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violadiaries · 11 days ago

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Fluffcember Day 31: Fireworks

@fluff-cember

Fandom: Tales of Berseria

Pairing: Van Aifread x Zaveid x Eizen

AU: Aifread Lives, Aifread as Zaveid's Vessel, Reincarnated Aifread (more of a hc but who cares XD)

—"We would all be more than happy if you would attend the celebrations. All three of you, mind you? So no skipping out, Zaveid! Promise?" —

Zaveid let out a long sigh as looked at the horizon. He had agreed in the end, yet he couldn't find himself regretting it more. It wasn't that he hated the Year's End Celebrations. He had loved to watch them from afar with Theodora. Just sitting outside, a bit away from Stonebury, and watching the people have their fun. Lighting up little fireworks and drinking their fill. Zaveid had even helped sometimes, with some artes, just to make the fireworks look prettier. But that had been from afar. Not in the middle of the trouble and everything.

And yet, he hadn't been able to bring himself to tell Aifread to say 'No' to Eleanor's letter. He wasn't even really sure why he was indulging her like this, but he just couldn't say no to it. It wouldn't even be many humans that would be able to see him. And yet, it would still be too much for him. The masses, the drinks, the music, and the voices. The volume of their chatter and singing and partying. Normally, all things Zaveid wasn't exactly bothered by. Except in Midgand the New Year's Celebrations were always, without a fault, accompanied by a huge, blazing fire. And whenever something like that was involved. Zaveid got nervous. And skittish. And irritable. And he would rather not lash out at anyone who didn't deserve it.

Zaveid let out another sigh, as Port Zekson got into view in the distance. They were a day too early. Even less reason they could get out of it now. For once, Zaveid had hoped that Eizen's curse would cause them to miss out on everything. For once, he had prayed that the Reaper's curse would put a stop to their plans. Yet, it had seemed as if the curse had decided to work against Zaveid. The weather during the travels had been perfect. Not too cold, but clear nonetheless. Evident by the thin blanket of snow coating Port Zekson's harbour. Zaveid looked up, watching the sky. And the weather would hold, he was sure of that much. Perfect conditions for the large fire in the town square of Loegres to be lit up.

"We can still feign some sort of accident, Zavi."

Zaveid flinched and turned around, looking right at Aifread's and Eizen's concerned looks. They had been eyeing him like this for a while now. At least when they hadn't been planning what they would get up to next. Giving him numerous opportunities to still say no and sail away from the entire celebration. The crew didn't care where they would get drunk for a night, and none of them cared for the fireworks. Yet, Zaveid didn't want to take this from them. Or rather, from Eizen. Meeting with Eleanor, Magilou and Rokurou. Going to see the kid together. Having friends, other friends, was doing him good after all. It was rare for all of them to come together like this.

Zaveid shook his head, leaning into Eizen's arms as he approached. He'd be able to deal with the hassle somehow. He would just need to stick close to Aifread, and everything would be fine. Who knows, maybe he'd even have some fun. He had wanted to drink with Rokurou one of these days.

"It's gonna be fine, you two. I'm a big boy, I can handle it," Zaveid mumbled.

Eizen wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer, while Aifread leaned next to them against the railing. Both of them regarding Zaveid with a more than worried look in their eyes. Aifread knew it would be hard for Zaveid to just brush it off like that. Both of them knew.

Initially, Aifread had wanted to sail south right now. On their way to the Far Continent again. So they could look at the ruin again, where he had found Siegfried. But this time together with Zaveid. Also to distract Zaveid. They would have still been close enough to Southgand to see the fireworks from the Van Eltia. And spend a calm, and nice evening with the crew on deck. Getting drunk, having their own little celebration. Until Eleanor's letter came. And Zaveid had made good points about going to Loegres instead. Departing south afterwards. Aifread and Eizen were still worried.

Zaveid smiled at Aifread, reaching out to take his hand. Intertwining their fingers, as Aifread stepped closer. He was happy that Eizen and Aifread cared about him like this. But just like they cared, he did as well.

"It reminds you of the facility, doesn't it?" Aifread asked.

He squeezed Zaveid's hand, as Zaveid nodded. It had been a shock when Aifread had revealed to them that through Melchior's torture he had remembered everything about one of his past lives. The most recent one. The one he had spent most of it at Zaveid's side. Being raised as the shield to the weapon Zaveid had been raised to be. Having to explain all that to Eizen had been a huge pain as well.

And after his death, Vale's death, when the facility had gone done, it had burned down in flames. Loud, crackling flames, explosions and all. All the while, Zaveid had run off alone. Though not without taking revenge on his captors. On most of them, at least. Those that had hidden too well for the others. So while he could handle fireworks, or fire individually, the combination of it brought all those thoughts back to his mind. Those images of the blood on his hand. He didn't regret his actions. Yet, he also didn't want to think about them.

Zaveid flinched when they heard a mana stone go off in the distance. All three of them looked towards Port Zekson, only to see someone having already tried out their fireworks. The means having got cheaper, after the people of Stonebury had started to trade the stone being found in Zamahl Grotto.

"Everything alright?" Eizen asked.

Zaveid nodded and chuckled. The celebrations weren't supposed to start until late the next day. And yet, it seemed the people of Port Zekson had already started their own little celebration. Maybe Zaveid could go and see how the people of Stonebury were preparing for it. Before they went to Loegres.

Zaveid already had the hunch that Aifread and Eizen planned to take him there anyway. After all, they could stay in his house for free. And while none of them doubted that Eleanor or Emperor Percival had arranged some sort of accommodations for them, that would be much more relaxing. Being able to sleep in a familiar bed.

"You think, they'd already start the celebrations early in Stonebury, if I told them Zaveid would love that?" Aifread asked.

Eizen and Zaveid turned to look at him, as he still looked at the harbour they were approaching. A grin on his face. A particularly mischievous one. Eizen sighed and shook his head, while Zaveid just rolled his eyes.

He looked at them with an expression that basically screamed, 'I mean it'. Zaveid would rather not, he'd try that out. While the people of Stonebury weren't particularly ones for religion and common traditions, he'd still like it if, they would be allowed to stick to that one.

"Please don't," Zaveid said.

"They just might," Eizen said at the same time.

Zaveid groaned at the way Aifread's grin widened. He really hoped Aifread would listen to him just this once. He didn't mean to bother the people in Stonebury because Eizen was right. They just might if Aifread mentioned Zaveid's name. Because they still would not pray to any Empyrean. Not as long as it was staying clear that Zaveid and Theodora had been the ones shielding the Plains and Stonebury for so many decades. And even, now with Theodora gone, Zaveid still did so.

And they did indeed.

Zaveid had been sceptical when Aifread had gone away alone in the Plain. Had told Eizen and Zaveid he would need to take care of something really quick. And then he had led them to Stonebury, festivities in full swing. The fire for the next day already prepared, yet they had the fireworks ready for this day. Because Aifread had to mention something about Zaveid to the mayor of Stonebury. And of course, they would make sure everything was comfortable for Zaveid whenever he came visiting the settlement turned village.

Though, Zaveid really couldn't find it in himself to complain. Not to Aifread, when he pulled him against himself, as they sat down. Not to anyone, really. Especially when Aifread was the only human he would be able to complain to. And Zaveid did enjoy the fireworks. Had always enjoyed them from a save distance in the past. He would definitely stop by shortly for the bonfire the next day as well. Just to stick around a bit, while Aifread and Eizen got piss drunk in Loegres.

Though right now, he was glad to enjoy the current celebrations in piece. Sandwiched between Aifread and Eizen, a cup of mulled wine in his hands, as he watched the joy of everyone around him.

Even if they had sparked a new tradition for years and decades to come in Stonebury like this. Zaveid couldn't find himself to mind, as he watched and even slightly contributed to the fireworks. And while Zaveid was watching the lights up in the sky, eyes wide and sparkling, Eizen and Aifread rather watched him, once again more than happy that they could spend time like this. A little bit shocked, as well, that another year had gone by, and Zaveid was still with them. Still kept choosing them, again and again.

From that day on, whenever they were close enough to Midgand, Aifread, Zaveid and Eizen would visit Stonebury without fail for the two days Year's End celebrations.

AN:

I wish everyone a happy new year, friends, and with this, we've come to the end here :) See you around on other stories of mine~ Bye ;)

#fluffcember #fluffcember day 31 #tales of berseria #tob #eizen #van aifread #zaveid #eizen x zaveid #eizavi #eizavie #van aifread x zaveid #vanzavi #vanzavie #fanfic #fanfiction #aifread x zaveid x eizen #vanzaveizen #violas fluffcember #happy new years folks

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hoveringisles · 2 years ago

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JULES DE LANCRE

As a child i used to steal my brother’s clothes and pretend i was him. I would hope our parents wouldn’t tell us apart but they always did. Sure, they would indulge me a little but the game always had to end before dinner. I remember the disappointment but also the sadness that followed everytime it ended. One day, i went too far and cut my hair. Dad didn’t blink. Mom was furious. Julian stepped in and took the blame. He was grounded for a month. I thanked him but we never spoke of the incident. And I never played that game ever again.

I used to love dancing as a child and then mom introduced me to ballet. I entered a world of excessive femininity as well as performativity. I didn’t like the way the leotard highlighted my developing breast but mom was finally paying attention to me and that was all that mattered. She would drive me everyday after school and talk to her friends, saying how proud of me she was. That felt good. Mom and i shared something, just like Dad and Julian.

I made friends along the way. We used to challenge each other and share our diets and training routines. Skipping desserts, having protein bars instead of breakfast. One day, my bestfriend Charlotte and i auditioned for Swan Lake. I landed the role of Odette while she got Odile’s part. I could tell she was upset. She had hoped Vincent (her crush), who auditioned for Prince Siegfried, would be her prince on stage. Turned out our dance director thought i would be the best fit for Odette cause we both shared an introverted nature while Charlotte was very much extroverted.

I wanted to drop out and let Charlotte be Odette but mom had already heard the news and was so happy she threw me a party to celebrate.

I couldn’t back down.

I couldn’t disappoint her.

That’s when things started to deteriorate between Charlotte and i. Vince and i spent lots of time rehearsing together for the show. We needed to work on our chemistry, like the director said. Unlike most of the people my age, i hadn’t dated anyone yet so simulating attraction for the eyes of the public was no easy task.

tw : this part of the story contains triggering topics such as sexual assault, bullying, slut-shaming, eating disorder and body dysmorphia.

One night after our rehearsal, Vince asked if he could drive me home, saying that he’d love to discuss our characters. I’ve always enjoyed discussing fictional characters and he knew that. I didn’t think there was something wrong with that. Just two friends discussing their characters for the upcoming show. Vince was brilliant and so nice and i really enjoyed our conversations. As soon as we got into the car, he started to talk about chemistry, our chemistry. I panicked. I knew Charlotte had a huge crush on him and that she would never forgive me if anything happened. I also didn’t feel for him that way. So i tried opening the door but he quickly locked it up. I told him to let me go. He didn’t listen. He grabbed me and kissed me, running his hands under my shirt, touching my breast. That’s when my fight response kicked in. I managed to kick him in the nuts and unlocked the door. I ran as fast as i could. He didn’t chase me. He shouted “You’re gonna regret it, bitch!“

I didn’t tell anyone. Not even Julian.

I was ashamed. I felt like I should’ve said no from the start. I was blaming myself for it. I convinced myself that maybe it was my fault. Maybe i was asking for it in a way. I mean, spending that much time alone with him while wearing only leotards and tights… Was he really the one to blame ?

The next day, I noticed people were whispering behind my back and looking at me whenever I entered a room. I didn’t see Charlotte until lunch time and as i was about to sit down at my usual place next to her she said “Go find somewhere else to sit, whore.” That day, i didn’t eat lunch. I couldn’t stand seeing all those eyes on me at the cafeteria. I spent the whole lunch at the library. Food wasn’t allowed there.

The same day, i quit dance class. Mom wasn’t happy with that. She asked for an explanation but i had nothing to say for myself.

After two weeks without having lunch, I thought that maybe i didn’t need snacks or breakfast either.

I didn’t care about not having friends anymore. All I cared about was making it through another day without eating.

When everything around me was falling apart, my body became my anchor.

I let them smear my name as they pleased. Call me a whore, a bitch.

I didn’t care anymore.

For once, i was in control.

Months went by. I noticed my chest was getting more and more flat which reminded me of how good i felt before puberty hit. My body was changing and my curves were disappearing. I also didn’t get my period anymore. And that felt like a good thing. This meant my body would never be altered by pregnancy.

Then, summer break was here. I enrolled myself in a dance summer camp. Mom was very happy i was dancing again. Although, the only reason i joined it was so i could keep my special diet. Julian wasn’t completely blind. He knew something was going on. He was questioning me, pushing food my way every so often. Staying away from home was the only way i could keep being in control.

Then one day my body shut down before a competition. Julian found me unconscious backstage. He said he has had this gut feeling that something was wrong. I woke up at the hospital. Julian by my side. Dad was talking to the doctor. Mom was nowhere to be found.

My diagnostic : anorexia nervosa. I didn’t want to believe i was sick. I didn’t want to believe i had lost control. Control was all i had left. A few days later, i was back home. Mom barely looked at me. My parents got me out of school, thinking that was the problem. I wouldn’t cooperate much in my own recovery because i didn’t think i had something to recover from. Though I cooperated enough so that my parents would send me to another school, so i could keep spending my lunch break at the library where food wasn’t allowed.

Changing school gave me a fresh start. I made new friends while keeping my rule book. Although, lots of activities they invited me to were centered around food so i would decline them. Eventually, they stopped inviting me. And then talking to me.

By the time i turned fifteen, i wouldn’t eat my own birthday cake. I stayed in bed all day, pretending to be sick. I missed Julian and i’s birthday party as well as the cake. That evening, i heard a knock on my door. Julian came in, smiling, holding a cupcake with a burning candle on top. I thanked him and said i would eat it later.

But later never came.

The next day when i got out of the shower, i found him sitting on my bed holding the dry cupcake i had hidden in my nightstand.

“When are you going to stop lying?"

And we had a fight. It wasn’t like us to fight like that, to lose our temper. And then, he was done arguing. He flat out asked me if i wanted to die.

I didn’t reply. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. We locked gazes. That’s when i saw he was crying, something i haven’t seen him do since we were kids. He held my tiny wrist, waving it in front of my eyes.

"Look at you, Jules. You’re fading…” He whispered, his voice on the verge of breaking as he let go of my wrist. “Tell me… Tell me you don’t want to die…Please…” He added, placing his hands on my frail shoulders, staring into my now teary eyes.

That day, i fell to my knees and cried at his feets. He sat on the floor and held me tight. I hadn’t realized how much i was hurting him while pursuing my never ending quest for control.

How much i was hurting myself.

And thus began my recovery. I was now homeschooled and on close watch. No more lunch break at the library. I ripped out my rule book and Julian helped me create some new rules. He educated himself and helped Mom and Dad understand.

They still don’t understand though. I’ve gained a few pounds but i still can’t look at my body in the mirror and struggle to eat at times but i know i’m not alone in this. Julian and i are closer than ever but i still can’t bear to tell him the whole story. Maybe one day.

The beginning of Jules' rp/gender identity journey and how they met Az

As i wasn’t going to school anymore, i decided i would make online friends. I started roleplaying. Most of the time, the rp servers i wanted to join were oversaturated with female characters so i couldn’t get in unless i was playing a male. I named my first character after my brother. For some reason, everyone in the server quickly assumed i was a guy and i kinda went along with it. It was a funny joke, yeah, but it felt also right in a way. I ended up leaving the server cause the admin confessed her love for me and when i said i wasn’t interested in her that way she turned the players against me, saying i was a creepy dude. All because i hurt her ego by politely refusing to be her boyfriend. The poor thing had no idea i wasn’t the prince she fantasized about. Anyway. Move along.

I went months without rping. I stayed in touch with one of my internet friends though. They came out to me as trans. I wasn’t sure what it meant but they explained it to me. I recognized myself in some aspects of being trans. I didn’t see myself as such though. I was certain that to be a true trans person you had to want to change everything that you were born as/with like my friend wished to. That wasn't my case. And so, i didn't dig deeper.

Finally, a new server caught my attention. A Vampires vs Humans war. Sounded like fun ! So i applied for the forgotten vampire heir to the throne. I made them a ftm transgender, adding to the background that they had been disowned because of their gender identity and that the king and queen had made the population believe that humans had killed their child, therefore putting an end to the fragile peace between vampires and humans. I got the part. And suddenly all sorts of queer characters starting popping up on the server. It was amazing ! Though, one of the admins didn’t see it that way. Turns out she was just trying to save faces by being somewhat inclusive. She blamed me for starting the queer trend (as she called it), and i politely told her to go fuck herself cause queer people were not a trend and deserved to be represented. The other admin stepped in and stood with me. They fought and the queerphobe ended up leaving the server.

I felt bad for breaking their friendship so i DMed the other admin saying i was sorry and she replied : “No worries darling. Don’t ever apologize for standing up for what you believe in. I can’t be friends with a queerphobe anyway. We’re better off without her to be honest.”

“Alright. But what about the server, the lore? Are you gonna have to start it all from scratch?”

“That’s basic human decency at that point ;) Not at all. Not to brag but… i kinda wrote it all on my own.”

“You did??”

“Yep!”

“I’m genuinely impressed. Like, i haven’t seen anything like it before and i’m a huge fan of fantasy stuff.”

“Thank you! I’d like to be a writer.”

“Hold on to that dream, love. I’m sure one day i’ll see your name everywhere !”

“You’re too sweet! I’m Azalea by the way.”

“I love your name ! You can call me Julian. If you want, i can help you manage the server until you find someone else.”

“Thank you ! I love your name too. Sure ! I don’t think i want to find someone else tho. You’re very active here and i can see you truly have the story at heart. I guess what i’m trying to say is… would you like to be admin with me? I’d like this server to be a safe space and i know i can trust you on this. So, what do you say?”

“I’m at your service, love !”

That’s when it all started. Az and i. We took care of the server together and we built storylines for everyone to enjoy. We didn’t hear from that bitch until a month later when we learned of another vampires vs humans rp server, a rip-off of our own. Az started to get hate messages from strangers. Every fucking day. One night, she snapped and did what that bitch wanted from her all along. She closed the server. I knew she wasn’t feeling well and i was too tired to type so i called her with my camera turned off. I didn’t care if she heard my voice. All i cared about was being there for my friend.

I remember how surprised she was to hear my voice and though it sounded feminine she still asked me which pronouns she should use. I hesitated but ended up saying those i'd been raised on and introduced myself as Jules, which had become the only current nickname i had IRL that i was comfortable with. We talked all night long till she finally fell asleep on call.

WIP

#JU.LES BIO #DE LANCRE BLOODLINE

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itssoinevitable · 2 years ago

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Hiii 👋 I just wanted to say I’ve been a fan of your blog since the good ole Downton Days and I’m so chuffed you’re a ACGAS fan too! Tbf right now the fandom is super down in the dumps (me included). How are you remaining so positive since Audrey x Gerald development in the Christmas Special?

Hi Anon! Thanks for your message, and happy holidays! So nice to hear from our old Downton Abbey crew again, I think a lot of us migrated here.

To be honest, there are a few reasons I’m not worried. (Sorry, it’s long).

1) Because I honestly love Siegfried and Audrey as friends and surrogate family. Their bond is special and beautiful, whether or not it ever becomes romantic. (Although I hope it does). They are life partners, involved in all the most important parts of each other’s lives. They have coparented Tristan (and James and Jess), they’re each other’s confidant and source of comfort. That’s special in and of itself.

2) Because I actually think they’re playing the (really, really) long game with them. I could be wrong, but that seems to be what the writers are doing. It seems quite intentional. 3 years on screen together may seem a while for some, and I suppose she’s been his housekeeper for around 7 years so it feels like ages. But imo, the best slow burns imo are the ones where you’re never quite sure if they will or won’t. It’s the little crumbs they leave scattered here and there, it’s the longing looks and angsty build up that makes it so delicious tbh. I just hope they get renewed for enough seasons to see it through. (Plus I am a Carson & Mrs Hughes fan, so 3 seasons doesn’t feel that long! Lol)

3) And lastly, because I don’t actually think they’re ready to be together yet. They’re still in the process of getting there.

Siegfried has probably had to longest way to go, in terms of being emotionally ready to realise, admit and accept that he has feelings for his housekeeper. In Season 1, he opened himself up to intimacy and the possibility of love again. He did that with Dorothy and then Diana, (although who knows why she’s been such a non-entity this last season. Maybe the actress wasn’t available?) And now, at the end of S3, he literally just resolved one of his biggest character arcs - his complex relationship and feelings for Tristan (and even then, only with a lot of encouragement and support from Audrey). He’s emotionally levelled up.

Now, I think it’s Audrey’s turn. Gerald befriending her/ pursuing her has allowed her to imagine she could be with someone again, after leaving her husband. It helps her relationship with Edward is also on the mend, since that’s been a source of so much guilt and pain for her. As for her feelings toward Gerald, they do seem to have deepened somewhat suddenly. I know some people said it felt very out of blue considering she had friendzoned him. But maybe she liked him all along and simply didn’t feel she could be more than friends, much as she wanted to. Or maybe it was brought on by the war, and him moving away. Either way, I think he’s a good man, simple and uncomplicated, which is just what she needs as she’s testing the waters of romance again. I think he’s also serving as a catalyst for Siegfried to realise the depth of his feelings for Audrey, which is v exciting imo.

Siegfried is also a good man, but things with him are as ever, more complicated. Their status as employer and employee, and long time friends also raises the stakes a lot more. Considering she’s a lot more self-aware, I think Mrs Hall knows she might have certain feelings for Siegfried (seemed a bit disapproving / jealous of his relationships) but I don’t think she has considered it could go anywhere. I feel that this budding relationship with Gerald will be pivotal in a shift between them. It might motivate her to get her divorce from Mr Hall, and resolve that source of pain from her past, too.

TL;DR All that said, I think they’re getting where to need to be, and I think we should enjoy the journey. It’ll be all the more sweet if and when it happens.

#acgas meta #anon #ask #siegfried farnon #audrey hall #siegfried x audrey #acgas s3 spoilers #acgas spoilers #all creatures great and small 2020 #tq Anon for letting me ramble

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thetaledeliveryservice · 3 years ago

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First, I really must thank you for those Siegfried headcanons; it honestly brightened my day while I was fatigued from a head cold. Hope you're doing better, and take care. As for now - how about Siegfried, Quetzalcoatl, and a servant of your liking reacting to a master that initially seems to be permanently hidden, but in fact enjoys climbing about and hangs around hidden parts of Chaldea? Imagine just running into a small alcove with patterned pillows, throws, and books: that's master's nest!

You're very welcome anon! I hope you're feeling better as well.

Siegfried

He's concerned about how little he actually sees you, with how little anyone ever seems to see you. And when you do appear, it's always out of nowhere. He never heard you approaching, so it almost sent him into a bit of a panic.

He starts piecing together your habit of just hiding away in hard-to-reach areas when he saw you climbing up to the rafters above one of Chaldea's storage areas. Then he started spotting you in various spots most humans would avoid. He even swore he saw you in a vent at one point.

After having been summoned by you for a while, you invited him to your little hideaway. You moved a wall panel in your room and motioned for him to crawl inside. The hole led to a secret room you had filled with pillows, blankets, and various things to keep yourself entertained.

It's now a common hangout spot for the two of you. Though this had led to a lot of people constantly wondering where you and Siegfried were.

Quetzalcoatl

It didn't take her long to figure out where you actually were during the times you disappeared from everyone else's view. She spotted you climbing up into the various nooks and crannies of Chaldea, so she put two and two together very quickly.

She doesn't tell the others, however. She thinks it's adorable that you do this, and watching you scramble up things like a wild cat is pretty entertaining to her. The others would probably stop you if she told them.

She found your little nest by accident. She saw a couple of servants had broken a wall panel during a small scuffle, and she could hear your voice on the other side. So without a moment's hesitation, she poked her head in and found you curled up in a pile of pillows and blankets reading a book.

You begged her not to tell the others what she found, it was one of the few places you could get some peace in this place and you didn't want to lose that. She promised you she wouldn't, but only if she could be allowed in there pretty much anytime with you. So now you have a new hangout buddy.

Jack the Ripper (Platonic because Hollow feels the need for some family fluff)

She notices this habit of yours immediately. and happily joins you in finding all of the hidden little niches in Chaldea. Though her happy giggling gives where the two of you are climbing since she has a lot of fun doing this with you.

So if anyone sees Jack making her way up to a random corner of Chaldea, they know you're most likely nearby and she's heading to where you are. This does cause her to start keeping the giggling under control, since she knows you don't always want to be found by the others.

She was the one who discovered the place that would eventually become your little hideaway. She noticed the panel you two were leaning on felt a little loose, so she moved it, and found the entrance to a hidden room.

After getting all the blankets, pillows, books, and some games in there you two had the perfect hangout spot where you could spend some quiet time together undisturbed. As long as the other servants don't start getting too nosy that is.

#Fate Series #Fate Grand Order #FGO #Fate Grand Order x Reader #Fate Grand Order Heacanons #Platonic Reader Insert #Siegfried x Reader #Quetzalcoatl x Reader #Jack the Ripper

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novena-proxy · 2 years ago

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Ascension 1: Oh I'm more human now thank goodness. I did not enjoy being reminded of my time as a Lindworm. Also My tail kept bumping into things and my horns were rather inconvenient.

Ascension 2: oh my fangs, you think their cute. Why thank you master, that's very sweet of you to say.

Ascension 3: how do I look? I like having a lot of layers on it keeps me warm as I run a tad cool. You think it's suits me rather well ahh you are quite the charmer master

Ascension 4: I'm happy to be human again and you've helped me become that way. You've been very kind to me and put up with some of my … uh let's say eccentricities. Thank you very much master, let's go forward together shall we?

Default: Prince Lindworm is a character from the Prince Lindworm fairytale. His mother disobeyed the advice of a witch and as a result he was born as a Lindworm. He had a younger brother and being the eldest son he demanded a bride before his younger brother could marry. He ate his first 2 brides but the third bride on the advice of the witch broke his curse and turned him human.

Summoning Line: Hello, Caster class servant… well my name is not important, you can call me Prince Lindworm if you like. Also please keep your distance from me if I'm not needed.

(He's not mean and he doesn't dislike master he says this as he doesn't want to hurt them in his 1st most lindworm like ascension)

About the Grail: The Grail oh well I do have a wish for it, actually I'm split between 2 wishes one for my mother to have only eaten 1 flower or to have my 2 wives well not be dead.

April Fool: Rose-Type Servant Not quite a snake but also not really a dragon this servant likes roses he also his first 2 wives he feels quite bad about it. He still has some leftover dragon like behaviors so if he's ever acting odd that's probably why

Likes: I like roses of all varieties, oh and Milk any will do I'm not particularly picky.

Dislikes: lye, onions, and dragon slayers, they always tried to kill me when I was a lindworm they mistook me for a dragon

(Also sidenote he's not going to get married again he and marriage don't mix. He'll still be a devoted and good partner but he ain't putting a ring on anyone's finger)

If you have Merlin: oh there's someone here called the mage of flowers here! I love flowers roses especially, maybe we could talk about them! Ehh be careful around him he's a prankster and quite mischievous you say. I'll take that into consideration when I meet him. Thank you for the warning master.

If you have Diarmuid Lancer : A man with 2 spears approached me when I was in the cafeteria. He had a mole under his eye as well, He asked if mine was cursed. I told him no, as far as I'm aware it's just a regular beauty spot. He seemed conflicted about my answer. I think I may have upset him somehow.

If you have Siegfried: "how interesting he's like me except he started out human, oh what he's a dragon slayer, well best to avoid him then"

If you have Assassin and Caster Shuten: a girl with horns came up to me and said she heard I eat people, Oh it was so embarrassing and scary!! I only did it twice, I deeply regret it and I'm never doing it again. I hope she doesn't spread that across Chaldea. I don't want the other servants thinking I eat people all the time

If you have Marie (Caster and Rider) : I met the most delightful and charming white haired women. She said she's heard of my fondness for roses and invited me to try some Rose Petal tea with her!

If you Have Mori Nagayoshi: a very large man with sharp teeth was at the tea party with me and Marie. He's very… enthusiastic he said he'd let me try his Macha tea. I've never had it so I said yes, he seems like a passionate man. He's a bit intense but I think we'll get along alright.

If you have Rama: I met a man with long red hair and a sword who was talking about his wife. I mentioned my 2 deceased wives and my 3rd wife, he seemed so depressed after I mentioned my wives. I didn't mean to make him so upset. I hope he doesn't hold it against me.

#Fanservant Prince Lindworm #fgo #fanservant

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ruakichan · 4 years ago

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OH MY GOD the last chapter for this part of King’s Raid dropped today and fuck I CRIED SO MUCH. I’m a sucker for ‘big sibling defying the odds to save their younger sibs’ and Clause is 100% everything I want in an older brother and r.clause is goddamn hot in how implacable and tragic he is and sob I CRIED A LOT WHEN POWER OF NAKAMA SHOWED UP IN THE FORM OF ROI AND CLEO BEING THE MIRACLE MARIA PRAYED FOR TO SAVE KASEL AND FREY (GOD WHY WAS THAT SCENE SCRIPTED SO WELL?!!?) AND i started the game not liking maria and morrah but holy shit i love these two so much now and i hope they live happily together i had to recharge my tablet so i haven’t done the myriad of after-chapter substories also morrah’s outfit was fucking hot here? what outfit was that? i hope it’s not LOV

It was a good final chapter, made even more excellent by so much nice imagery.

There was a lot of effective framing with the story scenes; the game uses low count models for gameplay but they really do what they can to use them in story sequences for maximum emotional impact. (As an aside, I wish Exos would do the same thing—that game could really kill it if they actually bothered to lean into their story more and use their models for story like KR does. but i’m pretty sure EH only has two devs working on the whole thing lol)

It doesn’t take much but some good lighting and framing to really add a lot of dramatic impact to the story.

ANYHOO, Lucikiel is my boy (he’s my best unit), but lawd, he really went hard in on the villainy. Did get a hilariously awesome shot of him looking absolutely irritated that these jrpg heroes just refused to be defeated though:

He’s been temporarily banished, but hopefully he’ll make a return since Ezekiel really needs some character growth, which they hinted at with the substories for the last chapter. (I don’t care for Theo’s faction, but I do like Ezekiel a bunch.) Luc felt a bit one-dimensional, so I was a bit disappointed how he was handled tbh.

Kasel’s new look? Though? Can we get a skin of that? Or something? I really like the colors and his eyes are super pretty with that gradient from purple to yellow?

Anyway, glad they did address Kasel’s guilt and didn’t have his former allies handwave ‘oh he was just possessed so it’s ok he did all that genociding,’ which tends to be pretty common in jrpg fantasy tropes. (yes i know the game is korean but you know what i mean) He’s also really grown up a lot from being the generic plucky young hero. Frey just being constantly angry and conflicted even to the end, even at Clause’s sacrifice, was really great and just hit me hard in the feels; this isn’t a happy ending for her either and it barely qualifies as a bittersweet one. Usually it’s the female characters that tend to have the sweet kind heart, but it’s Kasel who was constantly holding out against the darkness and she who embraced it, because she was so bitter against the world.

But oh my god they brought back ‘you were always late’ line toward Clause (which is how Frey framed her blame on Clause for never being there for them) and oh my GOD he was like ‘yeah i was late again’ while he was dying and THANKS GAME I NEED TO REHYDRATE AGAIN (I really love the ‘late’ line, cause when I first started the game, Clause was absent a lot despite being a supposedly important figure to Kasel and Frey, so he felt kinda... ‘not there’ and forgettable, even though this wasn’t explicitly pointed out by the game. TURNS OUT THIS WAS A FUCKING PLOT POINT MANY CHAPTERS IN.)

And yeah, I got a bit spoiled that Clause is actually in stasis similar to Siegfried, but that doesn’t mean I’m still not torn up about it ok.

You did good, Clause.

#screenshot #long post #spoilers #i took so SO many screenshots lemme tell you omfggggggg #kings raid

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talesofafangirlwithadvr · 4 years ago

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Jan/Feb 2021 Picks

HELLO! It’s been a while, but I’M BACK!! Life has gotten a lot busier as I started Grad School this January. So, I feel it may be tough being on time with future Monthly Wraps like I’ve done in the past with working on my MFA, and my job. I’m going to probably do more seasonal wrap ups when I get the time. I also think I’ll be posting more individual posts as I watch an episode. Because even with a busier schedule, there is always time for TV and there’s so much I want to talk about!

You know the drill. Spoilers are coming.....

You’ve been warned :)

WANDAVISION

I want to start off by mentioning that I have not watched this week’s episode yet. So the last one I saw was EPISODE 6 with Halloween in the late 90s/early 2000s.

THIS SHOW! OMG.

I didn’t know what I was signing up for when I watched the first episode and I have been blown away. It is such a cool concept and I love the fact that everyone who watches it is confused. There have been so many interesting theories out there and I am so curious what is going to wind up being true. I love all the nods to old sitcoms and TV shows as well as all the MCU Easter Eggs. (I mean they got X-men’s Quicksilver-like WOW.) It feels really Black Mirror at times with the breaking of the fourth wall. I will never be able to shake the feeling I got in Episode 3, when Vision reversed. (And then I saw a bunch of videos with him looking at the camera as Wanda looks at the TV. Eww I don’t like it, but it’s such a good move on their point.) I love the outside plot as well and the characters who were previously side characters in other MARVEL movies. The love for Jimmy Woo is astounding and I’m here for it. I’m glad it’s Friday, so I can watch the next episode. I’m just upset that we’re so close to the show ending. The next Disney Plus Marvel shows better be just as good. Wandavision set the bar high.

NANCY DREW

If you’ve visited this page recently, you know I have a very strong love for this show. It is the only one I am still watching religiously on the CW and I am tuning in the night it airs. (That is HUGE for me.) IT IS JUST SO GOOD AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START....

2x05 just aired, which would have been the season 1 finale before COVID and I have it saved on my DVR to watch again. There’s just so much I want to relive and catch that I missed the first watch through. It would have been SUCH A GOOD FINALE, but I’m happy that we can continue with new episodes starting next week. And with the way it ended...there’s so much I need to know!! I’m just curious how fast they’re going to develop certain plots. I love the Drew Crew and how they are a family. Each character is so well developed and their chemistry is great. I love learning more about each of them and watching them develop. My favorite character is definitely Ace. I love all his witty lines and how he is opening up more to the group as well as to us, the audience, as we get more of a look into his personal life. I enjoy all of his scenes with his dad and specifically liked when they were celebrating Shabbat. (I am also here for the Nancy and Ace content. I gush more about this on my other blog: lydia-whogowith-stiles. Check it out if you want to hear more.)

THE WATCH

When I watched the Christmas special (or was it New Years? and why does that feel so long ago) of Doctor Who, BBC America kept advertising a new show called the Watch. Due to the extensive amount of commercials, I decided to tape the first two episodes (which premiered back to back) to see what it was all about. I was unaware that this series is based on the book series created by Terry Pratchett. When I came to see if people were talking about it on Tumblr, I saw that a lot of people didn’t like it because of how drastically different it was. As I was unfamiliar with the original, I can’t compare. The TV show was eight episodes and I just watched the last one that aired this past Sunday. I definitely liked the first half of the season more (I noticed my mind start to drift as I watched later ones), but thought the finale was good. I really enjoyed how they incorporated the theme song. I didn’t realize the connection earlier and now can’t stop humming it. (I don’t know if there will be another season or not.) I enjoyed the characters and how it was like nothing I’ve seen on TV before. It got me thinking a lot about blending genres. I would still recommend checking it out.

ZOEY’S EXTRORDINARY PLAYLIST

I was VERY excited for this show to come back. I loved the first season so much. It’s just such a heartfelt show and it helped me survive the early parts of quarantine. So far, this season I am noticing how detailed the musical performances are. Mandy Moore is doing an AMAZING job. The choreography is *chefs kiss* I also feel like the song choices have been great and not always the ones I think that would be picked. We are getting to learn more about each character and watch Zoey and her family as they continue life after losing Mitch. I am here for Mo and Max’s restaurant. I think the concept would be so cool in real life. Who knows maybe we’ll see one now. (Max’s rendition of ‘Numb’ was amazing. I’ve never heard the song like that and I think it might be one of my favorites of the season so far.) I hope Max and Zoey get back together by the end of the season. It did feel fast, so I do understand why they had to break up, but it still makes me sad that we watched them get together and then it was taken away from us. The last episode before the break was so powerful and I think the show did an amazing job applying real world issues into their plot. It did not feel forced at all and brought so much awareness. Upset we have to wait so long for a new episode.

SECRETS OF SULPHUR SPRINGS

Are you looking for a good mystery, but don’t think Disney Channel can provide it? Think again. I have to say, when I started watching I was not expecting this show to be a part of my monthly picks. It pleasantly surprised me. The show involves the mystery of a young girl, Savannah, who went mysteriously missing at camp back in the 90s. Apparently, her ghost still haunts the hotel that was on the camp grounds to this day. Then Griffin and his family buy the hotel with intent of fixing it up and reopening it after all these years. The people in the town think they’re crazy because of its past. But there’s something more going on with Griffin’s dad as well as some of the other adults in the town. They know something about Savannah’s disappearance, but aren’t saying anything about it. While this is a kid’s show (and only half hour episodes) it has been interesting to see where the story will go. I’m sure I am imagining much more intense things for her disappearance than what actually happened. It’s also not super cheesy or have bad acting, which is refreshing. (I really feel Disney Channel has gone down.) Either way, I don’t know how many episodes are left to air, but I think we’re pretty close to the end. If you’re looking for a quick, entertaining mystery I would highly recommend.

MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE

And here come my period pieces (ironically both from Masterpiece/PBS this time). I know last year I felt like I watched a lot of historical watches at the beginning of the year. We’ll see if that continues to happen this year too. It does serve as a nice escape. Plus, these are some really good stories.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke is a part of Masterpiece Mystery on PBS, although it aired on a different network in the UK. It is (another) mystery series (shocking I know with that title!) It follows Eliza Scarlet who has a nose for mystery, but as a woman living in the Victorian era does not have any rights except for being a wife and mother (two things she would rather not be). When her father dies (apparently from a heart attack...emphasis on apparently), she takes over his Private Investigator business. Much to the dismay of long time family friend William “The Duke” who is a Detective Inspector for Scotland Yard. Eliza is often in his office as she gets arrested for being places she shouldn’t or trying to get information out of him. This element of Eliza having to work in a very male dominated Victorian society is one that I feel I haven’t really seen on a TV show. I really like her dynamic with William. There’s always that feeling of “will they won’t they,” but I don’t feel the show just focuses on that. The mystery is the heart of it all. This last week’s episode was REALLY GOOD. As we got to find out more regarding her father’s death. I hear a lot of people want a season 2 and I am right there with them. This show deserves it.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

Another PBS Masterpiece watch. I love this show, so much more than I was anticipating. It is so heartfelt and makes me so happy and in a good mood after watching it. It follows James Herriot who has recently graduated from veterinary school, but is struggling finding a job. Then he gets a call from Siegfried Farnon’s veterinary practice in Yorkshire. Siegfried is known for having a harsh demeanor and temper, so the assistants he hires don’t often last long. Spoiler alert, that should be pretty obvious, James does. The cast of characters are so lovely and I like all their relationships with one another. The show takes places in the 1930s and I realized I don’t often watch things in this era, so that has been fun to explore. The sets and locations are BEAUTIFUL. In the episodes, we often get these amazing shots that sweep over the exterior and I want to travel to Yorkshire like tomorrow. (See more escapism, it’s great.) The main plot follows everyone interact in the town and watching James become a more confident and experienced veterinarian (which I decided I could never do after watching). I heard that it has been renewed for a second season so that is so fantastic.

FATE: THE WINX SAGA

The first things I heard about this show was how disappointed everyone was in how they decided to adapt the Winx Club show from their childhood. On this I can agree, but I decided to watch the show anyway. I pretended that it was something new entirely and I have to say I enjoyed it. Of course, there were parts that bothered me and then I had to remember it was a teen show, so angst would be annoying. I think overall it was too short (and should have at least 8 or 10 episodes), but I’m happy that they were able to conclude the main plot well. (Although we did get that cliffhanger, but it is exciting that it was released the show just got renewed for a second season the other day.) I really liked Silva-mainly because it was great seeing Thomas from Downton Abbey in something else. I also enjoyed seeing Jacob Duchman in more things. It was a surprise to see him in Medici and I am just happy he is adding more to his IMDB.

Quick and addicting watch. Add it to your queue. Just forget it’s supposed to be based on something else.

BLOWN AWAY SEASON 2

Continuing with the Netflix picks, one of my FAVORITE picks from 2020 got a season 2 and it is already on Netflix! That’s right Blown Away season 2 is now available. I seriously loved the first season of this show SO MUCH! Glass blowing is such a magical process and I am mesmerized every time I watch it. It felt weird starting this show with all new contestants, but then Alex came back as a guest judge and I was so happy. It is just as addicting and I cannot wait to see who wins this season. I am just trying not to rush the episodes.

VIOLETTA SEASON 3 UPDATE

I know you were all dying to know...

After taking a hiatus from watching during the holidays, I have gotten back into watching the Disney Channel telenovela on Disney Plus. I am now on episode 68. Things are really starting to happen and I am finding myself getting sucked in again, which makes me happy. Episode 60 (pictured above) had A LOT happen and really was a turning point for the second half of the show. Can’t wait to keep watching. Some really awesome songs from these last set of episodes.

AND NOW FOR MY NOT LOVING IT PICK:

LEGACIES

This third season has really disappointed me so far. As I’ve previously discussed on this page, it feels like they are just reusing previous plots from the last two seasons when there is so much more they can do. There was so much promise for this show and I loved the Vampire Diaries and Originals so much, that it’s sad to see Legacies miss the mark. I wish they gave Hope more storylines that didn’t revolve around Landon. She is such a strong character and is SO POWERFUL. This is something we rarely see and it shouldn’t only be shown to save a guy (multiple times). Their couple plot is continually doing the same thing. I want to see a lot more development with this show over this season to keep me watching. I am actually happy that there isn’t a new episode until March 11th. (That’s saying something...)

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like-red-lads · 4 years ago

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Yaknow I’ve been thinking about the Sirin and HoS parallels for days, I would be really excited it that’s. brought up. Because like— if you consider K-423 to be an amnesiac Sirin she did exactly what Dark Fu is trying to do!

Sirin landed in a new empty body and “became” Kiana, the child she dreamed to be during the 2nd Eruption, no thanks to Siegfried’s A+ parenting (I like him but good job being unable to accept you have obtained A Different Individual Who Is Your Daughter and fucking things up for her by conflating her with OG Kiana... I dont rly blame him, he was in a tough place, but he fucked up.)

And Dark Fu is trying to become Fu Hua, for the same reason even— she wants love and validation, it’s stated black on white in the QnA. She’s doing this for lack of identity of her own. Would K-423 have been happy as Sirin Kaslana? Well... yeah. She didn’t care what the name was, only that she got one and that her father loved her, but that’s the cards she was handed. Her dad only managed to love her when she became Kiana Kaslana enough.

Of course K-423 did NOT know about Kiana. She had no idea she was replacing someone. It’s not her fault, it’s the fault of the adults around her at the time... but it’s still what she’s been doing.

Here Dark Fu tried the same thing. She originally doesn’t know she’s replacing Fu Hua; she has good reason to believe she’s the original, everyone treats her as such, the Will of the Honkai itself is implied to be tricking her, etc. The difference is that she is soon directly confronted about the lie.

It’s kinda like if the OG Kiana showed up and told K-423 “You stole my name and my life, I’m the original.”

And then Dark Fu lets K-423 choose. Who’s the real one? The “original”, or the one who is physically playing the role? (She be seeking validation and love from a “friend” but Tuna has had enough. Oof.)

The game is very clear in this case that Dark Fu taking Fu Hua’s identity is wrong. K-423 herself explains to her that she’s not the Fu Hua she knows, and no matter how much better she might or might not be, what’s important is it’s not her, so she can never replace her.

I want her to eat those words later. Because that’s exactly what’s she’s been doing, only for much longer. (Though to be fair, her existence does not directly threaten Kiana’s like Dark Fu’s does, since they have separate bodies. Otto this would be a good time to grow another clone.)

There’s been a lot of themes of dual personalities in hi3 so far, but most of these are the same person with a fission, so the solution is to bring them together... what do you do when you have two distinct people trying to fit the same box instead? Dark Fu already tried fusing with Fu Hua; she can’t do it. This time, integration may not be the answer...

I don’t know how they’re going to handle this situation but I sincerely hope nobody dies ;w;

Hmm I agree very much with the parallel. between dark fu (I call her 8th) and K423.

Tho personally I think K423 as a half of Sirin soul from 2e. So when Sirin make her wish, her soul got separated where half of it wake up and become K423 and other half (that is filled with hatred and vengeance) slumber deep inside. K423 experience such a different live that her soul shapen into its own kind, but still have similarities to HoV soul. So they are kinda like 2 sides of the same coin

And the problem of why Siegfried give K423 Kiana name. I think that Sieg (perhaps unconsciously) want K423 to be his og daughter. Firstly because He is not in the best mental state and second because he thinks he will never have his og daughter back (so why not just give this child I got, my og daughter name right).

I have also discussed this to my friends and their personal opinions is that A) Sieg thinks that K423 deserve her "birth name" and that his og daughter is death B) "I'd say it's a combination of factor between he being shitty father, always drunk, and perhaps that he's bad at naming thing." -quotes taken directly from them.

Also at the time of naming Sieg only knows that K423 is his daughter clone physically, he doesn't know that otto mix and match K423 DNA. So even if he give diff name, it won't be Sirin.

The part where you say " I want her to eat those words later because that's exactly what she's been doing " Can you elaborate? I don't understand who you mean and why

#first ask :D #tumblr ask #honkai impact 3 #honkai impact #good discussion #kiana kaslana #hi3 #honkai impact 3rd

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goldshitter · 4 years ago

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so im around chapter 13 in the main story line in honkai, and am on chapter 39 for the second honkai eruption manga. i need to put some thoughts together bc im not reading in any particular order but things are starting to match up and line up

- so kevin who is the serpent who is a kaslana who was from the previous era who is a friend of fu hua who is also from the previous era (i saw something during the last event about kevin and fu hua being friends, havent gotten there yet in the game though)

- kallen is dead (for now? idk the details of her “death” yet other than otto will stop at nothing to bring her back)

- in some of the bubble universes that seele traversed, yae sakura was there, and MANTI and dr. mei were mentioned, and in the last few manga chapters ive come across MANTIS and dr. mei again. so im assuming yae from the open world samsara and her various appearances, is a soldier of humanity from the previous era (this would explain a lot for me, because back when i first started the open world stuff it was so confusing lmao)

- i read a comment that said otto messed with teresa’s memories, which is why in the game she thinks shes meeting AE personnel for the first time. also welt, is the welt in the second eruption arc a clone of the sovereign of AE? bc i know welt is in the msq with bronya’s adventures into the sea of quanta, but a welt that otto shouldve recognized in the manga but didnt died on the moon to sirin

- i think the manga will (hopefully) provide more clarification for cecilia’s status, because from the msq alone all i know is from teresa’s story that cecilia supposedly died to a nuclear attack ordained by otto. im mostly more confused because of kiana’s ventures into “the past” in chapter 5 or so, and “meeting” her mom. i like that the manga provides so much context for the in game stuff, but im also worried things wont match up perfectly? even though so far i have nothing to worry about, the writing is really well done

- i need to finish fu hua’s story fragments, where she’s delving in her past memories with otto’s interference. i kinda know she’s gonna be a herscherr because of the last event

- still confused as to the kiana we’ve gotten to know in the msq, she’s a clone right? but there originally was a kiana, daughter of cecilia and siegfried? i hope the manga spells out the details for me lol

- ngl, when fu hua’s identity was revealed in her confrontation with otto, i gasped. i didnt know much about fenghuang (or wait what was the phoenix protector’s name again? i may be getting this mixed up with some other name lol), other than like a short during an event with the storyteller (i should find that short again, i think id understand more now), some of the elf wing names, and maybe other miscellaneous mentions

- i was so happy to finally get context for kallen’s sixth serenade suit, because i had that and had no idea why she was dressed like that lmao, her appearance in yae’s open world as well, a lot more is making some sense from the manga

#anyway i should be doing my class readings but instead started reading the manga again rip #honkai impact #wz

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thewickedmerman · 4 years ago

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The Swan Princess Live-Action Remake: What I’d Like to See

As many of you who follow me are aware, there is going to be a live-action remake of The Swan Princess. I know many of you are tired of these remakes but this one has the potential to be one of the greats because of the fact that the people working on it not only are the ones who worked on the original, but also people who interact with their fans and listen to their ideas. This is a good thing because of how the public has seen so many live-action remakes and have complained about them either being too different from the original (Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland for example) or too similar to the point of being pointless (The Lion King), so the fact that they listen to their fans is very much a good sign. Besides, despite the results of the universally hated CGI Swan Princess movies, a live-action remake is promising, especially since this is a passion project for them and not just a way to make a quick cash grab. That’s what brings us to this post of mine. These are some things I’d love to see in the live-action remake of The Swan Princess. Keep in mind that this is just my personal opinion on things I would love to see, therefore not everyone is going to agree with me.

Staying True but NOT Shot-For-Shot

As I’ve mentioned, bad remakes usually fall into one of too categories. They are either so radically different that they aren’t faithful to the spirit of the source material or are just pretty much shot-for-shot the same to the point where they are pointless. This is the difficult thing with adapting any work of fiction, especial one that is a beloved property, especially into a different medium. You have to know what iconic moments to do but also try to make it different enough to where it can be its own thing and justify its existence. I don’t want it to be afraid to try different things. The live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast was great and just as good as the original but I don’t feel like it made enough changes, not to mention some other problems. I hope it takes the same turn that remakes like Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and 101 Dalmatians took by staying true to the source material but also being different enough to where it’s not the exact same thing. We don’t want to see it be 100% the same because that’s boring and it would have no real point when we’d have the original.

One thing that they could do is maybe take deleted scenes from the animated film that are alternative versions of certain scenes. For example, the scene of Derek in the library and Uberta telling him about the ball. It’s different and helps to show the relationship between Derek and his mother. It shows how quick witted (When he’s not doing things like saying, “What else is there?” lol) and energized Derek is. It’s very fun and is able to show us how Uberta can be a mother that uses guilt to get what she wants from her son. Besides, there is no way for the live-action to capture the amazingness that is Uberta’s lip thing. That’s something that can only be captured in animation and attempting to do it in live-action would just be disappointing.

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That’s just one example of using an alternative version of scenes from the movie, which are different but still charming in their own way. Another thing they could do is incorporate more elements from the original ballet, Swan Lake. I’ll get more into certain elements connected to that a little later, but it would show how it’s not only trying to respect the animated film but also the source material that lead to the beloved animated film. In the original ballet, if the vow of everlasting love failed, Odette actually wouldn’t die but instead she and the other swan maidens that Rothbart had cursed would become swans forever come daybreak and never be able to change back into humans again like they were able to before. Odette decided she would rather die than be a swan forever, so she and her prince (Named Siegfried in the ballet) committed suicide and that act of love was strong enough to destroy Rothbart and all his magic. This lead to the swan maidens being able to become human forever and the two lovers dance off to heaven together.

Let me be VERY clear about something, I’m not suggesting that they do this ending for the live-action movie because that really wouldn’t go over well with audiences. However, something they could consider doing is that instead of Odette dying if Derek makes his vow the the wrong girl, have her become a permanent swan. I don’t just meant have her physical form stay that of a swan but also have her end up losing her human mind. Before this, she still had full control of her human mind in her animal form but with Derek’s vow of everlasting love failing, she’d revert to that of a dumb and witless animal. It would have her die in a different sense and maybe it would help represent Derek realizing even more what he loved about her. It would be painful because she’d be gone even though she was still alive, which can sometimes be even more devastating than death. Now, this is just a suggestion and I wouldn’t mind if they decided to just have her die like she did in the original movie. Besides, there would be a happy ending anyway. That’s what is important lol.

An advantage that live-action movies have over animation is that they can be longer than just an hour and a half, so they can expand upon certain elements. We could see Odette and Derek maybe meeting secretly over the course of a few nights (After Odette manages to get reveal the swan spell to Derek, of course) to help their relationship and chemistry feel more organic and natural. The romance in the original is great but everything can be improved.

Other elements could be expanded upon like actually showing Odette’s mother and her giving birth to Odette, as well as King William and his wife longing for a child. Live-action remakes from Disney seem to have a thing for actually talking about the deceased mothers and even showing them interacting with their child. True, Odette’s mother would’ve died after childbirth but it would add something with how protective William is of Odette and even adding a song for the queen to sing, which I’ll elaborate on further when I talk about the music. Odette’s swan necklace could also have originally belonged to her mother rather than being a gift from Derek when she was an infant. It would help give her more of a connection with her dead mother and wanting to be a strong and kind leader like her mother was.

It should also show more of Odette’s sorrow and trauma from her father being killed by her kidnapper and not being able to hug him, say goodbye, or tell him that she loved him one last time. Her love for her father, as well as her people, would give her strength whenever Rothbart would try to break her down. She’d stay strong and wouldn’t back down. They should also try to make it more clear that Derek isn’t really shallow but rather he just has a hard time expressing himself into words. That’s the way I always saw Derek and I think to help audiences identify more with him that they should do a better job of making that clear. They should also show more subtle hints of Odette and Derek liking each other as kids but not being mature enough to admit it to others or even to themselves.

Overall, this remake shouldn’t fall into the same trap a lot of remakes do of basically just being a shot-for-shot remake. Don’t be afraid to make changes to justify its existence but also stay true to the spirit of the original.

Music

With this being a musical, it’s important for me to talk about the music for the live-action remake. A complaint the musical live-action remakes from Disney get are that they aren’t energized enough and aren’t as big and grand as they were in the animated movies. In certain musical numbers I can see where they are coming from. Musicals are a very stylized medium, which require big dance numbers and a chorus with a lot of energy, especially in numbers like “No More Mr Nice Guy”, “This is My Idea”, and “Princesses on Parade”. When making the original movie, they used a lot of choreography that was Broadway-styled. That’s something they should do with the musical numbers in the live-action remake. I don’t mean to copy the exact choreography from the animated movie but still put in a lot of energy. Look at musicals like Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, The Greatest Showman (Apart from the lack luster choreography of “Rewrite the Stars”), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (With Whitney Houston and Brandy Norwood), Moulin Rouge, Newsies, and any musical with THE GREAT dancing talents of Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, and Dick Van Dyke. They have a lot of energy in the musical numbers with elaborate dancing that gets the audiences pumped and excited. They are fun and vibrant.

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Now, big dance numbers aren’t something required for all the musical numbers, like “Far Longer Than Forever”, which is more romantic and intimate, but should still have stunning visuals, which I’ll get more into when I talk about the visuals of the film.

It could also take certain songs and make them different. The song “Practice, Practice, Practice” for example, which is played as a comedic number, could be a song for Uberta. It could be used to show she’s concerned about her son and how he’s just obsessed with practicing and trying to find Odette, which everyone (Herself included) considers an endless path because Odette is believed to be dead. It would help show the relationship between her and her son. She’d be questioning what she should do and what her late husband (Who was likely MUCH less pushy and more understanding than her) might’ve done if he were still here. True, it would also require the song to have more lyrics to it and be longer, but it would be a welcomed change. While the song is great and a lot of fun, it’s utterly pointless when you think about it. This would be taking a song that was short and comedic and making it different, meaningful, and adding something to both the characters of Uberta and Derek. Showing Uberta’s love and concern for her son as well as Derek’s stubbornness and determination, not to mention his skills.

Another song that could be used differently is the song “No Fear”. When I discuss the tone of the film, I will elaborate on why the animal sidekicks shouldn’t be in the live-action remake (Even though I love the animal sidekicks). In the live-action movie, it could go one of two ways, either a solo for Odette showing her courage as she sets off to find Derek or could be a duet for both Odette and Derek as they set off to find each other, as well as Derek’s hunt for The Great Animal.

Something important to discuss is the song “This is My Idea”. Apart from “Far Longer Than Forever”, it’s the most iconic song in the movie that people just adore. What definitely needs to be made clear is that they NEED to get child actors that not only look like the actors that are playing the adult versions of Odette and Derek, but can also actually act and sing. I don’t want any lame excuses that they are kids and we shouldn’t expect great acting from them because there are PLENTY of amazing child actors that give it their all. Besides, one of the things that made the song so awesome was that the the younger versions of the two leads were full of so much energy and personality. They really need some strong child actors that can capture the spirit of the song. Not to mention make sure that they can sing, which is something they need for all the actors in general.

With “No More Mr Nice Guy”, with the tone I have in mind for the film (Which, again, I will get to soon) probably would make the jazz styled song feel out of place. I mean, I still want it to be energized but also to fit with Rothbart’s character. I’m thinking maybe a style that is similar to the overture of Phantom of the Opera or “In The Dark of the Night” from Anastasia. Those are musical styles that are more serious in tone but are still fun and energized, which will help bring the song to life in a new way, as well as show that they are growing with their audience. It would show him causing chaos but not so comedically but also not entirely serious. Odile should also be allowed to sing a little in this song, in fact, I have one particular moment in mind. I’m imagining with the line, “Who’s a real dead ringer,” that at first it’s Odile’s real voice but she holds out on the word “ringer” and her voice is transitioning to Odette’s voice. That would be fun and creative.

Of course, with this being a live-action remake, it will need to add more songs to the film, especially since you gotta think about that “Best Original Song” nomination. However, it needs to be careful about where the songs are placed. They can’t be too soon after the previous song or feel like they came out of nowhere. One song I think they could add is a lullaby that Odette’s mother sings to her infant daughter as she slowly dies. I think it should have lyrics that foreshadow the events of the film and the journey that Odette will have in the same way the song “All is Found” did in Frozen II. It should also add a solo for Odette, maybe a song for her to sing when she’s escaping from Rothbart’s prison and flying to the ball that is similar to the song “Speechless” from the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin. Another song could be a short one that is meant to be Odile just vocalizing like a siren to scare the carriage drivers. The way I see it is that she’s flying around in her animal form (A black swan) singing to give them a feeling of unease and catch them off guard while also occasionally flying fast close by to scare them for fun. All leading up to the reveal of her human form and then the attack of The Great Animal (Which should remain in shadows until the climax). Maybe even a possible duet between Odette and Odile, to show how opposite and similar they are. Just a few suggestions.

The last thing involving the music that I want to talk about is the instrumental music. I want them to have the movie mix three types of music; the music from the original movie, the music from the original Swan Lake, and original music like in the live-action concept trailer. Something the film is criticized for is not using any of Tchaikovsky’s music from the ballet when the film is based on the ballet. I do agree with people that it’s very strange, especially since even products of lesser quality and budget have even used music from Tchaikovsky. However, there are iconic instrumental music moments from the movie that I can’t imagine the film being without, especially the music for Odette’s transformation. Disney also seems to have a thing for adding new instrumental music to their remakes like in Cinderella, Mulan, 101 Dalmatians, and The Jungle Book while still including music from the original animated film. So it would be amazing for them to use all three types of music for the remake to show them respecting the animated film, showing respect for the source material that led to the creation of the beloved animated film, and doing something new. True, it will be hard to make sure they all mess together naturally but it’s not impossible.

Tone

This is one of the most important things about a film, especially when adapting a beloved property, particularly into a new medium like live-action. I do want the tone for the film to be more serious than the animated film but I DON’T want it to be so serious to where it’s too dark, too grounded in reality, and would feel out of place as a musical. Being too dark and serious seems to be a trend with some childhood properties that really have no real understanding of the source material, as proven with shows like Riverdale, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and the upcoming disaster that is Fate: The Winx Saga. Trying to be all serious limits them too much in “reality” and therefore can’t go too far with being stylized and aren’t able to be as memorable. This is also something that goes hand in hand with the visuals, which I will get to later on.

However, there are some things in the original movie that should be taken out for the live-action remake, the main thing being the animal sidekicks. Don’t get me wrong, I love those characters dearly but their style of humor wouldn’t work in a live-action setting. Their style of humor is similar to that of the Looney Tunes, which works in animation but not in a live-action remake. They’ll feel out of place and cause the tone of the film to feel unbalanced. This is also why I don’t think The Hag (Later named Bridget) would work in the live-action remake, but I’ll get to that later.

Jean-Bob, Speed, and Puffin are iconic and beloved characters that do help progress the plot and don’t feel like needless comic relief, but they wouldn’t work in live-action. They’d feel out of place, come off as if they are hijacking the film, would likely look weird with CGI (Especially Jean-Bob), and removing them would allow them to have more time to expand upon other elements.

The film should still have humor but it should come from things like Rogers’ dry wit, Uberta’s pompous and flamboyant personality, Chamberlain playing off of Uberta with his nervous and silly character (While still not feeling too silly), Derek being charmingly humorous and playing off of Rogers, Odette’s savage comments to Rothbart in the way she rejects him and stands up to him and her wit in general, Rothbart’s dark humor, and Odile being a major sass master with a lot of sarcasm and clever lines.

This film should have a balance of romance, being serious but comedic without doing too much of either, having fantasy, being like a fairy-tale, stay true to the original while being its own thing, and just being what the film needs to be. It needs to appeal to the fans while also trying to win over people who aren’t really a fan of the original movie. It basically needs to do what a good remake needs to be, which can be done when you look at the example of the 2015 version of Cinderella. Also, DON’T do make any pop culture references like the CGI movies, which instantly date the movie.

Odile/The Black Swan

Many of you are already aware of how I’m really crazy about the idea of Rothbart’s daughter from the original Swan Lake, Odile, being in the live-action remake. It honestly would be a welcome change for so many reasons. A lot of the fans are wanting to see Odile appear in the live-action remake, so that is one reason to include her. There’s just so much potential with her.

However, before I get into her potential, I need to discuss why it makes much more sense for her to be in the movie instead of Bridget. The Black Swan is supposed to act seductive and also give Derek some hesitation to show that he has a feeling something isn’t right. It shows how he isn’t only interested in Odette because of her looks. This makes more sense with Odile because her behavior and mannerisms should be more like her own rather than like Odette’s, which doesn’t work with Bridget. In all the scenes that Bridget is in, she’s very comedic, wacky, silly, and over-the-top in her behavior and mannerisms. That makes her entertaining, but it doesn’t make sense in the context of The Black Swan trick. It kind of hurts Derek’s character by having him so easily fooled and not hesitating enough. Don’t get me wrong, he does hesitate but it could’ve been better a lot better. Just an observation of mine.

Now for her potential, which she really has a lot of. She’s a seductive and sensual woman that is also a sorceress. I imagine her being very clever, sassy, sarcastic, and just has a badass aura about her. Her personality would basically be Shego from Kim Possible. She should really go one of two ways, either a full blown villainess or an anti-hero with a redemption arc. She’s a fascinating character that would help bring a layer of depth to Rothbart by having a great love for his daughter, and while he is motivated by greed and power, he is also motivated by his love for his daughter and wanting her not to struggle in life like he did.

If they made her an antihero with a redemption arc, it could be because she slowly grows a bond with Odette and relating to having a loving but protective father and never really knowing their mothers. She’d think men were all the same and would be confused why Derek would hesitate when she’s disguised as Odette because she was unaware of genuine romantic love due to always using her looks and sensuality on men to get what she and her father want. Maybe she could take the place of Bromley by helping Derek with defeating her father.

When she dances with Derek, it should feel different for him compared to how it felt when he danced with the real Odette. Both should be elegant and vibrant but done differently. When Derek dances with the real Odette, it should be more intimate while with Odile disguised as Odette, it’s more sensual and makes Derek feel like something is off about “Odette.”

Either way, she’d make for an incredibly compelling character that would help add an element from the original ballet to the film and be something different. Odile is a popular character in the world of fiction, especially for those fascinated with ballet. She’s meant to be Odette’s opposite and yet they could have a connection the same way that Mulan and The Witch did in the live-action remake of Mulan. I also have made it VERY clear that the ONLY real choice for Odile is Bella Thorne. She has the right look, she’s sexy and seductive, she’s gorgeous, she’s an amazingly talented and versatile actress (She’s even getting some Oscar buzz for her performance in the movie Girl), she can sing (Listen to the songs she did for Midnight Sun if you don’t believe me), has experience playing villainess characters, really puts her all into her craft, and everyone who has worked with her has just raved about what a joy she is to work with.

Visuals

There is a lot of things to talk about here. The costumes, the effects, camera work, the sets, the atmosphere, and so on. I’ll try to be as clear and organized about this as possible.

The costumes are a major part of the movie because they help to establish the characters personalities and the journey they go through. I do think the outfits should be as similar to their animated counterparts as possible but also not look too similar to the point where they just look like cosplays. Something live-action remakes often do is change the look of the outfits to the point where they are completely different. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it can help the film stand out, especially when you look at the outfits in the 2015 version of Cinderella. However, it can just as often be a bad thing, such as with Belle’s yellow dress in the 2017 remake of Beauty and the Beast, which didn’t even do very good jobs with her pink and green dresses either (But her blue dress and her wedding dress were good). I can understand why changing the design of the costumes happens because some things that look good in a drawing don’t translate well into live-action. However, when done well, they can make them look similar enough and add details that are too expensive and time consuming to put into animation. A good example of this is Jasmine’s turquoise outfit in the live-action remake of Aladdin. It looks similar enough while also being a good translation to the real world. Although, I do think they should take more liberties to Rothbart’s outfit to make it look more badass. Not to mention they’d have creative liberties with Odile, but should make sure there is a contrast with her appearance and Odette’s.

Another thing about the costumes is that I want the characters to have a variety of outfits to wear. It’s true that Odette would be wearing the same dress for a majority of the film because of how she’s been kidnapped and wouldn’t give Rothbart the satisfaction of her accepting any outfits he might offer her. However, considering that the major characters are either royalty or well off enough to afford some good clothes, they should really be wearing more than just one outfit. Queen Uberta in particular would be wearing a large variety of outfits (Not just the same outfit in a different color) and maybe even different hairstyles. It would go with her flamboyant personality and style. The younger versions of Derek should also be wearing different outfits and have different hairstyles like Odette did. It shows how people grow and change as they get older. Maybe even make Derek have his awkward phase as a teenager the same way Odette did as a preteen. However, definitely don’t have his younger versions wear the same outfit because it’s weird that he never changed his style at all growing up. Plus, I think the entire fandom agrees that Derek’s weird haircut has GOTTA GO! I’ll get more into the costumes when I discuss diversity because what I have left to say about costumes has to do with “Princesses on Parade”.

As for the effects, I’m hoping that they do their best to mix practical effects and special effects together. Hollywood is too reliant on CGI and people often call it out as fake looking. There are movies that mixed those together like Lord of the Rings, Hocus Pocus, Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and the first Jurassic Park movie. The effects in those movies are still praised because they aren’t reliant on just CGI. It can be helpful but it shouldn’t be the only thing that is used.

Something important about the visual look with this movie, at least to me, is Odette’s transformation. A problem I have with the concept trailer (Although, I will give it leeway because it didn’t have much of budget for the effects) and the CGI movies is how Odette’s transformation lacks color, which makes it less magical looking. People love Odette’s iconic transformation with the gold glowing light where she stands (Or floats in the case of her swan form) and her getting surrounded by the pink and purple water (Along with some purple sparkles). It’s such beautifully animated scene because of the vibrant colors that pop in the night time setting that is full of different shades of blue. By making the transformation have normal colored water just makes it not as memorable or imaginative.

The look of Odette as a swan (As well as Odile in her literal black swan form) should still be expressive and slightly stylized like the animals in The Chronicles of Narnia movies, the 2016 live-action remake of The Jungle Book, the live-action Stuart Little movies. It’ll make her feel more human and if they were to use the idea about Odette losing her humanity if Derek makes his vow to the wrong girl, it would show her looking and feeling more like a real dumb and witless animal. But definitely make sure that there is texture to her with the feathers and bill. Basically make sure she doesn’t look fake but not too realistic to the point she can’t be stylized a little. Basically DON’T make the same mistake that the pointless “live-action” remake of The Lion King did.

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Something else important to talk about is the look of The Great Animal. First of all, I think that the way The Great Animal looks should be kept a secret up until the climax when Derek is fighting Rothbart. This includes commercials and trailers because it’ll make an even bigger impact if no one has any idea what it looks like until the very moment they see it. As for the design of it, the original movie had a very interesting design with it being a combination of different animals. The head of a wolf, the wings and snout of a bat, the talons of a falcon/hawk/eagle, the tail of a lizard, and torso of a bear. Not sure if this would work in live-action (It might if done right) but if it can’t, they could get creative with a new design. Making it look either like some demonic creature or something. Either way, I’m sure it’ll be awesome.

With the sets and such, I want them to be absolutely MASSIVE! As I mentioned before, some live-action remakes don’t have things on as big a scale as they were in the animated movie. When you compare the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast, the live-action remake doesn’t look nearly as grand as the original did and was much smaller in scale. I hope that they go all out with the sets to make it feel big, grand, and epic. It will especially help with the “Princesses on Parade” scene. Even with Rothbart’s castle, which would look more decayed, should have an eerie feel to it with a lot of dark colors to contrast with Uberta’s castle and the castle from Odette’s kingdom.

The visuals also shouldn’t be afraid to not be vibrant enough because just earth tones are boring and not as eye-catching. The look of the live-action concept trailer has a good look, at least for the night scenes. The visuals and colors weren’t too dark, had a mysterious atmosphere, it was pleasant to look at, it would make Rothbart and Odile’s magic really pop because of how their magic has warm colors to contrast with the cool colors of the setting, and would show a contrast to the world that Odette was used to before she was cursed. How she could feel the warm sun on her skin and that refreshing daylight breeze blowing through her hair. It’ll make when the spell is broken all the more meaningful because she’ll be able to experience those senses she missed so much from when she was a human that could enjoy the daylight. They definitely need to take advantage of the landscapes as well, since many scenes take place outdoors.

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As for the camera work, it’s very important to have a lot of interesting angles, dynamic movements, and pleasant shots. They shouldn’t go too crazy with the camera work to the point where it is annoying and messy, but they should have fun with it. Such as when Odette is flying in the air, they need to take advantage of that. The musical and dance sequences need to have some fun camera work. With something like “Far Longer Than Forever”, they should keep it intimate but also creative and interesting. Not to mention have it look visually stunning with the stars, the moon, and how in some scenes that Derek is inside where there is light to contrast with the nighttime setting where Odette is. The action scenes should definitely be creative, like when Derek uses his bow and arrow. Not to mention have the climax be epic.

A particular camera work I want them to do is to slowly reveal the face of The Black Swan at the ball when she arrives. Yes, we know it’s Odile disguised as Odette, but playing with the camera to not reveal her face until she’s close enough to Derek will make it more exciting. Similar to the way that Cruella De Vil was slowly revealed during her introduction in the live-action remake. That just helps with great storytelling.

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Diversity

First of all, listen to me before you pass judgement. I’m not saying for them to racebend characters, especially since many people of color are seeing through that as a, no pun intended, skin deep gesture just for brownie points. However, I want the background to have a lot of diversity with races the same way that movies like the live-action remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella did. One of the great things about the original animated film was that, even though it was about white people, still had racial diversity with people from the background. They weren’t just with servants and peasants but also with royalty and nobility. There were people that looked black, Hispanic, mixed, and it was just for the heck of it, which I love. It shows that the movie is stylized and acknowledges that people of color do exist (Something certain movies fail to do).

However, I want them to take it a step further by not only having the background characters/extras to be racially diverse (Only include more than just blacks and Hispanics) but also show diversity in culture at the ball. What I mean is that the princesses at the ball attending the ball in the hopes of winning Derek’s heart should be racially and culturally diverse. The live-action remake of Cinderella did this, particularly with this one Hispanic princess that had a very cultural looking dress. There were some princesses in the animated movie that were people of color but they were just wearing European clothes. They need to show some diversity for different racial cultures, even if it is only for a the ball/”Princesses on Parade”. After all, the first line of the song did say, “Every single princess on the planet pray to be invited to the ball,” so it should be showing different cultures around the world with these princesses. I mean, Uberta would definitely be inviting princesses from kingdoms far and wide in the hopes of Derek finding a wife. Besides, she never does anything without it being absolutely BIG and GRAND.

Not only should there be diversity on screen, there needs to be diversity behind the scenes. The Swan Princess tried to show some cultural diversity in the movie Kingdom of Music and it was clearly made by people who knew nothing of these cultures. They had racial stereotypes and stereotypes of people of different nationalities. I’m sure that their heart was in the right place and had ZERO intention of being offensive but the result was pretty offensive. This time, I want them to have experts of the cultures to make the outfits, hairstyles, jewelry, and make up be as accurate as possible. Besides, as much trouble as actors that are people of color have of finding work, people of color that work behind the scenes have an even more difficult time finding work, especially those who are women. I’m sure the people working behind The Swan Princess are willing to listen to this because they love their fans and hearing their ideas and concerns. So I’m sure they’d be willing to do all they can to be as inclusive as possible on screen and behind the scenes.

Organic Feminism

Okay, this is something that will be a bit difficult to talk about, due to it being a bit controversial. First of all, Odette was already a strong and feminist character. She was kind but had her limits, wasn’t afraid to stand up to Rothbart but could still show her vulnerability like any normal person, and actually was deconstructing fairy-tale cliches long before Elsa in Frozen ever did. In most fairy-tales, once the characters fall in love, they just get married and all that jazz. However, Odette, despite falling in love with Derek, wasn’t just going to jump into marriage right away. First she wanted to know what he loved about her besides just her beauty, which is very reasonable. She wasn’t just gonna let herself be seen as a prize to be won or someone who was just supposed to look beautiful. She wanted to be admired for her mind and personality, as well as to make herself be heard. You see the disapproving look her father gave her after she asked Derek if beauty was all that mattered to him, but she still didn’t back down, despite her father basically telling her to stop. She cared about her father’s legacy and the people of her kingdom, which is why she wasn’t going to give into Rothbart and would rather die than give him her father’s kingdom. It wasn’t just because she hated the man, even though she clearly hates Rothbart, she was thinking of others. During her year of being under Rothbart’s captivity, she never relented or lost her strength.

Some may say that she just waited around to be saved and could’ve just left to get help/find Derek. However, this statement is absolutely WRONG! She was in a situation where she really couldn’t do much. As soon as the moonlight left Swan Lake, she’d turn back into a swan and it didn’t matter where she was. She had no idea where she was or how to get back to Derek’s kingdom. If she were to try to run away, she’d get lost and turn back into a swan. Even if she were to use her ability to fly in her swan form, she’d be exposed to hunters that could kill her before she could find any help. In both her human and her swan form, she’d be vulnerable to predators, especially in her human form. She lived in a time where women, particularly a princess, wouldn’t be trained in survival skills, especially with her father being so protective. She was out of her element. Not to mention that she could only turn back into a human when she was on Swan Lake and the moonlight touched her wings. If she was lost enough, she’d have a difficult time trying to find her way back to Swan Lake and would have no way to protect herself from the dangers of the world.

She wasn’t someone who just had the mindset of waiting around in the hopes of being saved. She’s way too smart for that. She was just in a situation where she was trapped and didn’t have many options until she and Puffin thought of trying to steal a map from Rothbart’s castle. If she saw a way to save herself, she’d take it but she’s smart enough not to just rush into it without a plan that would just get her killed. In the hand-drawn sequels, she’s shown to take action when she had the resources to do so. She’d rather be making herself useful instead of just waiting around, she just had very little resources to help her in her situation.

This is all leading to the subject of organic feminism. The Disney live-action remakes have been trying to make their female characters stronger, even if they already were strong. For the most part it works but then there are some issues that come along with it. You have Emma Watson (Who I love) refusing to wear a corset and that resulted in the disaster of her yellow dress (Which isn’t feminist if you look as your costume history), Mulan already being incredibly skilled and pretty much magical, Nala losing all of the likability and emotion of her character (She doesn’t even act happy when she sees Simba is alive), Alice being made as a warrior and lost her interesting and curious personality, and the disaster that is the Maleficent movies that just are anti-men. Apart from the dress thing, Belle was well-done in the live-action remake and Jasmine was done very well too.

The point I’m making is that while I’m open to trying to make Odette appear even stronger than she was in the original, I don’t want it to be in a way that butchers her character. One of the reasons that many people hate the character of Alise in the CGI movies (Myself included) is that she’s a major Mary Sue. She succeeds at things too easily when she has had no training, seems to know no fear which makes her feel less human and hard to identify with, and she feels so forced and cringe-worthy. She says things like, “I don’t wanna be a PRINCESS princess! I wanna be a MODERN princess!” That’s so forced and sounds like something a middle school fanfic writer that hasn’t had much experience would write. They need to stay true to the character of Odette. They can improve upon her but make sure she’s flawed and has depth like a real person. Not just generically nice all the time and not perfect at everything.

Letting Fans Help Make the Film

One of the best things about the people that work on The Swan Princess movies is how they never forget to appreciate their fans. They interact with them in real life and online. They even follow me on Instagram, which is AWESOME. They do a lot for their fans, which is something a lot of companies don’t really do unless it means they can make money.

Anyway, something I think that they should do is allow the fans to be part of the making of the film. One example of what I mean is even allowing them to design the costumes, particularly the fans by the name of Nephi and Bethanie Garcia (Who are married to each other). They have made some incredible cosplay outfits that aren’t just good by the standards of cosplay but also by the standards of a big budget movie. They manage to make outfits that look accurate to the animated movies but also updated enough to translate well into real life. They would be the perfect team to work on the costumes of the movie. It would help them get more recognition and maybe get work in Hollywood as costume designers. Here are links to their social media.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thedesignerdaddy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designerdaddy_/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7bIF8t4eBP-zXhwmh8SDIg

Another thing is that they could include them as extras in the background, including as dancers and singers. It would show how they know they wouldn’t be anywhere without their fans and are showing their appreciation. I would personally love to be one of the directors (Movies can have more than one director) and writers of the film. I know that’s unlikely but if they are willing to let me, I would accept without hesitation. After all, I know that Richard Rich was a new comer when making the original film and I know that he would want to do all he can to help new talent make their dreams come true, especially when they are fans of what was his passion project known as The Swan Princess.

Casting

First of all, this is NOT me telling you who I would cast in the film. I have already done a post explaining that right HERE.

What I want to talk about with this is that I want them to try to cast actors that look as much like the characters as possible. While talent is what is most important, with a live-action remake of animated property we want actors that look like the characters as well because we want to see the characters brought to life. Don’t just choose actors based on bringing in the box office numbers, even though that is important as well. But base the casting on looks, acting talent, being able to capture the essence of the characters, sing talent, making sure that the two leads can handle the vocal demands of their respective roles, and that they are the right age or at least look the right age. They should also include cameos from people like Liz Calloway, Howard McGillin, and other cast members from the original animated movie. It would just be a fun thing to do for the fans and a way to honor these actors for helping to bring the original movie to life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you guys like it and let me know what you think. Also, did you guys know that The Swan Princess has an OFFICIAL Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube?

Tumblr: @theswanprincessofficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swanprincessofficial/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_Q3k32sEVQbrANS7-vSjA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/official.swanprincess/

You can even send an email to [email protected] where you can ask a question and it might be chosen for the monthly Chamberg Daily News (Chamberg is the name of Derek's kingdom).

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