#contemplating making another post for their original versions.

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! <3

To be honest, I don't know. The stories I'm reading and those I have read have a quite consistent audience that writes many (and even quite a lot of detailed) comments while these stories are being updated. But I usually read in other fandoms, so I can't tell if the demographic of these fandoms is generally more supportive of their writers or if these writers just know how to engage their audience. However, when I look at the stats of a couple of stories in the YOI fandom that started around the same time as CYHMH (summer 2022), I'm not so sure that it's just fandom demographics. Back then, there was one new story that had 10 chapters out with like 200 comments and I even saw one that had only 2 chapters out but already 300 comments. So, even back then and a long time before the movie cancellation, it was pretty much still possible to excite readers (For the record: I didn't look around for too long to protect my mental health, so the data I have to base my impression on is very incomplete.) Now that I know that many fans are very vocal about wanting more canon content, including some in-between-the-episodes stuff which CYHMH has in abundance, I'm genuinely puzzled. Having heard about the success of other novelisations and sequels, I doubt that's just about original content.

Interestingly, the movie cancellation didn't impact my stats at all. At that time I had a long-wished for uptick in engagement (supposedly due to the fact that I had resumed posting the improved & beta'ed version, but I'm not sure of that) and that uptick held on until about two months after the cancellation. It made me hopeful that I had finally found a steady audience. Interestingly, shortly after the eros-off ice chapter [about 2 months after the cancellation], comments and hits/chapter dropped massively and basically back to the low level they had been at in 2022.

The story has 477 comments (I'm counting the threads, not the total number), which is about 10 comments/chapter on average. From the outside that looks really good. However, a lot of that is from either readers who discovered the story later and made an effort to comment each chapter plus the success it had during the first half of this year. And don't get me wrong, I'm so happy every time a reader takes their time to comment on chapters that had been posted long ago because many readers seem to think that writers don't care getting feedback for these although most of us crave that. In many cases that finally got me the kind of feedback that I would have desperately needed to keep going in 2022, and if I had gotten that back then, the long break wouldn't have happened. Because no matter how much I appreciate these later readers (they're 3 in total, including you and I love every one of you <3), I also need some support and engagement when I post these chapters to keep staying motivated and not being on the verge of quitting writing again because just sharing them had made me feel so miserable.

Right now, there's still some engagement left. But knowing my experience with writing a series for my last fandom (before AO3), engagement drops with every instalment. So if, at this point, there is already so little excitement for my take on the ending of the show and my take on a continuation, I just know from past experiences that it will go down even further for the sequel. And for me, that really begs the question of whether I want to expose myself to another bout of losing my joy for writing and contemplating quitting it because I've already been there often enough.

At this point, I'm just at a loss about what to do. I feel like I did already everything that I could and it's still nowhere near enough: I did tons of research for this story, especially regarding Japanese culture and figure skating. I conducted a meticulous canon analysis to ensure that the characters are in-character and that everything that I add is a logical extension of canon to make sure that this story "feels" like YOI. I worked with a beta-reader because English is not my first language and in those chapters I've posted in 2022 it really showed. I respond to every comment and thank the commenter. And I post previews with little success, at least here on tumblr (not sure what the people on twitter do with them). There's hardly anything I could still try and it's not working.

Okay, I need to get this out of my system.

I have planned to post the sequel to my YOI novelisation in exactly a month from now. My beta said that the sequel feels like an actual continuation of YOI and a friend is even drawing a cover picture, which is just so amazing. But the more I think about it, the more it seems like I'm bound to regret releasing this story a couple of weeks later.

I won't lie. CYHMH had the total opposite of a dream start. I even paused the story for an entire year to get a beta reader because I failed to keep my audience interested and concluded that it was obviously bad. Or maybe it only did so poorly because it can't compete with other novelisations. I don't know and I don't want to know because if I learned the truth, I would probably shoot myself.

The story has 600+ kudos, but that's not reflected in the hits/chapter at all despite all the improvements I've made. The number of hits/chapter which had skyrocketed for a brief time span earlier this year (aka after I resumed posting the improved version) has decreased by 75% since June and hasn't recovered since. Often, I lose bookmarks and subscriptions within hours after posting a new chapter, which couldn't be a more obvious feedback.

I see this loss in interest also reflected in my chapter announcements and previews (not they had ever been great to begin with). Often, I'm the only person reblogging them because rarely anyone else does. On the other hand, my post that I would postpone the latest chapter due to the US elections was so popular and the contrast to the reactions when I finally posted that chapter was so huge that I wonder if people just want me to shut up and stop posting. To be honest, not posting would save me a lot of time and spoons because, let's be frank: writing for a mostly silent audience is just not it. (I have a little bit more engagement on other socials, but the downwards trend is the same there.)

There are only three chapters of CYHMH left to post. The story is at its climax and seeing the lack of interest and enthusiasm so close to the end is just so fucking disheartening after putting so much work into this story which I call my love letter to YOI. Maybe I don't write the kind of stories that inspire the majority of its readers to gush about it, but a part of me had been hoping for at least some people to be thrilled that the chapter was finally out. Or to be at least excited about the sequel. And I can't decide whether my writing just sucks that much to most people, if you're just silent because you only talk about my stories in some exclusionist fic club, or whether a sequel is just not wanted or needed due to the fandom being already saturated with that kind of story.

Would you guys prefer that I stop posting? If you really want to read my YOI sequel or just anything for that matter, I beg you to tell me and to support me.

[wolfsbaneandthistle]

Some of the sapient species that aren't represented by the crew of the Little Bird. The majority of these guys are affiliated with the galactic governance founded by Enith, but a few of them are allied with Teth Tias, or their own governments. Also none of these are to scale :)

+ the plain lineart with some funny notes.

[charliemwrites]

Government Asset Soap! This is half of the last part (the smut got too long and I wanted to post this dammit).

Original concept comes from @ceilidho’s military asset Soap. Further inspiration came from @391780’s Nikto version “The Summons”. Both are very good and you should definitely check out!!

Content: Post-trauma coping, Non-Con Touching and Kissing, Violence (mentioned), Unstable Soap

It’s probably a fire hazard, the candles. They’re sprinkled across your little cabin like fireflies, feeble but steady heartbeats of a home you’re failing to build. Too many of them, likely. Two, sometimes three, per room. Tiny tealights, smokeless soy, scented pine. It would be easier, safer, to just turn on the lamps you foolishly invested in.

You can’t bear anything brighter than golden halogen anymore, though. The glare drags you back to a tiny cell bisected by cruel metal, holding back an even crueler fate. No, you’d much rather wade through pools of shadow and firelight, fire code be damned.

It’s a small cabin, but you’ve already cluttered it up with furniture and rugs, a theme for each room. Yellow and blue for the kitchen. Purple and cream for the den. Green and brown for your bedroom. Nooks to hide in, spaces to squeeze into, big shapes to huddle behind. You’ll never be caught out in a cold, barren room ever again.

Your days are long regardless of the time of year. Get groceries in town every day, making a point to be friendly and seen so that someone might notice if you suddenly stop coming. Clean incessantly, so many surfaces to dust. Pick hobbies like daisies. Knitting and crocheting, different paint styles, felting. You’re contemplating carpentry, would like to build shelves for all the books stacked up in the den. Keep a dream journal by your bed that you neglect for weeks at a time.

You draw out the nights until you can count the hours until dawn on one hand. Stay up baking, making homemade ink, learning new ways to style your hair, anything, anything, anything—

It’s not the sleeping – or at least that’s not the worst of it. It’s the waking.

Laswell suggested a cat.

You told her to stop suggesting pussy to unstable people.

But it’s still not a bad idea. Another living thing to keep you accountable; the plants are pretty and time-consuming, but not good company.

You talk yourself out of it every time, knowing the worst-case scenario. It’s not catastrophizing if it actually happens, and you can feel an invisible time weighing on your shoulders like another gravity. Tick, tick, tick. Heavier, heavier, heavier. It’s hard to breathe beneath the wait.

The military doesn’t do apologies. It does platitudes at best. Well wishes and good intentions are painted in brushstrokes of blood. Victory flags are planted on bodies, living or otherwise. Laswell apologized. She swore that if there had been another way – any other way…

She didn’t promise to leave you alone. Didn’t assure you that you’d never see her or her goons again.

If you thought it would do any good, you’d tip one of the candles over and set it all aflame. Rebirth through fire. But you never did figure yourself for a phoenix. And besides, a phoenix is still itself, even when the ash falls away.

So, you spool out your time like picking at tapestry threads, one thin string at time.

Tonight, it’s bread. Cinnamon chocolate babka, to be specific. You were craving something sweet. Are debating the merits of some sort of cream cheese icing while you shower off the long, ever-busy day.

Have decided on an optimistic why not as you slip out to begin your overly complicated self-care routine. Moisturizers, hair oils, lotion. An unexpected benefit of overloading yourself, you suppose. Even when you first got out of the military, you didn’t take such good care of yourself. You have a jogging route now. You’re handling your trauma every possible way except therapy. (And sleeping.) Better than nothing, you figure.

The candles have gone out in your bedroom. You click your tongue in annoyance, trying to remember where you left the matches this time. Bedside table?

You pad across the soft carpet, using the edge of the bed as a guide in the pitch black. The only other problem with candles is that their humble light doesn’t reach very far. But you know this house and keep the floors tidy enough that you’re confident you won’t trip.

Make it to the nightstand without incident and pat around. Knock the side of your hand into the little carton and only just catch it before it hits the deck. Let out a little huff and start to fumble it open.

“Nice catch, bonnie.”

You gasp, but your voice doesn’t get any farther than the back of your tongue. The box slips from your numb fingers, matchsticks scattering across the floor. He tsks.

“Shame that. We’ll get ‘em later.”

You can’t move. Can barely breathe. You’re just frozen, heart thundering with a sudden storm of fear and confusion. Hands still aloft in front of you, spine rigid, knees locked.

You feel more than hear movement behind you, and then the warmth of his body seeping into your naked skin. Not quite touching. Not yet.

“Missed you, little bird,” he rasps in your ear.

You always thought that in a moment like this you would scream. Kick and elbow and fight, damn your certain loss. But when it comes down to it, survival drowns out all those stupid, haughty ideas about pride and dignity. So you don’t curse and shout like you always fancied you would.

You whisper, “Soap.”

He hums but it sounds like a growl in your panicked state. “Missed me too, aye? You’re already naked fer me.”

His hands are searing when they settle on your waist like they belong there. He pulls you back against him; in the dark he’s bigger, broader than you remember. At least, you think, he’s fully clothed for now.

“What are you… how are you here?” you ask.

He barks a laugh, mean and rough. “Was only a matter of time after that shite they pulled.”

You squeeze your eyes shut and see it recreated in the phosphenes behind your lids.

Soap buried balls deep inside of you, murmuring a constant stream of filth as he got harder and harder inside you. Filling you up as you twitched around him, oversensitive and teary, afraid of what would come next.

Then the lights flashed, flicked red. An alarm sounded, Laswell’s voice ordering Soap away from you. But he just snarled and hunched over you, hips snapping to bury himself right back inside while you cried out.

The locked door swung in, armed guards swarming in. Yanked Soap off you while you scrambled to cover yourself. Someone grabbing your arm none too gently to pull you from the room. Soap wild-eyed and snarling like something possessed, until he was overtaken by struggling guards and you were trembling naked in that damned hallway.

“Was mad at you, at first, cannae lie,” he says, almost conversational. Your eyes snap open, though you know it’ll do you no good. “But I’ve had time to think on it. Wasnae yer fault, was it? Saw them drag you out.”

An awful relief floods you. Fuck dignity, fuck honesty. This is Soap right behind you, completely unrestrained and unsupervised.

“Yeah,” you answer, voice small. “I didn’t know they would do that. What… um. What happened to you?”

He presses his face into your damp hair, pressing closer, snaking his arms to squeeze you against him.

“Sent me off on some shite mission,” he explains, “probably hoped I’d die out there. You smell so good, lass.”

You shiver as his breath ghosts over the sensitive skin of your neck. Hot, humid.

“And… and then what?” you insist, trying to stall.

You’re not sure what you’re stalling for. There will be no miraculous saves here – not that you really got any last time. It’s not like there’s any real plan to be made here, either. None that you’d be confident enough to risk his wrath on.

“Disappeared. Took care of business. Came to get my pretty little bird.”

A rough hand trails over the curve of your hip, brush the neat curls of your mound. You suck in a breath, hands twitching with the urge to stop him but not sure of putting up resistance when you’re still unsure of his mental state.

“And what about you, hm?” he rumbles. “Been a good girl while I’ve been away?”

His fingers dart down towards your entrance, not nearly prepared for anything. Least of all his thick digits.

“Y-yes!” you yelp, grabbing at his wrist. Relief makes you dizzy when you manage to stop him. “I-I’ve been good. Which means I’m not… I can’t just take you. I need… I need prep.”

He huffs, nips at the tender spot beneath your ear. The thrill that shoots through your stomach is terrifying.

“That’s what these are for, bonnie.”

And to your horror, he starts to push past your resistance like your staying hands aren’t there at all.

“John!”

He freezes. You shudder air into your burning lungs, feeling dizzy on panic.

You can get through this without pain, just think.

“I haven’t even got to see you,” you stutter, voice shaky. Can’t quite inject the disappointment you’re trying for, but hopefully it’ll work. “And I bet you’re all dirty from travel.”

He grumbles. “So what?”

You scramble to think of a satisfactory response. “S-so let’s get reacquainted in the shower, yeah? That way I can see your handsome face, at least.”

He chuckles, grazes his teeth “playfully” across your cheek. “Bossy thing.”

“You like it.”

And to your shock, he agrees with an amused huff. Hauls you up in his arms and walks you back to the still muggy bathroom. You’re set on your feet and spun around, chin jerked up to receive a savage kiss. All tongue and teeth, no finesse. He’s just licking into your mouth, hungry and animalistic, spit dribbling down your chin.

When he finally pulls away, you blink spots from your vision. Finally focus on his smug features and make a soft, horrified noise when you register the splatter of crimson across them.

“Och, that? My little bird had watchers.”

Of course you did. The horror ebbs a bit. Resentment has made you indiscriminately bitter.

“Oh,” you say, “th-thank you. Definitely glad we’re showering first, then.”

“Squeamish?”

You’d like to know when the world turned upside down and John fucking “Soap” MacTavish began teasing you about the blood on his face.

“A bit,” you admit.

“Poor dear,” he coos. “Hard to believe we were made for each other sometimes, aye? Complementary, we are.”

Is that what he thinks? Christ.

You turn to start the shower again, spine prickling with the weight of his eyes on your back. The water rushes down and then he’s crowding you against the cold wall beneath the (thankfully) warm spray.

“Y-you’re still dressed!” you protest between sharp nips to your collarbone.

“Fix it, then,” he snarls.

You claw his shirt up his back, get momentarily distracted by the impressive display of muscle hidden beneath. Draw your palms over his chest and feel him shudder.

“Fuckin’ heavenly, love,” he purrs. “Missed this.”

A vague memory comes back to you, him gripping you close because he felt you naked against him for the first time. Him admitting he hasn’t had affectionate touch in a while.

This… this you could work with.

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Masterlist

[scoonsalicious]

Reminder: I am on a posting break for new content until May 23rd so that I can focus on writing WFLT...

In the meantime, please enjoy this third installment of Unwanted: Unusables, or, chapters from the original story that never made it to the final draft. Today, we're looking at an alternate Chapter 7: (what would become) Unburdened. This draft immediately follows the events of yesterday's Unusable.

I ended up scrapping this entire version of the chapter, because I decided to go in a different direction in Chapter 5, so everything had to be redone. But, it has one of my favorite scenes-- Girls' Night, so I'm glad that I could eventually share it with you, besties!

Enjoy!

When you woke up the following morning, you felt lighter than you could remember feeling in a long, long time. It was as if the maelstrom of agitation that had been coursing through you since Bucky first saw Jade's profile had finally abated, and you were waking to the calm following the storm, everything feeling newly cleansed by the rain.

Granted, your head was killing you with a tremendous hangover, but your soul felt lighter, and that's what should count the most, right?

You stretched, reaching out for Bucky, but finding only empty sheets where his body had been the night before. With a frown, you craned your head to see if he was in the bathroom, but no-- the door was open and the room beyond it dark. Against your will, you felt the weight of your insecurities begin to hover over you once again. Perhaps it was time to talk to Tony to see if you could borrow his Dr. FRIDAY therapy program for yourself. You were definitely in need of some kind of professional help.

Drawing your knees up to your chest, you contemplated whether or not you should change out of Bucky's shirt before you trekked back across the hall to your own room so you could mope. The odds of anyone seeing you were slim, since you were still the only two people living on this floor, but there was no guarantee someone wouldn't be around looking for either one of you. You wondered what would have people talking more-- the sight of you in only Bucky's shirt, or you leaving his room in the clothes you'd worn the night before. Not that it really mattered, you supposed. You were fairly confident from the team's reactions at dinner last night that the majority of them knew the two of you were having sex, or at the very least suspected it, anyway.

Before you could make your decision, however, Bucky's door opened and he walked in, carrying a breakfast tray laden with bacon and eggs and an overly-large water bottle.

"You're up," he said, smiling as he closed the door behind him. "I was hoping I'd be back before you woke, but I figured you could use some sustenance for what's probably a major hangover." He slid the tray onto the bed before crawling back in next to you.

"Did you seriously bring me breakfast in bed, Barnes?" you asked, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. That was beyond adorable of him.

"'course I did," he said, picking up a slice of bacon and taking a bite. "Figure your head's got to be killing you, since you never drink that much. Here." He unscrewed the cap from the water bottle and passed it to you. "Electrolytes. Drink up." You took a swig of the lemony-lime flavored Liquid IV he'd prepared for you.

"Thank you," you said. "This is incredibly sweet, but I could have gotten up to get breakfast myself; you didn't have to go to all the trouble."

"I confess, my motives aren't that altruistic," he said, running his tongue over his bottom lip. "I have no intention of letting you get out of this bed at all today, and I figured you should have at least something in your stomach before I launch my nefarious plan." His eyes twinkled with mischievous intent, making your heart flutter in anticipation.

"Your nefarious plan, huh?" Your eyebrow arched in curiosity as you took another bite of bacon, cooked extra crispy, exactly the way you liked. "And what might that be?"

"Well," he started, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper as he leaned closer to you, his breath tickling your ear.

"Since I was an absolute ass and made you feel like shit yesterday, I had hoped I could spend today making you feel good. I could lie and say I planed a day spent snuggled up together watching movies, but in reality I was thinking we could explore the possibility of other more... intimate activities."

A blush crept over your cheeks as you met his gaze. The promise lingering in his icy blue eyes sent a thrill down your spine, making you momentarily forget about the pounding headache. "That sounds...enticing," you admitted. "You have my attention."

"Good," he grinned, his thumb gently brushing against your lower lip. "Because I also remember a promise made to fuck you until you couldn't remember your own name."

The heat that instantaneously flooded your cheeks at his words made you glad you hadn't bothered changing out of his shirt, after all. You tried to play it cool, to match his relaxed nonchalance, even as your heart pounded like a drum within your chest.

"I do seem to recall you saying something to that effect last night, now that you mention it," you said, trying to sound casually thoughtful in spite of the tidal wave of arousal that was rushing throughout your body.

Bucky nodded, the smile on his face growing wider by the second. "Let it never be said that I'm not a man of my word." You turned, leaning in to kiss him, but he pulled away from you. "Nu-uh, doll," he tsked. "You need to hydrate and protein-load first, then I'll ruin you."

"I dunno, Buck," you contemplated as you dug into a forkful of scrambled eggs. "You may have already ruined me. I could get used to this kind of treatment real fast."

"Sweetheart, if one breakfast in bed has ruined you, you've been spending all your time with the wrong kind of man," he drawled.

"Well, I think we both know that's the understatement of the year," you laughed.

Bucky chuckled, a hearty sound that reverberated through the room and eased any lingering insecurities that had arisen when you woke up alone. He was right; you were spending time with the right kind of man now. You turned to find him watching you with an intensity that made your breath hitch.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. His touch was gentle, sweet, causing goosebumps to rise on your skin.

You found yourself blushing again, quickly turning your attention back to the breakfast tray in an attempt to hide it. "Says the man who looks like he fell straight off a GQ cover," you teased lightly.

Even though his smile never wavered, there was a depth to his gaze that made your heart race. "Noticed that, did you?" He asked, his tone teasing as he took another bite of his bacon.

It was your turn to chuckle now, the sound soft and full of warmth. "Maybe once or twice," you said with a shrug.

"I ever tell you you make make grateful I fell off that train?"

Your heart momentarily stopped at his words. You looked at him, really looked, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. His tone was so casual, as if he were commenting on the weather, but the weight of his words were monumental.

"What?" you managed to gasp out, completely thrown off balance, breakfast momentarily forgotten.

He chuckled softly at your bewilderment, his fingers reaching out to gently caress your face. "I shoulda been dead long before you were ever even born, doll. Fallin' off that train, becoming the Winter Soldier, it was hell, but if it'd hadn't happened, I never would of gotten to meet you. That's made it all worth it."

You stammered, trying to find words that could match the intensity of the moment. "Bucky... That's..."

"True," he finished for you, his gaze steady on yours. "You are my silver lining, sweetheart. The best thing this twisted life has given me."

Your eyes filled with tears at his heartfelt admission. This was Bucky - raw and open-hearted - sharing something profoundly personal with you.

"Bucky... I..." You struggled to form a sentence that could properly encapsulate how you felt in the moment, so instead, you took the breakfast tray and put it up on the bedside table. Turning back to face him, his expression curious, you cupped his cheek in the palm of your hand. If you couldn't tell him what his words meant to you, you'd show him.

"I think I'm done with breakfast," you whispered, pulling him in for a kiss.

His lips moved against yours with devastating slowness. There was nothing rushed or fevered about the kiss, but it was no less all-consuming.

He responded immediately, drawing you closer and wrapping his arms around your waist and maneuvering you until you straddled his lap. His large hands roamed along the curve of your lower back, pulling you against him until there was no space left. The contact made your head spin and your body heat up in places that made you shudder with anticipation.

His taste was as delicious as his touch; a combination of coffee, bacon, and something distinctly Bucky that made your senses reel. His tongue slipped into your mouth, tangling with yours in an intimate dance that left you breathless and wanting more.

As the kiss deepened, you could feel every hard line and muscle of Bucky's torso pressed against your own. His heart pounded in sync with yours, the rhythm picking up as the kiss escalated from sweet to passionate. The sensation made you dizzy with longing.

You reached up to tangle your fingers in his hair, tugging lightly at the strands. A low growl rumbled from Bucky's chest at the action, sending a thrill of lust coursing through you. His response was immediate, his lips leaving yours to trail hot, wet kisses down your neck. His teeth grazed your skin, making you gasp in pleasure.

"You're mine," he said, his voice a primal growl that echoed in the otherwise silent room. His possessiveness was as thrilling as it was unexpected. You nodded, unable to form words as desire clouded your mind.

"Yours," you managed to gasp out, the word coming out as a half-sigh, half-moan as Bucky's fingers danced down the length of your back, causing goosebumps to rise in their wake.

His hands moved with a purpose, tracing paths of fire along your skin. Every touch was measured and precise - he knew exactly what he was doing and how it affected you.

It was almost too much to bear - this closeness, the intimacy of his words. It was overwhelming and wonderful all at once. Bucky's touch was like an incantation, a spell that had you completely entranced.

The world narrowed down to just the two of you. The crisp sheets beneath you, the cool morning air filling the room, everything felt insignificant compared to the heat radiating from Bucky's touch, from his gaze. You were lost in him, and it was a sensation you never wanted to quit.

His fingers dipped lower, trailing up the hem of the shirt you wore. A shiver coursed through your body as his cold metal digits met the warm bare skin of your stomach. You gasped audibly, your back arching slightly.

"Sensitive?" Bucky teased, a smirk playing on his lips. His fingers continued their tantalizing exploration, circling around your navel before moving upward.

"You have no idea," you managed to breathe out between gasps. Every nerve ending was on fire, your senses heightened by Bucky's seductive touch. His fingers traced a path up your body, fingertips lightly grazing the underside of your breasts. You bit your lower lip, stifling a moan. Bucky noticed, his ocean blue eyes darkening with a hunger that mirrored your own.

"Good," he murmured, leaning down to press his lips to yours once more. This kiss was different, though - more demanding, more intense. He claimed your mouth with a burning passion that left you breathless and craving more.

His metal hand moved from your stomach to cup your breast through the thin fabric of the shirt. His touch was electrifying; every stroke sent shock waves coursing through you straight to your core. You moaned into his mouth, arching into his touch.

Bucky pulled away slightly, his gaze sliding down to where his hand was on you. "You like this?" he asked in a low, husky voice.

"So fucking much," you admitted, reaching up to grasp the back of his neck and pull him back down to your lips. You kissed him with abandon, pouring all the pent-up desire you had been feeling into the action. His groan of pleasure was muffled by your mouth, further stoking the flames of your desire.

His hand kept up its unhurried exploration, fingers finding a hard nipple through the shirt, brushing over it in slow circles. The sensation made you whimper, pulling away from his lips to gasp for breath.

His eyes were filled with a wicked gleam as he took you in, his gaze heated and full of desire. It made your heart beat faster and your body ache with need. In that moment, you wanted nothing more than to melt into him completely.

"Bucky," you whispered, the sound coming out as a high-pitched plea. His touch was driving you wild, making it difficult for you to think straight.

"Hmm?" His voice was rough with desire, his breath fanning across your face.

"I... I need..." you trailed off, unsure of how to put your needs into words. You've never wanted someone this much; it was disorienting.

His lips curled up into a smirk again, understanding flashing in his blue eyes. "I know what you need, doll," he murmured against your ear, sending shivers down your spine. His hand slipped underneath your shirt, skin on skin contact causing you to gasp out loud. His touch was demanding, taking and giving pleasure in equal measure.

His fingers traced the contours of your body, causing your nerves to sing with exhilaration. Playing your body like an instrument he'd long ago mastered. He skillfully made his way to the apex of your legs, his fingers just ghosting over the sensitive skin there.

"Does this feel good?" he asked in a low growl, his voice rough with need. His fingers dipped lower, hooking into the waistband of your panties and pulling them down slightly.

Your heart pounded in anticipation as you nodded, not trusting yourself to speak as desire coursed through your veins. His eyes never left yours - an intense gaze filled with passion and unspoken promises.

His hand moved lower still, slipping beneath your waistband. A breathy moan slipped past your lips as his fingers touched you where you wanted him most.

His fingers were cool against your heated skin, and the contrast sent sparks through your body. You couldn't help but shift against his touch, seeking more.

"Bucky," you whispered again, this time in a desperate plea. His smirk widened at your response to his touch as he rubbed slow circles around your most sensitive area. You reached down to wrap your fingers around his wrist as he teased you. He watched you carefully, taking in your every reaction and using it to heighten your pleasure.

"You're so beautiful like this," he said in a low murmur, his voice filled with raw need that caused your pulse to flutter. He continued his slow exploration, dipping a single metal digit into your heat, causing you to gasp at the intrusion.

"Yes... Bucky," you stammered out, your voice barely above a whisper. The slow stretch of his finger inside of you sent fire shooting through every nerve ending. Each stroke of his hand was perfectly orchestrated as if to bring you the greatest amount of pleasure possible.

"Shh, I got you, doll," he reassured you, his voice low and thick with wanting. His pace didn’t quicken; instead he kept a slow, torturous rhythm that had you squirming.

You could feel the tension building within you, spiraling up from the pit of your stomach. The pressure increased with every skilled stroke of Bucky’s fingers until you felt like you were on the edge of something monumental. Your breath hitched, and your grip on his shoulders tightened to the point where you were sure it would leave marks.

You wanted to look at him, wanted to see his face as he watched you unravel under his touch, but your eyes were squeezed shut, the tension mounting within you too intense to bear otherwise.

"Look at me," Bucky commanded huskily, his voice sending shivers down your spine. You obeyed instantly, forcing your eyes open to meet his dark blue gaze. The raw desire there took your breath away. "That's it," he murmured approvingly, his fingers continued their exploration, every touch igniting a flame that threatened to consume you completely.

"I want you to come for me," he growled, pressing harder against the sensitive bundle of nerves at your core. You whimpered at his words, the knot in your stomach tightening further. His command added another layer of intensity to the already building climax.

Your body tensed and you gasped audibly as waves of euphoria crashed over you. Your mind went blank and your vision blurred as the orgasm hit you with full force. All you were aware of was Bucky; his intense gaze, his fingers relentlessly driving you through your climax, and his voice murmuring words of encouragement.

"Good girl... that's it. Let go," he coaxed, his rough voice a thread anchoring you in the storm. As the tremors began to recede, he slowed his movements, easing you through the aftershocks.

Your senses slowly returned, and you were left gasping for breath, your heart pounding wildly. You were still clutching his arm, your grip loose now but no less desperate. His touch was intoxicating, a heady mix of pleasure and need that left you craving more.

Bucky eased his hand away from your core. His gaze was steady on your face, watching as you tried to regain your bearings. His eyes softened as he took in your flushed face and disheveled hair.

He pulled you closer, wrapping his arm securely around your trembling form as he pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. There was a tenderness in this gesture that moved you deeply, causing tears to pool in your eyes.

"Bucky..." you murmured, turning your face further into his chest. He hummed a quiet acknowledgement in response, his fingers beginning to draw soothing patterns on your back.

"Yes, doll?" His voice was still rough, but the edge of raw need had smoothed out. Now it was gentle and filled with warmth and affection that had not been so evident before.

"You...you're..." You found it difficult to articulate what you were feeling right then. It was overwhelming - the intense euphoria from the pleasure he'd given you combined with the burgeoning emotions that threatened to spill over.

He seemed to understand regardless. "I know," he whispered, his lips brushing against your temple. "I know."

There was an unspoken agreement between you both then; an agreement that this casual arrangement you had entered into all those months ago had transcended into something far deeper, far more meaningful, than either one of you had ever anticipated.

You sat together in silence for a while, foreheads pressed against each other as you regained your composure, breathing in each other's breath. When your limbs had finally stopped shaking and your pulse had evened out, you met his gaze.

"Buck, we have a problem," you murmured, sliding your cheek against his, the rough stubble tantalizing against your skin.

He nuzzled into your face. "What's that, doll?"

You pulled back to look him in the eye, a wicked glint in your gaze. "I seem to still be able to remember my name."

He reached for the hem of the shirt you'd borrowed and pulled it up over your head and tossed it to the floor. "Honey, I haven't even begun to fuck you yet." With a wolfish grin, Bucky picked you up and maneuvered you so that you were lying on your back, his form hovering above you. His drew his head down to your breast, taking it into his mouth and sucking long and hard on your nipple.

"Oh, fuck, Bucky," you moaned, arching your back and pressing your chest further into his eager mouth. He devoured you like a man starving.

You lost yourself to the sensation as he continued his ministrations, and it wasn't long before he had once again reduced you to a whimpering mess. Time itself lost all meaning as he brought you over the edge over and over and over again. Finally, after what seemed like hours, you were sobbing with over-stimulation and the sheer intensity of what you felt for him.

After he'd finished inside of you for the second time, Bucky leaned over you, planting feather-light kisses along the planes of your face. "What's your name, doll?" he asked, voice husky.

You tried to answer, but no coherent thought would come to you; all you could do was pant as you tried to focus and re-center yourself.

He had done it. The man had fucked you until you'd forgotten your own name.

And you absolutely loved him for it.

*

The days that followed were some of the very best of your entire life. If you weren't training or working (well, okay, plenty of times when you were working), Bucky had you on your back. Or bent over a desk, or up against a wall, or down on all fours. Several times, he had sat you on his face, your hands gripping on to the headboard for dear life as his tongued probed as deeply into your cunt as he could get it. You had fucked in so many positions, in so many places, you were sure the entire Tower knew what you were doing. Not that you cared; you were head over heals in love with the man, and you were fairly confident he felt the same about you.

It was just that neither one of you had actually spoken the words.

So secure were you in this new connection with Bucky that it didn't even phase you when Tony announced one afternoon that Jade Carthage had officially accepted a three-month probationary appointment with the Avengers, and would be moving into the Tower in just a few days time.

"Okay, Pocket, what gives?" Nat asked you. Girls' Night had come around again, and the two of you, along Wanda, were set up in the common room, working your way through two large pizzas and a couple of orders of mozzarella sticks. Pepper was unfortunately on the West Coast, away on some official Stark Industries CEO business. "Tony announces Jade's imminent arrival and you don't even blink."

You shrugged your shoulders as you popped half a mozzarella stick into your mouth. "I'm not worried about her anymore," you told them. "I mean, I still don't like her, and we're not going to be best friends, but Bucky and I are in a good place." You paused and gave them a knowing look. "A really good place."

"So you are sleeping together!" Wanda leaned back, lifting her feet off the floor and kicking them in delight. You ducked your head, trying to stifle the smile and hide the blush that bloomed across your face. "Okay, I have so many questions! First of all, how long has this been going on? Second, what' it like? You know, his..." she tiled her eyes down. "Third, how is it? It's got to be so good, right? I mean, look at him!"

"Slow down!" you laughed. "God, Wands, should we change your name from Scarlet Witch to the Sokovian Horndog? Cause damn, girl!"

It was Wanda's turn to blush. "I'm sorry; I've just wanted this for you for so long, I can't stand it!" She stood up and threw herself at you, wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug, which you gladly reciprocated.

"Thanks, sweetie," you said with a laugh.

"Thanks later, answers now," she told you, pulling back from you to lean against the arm of the couch.

"Oh, I got this," Nat said, grin plastered across her face. "Let's see... One: four months, since the night he got back from his first mission. Two: She's called him Magic Dick, to his face. And three: Sometimes, when they're done, she can't even walk." She turned to you. "That about cover it?" You laughed, nodding your head.

"Yeah, that basically covers it," you said with a grin.

"I cannot believe this has been going on for four months and you both kept it from me," Wanda said with a pout. "I have been shipping the two of you for over a year, and this is how you repay me?"

"We weren't telling anyone, Wands," you said, trying to placate your friend.

"Oh, I'm too excited for you to be actually mad at you," she confessed. "So, you two a legitimate couple now, or what?"

You paused, biting your lip in consideration. "Well, no? I mean, it started as this completely no-strings-attached, casual sex, friends-with-benefits thing, but the morning after the dinner disaster, he told me that I made him grateful he fell off the train and--"

"I'm sorry, he said what?!" Nat interrupted at the same time Wanda grabbed a throw pillow and screamed into with with excitement, kicking her feet once more.

"Pocket," Nat continued grabbing your arms and shaking you, "for Barnes, that's practically a declaration of undying love!"

You scrunched your shoulders in glee. "I know!" you squealed, not being able to help how exhilarated the idea made you feel.

"And then what did you say?" Wanda asked.

You dropped your shoulders. "Um... well, I didn't actually say anything."

Wanda's eyes went wide. "So you just left him hanging there after he said that?" she asked, incredulous.

"No! I absolutely replied!" you insisted. "Just... not with words. It was more of a... physical response."

Wanda and Nat shared a look. "Okaaaay," they both said in unison before the three of you burst into laughter.

"Pepper is going to be so pissed she missed this," Wanda said, pulling out her phone to text your missing friend. "Though she'll probably be more angry about losing the bet."

"The bet?" you asked, confused.

"Oh, I bet her $100 that you two would end up together before your birthday," Wanda said with a grin as she texted away. "Pepper thought it wouldn't happen until night of, or after."

You tossed a pillow at her, knocking her phone from her hands. "Hey!" she cried out.

"That's what you get for betting on your friends' love lives," you told her, though your voice held no heat. If anything, it was weirdly sweet. Except... "Wait, is it super bizarre that Pepper's making bets on my sex life when she's technically my boss?" you asked.

"Yeah, you going to HR with that complaint?" Nat asked, laughing at the face you made. Her laughing set Wanda off, which set you off in turn, and soon the three of you were in hysterics.

"Damn, we too early for the panty pillow fight?" a voice from across the room caught your attention, and you looked up to see Sam, Steve, and Bucky standing in the doorway.

God, Bucky looked so good. He was wearing a Henley and a pair of jeans, but damn it if it wasn't doing things to you. You flashed him a giant smile. "Hey, Buckaroo," you said, your voice coming out far huskier than you intended it to.

"Don't engage, Pocket," Nat murmured. "They'll think think it's an invitation to come join us." But it was too late; the boys had already begun walking over to where you sat, Sam immediately grabbing a slice of pizza and digging in.

"Hey, doll," Bucky said, leaning over you and placing a kiss to your lips. He quickly pulled back as though he'd been burned, realizing what he'd done of your friends, and the two of you started at each other in surprise and shock over his actions.

"You know what, fuck it," you said, fisting his shirt and pulling him down, slotting your lips over his like your life depended on it. He responded instantly, practically crawling onto the couch to deepen the kiss, pulling you into his lap. You barely registered the sounds of your friends whooping and cheering around you. After what felt like several heady minutes, when you eventually came up for air, you were both smiling, red embarrassment creeping up your faces.

"It's about damned time!" Sam shouted, throwing a mozzarella stick a the two of you. With lighting reflexes, Bucky caught it midair, bit half of it and fed you the rest.

"All this fanfare over a simple kiss?" he asked rhetorically, ignoring the pointed looks. "Stop making it a big deal."

"I have literally wanted nothing more in my entire life," Wanda said, fiddling with her phone. "And I may have taken a picture to send to Pepper to prove she lost."

Bucky gave you a questioning look.

"The Sokovian Horndog over there has been placing bets on us," you sighed. "We just won her $100." A corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile.

"Best buy my girl something pretty with your winnings then, Red," he teased. Leaning your head against his shoulder, you watched in amusement as Wanda's cheeks flushed at Bucky's words.

Your friends continued to playfully give you both shit for a few more moments when you realized someone was missing from your little group.

"Hey, where did Steve go?" You were sure the blond super soldier had entered the room with Bucky and Sam, but now he was nowhere to be seen.

"Um, he sort of ran out when you two started to play tonsil hockey," Sam said between bites of pizza.

"Bathroom, maybe?" Nat suggested, her eyes glancing towards the hallway, but you could tell there was a note of uncertainty in her voice.

Bucky, however, seemed to have a better grasp on what might have occurred and his eyes scanned the room with a more discerning look. A sigh escaped him before he gently nudged you off his lap, rising from the couch. "I'll go find him," he said, turning down to give you a quick kiss goodbye. "Come on, Sam. We've disturbed Girls' Night long enough."

The Falcon began protesting, unfinished pizza slice still in hand, but Bucky grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off toward the hallway. Once they reached the doorway, Bucky turned around and gave you a quick wink.

"I'll see you at bedtime, Babydoll," he said, before dragging Sam off with him.

You waited a beat, giving the boys time to get out of earshot before the three of you began squealing like pre-teens.

"He's never called me that before," you gushed, the happiness coursing through you so intense you were afraid you'd launch into orbit.

"You are going to get such a good dicking down tonight!" Nat declared, coming around to playfully punch you on the shoulder.

And you absolutely did.

[synergysilhouette]

The Disney Renaissance: An Alternate Timeline (with additional films)

I had a lot of fun with my alternate timeline for the Revival Era post, so I thought I'd do the renaissance, along with a few scrapped films. I'm using a modern lens here when it comes to storytelling and portrayal of cultures, so it is a bit different. I'm also mixing my own ideas with scrapped ones from the films. Let's assume they began to use the "two movies a year" model during this period (and that they had the staff to support it).

The Little Mermaid--First off, the film uses a storybook opening and ending. Next, Disney embraces the abnormal, colorful palette used in original concept designs (as seen above), as well as keeping Ariel's knowledge of the human world; instead of Scuttle miseducating her, SHE teaches HIM about the human world. As a human, she has Eric teach her more about arts and sciences, though she does embrace dancing and horseriding. More time is spent giving a bit more personality to Ariel's sisters to show the world she's leaving behind, and Eric is modeled after Tom Cruise in a bid to grab more audience members. His singing voice is provided by Brad Kane, and the OG leaked ending is used (except we still get giant Ursula's boss battle at the end and the shell is still broken during the wedding because Jodi Benson is an underrated VA). The film makes about the same amount at the box office given that Disney was in a slump, but it's even more beloved by critics.

The Rescuers Down Under--Most of the film is the same as the original, except the success of "The Little Mermaid" inspires them not only to keep the musical aspect of the original, but make sure it gets just as much attention as TLM. Along with this, the idea to make Cody an Aboriginal Australian goes through, and the music takes influence from Aboriginal music, as well as being dynamic in order to continue with the action-film image that had gripped American audiences when they thought of Australian films at the time. The film makes about $150 million at the box office due to retooling it to feel more in-line with TLM's fantasy aspect while still appealing to action fans, and it makes Disney consider doing more theatrical sequels in the future...

Beauty and the Beast--The finalized version manages a better balance of aesthetic and historical, with the French influence being much more obvious in fashion and setting (though certain things like panniers weren't used in order to appeal to a modern audience's sensibilities) . Adam's name is mentioned explicitly here, as well as flashbacks to his human childhood in order to make his human appearance at the end of the film less jarring (sharing elements with the OG timeline's Broadway play and 2017 remake, such as the enchantress' magic making everyone forget the prince; let's just say that another king is ruling France around this time now--or the monarchy has already been abolish--and even when the curse is lifted, Adam doesn't press the issue). Linda Woolverton anticipates concerns of Stockholm syndrome, so she has the Beast send Belle home periodically so she can have "space" and she returns due to honoring her promise as well as her curiosity of the magical circumstances of the castle. The film is also a bit more mysterious, taking influence from Jim Henson's Labyrinth, as well as the beast being more enigmatic and contemplative rather than aggressive, though his time as a "monster" has led to him becoming more animalistic over time. Clarice is kept in this version, though Belle's loneliness is still highlighted as she's without her family in the castle, and even back home, Clarice "fits in" more than Belle does. Monsieur D'Arque is female, combining the character with Belle's scrapped aunt Marguerite, and she plays a larger role in this version. Gaston, while an arrogant jerk, is more mean than evil, and listens to Madame D'Arque's schemes in order to win Belle, as she once sees Belle visiting Maurice and believes that wherever she's been coming from houses immeasurable power. LeFou isn't kept in this version (the dynamic between D'Awque and Gaston is given more attention), Gaston is knocked unconscious rather than killed, as per the 1989 screenplay, and D'Arque is killed during the invasion of the castle. The critical and financial success to it is about the same as the OG film, and it also gave Disney breathing room to tinker around with different stories in the future.

(Also gotta give credit to MsHowlett on Deviantart for her fanart of Belle, combining both her concept art dress, which is more historical, with her final design.)

Aladdin--When drafting the film, there's a lack of clarity on whether the film should draw from Arab influences, given that most of 1001 Nights takes place in the Middle East, or Chinese influences, since Aladdin is stated to be set in China in the original story. Eventually they boil it down to being a mesh of Indian and Arab cultures (like in the OG timeline, but more culturally accurate), making Agrabah a kingdom between the Middle East and India. Because of this, the fashion doesn't really model the modern influences used in the OG timeline (though they do end up with final looks similar to their "Mirrorverse" appearances), and the phenotypes match the aforementioned cultures. Along with this, they actually go to Saudi Arabia to do research, as the film is 75% Arab, 25% Indian (though they have to wait to Gulf War issues to die down). It's mentioned that Aladdin's father left on a quest to reverse his family's poverty, and that Aladdin's mother died shortly before the film started. It's eventually brought up during production that Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship being built on a lie would divide audiences, so Aladdin reveals his poverty to Jasmine, who keeps the secret from her father since they'd never be allowed to marry. Jasmine and Aladdin are also aged up from 16 and 18 to being in their 20s to avoid critiques they got of Ariel being 16 and getting married. Jafar's backstory ("Why Me?") is explored more, particularly of how he worked hard to become a vizier and used to be looked down on others, and is seen as a evil version of Aladdin. Genie stays the same because he's awesome, and Brad Kane's work on "The Little Mermaid" inspired the team to call him to do Aladdin's singing voice. The film makes about the same in terms of box office, and is seen as one of the earlier examples of positive representation of Muslims in western media.

Swan Lake--Released in 1993, the film was designed as a love letter to classic Disney films, boasting Pre-Raphaelite art (mainly Dante Gabriel Rossetti's art) and operatic songs inspired by "Sleeping Beauty." There was discourse on whether or not to use the original score of the ballet, but eventually it was decided that they would use some of the score while creating some original musical pieces, as well as using ballet here and there for musical sequences. The film follows Prince Sky (taken from Tchaikovsky), who ventures to a magical land in order to find a hero to save his kingdom from the Owl King Rothbart. He encounters Odette, a wise but weary swan capable of turning into a human at night, and they team up to defeat Rothbart and his daughter Odile, falling in love along the way. The film made $400 million in box office, and critics compared it to "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast," with Alan Menken and Tim Rice's music earning praise. The film was nominated for "Best Original Film" at the Oscars, and the song "Moonlight Serenade" won best original song (and a commercial cover by Gwen Stefani and David Bowie). The film would later get controversy for Disney rumored to have made this film to spite "The Swan Princess," which came out the year later. Odette and Sky would later be brought into the Disney Princess and Prince line.

(Art comes from concept art for Barbie's Swan Lake; no concept art of a Disney version is known to exist. BTW, I'm not calling this art Pre-Raphaelite, but I did find it mesmerizing.)

The Lion King--For whatever reason, the team decides to move away from making the film about animals and instead make it a high-fantasy African musical with humans (though it's panafrican in style, it's said to be set in Tanzania). Pretty much all of the story elements are the same, but the enviornment is adapted for humans, with animal metaphors for one's spirit and guide. The film is largely successful (I'd say it makes less than the OG film, but still a hugely successful film since it highlights African culture in an inoffensive way) , but criticism abounds on the lack of a specific culture, particularly how several Tanzanian ethnic groups are conflated together into the story. There was also concern for the predominantly white cast (unless we change that; brainstorming a cast, but nothing's concrete). The film features more music (the OG film only had 5 songs; that's pretty low), and Simba and Nala are indicted into the Disney royal line.

(Art by s0alaina on Deviantart; not sure if it's based on Tanzanian cultures)

Amonute--Disney had the foresight and better judgment to NOT make a historical fiction piece with a sexualized lead. Instead, they allowed their Native American aides more imput on the story, eventually opting for an original story set in a fantasy world that had parallels to Indigenous colonization. The film centers on an Indigenous woman named Amonute (who the film is named after, taken from Pocahontas' birth name), who encounters new settlers with her siblings (basically Nakoma and Kocoum in this timeline). The settlers include the swashbuckling charmer Julian and his scholarly brother Lucien (inspired by Disney's version of John Smith and John Rolfe, as well as elements of Thomas, respectively; the colonists are overall French-inspired since they were seen as the less damaging of the major colonizing lands), both of whom fall for Amonute, and she returns their feelings. The film follows the same beats as "Pocahontas" in the OG timeline, and is reviewed much better due to being an original story free of sexualization, and it becomes as financially successful as Aladdin, but it isn't without criticism; there's concern of the romanticism of colonization, as well as the fact that the tribe Amonute is part of seems to mesh various NA cultures, as well as their clothing being more akin to Powwow regalia (due to colors, patterns, and accessories, but not as detailed of course) rather than anything historical. The ending is much more peaceful than IRL, and Amonute doesn't end up making a decision concerning her love triangle, so both Julian and Lucien join the Disney Prince line when Amonute joins the Disney princess line. In contrast to Billy Zane, Johnny Depp is brought on to voice Lucien, citing his singing ability as the deciding factor, though Billy Zane does play him in any work that Johnny Depp isn't available for.

Sinbad--Released in November 1995, the film's setting being influenced by Iraq was controversial given real-world circumstances concerning the country's relationship with the United States. However, Disney was inspired by the success of "Aladdin" and the (mostly) positive feedback "Aladdin" had received in terms of Asian cultures and Islamic representation, as well as motivated by the controversy of the film conflating India and Saudi Arabian cultures. Rather than traveling to Iraq due to the Gulf War, they instead have to consult literary sources and Iraqi experts within the US. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio considered the love triangle aspect, but given how Amonute's love triangle divided audiences and growing concern that it'd make Sinbad look like a jerk, the idea was dropped, with his best friend being uninterested in Aaliyah, Sinbad's love interest (who, like Jasmine, was named after a celebrity). Sinbad was modeled after Aladdin to be clever and crafty, but rewritten to be more reserved and quiet to contrast with previous outgoing Disney men, while Aaliyah was more rough and tough than previous Disney women (she was also designed with Salma Hayek as inspiration and Wendy Malick to play her, but it fell through). Let's imagine they got a mostly Arab cast (I doubt they'd go for actors of Iraqi heritage alone), and the film's focus is on Sinbad recruiting Aaliyah to help him rescue his best friend Zayn from being executed for a crime he didn't commit--but Aaliyah did. The musical was highly successful, making over $300 million at the box office and the song "Never Again," detailing Sinbad's rough childhood to his friendship with Zayn and falling in love with Aaliyah, being nominated for BOS at the Oscars. Despite concerns about how Aaliyah might be perceived as a former criminal, she still joins the Disney princess ranks.

(Note: This concept art is from Dreamworks; Disney never got to a point where they made concept art, as far as I know.)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame--Mostly the same as the OG timeline, though with notable changes. Claude Frollo, while still a villain, does show to have a twisted love for Quasimodo, the twisted part coming from his own skewed worldview as well as Quasimodo's perceived "ugliness" and guilt over killing his mother. Quasimodo is also given a bit of a deeper skintone and darker hair color to remind the audience that he is a person of color--not that light-skinned/haired people can't be POC, but this film depicts all Romani people with certain attributes. At best, Quasimodo is mixed, so his features should exhibit that. The gargoyles are less comedic, but they still represent a softer, lighter side of the film as they represent hope and kindness, trying to teach Quasimodo the good of the world, as well as the archdeacon being involved in his life (with the gargoyles never explained as literal magic creatures of representations of Quasimodo's psyche; I like it both ways). It's noted that part of Frollo's obsession with Esmeralda isn't just lust, but also his guilt again over the death of Quasimodo's mother. Esmeralda and Phoebus' lives are fleshed out a bit more (particularly Esmeralda's, highlighting French-Romani culture), as well as giving Phoebus moments to sing. Esmeralda is also tweaked slightly so certain things that she does aren't read as romantic towards Quasimodo, even though he takes them as such. The film makes the same impact financially and critically, along with Esmeralda sadly not joining the DP line due to difficulty marketing her darker film. There is NO SEQUEL, though Madellaine is shown at the end, with Esmeralda and Phoebus singing part of the reprise of "The Bells of Notre Dame" to an infant Zephyr after the events of the film.

Hercules--Given the wide range of feedback they've gotten on cultural representation before, Disney decides that rather than label this a film about Hercules, this is an original story set in an Ancient Greco-Roman-inspired culture that take from a variety of Greek myths, with Hercules, Perceus, Achilles, Orpheus, and Bellephron being influences for the protagonist Nikanor, a kindly demigod prince on a quest to discover the secret behind his magical abilities with his sardonic lover and clever nephew, all while avoiding obstacles set forth by his wicked stepmother (as you can see, they were inspired by "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"). While a colorful and creative journey (noted as a possible influence for the "Hades" video games by Supergiant), it's also been noted for it's psychological exploration of madness and depression, earning comparison to various mature video games. The music was equally praised for helping to uplift the film at important moments without ruining the vibe. The film made $400 million at the box office, and it's success led to a sequel TV series as well as Nikanor and his love interest Chania joining the Disney royal line given a lack of negative feedback from Greece as in the original film.

Mulan--In this particular timeline, Disney didn't have an issue with Stephen Schwartz working with Dreamworks for "The Prince of Egypt," though the tone is still the same as the OG timeline (ie maintaining that Mulan joined the army for her father, not for personal gain--except to prove she could do something that could make others proud of her). There are more songs in the film, including a "Reflection" reprise sang by Shang and Mulan (or whatever the equivalent would be now that Stephen's writing the music) after Mulan's identity is revealed, as well as a song detailing Shan Yu's motivations and "Mulan's Decision" with lyrics. Mulan has an older sister and a younger brother, both of whom she views as superior to her due to her sister having married and being much more graceful (the progenitor to Isabela Madrigal, in a sense--but it's not an act) and her brother automatically being more valuable thanks to being male. Shang's also mentioned as having a younger brother, and we get a bit more detail into his personal life, mirroring Mulan's desire to protect her father and make him proud. Most of the film is the same, otherwise. The film makes about the same as the original, with the particular praise for Mulan being a lot less underrated thanks to more music.

Tarzan--While an unspoken musical was considered at the time, the characters instead sing in this version, with director Kevin Lima coming around to it under the condition that Tarzan himself didn't sing while other characters did. During production, Tarzan was retooled in a rather unique way. Taking influence from the critically acclaimed show "Batman: The Animated Series," Tarzan, while still kind and empathetic, was made to be more brooding and mysterious and less humorous in order to help make his character (more) intriguing as well as beguiling the audience. The dreadlock hairstyle is also removed, and Jane, Archimedes and Clayton are American (to diffuse the misconception that only British people can be sophisticated intellectuals) while Jane teaches Tarzan to not just speak English, but French as well, similar to his cousin in the book. The film is just as financially successful, with plans for Jane and Tarzan joining the Disney royal lineup, however this is walked back on when Disney decide Jane is too similar to Belle and concern that a white cast in an African setting would come back to bite them.

Aida--Released at the end of 1999, Disney released their take on "Aida," an opera about an Ethiopian princess who is captured by Egyptians and falls in love with the Captain of the Guard. Disney adapts most of the story in order to create an epic and emotional tale like "Amonute," but without the tragic ending of the original opera. In this version, war is prevented between Egypt and Ethiopia, and Radamès and Aida survive. Certain issues plagued production, from Elton John's resistance to do another animated film and Disney catching wind of Dreamworks' "Prince of Egypt" (which ended up releasing the year before), but it became a worldwide hit at making $400 million at the box office, and praise was brought to the fact that Disney learned from the casting of "Aladdin" and cast actors of Middle Eastern descent for Egyptian characters. Needless to say, Amneris and Radamès join the royal Disney line.

(Note: not sure if Elton John and Tim Rice collaborated here like they did for the stage musical in the OG timeline, or if Alan Menken and/or Stephen Schwartz got involved instead)

Lemme know what you think! I know the renaissance is the Roman Empire for a lot of Disney fans, but I wanted to give it a shot. Maybe I'll tweak it later (currently wondering if a should include "Hocus Pocus," which, while never planned to be an animated film, would probably get more attention outside the Halloween season. If I do, it's replacing TRDU).

[hopeful-rack5]

Newscapepro Creepypasta rewrite update!

hey everyone i'm back with another post about Newscapepro yay :D

from the title my Creepypasta rewrite is on the docking

for one the main cast of Creepypasta is still here Tommy, Nick and Cory are all still here but i do have plans to include other newscapegang members as well... but that'll be it's own post probably.

for now i want to talk about the Creepypasta stories being used in this rewrite, because yes the Creepypasta's in this rewrite will either be change in someway or out right replaced. so let' start off with the list of creepypasta's staying... and changing.

Jeff the killer - obviously he's staying because for one "ICONICNESS" and "POPULARITY". and two is because of his importance in the story..... with that being said though I'm not using the original "Jeff The Killer" story for my basis instead I'm using the rewrite @Pastrapec made for my basis and for his chapter and character, that is to say i will still try and keep some of his original "CHRISMA" he had in the original Newscapepro Creepypasta series.

The Rake - now i know in the original NSP CP series, the rake story was in actuality a story about SCP-096, with this rewrite i have been contemplating on changing the story to actually be about "The Rake" and what it truly is you know.... but i really do like the Scp-096 story.... so I've decided this. the canon version of the second chapter will be about "The Rake" and i mean the actual Rake meanwhile i will make a non-canon chapter dedicated too the Scp-096 story that way we can have both.

The Keyhole - i haven't read the original story so this one will probably be the same as it was in the original series... maybe with a change if i check the original story out.

(anyway thats all i have for now, will provide further update later)

[atundratoadstool]

How do you think the story would play out if Mr. Hawkins never got that attack of gout and was the one who went to Castle Dracula?

[CW: General spoilers]

There's so little in the text as it stands about Peter Hawkins that it's hard to predict what would have happened. Stoker clearly seems to have contemplated making Hawkins (or some version of the character) have a bigger role in the text, however. I've seen other posts circulating that draw attention to the fact that the Hawkins of the notes originally agreed to sent the Count a clerk who did not speak German, which one might read as giving the character some sense of complicity in what eventually befalls Jonathan, and I recall that I saw one headcanon pre-DD that Hawkins' decision to make Jonathan his heir is informed by some feeling of guilt--justified or unjustified. If you take the notes as a means to read Hawkins a character perhaps a little more willing to ignore some potential red flags with a client somebody else is dealing with (and as somebody who's already been corresponding with the Count and might have a better feel for him), you might be able to envision a different trajectory were the characters swapped. I can see Hawkins, given this characterization, being a little less naive at the onset and a little less willing to defy the Count once things get hairy--somebody a little more likely to adhere to professional distance and make more excuses for the unfolding horrors of the castle as misunderstandings or bad dreams.

This is all an extraction, however, from a page or two of Stoker's abominable scribbling, and another direction in which I think you might be able to take those scribbles is an observation that Hawkins' earlier name was Abraham Aaronson. Virtually every character Stoker writes has some element of himself (Mina's brain/heart division, Seward's workaholic nature, Jonathan's legal training), and I feel that it probably signifies something that Hawkins originally had Stoker's first name... particularly given that the text as completed contains a character named Abraham who also has Stoker's physical attributes down to the phrenological forehead bumps (Van Helsing). If we read Hawkins as yet another Stoker self insert, I think you can end up with a really fascinating story in which the guy being menaced and gaslit by Count "looks very similar to Henry Irving" Dracula is much closer to Stoker's age and position in the world. I can't say what direction, precisely, that would go, but you could suddenly have a text that is a lot more overtly and painfully biographical.

Lastly, if one wants the author firmly dead and to undertake readings that remain only within the confines of the text, I think that Peter Hawkins is a figure--like many of Dracula's parental figures--whose primary skill is dropping dead very suddenly. I think a very boring but very realistic Watsonian option is that he arrives at Castle Dracula and suddenly drops dead, leaving the Count with less cooking to do as he completes his real estate transaction.

[livewireprojects]

Old fancomic cover WIP

For the sake of cutting down rambling that semi goes off subject I made a post explaining the back story behind the program I used for this originally.(LINK)

So yeah I made this in manga studio/the old version of clip studio paint. At some point while exploring around I found two versions of this in old computer backups. One version was a colorless sketch(well if you ignore that I used a lot of colors for the sketch lines) & one was the sketch but with a colored background. I did some edits so that Shadow & Sonic from the "colorless" sketch version were in the colored background version because it's really hard to see the sketch at points.

Besides editing them in another program I have no idea how to remove the text at the bottom, this happened every time I made comics with more than one page instead of an one page image. This was meant to be the cover of a comic so maybe I should have made this an one page image.

According to the files before editing(I'm mentioning this cause it's interesting to see how old shit is) the sketch was last worked on February 5,2012 at 12:02am while the colored background version was last worked on February 26, 2012 at 7:02pm.

I tried to cut down on text & I still end up with a lot of text...

So with that all out of the way, this was meant to be the cover of a comic I wanted to work on but never got any further than this. As you can see it's pretty old, these outfits were based on fanart of gijinka Sonic & Shadow by someone called Mikuhoshi(account is gone).

I'm not going to spoil too much(I mean I did explain it on DA but I realize I should try harder with shit) but the idea is Shadow & Sonic worrying about the future while spending time together. In the end both hope that things work out for them in the future as they contemplate finally telling a secret to each other.

I want to try & make the comic at a later point when I get a chance. It'll be the same story I had planned but there's going to be some changes here there that won't effect much.(Like the fact the art has changed since I drew the original pic) It'll be interesting to see how things changed.

[georges-chambers]

for the character asks...ishmael, ofc :3

Idk when you sent this but I wish I had seen it earlier because !!! VERY glad to do this!!

'How I feel about this character': So Much. In general. What can't I say about him? On one hand, as many point out, he's an almost definitely some kind of undiagnosable neurodivergent and due to this is incredibly relatable. ACCIDENTALLY CLICKED POST WHEN I MEANT TO SAVE THIS TO DRAFTS. ANYWAYS. I HAD MUCH MORE: He Also Suvks!!! He knows a lot but that doesn't mean he actually believes in objectively true things! Hes aware of his own faults but we get the feeling he's not too concerned with changing them very much! I also feel like some fans of Moby Dick kind of choose to gloss over the ways in which, beautifully as he puts it, his love for Queequeg is also almost definitely through a very warped lens due to the way he just thinks of Queequeg, and at times it also seems almost obsessive. And another important part of him, I think, is that he becomes just as obsessed with things that are important to him as someone like Ahab, just in a way that doesn't lead to relentlessly chasing them down and trying to kill them. Well, breaking down a door to 'save them' is. I'm sure you can see the similarities. But of course there's the way he writes obsessively about minor details about the whole voyage and people on it and Moby Dick himself in a way that implies he has a fascination with it all borne from the trauma it gave him. Which reminds me of how much he seems to actively want to hide any part of himself and his past from the reader but where it starts slipping out are often memories that seem kind of. Worrying(?) Definitely not Pleasant anyways. Which again, he seems to zero in on a bit. Also to me he is Not Cis. Of course.

'All of the people I ship romantically with this character': Ishmael's one of the very few instances where I think the only romantic ship I have of him are with the canon love interest (Queequeg of course). Aside from probably 2 ships or so, but those are either rather RPF (about someone who is dead but nonetheless real. I mean. He's kinda implied to exist in Moby Dick too, but he's very much real, its based on the real version) focused or Angst Heavy, so I would only share those in DMs at request.

Now as for potential sexual relationships? Another entire area I will leave to DMs.

'My non-romantic OTP for this character': Okay nevermind, I lied. I could Never explain it fully because its Not in the book and not based on anything in the book, but the 2011 movie. Showed me a whole layer to the potential of whatever was going on between Ahab and Ishmael and god. The toxic workplace relationship he had with that old man. That whole movie became Their Movie to me. Queequeg can of course become involved. I also like the idea of him and Bulkington of course.

'My unpopular opinion about this character': Its hard to say what'd be considered unpopular for this kind of a fandom, but I feel like the fact that the racism from his POV was progressive for its time only makes it even more immersive to him as a character. Its the sort of thing that's like . 'This is a fascinating indication about the time and the author writing in this time' and 'This could be considered a part of the character narrating all of this and how they view the world' Can very much coexist here. To me they feed into each other and I love it. Less like that, though, since that'd probably be the more popular of the two: I feel like a lot of adaptations are a bit less than accurate to what I personally think of with Ishmael because they often make him (even including the 2011 to some degree) a lot more overtly 'benevolent' than really fits. In the book, he does shit like contemplate just boarding up the room he's in and basically steal it from its original owner, and just the near frantic, almost aggressive tone he often takes with fucking Cetaceans, In General, towards his audience, I love, and really wish there had been like. Any of, in most adaptations, which seem to want him to be a much more 'relatable nice hero' which he just Fundamentally Isn't. There are so many times reading this book and rereading it where I've just gone, 'Ishmael, whoever you're having this argument Isn't here right now. I love you, but Please.'

'One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in-canon': I feel like actually learning more about what he did in his Past would kind of spoil some enjoyable and very fitting mystery and ambiguity so really what I wish we knew more about were his travels and life in general between the wreck of the Pequod and when he's writing that. Actually, no, if I absolutely Had to choose to actually be told 1 more thing about him? When and where was he a stone-mason. I love how hes very intentionally like, 'At Some Point in Time, For Some Point In Time, Neither of Which You Need To Know, I was a stone-mason.' And its just like. Actually no. Normally there'd be nothing odd about that but no, now I really do need to know what he could be hiding with that.

Once again Thank you so much for asking this and once again encouraging me to ramble incoherently about Moby Dick

[garden-ghoul]

Happy Gushiwensday Shabbes! We have another Wang Anshi tonight, "Miscellaneous Poem #5."

The morning sun shines in--I slept wrapped around my book and dreamed about Bell Mountain. I'm all old feelings. I face old age with composure, though I've been dragged through the mud, and I think today I can do it again. I'll wash in the cold stream.

Notes and original text under the cut.

杂咏五首

朝阳映屋拥书眠，梦想锺山一慨然。 投老安能长忍垢，会当归此濯寒泉。

This one we translated because we were unsatisfied with Hinton's translation that we looked at a while ago. I'm a big fan of this poem. Very contemplative and melancholy, a little esoteric. Here are some notes!

wrapped around my book --- or with books gathered around.

Bell Mountain --- Laurence tells me that this is the mountain where Wang Anshi's favorite monastery was; he was friends with the abbot and visited many times. We think that this poem was written after he retired (post the death of his son) to "Halfway House," which was pretty much in the shadow of this mountain, which makes it curious to say he dreamed about it. I wondered whether he wasn't dreaming of a version of it from the past, when his life was simpler.

all old feelings --- 一慨然 is a really fun phrase. 一 is here used as "entirely" or "thoroughly" and 慨然 is like, in a heartfelt sigh kind of way. I'm still not totally sure whether this describes the mountain or the narrator, but I lean toward the latter. I've also used "old" feelings rather than "deep" feelings because I felt like he was dreaming about the past.

I face old age --- 投 is a fantaaaastic character. It can mean to throw something, to surrender oneself, to cast a vote/glance/shadow (!!!), to throw oneself into something like a river, or even to seek refuge. Applying this to old age has such a richness.

dragged through the mud --- Literally "a long time enduring dirt/disgrace." Obviously the poet has used a word for disgrace that primarily evokes physical grime (at least from the binomes it's in) because the next line is about washing.

I think today... again --- Grammatically puzzling! 会当归此 might be literally translated as "I'm able to manage returning to this" or "I'm able to withstand it and return to this." The referent of 此 "this/that" is unclear---I've resolved it via line-to-line word parallelism. ie, assuming "return to this" is paralleled with "can be calm" in the previous line. According to Laurence's researches Wang Anshi is known for being quite meticulous with his word parallelism, and this poem has a few other potentially interesting parallels:

In the first couplet, maybe 映 shine and 锺 bell are being paralleled: one visual image and one sonic image. (Laurence's interpretation) I'm not entirely sure whether most bells had a shiny finish, but if so it could also evoke the shine of metal!

Also in the first couplet, 拥 could either read as gathered or embraced, and either way it has a nice resonance with 一 perfused or in totality.

Very obviously, in the second couplet, 垢 dirt contrasted with 泉 stream or spring. The dirt or disgrace is from his political career, so it also evokes the simplicity of life in retirement and a remove from the "material world."

In the second couplet, potentially something interesting is going on with 长 always, forever, or constantly and 濯 wash, a clear material action that happens once and changes your state.

[confetti-cat]

Top five fairytales!

I got thinking way too hard about this and accidentally buried it in my drafts, oops. Finally, here goes! 💕

5. Rapunzel

While the original version isn't really my cup of tea—it's a good fairytale, and a classic, but is honestly a pretty wild and sad story—I wanted to give it a spot here because of how much I've adored different retellings of it. Specifically, Tangled (the animated series especially!) and The Lunar Chronicles' Cress. Minus the awful life scenario, I find it enjoyable to read how so many retellings explore Rapunzel in a way that's relatable as a homeschooled kid—someone who hasn't seen much of the world, but is full of hope and love for it. It's also pretty fun how the story seems to attract writers who want to give it a hilarious male lead. Eugene and Thorne are both great characters, in some ways that are the same and some that are very different.

4. Prunella

Someone, and I won't say who, is entirely to blame for this one. The "acts of kindness are stronger than any evil" theme! Showing love to others in hard places! The epic ending scene! I did not expect to love it so much, but it was right up my alley. (May have to pester you again about your retelling kiddos at some point 👀 <3)

3. Beauty and the Beast

It is entirely possible I'm the only person in my sphere of Tumblr who hasn't seen the Disney version, but it's another classic, and I love the story. One of my favorite fairytale "curses" is when someone is outwardly transformed to match their soul—an event that could've had good results in the case of someone good and unselfish, but in the case of someone who outwardly looks fair but has an ugly heart, it's a poignant life lesson about themselves. Hearing Glen Keane talk about it in the context of the transformative power of love (and 2 Cor. 5:17) was so neat. Also, being a story of "normal girl who loves books befriends/is the catalyst for change in a monster via kindness and being willing to make sacrifices for those she loves", it feels especially inspiring for what I'd say is its primary audience, Normal Girls Who Love Books.

2. Nix, Nought, Nothing

I only found this one while searching for a fairytale for the Four Loves Retelling Challenge over at the inklings-challenge blog, but wow it grew on me. The sheer friendship vibes! The sweet interactions! Self-sacrifice and true-as-in-faithful love! I ended up loving the resulting retelling I wrote a lot more than expected, too. (Shameless story promo, it can be read on Tumblr or on AO3!)

Then - I had to think for a while about #1. Do I have a favorite fairy tale? Can I pick just one?

I've come to the conclusion my favorite is one that doesn't exist in the same form as the others: the classic concept of the prince/knight saving the princess from the dragon. I may have to go on in another post about the Biblical themes of it—the story of the Son of The King saving the Bride of Christ from the Devil, That Serpent of Old, because I love that aspect and it might be why it rings true for me.

It's also so much fun to swap the roles around inside that framework. The original is great, but there's possibilities! What does it look like if the dragon saves the prince from the princess? What if the princess saves the dragon from the prince? It keeps the same story structure - a rescuer, the one rescued, and the captor - but creates fun new perspectives to write from and motives to contemplate.

[purefandomonium]

Just realized I never did get around to posting those headcanons for this version of Red, so I decided to do that.

General:

Red in this iteration is more supernatural than sentient glitch.

He works using similar logic to another version I have of him, where he is linked to the cartridge and will never be very far from it. However, unlike the other version, it's not as simple as passing the game off to some other sucker. Red here is in full control of his fate, having figured out how to leave the game at will and even being capable of pulling players in and trapping them, although doing that takes a lot out of him so he doesn't do it often.

Once he's decided to torment a player, the only way they're getting rid of him is--well, they can't. The only options are die, die, or go insane and then die.

There's a 0.0000001% chance Red himself will get bored of the torment and leave without killing them, but that's basically never going to happen.

There is no way to harm him physically and it's impossible to damage the game as well.

The cart is in a perpetual state of just being playable and will remain that way regardless of what's done to it.

The Glitchy Red pokepasta exists in this universe, and Red is very aware of it. He does not enjoy hearing about it.

It's unknown if he's even the original Glitchy Red or some kind of replica. His whole deal makes zero sense. I mean, how does a game from the '90s, whose code is held together with duct tape, used gum and best wishes, suddenly develop a digital spirit? Perhaps some supernatural meddling was involved at some point... Red himself certainly won't tell.

Personality:

Is an asshole with zero remorse for his actions.

Tormenting players is a game to him, and it's the only one he'll play. He likes to see how long they'll hold up against the psychological onslaught. It's usually not long.

Despite how much he enjoys his violent acts of revenge, he does get bored of it. Most players don't survive for very long and he doesn't even need to try for them to break. He's capable of so much more yet never gets a chance to use his full power. (That's why he's so pumped when Reader shows up. Finally, a real challenge.)

He's perpetually bitter and dare I say angsty from the suffering he's been through.

He's capable of feeling any emotion, but his primary state of being is angry and spiteful.

On the off chance he is feeling something different, it's likely only because there's no one messing with the game. If left to his own devices he's actually quite contemplative and serene, and tends to spend his time basking in the sunlight or enjoying nature.

Is basically a bitchy cat when calm.

It's impossible to befriend him if you're someone in possession of the cart. By default, that makes you an enemy regardless of your intentions or even if you had no idea about it. Ex: Someone gives you a box of old games and junk and you tuck it away in an attic without so much as looking through it. Doesn't matter that you didn't know he was there, you do now >:(

The only chance anyone has to befriend him is if they're someone in a similar predicament/a fellow entity. Escaped tortured experiment who knows nothing but misery? Welcome to the club.

Might also consider a being who likes to torment humans a potential friend too, if given the chance. He does like his torture.

He's actually very intelligent and crafty. He knows how to get his desired results without even needing to lift a finger. Whether it be forcing players to destroy their lives, tricking them into doing his bidding, or making them agree to a terrible deal and trapping their soul within the game to be used as a spare punching bag.

A couple of players have managed to beat him at his own game and he's still holding onto that grudge.

Abilities:

Intangibility--he can interact with the world/people, but they can't touch him.

Limited mind control--he can hypnotize players and alter their dreams but can't turn them into full-on puppets unless they're really worn down. Even then, it's usually only limited to things like obsessively playing the game or forcing them to stay awake.

Can inflict a powerful sense of fear onto others without even needing to do anything. Think Patrick's "He's just standing there... menacingly!"

Energy drain--the thing that allowed him to break free of the game. Over the years he learned how to steal and harness players' lifeforce, using it to bring himself into the real world. It's also how he went from glitch in the matrix to full-on evil spirit.

Shapeshifting--mostly into glitches or Pokemon, but can do people too if he feels like it. He's used this ability before to imitate dead loved ones as part of his torment.

Despite his origins, he can't interact with technology. He lost any ability to do that when he became what he is now. He still causes electronics to glitch out when he's near/his temper flares but only in the way supernatural entities do. Move the devices away from him and they'll return to normal with no damage done.

Teleportation--Only outside of a certain distance of the cart, as he can't be too far from it. He can only teleport himself as well, and has to actually have the cart with him to teleport that too. If he's got it, then he can go anywhere he pleases.

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part V

This playthrough has been a blow to my pretensions of having a good memory. I'd completely forgotten that King Triton isn't the only good Disney character from outside Disney Castle who knows something about Keyblades and Keyholes. It makes perfect sense for the Genie to have some insight into them, but I really like that he knows less than Triton does. It's better for pacing reasons that he doesn't, but it also fits his character - I can't imagine that a magical being who spends so much time contemplating mid-20th century American pop culture while stuck in his lamp would keep his ancient legends straight.

Of all the Disney worlds in the series that try to condense their source films into the game, KH I's Agrabah is the most successful IMO. It's really the only level in the game that did so. Olympus Coliseum, Halloweentown, Monstro, and Neverland feature original stories, and Wonderland, Deep Jungle, and Atlantica use only pieces of their films (to greater and lesser degrees) in their stories. Agrabah has almost all the major elements of Aladdin in it: Aladdin's street rat origins, Jasmine's escape from the palace (albeit under entirely different circumstances) and her love affair with Aladdin, Jafar's scheming to take over Agrabah, the quest for the lamp in the Cave of Wonders, Genie's comedy, his freedom, and the three wishes. Even "Prince Ali" gets worked in. The only thing left out from the film is the finale where Aladdin and Jasmine get together.

Why it works here compared to later worlds in the series is that, despite using so much of the film, all of those elements are re-contextualized to fit the time frame that KH I had to work with and, more importantly, were modified to fit the needs of KH I's larger story. There's no room to fit the "Prince Ali" element proper into the plot, and if the attempt had been made, it would've been an abridged version lacking the comedic texture that makes it work in the movie, and it would have distracted from Sora's story and the plot of the League of Disney Villains. It was much better to make that a brief mention and have the three wishes applied to the battle with the Heartless.

And speaking of battling Heartless - Aladdin's in my Top 3 for Disney world battle partners in the entire series. The dude rocks. And Jafar makes for one of the more challenging two-part bosses in the game. Kurt Zisa is, for my money, the most difficult secret boss in the game, Sephiroth very much included. And that's (usually) a good thing! I like having to shift between physical and magical strategies, and I like that he's a boss that let you get good value out of the Summons (sadly, I wasn't able to duplicate my last playthrough, where I beat him with multiple Summons instead of just Tinkerbell and dumb luck at dodging his vertical spin after she bought me a free life).

Part of me wonders if Monstro and Agrabah shouldn't have been reversed in order. On the one hand, Riku nabbing Jasmine makes for a good shock and a sense of foreboding; the player knows how far gone he is at that point, but Sora doesn't. But why does Riku need the quest for the seven princesses explained at the end of Monstro when he's already captured one of them?

And I might as well cover Monstro in this post, as I don't have too much to say about him. This is one world where I agree with the complaints about KH I's platforming. I appreciate that the bowels of a space-whale should be a claustrophobic place, but the chambers are too small and too packed with crap to make the concept work in an enjoyably challenging way. Instead, it's just tedious.

Storywise, however, Monstro is a great turning point for Sora and Riku. Taking a cute Disney character hostage might be an easy way to sell moral decline, but it's so much more effective than three minutes of lore gibber-gabber by one-note pricks in black coats. And whichever executives at Square and Disney are responsible for giving the final OK to these games' plots should have made the staff re-watch this scene ahead of every scripting session since KH I. The first game as a whole works against later characterizations of Responsible Riku being the one to clean up after lazy, do-as-he-pleases Sora, but that scene and this world demonstrate most clearly how big a retcon that change was.

[project-aphelion]

09.02.2023 - Chapters 11 & 12

Hi. So. These updates are going to be a little bit different now. Originally I wanted this current draft to be a polish pass, but after making many changes to the wip, I realized this is going to be another regular draft, with the focus on knocking the story into place rather than finetuning edits. If I'm going to finish this draft in a meaningful amount of time, I can't be contemplating over minute wording and pretty prose. The goal now is to just get this new version of the story done.

So what does that mean, exactly? Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know I'm changing my attitude on this draft and not letting myself get caught up in the details of it all.

Anyway, onto the story and what I wrote! We're officially in Part 2 of the story now. Chapters 10, 11, and 12 cover a spicy jailbreak (spicy as in it's action packed, not that it's sexy) and Bee and Rian finally meeting! Woo-hoo! The fun thing to play with here is that Bee has no idea about Rian's superpowers. She's just like "why. is this child in prison."

There's some connective tissue missing in there, but I'm not gonna let myself worry about that right now. There are a looooooot of things I'll need to edit in Part 1, lots of exposition that are handled really clumsily, but I'm just going to make notes for myself and tackle them way later. This was the process I had with Suddence, and that worked pretty well for it. There are just certain things you won't know how to properly edit and execute unless you actually have a whole (if messy) story to work with.

Currently the word count is at 42364! I'm letting myself write shittily from now on, so the excerpts won't be as pretty. Still, I think it's fun to share them, and it's always fun for me to look back on these documenting posts and see what changed.

(Photo description in alt!)

[aurorawest]

Hey! 7 & 14 from the deep fic writer asks? If the questions weren't asked already and if you feel up to it. 😁

Full disclosure, I answered this once already and then LOST THE POST just as I was about to post it, so this answer probably won't be as good.

7. How does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

Receiving feedback is amazing and makes me really happy. Not receiving it has, at times, contributed to spirals where I've contemplated deleting my AO3 account and pulling all my fic down.

I haven't written any new MCU fic in months (my series is finished, it just gets betaed and polished now before posting each week) and idk, there are a lot of reasons for that, but one of them was definitely falling engagement. And I know that's not specific to me, there's just falling engagement within the MCU fandom. In a way that's been a really good thing for me, because I've funneled my energy into original novels, but it bums me out when I see I haven't posted a Loki/Stephen oneshot since last September.

14. Do you compare yourself to other writers? In a positive or negative way?

Oh yes, definitely. Not to sound like a total dick, but I'm...pretty confident about the quality of my writing, especially within the MCU fandom. It definitely depends on the fandom though. There are some where there's some truly incredible writing. Like, just lyrical and gorgeous and the kind of stuff that makes me so jealous that someone else came up with it, but also so happy that it was something that I got to experience.

15. How do you think your writing as improved over time?

In every single way, haha.

In my original post that got lost I had comparison screenshots of the opening of a Darkwing Duck fic that I originally wrote when I was 15, and then a rewritten version from when I was 29, but I've gotten a rejection from a literary agent since making that first lost post and now I'm not feeling quite so brave about sharing that.

No but like, I started really seriously writing when I was...10? 11? It was 5th grade. And don't get me wrong, I had nearly an adult reading level at that age, and my writing was definitely cogent, but. I was in elementary school. Now I'm 38. I've been a teenager who had a difficult relationship with their parents. I've been suicidal. I've experienced grief. I've lived in another country. I've been married to a man and subsequently divorced. I've come to terms with my queerness later in life (and am still coming to terms with it!). I've read a lot. I've been in a writing critique group. And I have written a freaking shit ton of words. I cannot even begin to imagine how many words I've written. I have over 2 million posted on AO3, and that's...not really a significant portion of all the words I've written over my life.

Anyway the point I think I'm trying to make is that the things that improve your writing are: writing, reading, and living.

Thank you so much for asking!!

deep fic writer asks

[clowningismyboyfriend]

Intro and a little bit about me..

Hi!

Welcome to my first ever blog and first ever blog post!

My name is Dani, I am 36 years old and a mother, step-mother and foster Aunty to 6 kids in total. Yes you BET it’s chaos and heartache but yes there’s a little magic sometimes, too. There is always love though, something that keeps us clinging on through the darker periods. I find that pretty much most of Taylor’s songs run with a love theme, too.

As you could imagine, the balance in my world is not where I would like it to be with lots of things, music helps to ground me and keeps me reminded that I need to find the balance,but what I mourn and yearn for the most is when it comes to the magic of creating.

I generally love the hands on type of creativity- crocheting, making handmade jewellery with crystals, anything to do with colours, macrame and snapping that perfect photograph of a perfect moment in time. Nothing too fancy, just identifying the moment and seeing the vision.

I have always absolutely loved music as well- As early as I could remember, I always felt it deeply within my soul.

I hear everything all at once within a song and have done so for so long.

I adore how, when combined with a melody and rhythm, a lyric can transform into that all encompassing song that has the power to move and captivate me all at the same time.

When a song and/or performance connects with you on a level where you feel pure, unbridled exhilaration or even that choking lump in your throat, and the sudden, warm tears pooling your eyes and usually both of these times you’ve got goosebumps or the hairs are standing up on your arms- It reminds me how insignificant everything else is, because in that single moment you are so connected with the performer and it’s honestly a connection that is transcendent; one that that ebbs and flows throughout whomever is lucky enough to tap in. It reminds me that at our core, as human beings, we are connected through love and emotion above all else.

..Then there’s the likes of Taylor Swift, who does all of this and more, for so many of us, seamlessly, meticulously and uniquely.

I should preface this with the disclaimer that I originally kicked off a rough version of this blog concept over on Tik Tok and wanted to post my next/upcoming theory on there.

Given the length and detail of what I had to say, it made more sense that Tik Tok would have to play the role of marketing medium for this blog.

Up until now, I have only uploaded two Taylor-Theory aka clowning themed videos that I really enjoyed putting together. But with the way I upload, I just think the sustainability on a platform like Tik Tok though will be short lived. As I’m not thrilled on the idea of filming myself let alone filming myself!

I also have too much to say sometimes and not enough time to say it.

Condensing my thoughts for me, especially when I’m passionate about something, is like trying to catch butterflies in the dark blindfolded and with one arm tied behind your back 😂

That idea of restriction to my expression hurts to even contemplate.

I loosely reference the two Tik Tok videos throughout my next post, I may perhaps do so the one after that. You shouldn’t be too lost on anything either way, but if you would like to, please watch them here:

.. If there’s one last thing I’ve noticed about Taylor and failed to mention so far, it’s her multi-faceted, layered and web-weaving approach to easter eggs and the way that one thing could seemingly mean another thing.. Or even nothing!

Time is not always the perfect measure when we are hunting for all the treasures 🤡

.. Stay tuned for the next post where we really start Clowning around in downtown delulu

Until then,

… Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Dani

Xxx