasy through the Ages

A Chronology of Story

This is a work in progress, but here is my list as of 6 July 2023. Please feel free to send me additions or corrections. I have focused on epic (works that are long and took a long time to create) and fantasy (works that include an element of magic, the supernatural, or superpowers). Some of the list could be categorized as myth, some as Literature™️, some as science fiction, but beyond these categories are the two main criteria of epic and fantasy. I also don't fully know what all of the ancient to modern works encompass, but that's the fun of read and find out. I probably have added some things that don't properly meet my criteria, and that's fine with me. 🌺

Works by Mesopotamian Bards (3100 BC - 539 BC)

Enumah Elish (Epic of Creation)

Atrahasis (The Flood)

Epic of Gilgamesh

Descent of Ishtar

Epic of Erra

Etana

Adapa

Anzu

Nergel and Ereshkigal

Avesta by Zoroastrian Bards (1500 BC)

Ramayana by Valmiki (750+ BC)

Mahabharata by Vayasa (750+ BC)

The Illiad and the Odyssey by Homer (650+ BC)

Thoegeny; Works and Days by Hesiod (650+ BC)

Popol Vuh (4th century BC)

The Torah and other Jewish stories (4th century BC)

Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes (270 BC)

Bellum Punicam by Gnaeus Naevius (200 BC)

Annales by Ennius (170 BC)

De Rerum Natura by Lucretius (50 BC)

Poem 64 by Catullus (50 BC)

The Aenid by Virgil (19 BC)

Metamorphoses by Ovid (2 AD)

Punica by Silius Italicus (50 AD)

Satyrica by Petronius (60 AD)

Pharsalia or Bellum Civile by Lucan (62 AD)

Argonautica by Valerius Flaccus (70 AD)

Thebaid by Statius (90 AD)

The Irish Myth Cycles: Mythological, Ulster, Fenian, and Kings (3rd Century AD)

The Bible and other Christian stories (5th century AD)

Dionysiaca by Nonnus of Panopolis (500 AD)

The Quran and other Muslim stories (7th century AD)

Arabian Nights (7th century AD)

Hildebrandslied and other German heroic lays by Bards (830 AD)

Shahnameh by Ferdowsi (977 or 1010 AD)

Chanson de Roland (1125 AD)

Cantar de Mio Sid (1200 AD)

The Dietrich Cycle (1230 AD)

Poetic Edda and Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson and others (1270 AD)

Beowulf by Old English Bards (11th century AD)

Nibelungenlied by Middle High German Bards (1200)

Amadís de Gaula (13th century AD)

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alghieri (1308)

Teseida by Bocaccio (1340 AD)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Middle English Bards (14th century)

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1392)

Morgante by Luigi Pulci (1483)

Le morte d'Arthur by Thomas Mallory (1485)

Orlando Innamorato by Boiardo (1495)

Orlando Furioso by Ariosto (1516)

Os Lusiadas by Camoes (1572)

Gerusalemme Liberata by Tasso (1581)

Plays and Poems by William Shakespeare (1589)

The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spencer (1590)

Discourses on the Heroic Poem by Tasso (1594)

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1614)

L'Adone by Marino (1623)

Paradise Lost; Paradise Regained by Milton (1667)

Le Lutrin by Boileau (1674)

Order and Disorder by Lucy Hutchinson (1679)

Mac Flecknoe; Aenid English translation by Dryden (1682)

The Dispensary bu Samuel Garth (1699)

The Battle of the Books; A Tale of a Tub by Swift (1704)

The Rape of the Lock; Illiad and Odyssey English translations; Dunciad by Pope (1714)

The Vanity of Human Wishes by Samuel Johnson (1749)

Scribleriad by Richard Owen Cambridge (1751)

Faust by Goethe (1772)

The Triumphs of Temper; Essay on Epic Poetry by William Hayley (1782)

The Task by William Cowper (1785)

Joan of Arc; Thalaba the Destroyer; Madoc; The Curse of Kehama by Southey (1796)

The Prelude; The Execution by Wordsworth (1799)

Jerusalem by Blake (1804)

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge (1817)

Laon and Cythna; Peter Bell the Third; Prometheus Unbound by Shelley (1817)

Hyperion: A Fragment; The Fall of Hyperion by Keats (1818)

Don Juan by Byron (1819)

The Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot (1835)

Sohrah and Rustum by Matthew Arnold (1853)

Hiawatha by Longfellow (1855)

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1855)

Idylls of the King by Lord Alfred Tennyson (1859)

Cantos by Ezra Pound (1917)

The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot (1922)

Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings/The Silmarillion etc. by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake (1946)

The White Goddess by Robert Graves (1948)

Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (1949)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1950)

Anathemata by David Jones (1952)

Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)

The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper (1965)

Briggflatts by Basil Bunting (1965)

Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (1968)

Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (1968)

The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny (1970)

The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice (1976)

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson (1977)

The Magic of Xanth by Piers Anthony (1977)

Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf (1980)

The Dark Tower by Stephen King (1982)

Belgariad and Mellorean by David Eddings (1982)

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1982)

Shannara by Terry Brooks (1982)

The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist (1982)

Discworld by Terry Pratchett (1983)

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)

Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)

The Black Company (1984)

Redwall by Brian Jaques (1986)

Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey (1987)

Memory, Sorrow, Thorn by Tad Williams (1988)

Sandman by Neil Gaimon (1989)

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (1990)

Queen of Angels by Greg Bear (1990)

Newford by Charles de Lint (1990)

Omeros by Derek Walcott (1990)

The Saga of Recluse by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (1991)

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski (1993)

Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind (1994)

Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb (1995)

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (1995)

Old Kingdom by Garth Nix (1995)

A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1996)

Animorphs by H.A. Applegate (1996)

Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott (1997)

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (1997)

The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steve Erickson (1999)

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (2000)

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (2002)

Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker (2003)

Bartimaeus by Jonathan Stroud (2003)

The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch (2004)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (2005)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (2005)

Temeraire by Naomi Novik (2006)

The First Law by Joe Abercrombie (2006)

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (2006)

The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2008)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (2008)

Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan (2008)

Night Angel by Brent Weeks (2008)

The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett (2008)

Inheritance by N.K. Jemisin (2010)

The Lightbringer by Brent Weeks (2010)

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (2010)

The Expanse by James S.A. Corey (2011)

The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence (2011)

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (2012)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2012)

Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo (2012)

The Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron (2012)

Worm by Wildbow (2013)

The Powder Mage by Brian McClellan (2013)

The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin (2015)

Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston (2015)

The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee (2017)

The Band Series by Nicholas Eames (2017)

Winternight by Katherine Arden (2017)

The Folk of the Air by Holly Black (2018)

The Founders by Robert Jackson Bennett (2018)

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir (2019)

Grave of Empires by Sam Sykes (2019)

Djeliya by Juni Ba (2021)

[fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction]

oh my god i've been here this whole time assuming from the way Alex talked about him that Elizabeth was waiting to be active until Mike died. oops.

XD

If anything Mike's death would have pissed off Elizabeth more. His Remnant is exceptionally enhanced from all the time he spent surviving the Arcs of FNAF 1 through to FNAF 4 and Ultimate Custom Night. He's been described by the Marionette as having the Strength to Survive basically forged into him from his struggle to survive the Bite of '87 with the 5th Child's help and then as the night guard of Freddy's. He ends up absorbing the regrets of the other guards who die at Freddy's and converts it to determination to push on no matter what injury or obstacle is inflicted on him. It also gives him a heck of a survivor's guilt complex that he tends to hide or ignore as much as he can.

Mike passed on without Elizabeth ever being able to collect even a sample of that but from second hand accounts she did get about his Remnant, it would have been perfect to feed to William Afton I to restore him and make him far harder to get rid of.

But as Alex mentioned, Remnant that's been enhanced or modified supernaturally or artificially has a greater chance of causing someone to be reborn with memories intact. So Mike could also 'come back'. :3c

[castlebyersafterdark]

It’s amazing how the depth of ST really relies on Byler happening. Not that there aren’t other things/themes within the show (Max’s depression, being black in Hawkins, a cop learning to be suspicious of authority, the power of friendship, etc), in terms of its three central kids/now teens (Will, Mike, and El), a Byler-less season 5 would mean that the show doesn’t have much to say. And it would mean the show is ultimately fairly generic, fight the Big Bad and the evil government with superpowers fare. Sometimes I wonder if I’m too hooked on Byler endgame to the point of overemphasizing Byler’s thematic role and not being able to enjoy alternate outcomes, but I don’t think I am. Cause if Byler isn’t endgame, we’re not just wrong about a ship, we’re wrong about the show. Not to mention being wrong about the characters, specifically Mike. Like I don’t even recognize the Mike they believe in?

No, I really don't think you are I or anyone in agreement with us are being dramatic or unfounded or biased about this - Byler not happening as predicted really changes the whole story and I also am not sure what the show's messaging would be. It changes the characters completely.

How do you have Will at the end alone, without getting his love? Or, with him dead? His story has so much resting not just on acceptance because here's the thing - we know Joyce and Jonathan and Mike would accept him for being gay if that was his only secret. Will doesn't know that, but the audience (who cares about the show) know this. Or at least, has the context clues to know. THEY GAVE WILLIAM BYERS THE LINE "I'M NOT GONNA FALL IN LOVE" when one, he already is and two, not let that pay off!! And he's in love with Mike!! And Mike - his story of needed to be the hero, be needed, be himself, be allowed the grace to be different and true to himself - and that is really only allowed to shine with Will. I don't know what we're supposed to take away from the character of Mike without Byler with the show as it stands. It could have been a different arc with him and still have his arc entwined with endgame El - but what was written is so so so odd if real. Should have been written differently seasons ago. From the beginning.

Hell, even El needs Mike and Will to get together to really shine and come into her own. Her story is not about romance. If you really care about El - she cannot end the show in a relationship with Mike Wheeler. She needs inner strength without others propping her up or using her (whether for power or for a misguided stand-in for feeling needed). She doesn't need you, Mike. And you don't need her. Standing apart actually allows you to stand as equals. Right now both hide insecurities with themselves by burying them in each other in that relationship. They need each other's friendship - which neither have right now. Will needs love. El needs family/friendship. Mike needs both. The door to El and Mike also needs to be firmly shut and the door ripped off the closet.

The sexuality storyline is tied into the supernatural storyline. It kinda feels... incomplete without a way for Will (and Mike) to express that beyond just Will being gay. There needs to be weight and stakes to that storyline and he needs a love interest the audience can care about due to invested familiarity - which is why a shoehorned random townie isn't gonna do anything for Will.

There's a lot of additional value to the other arcs you've mentioned and I want to briefly highlight them as well as to emphasize how they all tie in and enhance each other. The message of being different and the power of love and friendship. Being different in a small town. How humanity's monsters are just as bad or worse as monsters from other worlds - or how those human monsters make the fantastical monsters. Something something like that, there's a lot of different takes that all lead to a similar place. It's a wonderfully assembled ensemble show, and the Byler storyline as the heart ties everything together really. What else could have been built up? It's the most dramatic and hard hitting reveal - everything swirling to a focus with Will. He started the show, he ends the show. With his happy ending - it'll be so beautiful.