#dorothy bloor

[children-of-the-red-queen]

Was researching Dorothy de Vere for Wiki and Fanfiction purposes and. I just want to quote two lines from after she helps Gabriel out of her own glove:

“Phew!” said Gabriel, shaking his hand. “It feels OK. It really does. Thanks!” / “I’m glad, so glad,” murmured Mrs. Bloor.

and

Charlie and Gabriel said good night to the two women and, before they left, Gabriel did something rather surprising. He seized Mrs. Bloor’s injured hand and kissed it. Mrs. Bloor smiled for the first time that night. It changed her face completely.

because she loves hearing him play the piano. and he couldn't while he was wearing her glove. and he knows how she feels now. and she's such a tragic character but he can be there for her this one time. and she can save him from a fate she can't help herself from.

am not crying, Tancred's summoned rain in my eyes

[incorrectcharliebone]

Dorothy: Look. I may not be a saint, but it's not like I’ve killed anybody. I’m not an arsonist. I’ve never found a wallet outside of an IHOP and thought about returning it but saw the owner lived out of town so just took the cash and dropped the wallet back on the ground. Cook: Okay, that's really specific, and that makes me think that you definitely did do that.

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Charlie Bone" (Disney movie)

Link to the OG post of the Reinvention era here.

Background

(Disclaimer: Given that this is an adaptation of a novel, I'm making changes that I'd assume would happen given how books are translated to film, whether good or bad. I love this series, but I wanted to do a kinda realistic adaptation with how the film industry works)

Following Disney's recent successes, a pitch eventually makes their way to them for a story that came in the form of something they don't often adapt: a novel. Not having done so since the 2000s with "Treasure Planet," "Meet the Robinsons," and "The Princess and the Frog" (and very loosely), the idea is met with hesitation, even at the suggestion of making it a musical. The story--a proposed adaptation of the "Children of the Red King" series by Jenny Nimmo--is 7 books long, and in executives minds would be much better suited for a live-action series on Disney+, citing the recent success of "Percy Jackson," especially seeing how young most of the main characters are in the story and concern that it will alienate a big chunk of their audience. However, they're eventually coaxed into the idea, but decide to make notable changes pending Nimmo's approval, ie several characters are removed, altered, or conflated with someone else (notably conflating the characters of Henry Yewbeam and Ollie Sparks, given their similar mistreatment at Bloor's Academy), most of the students are now moved into the age bracket of 14-18, and Charlie's Welsh heritage being a bit more pronounced in the story, and making the Red King's history known in the film rather than waiting later. Wanting to emulate the "Harry Potter" series, they decide to use the film as an intro into the world of Charlie Bone rather than throwing in every vital piece of information seen in the series. While originally considering Peter Baynton as director due to his work on "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse," they eventually approach Chris Sanders to direct and write the film due to his successes with Dreamworks, and the Anderson-Lopez team is brought on to do the music once more (making this their 3rd Reconstruction-era film). While 2D animation was considered, they decided that 3D was better for a more "serious and grounded" look to fit into the modern-day setting with magical elements. They also decide to keep most of the focus on the younger cast with the older characters being hinted at as a threat to be dealt with later. Juuuuuust in case the film didn't meet critical and/or box office expectations, Disney decides to leave the film slightly open-ended, but with no specific hints to the future.

(Note: The film would be influenced by the first 3 books, but I never really decided if it would be 3 books in one film, or if it would be an original story containing certain details from the 3 books such as Emilia's kidnapping, the time twister and Dorothy, and the blue boa.)

Plot

Charlie Bone has always had a funny way with images, be they photographs or paintings. Sometimes he sees them move, sometimes he hears them talk--and sometimes he can even hear their thoughts at the moment the picture was being taken. This makes his Grandma Bone enroll him in Bloor's Academy, a school for young people gifted at music, art, or drama, though the school is known for also admitting descendants of the Red King, a mysterious figure from whom Charlie is descended and gets his powers from. While there, he falls under the watchful eye of the Bloor family, who plan to use his powers for sinister purposes.

Characters

(Note: As usual, this isn't an extensive list of characters. While I usually list 3-5, this is a novel adaptation, so I recommend going to the wiki for a better understanding of the characters, which in my mind Disney would mostly follow. Given the large cast, I'm only discussing two characters who represent the two "sides" of the Red King's Descendants)

Charlie Bone--A young man able to hear paintings and pictures (and then some), his paternal grandmother immediately sends him to Bloor's Academy, where other people "like him" go to school. Thankfully, his friend Fidelio goes there, and he makes friends with several people, particularly Olivia, Lysdandre, Tancred, Emma (once Emilia) and Gabriel. They all have sympathy for (and are somewhat protective of) the younger Billy Raven, but his vulnerability and easily influenced personality thanks to be raised by the Bloors for years has made his allegiance questionable. Charlie's main goal is finding out about the death of his father, which no one at home talks about, and some of the staff at Bloor's act strangely about. His only allies outside the school are his mother, maternal grandmother, and paternal uncle, while his paternal grandmother and her sisters report directly to the headmaster of Bloor's Academy, and they seem to be hiding a sinister secret with Charlie at the center of it all.

(Important note: to reduce the already large cast size, Benjamin is removed, with aspects of his character and story being given to Fidelio and Billy)

Manfred Bloor--The son of the headmaster of Bloor's Academy, Manfred is endlessly spoiled due to being the only person in his direct family who's been given a gift in ages, notably the ability to hypnotize. It's been noted that there's something "not quite right" about him, being quite prone to evil deeds but also emotionally vulnerable, particularly where his mother is concerned. With the expectations thrust upon him, he's grown up to be quite mature for his age (even if he can be a bit childish and still have regular teenage insecurities), and uses his powers of hypnotism to the benefit of the Bloors. He has very few friends; in the film, they are only Asa, Zelda, Joshua, and Dorcas.

Songs:

Passing Through--Ever since he was a child, Charlie has been drawn to images. When a friend's birthday card is accidentally sent to him, he discovers that he can actually hear what the subjects in the painting are saying and thinking. He wonders if he can use this skill to find out how his father died, but his paternal grandmother has removed all pictures of him, and Charlie suspects it has to do more with his gift than with her grief.

Shadow of a Doubt--Going to Bloor's for the first time, Charlie is overwhelmed by Manfred Bloor, the son of the headmaster who reveals he is a hypnotist, and a very skilled one at that. The Bloors are assured by Charlie's grandmother and her family (minus her brother) that Charlie will be compliant to the school and the Bloor's goals, but Charlie himself won't make it easy on them.

Waiting in Silence--As Charlie gets accustomed to Bloor's and makes new friends, he feels sympathy towards Billy Raven, who stays at the school perpetually due to being an orphan. While Charlie and his friends try to include him in their social circle, it becomes apparent that Billy is used as a pawn for the Bloor's, and they reluctantly exclude him from their more clandestine activity.

Fly Away--Upon the discovery that she is Emma Tolly and she was brainwashed by Manfred Bloor, Emilia Moon takes flight from her so-called "parents," and realizes that her "brother" Henry (a cross between Henry Yewbeam and Ollie Sparks) is also an imprisoned victim of the Bloors, and she rescues him too.

The Red Tree--Charlie meets Manfred's mother, who has been kept at Bloor's Academy against her will, and tells Charlie about the history of the Red King (sans Shadow). She hopes that the insight into his family history will shed some light on the sides chosen at the school.

Blackout--Paton, Charlie's uncle who often tries to stay out of his older sisters' way and keep his head down, stands up against Charlie's Grandma Bone and successfully intimidates the Bloors into leaving Charlie alone, at least for a time.

Shadow of a Doubt (Reprise)--Following the aforementioned "open-ended" ending, a last-minute lullaby is sung by Manfred, who seems to become more controlled and relaxed, singing about how despite Charlie's triumphs, he still has an ace in the hole: Charlie's father is actually alive and well, and is under a spell placed by Manfred.

Hope you enjoyed this idea! Lemme know if you have any questions. I'm a big fan of the series (wish there were more of us), so I kinda felt awful about having to slice and dice up the books to fit the style of book-to-film adaptations. Next up is the final film in my Reinvention era!

[dagbert-endless]

Beware my character option ask game spam:

Dorothy de Vere!

wild that we got her for one book and she was never mentioned again. Dr. Bloor had an entire wife haunting the school. She raised Manfred. DID she raise Manfred. She was married to Dr. Bloor. How did she feel about Barty. Was she involved in the family's darker deeds. What did she do, what did she know, what did she condone? she is, as the kids say, a sopping wet poor little meow meow born in a cardboard box all alone. someone on Discord mentioned Dorothy/Cook once and it changed me.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

I am just going to share some of my Charlie Bone fics here, for anyone who is interested (spoilers for the entire series below!):

Love and Jealousy - a short two-chapter fic focusing on Grizelda Bone and her messed up feelings about her husband Monty and son Lyell. 

Breaking the Rules - a long fic about Lyell’s disappearance, told from the point of view of Lyell, Amy, Paton and Grizelda.  

Lost Years - a multichapter fic, pretty much Mr Pilgrim’s point of view of the events of the first five books. Mr Pilgrim’s pov is so fascinating to me because we see so little of him in the books, so I really wanted to write about what his life might’ve been like living under the Bloors. 

A Return to Normalcy - a long multi-chapter fic exploring what happened after the end of Hidden King, as well as Amy and Lyell’s point of view of the events of Wilderness Wolf, Shadow of Badlock and Red Knight. 

Mysteries - a multi-chapter fic I wrote years ago about Mr Singh but never finished. It’s about Mr Singh’s point of view of the Hundred Heads Dinner weekend. 

The Dark Lady - a short multi-chapter fic about Dorothy Bloor, exploring her point of view of Lyell and Emma’s hypnotisation and how she felt after her fingers were crushed.

[kevincharlesward]

“I did things I did not understand for reasons I could not begin to explain just to be in motion, to be trying to do something, change something in a world I wanted desperately to make over but could not imagine for myself.” – Dorothy Allison

In motion at Yonge and Bloor in Toronto, Canada.

© Kevin Charles Ward

[incorrectcharliebone]

Cook: Do you ever want to talk about your emotions, Charlie? Charlie: No. Dorothy: I do! Cook: I know. Dorothy: I’m sad! Cook: I know.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

You know what is incredibly sad:

Barely anyone knew or cared what happened to Mr Pilgrim. The Bloors didn’t care. The Yewbeams didn’t care. Dorothy Bloor didn’t care much. A good majority of the staff probably either didn’t care or didn’t notice. The children never noticed anything was wrong.

I can count on one hand the number of people who truly cared whether he lived or died. Dr Saltweather. Gabriel as well. Charlie and Paton cared after they found out Lyell was alive, though they didn’t know where he was. Amy would’ve cared had she known he was still alive. Bartholomew cared too. 

When he disappears in Book 4, no one is concerned aside from Dr Saltweather and maybe Gabriel and Charlie. No alarm bells ring. No red flags are raised. Most people just assume that he resigned and left. 

If he had ended up dying while hypnotised, I don’t think anyone would have mourned or missed him aside from Paton, Charlie, Amy (if she ever found out he was alive), Gabriel, and Dr Saltweather.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

Charlie Bone Timeline: Pre-Series

Timeline of events before the series. Contains spoilers for all Charlie Bone books, including Henry and the Guardians of the Lost.

 1800s

Circa 1804

·        Marigold disappears through the Time Twister while playing hide-and-seek with her brother.

 1833 

·        Maybelle Bloor is born to Cecilia and Septimus Bloor.

 1835 or 1838

·        Beatrice Bloor born to Cecilia and Septimus Bloor.

 1840 

·        Bertram Babbington Bloor is born to Cecilia and Septimus Bloor.

 1845

·        Donatella da Vinci is born.

 1850

·        Yorath Yewbeam is born.

 1850s

·        Maybelle Bloor marries Lucius Raven.

 1860

·        Daniel Raven is born to Maybelle and Lucius Raven.

 1862

·        Vera Kuragina is born.

·        Roland Raven is born to Maybelle and Lucius Raven.

 1865

·        Evangeline Raven is born to Maybelle and Lucius Raven.

·        Septimus Bloor forges a will leaving everything he owns to his daughter Maybelle and her heirs. He dies soon after.

 1870s

·        Bertram Bloor marries Donatella Da Vinci.

 1875

·        Gideon Bloor born to Bertram and Donatella Bloor.

 1876

·        Gudrun Solensson born.

 1884

·        Manley Yewbeam born to Yorath and Vera Yewbeam.

 1885

·        Grace Bloor is born to Bertram and Donatella Bloor.

 1896

·        Lydia Raven is born to Daniel and Jane Raven.

 1897

·        Hugh Raven is born to Daniel and Jane Raven.

 1899

·        Ita Raven marries Simon Bone.

 1900s

1900

·        Yolanda Yewbeam is born in Yewbeam Castle to Yorath and Vera Yewbeam.

·        Everard Raven is born to Roland and Ann Raven.

 1902

·        Ezekiel Bloor born to Gideon and Gudrun Bloor.

·        Hilda Hansoff born.

 1905

·        Henry Yewbeam born to Grace and Manley Yewbeam.

 1908

·        Daphne Yewbeam born to Grace and Manley Yewbeam.

 1910

·        James Yewbeam born to Grace and Manley Yewbeam.

 1912

·        Solange Sourzac born.

 1916

·        Daphne Yewbeam dies of diphtheria in the winter of that year (January)

·        Henry Yewbeam disappears while staying at Bloor’s Academy with his brother James. (January 12)

 1918

·        Manley Yewbeam is killed in battle during the Great War.  

 1921

·        Yolanda inherits her father’s castle at age 21.

 1920s

·        Hugh Raven marries Sally Milne. Evangeline Raven gives the pearl-inlaid box to Sally on her wedding day.

 1925

·        Susan Raven born to Hugh and Sally Raven.

 1930

·        Bartholomew Bloor is born to Ezekiel and Hilda Bloor.

·        Mary Chance is born.

 1931

·        Brutus Raven born to Hugh and Sally Raven.

 1932

·        Thomas Raven is born to Everard and Harriet Raven.

 1934

·        Timothy Raven is born to Everard and Harriet Raven.

 1935

·        Maisie Jones is born.

 1937

·        Grizelda Yewbeam is born to James and Solange Yewbeam.

·        Monty Bone is born to Clara and Eamon Bone.

 1940 or 1941

·        Ankaret's family is killed during a bombing raid; Ankaret accidentally travels forward in time after looking into the Time Twister.

 1942

·        Lucretia Yewbeam is born to James and Solange Yewbeam.

 1947

·        Eustacia Yewbeam is born to James and Solange Yewbeam.

·        Treasure is born.

 1948

·        Pearl is born.

 1952

·        Venetia Yewbeam is born to James and Solange Yewbeam.

 1955

·        Harold Bloor is born to Bartholomew and Mary Bloor.

 1957

·        February: Paton Yewbeam is born to James and Solange Yewbeam.

·        Dorothy de Vere is born.

 1961

·        Grizelda Yewbeam marries Montague Bone.

 1962

·        Lyell Bone is born to Grizelda and Monty Bone.

·        Titania/Miss Chrystal is born.

 1962 or 1963

·  A week before his death, Monty returns to his hometown of Neverfinding. Monty makes a will leaving all that he owns to his son Lyell. He also writes a letter to be read by Lyell when he turns eighteen.

·  Monty Bone dies in a plane crash (possibly contrived by the Yewbeams and Bloors).

·  Bartholomew Bloor disappears while mountain climbing in the Himalayas with friends; Mary dances herself to death. Bartholomew turns against his family and becomes an explorer.

 1964

·  During a stay at Yolanda’s castle, Solange falls and breaks her neck, Yolanda turns James’ four daughters against him, and James and Paton escape in fear for their lives.

·  Hector Bittermouse causes some trouble with the Bloors (?)

·  Lord Grimwald drowns Pearl and Treasure's sweethearts and family in revenge because they refused to marry him.

 1965

·        Grace Bloor dies at age eighty.

 1967

·        Amy Jones is born to Maisie and Mr Jones.

·        Julia Ingledew is born.

 1968

·        Rufus Raven is born to Brutus and Maud Raven.

 1970

·        Ellen Raven is born.

 1985

·        Manfred Bloor is born to Harold and Dorothy Bloor.

·        Asa Pike is born in the land of the Merromals.

 1988

·        Zelda Dobinski is born.

·        Beth Strong is born.

 1989

·        Mr and Mrs Pike travel with Asa to the Red King’s city to live.

 1990

·  Lyell Bone elopes with Amy Jones to Mexico; they marry there.

·  Tancred Torsson is born.

·  Lysander Sage is born to Judge and Jessamine Sage.

 1992

·  Charlie Bone is born to Amy and Lyell Bone in the first week of January.

·  Emma Tolly is born to Nancy and Mostyn Tolly (During fall or winter).

·  Gabriel Silk is born to Cyrus and Mrs Silk.

·  Naren Bloor is born to Chinese parents.

·  Olivia Vertigo is born sometime in September.

·  Fidelio Gunn is born to Chloe and Mr Gunn.

·  Dagbert Endless is born to Lord Grimwald and a mermaid.

·  Benjamin Brown is born to Mr and Mrs Brown in late October.

·  Dorcas Loom is born.

 1993

·  Charlie turns one in the first week of January.

·  Bartholomew returns to the city to visit his family, who refuse to acknowledge him. Lyell and Bartholomew become friends, and they go mountain climbing together.

·  Idith and Inez Branko are born to Bogdan and Natalia Branko.

·  Joshua Tilpin is born to Matthew and Titania Tilpin.

 Sometime between 1990 and 1994

·        Rufus entrusts Lyell with the box containing Maybelle’s will.

·        Rufus and Ellen marry.

 1994

·  Charlie turns two in the first week of January.

·  Nancy Tolly dies from illness just before Emma’s second birthday; a few days later Mostyn decides to give Emma away. (during fall or winter).

·  Lyell disappears while trying to stop Emma Tolly’s abduction. (during fall or winter).

 1995

·        Billy Raven is born to Rufus and Ellen Raven on May 4.

 1996

·  Rufus and Ellen die in a contrived car accident; Billy is sent to live with an apathetic aunt.

·  Christopher Crowquill is framed as a robber and sent to prison for seven years.

·  Naren’s parents die in a flood; Naren is adopted by Bartholomew and Meng Bloor.

 1997

·  Miranda Shellhorn is born to Arthur Shellhorn.

·  Charlie starts school.

·  Charlie and Benjamin become friends.

 1998

·        Dorothy Bloor tries to leave Bloor's Academy forever; her violin hand is crushed by Manfred in the attempt and cursed by Ezekiel to never work again. Losing all hope, Dorothy becomes 'the Dark Lady'.

·        Lucy comes out of the Time Twister into the Littles' House.

 1999

·  Eric Shellhorn is born to Arthur Shellhorn.

·  Una Onimous is born.

·  Dr Tolly asks for Emma to be returned to him; he is refused.

 2000s

2001

·  May 4: Billy’s endowment is revealed, and he is sent to live in Bloor’s Academy.

·  Tancred Torsson starts school at Bloor's Academy.

·  Ollie Sparks disappears in the old part of the Academy for three days. Cook throws a feast for him, and soon after he leaves the school. However, he disappears while going to get orange juice at the train station (or so Matron Yewbeam says).

 2002

·        Charlie turns ten in the first week of January.

·        Emma turns ten between January and October.