#Ghostly Conductor

[paranormal-playground-podcast]

The Haunting of the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles

The Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles, a towering landmark steeped in history, stands as a silent witness to the city’s vibrant past. However, beyond its architectural grandeur and historical significance lies a darker side, a realm of eerie tales and unexplained phenomena that have earned it a reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in Los Angeles. Indeed, the Pacific Electric…

[shinyspooks]

DpxDc prompt based on a dream I had;

Heroes across the country are getting kidnapped by a ghostly star themed train. Yet, despite the vanishing of several heroes, crime doesn't suddenly go up. Criminals and supervillains are still being caught, but no one seems to know by who.

Meanwhile, on the train, the kidnapped heroes are faced by a small floating girl who calls herself Challenger... who apologizes for taking them away from their duties, and tries to assure them they'll be returned to their respectful places once her mission is finished. Alongside her, theres a brooding train conductor, who never sticks around long enough for anyone to get a good look at, but that one or two of the younger heroes claims he looks like a teenager like them.

Whats actually happening, you may ask? Simple. Princess Dani Phantom, alongside Knight Dan, are trying to find one Prince Danny Phantom, heir to the Ghost Kings throne... and currently under a curse, that makes his protection obsession take over entirely.

Their plan here is to either wear him down by giving him too many places/people to protect... or to lure him to the train via giving him people to save. Whichever way, its important that they do so in a timely matter, as Phantom has not changed back in days due to this, and its starting to take a toll on his health...

[linkedin-offficial]

teetering on the edge of "is this even sky anymore",

a ghostly train conductor and a runaway coven witch

[zeldathusiast]

Do you ever think that the heroes of the past watch over the newest hero as they embark on their adventure?

Maybe as Link dives from the Sky Islands, he thinks he sees a man falling right next to him, glee on the man's face as a saddled bird catches him midair before disappearing into the atmosphere.

As Tulin blows a final gale to position Link right over Colgera's weak spot, do you think that, for a moment, the breeze alongside Link becomes the face of a boy no older than 12, who smiles at him and then waves a swirling baton, giving Link the final nudge he needs to finish the fight?

Perhaps, as Link climbs the waterfalls of the Zora Domain, he sees another Hylian reflected back at him, one who dons a Zora mask and leaps out of the waterfall alongside him before becoming mist?

And when Link handles weapons carelessly or deals in elemental magic, sometimes one to four small Hylians in different colored tunics appear at his side, and sometimes they enjoy watching over the local blacksmith's shoulder when they can.

As Link takes on the monster forces of Lurelin Village, do you think that sometimes he swears there is another alongside him, a soldier in a royal blue scarf helping him to rid the village of the hordes?

When Link watches the packs of wolves run below him, sometimes one catches his eye- a striking black-and-white wolf with intricate markings on its forehead and muzzle greyed with age. Their eyes meet, cold blue to a deep cerulean, and the wolf disappears. But it will return to check on him again soon. It always does.

When Link slows time for just a moment to aim his arrows midair, sometimes a ghostly pair of armored hands steady his grip. And when recall is used, Link can swear he hears a somehow familiar tune echo in his ears: A, D, F, A, D...

And there are more.

There is a boy in a conductor's hat who cheers when Link successfully makes a machine work.

There is a teenager in a red tunic who helps Link with puzzles, snarking at monsters when they come near and sometimes talking to another ghost that looks like he could be the boy's dark world counterpart, often trying to snag rupees from Link lightheartedly, a bunny hood often covering his face.

And when Link finally faces Ganon for the last time, they are all there.

"It was once dangerous to go alone.

But you are not alone, now.

Not anymore."

[tgrailwar-zero]

Choosing to leave the city, you found yourself on the outskirts rejoined by MUSASHI and NERO.

The first to report was MUSASHI.

MUSASHI: "I learned pretty nasty news. Apparently, after the Red Faction occupied the Hamlet and the Coast, a bunch more Attack Programs started showing up on the borders. Also… rumor has it that there was a massive fight between Saber and Caster on the border of Sunbeam Row and the Gossamer Coast that even the Priestess Aria needed to get involved in. The Red Team is in the middle of a schism, and the Blue Team has been scattered to the winds and-slash-or killed… I'm guessing that the Grail War is over, and something else is bubbling to the surface. We should stay vigilant. Maybe question any Servants we run into."

MUSASHI: "Oh, and I got materials for camp. I'll start setting up everything while Nero hands over her doohickey."

You saw that she seemed to be limping a bit. She probably got a bit hurt while she was out gathering information…

Regardless, she wandered off and NERO put her hands on her hips, scoffing before pulling out what seemed to be twin, attached flutes.

NERO: "It's not a 'doohickey', it's an Aulos. Blow into it, and it will restore some of the magic of a Servant. It's power is rather limited. It needs time to recharge, but it can be recharged quickly once with an exceptional display of artistic talent!"

[ You received: Mana-Granting Aulos! ]

And with that, she also went to join MUSASHI in setting up the camp. Or at least, watching everyone else do the heavy lifting.

After a while, it seemed like everything got set up without a hitch, and your Servants seemed to make themselves comfortable for the night.

The furthest from the camp in comparison to your other was AVENGER, having joined at some point between now and when the camp was first established, who simply seemed to be staring up at the moon, his brow furrowed in what looked like deep, yet troubled, thought. Then, he pulled out his blade and tapped it like a conductors baton, before spreading his arms wide.

Ghostly forms seemed to appear before and around him, swirling in a slow waltz as the deep sound of music and song slowly began reverberating from the hallowed spirits.

Beautiful, sweeping orchestral music filled the air. A slow, careful hymn that held such deep emotion, carried through by the ghostly wraiths that had been summoned earlier in the day to do battle. Chillingly beautiful chants caused the already chilled air to grow colder. You weren't sure if this was a spell, a curse, or simply music infused with whatever magic was naturally tied to the arts.

For a moment, all of your Servants had stopped what they were doing to see where the music had come from. Their attention grabbed, enraptured for a moment as the ghostly performance continued. It was short, only lasting a few minutes as the camp sat and listened before it ended and the sounds of the night slowly crept back in. And as night slipped in, you saw that your Servants seemed to fall back into their own routines.

AVENGER, finished with his performance, seemed a bit dissatisfied. He sat, sighing wearily as the ghostly apparitions faded into darkness and he stared out into nothingness.

Standing a few paces away was CONSTANTINE, who had been the most enraptured by the performance, arms crossed a bit awkwardly as he seemed to be in the middle of wanting to approach and not wanting to disturb... ultimately settling on the later as he turned back and walked into one of the tents. -

A dreamlike haze... the transition from one day to the next...

-

When you regroup, you'll be able to spend extra time with Servants in camp before you decide where to go next. Use this time to chat with Servants, go over information, or just take a breather!

Talking with Servants around camp is just conversational, and doesn't require any polls (as long as they're available). Send in asks and messages as usual! However, your choice on what to do with your extra time during the camp period is defined with a week-long poll, and may net extra items, skills, or just bring you closer to one of your Servants. Remember- There's no 'right answer' to spending some extra time with your Servants!

Once the week-long poll is over, then you will continue forth on your journey!

-

[shallahi-and-snowflake]

The Station Attendant:

So, looks like I’m going to do this myself…

Has anyone here heard of a certain white-haired Station Attendant? Goes by Hibiki, forgets things, lives on a train with a Hisuian Zorua named Insight?

Hosts an internet show from the Kisaragi ghost station? A station, we must point out, does not exist on the current Nimbasa Subway map…

…Or any other map after the post-planning phase of the Nimbasa City Subterranean Rail Company/Nimbasa City Transportation Authority-led Subway Project.

You’ve heard me correctly. Kisaragi Station doesn’t exist. The digging crews didn’t so much as break ground on the Kisaragi site before work on it was abandoned due to unknown reasons.

And yet, even after its stillbirth, it lives on.

It lives on as an urban myth.

Per the testimony of one teenager I had battled with:

“Ya ever heard of Kisaragi Station?”

[“No?”]

“Well, if ya go down the Pink Line, and get to the fourth stop down from here [(Gear Station)] at midnight, you’ll end up in there. So they say.” [“Really?”]

“Yeah. They say it’s dark, empty, and your train’ll leave as soon as you get off.”

[“Hmh.”]

“It’s true, it’s true! There’s no way out of there… at least, that you or me could ever get through. The doors are locked, the turnstiles are shuttered off… and yet people leave. A train comes. It’s empty. ‘Cept for two people, o’ course. The rider from who-knows-where, and the Conductor.”

[“The Conductor?”]

“Yeah. One eye, blood-red. Wrapped in bandages. Voice like the whispers in Celestial Tower. White as a shroud. A lost kid’s ghost. Or sometimes, the ghost of a conductor who died beneath his own train. So they say.”

[“So they say. Hmmmh. This feels… familiar?”]

Transcription ends.

…

The reason midnight is so important in the urban legend is likely due to the Dark Hour-like phenomenon affecting Hibiki; A 13th hour in a 12-hour clock. Time acts strangely in Kisaragi Station, likely due to its nature. A stillborn possibility, living on by some arcane means. And a train, because every station has a train waiting, doesn’t it?

…

Who are its passengers, you ask?

The train made a stop at Kalos… roughly half-a-day ago of this writing, when Brightness Maya of @/suddenlyauntiemaya Fell onto a Pokecenter couch in Ella’s Lumioise City.

The train had made a stop before then… which coincided with Bee’s arrival to a Hisui at the behest of Millie. @/ghostlycombee and @/new-judgement, respectively.

From these datapoints, I believe I have an answer.

Us. Us Fallers. Many, if not all, of us Fallers.

We who have Fallen into a world not our own.

Those who were brought by Divine Intent, and we who did not.

We Fallers who did not come here by the will of a Divinity, and by chance.

We who had no visions of grasping hands and rainbows, or golden light beseeching us to seek out every Pokemon, but came by other means from our own worlds.

Many of us have to have held onto the bar on Hibiki’s train as we were carried to our stop.

I might have held onto the bar, Snowflake riding on my back, as I found myself here. There’s a familiarity…

I must explain that I do not ascribe absolute intent over every Fall. That is entirely against my Veristitalian methodology, and in more succinct terms could be called ascientific. While many Falls happen due to Divine Intent and action, not every Fall does.

I do not even ascribe intent to Hibiki’s own Conductorship of the Faller’s Car. The Conductor drives the train, yes, but they have to go by the Stationmaster’s timetable. We here do not know if the Stationmaster even exists.

So: There’s a ghost of a stillborn station, a train because it’s expected to have one, and a Conductor.

An eerily ghostly Conductor, I must add.

Ultimately, all we know for certain is there’s a train we forget about and a mysterious Conductor who brings us to our stop at Kisaragi Station where time runs strangely, and wherever and whenever our destination may ultimately be.

[creonininkwell]

WARNING: blood | Thanks to everyone who came to Saturday and last night streams. Basically what King Dice has been up to in this AU. And other random story-bites.

Ever since losing his show, Dice has been pretty depressed and trying to keep in the Devil’s good graces. Now why is King Dice Number One? Is there a number Two or Three? The answer? Yes! About 25 other mortals or beings that have made a deal to provide souls in exchange for whatever they desire. After permanently dealing with Number 25, due to pure coincidence and dumb luck, Devil is suspicious of others possibly welching on their deals. These are NOT the same debtors from the game. So Devil gives Dice a chance to reclaim his Number One spot, by doing an “inspection” on his temporary lower-ranked colleagues.

You’d think Dice would have to be very under-handed enough to sabotage or manipulate circumstances for his competition. Not necessarily. Turns out A LOT of the debtors only wanted the boon of powers, wealth, or other perks to benefit themselves. Some are building power in hopes to be on equal fighting terms with the Devil. Some are just hiding or cloaking themselves while benefiting from their deal with no repercussions. Dice has been in mortal peril one-too-many times than comfortable. But again, he’s Number One, for a reason. Can’t deny his loyalty and determination to succeed.

Now I have no plans to go into full detail since I have no idea how Creon and the boys get into these situations. Not sure how the boys got trapped into a carnival of terror with a deranged clown. Creon is trying not to lose her $h!t. The boys initially were screaming in terror, but then they start screaming in fun. Because it’s still carnival rides. They just forgot that they can potentially die.

Taking a page from the original script premise for the show, the boys didn’t want to do chores and decided to be hobos. They hitched a ride on a boxcar, not knowing that they were riding the Phantom Express. Creon went to fetch the boys, but all three got trapped as the Phantom Express wasn’t stopping until it reached the final destination. Creon hasn’t had good experiences with the supernatural in recent dimensions so she’s struggling to keep her sanity in check.

By sheer coincidence Lucy/Devil happens to be there. Lucy/Devil becomes their guide and they cautiously avoid the conductor and the train’s ghostly passengers. Maybe this was early and Lucy/Devil didn’t snap and go on a burning spree, so Creon doesn’t know the full extent of Lucy/Devil’s demonic influence. Lucy/Devil has been masking his overwhelming demonic presence, so the specters are unaware that the Devil is on board. Lucy/Devil was unable to find the best opportunities to kill of Creon and nab the cups’ souls while on the train. So He decided to keep his facade for now.

[jesterbenedicte]

The Eclipsed Symphony

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Occult Horror

*In the heart of New Elysium, a city suspended between the corporeal and the cosmic, shadows wove their dark tapestry across the neon-drenched streets. Here, amidst the techno-futuristic sprawl, the lunar eclipse was not merely an astronomical event but a harbinger of chaos, a symphony written in the language of the unknown.

Chapter 1: The Rhapsody of Eclipse

Vesper Kane, a cyber-sorcerer with eyes that reflected the city's synthetic glow, stood at the precipice of the abandoned opera house. Once a beacon of artistic grandeur, now it lay forgotten, a relic suffocating under layers of grime and time. Vesper's leather trench coat flapped in the wind, a canvas of shifting colors and electric veins. He was here on a mission, but not one dictated by the mundane—the eclipse had stirred something far older and more malignant.

“Vesper Kane,” a voice whispered from the shadows, slithering into his ears with the seductive allure of a forbidden melody.

He turned, his gaze locking onto a figure cloaked in a shroud of spectral mist—Noa, an enigmatic figure from the underbelly of the arcane. Her presence was both a blessing and a curse, a reminder of powers that should remain undisturbed.

“Are you here to witness the symphony or to stop it?” Vesper asked, his tone both intrigued and wary.

Noa’s eyes gleamed with an eldritch light. “The music of the eclipse is not for mere mortals, Vesper. But the cosmic harmonies are entangled with our fates tonight.”

Chapter 2: The Echoes of Forgotten Aria

As the eclipse began, the city fell into a surreal silence, broken only by the distant hum of neon and the occasional, distorted sigh of the wind. Within the opera house, the air grew colder, each breath a visible puff of mist. The grand chandelier, once a symbol of opulence, now hung like a ghostly relic, its crystals refracting the dim, otherworldly light.

In the center of the stage stood a figure not of flesh and blood but of echoes and shadows. The Conductor, an ancient being whose music could unravel reality itself. His baton was an obsidian wand, thrumming with an eerie rhythm that seemed to resonate with the heartbeat of the cosmos.

“Welcome to the final performance,” he intoned, his voice a tapestry of time-worn echoes.

Vesper’s heart pounded. This was not merely an occult ritual but a conduit to realms beyond human comprehension. The Conductor's symphony was a crescendo of chaos, a complex weave of notes that promised both transcendence and destruction.

Chapter 3: The Dance of Dissonance

The eclipse reached its zenith, casting a shadow that warped reality. The boundaries between dimensions blurred, and the cityscape morphed into a living tableau of surreal and nightmarish visions. Streets twisted into impossible angles, and buildings bled colors unseen by human eyes.

Amidst this turmoil, Noa began to chant in an ancient dialect, her words a counterpoint to the Conductor's melody. Her spellwork was delicate and fierce, a dance of light and darkness, weaving a protective barrier around Vesper and herself.

“This is not just a performance,” Noa said, her voice a trembling thread in the void. “It’s a battle between creation and obliteration.”

As they fought to maintain the fabric of reality, the Conductor’s symphony surged, each note a blade seeking to rend the veil between worlds. The air crackled with eldritch energy, a cacophony that threatened to tear the very essence of existence apart.

Chapter 4: The Silence Beyond the Notes

With a final, wrenching note, the symphony ended, and the eclipse began to wane. The city slowly returned to its semblance of normalcy, the oppressive atmosphere lifting like a shroud. Vesper and Noa, exhausted and scarred, stood amidst the remnants of the opera house.

“We’ve merely postponed the inevitable,” Noa said softly, her eyes reflecting the last vestiges of the cosmic light.

Vesper nodded, understanding that the battle was not won but merely delayed. The symphony of the eclipse was a prelude, a haunting overture to a greater cosmic ballet.

As they walked away from the opera house, the city seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, beneath the neon façade, the echoes of the night’s performance lingered, a reminder of the thin veil separating reality from the abyss.

Translate:

Глава 1: Рапсодия затмения

Веспер Кейн, кибер-колдун с глазами, отражавшими синтетическое сияние города, стоял на краю заброшенного оперного театра. Когда-то маяк художественного величия, теперь он лежал забытый, реликвия, задыхающаяся под слоями грязи и времени. Кожаный плащ Веспера развевался на ветру, холст меняющихся цветов и электрических вен. Он был здесь с миссией, но не продиктованной обыденностью — затмение пробудило что-то гораздо более древнее и зловещее.

«Веспер Кейн», — прошептал голос из тени, скользя в его уши с соблазнительным очарованием запретной мелодии.

Он повернулся, его взгляд остановился на фигуре, окутанной пеленой спектрального тумана — Ноа, загадочной фигуре из недр арканы. Ее присутствие было одновременно благословением и проклятием, напоминанием о силах, которые должны оставаться нетронутыми.

«Вы здесь, чтобы стать свидетелем симфонии или остановить ее?» — спросил Веспер, его тон был одновременно заинтригованным и настороженным.

Глаза Ноа сверкали жутким светом. «Музыка затмения не для простых смертных, Веспер. Но космические гармонии переплетены с нашими судьбами сегодня вечером».

Глава 2: Отголоски забытой арии

Когда началось затмение, город погрузился в сюрреалистичную тишину, нарушаемую только далеким гулом неона и редкими искаженными вздохами ветра. Внутри оперного театра воздух становился холоднее, каждый вздох — видимым облаком тумана. Большая люстра, когда-то символ роскоши, теперь висела как призрачная реликвия, ее кристаллы преломляли тусклый, потусторонний свет.

В центре сцены стояла фигура не из плоти и крови, а из отголосков и теней. Дирижер, древнее существо, чья музыка могла разгадать саму реальность. Его палочкой был обсидиановый жезл, гудящий в жутком ритме, который, казалось, резонировал с сердцебиением космоса.

«Добро пожаловать на финальное представление», — пропел он, его голос был гобеленом изношенных временем отголосков.

Сердце Веспера колотилось. Это был не просто оккультный ритуал, а проводник в сферы за пределами человеческого понимания. Симфония Дирижера была крещендо хаоса, сложным переплетением нот, которые обещали как трансцендентность, так и разрушение.

Глава 3: Танец диссонанса

Затмение достигло своего зенита, отбросив тень, которая исказила реальность. Границы между измерениями размылись, и городской пейзаж превратился в живую картину сюрреалистичных и кошмарных видений. Улицы скручивались в невозможные углы, а здания истекали цветами, невиданными человеческим глазом.

Среди этого хаоса Ноа начала петь на древнем диалекте, ее слова были контрапунктом мелодии Дирижера. Ее заклинания были тонкими и яростными, танец света и тьмы, сплетающий защитный барьер вокруг Веспера и ее самой.

«Это не просто представление», — сказала Ноа, ее голос был дрожащей нитью в пустоте. «Это битва между созданием и уничтожением».

Пока они боролись за сохранение ткани реальности, симфония Дирижера набирала силу, каждая нота была лезвием, стремящимся разорвать завесу между мирами. Воздух потрескивал от сверхъестественной энергии, какофонии, которая грозила разорвать саму суть существования на части.

Глава 4: Тишина за пределами нот

С последней, мучительной нотой симфония закончи��ась, и затмение начало угасать. Город медленно возвращался к своему подобию нормальности, гнетущая атмосфера развеивалась, как пелена. Веспер и Ноа, измученные и покрытые шрамами, стояли среди остатков оперного театра.

«Мы просто отложили неизбежное», — тихо сказала Ноа, в ее глазах отражались последние остатки космического света.

Веспер кивнул, понимая, что битва не выиграна, а просто отсрочена. Симфония затмения была прелюдией, навязчивой увертюрой к большему космическому балету.

Когда они уходили от оперного театра, город, казалось, вздохнул с облегчением. Однако под неоновым фасадом все еще звучали отголоски ночного представления, напоминая о тонкой завесе, отделяющей реальность от бездны.

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 57: Phantom of the Train

They were trying to keep everything running smoothly, but it was clear it would be a more chaotic day at Dead Bird Studios when they walked through the door. It was supposed to be Hat Girl coming in the film some cameo scenes in a movie DJ Grooves was working on, along with Shadow to see if she could play a role in Conductor's new paranormal-style movie. No one expected they would walk in with, along with others, a deity of the moon only told of in legends. They all heard bits and pieces of the stories, but never thought they would ever be true.

Of course, everyone had known something was up when the moon's color shifted one night, but nothing of note had happened, so they had almost forgotten about it, until now… Despite all that, the deity was really calm and casual. Apparently, he was the soul of a normal human that, for one reason or another, got chosen to be reborn into this power. He had been part of Hat Girl's group when alive so he had been staying with them and only felt comfortable exploring beyond the subcon forest now. Although granted, no one from her group really went far from there since winter started.

Despite that, shaky to say the least start to the day, they slowly worked on getting what they needed to be done. Grooves directing Hat Girl for what to do during her scenes and Conductor giving Shadow Kid scripts and stage direction to see how she would do, Snatcher sticking close to make sure things didn't go too far. Randy would watch from a slight distance, Macbeth sticking close by in case anything happened. He was more on guard now, despite knowing everything should be fine. It was his job to protect the Moonjumper after all.

That being said, waiting for the two to get done did start to bore the ghostly conductor. Normally he was fine, he could handle it, but something about him just…itched for something else that day. He didn't understand why, couldn't even put a finger on it, but it was there. Maybe the long, tried days of things being the same were starting to get to him. Even with Randy back, things had fallen into a route that was starting to get too same-y. Even he was itching to do a robbery now.

He decided maybe he was just too tired to deal with all the voices and noise around. He asked Randy if he could be alone for a few minutes, to which Randy agreed. Macbeth left the room after, Randy giving him a worried look but just sighed. He still felt so bad for Java. The boy he cared for had so much taken away from him, and he was still struggling to express himself again. Randy just wished there was a way he could get Java too… He paused as he looked up, seeing the penguin and Hat Girl enter the room.

"You were amazing as always, Darling." Grooves complimented as Hat Girl gave a smile, adjusting her scarf back around her neck. "Oh, I wish I could put you in another movie as a lead but I don't have any scripts that fit at the moment." She just gave a giggle as they heard the Conductor give an annoyed sigh. "Hey, I heard that." Grooves stated.

"Well ye didn't have too." Conductor stated as he glanced over, crossing his arms and then turning his attention over to where Randy was, pausing a moment. "Oi, where did Macbeth go? I was planin' on askin' him somethin'." Randy gave a small shrug as began to float around, going to nearby rooms and cracking the door open slightly to see if he was in any of them… until he heard something faintly from one of them. "Grooves, did you leave one of your radio's on?" The bird asked as he walked where Randy was, cracking open the door slightly.

"A show stoppin' number, is something you die for. A real catchy, earwormy tune. An award-winning score, that seeps in and out of your pores, a ditty to make the chorus girls swoon. It'll unify humanity in a thundering chorus, no exits from this Broadway venue! So splash those shiny cymbals-!"

"What's that even from?" Snatcher's voice suddenly asked, cutting off the man who had gotten lost in his own thoughts. Macbeth shook his head and turned to the door to tell him off, only to pause up slightly when he saw the small group outside the door. Oh why did they have to walk in now? He backed up slightly, trying to maintain a more neutral stance, but he was sure there was blush on his face. "Oh come on, half the clans knows your can sing, why get so nervous about it."

"You got a good voice Java." Randy said as he came in, giving the man a smile. Macbeth just blinked as he tried to think of a response. One that seemed like he wasn't bothered. Couldn't he at least have sung something else if he was going to get caught like this?

"It's just a small thing, we've all sung once or twice in our lives when it's quiet, you all happened to hear one of those times." Macbeth tried to claim. A lie, of course, but he was trying to stay quiet about this whole thing. He just didn't really sing much anymore, he didn't like the idea of being known as a singer. He was one of the higher ups at the clan, he couldn't let a soft side like that show. "Anyway, if you guys are done, we should be headin' back to the clan now."

"Wait!" Conductor said, coming up to the man. "I actually was considerin' ye for a small while now, but I think that voice of yers is perfect for a scene I have in mind!" Macbeth looked at the bird, trying to see if he was drunk but he appeared to be fine. He didn't like where this was going and tried to quietly move past, but the Conductor grabbed the sleeve of his shirt before he could. "You'd be perfect for the ghostly conductor. I mean, yer already one anyhow!"

"Wait, are you tryin' to pull me into one of your movies?" Macbeth asked, getting a nod from the bird. He pulled his arm away so he would let go. "Sorry but not all toppats are actors on the level of Hat Girl. And I can't commit to months or maybe even years of flimin', we'll be ready to leave by then." The Conductor seemed to give a confused look about the comment about time, Macbeth could tell even without the eyes. "Besides, I can't act for the life of me. I would just ruin everythin'."

"I mean, you did a lot of good acting when you were younger. Surely some of that talent is there." Randy said, giving a gentle jab in the shoulder as he floated to Macbeth's side. He gave a cheeky wink but a well meaning smile. Macbeth just glanced to the side as he tried to head to the exit. It didn't matter if Randy's words were once true, it was who he was now that would be filmed. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt to at least give it a try Java."

"They don't do as many takes as we do on our planet, Macbeth." Hat Girl explained. "It's basically one big improv act with a script to roughly follow. Shouldn't take more then a few days at most." Macbeth shook his head, but then paused as his hat fell off his head, Alexsandera coming out and looking at him. An odd look of asking for something, wanting something. "I think they want you to try it to." Hat Girl had to hold in a giggle as Alex nodded, making Macbeth sighed. "I can try to help!"

"Hey, if you end up sucking, me or Randy can control your body with our magic." Snatcher stated with a smirk, earning a faint glare from the man. Randy looked over at Snatcher confused and worried by the claim, but Macbeth looked at Alex as they wrapped themself around his arm, looking up at him with pleading eyes. God, he hated being put on the spot like this, what was he supposed to do? "Beside, Shadows going to be in the movie so it's not like you'll be the only frist time actor."

"…Only if the clan doesn't learn." Macbeth answered. "I don't need them making jabs at me about it."

"Good, because I need you ready in a few days, I'll go grab a script!" Conductor said, before heading out of the room to grab one.

"What did I just agree to?" Macbeth sighed, resting his head in his hands and shaking a little. Alexsandera floated up and seemed to be beaming with joy however. He didn't understand why they seemed so insistent on this, they of all people should know the feeling of not wanting to be in the spotlight. He looked over at Snatcher, who crossed his arms slightly when he noticed. "Do you think you could shapeshift and cover me? Use some voice changing spell to make sure no one notices."

"Sorry, I got my own little showstar to worry about, isn't that right little Shadow?" Snatcher asked, Shadow kid bobbing her head up and down in joy. Macbeth gave a small smile at the moment, giving a tired chuckle. At least Conductor shouldn't make him do anything too crazy, not when there was a child on set. Although, this was the same man who had the movie filming on top of an actively moving train with Teenages on top. "It's not like you'll DIE of embarrassment."

Shadow Kid raced up to him. "Yea, you can't die again!"

Macbeth just patted the top of her hat slightly, giving a sigh as he thought about it. Oh, if Carol learned of any of this, she never let him live it down…

A few days later, they were back at the movie studio, waiting by the train as a few final preparations were done. The air in the desert was cooler, and the sun, while bright, didn't burn the living souls to sweating. It was almost odd for everyone who hadn't been here before. Shadow Kid was playing little games with Dinenna, her normal outfit changed for one with a victorian style with a mix of a service employee uniform, and now they were waiting for Macbeth to come out once he had changed into his outfit for the movie.

Randy kept glancing back at the door to the changing room as he spent time speaking with Grooves, who was passing by before Randy started up a conversation. At first he was excited about this whole thing. He thought it was a way for Java to use the talents they both knew he had but had been squished away during Wilford's reigne. It was only in the days following did Randy realize how much they had just thrown onto the man in such a short time.

"I was just so excited in the moment." Randy sighed, shaking his head as he glanced past the penguin and under the train, where Alexsandera was playing with the small plush they brought to keep them entertained. "He always wanted to star in a play, be the star of the show… Or he used too." He shook his head with a sad smile as he lowered a bit closer to the ground. "I guess I'm not adjusting as well as I thought I would have. It's just, to me it was only a few weeks but for him it was three decades."

"Well, he could still be a bit lighter about it if you ask me." Grooves stated. "Like I know he went through a lot, but this isn't something he needs to worry about. It's an artform, and you can stress art." Randy gave a small nod. He could see where Grooves was coming from at least. But still, Grooves didn't know the layers of Java's situation, Randy barely knew himself. "I'm sure once he gets the stagefright off it'll be fine. It's not your fault for being excited, darling."

"I can't help but feel that way though.." He gave a small chuckle. "Still can't believe all this is real to be honest.." He paused as he heard the door open, looking over to see Java step through the door. The outfit he was wearing looked like a fancier version of his normal outfit, with more of a victorian feel. Patterns of crossing rows were stitched in and a few carefully placed tears and 'blood' stains dotted it. "Woah, that's very good! I'm surprised they made it in only a few days."

"This has to be the most elaborate thing I've ever worn." Macbeth said as he glanced to the side, bending down on one knee for Alex when they rushed over at the sight of him, going up and resting along his shoulders. He gave them a small smile and patted the top of their mask, getting a happy little sound in response. He then looked over at Conductor, who was adjusting the sleeves for the outfit he was wearing. "You better not have me do any elaborate stunts in this. I don't care if I'm already dead. It will end poorly."

"Eh, not to worry about all that." Conductor said as he waved a dismissive hand. "Yer character's main purpose in the plot is, essentially, be the plot, nothing more to worry about." He said as he began to head over to the train, starting to talk to some of the owls that were there, discussing what they should do first. Macbeth sighed, he just wanted to get this over with. "Oh, hope you been on that thought rest or whatever yer vocal-somethin' people call it, since we will need to film yer singing."

"Ohh, I wonder if it will end up like the movie you told me about. The french one." Snatcher said as he floated over, Macbeth seeming to groan as the mere mention of that existence. Macbeth was doing his best to keep a level head, but he could feel his heart beating despite no physical heart existing. Phantom heart, he supposed? He didn't even fully know why, he truly thought his nerves would have calmed down by now and yet, here he was. "Just remember, only a few thousands people will see this, no worries!"

"It's gonna be so fun, Mr. Macbeth!" Shadow Kid said, bouncing on the tips of her toes with a smile. "Even if it will be a little weird to be calling you Papa for this." She added in a tone that made the adults around chuckle a bit. Macbeth gave a small nod to her claim.

"Just don't get used to it, pal." Snatcher stated, giving a small glare to the ghostly man who rolled his eyes at the comment. Shadow began to head over to the train and Macbeth began to follow. For a few steps, that is, before pausing in his place. He looked to the side as he looked at Alexandra, who seemed to notice his worry. They floated off his shoulders as Snatcher floated with a smirk. "Ok, you can drop the whole stage fright thing now, for real. It's starting to get more annoying than fun to poke at."

"It's not stage fright." Macbeth said as he shook his head. "It's just natural to feel, well, like this when yer just being tossed in front of a camera for the world to see." He went to pull down his hat a bit on reflex, letting out an annoyed sigh when he realized it wasn't there. It better not be lost by the time he got done with this process. He wasn't in the mood to find it. "What if I ruin things or, I don't know, do poorly? They'll still throw a bad performance into the movie."

"That sounds like stage fright." Snatcher stated, getting a glare from the man. "What, I'm just being honest to you."

"Snatcher, please" Randy said, the ghost rolling his eyes at the comment before Randy turned to Macbeth. "Just do your best. You were nervous back then too, remember?" Randy didn't say it allowed, and Macbeth was grateful for that. He didn't need everyone in this room knowing about his past theater kid actions. Randy wiped some dust that had been on the shoulder of Macbeth's sleeve. "Worse case scenario, it just gets you back in practice. Besides, maybe you'll warm into the role quicker than you think."

"Maybe… That's the only way this would turn out good." Macbeth sighed as he took a small breath, looking at Randy and Alex who were giving him gentle looks. He did suppose this was his only chance to be in a movie. He never really wanted to be in one of those but if the clan found out, they would kill him for not taking the chance. Maybe via fire spirits.. he shook his head and took a breath. "Ok, let's get started." He said as he walked over to the train, hands to side.

"Ah, ready for flimin' at last, good! Let's hop on and I'll give you the rough ideas, we changed some stuff from the scripts." Macbeth rolled his eyes at Condoctor's comment, because of course they did. Granted, he only half remembered it himself, he had been hungover a bit ago and that didn't help with his memories. As he climbed onto the train, Conductor locked eyes with the penguin a bit away. "I don't want to hear any of yer yappin', Grooves! It's a good way of doin' scripts."

"I was saying nothing, Conductor dear." Grooves said, going to grab Dinenna from her little play pen. The crew for the movie started to get onto the train, Randy giving a smile until Macbeth was out of sight, giving a sigh and fornwing. He really did believe in Java. He did. He still just felt so bad for getting this thrown onto him so suddenly… He looked over as Grooves walked beside him. "Just make sure he does his best, darling. I have a feeling it will end better than you both think."

"Thanks, it means a lot." He began to head to the train, floating up and letting Alex rest around his shoulders. He did pause and watch the penguins leave, then turned to the Conductor. "Why do you work in the same building if you have-"

"We 'ave beef because we work in the same buildin'." Conductor mumbled. "Pecking retailers."

Snatcher poke his head in at the comment about the retailers. "You know, I would offer help if you ever turn that to legal matters, but I have a feeling by now it wouldn't qualify for conflict of interest."

Macbeth rolled his eyes as Snatcher's comment rang through his head. To think that ghost would've been a lawyer if things hadn't turned south… or would north be more appropriate?

The Conductor groaned as he awoke, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his head. The random noises from around the train must be starting to get to him. Footsteps when no one was around, what sounded like giggling. Not long ago he overheard the sound of something metal falling and found part of the train broken, a gear having fallen out of its place and now on the ground. A toolbox and some oil had been nearby. It was like someone had tried to do a repair and vanished halfway through it.

He sighed as he leaned forward, looking up at the night sky. Most of the passengers should be asleep, most of the workers too. Maybe he could stop by the bar and grab himself a small drink. Nothing major, he just got the job and didn't want to lose it. Just something to help him drift off to sleep easier. You couldn't be a good train conductor if you were tired all the time, barely staying awake. He yawned as he garbed a lamp and began to head through the hall of the cart that connected to his locomotive.

He paused when music started to play over the speakers. It was quiet, faint, but he heard it. And knew he shouldn't.

"We dressed her up in that yellow dress you gave her… remember what you said to her…" The voice was faint, like the music, but the suddenness of it might as well have been thunder in the middle of clear skies. Conductor quickly swung his lamp around, trying to spot who was singing, but no one appeared. No bird, no cat, no man… Until he caught the hint of a silhouette from above. "Remember what you said to her? The story about your.." The voice gave a tired sigh with a hint of what seemed to be a tired chuckle.

"Oi! Yer not allowed to be up there!" Conductor called to the figure. It seemed to pause for a moment, but only for a moment, before going along its path, still singing the song quietly under its breath. He growled and climbed up the nearby ladder as quick as his limbs could carry him, lamp hanging from his mouth. "Answer me!" he mumbled.

The figure paused. "Is he crazy… Or is he actually…" Conductor got up to the top of the stairs, taking a second to cough a bit as he took the lamp out of his mouth, holding it up to the figure, and pausing. Was his sight playing dirty with him? The figure… he could see through it. The figure stood there, a hint of surprise in his tired eyes. Wait… hadn't he seen him before. "I didn't think it was possible…" The ghost took a step forward, the Conductor leaning back.

"Y-Yer.. Yer the old Conductor!" The bird stated, trying to keep his voice quiet so no one would awake, although he failed. The ghostly figure gave a tired nod, looking at the bird as he took some steps back. The ghost made no movement to harm him, but how could he trust that. Was he drunk? He heard the original Conductor went missing, along with his daughter. "I-I must have had somethin' slip into one of me drinks, this isn't possible. You disappeared long ago! Just into thin air."

"Did you honestly believe that?" The ghost asked, tilting his head. "I had everythin' here, why would I just leave?"

"Wha- I wasn't tryin' to imply you left intentionally." Conductor said, looking over the ghost again. It was only then that it struck him. He hadn't been given all the information when he got the train, despite pushing for it. Just that it belonged to a family who's last living members seemed to disappear out of the blue. Previous owners had made complaints of odd activity and yet he brushed them off at the time… Until now. "What happened to ya? There was no traces of anythin' on the train."

"He was like that, always cleaning up the act… I just wish he didn't drag dear May into this.." The ghost spoke, glancing to the side with anger and sorrow in his eyes, or at least as much as he could muster. Conductor stepped closer to try and hear him better, but then noticed the ghost seemed fainter than he had a minute ago. The ghost didn't seem to notice, or if he did chose to ignore it. "Just keep your eye out. What he wants is still on here, and he'll do anything to get it… anything."

The scene was quiet for a moment, then there was suddenly a crash. "Cut!" Conductor suddenly called, clapping his hands as he went over to the railing and glanced down. "Ok, who broke what? At least wait until we finish the scene!" One of the owls tried to swipe some glass from one of the prop bottles under one carpet, making him sigh as he drafted his hand

along his beak. "At least it was during a moment we could cut easily. Let's have a break for a few, recharge and all that stuff."

"Good." Macbeth stated with a sigh, the comfort on his face fading to his usual style of tiredness as he headed over to the ladder and climbing down. He thought about jumping for a brief second, it wasn't going to hurt him anyway, but he didn't. He walked over to one of the seats near where Randy and Alex were, watching as the lining that was placed over the windows rolled up so the sunlight came in again. "Man, I don't know how actual actors do that their entire lives. Maybe they at least get their scenes mixed up?"

"Well I think you did great." Randy stated as he sat beside him, Macbeth rolling his eyes as Alexsandera rested in his lap, him patting the Dweller's plush when they held it up to him slightly. Macbeth was a little surprised by how well it was going. It wasn't tony or broadway worthy by any means but, compared to how he pictured it in his head, it was going well. It took a take or two to fully get into character, but it was starting to become more like a switch. "Your voice still sounds so good."

"I'm just wonderin' where Conductor found that song? Apparently it's six minutes long normally despite not having too many lyrics." Macbeth questioned. He also fully didn't understand why his character would sing part of the song but hey, he wasn't about to argue over choices like that, he just wanted to get filming done before the other toppats figured it out. "I get it's about a funeral or, sometin', gonna have to get a better look at the full lyrics, but it seems too gloomy?"

"Well, yer character is dead." Conductor called. "I'm not the best at these song choices, I'll admit."

"I'll be sure to tell Grooves then." Randy claimed, the Conductor walking up and glaring up at him. Well, as much as he could glare without his eyes being visible. "I kid, I kid!" Randy stated with a small chuckle to his voice. Macbeth had to hold in a chuckle of amusement over a deity backing away in his seat from one angry bird… But then again, that was Randy. "I'm allowed to have a little fun with this kind of stuff. I'm the jokester toppat after all. It's what I'm known for."

"Like me bein' known for being like a brick wall that gets drunk." Macbeth stated as he rolled his eyes, adjusting the sleeves on his costume since they had rolled up. Randy placed a hand around his shoulder and made Macbeth glance over, a comforting look in his eyes with a hint of worry. Macbeth rolled his eye as he gently removed Randy's arm from his shoulder. "I know I'm more than that Randy, I kid as well." Macbeth said as he looked up at Radman. "Or am I not allowed to now?"

"Of course yo' allowed to!" Randy stated, crossing his arms, getting a small smirk on his face, but there was relief in his words. Macbeth gave a quiet chuckle as he shrugged. "I just get worried sometimes, you know that, right?"

Macbeth nodded. "You and everyone else in the clan made that very clear."

The Conductor shrugged as he listened to the two. "I'd say yer made of something softer than brick." He claimed.

Macbeth rolled his eyes at that comment, but let out a sigh. He didn't want to admit it aloud but, he was starting to have some odd form of fun with this movie thing.

Everything was a dream, that's what Conductor kept telling himself as he worked around the fire box for the train. He didn't even know why this train had one, it was clearly upgraded to run off of newer tech. He heard many tried to remove the fire box but it always went south for one vague reason or another. It was like it was being a pest, trying to stay somewhere unwelcomed. Some even joked that the old Conductor was still around, trying to keep what little remained of the original train's parts.

Either way, it was annoying. He wasn't even working directly with it, at least at the moment. But the heat that kept coming from it was making him sweat. Even the brightness and lightness outfits he had didn't block most of the heat back. That mixed with the sounds of guests from other rooms and the smell of it almost made him light headed. He had to sit down a few times to be safe. He didn't want to have to burn something in it only for him to fall in as well. Who knows how long it would be before anyone would find him.

"Why did the only train available have to be the strange one?" He mumbled as he leaned back, groaning as he heard those tiny little footsteps again, along with the faint giggling. The one's of a young girl, who's voice always had a hint of pain… He jolted forward as his head suddenly hit something soft, turning around, only to groan at the sight of a garbage bag. "Who left this just in here?" He mumbled. "Pecking pecknecks." He said as he grabbed it, heading over to the fire box.

The giggling sounded like it came closer. "Mr. Bird!" He heard a faint voice whisper. He always would look behind him when he heard it, but never saw anyone. It had to be the child of one of the guests, he told himself. He opened the firebox and went to throw the bag in. "Oh Mr. Bird! What are you doing in-" He turned around slightly, getting a glimpse of the girl's silhouette. "…D-Doing" she said as the bag made contact with the fire, it giving a loud pop and a wave of heat, Conductor leaning away to avoid the embers.

"What was in that thin'?!" He asked as he coughed and closed the doors to the firebox, the doors letting out what sounded like a shriek as he did. He took some small breaths, glancing behind him again. There was no one… his mind was playing tricks on him… He sighed as he sat down, shaking his head as he glanced at some of the coal bits that dotted the ground… he paused as he picked a paler one up. "What coal are we usin'?" If he didn't know better, it almost felt like he was holding a burnt bone…

"PAPA!" The shriek would have been enough to terrify the living, but for the ghostly conductor it was worse. He snapped out of his trace of watching from the window, looking over to a wall as May raced into the scene, sobbing as golden tears fell to the ground. Instantly he got on his knees as she raced to him, clinging to him as she sobbed into his outfit. "I-I wanted to look at Mr. Bird b-but then the flames were growing again. I-I didn't want them to get me again, t-they were going to Papa, I-I couldn't-"

"Dear, it's ok, it's ok. Yo' here now, I'm so sorry." The ghostly Conductor said, pulling her closer as he stood up, her still crying into his outfit. The only reason it wasn't getting stained was that there techally was nothing to be stained. He walked over to the corner of the room they were in, dark and cold with a window still in view. He sat down, and gently moved some of her bangs out of her eyes. "I'm sorry, I should have seen if he would've been there. I should have known better."

"I just don't understand why.." The girl gave a small hiccup through her sobs. The man's eyes could barely muster a single tear. He already spent them all so long ago. He hummed quietly, letting her move her head by where his heart would have been if they were still alive. Even if it no longer beated, she seemed to find some strange comfort in all of it. "Papa, you said we would see Mama again someday.." She looked up at him. "Are we still going to? And when? I.."

"I don't know…" He sighed as he glanced to the ceiling. "I don't know…" God it took everything to not start crying. Just the context of the scene alone was horrifying… Luckily, they heard the clapping sound that indicated the cameras were being turned off, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief as he wiped at his eyes before the tears could start forming, looking down at Shadow Kid. "Are you alright? That wasn't too much for you?" He asked as Snatcher floated over to check.

"Yea." Shadow Kid said, wiping at her tears and shaking her head a bit in an attempt to get back out of character. "I just need a few, I think.. Do you guys have chocolate milk?" She asked as she looked over to the owls by the cameras, one going to go check with some hesitation. Shadow Kid paused as Snatcher picked her up, holding her close as she glanced up at him confused. "I'm fine Papa, it's just acting, like we signed up for." She said, but the phantom looked to the side.

"I just don't like you being hurt." He mumbled as he floated away from the camera's view, Randy watching the phantom leave as they passed each other. "I'll see if we can get the day to end early."

"It's a little odd, don't you think?" Randy asked Macbeth as he looked at him. "About how Conductor chose for how your characters died?" Macbeth nodded a bit. He personally found it hard to believe the bodies would have been burnt enough in the furnace by the time the first investigators came around but it wasn't his movie. Wasn't his place to say how the plot went. "Did he have to pick the slowest and most painful one I can imagine?" Randy asked. "I know he isn't planning on actually filming any scene where it's shown but, geez."

"I'm not puttin' Shadow through that, I'm not that bad." The Conductor called as he walked into the room, dusting himself off and swiping some of the sweat off his brow. Macbeth gave a nod as he looked over at Alexsandera, who seemed to shake a little in the air just from the idea of it alone. Not that he could blame them. He didn't know how people did that in movies. "How are you feelin' Macbeth? Need a break?"

"A little? Not sure how much balance I can keep doin' for the emotional but not over about it act." Macbeth said, rolling his eyes a little at the wording he used. Somehow he did have suspicions about Conductor's claim of not putting Shadow through it, he knew he did some extreme scenes in general for movies in the past but he supposed at least he was better about it now? As good as that was. "How many more seconds do you need to film today? Any possibility we can move them to another date."

"I might be able to push around the schedule a bit, but there aren't too many left, at least for ye." Conductor claimed. "Like I said, your character is mostly there to play a part in the plot as, rude as that may sound." Macbeth gave a small nod as Snatcher came back into the room, floating over to Conductor with a small glare on his face. "Hey, whacha givin' me that look for, phantom?" Conductor asked as he looked up at him. "I had you read over the scripts… Did that one scene not get printed?"

"Appernally not." Snatcher said as he grabbed the bird's arm. "Don't make my daughter go through something like that again, especially involving fire." He warned.

"What the peck do you have against fire all of the sudden?" Conductor questioned.

"Oh, I don't know, the fire spirits in the forest that can kill ghosts? The ones that were specially designed to kill a god and did so." Snatcher warned.

As the two started to bicker, Macbeth hummed as he thought about it. It was funny in some odd, twisted way that Conductor had chosen fire for their deaths considering what fire could do to ghosts if charged magically… He still remembered the pain he had to recover from after they took care of that one group of fire spirits… He heard their numbers were getting low… Why did he feel that was a bad thing?

Hat Girl was right about movies being made very quickly on this planet. Macbeth only had to go back two, maybe three more times before they wrapped up production. Not that he was complaining, of course. It meant he and Randy stopped having to come up with random excuses to leave the clearing and why it would be hard to track them down in subcon. He was going to avoid the clan learning for as long as possible… even if his feelings about them learning had softened up a little.

He was in his room of the studio after they got done filming the final scene, changing back into his normal attire and leaving the costume in the past. It felt relieving, he could go back to normal now, but… he had a weird feeling he'd miss this. Sure, it wasn't exactly his taste but, it at least killed time that he normally would've just, done the same boring stuff or gotten drunk. He had been getting in the habit of drinking more often since he had someone to watch Alexnsadera but he knew it wasn't the best for him.

It reminded him of the joys of once going on the stage or, a random table that was laying about, playing out the scenes of whatever play or musical he had seen from memory, sometimes with a little crowed of his friends…

"Oi!" The call drew him out of his mini trip down memory lane, looking over to see the Conductor who had his arm waving in the door. "I need to make sure the owls are editing it correctly but I wanted to thank you for this! The audience will be in awe with an actor they won't recognize." Macbeth thought it was an odd compliment but gave a hum of agreement. "Oh, and feel free to take the costume with you. It's not going to fit most other people, we're all kinda short compared to humans, annoyingly."

"Oh, thank you?" Macbeth said as the Conductor's arm vanished. At least he didn't open the door all the way, even if Macbeth had already gotten back into his normal clothing. He looked at the box that had the costume placed inside. It was close enough to a normal conductor outfit, he supposed. Maybe he might humor the toppats next Halloween if he had to do a trip with the train around then… He paused as he heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" He called as he grabbed his hat.

Randy floated in with Alexsandera rushing right to Macbeth's side in joy. "You did amazing Java! I don't know how you do all of it. This kind of thing is just in your blood, huh?"

"Oh it wasn't anytin' special, Rand." Macbeth said as he rolled his eyes, giving Alex a small hug (well, as best as he could hug a dweller) before letting them head into his hat and having it rest on his head. He closed the box with his costume and picked it up, taking a breath as he began to head to the exit door, pausing as he glanced at some owls trying to clean up stuff nearby. "I swear, if Conductor sends a tape or disk of this movie to anyone in the clan, I will kill him."

Randy had to hold back a fit of laughter from the sudden comment. "I'm sure it won't be that bad, Java." Randy said, Macbeth rolling his eyes at the comment as they began to head out. Macbeth would glance around, more with his ears than anything else. All the talk of the Moonjumper suddenly being there was gone, it was mostly about the movie now, it seemed. A lot talking about him… "Hey, Java, I'm sorry I threw you into this." Randy sighed, making Macbeth pause at the sudden comment.

"I was the one who agreed to it." He said as he turned slightly so he and Randy could look each other in the eyes. "You were excited about the idea, sure, but the choice was still mine."

"I know that but I can't help but feel like I pressured you into it, even if indirectly." Randy sighed as he shook his head, looking to the side. "I think at the idea of you getting to express that side of yourself again I got excited, blindly so…" He shook his head, and Macbeth nodded. He wondered how hard it truly was for Randy. His entire world changed yet for the most part he was still the same. "…I just remember your joy for the acting arts when young and I wanted to see that again."

"Who knows, maybe you will." Macbeth shrugged slightly, making Randy pause. It felt weird to say. Sure he sang occasionally and might put on a bit of a character if he got dragged into the kids games but he never seriously thought about returning to this type of thing, even as a side hobby. Besides, he didn't use the train too much anymore, and that wouldn't change when they got back to earth. "Biggest thing is if the clan will make me the biggest laughing stock if I start."

"If they do, they gotta get past me first." Randy snapped his fingers, a small ball of light coming from them. He snapped a few more times and it stayed the same. "Still working on it."

"Honestly, it's mostly Carol I'm worried about." Macbeth said as he rolled his eyes. She slowly started to get back to her usual treatment of him ever since he came back and things felt about normal again now. It was a little annoying but in a way he enjoyed? Was that the word? There was just something about her holding herself back that made him feel bad, like he hurt her with something out of his control. "She always finds ways to make little jabs at my express. It's practically an art from for her."

"I don't understand what her deal in particular is. All the other elites at least show their softer side." Randy said as he crossed his arms. But then again, Randy was likely more bais. He was chosen as a third in command mainly to lighten the mood during tougher times, to always see the bright side. And he didn't even pick elites until Macbeth, and they both remembered how that went. "But I'm not going to try reading her like a book, that'd be weird… Can I turn people into books?"

"Randy, let's not get too creative before you fire off a random spell." Macbeth said. "Last thing I want it to rely on Snatcher for help."

"No, please, rely on me for help." Snatcher said as he came over, hovering above the two with Shadow Kid resting on his back, still in her movie outfit and holding the plush cat toy that had been one of May's props throughout the movie. Was meant to make her more clearly innocent and all that. Made her and her father's fate still worse somehow, at least they got some form of peace in the end. "I've been curious if I could craft a counter spell for deity nonsense, as I will be calling it."

"Just wait till he does something to you one of these days. Maybe then my mind will get some rest." Macbeth mumbled, Snatcher letting out a quiet gasp. It made him hold in a chuckle as they headed out of Dead Birds studio, the sun barely starting to set in the distance. The moon would be in the sky by the time they got back, most likely. Maybe he could plop in a movie, or something.

Or a musical. Who knows.

He felt like maybe he could work on his voice more.

[twistedtummies2]

Fifteen Days of Disney Magic - Number 2

Welcome to Fifteen Days of Disney Magic! In honor of the company’s 100th Anniversary, I have been counting down my Top 15 Favorite Movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios! Today, we cover the penultimate pick on the countdown! Today’s entry took a truly concerted effort to create. Number 2 is…Fantasia.

Even more than “Sleeping Beauty,” I would venture to say that “Fantasia” is a film that shows the power of animation as an art form. It was released in 1940, and the imagery that fills the screen, accompanied by some of the finest pieces of classical music humankind has to offer, remains just as powerful and as admirable today as it was back when it was released. Many consider this to be one of Disney’s true masterpieces, and it’s not a surprise why: it’s a simple sort of movie, yet also grand and fantastic in its scope and impact. “Fantasia” started out when Walt Disney had a chance encounter with the famous orchestra conductor and composer Leopold Stokowski. It turned out the two were fans of each other’s work, and they became quick friends. The pair decided to collaborate on the creation of a Mickey Mouse short, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice;” at the time, Mickey’s star was actually starting to fade a bit (amazing to imagine, I know), and Walt thought that the short could help catapult Mickey back to the heights of his stardom. However, the costs of making the short became so great, the team began to think…well, why stop there? It was actually LESS risky in costs, in the long run, to just make a feature film! So was born the genesis of “Fantasia.” The film was, for a long time, referred to as “The Concert Feature,” and in essence, that is what Fantasia is: it is less of a proper movie, and more of an animated concert, or, perhaps, more appropriately, an animated ballet show. The film is made of a series of several animated sequences, each set to a different piece of classical music, intercut with live-action segments that show the orchestra tuning up their instruments as the host of the show – famous music critic Deems Taylor – introduces each separate piece. The film is treated very seriously in its style; there is humor in several of the different animated sequences, to be sure…but for every bit of comic silliness involving Mickey Mouse or a dancing hippo, you have a sequence depicting a T. Rex hunting down a Stegosaurus, or Chernabog and his ghostly minions cavorting atop Bald Mountain on Walpurgis Night. Yet despite the varying tones and stories and characters, the film does manage to have a unified sense of wholeness to it, as the segments are expertly arranged to feel like a perfect package.

The film was highly innovative for its time: not only were the effects used to create some of the animated shots state of the art for the time (and even more remarkable to think about nowadays), but it was also one of the first movies to use a stereophonic sound system during its initial release, called “The Fantasound System.” However, at the time Fantasia was released, it was actually not a major hit. While most audiences who saw it seemed to like it, it was hit-or-miss with critics, and the box office returns themselves just could not make up for the film’s ultimate expense: it was just so costly to create, and its release method so unorthodox, there was almost no way to make a profit. Over time, however, the movie gained more respect. However, even there, it seems to be a film that’s got a slight sort of “niche” following: it seems to be a film for people of a specific crowd. Those who are looking for complex stories, a lot of humorous dialogue, exciting action scenes, and so on are not likely going to be pleased. But for those who enjoy just seeing what animation could and can still do in an artistic endeavor, with a level of craftsmanship and passion that would be hard to find in a lot of movies today, “Fantasia” is the film for you. For me, it’s one of the movies that made me fall in love with animation and its power, and it’s always going to have a special place in my heart. Well, people. Tomorrow’s the big day. Two days till Disney’s founding, and the final entry on this list. I’m going to be honest with you all…I’m cheating with the last one. I warned you all there’d be an exception to the rules, and that exception is my final choice. HINT: “Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange?”

[vital-spirit]

OFFSCREEN POST

Spirit Talk: Part One

Boltund weaved through the crowd, excitedly babbling about the place. Certain restaurants she liked to “dine” at, what stores she frequents, and all sorts of other information about the place. Way too much information to do much with over the span of the few days they’d be staying here. She’d introduced Lucario and Bingo to NUMEROUS of her friends, but yet still she had more. “And this–,” Boltund said, carefully climbing a set of stairs onto a raised platform, “–is the one and only train station. This is where you catch the train straight to the afterlife!” 

“Ooh.” The Lillipup clumsily climbed up after her, still not quite used to seeing those who should be beyond her sight as her gaze swept across all the spirits that were gathered around for the train. “Fascinatin’.”

None of the ghosts stood out to Bingo, besides the fact that some showed clearer signs of how they died compared to others, though one Pokemon did catch her eye as they stood near one of the entrances of the train and helped the deceased board with a cheery smile.

A Typhlosion.

Their fur had a purple tint to it along with their magenta flames swirling in the air around their neck. The Pokemon sported a deep purple vest with a pocket watch in one of their paws and a conductor's hat atop their head. The cheery fellow seemed preoccupied as he gathered the spirits and guided them through the doors, slowly but surely thinning out the crowd until there was barely anyone else on the platform besides him, Boltund, Lucario, and Bingo.

Once the train began to leave the station, Boltund wasted no time excitedly walking up to the Typhlosion. “Typhlosion! Typhlosion! Come here! I got people to show ya!” 

The sharply dressed Pokemon in question turned at the sound of Boltund’s voice, tipping his hat with a smile as he approached the small group, “Well if it ain’t Boltund, who’s this ya’ gotta show me?”

Bingo’s nose twitched in curiosity staring up at the larger Pokemon, something was strange about this Typhlosion but she couldn’t quite put her paw on it.

“This,” Boltund said, pointing at Lucario who stood a good distance away, “Is my son! The one I said was…” She pauses, considering her words carefully “A son!” Lucario awkwardly waves. “And this is my grandchild!” She literally picks up Bingo. Not scruffing her, no. With her paws. 

Typhlosion nodded at Lucario in greeting, opting not to say anything to him and instead turning his attention to the Lillipup being lifted up towards him, “A grandchild…” He mumbled before smiling at Bingo, “Nice to meet ya’, kiddo!”

The Lillipup gave a small wave with her paw as she dangled there in Boltund’s grasp. This was the seventh time she has been picked up today by the older Pokemon.

“Hiya…” She mumbled, having grown tired of fighting the title of “grandchild”.

“Oh, y’know what, Boltund. Braviary would love to meet…” Typhlosion looks at Lucario before quickly looking back at Boltund, “The youngin’s!”

The conductor looked up towards the rafters of the train station, waving towards a ghostly figure in the darkness, “Oi! Braviary, c’mere and meet Boltund’s kid and grandbaby!”

The ghostly figure shifts on the wooden beam, perking up at the call for his attention before spreading his wings and lifting off from his perch and swiftly diving down towards the group in one fell swoop and landing in front of them with a hard THUD!

After a moment the Braviary stood tall, ghostly flames dancing upon his body with scars riddling the front of his body, two of his crest feathers flopping to the sides of his face while his head feathers were slicked back against his skull with a feather beard beneath his chin.

Braviary stared at the group, his eyes unreadable for just a second before a warm smile crossed his face, “Well, howdy.”

Lucario’s eyes go wide. It’s not just any Braviary. It’s THE Braviary. With how many times he’d seen the countless statues and carvings spread all around The Guild and Harbor Town itself, Lucario could easily recognize the man despite never having met him before. Bro is flabbergasted. Boltund on the other hand, is not. 

Finding him via scent, she holds Bingo up to him. “Braviary! Look at my Grandbaby!” 

Part One: Scene End.

[4th-make-quail]

1. 12. 22. and 28 for the fic ask ✩

1. What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again? I wrote a fic in first person! And for a very difficult (to me) canon as well. I think it turned out pretty good, and I actually found it a lot easier to write in than I thought I would! I wouldn't write for that canon again because it was VERY difficult to get specific aspects of it right (still anon so can't say what lol)

12. What fic was the most difficult to write? Did you finish it? GOD I honestly think it was the same fic from 1 sdlkghfg it wAS SO HARD!!!! I did finish it tho, so fuck yeah!!!!

22. Share an excerpt from your favorite scene Sorry, this is a long one, but this scene from Sanctified, where Omeluum and Blurg share memories of each other is my favourite!

Omeluum cocked its head, and its eyes seemed warmer somehow, as it sent him an image of - oh! - of himself working, hunched over his wooden desk in the Underdark, cataloguing his samples. Yes, there was the ormu, and that particularly splendid sample of nilhogg’s nose he’d found. Some of the hair had come out of the little knot at the back of his head, and the grey strands fell about his face, framing it. The image was tinged with warmth, almost soft about the edges, and Blurg noticed that the air about him almost seemed to shimmer.

“Is this how you see me?” He cannot help but speak the words into the air, as though it would make the vision - the memory - more real.

-Yes.-

“I-” Blurg buried his face into Omeluum’s palm, flushed to his very ears. -Omeluum!-

-What is this feeling? Did I upset you?- Omeluum’s confusion was evident in his mindvoice, and Blurg looked up, sharply.

-Quite the opposite. Here, let me show you.- He allowed his mind to unfurl, selecting a favourite memory: Omeluum sat down on a wooden crate, watching as Blurg gestured excitedly about a nightlight he’d managed to harvest without dimming its natural light. He’d been expounding about the properties of such a delicate specimen, about how one must use the lightest of touches, and Omeluum had watched him with solemn interest, asking intelligent questions about the nightlight’s life cycle. Once it had all the information it had needed, it had raised one hand and made a gesture beautiful in its simplicity, accented with a delicate claw, and then a perfect ghostly rendition of the nightlight had appeared before them, glowing gently blue in the dimness of the Underdark, and perfect in every aspect.

-You listened to me,- he said, ears and cheeks hot. -And then you replicated the information I gave you perfectly, with beautiful motions like you were, oh I don’t know. An artist of some sort, a sculptor. You captured the essence of the nightlight, and ever since then…- He looked to the side, eyes soft with the memory. -Ever since then, I’ve loved to watch you work your magics. You use your claws like a conductor, Omeluum.- ---

28. How did you recharge between fics? HAHA I actually don't like to do this! I like to finish one fic and then move onto the next one. Usually I'm writing to deadlines for exchanges or events, or having to finish a personal enjoyment fic in time to start the next exchange or event! I think if I need to recharge, I will always read (books though, not other fic), because it refreshes my creativity, but generally I prefer to continue with my daily (or as near to daily as I can manage) writing routine!

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS!!!! <3333

[chubbletea]

phantom express fans dinner's ready eat up

after I read all of the yokais that the phantom express is based off of, I got a pretty good grasp on what the backstories for them all could be

(REMINDER THAT SPECTER IS CANONICALLY NON-BINARY‼️‼️)

blind specter is based off of a tenome, which is an old man with no eyes on his face but rather on each of his hands respectively. the yokai is created from the spirits of blind men who were robbed and murdered by thugs. in folk tale, a man is attacked by a monster with no eyes on their face but rather their hands. he fled to a nearby inn and told the innkeeper abt what happened, to which the innkeeper told him that he had seen a blind man robbed and killed in the same field. as the man was dying, he cried out;

"If only I could have had once glace at their faces! If I only had eyes that worked — even if only on the palms of my hands…!"

and his resentment upon his death caused him to be reborn as a yokai with the eyes on his hands just like he had asked for; the tenome.

as for the conductor, he's based off of the gashadokuro. the gashadokuro is a giant skeleton created by black magic out of souls of those who died and didn't receive a funeral (soldiers who died on battlefields and/or those who starved to death). they die angered and pained, and the more their bodies rot/the longer it's been since they died, the more they hate the living and turn into a supernatural force. hundreds of these victims gather to form this giant skeleton. they can't be killed since they're too big and powerful, however, they continue to exist until their hatred has run out. since these yokai are much less common in more recent times bc ppl are dying less, it's likely the conductor has been around for a very long time. over 1000 years ago, the father of a famous sorceress was killed and she continued his cause by using black magic to turn dead soldiers into the giant skeleton; gashadokuro. perhaps the conductor had a daughter during his lifetime.

onto the lollipop ghouls, they are based off of multiple yokais. their long necks came from mikoshi nyudo and rokurokubi. the detachment of their heads came from nukekubi, which is connected to rokurokubi. mikoshi nyudo linger around bridges at night, pretending to be wandering priests or monks. however, when someone looks up at a mikoshi nyudo, their neck grows abnormally longer and the person who looked up at them stumbles and falls backward and gets their throat torn out by the mikoshi nyudo's teeth. many are shocked and die, but there is a certain way to trick them.

the rokurokubi are ordinary women during the day and long-necked monsters at night who have done something bad, such as a sin against god or nature, and have been turned into rokurokubi as punishment. often, their husbands were responsible for said sin(s), but they managed to escape the curse and their wives were cursed instead. some never find out that they were rokurokubi.

nukekubi are closely related to rokurokubi. they are practically the same yokai, however they feed on blood at night rather than lamp oil and have a more violent nature. the curse can be passed on.

and last but not least, the head of the train is based off of the oboroguruma. it is a ghostly oxcart yokai with a large face. they are an object-turned-yokai created from carriages who have lost carriage fights over parking spots. the first oboroguruma was created from two rival ladies fighting over a parking spot for their carriages. taxi drivers often got into carriage fights for the most scenic parking spots in crowded areas such as festivals.

in-game, all of the express members poke fun at the concept of cuphead and mugman's deaths, but the yokais they were inspired by came to be bc of something bad they did or hatred for something or someone, which is the inspiration of my hc that phantom express magic distorts the memory, behavior, and physical appearance of the express members the more time they spend on it. so when they first got on the train, all of them more likely hated the living, especially those who tried to get on the express, but now make fun of them which was rooted in their original hatred/grudge, but eventually forgot abt it. it is also likely that all of them have been around for a very long time, particularly the conductor.

okay hope you guys enjoyed your meal

[archduchessofnowhere]

“With her I experienced the curious feeling of living in today yet being able to reach out and touch the past”

Second and final part of Catherine Barjansky's account of her meetings with Queen Marie Sophie in 1914 (you can read part 1 here). In this part Catherine goes to a strange concert, tells us of Marie's eating habits, and reflects over the Wittlesbach sister's lives while sculpting. Also completely unwarranted Francesco II's looks bashing (we hate to see it):

A few days later my husband and I received a letter from the Comtesse de la Tour, inviting us to accompany the Queen of Naples to a concert in Geneva and to dine with her. When we reached the hotel lobby the Comtesse was waiting for us.

“The Queen will come in a moment,” she announced, and she hurried away. The Comtesse too lived in a phantom kingdom, and the etiquette of a court was part of the fabric of her life.

In a little while the lady in waiting returned with the Queen, the little white-haired Comtesse pattering along with fast steps, struggling to keep up with the long swift pace of the Queen. The latter was dressed as inconspicuously as though she wished to be invisible, in a long black coat, black hat, and black veil. She passed through the lobby like a breeze, a little breath of cold air, and yet eyes followed her as she went because she was so unlike anyone else.

In a dark automobile driven by an old chauffeur, we went to the concert hall. That was a strange concert, for most of the musicians were busy making war instead of making music, and the orchestra had been scrambled together haphazardly. Few of the players were professional musicians; they were unaccustomed to ensemble playing, and they had been inadequately rehearsed. Yet the conductor, though he was manifestly dissatisfied with the result, drew some wonderful phrases from them. He was, we learned from the program, the great musician and composer, Ernest Bloch.

The Queen, stiff and erect it was impossible to imagine that emaciated body at rest listened to the music with closed eyes. And when the concert was over, she hastened through the hall like drifting smoke and into a side street where her motorcar was waiting.

Dinner was served in the small dining room of her suite. While we waited to be summoned, the Comtesse told us that the Queen was accustomed to dining early because she ate only one meal a day. The routine of her life, like everything about her, was strange. Every morning, regardless of the weather, she went out at eight o'clock and for two hours walked swiftly through the streets. Geneva is famous for its disagreeable and severe winds, but they never prevented the Queen from taking her outing. It was almost as though she disregarded the weather, as she did mankind, as unworthy of her notice.

When she returned to her hotel she ate some ice cream. Between three and four in the afternoon a large dinner was served, and again from six to eight in the evening she sped through the streets, as though in swift pursuit of a mirage, the ghost of a queen moving unseen by the people of Geneva. At eight o'clock she ate more ice cream and so ended her curious day.

That day at dinner she sat between my husband and me. The only other people present were her lady in waiting and Mr. Tramontana, her court gentleman, a Neapolitan. These two people had left Naples with her at the time of her exile and had spent their whole lives in her service, creating by their devotion and their sacrifice a phantom kingdom in which the Queen could live.

It was amusing to see what quantities of food this shadow of a woman could consume: soup, steak, vegetables, dessert, coffee. There was comedy in the stately meal and the voracious appetite.

And after dinner I began the wax portrait. She is imprisoned there in wax, the Queen of Naples, with her stiff back; her austere black dress; her long and ghostly hands that will not let go their tenacious hold of what is hers; the narrow feet resting so lightly on a gold-and-black cushion; the strange blue eyes and aristocratic nose; the bitter mouth with its narrow lips; the high forehead with its black braids and imaginary crown.

I did the sculpture with fabrics. The figure sits on an arm chair that looks like a throne, its color a faded red and gold. I covered the body with black velvet and tulle. The background is an old brocade of gray and gold. The face broods, the bitter mouth is unreconciled.

While the wax portrait was gradually taking shape under my fingers, I thought of the extraordinary fate that had been the lot of so many of that Bavarian house of Wittelsbach. As the waxen Queen of Naples took on life and resemblance, I studied my sitter whose kingdom had not existed since Garibaldi united Italy under the house of Savoy, which she hated with a deep, corroding hatred. I thought how strange it was that this hotel, where she had elected to live out her exile, was directly opposite the spot where, years before, her sister Elizabeth had been staying at the time of her death. It was as difficult for me to imagine the radiant Elizabeth of Bavaria, wife of Francis Joseph, becoming old, as it was to picture this gaunt woman as young and lovely. Yet lovely she had been, for many men had loved her. Young too. For she was only nineteen when she had her brief moment of authentic glory. One would think she might, even then, have been somewhat disillusioned with kingdoms, married as she was to a man so ugly that no one ever dared to take his photograph, a King who, in the face of revolt, cravenly took himself off to Rome. But the young Queen Maria of Naples had appeared on the barricades and stood all day long, in the face of whining bullets, encouraging the soldiers, urging them on by her presence.

Modeling the thin lips, that bitter mouth, sterile, devoid of all passion, one could not help wondering how much of that stormy past she remembered and what meaning it had for her now.

These Wittelsbachs certainly were destined to lead violent lives. Empress Elizabeth of Austria had died at the hand of an assassin, and her only son had been a suicide. Another sister, the Duchess Sophie of Alençon, was at one time betrothed to Ludwig, the eccentric King of Bavaria. She was later burned to death in a fire at a charity bazaar.

Each time I came to work on the wax portrait, my husband accompanied me. Arid on one of these occasions we took part in the Queen's evening walk. On our return to the hotel we found two Neapolitans waiting for her at the door. “Long live the Queen!” they shouted lustily. On the long pale face appeared the rare smile that made her nearly human. She extended her hands to the man and woman, who bowed and kissed them. “Long live the Queen!” they shouted again. She smiled once more, entered the hotel and disappeared in the cage of the elevator.

Later I took the wax portrait with me to Rome, where I finished it and so, although in wax, she came again to Italy, which she loved and still regarded as a possession, a piece of property wrongfully snatched from her grasp. She was seventy-four at the time I met her, and after leaving Switzerland I was never to see her again and never to forget her. With her I experienced, as I later did in Egypt, the curious feeling of living in today yet being able to reach out and touch the past.

[shadowthrone-ammanas]

'Life' as a Ghost Drabbles - Visit

Subcon Forest was exactly as Conductor had thought it’d be; dark with a spooky air. A stereotypical haunted forest, though it reportedly being the world’s most haunted forest meant it basically made the blueprint for that stereotype. Even so, that made it not very scary… to the Conductor anyway.

He glanced back at Grooves, walking a short distance behind him, sticking to the middle of the path. He dragged his feet as he glanced around, fidgeting nervously with one of the buttons on his jacket. His reluctance to enter hadn’t faded upon seeing the forest properly counter to Conductor’s expectations.

“What are you so afraid of?” Conductor finally had to ask, keeping he mocking in his tone light as despite his obvious fear, Grooves hadn’t complained much. For that he deserved some credit at least.

“We’re in the middle of haunted forest that very few folk come out of alive. So I feel I’m justified in my fear that something might pop out and kill us.”

“Yes but we’re friends with the kid and she’s got sway over the Snatcher fellow so we’re safe. And if anything does come for us, I’ll fight it off.”

“How, pray tell, do you intend to do that? Last I heard, ghosts don’t fear knives or whatever other kinda weapon you might be carrying.”

“Who said I’d use a knife? I’d use me fists and…”

“Conductor, DJ Grooves,” Hat Kid said as she came flying out of the darkness. “Why are you guys here? Not that it’s not great to see you but… you know.”

“We came to visit,” Grooves replied, “and to make sure you’re adjusting well to… this.” He made an awkward gesture her, clearly referring to the fact that she was a ghost but not having the guts to actually say it out loud.

“And, to ask if we could shoot part of our next movie here in the forest,” Conductor added. That was their primary reason for coming instead of just sending a letter or something. As long as they had leverage to shoot in cool places, they should take the opportunity to do so. Movie sets were great but real locations would always be better, its why Conductor ran a real train and Grooves had a real DJ set up. Despite his fear of the place, it had been Grooves’ idea; he was quite useful at times.

“Ooh, would I get to be part of it?”

“If you would like to be.” Conductor was also secretly hoping Snatcher might too. Though that was a long shot by far.

Hat Kid’s ghostly smile widened. “Awesome! And some of the Subconites would probably love to help too. Snatcher might not let us though, he’s kinda grumpy and a killjoy sometimes. Let’s go ask him! Oh, and, I’m adjusting perfectly well, thank you.”

She turned and started down the path, clearly expecting Grooves and Conductor to keep up. Grooves hesitated for a moment but increased his pace anyway. If this plan of their did turn out to work, he was going have to get used to being here.

[ten-thousand-year-elegy]

Lorepost: Chapter Eleven, “Audentia”

By popular reader request, TTYE lore posts are companion pieces for each chapter of the story breaking down all of the Legend of Zelda lore and references made in each chapter, for readers looking to learn more about LoZ or just refresh their knowledge. This chapter contains explanations for: SPOILERS...

This one is also very spoilery. I’m going in-depth on the Yuugi-tachi’s hallucinations in the jungle, and often these will be things that the gang themselves don’t manage to figure out - tons of foreshadowing, references to other timelines, etc. etc. No direct spoilers for future TTYE chapters, just hints.

Part One: Yuugi’s Hallucinations

The Story of the Dark Interlopers

Suddenly Yuugi found himself standing on a ledge, high above a pool of crystalline water, cave walls closing him in on every side. A voice, as ancient as Hylia’s, but of a different timbre.

Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it.

A girl, suspended in the air above him, upside down. Her eyes were white. She laughed, once.

Here, Yuugi is reliving the scene in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess where Link learns about the Dark Interlopers: a tribe of sorcerers who tried to corrupt the Sacred Realm and were thus banished to the Twilight Realm.

I highly recommend watching the cutscene - not only is it informative, it’s also just hella creepy and extremely well done. (The girl in the cutscene is Ilia, Link’s childhood friend. Adds an extra layer of horror.)

Link is Cursed to Wolf Form

He was in a room at the top of a castle. Dusky light filtered in through the windows. A cloaked woman knelt in front of a wolf.

You were imprisoned? …I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

This scene is also from Twilight Princess, when Link meets Princess Zelda in wolf form. She takes a lot of responsibility for what happened, both to Hyrule and to Link himself. This is another cutscene I really recommend watching!

Igos du Ikana and Sharp

The castle walls became a stone fortress, high and foreboding against a red sky.

My servants have fallen namelessly before the light that guides you…

A spectre dressed in courtly finery, clutching a conductor’s baton -

We dead should not be lingering here in this land.

These scenes are from Majora’s Mask. Link is in the haunted kingdom of Ikana, whose inhabitants mysteriously disappeared centuries ago, leaving only ghosts and the undead in their wake. Link battles the undead king Igos du Ikana and lifts the curse on the ghostly composer Sharp, in the process putting many undead creatures to rest.

The Royal Family’s Tomb

And finally he stood in long-forgotten crypt bearing a single stone mural.

The rising sun will eventually set, A newborn’s life will fade.

From sun to moon, moon to sun…

Give peaceful rest to the living dead.

This inscription is found in the Royal Family’s Tomb in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Reading the poem and the song etched into the tombstone allows Link to learn The Sun’s Song, which turns day into night and also can be used to battle the undead.

I’m going to save Part Two of this post to tie into the next chapter, because the group actually has a chance to talk about their hallucinations and their items. Stay tuned!