#Frollo would burn me on a pyre for this

[salem-sapiens]

Phoebus × Frollo ship art under the cut.

I'm sorry to inform you I am THAT kind of thond fan.

So yeah, Phoebus × Frollo beneath. Just for the true degenerates like me ✨

Again, nothing explicit but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Enjoy the most embarrassing ship art I've ever made.

[blueninjablade3]

Yandere Frollo Alphabet

Real quick for my regular readers who are waiting for the Hades Angst I’m working on it at a snails pace but it’s shaping up nicely. I’m publishing this solely because it’s been in my drafts taunting me.

TW: Yandere themes, Slurs/ talks about slurs, genocide, medieval torture, isolation, abuse, gaslight, lack of right, racism, and religious themes.

If you are uncomfortable with any of this scroll on. I won’t be offended. If you are in a bad mental state I don’t recommend reading this Yandere relationships are extremely toxic and dangerous. If you or someone you love are in an abusive relationship, please remember you have resources to help you. I believe I’ve covered most of my bases so without further ado Yandere Frollo alphabet. Ps, left a little music if anyone wants to listen to that while they read.

Affection: how do they show you love and affection? How intense can It get?

I view Frollo somewhat like “I never quite learned to verbalize my feelings so I’m going to do very small things to tell you I love you.” Also, he brings you grapes. It’s every day he brings you grapes. (Unless you’re getting punished.) He does do the traditional kiss-your-cheek and forehead tho.

Blood: How dirty is he willing to get when it comes to you?

He’s willing to burn down all of Paris to find you. You and Esmeralda are gonna be best friends and shit talk Frollo together.

Cruelty: how will they treat you once kidnapped will he mock you?

Yes. Wtf do you think I would say “No he’s an angel” Brother has no problem calling someone a slur. Hell, I’d put money on the fact that he’d call a black person the N word hard R to their face. (He’s seriously the worst tho. Get y’all a man like… uh Prince Naveen. He’ll treat you better)

Darling: besides kidnapping you would he do anything else against your will?

Being an active part of the Romani people’s slaughter, being horrible to Quasi, and whipping people are the ones that are off the top of my head. I’m probably missing others but the point is he absolutely would.

Exposed: How much of his heart do you bear?

I think you actually bear 40%. The other 60 goes to the Bible and Christ. Don’t worry that’s still more than his family ever got.

Fight: How would he feel if you fought back?

CHOOSE ME OR YOUR PYRE BE MINE OR YOU WILL BURN~! But in all seriousness, he’s going to be so upset and do the same thing that he does to Quasi.

Game: Is this a Game to them? Would he like watching his darling try to escape?

No! This isn’t a game! Those filthy gypsies can’t be trusted! (it feels wrong even typing that 😭) They’ll harm you! You need to stay safe. In the bell tower.

I also don’t think he’d enjoy you escaping. He wants you at arm’s length at all times.

Hell: Your worst experience with him.

After one of your little “stunts” he had you flogged for a few hours and then you didn’t get lunch for a few days. (like three)

Ideals: what he sees in the future with you.

He sees a traditional Christian marriage (pretend male x male relationships were most of the time accepted by the church), a couple of NORMAL kids (he is the worst), and all the Romani people dead. (ICK)

Jealousy: does he get jealous and if he does, does he find a way to cope or will he lash out?

He gets very jealous and never controls it. He always lashes out. At this point, don’t even look at a fly anymore. He’ll get jealous of it.

Kisses: How does he act around you?

He’s possessive, creepy, and lustful. Think about how he behaves with Esma and multiply by two.

Love letters: how would he go about courting/approaching you?

He’s very traditional. He’s the type who’d buy a goat to give to your dad and then just be like “Gimme.” But he would approach you beforehand and have some small talk in passing.

Mask: Are his truth colors different from what people think?

No. He’s very publicly creepy and weird it seems. People also fear him and view him as dangerous which you can say firsthand is true. Creepy bitch.

Naughty: how would he punish you?

He’s the type to flog you for a little, isolate you, and then limit food consumption. You’re extremely afraid of acting out or acting against him for fear of his reaction.

Oppression: what rights did he take away from you:

Freedom, religion (if you’re anything other than Roman Catholic you’ll have to practice and pray in secret.), privacy, and if you’re American the right to bear arms. Really any weapons he’ll take away. (Maybe see if you can hide a dagger?)

Regret: does he regret kidnapping you? Will he ever let you go?

Haha! You’re so funny if you think he’d let you go or think he’d regret kidnapping you! The Lord brought you two together! You two were meant to be! Now stop struggling unless you wanna go back to the palace of justice.

Sigma: what brought this side of him?

I think his lust, pride, and lack of getting any bitches over his years all contributed. He got lustful for you, and he didn’t know how to react, then instead of admitting that he was in the wrong his pride got the best of him, and blamed you. When his lust won caused his Yandere actions.

Tears: how would he feel if you cried screamed or Isolated yourself?

He doesn’t care! You’ll learn to love him eventually. If you don’t… you won’t like what’s gonna happen. But do go ahead.

Unique: is there anything different from a normal Yandere

He has a massive superiority complex? He also can have people flogged and not be questioned.

Vice: what can you use to escape him?

I’m not quite sure. I guess maybe you could hide in the court of miracles?

Witts end: would he ever hurt you

Without a second thought.

Xoanon: how much does he revere/worship you and to what extent is he willing to go to win you over

He’s willing to go to extreme lengths. I know I’ve talked a lot of shit about him in this but in all seriousness, he views you as a gift from the heavens. An angel sent to him. His angel.

Yearn: How long before he snapped and kidnapped you?

He’s a patient man. I’m going to say if you play your cards right and Quasi is still young about 1.5 years till he snaps.

Zenith: would he ever break you?

Oh definitely.

Thank you for reading! Please remember that rebloging, likes and comments are much appreciated! ❤��

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Judge Claude Frollo

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

The Disney Renaissance was home to some of Disney’s greatest villains. Scar, Ursula, Gaston, Jafar… The films from 1989 to 1999 all redefined what it meant to be an animated antagonist. But while there were many great villains during that time, one in particular managed to be regarded as one of the darkest and most terrifying villains in the entire Disney Animated Canon: Claude Frollo, the sinister minist—er, judge who serves as the main villain of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The man is heavily entwined with the more complex themes of the movie as well as a lot more cold and vicious than one might expect from the company that brought you Mickey Mouse, but what exactly is it that makes him such a great villain? Well, read on, because I try my best to explain it.

Motivation/Goals: Frollo is a horrible, bigoted prie—er, judge who wants nothing more than to totally eradicate all of the filthy Romani from Paris in the name of the Lord. Unfortunately, he ends up falling hard for one of them, Esmeralda, after watching her do a saucy dance routine. From there, Frollo is consumed by a single-minded lust for the woman that drives his actions, with his conflicted feelings on the matter leading him to blame her for giving him sinful thoughts and determining that all of Paris needs to burn because he is… well… he’s a

I get a lot of mileage out of that gif.

Performance: Tony Jay was picked specifically for this due to his memorable bit role in Beauty and the Beast, and boy does he manage to prove that that was the best decision Disney could have made. His naturally magnificent voice lends Frollo the class, dignity, and intimidation it deserves. One could even say that Dr. Lipschitz is off his shits for this one.

Final Fate: As he attempts to slice through a gargoyle and sent Quasimodo and Esmeralda tumbling to their dooms, he loses his footing and ends up clinging to his gargoyle for dear life. Said gargoyle comes alive, breaks off, and sends Frollo hurtling into a river of fire below, which ends up being a pretty spot on interpretation of his attempted one-liner: “And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!” With this in mind, it’s pretty easy to interpret what happened to him as karmic divine intervention—Whether you think it’s God Himself, the spirit of Notre Dame, or something else entirely enacting it upon him is up to interpretation, and ultimately unimportant. What matters is he didn’t go to heaven where the angels fly; he fell in a lake of fire and fried. And we definitely won’t see him again on the 4th of July.

Best Scene: It is really not even a contest here. “Hellfire” is without a doubt the greatest Disney villain song ever made (and maybe even the best villain song period) and is a prime showcase of Frollo’s internal struggles and motivations, so of course it is his best scene.

Best Quote: When finally he has Esmeralda at his mercy near the film’s end, he echoes a line from “Hellfire” and says ”Choose me or your pyre.” It’s such an unsettling line that really highlights how deep into his lustful entitlement Frollo has fallen, and what’s more these words echo the real life sentiments of certain disturbed individuals. It’s a truly timeless villain quote in that regard;there are men who would rather a woman die than not be with them, unfortunately, and Frollo is the poster child for that brand of manchild.

Final Thoughts & Score: At the start of the movie, Chopin asks, “Who is the monster, and who is the man?” in regards to Quasimodo and Frollo. While the answer is fairly obvious even just after the opening number—Frollo attempts infanticide after murdering a woman, after all—the way the movie goes about expounding in the two characters in a way that explores this question is deeply fascinating.

Frollo is an incel to put even Gaston to shame. Almost immediately after seeing Esmeralda for the first time, he begins to obsessively lust for her, but his bigotry and zealotry leads him to condemn her because he’s unable to get a grip on his emotions. He ends up being the latter extreme of the Madonna-Whore Complex, contrasting Quasimodo as the opposite extreme. It should come as no shock that Quasi picked up some negative traits from the guy who raised him, but thanks to being a supremely nice guy his incel traits manifest as venerating a caricatured ideal of Esmeralda rather than condemning. There’s a reason the end of “Heaven’s Light” segues right into the start of “Hellfire;” both men have toxic views of Esmeralda, objectifying her in opposite yet equal ways.

It is how they deal with these toxic mindsets that ultimately resolved the question posited at the start, as well as cementing Frollo as one of the darkest villains Disney has ever done. Quasimodo, while not happy at being rejected, still cares for Esmeralda and does all he can to help her, culminating in him saving her from being burned at the stake. His experiences lead to him accepting Esmeralda and Phoebus as couple gracefully, shedding away his toxic mindset. This ends up reaffirming his humanity, earning him the adoration of Paris and the end to the loneliness he’d experienced for so long; he is the man.

Frollo, on the other hand, deals with rejection by going on a racist, genocidal rampage against the Romani, setting the city ablaze simply because his perverse affections aren’t reciprocated. This culminates with him offering Esmeralda either death or to give in to his advances, and when rejected conclusively he doubles down on his murderous rampage, which ultimately leads to his doom. His inability to see Esmeralda as a complex human being instead of an object to lust after, an inability brought on by his own bigoted views, is what ultimately peeled away his humanity and revealed him as he truly was: A monster.

And Frollo is a monster in a very resonant, chilling way. In this day and age, we see people like Frollo all the time. They’re in our schools, seething when the girl they like rejects them for another; they’re on the internet, spewing misogynistic bile because they can’t get dates; they’re in our churches, preaching intolerance to their mass while desperately trying to bury their own sins; and they’re in our government, using their power to oppress and demoralize those with less power than them. “Choose me or your pyre” is the sort of attitude you see in the incels who end up on the news for committing or planning to commit atrocities.

And this is what makes it so good and cathartic to see him fall. We want people like him in real life to face the consequences of their actions, and we can only wish that said consequences are falling into a river of molten lava. It ends up being all the sweeter if you interpret his fall as being an act of God, as mentioned above.

Tony Jay apparently described his role as Frollo as his “bid for immortality,” and it’s safe to say he succeeded. He pretty much singlehandedly elevated the film he’s in so far above its flaws that it’s astounding and proved to the Disney Renaissance, all while giving us a villain song more incredible than any seen before or since. Thank God I’m doing fractions now, because this man deserves a 10.5/10. He’s not quite an 11 because I wouldn’t call Frollo one of the most important and influential villains in the vein of, say, Darth Vader, Count Orlok, or Fu Manchu, but he’s still a cut above the rest when it comes to villains. He’s easily the second most incredible antagonist Disney has ever made, and the only flaw he has is that you don’t get to personally beat his ass in Dream Drop Distance, which is especially bad since he straight up racially profiles Sora before immediately calling him a slur.

[merakiui]

SO glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought roro/lolo (twisted frollo) would make an amazing yandere character. frollo already was the original yandere if you think about his ravings in hellfire (choose me or your pyre, be mine or you will burn!! goes so hard) -🤔 anon

Yes!!! Frollo walked so twst Rollo could run (right into my arms).

Looking at him now, it feels like he would be stiffly religious and would be absolutely revolted by nudity or any type of lewd insinuation. Rollo would scoff if he learned his darling engaged in something as sinful as *dramatic gasp* fornication. This man would say something like: "There is a special spot down there for you, you loose trollop." all with the most icy glare, too. (yes, I like to think yandere!Rollo is old-fashioned with his beliefs and uses archaic language.) Rollo is a hater. </3 Devoted to the church and purity, and you come from that dirty Night Raven College reeking of sex and sin. How dare you step foot on the clean, pure grounds of Noble Bell Academy?!

[seraphicstrings-a]

Okay, *cracks knuckles*. Time to explain how Quinn is actually Lawful Good.

“Let’s talk this out. Just you and me.”

When you think of Lawful Good, you think of people who uphold the sense of right and wrong, you think of people who enact just and moral causes, you think of people who defend people who can’t defend themselves. You think of paladins, you think of clerics. You think of righteous healers, you think of priests, you think of the papacy. People who will always do what they know is right, and punish the wicked, and make sure things will fall into place, and things will be okay in the end.

But you want to know someone who was also classified as Lawful Good?

Judge Claude Frollo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

In all seriousness, we KNOW he was an awful character. He abused people, he neglected the person he was raising, and he saw people who didn’t help him as beneath him. But at the end of the day, he was still doing what he felt was right and just. He still was following his code of conduct, he was still following his faith, he was still believing to the death in what he BELIEVED was good and just, no matter what Esmerelda or anyone else tried to tell him. When he was in love with Esmerelda, he believed he was sinning, because it went against his faith and judgement, which was above all else in his life. And he built up who helped him rise up alongside him, higher and higher, like a burning pyre, like a fortress of flames and steel. Lawful and Good. Even if you don’t agree with his actions, he was still a Lawful Good character by definition.

Now as for Quinn.

“See, that’s the difference between you and I: you get a hero’s welcome. I get a knife in the back. If the tables turned one day... would you be able to walk even two steps in my shoes without bleeding out?”

You and I both know he has done terrible things, and is not afraid of doing more. Tricking people into deals that they think they love until they die, shaking hands with gods and devils with a presence so dizzying yet soothing that they don’t realize the power that they’re giving him, a silence in a room so weighted that you don’t realize you haven’t taken a breath until you nearly pass out. However, he is not someone who can’t be reasoned with. He is not someone who can’t be talked to. He is not someone who can’t hold a normal, nonbusiness conversation. Ask someone who knows him personally. Ask Fenix, ask Neff, ask Delun, ask Annabelle. He can be normal, he can be sane, he can be silly, he can be sad, he can be HUMAN. 

But the thing is, he has a very clear definition of right and wrong. Of just and disgusting. Of what should be punished, what could be dismissed, and what should be congratulated. Of who is an idiot, who is an ally, and who is a friend. Such clear lines in star and steel so that the tides cannot wash them away like sand. He plays around and sleeps around, but he is ultimately loyal and just and morally sound and sane, even if you do not see where his morals may lay. 

If a hero tried to claim themselves above him. He would laugh.

Between you and me, where is the difference? You murder. I deal in death. You are given gifts in exchange for deals. I make deals in exchange for favors. You wear armor and shield to keep away the ghosts. I have armor and shield to keep away thieves. Please. Tell me. Between you and me. What is the difference? Ah I know. You are named Hero. I am named Villain.

“Welcome to the side of reason. You’re actually thinking now.”

Quinn is Lawful Good not because he does good things, but because he is following that same path that everyone else does like him. Right, just, morally sound, defending the weak, building up the fortress, giving back what was stolen, restoring faith. How he does it doesn’t matter to him.

After all, he is a GOD.

He can do anything.

[frogsandcookies]

Hellfire

Who ordered a Hunchback of Notre Dame au for Sanders Sides? 

Anyways, this is a song fic Hellfire from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Logan is Frollo in this, Patton is Esmeralda, Virgil is Quasimodo, and Roman is Phoebus (the latter two are barely mentioned)

Warning: Minor NSFW themes(nothing explicit so don’t worry but Logan does talk about lust), Violence, Mention of death, A lot of religious stuff (Talking about hell and such)

***Edited on 3-28-21 to remove a offensive word from the writing, I apologize for using it in the original, I wasn’t aware that it was a slur. 

___

Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti Beatae Mariae semper Virgini Beato Michaeli archangelo Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis

The sound of the congregation’s singing bounced off of the towering stone halls, echoing throughout the magnificent cathedral and the surrounding city area. It was haunting, both beautiful and terrifying though the townsfolk paid no attention to it, used to the sound by now. The usually bustling city was quiet and dark, except for one house. Logan Frollo’s manor.

The stone faced man was standing on his balcony that looked over the whole city, his hands clamped tightly on the marble railing. His knuckles were a ghostly white and his teeth clenched together tightly. The deafening cathedral bells began to ring and his eyes snapped to the Notre Dame.

“Damned bells.” He muttered before releasing the thoroughly strangled railing and turning quickly on his heel. His robe swept elegantly behind him following his spin, the wind blowing it back as he strided into his home. Just as the bells ceased their ringing, Logan slammed the mahogany doors to his balcony, his face bearing an wrathful expression.

He was restless, clenching and unclenching his hands as he thought about the events that had occurred the past couple of days.

Logan suddenly stopped and his eyes flicked up to the tall portrait of the Virgin Mary which hung above the grand stone fireplace where a crackling fire was lit. Its eyes seemed to watch his every movement and looked into his soul, reading what he was thinking.

Beata Maria

You know I am a righteous man

Of my virtue I am justly proud

“Beata Maria, Saint Mary, why must you look at me so? You have seen from my actions that I am indeed a righteous man who strives for perfection in the citizens of Paris.” Logan said, looking up to the painting who’s leering seemed to increase as he continued to speak.

“Although my arrogance may seem unjust, I think that all of the contributions I have made to this growing city speak for themselves; of which my virtue I am justly proud. Not many can say they helped exterminate the infestation of travelers that roam about our glorious city, corrupting the weak willed citizens.” Logan added, his tone sounding a bit desperate as he pleaded to the painting.

Beata Maria

You know I'm so much purer than

The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd

“The citizens who make up our City of Light are vulgar and common yet I strive to help them reach salvation. Those fools in the Notre Dame do the devil’s work, protecting those wanderers and that freak of a child who I graciously raised.” Logan spat, his anger flaring.

“When I reach Heaven’s pearly gates those weak fools will claw at my feet.” He murmured.

Then tell me, Maria

Why I see him dancing there

Why his smoldering eyes still scorch my soul

There was a jingle of bells and Logan spun around, his glasses nearly falling off of his face as he looked for the source of the all too familiar sound.

“Who’s there?” He called, his hand flitting to his pocket where a silken blue scarf was housed. No one answered his call and Logan yelled once again,”Come out you vile boy!”

Only the crackling of the fire answered him  and Logan turned back around. He ignored the painting’s judging stare as he pulled out the delicate scarf, his hands shaking slightly as he caressed it.

“Why can’t I stop thinking about that witch?!” He muttered angrily. The fire crepitated in response and Logan looked into the red orange flames.

I feel him, I see him

The sun caught in his glowing hair

Is blazing in me out of all control

The dancing of the flames brought his thoughts back to the festival. Where he had met him. The man who had somehow wormed his way into Logan’s cold heart.

The boy had shoulder length caramel locks that seemed to float while he danced on the stage, a tambourine in one hand and a scarf in another. The image of him dancing and wrapping the scarf around Logan’s neck had forever been burned into his mind, no matter how hard he attempted to rid it from his brain.

He still felt disgust towards the younger male but accompanying it was a new feeling as well.

Like fire

Hellfire

This fire in my skin

This burning

Desire

Is turning me to sin

It was lust. One of the seven deadly sins that the Lord had preached not to commit unless he wanted to be damned to the fiery pits of hell.

And yet, there it was. His skin burned and a pit of fire replaced his soul. This feeling was new. Logan had dedicated himself to the church, working to eliminate the sin and the sinners accompanying it from the world. While his methods were questionable to most, he saw them as the best course of action and so he went forward, destroying homes and imprisoning countless travelers to the city.

Destroying the nomads had always been his mission; it was as though he had been birthed to do it. He never had time to take his turn with romance, always caught up in his work and never meeting anyone who caught his eye.

Until the festival. The event that had spurred an emotion in him that he had never felt before.

It's not my fault

I'm not to blame

It is the g**** boy

The witch who sent this flame

Logan snapped out of his thoughts and looked back up to the painting who’s stare was cold, much like his own.

“It’s not my fault!” He snapped before saying,”It’s that beastly dancing boy’s fault! He cursed me, got me trapped in his ungodly spell! He was the one to light this fire inside me, I am innocent!”

The fire seemed to roar at this and Logan stopped back, still gripping the scarf tightly in his hands.

It's not my fault

If in God's plan

He made the devil so much

Stronger than a man

“Maria why must I be at fault?! God created me with the intention of tempting me with this sin! But also made the devil to overpower me and damn me to hell!” Logan yelled.

“I am not to blame for this sin, the devil has come and planted this seed in my soul, one that I cannot begin to understand nor control! I am a man of God and yet he still tries to damn me! If in his plan to make the Devil stronger, why must I be included! Oh mother Maria!” Logan shrieked, hitting his fist against the cold stone wall as an emphasis for his words.

Protect me, Maria

“Mary, queen of Heaven, protect me from this sin and allow me to continue following the path to salvation!” Logan said, breathing heavily.

Don't let this siren cast his spell

Don't let his fire sear my flesh and bone

The flames continued to dance, showing him more images of the curly haired youth and Logan screamed in rage.

“Don’t let this witch, this siren continue to tempt me! Wipe him from this Earthly plain and let him dance in hell with the devil! His fire, this fire, burns; it scorches my soul and this temptation is ungodly!” He shrieked.

Destroy Patton Fairhope

And let him taste the fires of hell

Or else let him be mine and mine alone

Logan knew that while this might be a sin, he could try and reform the young male, try and redeem his soul. Without his guidance though, there was no hope and the fire within him would not be quenched until the male--Patton-- had met his own kind of fire. The ever burning fires of the underworld.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Logan spun around, shoving the sky blue scarf back into his robe pocket as the door swung open. In the doorway stood an armor clad soldier, his face cast in shadow due to the light being emitted from behind him.

“Minister Frollo. The g**** has escaped.” The soldier said.

Logan froze, rage bubbling up inside of his as he said,”What?”

“He’s nowhere in the cathedral. He’s gone.” The soldier elaborated.

Logan ran a hand through his thinning hair as a wrathful expression wormed its way onto his face and the soldier stepped back nervously.

“But how did…” He paused, collecting himself and dawning a neutral expression which was just as unnerving at the angry one. “Nevermind. Get out you idiot.” He snarled, waving the soldier back as he turned back to the fireplace, the flames reflecting his swirling emotions.

As the guard closed the door, he faced the fire, adding,”I’ll find him if I have to burn down all of Paris.”

Hellfire

Dark fire

“Hellfire. Darkfire. That idiot can run but nothing can match the troops of Paris. If he wants hell, then I shall bring it to him.” Logan snarled, wringing the scarf as he continued to talk.

Now g****, it's your turn

Choose me or

Your pyre

Be mine or you will burn

“If that witch wants to live then he will wisely choose to accept my offer of forgiveness. If he refuses then may he be burned at the stake like all of those other sinners.” Logan said, smirking as he remembered the many others who he had damned to the stake.

“Not everyone is as fortunate to have won my favor. Choose wisely.” He murmured to the scarf before casting it into the flames. The delicate fabric immediately caught flame and the garment was ash within a span of several seconds. Logan looked up the Virgin Mary painting once more, looking smug before turning away.

God have mercy on him

God have mercy on me

“May God be with him as he decides on his fate. And may God be with me and let this boy join me so we can walk the path of salvation together.” Logan said.

But he will be mine

Or he will burn!

“But let there be no doubt. He will be mine or he will burn. And may that foolish captain and that freak burn with him should he choose this path.” Logan said, staring at the Notre Dame through the stained glass windows where the monster he had raised resided.

[arcqna-hoe]

hunchback of notre dame au

note: this is based off of the musical version. due to this, some things from both the original book AND disney movie have been altered. the musical is the HUGEST bop, and arguably better than the original movie, the message being more poignant and the songs absolutely soul-touching. listen HERE.

warning: spoilers for the hunchback of notre dame musical, and subsequently, parts of the movie and novel.

Asra is Esmeralda, the beautiful and free-spirited gypsy who possesses the strong sense of justice and morality that Lucio lacks. Compassionate, he frees Muriel from the frenzied mob at the Feast of Fools and, against his better judgment, falls for the cocky Julian. An amazing, seductive dancer and “King” of the tambourine.

“God help the outcasts, poor and downtrod...I thought we all were children of God?”

Muriel is Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame and Lucio’s charge. Lonely and staunchly obedient to Lucio, he possesses a vivid imagination that brings to life the bells and gargoyles of the cathedral. Despite his shyness and uncertainty, he quickly befriends Asra. Big-hearted, and brave when need be.

“What makes a monster and what makes a man?...What I’d give, what I’d dare, to spend one day out there!”

Lucio is Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame Cathedral and the most powerful cleric in Paris. He is the reluctant caretaker of Muriel. He will do whatever it takes to rid the city of the gypsy “vermin,” even as he lusts after Asra. Calculating, manipulative, and obsessive.

“The wicked shall not go unpunished!... Then tell me, Maria, why I see him dancing there...why his smoldering eyes still scorch my soul?

Julian is Phoebus, returning to Paris after serving in the war. He takes up his new position as Captain of the Cathedral Guard. Overconfident yet charming, this handsome, strong soldier makes the ladies swoon, yet his moral compass is also strong, and he openly defies the corrupted Lucio when he falls for the beautiful Asra.

“What have I done for Asra? Why did I hear his voice inside my head? And still I think of Asra...”

Nadia is Clopin, the clever and charismatic Queen of the Gypsies. An air of mystery surrounds Nadia, who often leaves the scene in a puff of smoke. As the master of ceremonies for the Feast of Fools, she is witty and playful, but she boasts a darker, serious nature when not performing for the crowd.

“My apologies, gentlemen, for your imminent demise. Any last words?...I thought not!”

Portia is Madam, owner of a brothel that harbors Asra after he is hunted down by a mob for witchcraft.

expanded plot, songs, and pictures from the show under the cut!

The Plot: 

lucio is the caretaker of muriel, the deformed bell ringer of notre dame (and technically his nephew!)

notre dame is the cathedral and is located in paris

all muriel wants to do is spend one day among the common folk of paris and not be shunned for his appearance, but lucio has forbidden him to leave the top of the cathedral. 

against the wishes of his master, muriel visits the streets one day to go to the festival of fools, a festival hosted by the gypsies of the city to have mischievous fun and turn everything “topsy turvy”. the leader of this is nadia, the cunning “queen of the gypsies”

lucio also attends the feast of fools, his only purpose to ostracize the gypsies there, thinking them sinful and ungodly. there, he meets julian, the new captain of the guard working under him at notre dame. julian is handsome and flirtatious, only wanting to relax after returning from war, but lucio tells him they together must rid the city of “scum”, i.e the gypsies.

suddenly, nadia introduces asra, the beautiful gypsy dancer, who begins to perform a routine with his tambourine. muriel, julian, and lucio all see him and are instantly captivated by him. julian thinks he’s seductive and gorgeous, muriel think’s he’s purely beautiful, and lucio....lucio thinks he has the devil inside of him. despite this, lucio is disgusted to find himself attracted to asra and leaves.

following asra’s dance, muriel is attacked by the crowd after joining what is basically “the ugliest person in paris” contest. asra pulls him out and is compassionate, unaffected by the way he looks. still, muriel is forced to promise lucio that he will never leave the bell tower again, for the world is cruel, and follows him into notre dame.

asra tries to enter the cathedral to go after muriel, who has fled the scene, but is stopped by lucio who asserts that gypsies aren’t allowed in the tower. after lucio conducts mass, asra enters and prays for the outcasts as other church-goers ask the saints for selfish wishes.

asra heads up to the bell tower and shares a moment with muriel, thanking him for “giving him a moment at the top of the world”. after he leaves, muriel is sure he’s found his first real friend.

meanwhile, lucio grows conflicted over his lustful feelings for asra. after wandering the alleys of paris one night, he witnesses asra and julian sharing a kiss in a tavern. going back to the cathedral, he prays to the virgin mary (lmao) and makes a fatal decision:

he will have asra, or asra will burn in hell.

lucio then gets permission from the king to hunt down asra, claiming he is a witch and a threat to the holiness of paris. a witchhunt for asra ensues, and after refusing a direct order from lucio to burn portia’s brothel, which is suspected of harboring asra, julian becomes an outlaw as well. 

julian flees the brothel, and, with the help of muriel and a map he gave him, finds asra hiding in the gyspy court. nadia attempts to kill them as intruders, but asra stops her. 

nadia then overhears that lucio will attack at dawn and orders the rest of the gypsies to pack up and flee. julian asks asra to join him, confessing his love, and muriel, seeing them embrace, gives up on his hope that asra will ever love him.

unfortunately, lucio interrupts this moment and captures the three. he locks muriel back in the bell tower and throws julian and asra in prison in separate cells.

lucio secretly visits asra’s cell and proposes a deal: if asra will love him, he will stop his execution. asra, disgusted, refuses and calls lucio a demon and condemns himself to death (despite encouragement from julian to take the bargain, who only wants to save asra)

in the tower, the statues try to encourage muriel to save asra, but the bell-ringer grows angry and says he will remain stoic until the day he dies.

the next day, asra is tied to a pyre and convicted for the crime of witchcraft. lucio gives him one last chance to take the deal, but asra spits in his face.

then, lucio drops the torch into the pyre and asra is burned at the stake.

just before the flames touch him, though, muriel swings down from the tower on a rope, rescues asra, and carries him into the cathedral. above the city and clutching asra in his arms, muriel cries out for “sanctuary!”

sanctuary refers to the idea that it is immoral and unlawful to make arrests in a house of god

after regaining consciousness, asra thanks muriel for being a good friend, and in turn muriel asks him if they can stay in the bell tower together forever. asra smiles and says it would be nice....

and then he dies of smoke inhalation.

lucio enters and, after confirming asra’s death, tells muriel that they are finally free of the gypsies. overcome with anger and a newfound hatred for lucio, muriel throws him off of the tower and to his death.

julian arrives and is devastated to find asra dead, and attempts to carry him. after being unable to, he lets muriel carry his body to the top of the tower.

years later, two skeletons are found in the cathedral. one with a crooked spine, and one with a beautiful band of gold around it’s neck (asra), the former embracing the latter. when the discoverers of the skeletons try to separate the two, they crumble to dust.

finally, one last question is posed.

“what makes a monster, and what makes a man?”

....and after that depressing ending, it’s picture and song time!

best bops from the musical (LINKS): the prologue, asra is a gift to the world, the one where asra kisses julian, lucio is a horny archdeacon, asra and julian and muriel sad romantic harmony, asra’s witchhunt, and finally, the longest and saddest song in the whole goddamn thing

listen to the whole thing HERE.

well, that’s all folks! this took me forever to put together, so i hope you enjoyed! look out for pictures of the show below :)

muriel and the gargoyles/saints.

julian and asra.

asra and lucio.

[feadae]

Yo

So I’m in the choir for a community production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical (my first community theater show, now that I think on it--!!!) and I’ve loved almost every second of it so far.

The only seconds I haven’t loved are the seconds when we rehearse (SPOILERS) Esmeralda’s death. 

For those of you who haven’t seen the show (live or bootleg - I also am poor and nowhere near the coasts; I don’t judge), Quasi’s just poured molten lead on the square at Notre-Dame and he comes back into the bell tower, where he laid Esmeralda after taking her away from her pyre, and he’s being his heartbreakingly adorable self and she has a short reprise of “Top of the World.” That finishes, and Quasi tells Esmeralda, “Can stay inside here forever!” Coughing, voice weakening, she replies, “I don’t think...forever. You’re such a good friend, Quasimodo.” He smiles and says, “Yes. Your friend.” And Esmeralda dies and it’s heartwrenching, but this is where I stop, because I’ve reached the part that bugs me.

Every time our Esmeralda says, “You’re such a good friend, Quasimodo,” at least one person (usually more) in the cast and/or choir says something scolding Esmeralda for “friendzoning” Quasi on her deathbed. They’re never serious; it’s clearly a joke, but it still bugs me and I’m having trouble articulating why it bugs me, so if you don’t mind I’m going to try to figure out words here.

First off, the whole concept of “friendzoning” as a bad thing bugs me, partly because of its association with Nice Guy culture, which--ew--but also because of its implication that friendship is inferior to romance and/or sex.

It’s not.

Especially for Quasimodo, y’all! Poor boy’s lived twenty whole years with only Frollo for human contact and only the gargoyles’ voices in his head for friends. He’s grown up loving Frollo like a father, but that love hasn’t been returned, and on some level, I think he can tell--his body language whenever Frollo’s onstage with him, as well as the fact that he addresses Frollo as “Master” (probably at Frollo’s instruction), are indicators that he’s afraid of/intimidated by Frollo, and I’m sorry, but if you’re afraid of your parental figure(s), then they’re not doing their job very well, and they’re certainly not your friend(s). And they probably don’t consider you theirs.

All that to say, Quasimodo hasn’t had a friend his whole life, nor has anyone ever told him anything positive about him, so for Esmeralda to tell him he’s a good friend to her is h u g e. She is affirming that he is a person, that he is a good person, and that she’s grateful for all that he’s done for her in the few weeks he’s known her.

I put up a mild protest when it happened today (it had to be quick and quiet, because y’know rehearsal, and I didn’t want to ruffle too many feathers--I’m really good at ruining jokes and bringing down the mood), and the person next to me--still with that joking demeanor, but defending the joke--said that Esmeralda “friendzoned” Quasi in that he loved her and made his love known and she rejected him, chose Phœbus instead, and called Quasi her friend on her deathbed (the person asserted that the “dying friendzone” was worse than a normal one, because there was no chance for Esmeralda to change her mind).

And, like, yeah, he loved her and made his love known--wouldn’t you, too, if you’d lived your whole life only experiencing half-assed, bare-bones “kindness” from an authority figure who constantly told you that you were a deformed, ugly monster, unfit to even leave the building you grew up in, and then when you do leave and your worst fears are realized and people scorn and abuse you for looking different, this person you admire not only tells everyone to stop hurting you, but also defends you, helps you, and apologizes for inadvertently starting the whole ordeal?

I’d probably fall in love on the spot, too.

I mean, I’ve been very lucky to grow up with a family who loves me and tells me so all the time, and I’ve had friendships come and go and come to stay, and still I very nearly fall in love all the time with people who are decent human beings to me. In this very show, when the cast lets me linger on the edge of their conversations and occasionally contribute, I get this thrill of “holy shit I’m one of the gang,” and if someone goes so far as to address me by name? ??? I short-circuit. They know my name! These people are so much cooler than I’ll ever be, and so much better at being functioning, social human beings, but they know my name and they use it and I’m a person! It sounds strange and made-up when I write it down, but it’s seriously what goes on in my head. When people I admire take the half-second it takes to say my name.

And I didn’t grow up isolated and abused in a bell tower.

Back to the other points the person made: Esmeralda chose to pursue a relationship with Phœbus, yes, but she didn’t outright reject Quasimodo. She looked out for him and remained his friend, telling him she’d help him when he needed it (remember, that’s why she gave him the amulet map to the Court of Miracles--as a thank-you for him helping her hide Phœbus, she gave Quasi the amulet and told him, “And if you ever need help, come find me in the Court of Miracles”). Even when he asked her to stay with him and hide in the crypts under Notre-Dame, she made sure that he understood that she wasn’t turning him down because she didn’t like him, she was turning him down to protect him and herself (“I can’t, Quasimodo. It would be too dangerous--not just for me, but for you, too.”).

And I don’t think she chose Phœbus because he’s conventionally pretty. I don’t remember who posted it, but I saw a post on here (it might have been a quote, for all I know/remember) that said something along the lines of “Frollo saw Esmeralda as a devil. Quasimodo saw her as an angel. Phœbus saw her as Esmeralda. So she chose Phœbus.” That says it better and more concisely than I can. Frollo was never an option for Esmeralda romantically, so we’re leaving him at the door. And Quasimodo is an absolute sweetheart and loyal and kind to the core, but because he grew up so isolated and maltreated, he idolized the first person to show him true kindness, which wouldn’t have ended well even if Esmeralda had survived and had chosen to pursue a romance with Quasi--putting people on pedestals isn’t healthy for either person involved; at some point, whether knowingly (I doubt it, in this case) or otherwise, Esmeralda would have failed Quasi in some way--not because she doesn’t care, but just because she’s human, and humans can’t be perfect--and it would have crushed him. It’s not good for Esmeralda, either--through no fault of his own (see again the twenty-year isolation point: he doesn’t know any better), Quasi is basically objectifying her. This isn’t to say he has bad intentions, or that his love isn’t real--he’s not objectifying Esmeralda the way Frollo does--it’s just to say that Esmeralda recognized that in the end, neither she nor Quasi would be happy in a romantic relationship with each other, but she saw that he desperately needed and deserved a friend, so she became his friend. Phœbus initially compares Esmeralda to an angel in “Rhythm of the Tambourine,” but if we’re being honest I think it was just for the sake of the contrast to Frollo’s line “She dances like the Devil himself” when Phœbus meets her and talks to her, he begins to fall in love with the real her, the one who is trading witty remarks with him and also fiercely defending herself, her principles, her people, and Quasimodo, whom she’s just met maybe fifteen minutes ago. And her curiosity about this soldier whom she senses is not an orders-following machine but has a strong moral compass and who really listens to what she has to say turns to love while she has time to think about it, and they both act on it in “Tavern Song,” when they have a witty conversation that masks their true feelings but they’re each testing the waters to see if the other feels the way they do and when each has confirmed it, they kiss and it’s actually great.

Esmeralda loves both Phœbus and Quasimodo--she loves Phœbus romantically, which is arguably what he needed (since I sense that his “Rest and Recreation” self was a bit of a front and he needed someone to see past that), and she loves Quasimodo platonically, which is certainly what he needed--and let’s be real, Esmeralda needed both. It’s established that she loses friends quickly, probably because of how determined she is to right the wrongs she sees, so for both Phœbus and Quasimodo to admire that trait and to admire her is wonderful, because it opens doors for Esmeralda that were probably closed for quite some time. (Which sounds opportunistic and calculating when I write it down, but I think it’s true, and I’m not using it to diminish the emotional value of these relationships--I’m just trying to figure things out.)

And we’ve already covered that the “friendzone” is a ridiculous concept, but the “dying friendzone”? When else was she going to tell Quasi that he was a good friend? She was just getting to know him for most of the show, and she was away from him for huge chunks of it, too--her last minutes, dying in Quasi’s arms, were her last chance to help Quasi understand that he wasn’t the monster he’d grown up being told he was (and I’d like to see you try to say more than six words when you’ve just been nearly burned at the stake and are dying from excessive smoke inhalation).

Please let me know if there’s anything you think I missed; there are several points here that I’m not 100% solid on, and I might have expressed any of this quite poorly, because I’m tired.

TL;DR: I’ve been stewing over a throwaway joke people made in Hunchback rehearsal for approximately Way Too Long and needed to put my thoughts down somewhere

[mbtizone]

Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame): INTJ

Dominant Introverted Intuition [Ni]: When the Archdeacon tries to prevent Frollo from killing the infant Quasimodo, Frollo takes a step back and thinks that if he keeps Quasimodo around, he may become useful to him someday. He didn’t know then how he would be able to use Quasimodo, but he followed his intuition and he was right. A couple of decades later, Quasimodo was able to lead him directly to Esmeralda. Frollo is all about long-term goals and he exudes an extraordinary amount of patience in making his vision into a reality. He tells Phoebus that he has taken care of the gypsies one by one for twenty years. His dream is to rid the city of all of the gypsies. Frollo’s desire to take out the gypsies becomes an obsession. It’s all he can think about and he will stop at nothing. Frollo uses symbolism in order to explain his gypsy problem to Phoebus. As he talks about taking care of the gypsies one by one, he crushes three ants to emphasize his point. Then, he turns over the tile to reveal many more ants. No matter what he does, they continue to thrive. Frollo tells Quasimodo that he’s going to the Court of Miracles to kill the gypsies there, knowing that if Quasimodo knows where it is, he would undoubtedly go to save Esmeralda. Then, all he has to do is keep an eye on him, follow him, and let Quasimodo lead him there.

Auxiliary Extroverted Thinking [Te]: It doesn’t matter what it takes or who he has to hurt. Frollo demands order. The gypsies don’t live within his system, so they must burn. Frollo wants to control those around him and does not stand for insubordination or rule-breakers. He doles out commands with ease and expects his men to carry them out as instructed. Those who challenge his authority in any capacity will pay the price, or be made an example of, which he does to the people that he believes has been harboring gypsies. When the people at the festival begin to throw things at Quasimodo and torment him, Frollo refuses to break it up until he feels Quasimodo has learned his lesson. When he’s about to set Esmeralda on fire, he tries to give her the option to become his, which he feels is preferable to burning alive. Frollo is authoritarian and believes in punishment, discipline, and getting the job done by any means necessary. He strives for efficiency as well, as he instructs his men to wait in between cracks of their whips, because he doesn’t want the numbness of the last lash to dull the pain of the next one.

Tertiary Introverted Feeling [Fi]: Frollo completely lacks empathy, but he sees himself as righteous and virtuous. He believes that he’s ridding the world of vice and sin. He wrestles with his attraction to Esmeralda and refuses to accept the blame for this, saying that God was the one who made the Devil so much stronger than men. He doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings, and instead of trying to understand them, he acts on them by offering Esmeralda the choice of being his or burning. He wants to control Quasimodo and looks down on him. He calls Quasimodo an “idiot” for believing that Esmeralda was being kind to him, instead trying to convince him that she was manipulating him because gypsies aren’t capable of love. He wants to continue being able to control Quasimodo, which he can’t do if Quasimodo believes anyone but Frollo cares for him. Believing that Esmeralda is genuinely good destroys the entire basis of his relationship with Frollo, because he positions himself as the only one who can look beyond his “deformity.” He wants Quasimodo to depend on him, so he can continue to control him.

Inferior Extroverted Sensing [Se]: It’s difficult for Frollo to suppress his inferior function, even though he simultaneously finds it revolting. He has spent his entire life working for all that he has, yet throws it all away because he’s unable to resist his impulses. He tries so hard not to give in to his sensory desires (his undeniable lust for Esmeralda), but he can’t help himself. He wrestles with this feelings because He doesn’t believe in giving into such urges. It’s beneath him. They go against his very nature and against the image he has of himself, but they’re just impossible for him to ignore. He doesn’t know how to deal with the impure feelings he’s having for Esmeralda. In the end, he is unable to control his desires and violently acts on them. He disregards all of his higher functions, which costs him everything that he’s spent his entire life working for, including his own life.

Note: I get why some people type him as an ISTJ, but his inferior function is clearly extroverted sensing. And he’s way too much of a long-term thinker and planner to be Si. He’s not trying to preserve anything, he’s trying to turn his vision into a reality. And he dedicates decades to it.

Enneagram: 1w2 3w2 5w6 So/Sx

Quotes:

Clopin: Judge Claude Frollo longed To purge the world Of vice and sin And he saw corruption Ev’rywhere Except within

Frollo: This is an unholy demon. I’m sending it back to Hell, where it belongs.

Frollo: Just so he’s kept locked away where no one else can see. The bell tower, perhaps. And who knows–our Lord works in mysterious ways. Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be of use to me.

Clopin: And Frollo gave the child a cruel name. A name that means half-formed… Quasimodo!

Frollo: You come to Paris in her darkest hour, Captain. It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled. Phoebus: Misled, sir? Frollo: Look, Captain–gypsies. The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the peoples’ lowest instincts, and they must be stopped. Phoebus: I was summoned from the wars to capture fortune tellers and palm readers? Frollo: Oh, the real war, Captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years, I have been taking care of the gypsies, one… by… one. [On each of the last three words, Frollo crushes one of three ants on a tile. He flips the tile over, revealing scores of ants scurrying around underneath.] Frollo: And yet, for all of my success, they have thrived. I believe they have a safe haven, within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles. Phoebus: What are we going to do about it, sir? [Frollo slams the tile back down upside down, and turns it, crushing the remainder of the ants.] Phoebus: You make your point quite vividly, Captain.

Quasimodo: I didn’t mean to upset you, master. Frollo: Quasimodo, can’t you understand? When your heartless mother abandoned you as a child, anyone else would have drowned you. And this my thanks for taking you in and raising you as my son? Quasimodo: I’m sorry, sir. Frollo: Oh, my dear Quasimodo, you don’t know what it’s like out there. I do… I do… The world is cruel The world is wicked It’s I alone whom you can trust in this whole city I am your only friend I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you I who look upon you without fear How can I protect you, boy Unless you always stay in here Away in here?

[On the last word, Clopin disappears in a puff of smoke, and Esmeralda appears in his place. She proceeds to perform a sultry dance.] Frollo: Look at that disgusting display.

Frollo: You think you’ve outwitted me, but I am a patient man, and gypsies don’t do well inside stone walls. [He pauses, then breathes deeply, smelling Esmeralda’s hair.] What are you doing? Frollo: I was just imagining a rope around that beautiful neck. [Frollo caresses her neck, but she pulls away.] I know what you were imagining. Frollo: Such a clever witch. So typical of your kind, to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts. Well, no matter. [He begins to leave.] You’ve chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, and you’re mine!

Frollo: Beata Maria You know I am a righteous man Of my virtue, I am justly proud Beata Maria You know I’m so much Purer than the common vulgar, weak, licentious crowd Then tell me, Maria, why I see her Dancing there, Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul Like fire, hellfire This fire in my skin This burning desire Is turning me to sin! It’s not my fault! I’m not to blame! It’s the gypsy girl The witch who sent this flame It’s not my fault If, in God’s plan, He made the Devil so much stronger than a man! Protect me, Maria! Don’t let this siren cast her spell Don’t let her fire sear my flesh and bone Destroy Esmeralda And let her taste the fires of hell Or else let her be mine and mine alone!

Frollo: Hellfire, dark fire Now gypsy it’s your turn! Choose me or your pyre Be mine, or you will burn! God have mercy on her God have mercy on me But she will be mine, or she will burn!

Frollo: We found this gypsy talisman on your property. Have you been harbouring gypsies? Miller: Our home is always open to the weary traveler. Have mercy, my lord. Frollo: I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true, you are innocent and you have nothing to fear. Miller: But we are innocent, I assure you! We know nothing of these gypsies! [Frollo pulls their door shut, then bars it shut with a guard’s staff. He turns to Phoebus.] Frollo: Burn it. Phoebus: What!?!? Frollo: Until it smolders. These people are traitors and must be made examples of. [Frollo hands him a torch.] Phoebus: With all due respect, sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent. Frollo: But you were trained to follow orders. [Phoebus takes the torch and douses it in a bucket of water.] Insolent coward.

Frollo: Ease up. Wait between lashes. Otherwise the older sting will dull him to the new.

Frollo: Isn’t this one new? [Picks up the Esmeralda figure] It’s awfully good. Looks very much like the gypsy girl. I know. [A nasty look creeps across his face as his voice rises] You helped her escape! Quasimodo: But I- Frollo: And now, all Paris is burning because of you! Quasimodo: She was kind to me, master. [Frollo smashes the table and its setting] Frollo: You idiot! That wasn’t kindness, it was cunning! She’s a gypsy! Gypsies are not capable of real love! Think, boy! Think of your mother!

Frollo: The prisoner Esmeralda has been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence: death! [Cheers go up from the crowd.] Frollo: [He steps closer to Esmeralda] The time has come, gypsy. You stand upon the brink of the abyss. Yet even now, it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world, and the next. Choose me, or the fire. [She spits in his face.] Frollo: The gypsy Esmeralda has refused to recant. This evil witch has put the soul of every citizen of Paris in mortal danger…

Quasimodo: You killed her. Frollo: It was my duty, horrible as it was. I hope you can forgive me. There, there, Quasimodo, I know it hurts. But now, the time has come to end your suffering. [We see that Frollo has a dagger. As Frollo raises it to stab him, Quasi sees the shadow of the dagger. He turns and struggles with Frollo only briefly, before wresting the dagger from Frollo’s hands and backing him into a corner.] Frollo: Now, now, listen to me, Quasimodo. Quasimodo: No, you listen! All my life you have told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now, I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!

Frollo: The sentence for insubordination is death. Such a pity. You threw away a promising career.

Frollo: [bluffing to Quasimodo] I know where her hideout is and tomorrow at dawn, I attack with a thousand men. [grins evilly as part of his trick as he leaves]

Frollo: [carrying out Esmerelda’s execution] For justice, for Paris, and for her own salvation, it is my sacred duty to send this unholy demon back where she belongs!

Frollo: Frollo: How dare you defy me?!

Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame): INTJ was originally published on MBTI Zone

[reel-randolph]

My Top Ten Disney Villain Songs, Part Two

Here is Part Two of my list! Check out Part One if you haven’t!

 Number Five: “Be Prepared” - Scar, The Lion King

And Scar arrives to give Ratigan a run for his money in the evil British animal department! Now, Scar may not have the greatest singing voice, but he makes up for this by positively dripping with menace and cold contempt. Having an enormous chanting chorus and eerie percussion behind you doesn’t hurt, either! What’s odd is that this song about taking over the kingdom through regicide makes me oddly pumped. I listen to this and go “Hell yeah, let’s get shit done! I’m prepared, woo!” And then I go do chores or something. Not even Scar’s deliciously evil lyrics put me enough in a murdering the king and his son mood, but hey, you do you, Scar. You do you.

Number Four: “Friends on the Other Side” - Doctor Facilier, The Princess and the Frog

Listen, if a Voodoo-practicing man dragged me into his parlor with an evil, sentient shadow, and various creepy paraphernalia adorning his walls, making Faustian promises at me, I’d book it... unless he sounded as sexy-smooth as Doctor Facilier here. The music in this song is fantastic in how it twists and turns from sounding foreboding, to uplifting, to almost angelic, back into foreboding and into panic-inducing! But it’s okay, Because Doctor Facilier’s stupidly sexy baritone sticks with you all the way through it. Look, I’m sorry, I don’t care if I have to make some foolish bargain to get a private concert from this big bad voodoo daddy, it’s fucking happening. 

Number Three: “Gaston” - Gaston, Beauty and the Beast 

No one’s a prick like Gaston, such a dick like Gaston, no one’s chauvinism makes me sick like Gaston! Ah, but that’s the beauty of this beast (I’m not sorry): that his song can be such an ego-boosting testament to his particularly gross brand of masculinity, and yet also be a rousing show-stopper that’ll have you singing along to what are arguably the most clever and witty lyrics in any Disney song, villain or not. Everyone is just so damn joyous and boisterous in the song that you can’t help but enjoy it, no matter how much of an asshole Gaston is.

Number Two: “Poor Unfortunate Souls” - Ursula, The Little Mermaid

This one sneaks up on you. Ursula lulls you in with a calm, reassuring tone. The music is gentle, almost like a strange sort of lullaby. Then it starts to get faster, Ursula becomes more unhinged. By the end of the song, both the music and the sea witch have become absolutely crazy! The lyrics are once again phenomenal, but where it really shines is in the delivery. Ursula has a helluva set of pipes, and she uses them with gusto! This song comes from the same sort of “trick a hero into a foolish pact” brand as “Friends on the Other Side,” but even Doctor Facilier’s sexy voice is no match for Ursula’s gleeful insanity. Not to mention, she doesn’t actually trick Ariel all that much. She tells her hat if she doesn’t follow through on the contract, she’ll be raked across the coals, and Ariel signs the damn thing anyway!

Number One: “Hellfire” - Judge Claude Frollo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I love all the songs on this list. But “Hellfire?” This song is on another level. This would not be out of place in a Sondheim musical. I still can’t believe that Disney allowed these lyrics and imagery in one of their animated films for a general audience. Here you have a song in which a man pontificates about his unholy lust for a woman, blames the Devil for putting these dirty thoughts in his head, and decides that if she won’t be with him, he’ll just burn her to death. Some actual lyrics: “Hellfire, Dark fire, Now, Gypsy, It’s your turn, Choose me or your pyre, be mine or you will burn.” First of all, holy fucking shit, Disney. Second of all, this is amazing. The epic choir in the background chanting in Latin, the sweeping, hellbent orchestration, the terrifying passion with with Frollo sings... There could be no other pick for my favorite Disney villain song. It’s so damn dark and genuinely disturbing that it went completely over my head when I saw this film as a kid. Only when I revisited it many, many years later did I realize what a macabre masterpiece it is.

So that’s My Top Ten Favorite Disney Villain Songs. Join me next time when I reveal my picks for my favorite sidekick/supporting cast songs. I know that all none of my readers are dying to know! 

[ruffoverthinksthings]

There's something I have to ask you that has some of its roots far before Descendants, but seriously....wtf is up with Frollo?! I'm interested in his character because of his deep complexities for a Disney Villian (never mind the Hugo novel), but why cant he get a grip on raising children and building a healthy family? Even as a product of the medieval era , that can't be an excuse for his dysfunctional relationships with others(progressive people like Esmeralda and Phoebus existed back then 1/2

Mymain question to you is ,what do you think it is about him that cantsee the pain he causes to claudine/ not esme and the entire HONDcast? What ever happened to him in his childhood ( nature vsnurture), that makes him nearly impossible to reach past his veil ofdarkness. Even in his attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of hisLord, with Claudine, is he forever delusional? Can he change in thisuniverse and what would it take? 2/2

There’sthree key concepts that explain why Frollo still can’t redeemhimself, see the pain, the suffering, the wrongdoing he’s causingin the name of God and his ideas of what is “Good.” These are:

CognitiveDissonance

TheMyth of Redemptive Violence by Walter Wink, and

SexualSuppression in the Catholic Church, and the ideas of ReligiousLeaders being beyond the common man

Allof these are actually easily explainable using the lyrics ofHellfire:

BeataMariaYou know I am a righteous manOf my virtue I amjustly proud

BeataMariaYou know I'm so much purer thanThe common, vulgar,weak, licentious crowd

Thentell me, MariaWhy I see her dancing thereWhy hersmold'ring eyes still scorch my soulI feel her, I seeherThe sun caught in her raven hairIs blazing in me outof all control

Here,we see what Frollo thinks of himself: a saint among sinners, a man ofstrong faith in a land of unbelievers, someone who does Good whereasthe rest fall into Temptation and Sin.

Likemajority of the leaders of the Catholic Church, and especiallybecause it’s in the Medieval Era, he is seen as someone who isinherently above his fellow man, better, purer, more virtuous, whichis why he deserves to hold his position, and use all the power andinfluence that affords him.

Butthen, Esmeralda comes along, he is tempted by her beauty, and herealizes that he is not as invulnerable and incorruptible as hethought he was.

Unfortunatelyfor all of us, he refuses to take responsibility for it.

It'snot my faultI'm not to blameIt is the gypsy girlThewitch who sent this flameIt's not my faultIf in God'splanHe made the devil so muchStronger than a man

Here,he refuses to believe that there’s any fault in him, that he isstill prone to temptation despite his beliefs; rather, he engages inwhat is called “Scapegoating,” putting all the blame inEsmeralda, going so far as to irrationally cast her as some wickedenchantress with powers that he doesn’t stand a chance ofresisting, than just a woman he is fully capable of getting over.

However,that involves him admitting that he was wrong about his belief thathe is incorruptible and “holier than thou,” and he wants toprotect that idea, more than he actually wants to be it, simplybecause it’s less distressing for him.

Thisis called Cognitive Dissonance, the stress someone experiencesfrom having a belief or more than directly oppose their actions andbehaviours.

Otherexamples of Cognitive Dissonance are:

Someonewho believes themselves a healthy person despite having a pack-a-daycigarette habit;

Someonewho buys a product or a service and it doesn’t turn out nearly asgood as they thought it would, so they make all manner of excuses andjustifications to make it better (in their minds); and

Someonewho stays in a relationship that has long past its expiration date,because they don’t believe themselves to be someone who gets it“wrong” with something as important as romantic relationships.

Peoplesuffering from cognitive dissonance often find ways to “spin”things and defend their original beliefs, rather than reevaluate whatthey thought was true and their identity. Rationality, logic, orconsistency ceases to matter to them; sparing themselves from thedistress that they were wrong or are acting against their beliefstakes priority above everything else.

Withthe above examples:

Thesmoker convinces themselves that cigarette smoking isn’t reallythat bad for their health (it’s actually worse);

Thatthe price, the manufacturer, or some other quality of the product orservice automatically makes it better despite the reality of it, likewith the exploding Samsung phones incident, and people refusing toreturn them in spite of the danger to themselves and everyone else;and

Thatthey can still salvage the relationship, that all the problems andissues are not nearly as bad as they are, and that they simply haveto try harder.

WithFrollo, he chooses the Myth of Redemptive Violence.

Inits essence, it’s “Good Vs Evil,” “The Final Clash,” theBook of Revelations where the forces of the Righteous do battle withthe Wicked, purging all that is unholy and ushering in a new, betterworld, or bringing all those deserving into heaven.

It’sinteresting because you see this constantly with all of Disney’sfilms with a classic “Villain” antagonist: there’s PrincePhilip slaying Maleficent; Tiana and Naveen outsmarting Dr. Facillierand letting his Friends from the Other Side do their thing; andTarzan doing battle with Clayton.

Theymay or may not have a direct hand in bringing about theirdoom—Clayton accidentally hung himself because of his refusal toaccept Tarzan’s help, for example—but it’s always VERY clear tothe audience that A) the protagonists are “good” people, B) theantagonists are “evil” people, and C) there is no redeeming the“villains,” there’s only killing, jailing, or trapping them inan enchanted lamp, because they will never turn to good.

Asstated above, Frollo believes himself to be a righteous man, theepitome of goodness, the Holy Servant of God, and people that don’tfit into his worldview are declared “Wicked” and must beslain. He has killed numerous gypsies, has been responsiblefor the death and/or suffering of numerous innocent civilians, andalmost drowned Quasimodo in a well, if it weren’t for the ArchDeacon warning him of his hypocrisy.

Inhis views, there is no salvation, no forgiveness of the sinner, noramending for your wicked ways—there is only judgment, and yoursentence is death.

Protectme, MariaDon't let the siren cast her spellDon't let herfire sear my flesh and boneDestroy EsmeraldaAnd let hertaste the fires of Hell!Or else let her be mine and mine alone

Here,Frollo shows just how extreme and devoid of nuance his sense ofmorality is—either you live, or you die. He also shows more of hisCognitive Dissonance and Redemptive Violence once more, where hepleads that—against the customs and the traditions of the church,and the scandal that would erupt— Esmeralda be “given” to him.

Thisis especially poignant as the Catholic Church has a massive,well-known history of suppressing sexuality and policing the sexualbehaviour of their followers and especially their ordained leaders,usually to disastrous results.

Insteadof giving them a chance to it in healthy ways, or to treat havingsexual urges as a natural thing, the Catholic church paints it asweakness, a flaw in you, a sign that you have failed and that you areshameful, awful, and a sinner for having them in the first place.

“Shaming”someone is the BEST way to get someone to do the thing you’reshaming them for—as you cut their self-esteem, and make thembelieve that they are weak and deficit in some manner, the morelikely they will be to do the vice or the crime because they want tofeel better, and the more likely they will accept that they truly AREbeyond saving, that there’s no hope for salvation, so fuck it,let’s do the thing.

Itgets even worse in the ending of Hellfire:

HellfireDarkfireNow gypsy, it's your turnChoose me orYourpyreBe mine or you will burnGod have mercy on herGodhave mercy on meBut she will be mineOr she will burn!

Here,Frollo shows the depths of his hypocrisy and the amazing mentalacrobatics he’s performing, saying “God have mercy” whilstpromising the opposite of mercy: death, or enslavement.

Here,Frollo shows that he’s no longer following the doctrines, the laws,or the traditions of the church, what God decreed or Jesus relayed tohis followers.

Here,Frollo shows that all he truly follows is what he believes to beRight—what is Right for him.

Iassumed that this behaviour follows him onto the Isle, where he has avery warped sense of religious morality that is really just hisselfish desires, being justified in his eyes by tacking the name ofGod onto it, much like Richard “Rick” Ratcliffe.

Whycan’t he get a grip on a loving marriage, relating in healthymanners to people, and building a loving family life for Claudine?

Because,like the rest of the Villains, he wasn’t marrying and having kidsfor unselfish reasons, he was using his ex-wife Salome to satisfy hissexual needs, is still using Claudine as a means to fulfillhis broken dreams and ambitions, and is unconsciously using them bothto serve himself first and foremost.

Thesexuality that was Frollo’s downfall has not disappeared—it’sstill there, and I’d argue it’s actually stronger consideringthe constant state of stress and despair in the Isle that forcespeople to resort to their basest instincts, and engage in whateverwill give them some measure of relief.

However,instead of going the healthy route of acknowledging that he isflawed, and that he should return to attempting celibacy in spite oftemptation, Frollo merely twists his lustful desires into somethingthat would be acceptable in his beliefs, and that of hiscongregation.

Howdoes he achieve this? Marriage, with all the intercourse for thepurpose of reproduction, and reproduction only.

I’dimagine that, after becoming the only Catholicreligious leader alive or not yet renouncing his faith, and thedeplorable state of everything and the VKsbeing raised, he sees himselfas some kind of New Adam,meant to be the progenitor of anew race of “Good, Christian People” who would eventually becomethe inheritors of this wretched hell, take it away from the hands ofthe Demon Queen that rules it (Maleficent), and rebirth it as aparadise.

Beforeyou ask, yes, he could be the CELIBATE steward of this new world,taking care of his non-ordained congregation’s children, but thatwouldn’t let him satisfy his sexual needs, and is thus not anoption in his mind.

Andbefore you ask why he doesn’t get flack about this, all of thepeople on the Isle are criminals, and if you weren’t living in thedeplorable conditions they were BGU, you learn to loosen yourstandards right quick here.

That,and they can be manipulated easily and lead to believe that undercertain circumstances, marriage and sexual intercourse with Judgesare possible—a lot of these people can’t read, and have noconcept of critical thinking.

Whyis he like this with Claudine, raising her up to be an ideal ratherthan a person?

Becausehe know he’s old, he knows he’s weak, and he’s essentiallytrapped in his church and a small area around it in Temple Way—he’sunable to bring the fight to the Islanders (not including hiscongregation, because they’re obviously theexception), be it ideologically or especially physically, so he hasto raise an army to do it for him.

Claudineis not just his daughter to him, or his Flock—she is a Messiahfigure to them, the “child that will lead them” as the actualJesus Christ was, the true successor to Frollo’s church when heinevitably passes away.

Sowhenever she starts to deviate from his ideals (i.e. growing up to beher own person, independent of her father’s desires), he doesn’tsee it as cruel and manipulative to mess with her emotions likethis—he sees himself as a sculptor making sure that this livingclay does not end up malformed, that she is completely, absolutelyperfect in every waypossible.

I’dalso be remiss not to mention that poor nutrition, dementia, and oldage have taken a serious tollon him.

Ishis being a product of the Medieval Era an excuse for hisdysfunctional socialinteractions?

Itis, actually!

Phoebusand Esmeralda are shown to be progressives in the movie, but theproblem is, they’re still the exception,not the rule; the world ofFrance in 1482 is nowhere NEAR the level of multiculturalism anddiversity we see today.

Mostpeople of that erawill never even leave the towns they live in, let alone be able tohave the means to travel vast continents and entire oceans to meetpeople unlike themselves—and as European Spice Expeditions haveshown, the interaction is more likely to be lethalto the natives than friendly, let alone romantic.

There’salso the fact that if a foreigner lives in France, it’s usuallyfrom a slave trade of some sort or as part of a roving band of apersecuted minority, like Esmeralda and the rest of the Romanipeople.

Thetimes they live in are very xenophobic, with very black and whitemorality—there are only sinners and the faithful, and again, withFrollo, there is no room for outsiders like Esmeralda and the Romanipeople, whom he believes only deserve death.

Andagain, there’s also the fact that Frollo is a Judge, and alongsidehis religion and his authority, believes himself to be inherentlyabove and better than people, and that he cannot do anything wrongbecause he is of that high position, as only a “Good” person canhold that office.

Tohave a wicked, sinful man capable of cruelty and madness would beparadoxical, and would absolutely never happen! (/sarcasm)

Thisis why he can’t see the pain and the suffering he inflicts onothers with his actions—he simply believes himself to be BEYOND andincapable of doingevil.

Withthe question of nature and nurture, I won’t headcanon aboutFrollo’s childhood, since the Nurture has the lion’s share ofblame here.

He’svery old, he’s obviously a very senior member of the church, andhas a lot of respect—he has spent almost all of his life beingtreated as higher and better than his fellow man, he has massivepower other people, and the beliefs of his church (and consequently,himself) is that he is a reliable, infallible authority for what is“Good” and what is “Evil.”

Andas the saying goes, power corrupts.

Mostpeople behave in fear of some higher authority, be they the police,their parents, or that of your superior at work. Unfortunately forall of us, Frollo only really fears two people: the Arch-Deacon, andGod.

Thewords of the “commoners” matter not to him. Maleficent has longknown that these people are beyond reason or are not worth it, sodoesn’t exercise her authority. And even within hiscongregation—more of a cult, at this point, really—dissent isimmediately silenced, murmurs that “Father Frollo” might not beas virtuous and holy as they think he is shushed like a motherreprimanding her child during Sunday mass.

Toend this rather long, lengthy tirade, can he ever break free of thedelusion, and can he truly change his ways?

Realistically,no, and no.

Unlikeactual dogs, you can’t teach Frollo new tricks, especially onesthat contradict his worldview, and he’s already shown time andagain that he won’t accept any objective evidence that he’swrong—every action of his is justified to him, and that subjectivedecision is what makes it “Right.”

Itdoesn’t help that, as I’ve said in other headcanons and mentionedabove, the people of the Isle of the Lost tend to be the ones whohave lost all hope, and are desperately clinging onto whatever it isthey can for comfort.

Ifyou bring him to Auradon, and have him meet up with the (much sanerand reasonable, but not entirely) congregations of Auradon, it’dlikely end in shouting and claims of heresy and going against God.

Havingyour everything pulled out from under you and getting throwninto the great big unknown is terrifying and painful.

Andfor many people, they’d rather be wrong and not realize it, thansuffer that—thus, Cognitive dissonance, and belief in RedemptiveViolence, with both exacerbated by the Catholic Church’s stance on“deviant” sexual behaviour.

[mysteryfanfictheatre3000]

Back to the Frollo, Chapter 10

Warning: No one kills Hitler in this one.

Chapter Ten

"So you finally met him, eh?", chuckled Fern as I mentioned my first few meetings with Claude Frollo. She kept laughing as I helped her unload supplies from a wagon. One nice thing about Jacki's invention was that we were able to travel back and forth through time and space with little trouble.

And you’re using this revolutionary technology to go to 1400s France, do absolutely nothing important or interesting, and mess with the plot of a Disney movie. You could be killing Hitler right now, couldn’t you?

Fern and I had just returned from a special shopping trip back home; we had to stock up on things that we couldn't possibly get in 15th century France: corn, sweet potatoes, sugar, coffee, and other foods we took for granted in our own time. We were getting somewhat homesick.

So go home. No one wants you here, and again, I’m more comfortable with these crazies being in America where they’re powerless and jail is a thing.

We even brought back some recorded music. This was Fern's idea, though I was apprehensive about bringing the CDs. Jacki had rigged a special device on a boombox so we could listen to recorded music whenever we wanted. I never asked Jacki how it worked, must've been solar-powered, since we obviously had no electricity. All I knew was it worked.

This Jacki chick is a genius. Why is she devoting all her advancements in science to helping her teacher’s friend fall in love with an elderly priest from centuries ago instead of actually doing anything good in the world?

So now I had my Motown and R&B, and Fern had her country tunes. We had to either keep the volume down or listen with headphones. We would've had a LOT of explaining to do if we ever got caught, and I knew what the charge would be: Witchcraft.

She keeps worrying about being accused of being a witch, but she keeps bringing back unnecessary future technology that would heighten everyone’s suspicions of her being a witch!

I never told Fern everything about my encounters with Frollo nor did I tell her my true feelings for the Minister of Justice, that I was gradually falling in love with him, and he didn't even know. Fern just gave me a stern warning. "Please try to stay out of trouble, especially if it involves Minister Frollo." She looked at me intently. "I'd hate to tell your folks that their darling daughter's -- ahem -- 'tied up' in Paris and won't be coming home."

Tied up as in tied to a pyre about to get burned to death? Because that seems like it could happen.

She then embraced me, chuckling in that southern Indiana twang, "Girlfriend, if you want to be friendly with the likes of Claude Frollo, that's your business." As Fern settled herself in the wagon and took the reins in hand, she said, "It's weird but it's your business. Just be careful."

It is weird, but it’s absolutely your business because Danisha messing the most powerful man in Paris could absolutely get you both killed.

"Don't worry about me, Fern", I said, "I won't get in trouble." Fern left for that old chateau where she kept the '59 Chevy. She said she had to take care of some business. Odd, I thought, she never let me venture inside that magnificant house. I always had to stay outside while Fern readied the Chevy. The car remained secure in another building on the estate. How could she just stash the car on private property without permission? Why hasn't anyone discovered it by now? Why hasn't anyone questioned our comings and goings? And why were these trips always made at night?

Probably because you’re a sick weirdo and she wants to get away from you. And how is she living here anyway? Why is Danisha referring to Fern’s chateau as private property she isn’t supposed to be on? I thought she owned the house somehow. Is she just casually living with a random Parisian family?

I pushed those thoughts from my mind as I pondered Fern's warning, 'be careful'. There was no need to be extra cautious around Claude Frollo any more, as I encountered him several times since that odd business in the cathedral. Just pleasant small talk and a few smiles passed between us, nothing more. I really felt that we could finally become friends. What happened later that morning proved me right. A nice compliment and some homebaking at last helped to break the ice.

Home baking is two words. Also, that would probably make him sick, seeing as he’s never had 90% of modern-day foods.

Fern had brought back so many pecans that I decided to take advantage of the pleasant late-June weather and do some baking. I baked a variety of wonderful things: cookies for the kids, a pie for Quasimodo. I then packed some cookies in a pretty tin for Minister Frollo; he should appreciate this.

So she just wanders around giving people strange food they’ve never seen before? Also, how is she cooking right now? Modern stove tops and ovens didn’t exist back then. Is it another of Jacki’s marvelous inventions that won’t be mentioned ever again unless the plot demands it?

I must've had an attack of ESP, for at that very moment, Claude Frollo had just rode past our house. I immediately went to the door and started to call out to him. He must've sensed my presence as he circled back and stopped. Oh, he looks so handsome! He wasn't wearing the splendid black velvet judicial robe with its jewel-trimmed yoke and epaulets. Instead, he wore a casual, hunter-style outfit complete with tall boots, tunic, form-fitting black hose, a sweeping cloak, and the famous triangular hat with its long red veil. The entire ensemble fitted his tall, slender form perfectly.

Every time she describes him like this, I think I lose a year off my lifespan.

Claude Frollo smiled as he greeted me. "Good Morning, my dear. And what a good morning it is now that I have seen your charming face." I returned the smile and, feeling a little silly, replied in a mock-Southern, down-on-de-ole-plantation dialect, "Mornin', Min'ster Frollo, suh. Much 'bliged y'all kin stop by an' set a spell. I has some pow'ful tasty pecan cake in yonder. Y'all sho' is welcomed."

Why does she speak in these weird, racist old dialects when she’s trying to flirt? No part of that makes me think “sexy,” it makes me think she’s an idiot.

Claude Frollo couldn't stop laughing as he dismounted and approached me. "Is this the language of the New World? It's rather odd and harsh...", he said as I welcomed him inside. "Coming from you, my dear Mlle. Wood, it is like pure music." "I would be delighted", continued Frollo, "to partake some light refreshment, especially in the company of such a beautiful hostess."

I can’t even talk about how out of character this is without being redundant anymore. He’s an abusive genocidal maniac! Why is he flirting with a girl and eating cookies?!

I tried to keep my nervousness from showing during Frollo's brief visit, but here he was, the Minister of Justice himself, sharing a piece of cake, a cup of lemonade, and pleasant conversation. Frollo favorably commented on my baking skills and developed a fondness for pecans that persists to this day. It was a pleasant, although short, visit. My heart sank as I showed him to the door.

And then he threw up because you’re overloading his odd with food he’s never had before, chock-full of chemicals and microorganisms that didn’t exist back then and would make him sick.

"Good looking horse, Your Grace", I said as Frollo mounted that gorgeous black stallion. I handed over the tin of cookies. "Percheron stallion, am I right?", I asked. Claude Frollo grinned. "You are as keenly observant as you are lovely. How did you know?" "My grandpa owned Belgians", I replied, "and I just like big horses." I asked, "What's his name?" "I call him 'Snowball'", replied His Grace. I looked at Frollo quizzically. "Minister Frollo, this horse is not white, he's black. Naming a black horse 'Snowball'?...That's like naming a polar bear 'Midnight'."

THATSTHEJOKE.JPG

I was certain that the good judge would slap me upside my head, but he just softly chuckled and said, "My dear, never lose that special style of humor. I will admit I am getting used to it..." He paused for a few seconds, then adding at last, "And getting used to you."

That’s not funny, that’s just her not understanding a simple joke.

His eyes met mine and he grew strangely silent. We looked at each other for several moments, then Claude Frollo spoke at last. "I thank you for the treats. I'd love to stay longer but I do have duties to perform." I offered him a bright smile. "Minister Frollo, you're welcomed here anytime. I know you're busy, but, drop by every now and then." Claude Frollo returned the smile. "I shall," he said, "Oh yes, one more thing. Do call me 'Claude'. I know you have been very polite and formal, but we know each other well enough to be on Christian terms, Danisha." He smiled again, said good-bye, and rode off.

He’s not even “on Christian terms” with Quasimodo, the baby he raised for years! Why is he so buddy-buddy with this chick he just met?

It was so weird, I thought, that only a few days ago we were at odds. Now Claude and I were growing closer with each passing day, but only as friends. I didn't care what people said about him, about his cruel nature and cold-heartedness. In those early days of our friendship, Claude always treated me with patience and kindness.

Does it really matter if he “treats you with kindness” if he tried to rape and murder another woman and commit genocide against an entire people? I mean, the fact that he likes your food shouldn’t erase literally every bad thing he’s ever done.��And he’s done a lot of them.

Often I would go to the Palace of Justice and we would read poetry to each other. Sometimes Claude would show me his collection of tapestries because, somehow, he knew of my keen interest in the textile arts. For several weeks, I had hoped that things would change for us, but I didn't have the guts to tell him that I loved him. I imagined he'd be offended if I confessed my true feelings; he never voiced his for me.

What’s more romantic than sharing poetry in front of soldiers getting tortured?

Maybe it was all for the best, since, as of August, I would never see him again. I decided to treasure the close bond between us while my vacation lasted. But an innocent game -- a game that wouldn't be invented for another 400 years -- nearly ended a special friendship that was destined to blossom into romance and passion.

Just out of curiosity, why can’t you see him again? What’s stopping you from going back in time? You have all this miracle technology, why can’t you use it?

[mysteryfanfictheatre3000]

Back to the Frollo: Chapter 4

Warning: Frollo and Danisha get gross.

Chapter Four

"...Here I am, baby...signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours...", Stevie Wonder belted from the radio, to which I tuned in an oldies station just as the song started. We had just crossed 30th Street and Claude was crooning the lyrics and doing little shimmies in his seat.

Friendly reminder that he’s an elderly rapist genocidal priest. And he’s shimmying to Stevie Wonder?!

I laughed out loud at this sudden display of silliness. This man who is always so poised, so cool and confident, regal and aristocratic, allowed himself to "turn it loose". But, after what he'd been through, I didn't mind him indulging in a little fun.

She keeps acting like some horrific and PTSD-inducing thing has happened to him. Okay, getting your clothes stolen is kind of awful, but are we ignoring how Quasimodo was raised by this sociopath for 20+ years and has a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome now? Or how Phoebus was shot/stabbed (depending on the version) and nearly died? Or how Esmeralda was hunted, captured, stripped, almost raped (yes, there is an explicit scene in the musical where he actually attempts to rape her, IN FRONT of Phoebus) and then strapped to a pyre and burned alive? (Depending on the version, she sometimes dies, and in nearly every version at least falls unconscious from smoke!) Every other character has undergone much more traumatizing events, at Frollo’s hands.

I convinced him a long time ago to lighten up, get a little silly, when things got him down. Back during that fabulous summer, he was astonished at my ability to be proper and low-key one moment, and then completely off-the-wall the next. My tastes in music and literature intrigued him. I read Nikki Giovanni, Ida B. Wells, and Zora Neale Hurston, quoted Lincoln, Kennedy and King, collected old slave and Civil War narratives, and sang blues and jazz along with the the old Motown and R & B I grew up on. I think everything about me intrigued him, as I was intrigued by his complexities.

Yeah, Frollo’s the exact type of human-rights activist that would care about Civil War slave narratives. He’s also super into blues and jazz, because he just seems like that type of guy, y’know?

Claude became suddenly quiet. I switched off the radio and glanced at him. "What's wrong, baby?" Claude just sat there, staring out the window. "I ruined your evening. My darling Danisha, my dear sweet...", he began as his hand softly caressed my face, "I completely forgot that you had previous plans. This whole evening has been a shambles. I go out for some refreshing activity...blast that damned soldier! Not to mention the girls chasing me as if I was..."

He goes from angry to sympathetic in milliseconds. This author is, ironically, totally presenting him as messed up, even though she’s obviously trying to make this relationship seem healthy.

Claude fell silent, then, "If THEY ever find out about this, I'll never live it down". "They", of course, referred to the Disney people. "Now, Claude", I began, "you know and I know that you have this reputation for being a....how can I put this? Heartthrob? A sex symbol? I mean, Disney insisted on portraying you as this evil, cold-hearted villain but WE all know the real Claude Frollo is..."

Wait, so Disney, and its adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, actually exists in this universe? So this is after the movie happened, if Frollo knows about it and has heard of and/or seen it. What happened to Esmeralda and Phoebus, then? And why is Frollo known as a heartthrob? He’s not exactly attractive in any of his incantations.

Claude interrupted with a burst of hearty laughter. "Me? A sex symbol? Oh really, darling! I can assure you that I'm..." "Baby, you can't help it if you're so good-looking. Tall and lean, that sexy smile. You dress fabulously; you have the best moves. Oh, and let's not forget that deep, smooth, MANLY voice. Power, wealth, well-educated. No wonder you have the women chasing you, present company included. You got it going on, sugarbritches, and you know it!" Claude Frollo looked at me with sultry, smoldering eyes, and in a deep, wildly sexy, almost growling voice, replied, "Well...what can I say? I cannot help being so...mmmm....gifted."

Sugarbritches?! WTF?!

He flashed a wickedly seductive smile as he leaned back and continued to croon love songs. By now I was getting a little flustered. I was trying to concentrate on the road and he kept giving me that `come-on' look, pursing his lips in imaginary kisses, and mouthing "I love you's" as we waited out the light at 38th Street.

This doesn’t seem safe. I hope Danisha gets pulled over and ticketed for distracted driving.

We continued our northbound journey up Meridian. From 40th to 86th Street, North Meridian becomes solidly residential, a wide, tree-lined boulevard of stately pre-Depression era mansions and manicured lawns. Claude tried to steer the conversation in another direction, as he observed and commented on nearly every home we passed. I knew exactly what he was doing. His previous antics had clearly turned him on, not to mention what he was doing to me!

Because nothing turns people on more than… staring at other people’s houses.

"You should live in such a house, my love", he said, indicating a large Georgian-style mansion with stately columns. "Claude," I tried to reason, "these homes are expensive! Mid to upper six figures! And I'm not going to begin to tell you the property taxes and the expense of heating and cooling and..." "Just a thought, darling. Hmm...Danisha, don't you have a birthday coming up? I can't think of a more appropriate gift." Now I was too dumbfounded! Claude Frollo actually offered to buy me a Meridian Street house! "You don't have to do that, sugar. I like where I live. It's a nice gesture but..."

How would he even go about doing that? What’s his source of income? He can’t exactly pay for a modern house with old French money, if currency even existed and was in wide use at that time. Is he collecting royalties from Disney or something?

Claude leaned over and kissed my cheek. I could feel his warm breath and smell his spicy, musk-tinged cologne. "You know I would do anything for you, dear heart. I just want you to be happy." He caressed my shoulder, "Oh, you are so beautiful", he cooed in my ear. "Such lovely coloring, almost like dark, wild honey. Mmm...and tastes just as sweet", he sighed as he kissed my cheek again. "A woman such as you deserves the best." "I already have the best, baby, and he's sitting right beside me."

Oh, shut up and get a room. It keeps me from having to deal with you.

Claude Frollo smiled, then whispered in my ear, "I love you, Nisha. I love you, my sweet, precious darling." With that, he leaned back in his seat, and resumed crooning love songs in his deep, smooth, sultry style as I made the left turn onto the canal road. My house was less than five minutes away.