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dearestzaychik · 3 months ago

Text

Our Forsakened Destiny.

[ Forsaken x Isekai'd Reader! ]

[ Gender Neutral Reader! ]

TW : Some Cursing then and there..

WORD COUNT : 6,092K words!

NOT PROOFREAD. Please do tell me if there was any mistakes whatsoever!!.. Because I'm not proofreading a 6,092k worded chapter..

Chapter 2

READER'S POV.

Knocking can be heard at the door, as you opened your eyes to the sounds. You didn't have to reply, As the figure that was knocking at the door started talking either way.

"..Hey, Elliot here. I just wanted to let you know that soon, the rounds start again. You slept for a hefty while, but we decided to wake you up early so that you'll be able to talk to the others. As well as to talk about your Abilities and Role. We'll be waiting downstairs!- No rush for you of course, but Builderman said he hoped you get ready as soon as possible."

Elliot mentioned, before footsteps were moving away until it was no longer there. It was still dark outside, as the realm never seemed to have the concept of day. It would be hard to know what to tell what time it was, but this was probably considered morning for them. You had no time to loose, so you got up and started to get ready. Even if you felt a bit anxious at your own situation, running away from it was not the wisest answer.

Before you headed out, you looked at your Stats and Abilities once more.. and they finally have something written down on them that's for sure.

ROLE : Support.

DIFFICULTY : ★★★★☆

HEALTH : 90

STAMINA : 90

ABILITIES :

Short-term Relief

- Bottoms Up and Cheers!

• This active ability allows the user to give out Pain Pills, making way for a new mechanic, TEMPORARY HEALTH.

If you need a quicker way to provide health, this is the quickest way you'll be able to get it for! This Survivor can share Pain Pills through out the round, and can even save a life in need if used right! It gives 65 health points that diminishes over time. Although.. One wouldn't recommend using it more than 1 time for each survivor.

If a Survivor manages to get their hands on another batch of Pain Pills after the first one.. They'll be inflicted with Nausea 2, and if they were to drink 3, Not only do they get inflicted with Nausea 4, The Health Points diminish faster as well as chipping off 5% of their actual health. This is not able to kill the Survivor, leaving them in 1% health if they were to drink a third time. At last, if the Survivor were to drink 4 or more, they will be lead to an Instant Death depending how lucky they are to live after each drink. The Cooldown is 35 seconds.

The Thrill of our Misfortune

- I don't like this chase, I'm out!

• This active ability allows the Survivor to gain access to three Adrenaline Shots, and is able to give them out or use it on themselves.

More on said, This Survivor not only carries Pain Pills, as well as 3 sets of Adrenaline Shots in which they can drop to share with other survivors or use it for themselves. The survivors are locked into an Adrenaline Rush, no longer fearing the Killer as they get a boost to get away. It can give Speed 2 for 5 seconds, as well as 45 health points that diminishes over time. Once all shots have been used, theres no other way to get these back so make sure you use it wisely. The Cooldown is 40 seconds when used, 35 seconds if dropped for another survivor.

Desperation.

- I don't belong here.

• This passive ability grants the Survivor Nausea 1 every 30 seconds and lasts 15 seconds when they aren't near at least 3 meters to a survivor, but gives Speed 1 for as long as they haven't encountered a Survivor nor a Killer, as well as 30 health points that diminishes over time when their alone and already injured.

This Survivor feels very uncomfortable even when not in a round, its best to provide them with Company to them to make sure they don't feel so.. out of place.

During Last Man Standing, due to the pressure this survivor is experiencing, Nausea 1 will stay for the remainder of the round, and Speed 1 will be given for only 15 seconds before the effect fades away, then 50 health points that diminishes over time will be administered to the said survivor after the effects are no longer present. Because of this, it leaves the Survivor very vulnerable when it comes to Last Man Standing.

Seems like Nausea will be your friend in the long run with the amount of Nausea status effects you can get in your kit. Your kit looked really complicated, hell you couldn't even seem to comprehend it right now to say the least. Whoever planned these abilities definitely wanted you to suffer.

None the less, there was now a Difficulty and your HP stats and stamina changed. It seemed balanced enough, but you still didn't get why you would be Difficulty 4 out of 5. Back then you were just a normal human being working a minimum wage job, nothing can be deemed special to your old life to have an entirely complicated kit like this..

Getting ready, you opted for a quick shower before changing into clothes that was exactly the same as your last pair before slipping on shoes and opening up your door, only to see a figure with a Pumpkin head opening their door at the same time as well.. Dussekar stared at you as you stared at him, having a minute of silence as both of you didn't move, before of course he took the intiative to break the silence.

"You must be the new survivor of this morning. You're presence will hopefully, be lovely."

Dusekkar stated, his legs never seem to touch the floor as he levitated off the ground. Honestly, you almost forgot he spoke in rhymes and riddles. Mentioning your presence, you remember how some survivors have different opinions of one another, as back then your friends mentioned about tensions and relationships between characters during the time you played..

"..Hello, Goodmorning."

You replied, even if it wasn't day at all outside the window, it seemed to be considered Morning for them. Dusekkar nodded in acknowledgment, holding their staff as he went ahead to the Lobby. You followed close by, fiddling with your hands. Soon enough both of you made it through the hallways, reaching the Lobby where the rest of the survivors are. Shedletsky and Builderman spotted you first, seemingly looking at something as Shedletsky raised their hand.

"Yo, Dusekkar and New comer! Over here!"

Shedletsky yelled out, signaling for both of you to come near. As you did, they seemed to have been looking at your stat and abilities. Seemingly investigating and looking at what you can do.

"It seems like they're a support."

Builderman blankly stated, looking at the stats as he seemed to have already figured out your kit faster than you did. Looking up at the message, there was something stated there.

NEXT SURVIVORS FOR THE NEXT ROUND...

Builderman

Two Time

Chance

Pharmacist

Noob

007n7

Shedletsky

Pharmacist.. That might be the title your called as. It seems like there were only 7 survivors playing this round, the others that weren't mentioned seem to get a break for one round at least. Its weird how you were called Pharmacist than your actual name, but its a decent title none the less. A Pharmacist, huh. Right, that was what you wanted to be when you grew up. But you never managed to suceed in actually following that career path, with that said.. There was indeed a reason why you wanted to be a Pharmacist back then, but you can't seem to remember why. Snapping you from your thoughts, Dusekkar, Shedletsky, and Builderman were looking at you, seemingly waiting for a Reply.

"Well?"

Shedletsky said, tapping the table as he waited for your response. Builderman shook his head, seemingly making up a decision for you.

"..They didn't seem to hear what you asked, but its fine. They can stick with me so that we can avoid that passive of theirs."

Builderman stated, glancing at you before he looked at your abilties and stats once more. He will most likely and definitely help you during this, considering he was a support as well.

"Also, This might be for you as well. It was in front of the front door earlier."

Builderman quickly added, seemingly remembering something as he picked up a Belt that had 3 adrenaline shots, as well as a container for Big Batches of Pain Pills.

"If that's one's case, then I shall take my leave. To prepare for the next round, is my current top priority."

Dusekkar said, patting you on the head as they seemed to have acknowledged your abilities.

"This shall be your first round, So one will wish you Great Fortune during this expedition."

Dusekkar wished you Good Luck, but in a somewhat fancy way.. None the less, he meant well that's for sure. Without waiting for your reply, they levitated away seemingly off to do their own thing as they weren't up for this round.

"Dusekkar is always so conservative, but I tell you he means well!"

Shedletsky said as he glanced at the Pumpkin figure gradually faded away from View. After Dusekkar left, he looked at you with a positive smile.

"There's still time until the round starts! Why don't you get along with the other members of the team? Off you go now!"

Shedletsky said, seemingly wanting you to interact more with the others as he gave you a little nudge that you needed to walk away. Giving you a thumbs up before talking to Builderman about the upcoming round.

In the actual Lobby, most of the Survivors were there. Even some of the survivors that you didn't manage to meet yesterday were there as well, all of them minding their own business or preparing for the next round. Elliot seemed to spot you as he waved, coming up to you with a bright smile.

"Hey, Have you met Builderman and Shedletsky yet? I heard they wanted to discuss your abilities. None the less, I won't be there to support you next round sadly.. But Im sure Builderman will find a way to teach you how to be a great support for the team!"

Elliot mentioned, patting you on your shoulder as they seemed to have hoped to teach you how things worked around here. A figure behind Elliot seemed to appear, looking behind him as they had a blue shirt and green pants.

"I-is this the new survivor..?"

They said, stumbling on their own words as they looked to be a bit afraid by your presence. Elliot looked behind him before smiling again, moving aside and showing the said figure. Noob jumped at the sudden movement Elliot did, but they still managed to stand still without freaking out at least.

"Meet Noob! Don't worry, They're nice."

Elliot stated, but the second sentence seemingly more so to Noob than for you. Noob looked at Elliot and then back at you as they didn't seem to know what to reply, after all they were described as Quiet and Withdrawn even after gaining more friends from this Realm..

"..Hello, It's nice to meet you Noob."

Deciding that you should take the first move this time, They seem to flinch as you offered your hand for a hand shake. After a moment or two, they took your hand and shook it lightly. Avoiding your gaze as they looked down.

"..It's nice to meet you too."

They replied, still a bit frightened but they managed to give a small smile. You took your hand away as you can feel someone staring at you, looking behind, you can see a pale-skinned robloxian with black scene-like hair. Just blankly staring at you as you stared back at them. It was a silent showdown as none of you seemed to speak up about the awkward staring contest between you both. Before of course, Elliot stepped in once again.

"..Ahh, that person over there is just Two Time. They might come off at the wrong glance at first but their decent."

Elliot stated, mentioning how Two Time is known for being a little bit insane in the membrane.. None the less, Two Time diverted their gaze in another direction as soon as Elliot is finished, seemingly off to their own little world once more. In another corner of the room, There seemed to be a person with a blue shirt, having a burger ontop of his head. But before you can even get any interactions with him, Noob patted your shoulder as they signalled you to look up, seeing that the timer's countdown was almost over.

"T-The round is almost starting.."

Noob said, stammering between their words once more as they seemed to be preparing themselves for this round even if they looked like they didn't want to participate any longer.

"..Good luck, You two."

Elliot stated, looking at you and Noob with a look of worry. You weren't even given time to say anything as your vision faded to black.

[ THE ROUND HAS STARTED. ]

Opening your eyes, You seemed to be in the Glass Houses map. Nobody seemed to spawn near you, so for the time being you were alone for now. What did spawn near you was a Generator, you might as well complete it to for the team and to not be completely useless.. While doing the Generator, there was seemingly a Menu you can open during the round, floating beside you as you can see the remaining time of the round as well as both your stats and your other teammates stats. This was definitely gonna be useful later on deciding who can get prioritized for temporary healing and actual healing later on.. A sudden feeling of panic eased within you, as your heart was beating louder and louder. Was this the passive ability you had? But it hasn't been 30 seconds yet, and you were just halfway done with the machine when Sudden Spikes appeared from the ground and blocked most of your exits besides the exit that you had to walk up through stairs to get out. Looking up, You could finally see the Killer as realization sets upon you.. John Doe was the killer. Probably from last round's events, the other killers were probably notified of your coming. And looking at his face, he seemed to look like he found the right survivor to toy with.. along with that, A sense of Nausea slipped within you, what a great timing of events.

"..So, This... is the New Comer."

John Doe managed to say, even though he was mostly mute in the actual game, in this reality you find yourself in he actually is able to talk but seemingly not much, showing how the Corruption affects him. Enough about needing to talk to the killer, You can do that any time. Right now, you didn't want to die. Especially the fact that you have not ever experienced death in this realm once, getting Impaled by a spike and ripped apart into two was NOT a pleasant way to die. Immediately shotting up to your feet, you quickly made your way up the stairs to the somewhat second floor of the building even with the Nausea you had during this. Looking down, you were steered away for a bit due to the height. In game, you were just playing a silly little pixel game. So the drop didn't seem much at first, but now that you're actually here.. it was steeper than expected. But John Doe was following close behind you, so you had no other choice but to Jump. Jumping off, you survived the jump successfully, but you lost balance as you landed and fell to the floor while at it. You swore you could hear John Doe's laughter up there, seemingly seeing your pathetic attempt to get away from him.

"You need to work on that landing of yours."

John Doe stated, easily following behind you as he jumped off so effortlessly and landed successfully as well. He was about to hit you with his clawed arm before..

BANG!

The sound of a explosion ran out through the air, pausing John Doe's movements as both of you looked at the side, seeing Chance who had a awkward grin, holding his now destroyed gun that exploded on him instead of stunning the killer.. Well, it did seem to stun John Doe at least from the sheer stupidity of the situation, so Mission Failed Successfully?..

Seeing the Opportunity at hand, You stumbled onto your feet, before running at Chance as you handed him Pain Pills before running off in another direction. John Doe seems to have scoffed at this action, before immediately changing targets as he chased Chance, who looked to be very grateful for your ability to say the least. After you deemed you've ran far enough, you stopped to catch your breath, noticing how your body trembled just based off of how much your hands shook. Right, all that you did was something you acted upon instinct. You didn't actually expect to be able to pull that off, especially knowing how Lazy and Carefree you were back then.. Clapping can be heard, as you looked up to the source to find Shedletsky, impressed by what just happened.

"Not bad at all for someone who just got here Yesterday!"

Shedletsky stated, before he suddenly got hit by a wrench as he winced from the pain. Stumbling back to the side, he revealed Builderman who was seemingly behind him this whole time.

"Talk later, Chance needs someone to distract that thing."

Builderman stated, behind him a Dispenser that he has built for the round. Shedletsky realized this as he checked the status, with Chance only having 67 HP left, and 30 of it was his actual health. Seems like he got hit once already, and with that Shedletsky quickly left, waving a quick goodbye as you were now left alone with Builderman.

"..I didn't manage to find you before your Passive activated, so I do apologize for that."

Builderman suddenly stated, checking the status of his machines as he noticed that his Sentry was down. Before you can even say anything in reply.

"You think ya' can handle being Alone for a bit? I just need to place down a sentry for these sentinels."

Builderman stated, looking at you as he adjusted his tool belt. You could only nod in reply, he gave a small smile and started walking away.

"Your work is much appreciated."

And with that, Builderman faded out of your view. Your left alone with the dispenser.. Oh wait, someone was near the dispenser and you didn't even notice until now. Not even Builderman seemed to notice him before he left, As 007n7 was near the Dispenser getting healed. It seemed that he just got here, having serious wounds as he was probably hit pretty badly by John Doe probably when he started chasing Chance, probably Body Blockeing so that Chance wouldn't die right off the bat. You didn't need to say anything else, remembering how Meos used to yap to you about 007n7's backstory to say the least.. if you were right, this man was the Adoptive Father of c00lkidd. 007n7 seemed to notice you staring at him, before he averted his own gaze.

"I understand if you do not want to interact with me in any way, but I do hope my presence and background doesn't dissuade you from helping someone like me.. But I don't blame you if you do of course..-"

007n7 stated, still looking away as an awkward tension fell before you two. You almost forgot, Almost every survivor disliked 007n7, especially knowing his misdeeds in the past. But you yourself didn't know much about him, only knowing about him being an Exploiter back then. None the less, he seemed to be trying his best to help the team with body blocking despite the situation. You didn't really know how to reply back to 007n7, especially with this heavy tension in the air. You could only look at the man before you with sympathy, before you dropped one of your Adrenaline Shots. While at that, 007n7 looked surprised that you even gave something. He hasn't done anything good for you, has he?..

"..Thank you for your work."

You muttered out, slightly repeating what Builderman said to you. 007n7 looked surprised as he looked at you with such shock. You stood back up and left him with the Dispenser, not bothering to look back as he himself didn't reply to you. Only grabbing the Adrenaline Shot you gave him as he stayed a little longer near the dispenser to heal up.

As you roamed around, with the machines being completed and picking up a Bloxy Cola along the way.. You happened to spot Chance once more, He doesn't seemed to be getting chased anymore, meaning John Doe went after a different target as he was sitting down leaning onto the wall while flipping his coin. He seemed to have spotted you as well as you went up to him.

"..Thanks for the Pills back there, It definitely made me see another day that's for sure. You think you can spare me an Adrenaline Shot at the moment?"

Chance asked, fixing his hat as he had a new gun that was fixed as well. With that, he stood up despite his Injuries as started flipping his coin once more.

"Oh.. Sorry, I can't give one at the moment. I just gave one to 007n7, and I can't give another one for a few seconds. But I do have this.."

You replied, taking out the Bloxy Cola that was hanging off your belt as you gave it to Chance. He only nodded and took the Bloxy Cola you gave him, not bothered by the fact that your Adrenaline Shot was currently unavailable.

"Oh, That Awkward Fella? Its all good, he deserves it for sparing me a hit or two. But Two Time on the other hand... wasn't so lucky to get away."

Chance mentioned, frowning at the thought. You didn't even realize Two Time was dead, looking at the Survivor's list and Two Time was indeed in fact dead. Every other survivor took a hit besides you and Noob, who was probably hiding and doing the last machines for this round.

"..None the less, I appreciate the gesture. Don't worry that fella got transported back to the Lobby and didn't actually die but... It might take you a while to get used to it so that's just a heads up for you."

Chance said, looking at you as he grinned once more. You could only wonder something that happened earlier, and your curiosity got the better of you.

"..Why did your gun explode on you?"

You asked, before a short silence filled the air. Chance's expression went blank, probably remembering the pathetic attempt at trying to stun the killer earlier. until it was replaced with a toothy grin, as he tried forgetting that ever happened.

"That's because I load extra gunpowder in it, nothing more, nothing less.. Its all good though, so you don't have to worry."

Chance stated, trying to save himself some dignity as he continued to flip his coin infront of you, but it always seemed to land on tails. Which seemingly made him more frustrated to say the least. Who wouldn't be?

"Now why would you do that..-"

Chance paused once more from your question, thinking about it before he shrugged, flipping his coin once more as it finally started landing on heads.

"..'cause where's the fun in that?"

He said with a proud grin, before he stopped flipping his coin as he finally got 3 charges. While at that, he started walking away once more.

"I would ask for more Pain Pills, But Shed needs it more right now. I'll go ahead and find either a Medkit or Builderman's dispenser somewhere here, but its best you go to Shed's aid."

Chance said as he left, leaving you more dumbfounded than ever by his own answer. So this little shit just loads in extra gunpowder for shits and giggles.. you could only sigh at his answer, before taking the initiative and got moving once more. After all, Shedletsky and the others still need your help. but you can't help but feel a bit guilty about Two Time's case. Even if you were a support that had healing abilities, your abilities were only there to give relief momentarily. You weren't paying attention to the Survivor Status as well, so you wouldn't even know that Two Time was dead if Chance didn't point it out. You remember how the whole entire fandom hated Two Time specifically, the intense backlash they gets due to their "useless" kit made everybody dislike them. You can't help but reminiscence on the times where Peanut tried to defend Two Time's horrible kit with their own life.

As you walked further and further from the direction you were once from, you could slowly start hearing yells and chattering amongst the silent night. As you got closer and closer, you could spot spikes from the ground. Your definitely getting close. As you ran, you could see John Doe still chasing Shedletsky due to the fact he had half of his health left. With your CD finally over, you used your ability as Shedletsky gained extra health temporarily as the Pain Pills quickly kicked in. John Doe seemed to pause from this, before he slowly turned to you, seemingly fuming with rage.

"..You annoying, little BRAT."

John Doe stated, before he suddenly started chasing you. This was most definitely your queue to run as John Doe followed close by, his anger seemingly reaching its peak from you healing the survivor he was chasing after. Who wouldn't be? After all, you yourself raged when an Elliot healed a survivor you were about to kill back when you were the killer.. Okay, that really shouldn't be the focus right now. Especially considering how close John Doe really was to you and the fact your stamina was running out.

It wasn't long before you felt a sharp pain at your back, being slashed by John Doe. His slashes were absolutely painful, but you weren't dead just yet at least. You got back at your feet as you looped around John Doe, going back to where you left Shedletsky. As you went back, you can see Shedletsky and Builderman with a sentry deployed right in front of them. Before you can even seem to get to them though, Spikes appeared from the ground as not only did it hit you, but blocked the pathway to them as well. Landing onto the ground, you couldn't help but wince in pain. Before you can even try getting up, you were kicked so that you wouldn't be able to. The very person that stood before you was John Doe, who definitely had intentions of murdering you with how bad his glare burned onto you. He scoffed, his spiked arm going under your chin as he forced you to look up to his Malicious Smile.

"..You're out of Luck, you bothersome fool. I'll make sure your first death will be a painful one."

John Doe said, as he was about to strike you with his other clawed hand once more.. Hah, You really fucked up this time, didn't you? Nobody and Nothing can save you now as you closed your eyes and waited for the inevitable until...

[ The Round has Ended. ]

[ Survivors Won. ]

JOHN DOE'S POV.

Seeing this New Survivor flailing around on the ground like a pathetic worm felt great. Especially after all the shit they pulled off as well. It was fun at first, but its starting to get irritating knowing this Survivor was another annoying support to say the least. But he couldn't help but Smile, seeing how frightened they really are. A taste of their own medicine, they said. This was just another victim for his own games, as he was about to strike them before..

Everything went black, he was back in the Lobby again. As he processed everything that was happening, he felt his anger rising once more. Grabbing something and throwing it across the room, that very item that was thrown being a Sword. And the person right across him was 1x1x1x1, almost getting hit by the said Sword but none the less remained Unphased as she stayed quiet. What a weirdo.

"..Seems like the new Survivor got under someone's nerves pretty quickly..."

A voice rung out from the room, with c00lkidd stating the obvious. Scoffing from his statement, glaring at the child as c00lkidd immediately put their hands up and shutted up, not wanting to make him angry even more. Jason didn't seem to be present in the main room, probably off to do their own thing. John Doe didn't have any more business done here as he went back to his room, his spiked arm dragging across the floorboards. He only managed to kill 1 survivor from the 7 survivors last round.. He'll make sure he'll wipe them all next time.

"..H0w B0th3rs0m3 1nd3ed."

1x1x1x1 stated, agreeing at John Doe's last statement as he looked up at a screen that was broadcasting the round as the screen only shown a Pain Pill left on the ground before the screen itself finally went away.

READER'S POV.

You waited for the inevitable to happen, expecting something painful yet.. nothing seemed to happen. Opening your eyes, your back to the Survivor's Lobby as you were sitting on a Table with the other remaining survivors. You actually survived that, and your injuries seemed to be gone. But where it was felt sore and a bit painful if touched to say the least, but what matters was that you survived. Your hands were shaking once more, but this time you couldn't tell if it was from fright because of the experience or if it was from the sheer happiness that you managed to actually survive. Some of the other survivors like 007n7 and Noob seemingly got up from their seats and went away, probably to have either some alone time or back to their room.. or both. Chance got up as well, walking up to Elliot and asking for a Pizza. Two Time was no where to be seen, and Shedletsky and Builderman stood up as well, but seemingly looking at you as they seemed to be relieved.

"..You did well, I'm honestly surprised how ya' managed to survive that

Builderman stated, his accent seemingly slipping in as he looked at you with a furrowed expression. Although his words were definitely sincere, his furrowed expression was practically screaming the fact that he seems to want to scold you for your reckless actions, but didn't as you were new after all, its common for this to happen..

"I wonder how Lucky this New Addition can get.. I swear, you might be even more lucky than Mr. Exploding Gun over here."

Shedletsky stated, mentioning the failed attempt of a stun from Chance as he probably was looking at each survivor status during it to find out what was happening.. Chance came back, with pizza in his hands as he scoffed, frowning as he didn't want to remember that once more.

"..That was only one time during the round...-"

The other survivors started chatting amongst themselves, With Shedletsky and Chance seemingly teasing and making fun of eachother's misses as Builderman just seemed to watch like a disappointed parent while Elliot watched as if he has seen this multiple times already. Everybody seemed to be so well connected already.. well, most of them at least. But something felt off, and you couldn't help but wonder yourself.. Will this Peace last forever? Who knew. But right now, enjoying this moment felt like the right thing to do.

Your enjoyment was definitely short-lived though, as you felt someone pull you away, unable to see who it is as they pulled you away from everybody and out the Cabin without anybody noticing. Looking behind you, you could see Two Time who stared blankly at you. You couldn't help but feel uneasy again as their stare was off-putting to say the least.

"..Oh, Hello... Do you need anything?--"

You asked, looking at them as you noticed they had a few bandages around certain parts of their body where John Doe probably slashed them at. before you can even finish your sentence though, Two Time cutted you off as they were quick with their words.

"007n7 never told you their name during the round, and I'm sure you didn't interact with him earlier.. How did you manage to know and mention his name when you spoke with Chance earlier?"

Two Time stated, mentioning the fact that you slipped up and said 007n7's name when talking to Chance earlier. They were really observant, and you felt like if you lied they wouldn't buy it. You were forced in a tough spot to say the least, this turned out far more worst than expected. Someone is already managing to figure you out and it hasn't been even a week yet. You couldn't help but feel frightened once more, a cold shiver went down your spine as your face to face with Two Time who wants answers. You know that whatever you will plan to answer, there will definitely be consequences for each one.

WARNING :

Major Decision Making up ahead.

Surprise! Interactive Choices appear! It seems like someone already got suspicious of you, and it was Two Time none the less. Whatever you choose WILL affect on how the story would go, so choose wisely!

TAGLIST

@takingnap55 @vyn-nn @g4tyjust4tw0 @ilikedrinkingsoda @subspacekisser1 @m-just-call-me-that @yukinaabutlazy @ms-sh0rtcak3 @no-hearts-included @agenteighter @bombcake @jawzwix

[ If your tag is white, for some odd reason I can't seem to tag you! (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠) ]

[ If you want to be apart of the Taglist, don't be afraid to ask! ]

NOTES

AAAAA... VERY SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!! I've been busy since I'm currently undergoing my last few weeks of the School Year and is heavily bombarded with school work.. Next chapter might take a while to upload considering I still have to finish up every single one of my works, but none the less I'm kind of glad I got this out of the way.

The reason why Reader doesn't maintain their Injuries because of the little headcanon I have where Survivors that DO survive the round will have the luxury to not experience any wounds, while Survivors that do perish in the round are forced to deal with the wounds until all the rounds that are prepared for the day are completed. Then they can actually rest then pray to spawn that it heals up quickly before the next round of 'games.' I thought of this headcanon because I wanted a Punishment for 'failing' to survive the rounds and also because I see Spectre doing this to the Survivors to make them suffer more.. this is further more shown when Reader is faced with Two Time which they had bandages around them, as well as in Chapter 1 with Guest 1337 themselves having bandages around their body when the Reader met them after the round was over.

For this series, theres a lot soon to come! But right now, things are definitely getting more serious. There will still be some silly moments then and there, but there will be more decision making sitiations in the future! I think thats all I have to say for now. Thank you for your patience!

EDIT :

NGL GANG.. I ALMOST LOST THIS FIC!.. ITS OKAY PROBLEM IS SOLVED BUT OH MY DAYS THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A LONG CHAPTER DOWN THE DRAIN..

#forsaken #forsaken roblox x reader #forsaken x reader #roblox forsaken x reader #★ 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓹𝓮𝓼

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dominiquelucalover · 6 months ago

Note

May I request Street's or Deac's girlfriend gifting the team hats she crocheted 🧶 for Christmas 🎄? I'd love to see her plus sized if you don't mind! (I totally didn't request this because I've made almost 10 hats for Christmas)

Giving Season | Jim Street x Plus-Sized!Fem!Reader

CW: nothing but fluff!

The Christmas season was always your favorite time of year; the pretty lights, the warm and fuzzy feelings going around, and showing everyone around you how much you appreciate them through gift giving and spending time together. It was amazing and fun and wonderful.

When you started dating Jim Street, he invited you to hang out with his SWAT family from time to time. After a while, you were practically a part of that family. Street adored you and talked about you all the time, as his teammates would tell you, and they'd tease him for it in a loving manner. You were just was enamored by him, which they could tell by the way you held onto his arm and looked at him with nothing but love in your eyes. So, it was a no-brainer to invite you to SWAT family Christmas.

You were so excited, planning for the day of with vigor and creativity. You began working on gifts for everyone, thinking of the perfect colors to use and whether or not to had a puff ball on the top. You were in a hat making frenzy, crocheting to your heart's desire. To say your living room was strewn with yarn, charms, and other materials was an understatement. A tornado of inspiration had torn through your place and you were on a roll. By the time Christmas Eve approached, which was when you were exchanging gifts with the team, you had a hefty amount of wrapped gift boxes in a large bag to carry.

Street picked you up and took the bag from you, being quite the gentleman. He drove to the little party being thrown at his and Luca's place, which was decked out with Christmas lights and a nice, humble tree. Christmas mucis instrumentals played softly over the speakers as Luca finished putting out a hot cocoa bar.

You were welcomed with hugs and bright, cheery grins. Tan saw the bag as Street brought it in, rubbing his hands together.

"What'd you get us?" he asked, almost sounding like a child on Christmas day.

You laughed. "You'll have to wait and see."

Street put the bag down and you unpacked everything to place under the tree. You'd spent time wrapping the little boxes and putting pretty bows on them. They were the prettiest gifts under the Christmas tree, which Hondo mentioned as he watched you.

"Outdoing us all on the Christmas wrapping game, huh?" he joked.

You laughed and stood up, folding the bag down. "Well, what can I say? I come from a long line of gift wrapping masters."

From there, the party really started. You socialized with everyone and ate cookies and other goodies. You and Street made hot cocoa and nearly made a mess of the kitchen, making the both of you laugh. Everyone was having fun, eventually calming down enough to sit in the living room.

You took the role of handing out gifts to everyone. Most were gag gifts but got a nice laugh out of everyone. A few gifts were genuine and thoughtful. Street got you a shirt that 'My Boyfriend is SWAT' which made you giggle.

Then everyone got to your gifts and you watched patiently. Street tore into his first, pulling the crouched hat from its box and grinning wide. "This is my favorite color."

"I know," you smiled and kissed his cheek.

Chris' hat was checkered white and blue, which she put on immediately as she thanked you. Luca had a big hat with ear covers, making him look like a puppy. Tan's was striped with a puff ball on the top. Hondo's was simple yet perfect for him, solid black with a thick rim.

Deacon had the biggest box and when he opened it, he understood why. In your frenzy, you'd made more hats than necessary, so you gifted him a few extra for Annie and the kids.

He gave you a big hug as he thanked you. "The kids will love these."

"You're welcome," you told him and pulled out your own hat, which looked more Santa-like than the others, and put it on. Then, with everyone's hats on, you took a group picture with big smiles on your faces.

After the party, you stayed to help Street and Luca clean up the place. As you were tossing trash in the bin, Street came up behind you. His arms snaked around your thick waist and pulled you back into him. His lips met your cheek.

"Best Christmas yet," he mumbled sweetly.

You looked at him over his shoulder and smiled. "It's not over yet."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? What else have you got to give?"

You hummed and went back to cleaning. "You'll just have to see."

He pouted and tried to pull you away from the counter. "But I hate waiting."

"Well, too bad," you laughed and turned to him. Giving him a proper kiss, you allowed yourself a short break from the housekeeping. Then you pulled away and sighed. "Tomorrow, you'll see."

With a wink, you turned away from him and continued clean up duty. He watched you with nothing but admiration, hoping you'll love the gift he'll give you tomorrow.

#jim street #jim street x reader #jim street x plus size reader #swat street #swat jim street #swat cbs #swat x reader #swat 2017 #christmas fluff

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pocket-aces · 5 months ago

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TSS x GenRex Crossover (Mercenary Rex AU)

Been trying to think of an original crossover premise for these two shows for ages, not sure if the name is going to stick yet but that's the basic premise.

Mercenaries and for-hire assassins are rampant in the aftermath of the Nanite event, whether it be working for providence, corrupt politicians, unethical scientists etc. Rather than being found by Six and taken back to providence, he gets found by a younger Van Rook and Doyle, who are also on the job hunting an EVO.

Doyle with his soft spot for kids pulls Rex from the rubble of a nearby explosion and manages to convince Van Rook to let him get the kid out of there. Then when Rex reveals his powers by accident either curing an EVO or using his builds in self defense and they decide to take Rex back with them - Van Rook is seeing dollar signs and knows people would pay a hefty price for a cure for EVOs.

Most of Rex's traits from canon carry over - he's still affected by amnesia and remembers almost nothing from his past, largely sympathetic to people affected by the Nanite event and feels pressure to please anyone he sees as role models. However being raised by two mercenaries that are arguably more morally dubious than Six means that he's incredibly impulsive, stubborn and refuses to listen to figures of authority. He's also very indignant about being treated like a child becuase he's used to Van Rook and Doyle taking him into literal war zones for mercenary jobs.

Leonidas 'I'm too old for this shit' Van Rook is the moody, hermitty uncle in dynamic. Doyle and Rex have more in common (both orphans who barely remember the family they lost), Rex sees Doyle like the older brother that he think he's never had - and they get along like a house on fire. They are a pretty tight knit trio and Rex is a well kept secret outside of their closest allies and various scruffy hideouts across the globe.

On the flip side with the Saturdays, Doc and Drew are still part of the Secret Scientists but expanded their work to deal with EVOs as well as cryptids after the Nanite event and are working towards developing their own cure. Kur doesn't exist and Zak is in all aspects a normal 11 year old kid with his three adopted cryptid siblings. V.V. Argost is still a celebrity, but without Kur, his world domination plans centre around obtaining rare and dangerous EVOs with the intent to build an army.

The people with links to Van Rook and Doyle know about Rex being an EVO, but Van Rook and Doyle are very careful to keep it under wraps that he can cure EVOs rather than just being able to fight them off. But one day when Rex is around 15-16 and around the same time Drew and Doyle discover that they are long lost siblings - the secret gets out and they have a multiude of factions (Argost, Van Kleiss, Providence, the Secret Scientists etc.) after Rex.

Doyle, worried for Rex's safety breaks away from Van Rook and takes Rex on the run off-grid, at which point they'd run into various groups from Rex's past (The hong kong gang, members of the pack etc.) but can never shelter in one place for very long. At some point after helping cure various EVOs on their travels, Rex suffers his first overload of Nanites. Doyle is terrified and ends up going to Drew and her family for help, because although they are barely on speaking terms after reuninting and knows his sister works for an intergovermental organisation - he'd know that she and Doc are some of the most knowledgable people on earth when it comes to Nanites and EVOs.

They off-load the surplus nanites and manage to reluctantly convince Rex and Doyle to stay with them to keep out of sight from Providence (probably ran by the consortium at this point with no White Knight at the helm) and Argost. Doc and Drew 100% try to be parental towards Rex, which he hates at first, but he immediately bonds with Zak who is the first person that's ever seen Rex as a role model/older brother and Rex immediately thinks that's the coolest thing he's ever experienced.

Not entirely sure how Holiday and Six would factor in, but I can see them both unintentionally working for providence and then forming a shaky alliance when the news of a cure gets out (Six mainly wants the monetary reward offered by providence but is eventually swayed by Rebecca's plight, who wants to find the cure for her sister). Both get blindsided when they find out the cure is a sixteen year old with authority issues.

Please don't be afraid to send me asks/comments for this AU, I am rabid for ideas on how to expand this further

#the secret saturdays #secret saturdays #generator rex #doyle blackwell #rex salazar #leonidas van rook #drew saturday #doc saturday #zak saturday #agent six #dr holiday

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jadelotusflower · 9 months ago

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Rewatch: Return to Oz (1985)

I've been on a bit of an Oz kick recently, revisiting the original Baum books and of course anticipating Wicked coming out later this year (which I'm managing expectations for to avoid disappointment).

Return to Oz was a staple (and nightmare fuel) for many a millennial childhood, at the tail end of the "dark fantasy" era popularised by The Neverending Story and The Dark Crystal, the antithesis of the Technicolour, musical world of MGM's The Wizard of Oz - a dystopian future that reflects the fracturing of Dorothy's mind and her inability to reconcile the trauma of her previous Kansas-Oz journey.

Return lives in a sort of mirror world to the 1939 film, taking elements such as the ruby slippers (for which Disney had to pay MGM a hefty fee), but returning to the original illustrations for the character designs, and drawing inspiration from Baum's novels but not explicitly adapting them. It also returns Dorothy to a child rather than Garland's quasi-teenager, which is important as I feel Baum (an advocate of women's suffrage) had a keen interest in the empowerment of girls as the heroes of their own stories.

To evoke that other turn of the century fantasy classic, Dorothy is to early modern American folklore as Alice is to English, and if The Wizard of Oz is Wonderland, Return to Oz is Through the Looking Glass. In fact Return relies heavily on the mirror motif, not only literally, in the mirror that entraps Ozma, but Ozma herself as a mirror to Dorothy. Return also takes the Kansas/Oz dichotomy from the film in reflecting people Dorothy knows in Kansas to characters of Oz (a concept not found in the books), but while in Wizard it’s Dorothy’s trio of friends that are personified in the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion, in Return it is her trio of antagonists from Kansas who appear in Oz - the Dr Worley/The Nome King, Nurse Wilson/Mombi, and the Orderly/Wheeler.

Her Oz friends in Return are instead pulled from inanimate objects - Ozma gives her a pumpkin that personifies in Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok resembles the "Electrical Therapy" machine with the face, and the gump...well, I guess they forgot about that one.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Fairuza Balk was just 11 but has a compelling screen presence - her Dorothy is troubled and serious, befitting the overall darker tone of the film. While she would go on to embody "witchy" energy in later roles, here there's a world-weariness yet innate strength to her Dorothy.

Aunt Em helpfully tells us it's been six months since the tornado and Dorothy can't sleep. Her body may be back in Kansas, but her mind remains in Oz.

The film doesn't really pick a lane between the "it was all a dream" of the 1939 film and the "Oz is an actual place" of the books, leaving it for the viewer to decide. We are told the old house was "lost" but that can suit either interpretation, same with the OZ key being either delivered by shooting star or the key to the old house (as Em posits). Dorothy's inability to sleep is either unresolved trauma from the tornado, or longing to return to her friends in Oz and/or sensing that there is trouble in Oz.

I'm much more sympathetic to Em as an adult - she has a husband unable or unwilling to finish building the new house, Dorothy won't stop rabbiting on about nonsense rather than helping with chores, and she has to borrow money from her sister to pay for medical treatment to try and cure Dorothy's insomnia.

Justice for Aunt Em! Played with grace by three-time Oscar nominee Piper Laurie (for The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God respectively).

Poor Toto doesn't get to come on this adventure, but hey, he's still around, guess Mrs Gulch didn't make good on her threat to have him destroyed (or she died in the tornado, which is probably likely given the Witch's fate).

Just a guy patronizing a child that the machine intended to surge electricity through her brain is perfectly safe because it has a face.

But there is a face in the machine - Ozma, stuck in the glass.

Nicol Williamson is our villain, with a fantastic voice. Mostly known for theatre and Shakespeare, you may remember him as Merlin from that other dark fantasy classic Excalibur, or as Little John from Robin and Marian.

Jean Marsh is our witch, complete with black gown and pointed sleeves - to continue our fantasy bingo she was Queen Bavmorda in Willow (which I've actually never seen) and Rose in the original Upstairs Downstairs (which I've never seen either). She'll always be creepy Mombi to me.

We see Ozma in the glass again before she appears in Dorothy's room, ethereal barefoot child gifting her a carved pumpkin because "it's Halloween soon". Okay, whatever you have to do to get there.

On that note, the screenplay was written by Gill Dennis (who would go on to co-write Walk the Line) and Walter Murch, who also directed. Murch was film school friends with George Lucas, and they wrote THX-1138 together - Lucas has a "special thanks" credit on this film. Murch worked steadily in sound design and editing (nominated for 10 Oscars with 4 wins), but after Return was a box office failure he never directed another film, which is a real shame.

Dorothy "combs" the pumpkins hair, which I find very charming.

The growing tension of Dorothy's isolation, being strapped to the gurney, the squeaking wheels, the far-off screaming: this is a horror film for children.

My sister and I used to re-create Ozma and Dorothy's escape on our grandmother's porch all the time.

Because we’re in a mirror, the streaming river of Kansas becomes the deadly desert of Oz - water, of course, also being a mirror and common pathway/doorway between worlds.

Billina the hen also appears, because Dorothy needs an animal companion, who can now talk because she is in Oz. The question is whether Toto could also talk, as all animals can in Oz, and simply chose not to (iirc in the books he didn't because he could "make himself understood" without words or something). The chicken puppetry is really quite good, I'll always prefer puppets/animatronics over cgi.

The voice of Billina is provided by Denise Bryer, who was the "junk lady" in Labyrinth (have we got that bingo yet?).

Another reflection - the packed lunch that was taken from Dorothy at the sanitarium in Kansas is returned to her in the form of a lunch pail tree in Oz, which leans towards the reading that Oz is a projection of Dorothy's mind as a way to cope and resolve/repair the traumas of her Kansas life.

Dorothy comes across her old house that is seemingly not in Munchkinland, the broken remains of the yellow brick road nearby. How much time has passed in Oz? Since everyone was turned to stone it could be hundreds of years and we're in a Narnia situation - at least long enough for a forest to grow where there once was a munchkin town square.

Glinda is conspicuous by her absence - probably because the plot couldn't happen if she was around.

Also absent are any stone munchkins which has very dark implications - the Emerald City still has ruins and stone inhabitants, but Munchkinland has been completely obliterated.

lol, Dorothy runs to the Emerald City in literally minutes, a journey that previously took half a film.

Sleep well, kids!

If we go with the interpretation that Oz is a manifestation of Dorothy's mind (maladaptive daydreaming?), it is interesting how she projects people and objects from her real life into her fantasy life - obviously her threats in the sanitarium become the villains, but the Electric Shock machine becomes Tik-Tok, her erstwhile protector. In this, she transforms a threat into an ally, and yet much is made that he isn't, and cannot be, "alive."

Many of the elements of this film - Billina, the Wheelers, Tik-Tok, the Nome King, and the princess with a hundred heads - came from Ozma of Oz, while Ozma herself, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the witch Mombi (combined in this film with Princess Langwidere) originate in the earlier The Marvellous Land of Oz, with a different backstory.

Oh to be a wicked witch, playing a mandolin, in a gilded, mirrored palace.

I enjoy this costume! Reflective of the high structured sleeves of nurse but sharp to emphasise the danger Mombi poses, and with the same mechanical accents/coloiur scheme as the Wheelers

Those cabinets full of heads are still so creepy. The way they watch Dorothy - are they alive and aware the whole time? Horrifying.

Jack Pumpkinhead was voiced by a young Brian Henson (who also acted as puppeteer).

I always used to fast-forward the scene where Dorothy steals the key and gets chased by headless Mombi as a kid, it was just too tense.

I mean maybe this isn't scary to kids today, but it sure freaked the fuck out of me. Especially with all of those heads screaming in their cabinets.

But how exactly was zombie Mombi snoring without a head?

Interesting that the cabinet with Mombi's original head is the only one without transparent glass, but instead has a mirror. Her original head is also kept in cabinet 31, which was Dorothy's room in the sanitarium. As a kid I was always dead set that Oz was real and Dorothy really went there, but now I'm leaning more towards Oz as a manifestation, or at least a world directly influenced and constantly adapting based on Dorothy's experiences. Was she unable to sleep in Kansas because she knew Oz was in trouble, or was Oz in trouble because of her mental discord?

"If his brain's run down, how can he talk?" "It happens to people all the time Jack!" is a nice callback to "Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking don't they?"

In which we strain the metaphor.

But all these mirrors also serve a story purpose as well as a metaphorical one - the mirror world is where Mombi has trapped Ozma, so she can look on every surface and see her victory. The mirror is also a connection with the real world, and how Ozma can reach Dorothy and draw her back to Oz. Mirrors are reflections, but they are also doorways, as we see in this very scene as Ozma directs Dorothy to the right passage to get back up to the tower.

We also get another Dorothy/Ozma parallel, in which she becomes a surrogate mother to Jack in place of Ozma, his creator.

There's almost some social commentary in the Nome King's grievances: "All the previous stones in the world are made here in my underground dominions...so imagine how I feel when someone from the world above digs down and steals my treasures? All those emeralds in the Emerald City really belong to me. I was just taking back what was mine to begin with." But of course he didn't just take back the emeralds, he turned the populace to stone or into inanimate objects so that does undercut his point a bit.

Her descent visually recalls (deliberate or not) Alice's fall down the rabbit hole in Wonderland. The VFX are pretty rough though.

Dorothy points out that he has so much, implying perhaps he could share, and the Nome King retorts "that's not the point." It is the point in later books, where under Ozma's leadership the Emerald City is essentially a utopian communal living society.

She also points out that the Scarecrow didn't take the emeralds rather they were there when he was made king, but the film is uninterested in exploring the culpability around generational wealth and repatriation of cultural property.

But it's interesting how much the Oz story revolves around powerful objects and theft and/or appropriation of them. Glinda steals the Witch of the East's ruby slippers and gives them to Dorothy, who then steals the Witch of the West's broom to give to the Wizard, Mombi steals Ozma, someone stole the emeralds from the Nome King, who steals them back, Mombi steals heads, Dorothy steals the Powder of Life, etc etc

At this point the Nome King is merely a face in the stone, but when he comforts Dorothy he starts to takes a more humanoid rock form, with a hand to reach out to her.

Is his sympathy genuine or feigned? I'm going with the latter, since he manipulates her into playing the "guessing game" to try and get the Scarecrow back.

Worst production of Starlight Express ever.

When I was a kid I always wanted to try the limestone pie and hot silver drink, but now it looks super gross.

The Gump chose…poorly.

The Nome King making points again - Dorothy and co didn't ask what would happen if they got it wrong, even Tik-Tok only brings it up after the Gump has already gone in. But they press on in order of most expendable, Jack (with Billina hiding in his head) and then Tik-Tok.

As each get turned into ornaments, we see the Nome King become more and more humanised in his rock form - a nice subtle indication that his motives aren't purely spite and he gains power from turning living (or living-adjacent) things into inanimate objects, the opposite (mirror) of Dorothy's power in turning inanimate objects into living things in the journey from Kansas to Oz. If Dorothy had chosen wrong too, he says he would have become completely human - would he have been able to access the path to the human world? Was his goal to eliminate Oz, the fantasy world, in favour of the human world, much like Worley was obsessed with harnessing electricity and the "modern" world?

It's revealed that Chekhov's ruby slippers that Dorothy earlier told Dr Worley had fallen off on her way back to Kansas the first time were found by the Nome King, and their power enabled him to conquer the Emerald City.

It's unclear whether the rubies were first mined from the Nome King's caverns, but Dorothy really can't complain given the shoes were magicked off the feet of a dead woman and onto her own.

I'm actually surprised that they kept the ruby slippers in given the license fee they had to pay, since nothing really turns on their inclusion, other than the Nome King's offer to send her home with them, allowing Dorothy the choice between her own safety and the lives of her friends, of course the parallel to Worley offering the ECT to wipe her mind of Oz. I do like the callback, but it didn't need to be the ruby slippers rather than some other power the Nome King had.

Hee, the Nome King's little stone feet kicking out of his stone robe with the ruby slippers is so camp.

It is interesting through to think about the chain of events - Dorothy, eager to get back home, lets go of the ruby slippers, they fall into the Nome King's hands, he uses them to conquer Oz and install Mombi, who has imprisoned Ozma in the mirror (at some point long in the past). The fracturing of Oz influences Dorothy's mental state which drives her to Worley, where Ozma is able to contact her through the mirror world and bring her back to Oz, depose the Nome King/Mombi, and restore Ozma to her throne. It's quite neat writing.

There's an interesting green/red dichotomy - red seems to represent the witch's power, the ruby slippers that originally belonged to the Witch of the East, Mombi's ruby key, fire/red smoke being used by the Witch of the West, and even pink was the colour associated with Glinda in the 1939 film, while green represents Oz in the ornaments they turn into, the Emerald City, the Gump is green, etc. Both rubies and emeralds are present in the Nome King's costuming, perhaps indicating that the raw items did come from his dominions.

When Dorothy chooses correctly, the Nome King reverts to his claymation rock form, and the room turns red. I don't think it's explicitly green=good and red=bad (the Witch of the West had green screen after all), but both are associated with power.

I always used to fast forward this sequence as well. The Nomes coming out of the walls? *shudder*

The Nome King, felled by a classic egg poisoning.

Dorothy liberates the ruby slippers from another dead body, lol.

At the celebration in Oz, the costuming does lean heavily into either red or green - so maybe that was just standard complementary colour palette and I'm reading too much into things.

We get a nice long pan over the mirrored ceiling of the parade, just to really hit the point home.

Oh hey, the Wheelers are here too! All is forgiven I guess? Except Mombi, she gets to be paraded about in her cage by the woman whose heads she stole. Hey, at least she's able to smirk about her villainy.

Dorothy turns down queenship of Oz but wishes she "could be in both places at the same time" - the ruby slippers grant her wish and Ozma is released from the mirror.

Ozma's backstory: "Her father was king of Oz before the Wizard came. Ozma grew up as Mombi's slave, but when the Nome King promised Mombi thirty beautiful heads if she kept Ozma a secret, she enchanted her into the mirror." The first part is the much the same in the book, although there we get some interesting gender-bending stuff where Mombi transforms her into a boy name Tip and she doesn't discover her true nature until much later.

Dorothy gives Ozma the ruby slippers, combining the power of green and red (I'm just going with it now), therefore healing the kingdom of Oz from the discord first created when the Wizard arrived (in the book he was the one who gave baby Ozma to Mombi), and drawing Ozma's real world counterpart Dorothy to fix it by deposing the Wicked Witches and then the Nome King. But with Ozma returned, there is no need for Dorothy to remain in Oz, the two sides of herself are split and no longer warring inside her.

Billina however remains, to be Ozma's animal counterpart to Dorothy's Toto.

As a kid I coveted this gown, and I still kind of dig the headdress. Well, the OZ circlet anyway.

I also acted out the pulling Ozma from the mirror scene many times.

Although kind of a bitch move on Ozma's part to send Dorothy back before she could give her proper goodbyes. It's like, off you pop, thanks for freeing me but this is my kingdom now.

Dorothy wakes up beside the river (with a close up of a reflective pool of water/Dorothy's eye), and again, this could either be her actually returned by Ozma, or her simply waking from her delirium.

But the real world counterparts have met the same fate as their Oz reflections - Worley died in the fire and Wilson is carried off in a police cart.

Henry, after the shock of almost losing Dorothy, is motivated to finish building the house, and Dorothy is able to look back fondly at Oz through her reflection, but has learned to keep it a secret and not let it consume her life.

Her trauma is resolved, Oz is at peace; Dorothy and Ozma can live contentedly in parallel, with a connection between both worlds.

This is also a nice callback to the books, where Ozma would check in on Dorothy once a day through her magic mirror to see if she needed her assistance.

Maybe it's just my nostalgia goggles, but this film really holds up for me! Yes the effects are a little dated and it's on the darker side for kid's fare, but overall the story and acting is strong, there's meaty subtext around the importance - but necessary limits - of fantasy as escapism, it unequivocally centers girls/women as the heart of the story with their own agency and harnessing their own power. It's well worth the rewatch.

What do you think? Am I blinded by nostalgia? Reading way too much into a kids movie? Am I just rambling into the void here?

#jlf watches #return to oz #jlf's nostalgia rewatch #the wizard of oz #l frank baum #80's movies #dark fantasy #meta #film analysis #long post

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georgiapeach30513 · 7 months ago

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Just because it's Friday and I think it may help with a few reminders in case your inbox starts to get flooded with the same old bs since a movie is releasing today:

R1 was filmed two years ago. It was supposed to be released at the end of last year but got delayed. The movie is now releasing this weekend so of course there will be tons of promotion because I'm sure the Rock and his crew spent a hefty amount on marketing and PR for this film. Chris is second billing so he's going to help with promoting the film and if that includes some other fluff pieces, then so be it. And People magazine loves to write fluff posts.

The movie was filmed TWO years ago. Chris has long moved on from this film, despite whatever reception it may get, and people may want to remember that. He is apparently already back to work on his most recent project, and he's already filmed two other projects this year. Nobody knows when these films plan to release or how they will release, but I expect it'll happen in the next few months or year.

Chris has had some recent misfires and from what I can see, it feels like some decisions were rushed due to the pandemic and also perhaps some business decisions made on the backend (get some bigger paychecks, then cushion your way to doing some smaller indie films). The way his last three projects appear to be much smaller in budget and scale, I think this is a safe bet that's what happened.

If your intention is to go looking for confirmation bias, that's what you're going to get. Searching for bad reviews and justifying it as a reason to be mad or upset, of course you're going to revel in misery loves company.

It looks like Chris did a great job in this otherwise lackluster movie and he has a lot of charm and charisma, but him carrying the film on his back isn't much if he's the only one doing the lifting. JK Simmons actually did lift heavy weights but he got wasted in this film because of his role being the "kidnapped Santa." So I wouldn't harp too much on that.

General audiences and critics are disappointed Chris's post MCU career hasn't been super exciting, but most agree they think he deserves better and wants better for him. Perhaps it's a testament the legacy he left in his most famous role, that has people just rooting for him regardless. Let's see what he does next. I think he's slowly carving a new path as we speak.

Lastly: Remember that in the world of public relations, marketing, and entertainment, agenda is always underlying. That being said, sometimes less famous and less influential people latch onto the more influential and famous in order to get a leg up. This usually happens when someone either doesn't have the ability themselves, or there's a bigger and more strategic story behind everything or there's transactional mutual benefits. Why do actresses like Sydney Sweeney and Florence Pugh seem to be able to go so far on their own, while others like Jordan Hudson (aka Bill Belichick's new gf) or every one of Leo D's gfs of the last decade seem to pop up on scene leveraging their relationships to get attention? Well...think about it. For example, Jordan is a former collegiate cheerleader that is now dating a famous ex head NFL coach. She's getting a lot of press right now due to this relationship and she was papped showing up to cheerleading practice recently in a Porsche. I'll just leave you with that. (And no, I don't think it's just because Bill is suddenly going through his mid-life crisis when he's 70 years old.)

You know what, anon? I’m not going to add anymore to this post. You’ve said it all.

I will say, I’m going in a few hours to watch the movie. Got a snack box made for us, and I’ll see what it has to offer. People who think that a Christmas movie with Dwayne is going to anything more than fun, high octane, and goofy are fooling themselves.

And let’s be honest, most people haven’t checked out a ton of Chris’ movies outside of Knives Out and Marvel anyways. They want him to do more unique roles, and he has, but they don’t watch 🙄 he’s creating the career he wants.

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beardedmrbean · 2 months ago

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American academic Paul Chambers has been detained in Thailand and refused bail as he faces charges under a royal insult law that can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. He has denied all charges.

Why It Matters

The detention of the prominent academic could become another irritant in the relationship between the United States and its ally Thailand, particularly given the emphasis that President Donald Trump's administration has placed on freedom of speech elsewhere.

The U.S. recently imposed visa bans on Thai officials after the Southeast Asian country deported dozens of Uyghur Muslims who had been seeking asylum. China had sought their deportation. Thailand also faces a hefty increase in tariffs under Trump.

Newsweek sought comment from Thailand's embassy in the United States.

What To Know

Chambers, 58, was arrested after he reported himself to the Phitsanulok Police Station in northern Thailand on Tuesday in compliance with the warrant for his arrest. Two bail requests were rejected and he was taken to Phitsanulok Provincial Prison.

"Dr. Chambers is a well-respected academic widely recognized for his work on civil-military relations in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. That he is currently in prison over a blurb for a webinar on the Thai military is a grave assault to academic freedom in the country," said Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Advocacy Lead at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights and a member of the legal team representing Dr. Chambers.

"Adding salt to the wound is the fact that Dr. Chambers clearly did not write the blurb, and it was published on a website over which he clearly has no control," he told Newsweek.

Chambers is a lecturer on international affairs at Naresuan University in northern Thailand as is a leading expert on militaries and democracy in Southeast Asia. He has a doctorate from Northern Illinois University.

He faces charges under Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code—a law that bans all criticism of the monarchy—as well as under the Computer Crime Act. In January, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Group said that at least 277 individuals had faced charges under Section 112. It is rare for foreigners to face such charges.

The complaint against Chambers had been filed by the Thai army and related to the blurb for a webinar in October 2024. The blurb had cited the role of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in military reshuffles and tensions between military and civilian interests.

"Dr. Chambers denied all charges, stating that he did not publicize the webinar invitation and the blurb therein, had no involvement with the website, and was not an administrator of the site," according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The military and the monarchy have a close relationship in Thailand at the heart of the conservative establishment that has long dominated politics.

What People Are Saying

Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand at Human Rights Watch, on X: "If found guilty, he could face up to 15 year-prison term. A dark day for free speech and academic freedom in Thailand."

Mark S. Cogan, associate professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan, on X: "Dr. Chambers has been in Thailand since the 1990s. He's no flight risk, nor is he remotely guilty of any of these ridiculous charges. He should be released at once!"

What Happens Next

Whether or not the court accepts a bail application, the process in cases of royal insult can be lengthy and Chambers could ultimately face years in jail with consequences for Thailand's reputation and relationship with the United States.

#nunyas news

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youryurigoddess · 1 year ago

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The stuff dreams are made of, or the interesting case of Anthony J. Crowley

We’ve talked a bit about Crowley’s trauma and his way of reclaiming the narrative in the past, but it’s time for some deep dive into the story he’s trying to tell. A story that meanders through the fabric of time and space, slightly changing with the human fashion trends, but slowly and surely bringing the demon closer to a certain angel like the red thread of fate.

1793

Some stories start in a garden, some even Before the Beginning, but this one starts with an Arrangement. Or, to be precise, a little bit after that.

See, most of the iterations of Crowley we saw throughout the history until then didn’t delve too deep into human cultural tropes. If anything, they were the inspirations behind more or less prominent biblical figures, maybe some nameless villains matching his demonic provenance and role assigned to him by his employers.

But in the hustle and bustle of the revolutionary Paris, Crowley emerges as a prototype of the Scarlet Pimpernel — a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Stan Lee famously called him “the first character who could be called a superhero”.

Sir Percy Blakeney, the main character of the novel and the West End play under the same title, leads a double life. Appearing as nothing more than a wealthy fop, in reality he’s a formidable swordsman, a quick-thinking master of disguise and an escape artist. Even his own wife, Marguerite, has no idea.

Unfortunately Marguerite is being blackmailed with her brother’s life to find and expose the wanted Pimpernel. She regrets betraying her husband the moment she's forced to do it and spends the rest of the plot working to save him. She does, they make up, and return together to England.

In Aziraphale and Crowley’s case there was just a short stop for crêpes. But what seems to be an inspiration of a specific scene might as well come up later in the wider perspective of the show, so keep in mind those fragments of the musical’s libretto:

We all are caught in the middle

of one long treacherous riddle.

Can I trust you?

Should you trust me too?...

We shamble on through this hell

taking on more secrets to sell

'til there comes a day

when we sell our souls away.

We seek him here, we seek him there,

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere!

Is he in heaven? Is he in hell?

Where is that damn elusive Pimpernel!

1941

The London Blitz is when we see a full-fledged iteration of the superhero Crowley performing dashing and heroic deeds under the literal cover of darkness and air bomb smoke. In a bespoke double-breasted suit and a fedora — still free from the unfortunate modern connotations from the internet culture — he’s clearly channeling Humphrey Bogart as a private investigator Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon (1941) now.

It all starts with a woman and a simple plan gone wrong: Spade’s partner is shot dead, just like the man he was supposed to be tailing upon the request of a mysterious Miss Wonderly. And when a very soft-looking, sweet-scented man named Joel Cairo appears in his office willing to pay a hefty price for a "black figure of a bird", Spade starts not only a new job, but also his own quest for truth.

On the surface, The Maltese Falcon ends happily: the killer gets caught, and the hero winds up with the Falcon. But Spade's victory is completely hollow. The Falcon itself, originally meant as a symbol of loyalty, transforms into a symbol of a corrupting, futile, and self-destructive greed that makes people betray their own loyalties.

The treasure is just a worthless forgery and he’s fallen in love with the criminal — one of the first femmes fatales on screen. Despite his feelings for her and a kiss, Spade gives her up and submits the statuette as evidence, describing it as "the stuff that dreams are made of".

Remember the eagle lectern? The eagle was believed to be flying highest in the sky and therefore closest to heaven, symbolizing the carrying of the word of God to the four corners of the world. Aziraphale in the 1941 church scene is the closest to Heaven we’ve seen him on Earth. Just look at him: dressed in a smart, well-fitted coat with peaked lapels, symbolizing his Heavenly allegiance, and doing good this time not as a work assignment, but of his own accord. Being the closest to Heaven means the furthest and most unattainable for a demon like Crowley.

The Maltese Falcon is a metaphor for unattainability — things out of reach to desire and fight for, although never truly possess. It’s “the stuff that dreams are made of”. But Crowley secured the original — made of gold and encrusted with jewels, but hiding its real value under black enamel — eerily reminiscent of the demon himself and the unending kindness behind his inappropriately tight black clothing.

Quoting Michael Ralph — the production mastermind behind Good Omens — from the S01E04 “Saturday Morning Funtime” DVD commentary, “We wanted to tip our hat to the Maltese Falcon as being a precious object that no-one thought really exists but it does”. So we can safely assume that Crowley can and will achieve his dream in the future.

1967

Do you know what else happens in 1941 in Scotland? Ian Fleming, a British naval intelligence agent, meets with the famous occultist Aleister Crowley and asks him to lead the interrogation of newly imprisoned Rudolf Hess — a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany appointed Deputy Führer — given the two men’s shared enthusiasm for the occult.

This meeting has a significant impact on Fleming’s work as a writer; Aleister Crowley becomes the inspiration for his first villain Le Chiffre and creates a blueprint for most of the James Bond’s franchise ever since 1953, the publication date of the novel Casino Royale.

Meanwhile our Anthony J. Crowley believes in himself not being the villain he’s usually and sometimes forcefully painted as, but a superhero in disguise. The character of James Bond in particular inspires him so much that he buys petrol to get the limited You Only Live Twice (1967) window decals for his Bentley, dons his own tactical turtleneck, and sets off to organize a heist like no other. Sean Connery style.

Like a typical superhero, Crowley’s once again both saved and betrayed by his love interest. Aziraphale leaves him with a thermos of Holy Water, a faint smile, and a hope that they’ll soon match their speeds to meet halfway at the Ritz. The cancelled heist is not an ending, but a promise of a new beginning. And the fact that UK decriminalizes homosexual acts in the very same year is more than telling in this regard.

2019

An exceptional situation calls for exceptional solutions, and what’s more important than the impending Apocalypse? Demon Crowley does his best to put the arsenal of his 20th century film inspirations to good use.

"Ask yourself, do you feel lucky?" Crowley drawls, clearly imitating (although slightly misquoting) the titular Dirty Harry (1971). He’s hoping to be menacing and making the point of being the one on the right side of the law and history.

Some situations require more than quoting action heroes is not everything though. He knows what to do:

A jeep was heading purposefully towards the gate, and it looked as though it was crowded with people who were about to shout questions and fire guns and not worry about which order they did this in.

[Crowley] brightened up. This was more what you might call his area of competence.

He took his hands out of his pockets and he raised them like Bruce Lee and then he smiled like Lee Van Cleef.

'Ah,' he said, 'here comes transport.'

When in doubt, Crowley acts. He transforms into a combination of a stoic martial arts phenomenon and a sardonic, menacing character. His smile alone — even on Aziraphale’s angelic face, as seen in one of the final cut scenes — seems to be enough to ward off evil spirits, angels, and humans alike.

But we all know that even as breathtaking performances as those can’t protect anyone from the cogs of the Heavenly machine and its plans.

2023

No wonder that Crowley’s tactical turtleneck comes back in style after mere four years of retirement with a self-introduction “Former Demon, hated by Heaven, loathed by Hell. How will our hero cope?”. Something has changed during this time; he’s more mature now, not playing pretend by hiding behind the usual veneer of sarcasm and movie quotes anymore. Finally comfortable with the fact that this is his own story and there’s no need to become anyone else than himself.

The bookshop fire and the Heavenly trial still seem to haunt the demon in a way that makes him realize what all humans know: that every hero is his own biggest enemy. His ultimate dream might effortlessly change into his greatest nightmare any moment now, and the only thing he can do about it is hover in a two-minute distance from the epicenter of his feelings. But Crowley has no time to work on it when a new mission appears, to protect his angel from Gabriel and the combined powers of Heaven and Hell. Even if this — rather ostentatiously — is the last thing he wants to think about at the moment.

Crowley tries to plan ahead, while his story slowly warps into a different genre due to Aziraphale’s interruptions. He eventually changes back into his usual Henley shirt after agreeing to swap places and guarding the bookshop while the angel is off to Edinburgh, collecting more clues. Did he finish his personal quest off-screen? Did he just give up on it in the whirlwind of matchmaking shenanigans? Remains to be seen.

In the S2 finale our master of disguise in yet another turtleneck proves that he can successfully infiltrate even the universe’s back office. We don’t know where he drives off in the end, but one thing is certain — he’s got a plan. And a world (and his dream) to save, like a superhero he is.

#a turtleneck kind of day #crowley is a superhero #and a master spy #with a plan #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #go2 meta #ineffable husbands #crowley #turtleneck crowley #yuri is doing her thing

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nikofortuna · 1 year ago

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JTTW Chapter 31 Thoughts

Chapter 31 for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group!

You can practically hear the sarcasm seething when Sun Wukong says “O, Master is so just and kind!”. In the other two translations they make it clear in the text that it’s meant sarcastically, but Anthony C. Yu managed to really bring across the sarcasm without a need for spelling out that it’s meant sarcastically. Very neat and pretty difficult to pull of so well!

Excuse me, those children are only eight to ten years old?! Lady Baihua Xiu, what have you been doing making them out as some monsters?! They are still little!

Also not cool at all for Sun Wukong to treat the young children like this. Especially because it is him, he of all people should be more empathetic towards children. He’s a communal grandpa for crying out loud! And it’s not like those two even did anything either.

On a lighter note it’s very cute how Sha Wujing really encapsulates the little brother role, particularly with his interactions with his eldest brother like we see here.

Ah, the return of sexism. This time the lady in question is proving otherwise though, a good step in the right direction. But of course immediately backtracked by blaming her for something inherently out of her control and a hefty case of Men Writing WomenTM.

Old monkey is condensed silly.

Yellow Robe is a decent husband, I give him that. Not without fault as we’ve already seen, but he does care.

That portraying the fights through poems is a good way to do it should be clear from the start, but why it’s so good just came to me now that I think about it. They are snappy, so the tension is carried well and they basically go in a blow by blow manner with the alternating lines. They carry the speed of fighting while also being quite clear and easy to follow. Writing good combat is hard, so writing it like this is smart!

Honestly there would have been a way to at least somewhat fix up the loophole of the jade girl and the Wood Wolf Star ordeal. Just say the princess forgot her previous life. It would still be a little odd that the Yellow Robe fiend didn’t just explain things to her, but you could technically claim that if he spoke out what was going on someone could hear and report him, so he kept it an unspoken, but what he believed known, deal.

Last but not least the jade girl does give me some Ariel vibes with her wanting to see the world, in this case, ‘below’.

#xiyouji #journey to the west #jttw #sun wukong #monkey king #sha wujing #Baihua Xiu #Yellow Robe Demon #jttw reading group #jttw book club

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bigbearbigworld · 2 years ago

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Howdy!! I’m looking for a super chill rp partner. I currently don’t have one so I would love to have something long term!

Here are a few things I’m looking for in a partner:

Someone who is willing to talk OOC!! I wanna make friends and toss ideas back and forth. So I would love to have full conversations about our blorbos and yknow be friends!!

Understand that I have a busy life and because of that I might be really exhausted at the end of the day. I will always try to reply asap, but I do have a full time job that is mentally taxing sometimes.

This is super important: I am 27(almost 28) years old and really prefer to rp with anyone over 25. I can make exceptions but not for under 20. It’s just something I’m more comfortable with.

——

My rp writing sample:

Boy, the amount of scoffing Wolfwood was about to do at the threat of Vash the Stampede. Yeah, as if that wasn't the same guy who cried over a dog breaking its leg. Wolfwood grunted and waved a dismissive hand because, well, maybe he was looking for this bastard anyways. Nevertheless, the priest carried his weight as he went to go find this place. Besides, it seemed like a general place to start-- to rest that is. Not that he was absolutely looking for him.

Wiping some sweat off his brow, Wolfwood noted that the sun was going down as he approached the door. Knocking heavily on the door with the back of his knuckle, he glanced around and eyed the lingering townsfolk. They were eyeing him, watching to see if he was also going to start some trouble.

Boy, they were definitely in for a surprise.

After a moment of waiting, Wolfwood knocked again and quirked a brow, "Is this even the right place?" He huffed as he looked over the paper.

——

What I’m looking for:

— A Vash rper or/and Wolfwood rper!! I’m happy to play either role! Most of the time I prefer Wolfwood, but I’m absolutely happy to go with the motions of the ocean — NSFW, Dark, angsty, shippy stuff. I’m good with writing NSFW (Whether that’s smut, dark themes, etc etc) let’s just talk about it — Plots: I am full of ideas when given the chance but I am going to have to get comfy with you in order to flourish a bunch of ideas! so when we start i absolutely wanna do a simple but hefty thread!

Edit: I also accept OC’s!! We just need to discuss plotting and stuff :))

There’s the basics!! Plz lemme know if any of y’all have questions!!

#trigun stampede #trigun rp #tristamp rp #hahahah i have many plot ideas please help

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violetlunette · 2 months ago

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The “Villainess” Genre

Summary: So, I started this a while back for fun and I may have gotten carried away over time. In summary, this is sloppy summary of the villainess genre and tropes associated with it. Notes: *Please keep in mind that this isn’t a professional list and there are some biases involved. Also, it’s not universal as my knowledge on Villainess Manhua is minimum at best. So, take it all with a grain of salt and feel free to help build the list.

Basics

What is the Villainess Genre?: Commonly referred to as “Villain Isekai,” the villainess genre is one where the protagonist takes the role of a female “villain.” There five common stories: *Transmigration: This is the mother of the villainess genre and is usually called by fans “villainess isekai.” In this type of story the Protagonist is normal lady from Earth--usually South Korea, Japan, or Modern China-- reborn as the villainess of a game or book they read before their death. This is because the creators of these stories are from those regions. Remembering her past life and realizing that she’s doomed unless she can get rid of her doom flags, she does all she can to change her final fate. *Time Reversal: Here, the protagonist was known as the Villainess of society. Half the time she was actually a bad person, or she was simply misunderstood or framed by the people around her. She ends up dying a terrible death, usually in a public execution, or being murdered by someone she trusted. Regardless, she does everything she can to change the future where she faced a terrible end. *Girl with a Bad Reputation: While not a bad person, she often gets a bad reputation through gossip of others who are jealous of her. More often than not, the young woman will be married or engaged to a cheater who has a “mistress” or a love that he dumps her for. After her engagement or marriage is broken she is able to live a better life, free of those who held her down. *Girl’s A Villain: This is where the protagonist doesn’t fit into any of the previous three sections. While she may not start off as a villain, things happen, and she steps into the role and does bad things. This is a rarer one and even then she’s more of a gray protagonist than a villain as the people she’s going up against are worst. *Villain’s loved one: In this case, the story focuses on a character close to the destined villain, such as a childhood friend, a sibling, servant, or a stepparent, etc. They make it their goal to prevent the villain/ess’ fate and change them for the better. Often this story requires “raising” the villain from a child.

Meta Tropes: Tropes associated with things that have to do with the look and things that affect the story rather than the story itself. *The Title is usually a complete sentence and is a one line description of the story. **When creating a title for your villainess story, keep in mind that this sets the tone for the protagonist as well as the story. For example: “The Villainess wants to Die” sets a somber tone for the story and the main character while, “The Old Man Reincarnated as a Villainess” suggests a comedic tone. *Non-Harem Romances will feature the Villainess with her lover, looking like a Joisei or Shoujo cover. Otherwise, it will have the villainess looking like a wicked villain or grinning like a Shounen rival about to fight. Half the time the men will be in the background or in chibi-form. There also times with the “villainess” simply posed like the average shoujo protagonist. There also times with the “villainess” simply posed like the average shoujo protagonist. *Webtoons, Manhua, and Manhwas will often have 3D back grounds and items. There will even be repeating character poses. This is because these use Clip Studio resources. *As most of these are directed or centered around women, romance will always play a hefty role. This will apply even if the story itself isn’t a romance. *Common sub-genres are fantasy, drama, regency drama, comedy, slice of life, harems, historical fiction *More often than not, the story will focus on the life of the nobles and their aristocratic world. Though there are stories about the villainess starting a life as a commoner. Regardless, there will be talk of class issues. The reason is because the villainous is almost always a noble whether through marriage, adoption, or birth.

Setting: Regardless of the setting they will always have influences of historic setting where women have little to no rights and everything is decided by class. If there is a transmigration plot going on, then the setting will often be a book or video game.

*Historical Europe

*RPG Fantasy / Otome Worlds

**The two above are usually combined

*School for Nobles

*Ancient China

*Ancient Korean empire

**The two above will sometimes have the “murium” (martial arts) world play a large part. Though this is usually reserved for the reincarnation genre.

*Normal Office / work setting (usually used for time travel)

*Normal high school setting

Common Plots/Subplots; (Note: Often these plots will combine. Also, this is not every plot, just the most common ones.)

*Avoid the bad end: The most common plot, and often intertwines with the others. The villainess does everything in her power to avoid the bad ending which always resulted in her death.

*I just want to be normal: The villain tries to live an ordinary life, usually as business owner. However, circumstances prevent her from doing so.

*I just want to sponge off my family and do nothing: Here the villainess just wants to enjoy her family’s wealth. Most the time she’ll have a side business so she can support herself in the future.

*Win over the family: This is where the villainess tries to win over the affection of their family. Usually so they don’t kill her in the future, or disown her. This is almost always a father figure as the mother is usually dead. (Expect daddy issues in this plot.)

*Save the Family: This where the villainess actually loves their family and tries to save them from a dire fate. Can also apply to the family member born into the villainess’ family as a sibling or parent.

*Leaving the family: Very rare, but there will be times the villainess leaves her neglectful family to live a happy life without them. Whether antagonistic or not, the family will always try to drag the villainess back to them.

*I’m staying, but I want nothing to do with family: With this subplot the villainess decides it’s impractical to leave the family at the moment, but decides to distance herself. When she does this, the family will note her absence and try to reach out themselves in some way.

*Banished to the north/Run the Dukedom: The banishment happens and the protagonist is either sent to the Duke’s land or sent to the cold north to avoid publicity. Either way, they end up ruling the land and saving it from desolation through business practices.

*Contract Marriage: This is when the villainess enters a contract marriage. This can be for several reasons;

1: To escape an abusive household or an unwanted engagement.

2: The villainess can’t escape the engagement and decides this will get her money in the future when the ML eventually dumps her.

3: The male lead wants people to stop bugging him about marriage. Same for the villainess.

4: The two were already in a marriage before the story began.

Regardless, during the marriage the leads will fall in love.

*Revenge against everyone who wronged her: The villainess will decide to take revenge on everyone who hurt her from her family to the abusive servants and her husband/betrothed, unless he’s a love interest.

*Villainess wants to annul her engagement / Divorce, but the other party won’t let her: For whatever reason, the Villainess will want to break things of with her current partner. However, because she’s “interesting” he won’t allow her. The story then becomes the male love interest winning the Villainess over, unless he’s the antagonist. Then the plot is her scheming to break away with the help of the Male Lead.

*Living the high life after separating from my awful Ex: After the marriage or engagement is annulled, the Villainess goes on to start a business where she becomes a success. The Ex will always regret the divorce and will do everything he can to get her back. His actions will vary depending on if he’s a villain or not.

*I will raise you: This is when another character, or the villainess herself, decides to “raise” the villain character. Sometimes this will be because they want to create a better life for the villainous character or because they want to use them for their own revenge.

*Save the Villainess: Can be connected to above, however, this plot takes place when the villainess is a teen in school and a character helps them out. If a male, then they step up as the villainess’ new fiancé.

*Marrying / Engaged to the villainess: This plot usually follows a male character who finds himself engaged to the villainess. This can be their own choice the ML could have been forced after the villainess’ original engagement was called off.

*I will break up with / divorce my significant other: This is where the villainess trying to break away from their significant other who for some reason will refuse to let them leave.

*Try to win the villainess back: Usually in these plots, when the villainess wants to divorce or annul their engagement the ML will refuse, or realize his error. Either way he will spend the story trying to make the villainess fall in love with him again.

*Defeat the Heroine!: In these scenarios the heroine is the actual villain of the story while the villainess was set up. Often crosses with--

*The Transmigrator is trying to steal my life: This is where the transmigrator is the antagonist of the plot and is trying to steal the villainess’ / Original protagonist’s life. More on this in future posts.

*Defeat the Original Romantic Leads: In this plot line the OG leads are assholes who take issue with the villainess calling them out or trying to live their own life. Often they are yanderes or spoiled brats with an “entitled to” attitude toward the villainess, the heroine, or both. Otherwise, they are just jealous of the lead.

*Romance the Romantic Leads: Whether intentional or not, this plot involves the villainess taking over the harem.

*Save the Heroine!: This is where the villainess gains affection for the heroine and wants to protect them from a horrible fate, usually the male leads.

*Crap, we have a baby!: These particular plots vary, but if there’s a baby involved then usually the villainess will either be trying to hide a child from her husband, prevent from being taken away, using the child to reconnect with the lead, or can’t leave because of the kid.

*Start a career!: To support herself, the villainess will often start a business of some kind. Often she is a dessert maker or has a business in fashion. She can also become a doctor, or work in entertainment such as plays.

*Let’s become an adventurer!: This is usually a minor subplot, but there are times when the villainess becomes an adventurer. (Because of their cheat skills they often become the best.)

*Concubines fight to the top: Usually in stories that take place in ancient China or Asia where the villainess is reborn as concubine of the emperor and had to engage in a battle of influence with the other concubines.

*Kill the Demon King: Half the time, the villainess will take it upon herself to save the world by defeating the demon lord herself. The other half...

*Marry the demon king: The Villainess will decide to marry the demon lord for protection and / or revenge. More on this in future posts.

*Romance the tyrant: Usually, the villainess will have been forced into a marriage with him, or will have gone to him for protection. Regardless, she will try to win his affections in order to survive.

*Defeat enemy Sectors / Clans: Usually in Murim stories. As it states, these plots often lead to the villainess helping to defeat enemy factions.

Common Themes:

*Screw you guys, I’m doing what I want: In villainess stories the villainess is allowed to say, “fuck expectations and what others what” and try to chooses to forge her own path, even if the choices are limited.

*I’m through letting others take advantage of me: This is where it’s revealed that the villainess was the one who did everything for their loved ones only to be screwed by them. However, something happens and they decide that they’re done with that and cut off the ones who used them.

*It’s okay to be lazy once in a while / Work Balance: Usually the villainess is someone who overworked themselves in the past and so now they just want to rest and enjoy their lives. That said, they can’t sit around doing nothing. Thus they learn to balance their work life with their personal and let others help them.

*Self-respect: Often villainess learn to value themselves as much as others.

*Business: Most stories will have the villainess start her own business and explores the issues that come with it.

*Redemption: The villainess realizes that she messed up and makes moves to do better with their second chance. The people around the villainess can also work to redeem themselves in the eyes of the villainess.

*Money is Power / Status matters: Unintentional or not, most stories promote the importance of cash and status.

*Classism: Though largely unintentional it’s hard to deny that it’s in most stories.

*Choice vs Destiny: This is where the villainess fights to change her fate as the villain.

*Butterfly Effect: Just by being kind or doing one this the villainess will unintentionally change the whole story.

*Nature vs Nurture: This is a theme especially prevalent within plots where the protagonist raises a villain or is being raised. Are they naturally bad or made bad.

*Revenge: Villainess stories are excellent revenge fantasies.

*Moving on: It they don’t choose revenge then the protagonist will simply leave those who abused them behind and move on to people who appreciate them. Otherwise…

*Forgive, not Forget: This is where the villainess will forgive the actions of those who mistreated her but doesn’t let them forget.

*Family: Whether it’s good or bad, most villainess stories will explore family dynamics.

*Infidelity is bad, mkay?: Cheating is almost always a theme and the ones cheating are usually the worse of the worse. More on this in later posts.

And that's it for this part! Thank you for reading and feel free to add anything I missed. Next time I will be be covering the the players in these stories and tropes commonly associated with them.

#mine #The villainess genre #villainess isekai #villainess tropes #story tropes #writing tropes #tropes #writing #Villianess genre #Villainess Genre: Basics

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thequeendomhq · 1 year ago

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NAME. Tianyou AGE & BIRTH DATE. 656 & April 21st, 2368 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him NATIONALITY. Avalonian SPECIES. High Elvhen FACTION. N/A OCCUPATION. Unemployed FACE CLAIM. Lewis Tan

biography

( tw: Possible parental death, sickness ) Mithrahn and Hiro had both been well into their elvhen lives when they brought in their firstborn son. They were of the Faelorian noble family of Avalon settled within Elgar’nan’s Hearth on the furthest branch of the Laurelin. Where they lived, the elvhen were warriors and scholars, people that remained loyal to the monarchy for as long as they could remember. Mithrahn and Hiro were no different. Mithrahn had grown up in Varda’s Cavern, a huntress that had spent years upon years mastering her craft. When she went out and hunted, she was always going to come back with something. It had not been until she left Avalon for a few years that she had realized that she never wanted to leave again. The same could not be said for the Faelorian patriarch, Hiro. The elvhen man had never left his home within Elgar’nan’s Hearth and he had never had any intention to. The only time he had ever walked outside of it was when they would meet in the gardens of Aldariel decennially. That was when Hiro had met Mithrahn. The two had talked about nature and their travels, or Hiro’s lack thereof. Eventually, Mithrahn was showing Hiro how to track and Hiro was showing Mithrahn martial arts. The two had become so smitten with each other that they Mithrahn had migrated to Elgar’nan’s Hearth to start a family with the elvhen that she could no longer see herself living without.

Only a few years later, Tianyou was born. Hiro was of the noble Faelorian family so that meant that Tianyou would eventually lead the family. That would come much later though. For now, the eldest of the Faelorian would simply be able to be a child. He would simply be able to grow up and enjoy life until that hefty responsibility fell upon him. So that was exactly what Mithrahn and Hiro allowed Tianyou to do. Of course, children would always be children. As soon as he was old enough to, it felt like the eldest boy was going to be a menace to his parents and age them more than they already were. They would live as long as the Laurelin allowed them to, but it always felt like Tianyou was testing that theory. Within Elgar’nan’s Hearth, the golden spires were massive and the golden fields below were just the same. Instead of picking the safer option, Tianyou would find himself climbing as high as he could go on those golden towers day after day. His father would always yell up to him to not go any further than he knew he should go. So, eventually, Tianyou would climb back down and Hiro would carry the young elvhen on his shoulders back to their home.

And home was always where Tianyou would always learn the martial arts that the people on their end of the Laurelin branches were known for. From a young age, it was clear that the boy was gifted, and so were his two siblings after that. With a mother that was proficient in tracking and a father that was proficient in all things martial arts and magic, it only felt fitting that their children be good at it as well. None were more proficient in both than Tianyou though. Being the eldest, he had more time to train and he had always known that he would have to be much more than just a kid with nothing but time on his hands. He would have to lead the family when his father eventually moved into that advisory role for Queen Titania. Tianyou was always determined to prove himself so, when he was not climbing the golden towers, he was in the fields training. Day in and day out, he would train by his lonesome to get better and better. So much so that he would blindfold himself to see if he could detect things without being able to see it. Nobody could ever know what life would throw at them so they had to be prepared for any situation. It was not until he was training with others, able to deflect a fist with his eyes closed that his father had realized what Tianyou’s gift was.

It had not been seen in the Faelorian family for centuries, but Hiro could tell that Tianyou had a gift unlike any other. It would help in times to come, that radar ability. When Tianyou fought, it was as if someone else took a hold of his body for that time and he was unstoppable. That was what his father saw at least and he knew that, when it was time for his son to lead, their place in Elgar’nan’s Hearth would be secure. For Tianyou himself, he knew that he had to work hard and make himself better every single time he so much as stepped foot outside of his home. Climbing the golden towers became a pastime of his and was replaced by traveling outside of Avalon. When he had first brought the idea up to his parents, he had been told of his own mother’s experience outside of their home. She had not particularly enjoyed it, but she knew that it had been necessary for her to take that step on her own to figure it out herself. At the end of the day, neither of them would stop Tianyou from experiencing the world as best as he could before his life only consisted of living for the Faelorian family. Of course, that was always his first priority, but with a few well wishes from his parents and siblings, he was off to experience the part of the world that he had not viewed ever since he was born.

Tianyou had looked back upon the leaves of the Laurelin as he stepped foot through the Moongate that would bring him into the Feywilds. From the Feywilds, he had no idea where he would go, but he knew where he would end up. Before any great adventure, there had to be a lot of planning. With his mother’s intel of the place she had gone before and spent some of her years as well as a few trips to the scholars within Elgar’nan’s Hearth, he had been prepared for what awaited him. Getting through the Feywilds would most likely be the most difficult part. Thankfully, for Tianyou, he could get out of any situation if he needed to just from his natural keen senses and his radar ability. If there was a danger where he was headed, he could merely turn the other way. And, if he knew what that danger was, he could figure out if it was best to face it head on or find a different direction. Regardless of what he ran into, he knew he would be able to get to the mortal realm just as his mother had before him. And he knew he would make it back when it was time for him to make his way to Avalon again. He would not have much time in the mortal realm, but it was an adventure that he knew he would have to go through and, like Mithrahn had said, figure it out on his own.

When he finally made it out of the Feywilds, he ended up within Lórien’dal, the land of the silver elvhen. Again, stories were all that Tianyou had, but the place was as beautiful as he could have imagined all these years. Instead of those golden fields that he had become accustomed to, there were rolling fields of silver in its place. And the trees that towered above glowed with a light that seemed ethereal in nature. It all seemed so beautiful, he wondered how the high elvhen could ever leave. Then he could remember that the home he had back in Elgar’nan’s Hearth with the golden towers and the fields that felt just as ethereal, if not more than the ones within Lórien’dal, and it felt like maybe there was nothing all that special about this realm. Maybe there would be more outside of it though. So he pushed along to the Waygate after spending a short amount of time with the silver elvhen and made his way to Eterna. Lysara was a beautiful place run by a Queen that he had also never met and probably would never meet. However, that was never his intention when he had stepped foot outside of Avalon. He had wanted to see what the mortal realm had in store for him and, well, Tianyou had not been impressed with the sights. It felt like every place he visited was less pleasing than the next. Eterna had towers, but they weren’t golden. Haven had fields, but they weren’t lush and vibrant like the ones back home. To be honest, Tianyou had found himself miserable. So, after only two years of being within the mortal realm, he made his way back through the Feywilds and to the Moongate to head back to Elgar’nan’s Hearth and back to his home that he probably should have never left.

Getting back home took him a few weeks, but he had gotten there and, when he did, he had been told by his mother that he had not looked upon that realm with open eyes. Tianyou, however, knew exactly what he had expected from the realm and nothing had been what he thought. Maybe he had not given it the proper chance he should have, but it almost felt too late for that now. The thought of going back never even crossed his mind again for several hundred years. When it was time for Hiro to be an advisor to Queen Titania and for Tianyou to lead, he had found himself wanting to go back to the mortal realm one last time. Maybe something would change and he would end up wanting to stay so that he could become one of the silver elvhen and live a life that had not been laid out for him. That was his thought as he made his way back to the Moongate all of those years later and through those Feywilds back to Lórien’dal. He did not travel further than that because there had been one thing keeping him there.

That second trip to the mortal realm was where he had felt that connection. Tianyou only ever heard about things from scholars, seeing drawings of places outside of Avalon that they could not reach. They had always spoken of being soulbonded to another. It was a common occurrence for the elvhen and he had not known when it would occur for him. Really, he had expected it when the high elvhen all met within Aldariel just like what had happened with his parents. They had not been soulbonded to each other, but he knew that it could come in any form. Love. Perhaps he should have expected that something like that would happen to him in a place where he knew he would not want to stay. Having been in Lórien’dal before, he knew what to expect and it had been no different. But that small bit of love had him thinking that maybe he should stay. All good things ended though. It was foolish of him to think those few years spent with someone would last. They were soulbonded though. They would always be tethered to each other. Well, until the silver elvhen’s mortal life came to an end. When he finally made his way through the Feywilds and through the Moongate back to Avalon after only a few years, he only hoped that it would not hurt when it happened.

Something worse happened when he got back to Elgar’nan’s Hearth though. He had only been back home for a few decades, but the Blight had shaken the leaves of the Laurelin and took a hold of his father. One minute, they had been sparring and, in the next, his father had collapsed before him. Tianyou had known what had happened, but he did not want to believe it. He feared the thought of losing his father to something like this. He’d hoped that the man would make it to the end of his life and have a peaceful end. Instead of that, he had been taken by that darkness that always loomed in the distance. The eldest of the Faelorian noble family, Tianyou had stayed at his father’s side as the man grew sicker and sicker and he could not fathom the thought of losing the man. He had to find a way to help Hiro. The healers had said that there was nothing they could do, but Tianyou could only think of what he could do to help. Maybe he could find a way to help his father. Maybe he would have to travel back to the mortal realm and figure out a way to save the man that he had looked up to all of his life. Maybe the Blight didn’t need to take his father.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. His father had always said to only climb as far as he was willing to go. For his family though? Tianyou would keep climbing as far as he was willing to go and keep going until his fingers bled. Maybe even farther than that.

personality

+ Optimistic, Merciful, Resolute – Pessimistic, Impetuous, Captious

played by kenyer. est. she/her.

#the wanderer #high elvhen

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