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honkytonk-hangman · 1 year ago

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Just Another Thing – [1]

Walt 'Finn' Finnegan x Reader/OC

Summary: God help anyone who might've thought a nice, stable relationship might bring some kind of change to Walt Finnegan's usual mischief and mild-hedonism. God especially help them if they also thought a girlfriend would provide any sort of calming influence over him.

She definitely influenced him, anyone could tell you that, unfortunately just never in any way that could even remotely be described as 'calm'.

Warnings: cussing, mentions of and talk of sex, sexy body parts, ect. reader/OC is named Kimberly/Kimber, but it is still written in second person and her name shouldn't come up very often.

Notes: oh boy oh boy oh boy you have no clue how excited i am for this fic. it's literally been in the works for over a year. i'd even go as far as to say it's my fave fic in recent memory!!! Im not sure yet how many parts, but the story does have a beginning and end.

It's not necessary to have watched the film before reading this fic, as this is set in the year after, around 1982, however certain character dynamics could be confusing. Also i definitely headcanon Finn and Beverly becoming good friends, hidden beneath a layer of exasperation of course but he is definitely the type to go to all the theatre stuff like come on look at him!!!!!

okay enough from me now heres the fic I really hope you enjoy!!!

You register the alarm on your friends’ face’s far too late to do anything, and the next thing you know you’re clutching the crown of your head, a dull throbbing ache now pulsing under your fingertips.

It wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar sensation, you’ve been hit in the head by a ball plenty of times, but the sheer weight behind this particular impact stood out to you. That, and you knew it couldn’t have been the volleyball you and your friend’s were playing with, because you currently held it.

“What the fu–” you begin angrily, already whipping around in the direction you’d been hit, cutting yourself off at the sight of an approaching man, a look of genuine remorse painted on his features as he jogs toward you. Behind him, a group of guys with baseball gloves watch on with various cringing expressions. Just as the man nears you, his eyes subtly travel up and down your figure, his lip quirking with approval, but he keeps his face apologetic. He comes to a stop several feet away, where the baseball had landed, but doesn’t take his eyes off of you, placing his hands on his hips and lifting his chin at you.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he says, and it at least sounds sincere. “Roper’s never had much of an eye.”

You purse your lips, but try not to look too angry. He was cute, you realise dumbly, still rubbing your head. Dirty blond hair settled in light waves at the top of his collar, a matching blond moustache groomed neatly above his upper lip. He was tall, broad across the shoulders and chest in a way you’d only ever really seen on guys who worked out, athletes and the like. He also looked a little older than a lot of the students you’d see walking around campus, and he certainly didn’t approach you with the confidence of a freshman, so you figure he must be at least an upperclassmen.

“Well, maybe y'all should work on that with him,” you grumble lightly, and drop your hand.

“You okay?” he nods at your head, and you shift to lean on one foot, not missing the flicker of his eyes to watch as you do, or the way he lingers on your rapidly rising and falling chest before he meets your eye again.

“Isn’t the first time, certainly won’t be the last. Hair probably won’t sit right tonight, though,” you complain.

“Big date?” he asks, the teasing tone unmistakable. You lift your chin a little indignantly.

“I’m sure your day is just riding on my answer, but I don’t feel particularly inclined on telling you that,” you huff, heart rate doubling when he laughs, looking away from you for the first time as he grins widely.

“Well, how about this,” he starts once he’s sobered, bending down to swipe the baseball from the grass, taking a step toward you as he does. “The next time I see you, I promise you won’t get hit in the head,” he waves the ball as if you need reminding, but takes another step closer. “And you tell me what night works best to take you out?”

You fail to hide the amused smile that pulls at your lips, but then again, you weren’t really one for playing hard to get. You can see now that he’s only a few feet away, that his eyes are a startling green, and you think you wouldn’t mind running into him again, sans head injury.

“Alright,” you tell him, stepping back with a nod. “Next time.”

It takes all of your will power to turn away from him and move back towards your friends, though you feel his eyes on you for some distance, and make sure you swing your hips just a little more than you usually might.

Part of you regrets not making plans then and there, but the other part of you shivers at the already building tension of your potential next meeting.

Squinting at your reflection in the mirror, you flip your feathery waves once more over your shoulder, before almost immediately letting it fall back where it was. Just as you’d predicted, thanks to the decent-sized lump on the crown of your head, your Jerry Hall blowout was looking less supermodel and more super-odd.

Scrunching your nose as you mess with your tresses one last time, let out a huff, and force yourself to turn away, just in time for Nancy to appear at your open door, her curled fingers tapping gently on the wood.

“Hey Kimber,” she begins, pausing to give you a whistle as you exit your bathroom and do a twirl for her. Your collared halter-neck jumpsuit was supposed to be worn with a ruffle-neck blouse, but you’d never intended to style it that way, not to mention it was tight enough that you’re not totally sure you’d even be able to fit said blouse beneath it anyway.

“Something’s telling me Miss Texas ‘56 didn’t have this particular ensemble in mind when she ordered this for you outta her fancy lil’ Saks catalogue…” Nancy teases. You roll your eyes.

“Saks don’t do catalogues.” you correct her with a faux air of haughtiness, but don’t bother to contend her point. All of your housemates were more than familiar with your former Beauty Queen mother, despite never having met her. The monthly ‘care packages’ she sent you, filled with various ‘in season’ (see: frivolous) items of clothing and ‘essentials’ spoke volumes about who exactly Mrs Charlene Wynne was. That mostly just amounting to ‘eternally neurotic but well-meaning’.

Nancy pokes her tongue out at you and scoffs out a laugh.

“Whatever, the point is; Mama doesn't always know best. You look foxy!”

You let out a laugh and smooth your hands over your thighs, thanking her softly.

You weren’t at all oblivious to the way you looked. Certainly you were no Raquel Welch, but most days you could manage something in the realm of Christie Brinkley or Cheryl Ladd, which was pretty damn good. You had your mother to thank for that, though your dad was no slouch either, but considering your mother couldn’t walk ten steps without someone recognising her from her Miss Texas win almost thirty years ago, you’ll give her most of the credit. As a result of your parent’s contributions, you’d become aware fairly quickly of the effect you tended to have on men, especially College men.

“Did you need me for something?” you prompt after a few more moments of Nancy preening over your outfit, remembering that she had come up here with a purpose some minutes ago now. Nancy blinks, before she makes a soft gasping sound, and straightens up.

“That’s right! Beverley arrived a little while ago, she was asking for you!” she informs you, waving her hand in the vague direction of the stairs and the party quickly coming to life on the first floor.

“I’m coming now!” you tell her, giving your hair one last flip before you move for your door, closing it behind you and quickly following Nancy as she all but skips.

The ‘little’ get together had officially started a little while ago, but you’d had a study group that had run long, meaning you were now fashionably late to your own houseparty, if there were even such a thing.

Almost immediately once you crest the lower steps, you feel yourself shift into focus, totally in your element now, a cool, easy smile finding a place on your features. It isn’t difficult for you to move through the light throngs of people, despite your arrival not going unnoticed by those around you, but instead of excusing yourself meekly past distracted conversationalists, you’re liked enough that partygoers both consciously and subconsciously make way for you, plenty of familiar faces greeting you warmly in passing as you go.

You aren't surprised to find the kitchen milling with guests too, though the music is a little quieter here, so you figure it will remain more sparsely populated until later in the night, when everyone is comfortably tipsy.

“Kimberley!” A female voice calls out, perhaps a little too loudly, but you’d come to expect as much from anyone deeply involved in theatre.

“Beverly!” you match her energy, volume and all, knowing that she was likely already feeling a little out of place among the other guests, who were all mostly part of the College’s various sports teams and who you suspect weren’t even aware there even was a theatre program.

You can’t stop yourself from grinning ecstatically, overjoyed to see your friend for the first time since classes had commenced for the year. However, you feel more than you see the redhead that collides with you, her much shorter frame crashing into yours with a comforting force, and thanks to your non incosiderable height, as well as your many years playing volleyball, you hardly even budge from the impact, even in your chunky platform heels. You quickly hug Beverley in return, but far sooner than you’d like, she’s pulling back and launching into what sounds like a planned monologue.

“Okay! So, you know how ages ago I said I was going to set you up with one of Jake’s housemates from the baseball house?” Beverly starts, already waving her hands expressively, her expression bright and excited. You search your mind, but honestly, you aren’t sure if the conversation sounds familiar or not. You’d had a lot of people say similar things to you throughout your college career so far. Most of the time they were totally off-base matches, but you were always happy to experience new things, new people.

Beverley doesn’t wait for your reply though, clapping her hands and rubbing them together.

“Well, of course the team was invited tonight, meaning I can finally introduce you!” she exclaims, looking wildly over her shoulder, as though the person in question was supposed to be just behind her. When she sees an empty kitchen, she frowns and purses her lips. The glimmer of annoyance is wiped from her face by the time she’s looking back at you, and she huffs good-naturedly.

“I told him to wait for me…” she links your arms as she speaks, and you happily let her lead you to the kitchen door, where a light bubble of conversation floats through from outside. You have to let out a laugh at her sheer excitement, which appears genuine, though not in her usual manner.

The usual manner meaning that every so often when the two of you found yourselves at the same club or bar, whenever she or her friend’s were being bothered, the pretty redhead would giddily inform you that she had someone she wanted you to meet, then standing back and watching gleefully as you casually sapped up the creep’s attention, only to bluntly shoot him down and send him off.

You don’t get the feeling this is one of those times, but from what you knew of the baseball team, you very well may have to do some shooing on your own behalf tonight.

Outside on the tiny back-deck, a small group of people had gathered and right away your brain sparks with familiarity, though you have very little time to consider this before Beverley is releasing your arm and stepping forward. She smiles brightly as she sweeps between you and a man who turns around as if on cue.

“Finn, this is Kimberley Wynn! Kimberley, this is Finn! I am almost certain that the two of you will get along famously,” Beverely announces with a flourish and a wink. You and Finn both blink startled at one another for several moments, before mutual recognition quickly sets in. Your lips slowly pull into a wide grin, and you don’t bother hiding the fact that you’re now looking him over with no subtly, just as he’d done to you earlier in the park.

“I’m not about to get clobbered again, am I?” you begin flirtily, glad that the man, Finn, recognises you as well, though unlike you, he seems to avoid taking the opportunity to check you out again, to his loss. Instead, he smiles big, almost showmanly, and takes up a slight lean on the railing behind him.

“If it’s any consolation, your hair looks great,” Finn replies cooly, and it’s almost as though you’d never parted ways at all. You flick your hair over your shoulder, seeing how his eyes follow the movement before they’re locked back on yours and you already know you’ve got this man hook, line and sinker.

“Luckily for you,” you sniff, though your smile undercuts any real resentment. Finn seems to grin a little wider then, more genuinely than the showman smile. You think the way his eyes crinkle in the corners is sweet, and that he should smile that way all the time.

“Wait, you two already know each other?!” Beverley cuts in, suddenly reminding you that she was in fact still standing there, watching and listening. “How?!” the redhead demands, not going so far as to stomp a foot, but she does cross her arms in a huff as she looks between the two of you in betrayed disbelief, though you note most of her ire seems directed at Finn.

The blonde swings his gaze back to the shorter woman, seemingly tickled by her apparent annoyance, yet his teasing expression is full to the brim with endeared fondness. You get the impression that this was the natural state of their friendship, and that Finn is about to say something inflammatory just to get a bigger rise, which might be a little funny, but you cut in before he can speak, relieving Beverly of her confusion.

“All Star over here threw a baseball at my head this afternoon,” you say pointedly, making sure he doesn’t mistake your happiness to see him for forgiveness. Finn holds his hands up then, and jerks a thumb in the direction of a man in the larger group of party goers on the porch.

“Roper threw a baseball at your head this afternoon,” he corrects you, as though that should absolve you of your attitude.

“Oh, that’s right! You just failed to catch it!” you tease, watching as he winces dramatically and grasps at his chest.

“You wound me sweetheart!” he exclaims ruefully, and despite the vaguely amicable antagonism, you can see now why he and Beverly are friends.

“Then we’re even.” You say. You already agree with the redhead’s earlier assessment; the two of you were going to get along famously.

Finn shrugs in a manner that reads more as relenting than indifference, and at least some of his overly performative act comes away. Beverley scoffs a laugh, rolling her eyes heavily as she reaches out to shove Finn in the arm. He sways, you think for her benefit, which makes you smile.

“Only you could throw a baseball that hits the one girl on campus who’d actually put up with you…” she snorts, seemingly assuming his chances with you were now dashed. Finn raises a finger in protest.

“As we just discussed, I only failed to catch the ball that hit the one girl on campus who may or may not be willing to put up with me. I’d like that to go on record.” He smiles at her simperingly. Beverley regards him with a withering look for several seconds, before choosing to ignore him entirely, turning to you.

“Have fun.” she says, sounding much more like her usual manner, though before you can tell her it’s alright, she’s already spun away, and when you find her again, she’s tucking herself under the arm of her boyfriend, Jake.

You shake your head, and look back at Finn, finding his gaze already locked on you. He pushes away from the railing then, and steps toward you.

“You know what this is?” he asks you, once more sounding like an actor reading lines, and gesturing between you. “Fate.” he says, lowering his voice somewhat like it was a secret just for the two of you.

You cock your head at his odd little act, though you aren’t entirely un-charmed by it. It was rather different to when you’d met this afternoon, despite his blatant flirting then, now it was as if you were speaking with a completely different person. A stage magician, perhaps.

“So, why don’t we go get a drink in your hand, and then you can tell me which day works for our upcoming date.” Finn gives a slight flourish, and while his whole demeanour is still clearly put on, there is an endearing element to his theatrics, a silliness that you might find more charming if it didn’t feel so much like he was performing for you.

He offers you his arm graciously, which you can imagine combined with his hyped up charm, would have plenty of women already giggling into their sleeves, which you don’t do, but you do place your other hand over his warm skin as well, and allow him to lead you back into the kitchen.

“So what’ll it be? Beer? Fruity punch? Fruity punch and beer?” he wiggles his eyebrows at you, and even though he’s still playing a role of some kind, it’s not hard for you to see through it.

“Fruity punch,” you say decisively. “Can’t stand the taste of beer.” You tell him honestly, watching as he goes about procuring you a glass of the punch you yourself had made, and appreciating the effort he puts in to make sure you have at least two cherries, though, you don’t think he means it to be suggestive, despite your own thoughts going straight to the gutter over the matter.

“So, what you’re saying is; I should switch to the punch if I want to test this theory about you being the one girl on campus who’ll put up with me later?” he asks in amusement, at last handing you your drink, his eyes sparkling. You accept the drink and give a noncommittal shrug as you take a small sip.

“Oh, that’s not necessary, but I’ll certainly appreciate it later.” You really feel no need to go along with his act, not seeing any reason to play coy about your intentions, not in the way he seemed to feel was par for the course at least. You watch as Finn takes a moment to actually process your words, a brief mix of surprise and curiosity passing over his features, but it’s quickly covered up by a much more ‘cool’ looking mask.

You have to crack a smile at his sheer determination to convince you to have sex with him, the poor man somehow didn’t realise he was preaching to the choir.

“You really do look fantastic, by the way,” Finn says after a few moments of awkward quiet pass. You push aside your amusement, and grin happily at him, smoothing your hand over the material fondly.

“Thanks! I feel like one of ‘Charlie’s Angels’,” you gush a little, briefly feeling silly for bringing up the comparison, however, this time Finn’s smile makes the corners of his eyes crinkle in that way you liked, making his whole face seem softer and more natural, pouring with warmth.

“Trust me, Farrah’s got nothing on you right now,” he tells you sweetly, continuing to fondly watch you preen, not just at the compliment, but because you think this might be the first time all evening he isn’t speaking from some kind of script.

The moment passes quickly, though, and as you duck your head to accept his praise, you see his face momentarily scrunching up in a wince, like he was scolding himself for saying something so saccharine. You consider telling him that you found the sweetness endlessly more endearing than any of the other lines so far, but you hold your tongue. You had a small feeling that his pretence was really more about him, than about you, at least to a degree.

Finn is about halfway through earnestly telling you about his apparently ‘average’ sized cock when you at last run out of patience. The gimmick itself was entertaining enough, definitely an original approach to picking up women, and you’d even played along to start with, but you can’t help wondering why you’re standing around talking about his cock when you could be doing other things with it instead.

While he’s still talking, you reach into your pocket and dig around for a moment, before you find what you’re after. Finn trails off when you turn and lay the coin face-side up on his forearm. He blinks at it in confusion, for a few seconds, before looking questioningly up at you.

“Penny for your thoughts?” you ask before he can speak again, and force yourself not to pump your fist triumphantly when his confusion is quickly replaced with affection. Sure, you knew he wanted to have sex with you already, but now he thought you were cute, too.

“Alright,” he answers simply, fully angling his body toward yours, leaning in closer to you at the same time.

“So, this whole ‘average sized cock’ thing, does it actually work? I mean, has it worked when you’ve used it before?” you tip your head up at him, genuinely curious, but you don’t miss the way Finn’s features fall blank for a second after you speak, his smile fading, replaced with mild discomfort. He seems to shift back from you slightly, regarding you once more before he replies.

“I guess this is the time it doesn’t.” He all but mutters, his frown deepening as he looks away from you again, clearing his throat this time and straightening up, obviously embarrassed. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks back at you evenly.

“Could’ve stopped me earlier,” he says a little stiffly, though seemingly coming to terms with whatever direction he now thought this conversation was taking. You can’t help yourself then, his sulking making you laugh, fully and joyfully, but before he can sulk further, you lay your hand gently on his arm, over the penny, and give him a light squeeze. You shake your head as your laughter dies down, and fix him with a warm expression

“I never said it wasn’t working– in a manner of speaking,” You softly tell him, watching as he blinks down at you. You hurry to explain. “I mean don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t working, but only because it’s totally unbelievable.”

Finn at last relaxes somewhat, though his slight frown remains as he considers your complaint.

“What’s so unbelievable about it?” he demands, in a way that tells you this pick-up tactic was one he was proud of, though clear playfulness had returned to his voice.

Confident that you were now talking, actually talking to Finn as he was, and not as he thought would get him laid, you feel energised to engage with the subject matter more seriously. You scoff and roll your eyes at his indignation.

“Firstly,” you start, shifting to lean on your hip, bringing you closer once again. “No guy is ever going to accept, let alone admit that he has an average sized-cock, and he’s definitely not going to admit it to a woman he wants to fuck.” You say matter-of-factly, though you didn’t have anything more than your not-insubstantial intimate experiences with men to go off of as proof.

“Guys who really are average, don’t think that they are, and they probably never will because no woman is going to bring up the fact that his seven inch cock looks suspiciously closer to five.” you wave your hands a little, not realising before now that you really had any firm opinions on this subject.

You see the cogs in Finn’s brain turning as he regards your words with something that resembles amused but genuine interest. You figure he hadn’t expected you to really have a point, which to be fair, you hadn’t expected either. You do plan to let him respond, but you suddenly remember something else you’d been thinking about earlier, when he’d first brought up the concept.

“–And! In my experience, guys who do have big cocks, they don’t really say anything, or they mislead you entirely, so that they can get off on hearing you telling him how big he is.”

That earns a hearty laugh from Finn, who shrugs a shoulder in admittance at that point at the very least. He’d returned at last to watching you fondly, and you think once more that Beverley had been spot on in introducing the two of you. You’re pretty sure Finn is the only man who would so happily, or nonchalantly debate with you about the size of other men’s cocks, just as you’re sure that you’re the only woman on campus who has ever challenged him on it.

Finn hums in thought. “So, you believe men will only ever overcompensate or undercompensate?” he asks, but it's more of a statement. He watches you intently as he tips his chin, and you nod.

“Exactly.”

A moment passes between the two of you, before Finn leans forward, right into your space, wearing a pleased smirk.

“In that case honey,” he starts, voice sounding a little deeper now, huskier somehow. “What’s the verdict then?” he stares at you unwaveringly, challenging you. You frown.

“The verdict on what?” you ask, though at this point you couldn’t muster much genuine interest, not when all this verbal foreplay was slowing down the process of getting him in your bedroom for some actual foreplay.

Finn’s smirk grows then, seemingly glad you’d asked. You watch as his eyes dip briefly down to your chest, where his height and closeness grant him a very good view of your tits. He meets your gaze again before he speaks.

“Do you think I’m overcompensating, or undercompensating?”

You blink and stare at him as you process, not even bothering to hide your captivation, but it lasts for mere seconds before your lips are curling into a coy smile to match his own. You copy his move then, dropping your eyes to take in the front of his jeans, but you don’t look back up again as he had. Instead, you reach out and begin tracing his belt buckle. Finn inhales sharply, clearly taken off guard by your forwardness, which was clearly working for him.

You’re momentarily distracted from his belt as you catch sight of the rather sizable bulge forming at the front of his pants, giving you a pretty good idea of what the verdict should be. You lick your lips without really thinking, but take full advantage of the way Finn’s eyes follow the movement, tracing the path over your now wet mouth as he awaits your answer. You lean in, closing the miniscule distance between you at last, and give his belt a teasing little tug toward you.

“Y’know, I haven’t a clue,” you lie nonchalantly, your smile only growing when you use his belt to pull yourself in and press right up against his front. “But I’d love to find out.”

#everybody wants some!!#walt finn finnegan #finnegan x reader #walt finnegan x reader #idk what to tag ethis even

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smute · 15 days ago

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Letter from Bram Stoker to Walt Whitman, Valentine's Day 1876

My dear Mr. Whitman.

I hope you will not consider this letter from an utter stranger a liberty. Indeed, I hardly feel a stranger to you, nor is this the first letter that I have written to you. My friend Edward Dowden has told me often that you like new acquaintances or I should rather say friends. And as an old friend I send you an enclosure which may interest you. Four years ago I wrote the enclosed draft of a letter which I intended to copy out and send to you — it has lain in my desk since then — when I heard that you were addressed as Mr. Whitman. It speaks for itself and needs no comment. It is as truly what I wanted to say as that light is light. The four years which have elapsed have made me love your work fourfold, and I can truly say that I have ever spoken as your friend. You know what hostile criticism your work sometimes evokes here, and I wage a perpetual war with many friends on your behalf. But I am glad to say that I have been the means of making your work known to many who were scoffers at first. The years which have passed have not been uneventful to me, and I have felt and thought and suffered much in them, and I can truly say that from you I have had much pleasure and much consolation — and I do believe that your open earnest speech has not been thrown away on me or that my life and thought fail to be marked with its impress. I write this openly because I feel that with you one must be open. We have just had tonight a hot debate on your genius at the Fortnightly Club in which I had the privilege of putting forward my views — I think with success. Do not think me cheeky for writing this. I only hope we may sometime meet and I shall be able perhaps to say what I cannot write. Dowden promised to get me a copy of your new edition and I hope that for any other work which you may have you will let me always be an early subscriber. I am sorry that you’re not strong. Many of us are hoping to see you in Ireland. We had arranged to have a meeting for you. I do not know if you like getting letters. If you do I shall only be too happy to send you news of how thought goes among the men I know. With truest wishes for your health and happiness believe me

Your friend

Bram Stoker.

If you are the man I take you to be you will like to get this letter. If you are not I don’t care whether you like it or not and only ask that you put it into the fire without reading any farther. But I believe you will like it. I don’t think there is a man living, even you who are above the prejudices of the class of small-minded men, who wouldn’t like to get a letter from a younger man, a stranger, across the world — a man living in an atmosphere prejudiced to the truths you sing and your manner of singing them. The idea that arises in my mind is whether there is a man living who would have the pluck to burn a letter in which he felt the smallest atom of interest without reading it. I believe you would and that you believe you would yourself. You can burn this now and test yourself, and all I will ask for my trouble of writing this letter, which for all I can tell you may light your pipe with or apply to some more ignoble purpose — is that you will in some manner let me know that my words have tested your impatience. Put it in the fire if you like — but if you do you will miss the pleasure of the next sentence which ought to be that you have conquered an unworthy impulse. A man who is certain of his own strength might try to encourage himself a piece of bravo, but a man who can write, as you have written, the most candid words that ever fell from the lips of a mortal man — a man to whose candor Rousseau’s Confessionsis reticence — can have no fear for his own strength. If you have gone this far you may read the letter and I feel in writing now that I am talking to you. If I were before your face I would like to shake hands with you, for I feel that I would like you. I would like to call YOU Comrade and to talk to you as men who are not poets do not often talk. I think that at first a man would be ashamed, for a man cannot in a moment break the habit of comparative reticence that has become second nature to him; but I know I would not long be ashamed to be natural before you. You are a true man, and I would like to be one myself, and so I would be towards you as a brother and as a pupil to his master. In this age no man becomes worthy of the name without an effort. You have shaken off the shackles and your wings are free. I have the shackles on my shoulders still — but I have no wings.

If you are going to read this letter any further I should tell you that I am not prepared to “give up all else” so far as words go. The only thing I am prepared to give up is prejudice, and before I knew you I had begun to throw overboard my cargo, but it is not all gone yet. I do not know how you will take this letter. I have not addressed you in any form as I hear that you dislike to a certain degree the conventional forms in letters. I am writing to you because you are different from other men. If you were the same as the mass I would not write at all. As it is I must either call you Walt Whitman or not call you at all — and I have chosen the latter course. I do not know whether it is unusual for you to get letters from utter strangers who have not even the claim of literary brotherhood to write you. If it is you must be frightfully tormented with letters and I am sorry to have written this. I have, however, the claim of liking you — for your words are your own soul and even if you do not read my letter it is no less a pleasure to me to write it. Shelley wrote to William Godwin and they became friends. I am not Shelley and you are not Godwin and so I will only hope that sometime I may meet you face to face and perhaps shake hands with you. If I ever do it will be one of the greatest pleasures of my life … The way I came to you was this. A notice of your poems appeared some two years ago or more in Temple Bar magazine. I glanced at it and took its dictum as final, and laughed at you among friends. I say it to my own shame but not to regret for it has taught me a lesson to last my life out — without ever having seen your poems. More than a year after I heard two men in College talking of you. One of them had your book (Rossetti’s edition) and was reading aloud some passages at which both laughed. They chose only those passages which are most foreign to British ears and made fun of them. Something struck me that I had judged you hastily. I took home the volume and read far into the night. Since then I have to thank you for many happy hours, for I have read your poems with my door locked late at night and I have read them on the seashore where I could look all round me and see no more sign of human life than the ships out at sea: and here I often found myself waking up from a reverie with the book open before me. I love all poetry, and high generous thoughts make the tears rush to my eyes, but sometimes a word or a phrase of yours takes me away from the world around me and places me in an ideal land surrounded by realities more than any poem I ever read. Last year I was sitting on the beach on a summer’s day reading your preface to the Leaves of Grass as printed in Rossetti’s edition (for Rossetti is all I have got till I get the complete set of your works which I have ordered from America). One thought struck me and I pondered over it for several hours — “the weather-beaten vessels entering new ports,” you who wrote the words know them better than I do: and to you who sing of your land of progress the words have a meaning that I can only imagine. But be assured of this Walt Whitman — that a man of less than half your own age, reared a conservative in a conservative country, and who has always heard your name cried down by the great mass of people who mention it, here felt his heart leap towards you across the Atlantic and his soul swelling at the words or rather the thoughts. It is vain for me to quote an instances of what thoughts of yours I like best — for I like them all and you must feel you are reading the true words of one who feels with you. You see, I have called you by your name. I have been more candid with you — have said more about myself to you than I have said to anyone before. You will not be angry with me if you have read so far. You will not laugh at me for writing this to you. It was no small effort that I began to write and I feel reluctant to stop, but I must not tire you any more.

If you would ever care to have more you can imagine, for you have a great heart, how much pleasure it would be to me to write more to you. How sweet a thing it is for a strong healthy man with a woman’s eye and a child’s wishes to feel that he can speak to a man who can be if he wishes father, and brother and wife to his soul. I don’t think you will laugh, Walt Whitman, nor despise me, but at all events I thank you for all the love and sympathy you have given me in common with my kind.

Bram Stoker

(had to add two paragraph breaks due to tumblr's text block length limit)

More info (and Whitman's response): "'Dracula' Author Bram Stoker’s Extraordinary Love Letter to Walt Whitman" by Maria Popova, The Marginalian

#bram stoker #walt whitman #words #lit #&

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seraphtrevs · 3 months ago

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for the ask game…brbabcs? (either the combined universe or whichever of the shows individually) 💕

I'm just going to do a mishmash of whatever happens to come to my mind lol - STREAM OF CONSCIOUS POSTING INCOMING

my favorite female character - over the whole brbabcs, obviously it's Kim. She was a great character from episode one, but they really cemented her as the Character of All Time with her fall from grace in season 6. She's so complicated and layered, achingly human and relatable, but also extraordinary, which makes her compelling to watch.

She's a hard character to sum up because she's so nuanced, but I think what draws me to her the most is her deep rage at injustice. Her fall is ironic because it was that desire to make the world "right" that led her to betray her core values - but honestly, who can blame her? Haven't we all wished that the Howard Hamlins of the world would suffer consequences too, instead of consequences being only reserved for people who were born in the "wrong" race/gender/class? But at the same time, embarrassing one Howard Hamlin is not actually the same thing as making systemic changes, and her desire to punish him was a personal vendetta, not actual justice. I totally get how the two got mixed up in her head, though.

I'm also a big Skyler fan - more on her later

my favorite male character - For BCS, it's Lalo lol. I don't think he's the BEST character, but sometimes it feels like Peter Gould got the gang together and was like, "Listen, tumblr user seraphtrevs has been having a hard time - why don't we write a character that is specifically tailored to all of her deepest, darkest, and horniest desires?" And lo, they did. He's so charming and cheerful and evil and funny and so so SO hot - I was doomed from the very first paca paca paca 😭

Side note, I think i'm such a villain girlie because I'm so anxious. Characters who don't worry about anything except doing what they want are very fun for me to watch. Imagine the bliss of not caring! *_*

For brba, the character I have the most affection for is Jesse, but Jesse is made to be loved. So instead...I'm going to pick Walt. He is the worst man who has ever lived and I completely get why people can't stomach him. My own husband tapped out of brba because he found Walt unbearable IN SEASON ONE.

So as a person, yes, Walt is the worst. But as a character? He's unparalleled. He makes things happen, which I think a very underrated character trait (and one that a lot of writers overlook). Walt is an infernal engine, a perpetual motion machine, a catalyst of catalysts. Things HAPPEN when he's around, which makes him a really fantastic character.

The other thing I really appreciate about Walt is that Vince Gilligan really stuck to his guns. He said he wanted to tell a story about Mr. Chips becoming Scarface, and by god that's what he did. A big problem with a lot of "antihero" shows is that they are often way too sympathetic to their protagonists and fall for their bullshit. And while a lot of the audience for brba fell for walt's bullshit, the writers were always very clear-eyed about what they were doing.

my favorite book/season/etc - an impossible question for bcs. all seasons are tied for best except season 2, which was a little tiny bit less good but only because it was necessary to set up the rest of the show's run, so actually it is also tied for best. I guess if you put a gun to my head, I'd say season 5 because it's the Lalo season

brba is an easier call - it's for sure season 4.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show) - for brba, I'll say The Fly, not necessarily because it's my favorite (too many favorites to choose from) but because I love character work, and that ep is all character work. Also, it's a good illustration of what I was talking about in my walt answer - it's an episode where "nothing" happens (or so claim Fly detractors!)...but making things happen doesn't have to mean making BIG things happen. Walt's monomania and willingness to do whatever it takes to "win" over something as stupid as a little fly shows what makes him such a great character

my favorite cast member - for brba, i think it's pretty widely known that bryan cranston and aaron paul have merged into one being, so I choose bryaaron.

for bcs, it's bob odenkirk. the entire show - or even the entire brbabcs universe, actually - rests on jimmy. like i know i just said that was walt, and it is for brba. but i think that now that bcs is done, you can make the argument that jimmy is actually the character that it was "about" (actually I'd put Kim in there too). Walt was always morally black, but Jimmy was genuinely morally gray for much of the series, and he maintained a human core that Walt lost. I think Jimmy and Kim are more relatable. (Not to leave Jesse out, bc out of the four of them Jesse is the most sympathetic in a lot of ways. But I feel like his story was more of a survival story, like Skyler's, and not so much a story about moral failure. Like yeah for sure jesse had tons of moral failures, but that never seemed to be the POINT of jesse, like it was the point of walt, jimmy, and kim.)

my favorite ship - for bcs, it's a tie between lacho and mcwexler. for brba, it's waltjesse.

i haven't talked about nacho at all so far which seems weird because I have a LOT of nacho thoughts (see my tag #nacho christ superstar). i feel like the cartel plot is like, the heightened version of the lawyer plot. or that's not right exactly - not heightened as in better, but heightened as more dramatic, more extreme, more literal. so lacho to me is like, what if you really were in bed with the devil? (i mean, maybe literal is the wrong word because he's not LITERALLY the devil, but lalo is a much more straightforward, morally UNambiguous character who is the personification of the evils of the cartel. so like. more literal. you know what i mean.) (plus i'm so horny for both of them. 😭😭😭😭😭)

mcwexler is the best on screen, canon romance i've ever seen. period.

as i've said before, waltjesse is the six-in-one shampoo/bodywash/conditioner of toxic relationships. jesse is walt's student/business partner/best friend/worst enemy/mistress/wife/son/dog. how can you NOT love something that twisted?

a character I’d die defending - SKYLER. Fortunately tumblr has the right attitude, but it still blows my mind that anyone could judge her for what she went through. walt destroyed her life - every action she took was her trying to protect herself and her children. what she went through was pure nightmare fuel, and it astonishes me that anyone could think she was ever unsympathetic

a character I just can’t sympathize with/a character I grew to love - someone sent me an ask just about these, so i'll save these for later! this is already so long lmao

my anti otp - I don't really have any for the brbabcs verse! in general, i'm openminded about even off-the-wall ships because fandom is for fun, and no one in this fandom has ever annoyed me with some of the shipping behavior you get from bigger, more annoying fandoms

#better call saul #breaking bad #asks #ask games

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infernothechaosgod · 5 months ago

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THE CHAINED CIRCUS POST!

(If youve been ever intrested in my blog please read this it would mean alot to me!)

I've realized i've been talking about my comic the chained circus for quite some time but barely explained whats it about what characters are in it and overall how it'll look so heres a post explaining what The chained circus or TCC comic is!

Since last year i've been meaning to make a comic using rubberhose public domain characters, before steamboat willie came into the public domain i planned to make a very diffrent plot based comic that was suppoust to be a "fan" work and looking back would probably end up too big for me, but with steamboat willie free now i've decided i'll try to not break any trademarks or copyrights and make an plot-gag oryginal comic

the characters are based on their already known counterparts and there is inspiration taken from comics and shorts that still belong to the walt disney company and dreamworks inc. however the characters arent the same, there are many things changed about them role wise, design wise and characterization wise, at first I aimed to have them be as close to their most popular characterizations but then i realized that I had perspective on some of these characters others do not have and after few nights spent looking at the wall intensly and thinking I decided to do what I find the most fun and intresting despite it posibly not being a take everyone might enjoy or find "accurate" it is a take I put lots of love and hope into

indie works have been a big intrest of mine for years and public domain made me see some real gorgeous stories with lots of work put into them from other other small artist, what I admired the most about them is how the characters often got re-written in ways that would not even be looked at in corporate workspaces, and after slowing things down I looked at my own work from an outsiders perspective and asked myself "why shoudnt I write them diffrently to how they were written before?" and the only answears that I could think of made me feel more like a executive breathing down an artists neck rathen than the artist

while I understand my takes on characters in the story might not be everyones cup of tea I like them and genuinely have fun with them and must ask everyone reading this who do enjoy already existing takes on all of these characters to at least give my works a chance and look at them for a moment even from the corner of your eye

Whats the comic about?

Its about toons that at their lowest [or stupidest] decided to sign a contract with a shady ringmaster simply referred to as "MR" the toons are now stuck working for him as entertainers at his circus...a very porly managed circus, MR is not the brightest and while not truly evil he is quite stupid, that mixed with his greed leads to circus endlessly having to deal with something, be it undoing a badly struck deal, having to preform in shady places, sudden changes in their work schedules none are happy with or the accual devil who knows!

what type of a comic is this?

The chained circus is a gag comic! mostly lighthearted many chapters/stories wont be very plot driven but despite that there still will be ongoing plot in it you might wanna follow!

unlike a typical gag comic things will change overtime, one story wont be forgotten to make another one work and suddently characters wont forget their lessons or morals from before [unless theres an accual reason for it in the story]

And while the comic is mostly a comedy there will be serious moments in it there and there but do not worry! anything that will require a content warning or a trigger warning will be marked at the start of the chapter/in title card [ I write more about that below ]

overall id say that there will be more gag and comedy focused chapters but the lore/story driven chapters will leave a stronger mark after themselfs

The artstyle?

The comic will be in black and white with the only color visible being yellow, i plan on making the artstyle slightly messy i want you to feel like youre looking at something indie, not put through corporstions eye, i plan on the lineart being a bit rought and the texture of both characters fur and clothes will have noise to it, I dont plan on making it visualy busy or overwhelming but you'll mostlikely wont see much still color (or well brightness)

while not ideal and more of concept art here are some examples

Who will be the main characters?

The main characters are

Michael charm (mickey mouse) as the clown

Oswald charm (oswald the lucky rabbit) as the arial dancer

Julius. (Julius the cat) he does all the paperwork

Minerva mice (minnie mouse) as the magician

Francine fanny cottontail (sometimes reffered to as "bunny lou") as the Contortionist

Peg leg pete (accual name "peter fluffpaw") as the strong man

While the recurring Side characters are

MR. - The circuses ringmaster, but definitley not head, the man that menaged to lock others in with a bunch of contracts but cant multiply by 2 (oryginal character)

Alice comedy - julius' right hand woman and best friend! She helps with the paperwork and despite not spending much time with the toons because of their...strong reaction to her, she tries to be kind and helpful to them, what a sweet kid! (alice comedies)

Age rating? content warnings?

The chained circus is very much not made with children in mind but also not adults, id say its rated T (teen, aka 13+) While i don't plan on making every character swear every chapter 40+ times an ocassional cuss word there and there might be dropped, some humor can be based around more adult themes, none of it would be too serious, it is a gag comic afterall but I do plan on putting warnings at the start of the chapter at the title card since i belive all triggers are valid, there will be 3 levels of warnings,

Blue for jokes or brief mentions

Purple for slightly serious implements/showcases

Red for explicit serious showcases

do keep in mind that red rating will be barely used and most likely will be for things like characters being in distress, scary imaginary, heavier arguments and such, things I belive could be heavy or upseting for some but not dreadfull, like I said more plot driven chapters will happen but it is suppoust to be a comedy comic at the end of the day

when and where can I read it?

I plan on writing out a whole chapter then uploading it over the course of 2 weeks publishing few pages at the time [as you decided on a poll i made] the comic will be avaiable here, comic fury and on my neocities website! I'll link all of them here when the first pages of the pilot will be out

as of relase date I hope to start publishing first pages this month but cant yet tell if early on or later on I'll update this post and make other seperate posts about it when I figure it out

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS POST! LIKE I SAID IT MEANS ALOT TO ME AND WORDS CANT EXPRESS HOW MUCH ANY SUPPORT OF YOURS MEANS TO ME! <3<3<3<3<3

Feel free to tag me, ask me anything in my askbox or reblog or comment whatever id love to answear your questions or hear your thoughts ^ ^!

#mickey mouse #oswald the lucky rabbit #oswald and mickey #public domain #fanny cottontail #oswald rabbit #webcomic #julius the cat #peg leg pete #minnie mouse #public domain use #rubberverse #long post #web comic #announcement #important #please consider reading #michael charm #oswald charm

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winter-leftovers · 1 year ago

Text

Til The End Of Eternity || Chapter twenty: We Need To Talk About Mom’s Paintings (20/?)

(Douxie Casperan x f!reader)

Summary: Y/n is trying to figure her life out but is going to be hard since her brother is the new trollhunter and she is plagued by dreams and feelings she doesn’t understand.

Chapter Summary: Morgana possesses Claire. Douxie and Y/n have a moment. Y/n needs her father.

Word count: 2568

Warnings: we have everything. We have angst, we have comfort, we have some I would say +16 stuff

(Season 3 Episodes 2,3,4,5)

Song?: The Night We Met by Lord Huron and Phoebe Bridgers

Previous - Next

Masterlist

Y/n looked around the room, the once dark and colorless basement was now an art gallery full of colorful paintings of creatures that shouldn’t exist against vibrants backgrounds.

She observed her mother paint a portrait the size of the wall of her ex-boyfriend's troll from with an intensity she had never seen before. She didn’t even know her mother could paint.

“Mom, I packed you lunch!” Jim screamed from the kitchen.

“Down here honey!” Screamed back Barbara without taking her eyes from the painting.

Jim slowly walked down stairs and saw her sister sitting in a stool observing the spectacle.

“What’s going on?” He mouthed.

Y/n shrugged, she was just as confused, with her head she pointed at the big Mr. Strickler’s painting.

Jim’s eyes opened like plates.

“So, what do you think? I call it “Goodbye, Walt” You warned me he was bad news, but I didn’t listen. Then he vanished without a goodbye. What kind of man does that? Hence the horns. They’re symbolic” Barbara proudly showed off her painting.

“Wow, mom. Quite the imagination” Jim turned to Y/n.

“Yeah” Y/n is lost for words. She didn’t know what to do “Now, I know where I got my artistic side is from”

“Aw, thank you sweety” Barbara pinched Y/n’s cheek “First your father, and now him. I swear, if I ever see Walt again…”

“On that note,” Jim nervously chuckled, starting to go upstairs “gotta run”

“Coward” Y/n whispered.

—

“Hello” Y/n announced her arrival at the bookstore.

“Hello, love” Douxie emerged from under the counter mirroring the smile in Y/n’s face “You’re early. I thought you were coming for lunch. We were going to the park”

Y/n walked to Douxie and kissed his cheek.

“Are you kicking me out?” She chuckled against his cheek.

“What?! No?!” He screamed. For a moment, fear creeped on Douxie's spine. Did he make Y/n feel rejected?

“Relax” Y/n rested her head on his shoulders, and patted his chest “I just wanted to see you. Is that such a crime?” It wasn’t a complete lie. Y/n wanted to see Douxie, she always wanted to see him. But today, she needed to get out of her house, stay away from her mother’s art.

“Stop toying with the kid. He only slept two hours” Archie jumped on top of the counter.

“Hi to you too, Arch” Y/n scratched the cat’s chin.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m a little bit on edge. It was a long night. Too many trolls in Arcadia wreaking havoc” Douxie let himself fall on the chair “Do you know what’s up with that?”

Y/n nodded. She doesn’t want to lie to Douxie but if she told him the truth she knew he would want to help and that would open a can of worms that she doesn’t want to deal with just yet.

“No idea” she shook her head “that’s weird” she observed Douxie’s dark eyebags “Hey, why don’t you go lay down until lunch and I stay here?”

“No. No. I’m okay” he straightened himself in the chair, dropping a cup with pens with his elbow.

Y/n and Archie shared a look.

“You’re not” Y/n gently push him from the shoulders of the chair “you’re missing a cat and you didn’t notice it”

“No, Al is…” Douxie started to look everywhere as Y/n guided him to the stairs.

“See? Go to sleep. See you at lunch” Y/n waved until Douxie disappeared into the distance. She turned to Arch “Where’s Al, anyway?”

“Who knows. He said something about a meeting with a duck and then something about a dandelion and tacos” Archie rolled his eyes.

“Don’t laugh at him. Is always important to have connections”

Y/n helped out a few regulars and a few not so regulars during the afternoon. Time moved slowly, the dog outside the bookstore sniffed the tree comically slow until he found a spot, the traffic lights wouldn’t change colors, everything seemed to move so painfully slow. She looked back at Archie to see if he was also affected by this strange phenomenon but he was belly up under a ray of sunshine. She smiled and walked the small store coming back to the spot where Douxie had given her her old book. She couldn’t see it back then but now, with this piece of the puzzle back in its place she could recognise that Douxie had reconstructed her old bookshelf from their time in Camelot.

“Lady Y/n” Hisirdoux shyly knocked on the door.

“Come on in” Y/n answered, her voice almost above a whisper. She was laying on the floor with her back against the bookshelf, her nose buried in a red leather bound book and her bare feet were covered by her faithful friend, Alfred.

“Where…?” Hisirdoux looked around the room until he saw the cat’s brown tail coming from under the bed “Y/n?” He called.

“Mmmh?” She lifted her view from the book, her hair was in a perfect braid but she was still in her nightgown.

“Master M…”

“Y/n?” Morgana pushed the door wide open.

Hisirdoux jumped back like a cat.

“Why aren't you wearing your dress?” The woman grabbed the dress from the bed and ran next to the girl.

“I thought I had time” Y/n looked at Hisirdoux her eyes filling with tears “I…I…”

From the hallway, they could hear the echo of the steps followed by a staff hitting the stone covered floor.

Hisirdoux’s heart fell to his stomach when he saw Y/n’s red eyes.

“Hisirdoux, can you distract him?” Asked Morgana as she prepared the girl’s dress.

Hisirdoux pursed his lips and nodded before running down the hallway.

Y/n smiled while the tears fell as she heard Hisirdoux’s insanes complain about his lack of staff.

“He is nice” Morgana whispered .

Y/n’s cheeks redden as her bracelet, she lowered her head and played with it while Morgana tightened her corset.

The woman chuckled, “He could be a nice friend… Like in the book”

“But…”

“And, don’t…but mater me”

“Y/n?! Y/n?!” Douxie screamed.

Y/n blinked a couple times and came back to the floor of the bookstore. Her knees red from supporting her weight on the floor. She looked around. She doesn’t remember getting to the ground, she doesn’t remember grabbing the book.

“Love?!” Douxie asked, voice laced with desperation.

“Doux? When did you wake up?” Y/n tried to get up but her legs failed her, luckily, Douxie caught her before she could hit the floor.

“A couple minutes ago. What happened?” He guided her to the small couch and crouched in front of her.

“I..I was looking at the books and then…I had a vision?” She frowned.

“A vision?” He repeated.

“From the past…remember the morning after Morgana gave me the anthology?”

Douxie smiled at the memory, that was the beginning of their friendship.

“I was ten and you were nine and deadly afraid of angering your father” he said a little absent minded.

“Yeah…I almost remembered him” she looked at him, her eyes full of tears like that morning.

“You’ll remember him” Douxie’s heart fell to his stomach just like that morning.

Y/n looked deeply into Douxie's hazel eyes, the only eyes that she ever wanted to look at in moments like this and closed the distance kissing him, her hands quickly finding their home amongst his hair. Douxie instantly returned the kiss with the same sweetness but more desperation. Everytime they would touch, he needed to taste every drop of it, even if it was an accidental graze of hands during the day.

His hands lifted her from the couch and her legs quickly snaked around his waist.

“Doux” Y/n panted, holding his cheeks “people can see us”

“I don’t care” he whispered, his eyes full of lust going back and forth between her eyes and her lips.

“Doux…”Y/n whispered. She was shocked. Douxie was a little more shy than that.

“Let’s go upstairs” he said into her ear before biting her earlobe.

“Mmmh” she laughed.

As Douxie’s feet would step each step of the stairwell, Y/n’s heart would pound faster, stronger. She hid her face on Douxie’s neck but the familiar smell did nothing to calm the tremors in her hands, in her torso.

Douxie laid both of them on the couch of the second floor where they would usually nap and started to kiss Y/n’s neck, his hands slowly feeling her stomach up to her sides. Y/n instinctively opened her legs to give him space, her hips moved against his, her hands went to his chest, her body reacted to his but a part of her mind was confused.

“You’re so pretty” Douxie's voice brought her to the present. His shirt was missing, his toned chest exposed for Y/n to see.

“Look who’s talking” she put a hand on his now red chest and pushed him back.

“So pretty” he repeated as he observed her while she sat on top of him.

Y/n kissed him again and again and slowly went down from his mouth, to his chin, to his neck, to the spot under his jaw where she could feel his pulse. Douxie groaned making Y/n smile but it quickly got erased from her face when her hands started to shake again while Douxie took out her shirt leaving her with her bra exposed.

Y/n put her hands on Douxie’s shoulders and moved her hips, maybe if her hands felt him they would remember him.

“Y/n?” Douxie’s hand caressed Y/n cheek “are you alright?”

She looked down at him, at his eyes full of worry and smiled.

“Of course” she kissed him but this time he didn’t return it as passionately as before, this time was sweet, understanding.

With a swift move he was on top of her again and could inspectionate her face more clearly.

“No, you’re not” he furrowed “we don’t have to do this, love” he started to pull back.

“No, I want this” she put her hand on his shoulder “it just…” she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. To Y/n Ambrosius it isn’t a big deal but to Y/n Lake it is “You know…”

But Douxie’s big eyes told her he didn’t know.

“I know that you and I…you know but…Y/n Lake hasn’t” she explained.

“I don’t follow” he whispered.

“You’re gonna make me say it” she whispered to herself “Y/n Lake is still part of me, right?”

He nodded.

“Y/n Lake is a…virgin”

Douxie’s blood drained from his face and came back in a rush.

“Oh. Oh” he sat on his heels “I see”

Y/n sat up, her body warming up from the shyness “I want this”

Douxie chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“Me too but…” he grabbed both cheeks with his hands “this time has to be special too” kissing her nose.

The butterflies ruptured Y/n’s stomach traveling through her body. She nodded, a lovesick smile plastered on her face.

—

“I was falling asleep. Was it necessary to call me sixty five times?” Y/n screamed as she opened Claire’s bedroom door.

Claire was floating in the middle of the room. The boys had tied her up chains that her magic seemed unable to break.

“I’ll wear your spine as my crown, peasants!” Claire screamed in anger.

“That’s a new one” said Jim pointing his bat to Claire.

“Her creativity knows no bounds” added Toby.

Claire screamed, throwing Jim and Toby threw the air with her magic. Y/n was able to stay put on the door. She had been more thrown out by the familiarity of the magic than the magic itself. She took a step forward, her eyes focused on the changed Claire, her voice was different and so was her magic.

“Apologies for my delay” Blinky barged into the room and was able to set the chair back into the ground and with a quick move of a stone set the chains back into place.

The troll explained the why of his delay but Y/n couldn’t hear. She was consumed by the weight in her throat, by the burning in her eyes, something in Claire’s eyes was pulling her to the ground.

“Does the name Morgana mean anything to you?” Jim asked Blinky.

Y/n mouth hung open. The memory of the red haired woman holding her hand through the woods, braiding her hair, teaching her magic, being slayed by a sword, all came back like a stab to the heart. The myth was true. Morgana was alive.

“Morgan Le Fay, Merlin’s apprentice” explained Blinky, scared of naming the monster.

“Like Merlin who made my amulet?” asked Jim

“No” whispered Y/n and took a step back.

“I spit on his name as I spit on his grave” Morgana chuckles “Don’t we, Birdie?” She looked directly at Y/n.

“Sounds like they didn’t get along” Toby hid behind Jim.

Y/n kept walking backwards until her legs hit the bed and sat down, too afraid to make a sound.

“He thinks he can be rid of me? The fool” she laughs and turns to the guys in front of her “I will erase his name and all of his creations”

Y/n looked down at her hands and saw the tears falling down. She wasn’t sure of what she was more afraid of: the ghost in front of her or what the ghost could do to her friends.

She turned to the door and ran. Afraid that the grief and the nostalgia would bend her will. Ran far from Claire’s house, from Douxie’s library, she ran until her feet ached, until her knees gave up and then, she fell to the ground, her hands softening the blow.

A broken sob escaped her throat, her body gave out, falling to the side on top of the grass. She pulled her knees to her chest and prayed that the darkness of the night was enough to hide her from the world.

One last sob abandoned her lips before closing her eyes:

“I want my father”

—

“Good morning” whispered a familiar raspy voice.

Y/n felt a familiar hand caressing her hair. Without opening her eyes she leaned into the touch, she knew that feeling before she was even born. She stretched her hand and grabbed the familiar robe, an old habit she hadn’t shaken.

“Come one, Birdie, open your eyes” the man insisted, moving the final strand of hair from her face.

“No” she clutched the robe tighter and moved closer to the warmth that the man’s body provided.

“Why?” The man chuckled.

“I’m afraid” she cried.

“What?” The man grabbed Y/n and cradled her “Why?”

“I’m afraid you won’t be there when I open my eyes” she grabbed the closest piece of fabric she could feel.

“Oh, Birdie” the man rocked her “Of course I’ll be here”

Y/n slowly opened her eyes and under the light of the sun she saw a man with crystalline blue eyes.

“Father?” She asked before the weight of reality brought her back and made her realize that she was alone and that her father was laying on a tomb waiting to be awakened.

A/n: was that a lot?

-Yes -No

Did you expect the revelation?

-Yes -No -Why would you do that to a child?

Can you tell I have daddy issues by my choice of father?

-Yes -Yes

#tales of arcadia #douxie x reader #douxie #toa #trollhunters #hisirdoux casperan #hisirdoux x reader #my writing #Til The End Of Eternity

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butterfly-lies-chase-them-away · 1 year ago

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Hey!! Thanks so much for writing my previous request! I'm so glad you liked it. I was quite nervous requesting it because I didn't know if you'd like the concept or if it would make sense or not but I'm really happy that you did. And I absolutely loved it!! Made me incredibly giddy to see that the prompt struck you! I'm wondering if you'd be open to me requesting another piece for Alfie using the general concept below? (Again, no pressure what so ever):

Alfie is a man that has had near death experiences several times throughout his life, but this time he thinks will be the last. That is until he feels himself being dragged across the cold cobblestone steps to the last place he'd ever think would be a safe haven for him.

Could this kind of be like where him and reader aren't exactly on amicable terms. It's a love/hate relationship (emphasis on the hate, lol). And when he asks why they saved him, they're just like: "didn't save you. Just prolonged your death. I told you before, no one has claim to kill you except for me."

Sorry if that didn't make too much sense. Basically a GN!Reader X Alfie Solomons enemies to (kinda) lovers but you sure as shit can't mess with the other, because that right is only reserved for them. "No one can kill you but me" are the vibes of their relationship.

(And if you don't mind, I'll use this as my identifier: 🥀.) Thanks again and I love, love, love your work ♥️!

- 🥀

Mine to Kill - Alfie Solomons x GN!Reader ONESHOT

Pairing: Alfie Solomons x GN!Reader

Word Count: 3120

Warnings: blood, stitching someone up

Summary: (The request)

A/N: Thank you so much for the request! I'm so happy you liked the last story. This was such a cute request, I love me some good ol' playful enemies to lovers. I'm so happy I'm able to identify you now! I look forward to more requests from you and everyone else. Hope you all enjoy 🥀💚

Alfie Solomons had waltzed with death on so many occasions that it felt as though he were an unwilling partner in a ceaseless, macabre dance. Every encounter with an enemy had etched its mark upon him, leaving deep scars not only on his body but on the recesses of his soul. The specter of death had become a relentless companion, its chilling fingers tracing the contours of his existence, staining it with a darkness that refused to fade. He had grown increasingly intimate with the concept of mortality, his dance with the reaper a relentless walts of agony and survival.

Yet, on this bitter, moonless night in Camden town,It was as if the universe itself had conspired to stage the conclusion of his life. The air was filled with an eerie stillness, the kind that precedes a storm. His blood flowed like a river unleashed from a dam, an unrelenting torrent from a vicious wound in his side. The bloodstains on the cobblestone steps formed a haunting picture, each drop a reminder of his unyielding struggle against a relentless destiny.

As he lay there, trapped in death's clutches, Alfie's reality shifted into a murky haze, where the lines between truth and illusion were as hazy as the fading memories of a man on the brink of the unknown. It was in this fragile moment, suspended between life and death, that his once-unshakable resolve, the very foundation upon which he had built his existence, flickered like a candle in the midst of a relentless storm.The boundary between his will to survive and the tempting embrace of surrender blurred, and doubt infiltrated his once unshakable self-assurance.

The looming darkness was unlike anything he'd ever known, its presence echoing with the ominous promise of an ending too final, too absolute to contemplate. Here, at this very moment, there was no escaping the inevitable, and Alfie could feel the cold breath of death, its embrace closing in, a meeting he could no longer avoid. It was the eternal silence that called to him, an abyss that left no room for defiance.

Struggling for each labored breath, Alfie's thoughts raced through the haze of pain, a singular name repeating in his mind like a mantra. Y/n. Their connection was a puzzle, a relentless source of frustration that had left them perpetually at odds. But amidst the chaos of the moment, as life teetered on the precipice, he couldn't deny the conviction that she would be the one to aid him, as contradictory as their relationship had always been.

Alfie was aware of the aggressive dynamic that had plagued their relationship for years. Their history was marked not by tender moments, but by the bitter taste of blood and the sting of betrayal. They were no strangers to confrontation; it seemed like every encounter ended with the exchange of harsh words or even harsher blows. Yet, beneath the layers of animosity and hostility, there was an inexplicable connection that both frustrated and mystified him. It was a connection he couldn't quite put into words, a magnetic pull that drew them together in their most volatile moments.

As he lay there, fading in and out of consciousness, Alfie found himself yearning to see the reader one last time. It was an inexplicable desire, considering the countless times they had been at each other's throats, and the disdain that had characterized their interactions. But in this desperate moment, he couldn't help but wish for a final encounter, a chance to unravel the enigma that was their relationship. Perhaps in that ultimate confrontation, he would finally understand the complex web of emotions that had kept them bound together, a love-hate bond that transcended reason and defied explanation.

The cobblestone under him seemed to vibrate with the approaching footsteps, but Alfie couldn't be sure if it was the real world or a fevered dream playing tricks on his battered senses. Everything appeared in blurred fragments, a distorted reality that left him questioning the very existence of the shadowed figure that loomed over him.

His groggy consciousness barely registered the arrival, and a voice, cool and unfeeling, echoed above him. It conveyed disappointment, a palpable sense of something having gone awry, but there was no hint of surprise. The voice seemed to hang in the air, an ominous punctuation to his dire situation.

"Uh, shit..." The voice spoke.

Alfie could barely hear them, the words slurred and fragmented. It was as if the world had tilted on its axis, and he had been thrust into a surreal nightmare where nothing was certain, not even the identity of the enigmatic presence that had dragged him from the brink of oblivion.

Alfie's senses were jolted as he felt his body being lifted off the unforgiving floor. It was a moment of profound disorientation, where the boundary between life and death blurred into obscurity. He couldn't discern whether it was the cold grip of death or the desperate strength of another person that held him aloft.

As he dangled in the hazy threshold of consciousness, Alfie's ears caught the sound of a struggle, the grunts and shuffles of someone grappling with the weight of his imposing frame. The voice that accompanied the struggle, tinged with irritation and a touch of begrudging admiration, cut through the disorienting fog that enveloped him.

"You big bastard," the words were growled out, spoken by someone who seemed simultaneously exasperated by the burden they were shouldering and oddly proud of their own audacity. It was a phrase that seemed to encapsulate the entirety of their complex relationship, where contempt and grudging respect danced on the knife's edge, much like the precarious balance between life and death that Alfie now found himself in.

Agony pulsed through every fiber of Alfie's being as his body protested the movement, and his head throbbed mercilessly as he was gingerly lifted from the harsh floor and placed onto a plush couch. The world around him remained a blur, but gradually, the mist lifted, revealing his surroundings. It was unmistakably Y/n's workshop, a place of mystery and ingenuity, and an unexpected haven for someone like him.

As his vision cleared, a spark of comfort surged through his heart. He could see the enigmatic figure approaching once more, their presence a reassuring beacon in the midst of his disorienting ordeal.

"Well, hello, darling," Alfie's voice emerged as a slurred drawl, his signature cockiness managing to persist even in his vulnerable state.

His gaze fixed upon them, a mixture of appreciation and something deeper, an emotion he couldn't quite put into words. The connection between them, the push and pull of their tumultuous history, was something that defied logic, but in that moment, it was a lifeline he clung to with a strange sense of gratitude.

Even in the haze that clouded his vision, Alfie could discern the unmistakable signs of irritation etched across Y/n's face. The furrowed brow, the narrowing of their eyes – it was a silent but vivid testament to their exasperation.

"Who did you fucking piss off this time, Solomons?" they demanded, their voice tinged with a mix of exasperation and a hint of genuine concern. The history between them had been fraught with clashes, but there was an undeniable thread of connection that bound them together, and it was in moments like these that it became evident, lurking beneath the layers of frustration.

A faint, wry smile tugged at the corners of Alfie's lips as he admitted, his words a mumbled confession, "Uh... who bloody knows, yeah." He genuinely couldn't recall the specifics of the latest debacle that had brought him to the brink of death. It was as if his life had been a never-ending cycle of chaos and conflict, a whirlwind that left him perpetually disoriented.

Y/n's frustration softened for a moment, replaced by a peculiar mixture of amusement and exasperation. It was a dance they had performed many times before, a tango of clashing personalities and insurmountable history. And yet, in that moment, there was an unspoken understanding that transcended words, a connection that defied the chaos that surrounded them.

Y/n's sigh was heavy with the weight of their shared history, an exasperated breath that spoke of the countless times they had found themselves in these predicaments. With a careful grace that contrasted sharply with the frustration they felt, they crouched down beside Alfie.

Alfie observed their every move, his vision clearing as they worked. In their capable hands, they held a pair of scissors, glinting menacingly in the dim light of the workshop. With deliberate precision, Y/n cut through the fabric of Alfie's shirt, baring his battered body to the cool air of the workshop. It was a vulnerable moment, one that was laden with an odd mix of intimacy and tension, as Y/n's actions conveyed a silent promise to save him once more from the brink of death.

"Fucking hell, Solomons, you're a proper mess," Y/n muttered, their tone a mixture of concern and exasperation as they assessed the extent of the massive wound on Alfie's side. It was a gruesome sight, and even they couldn't help but wince at the severity of it.

Alfie, never one to miss a beat, managed a raspy laugh despite the searing pain that coursed through his body. "No different from what you've done to me," he quipped, a crooked smile playing on his lips before it dissolved into a fit of coughing and wheezing, each painful breath serving as a testament to the brutal existence they shared.

Y/n carefully poured a bowl of water, their movements deliberate and steady. They selected a clean cloth and dipped it into the cool liquid before gingerly placing it against the wound. The cloth's touch brought a searing sensation, and Alfie clenched his teeth to stifle any signs of weakness. The area around the injury was inflamed, and each cleansing stroke sent an intense sting shooting through him.

Alfie's jaw tightened, his eyes squinting against the pain. He refused to show any sign of vulnerability. It was an unspoken rule between them - an understanding that they could hurt each other in countless ways, but showing weakness was not an option.

Y/n's unwavering focus was palpable in the air. With a calm and methodical demeanor, they retrieved a gleaming needle and carefully sterilized it by passing it through the flickering flame of a lit candle. The sharp, metallic needle glowed briefly before it was ready for use, a testament to their meticulous care.

Next, they selected a spool of sturdy thread, their nimble fingers expertly looping and securing the ends. With practiced precision, they began to stitch Alfie up. The needle pierced his skin with surprising ease, each stitch closing the gaping wound. It was a delicate dance between the needle and thread, an act of healing that defied the brutality of their history.

Alfie couldn't help but admire their skill, even as the pain pulsed through him. Their hands were steady, and their concentration unbroken, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the bond between them and the gentle cadence of the needle as it wove its way through his skin.

With a careful hand, Y/n applied a soothing ointment to the freshly stitched wound. The cool, medicinal balm brought a sense of relief, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Alfie's tense expression relaxed just slightly. It was a brief respite in the midst of their tumultuous existence.

As they leaned back and examined Alfie's form, it was impossible to deny the stark reality. He did look half-dead, his pallor ashen, and his features etched with exhaustion. The wounds on his body told the tales of countless battles, both won and lost. It was a poignant reminder of the price they paid for the life they led, where danger lurked around every corner, and survival was often a matter of sheer luck and resilience.

Alfie's gaze shifted toward Y/n, his one good eye studying them intently. Despite his battered state and limited vision, he found himself unable to look away, an unspoken admiration for them welling up within him.

In that moment, he saw them in a new light. Their determination, their skill, and their unwavering commitment to his survival were nothing short of extraordinary. Alfie was no stranger to the rough and unforgiving world they both navigated, and it was often a place where trust was scarce. Yet, here was Y/n, the one person who could claim the right to his life, saving him once more.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of respect, a sense of gratitude that transcended the complexities of their relationship. It was an unspoken acknowledgment that, despite their many battles, they shared a bond that defied the odds and kept them bound together.

Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Alfie managed to find his voice, his words punctuated by a mixture of agony and exasperation. "Why in God's name did you save me?" he demanded, his voice a barely audible whisper, but his frustration was palpable.

In the dimly lit workshop, their eyes met, an unspoken challenge passing between them. The question hung in the air, laden with the weight of their complicated history. It was a question that cut to the core of their relationship, a puzzle neither of them had ever quite managed to solve.

The reader's eyes, devoid of any warmth, locked onto his, their icy gaze holding him captive. Their voice, as cold as the steel of a blade, sliced through the tense silence. "I didn't save you," they declared, their words sharp and unforgiving, as they leaned in closer. "I simply postponed your inevitable death. I’ve told you countless times, Alfie," they continued with a cruel smile, "no one, absolutely no one, has the right to end your life except for me."

The words hung in the air like an unbreakable decree, the chilling declaration of their twisted connection. It was a bond neither of them could fully comprehend, a love-hate relationship that defied all logic and left them entangled in a web of obsession and power.

Despite the bitterness that flavored their words, Alfie couldn't help but detect the undertones of twisted comfort and possessiveness woven into the tapestry of their relationship. With a cocky grin that seemed at odds with his battered state, he locked eyes with them.

"Jealous that someone else almost had the pleasure of taking me out?" he taunted, his words carrying a note of mischief amidst the pain. It was a twisted form of banter that they had perfected over the years, one that spoke to the strange bond between them. In that moment, as the workshop's shadows deepened around them, their connection was as undeniable as it was enigmatic.

Y/n shot back with a sardonic grin, their tone dripping with sarcasm as they began tidying up the makeshift operating area. "You bloody well know it," they retorted, their movements efficient and deft.

Alfie couldn't resist the opportunity for a playful jab. "Don't worry, love... I'm saving myself for you," he quipped, a devilish glint in his eye.

Their banter took an unexpected turn when Y/n, wearing an incredulous expression, couldn't resist poking at the newly stitched wound, causing Alfie to grimace in pain. "You are so bloody obsessed with me," they accused, a mixture of exasperation and amusement coloring their words.

Alfie met their accusation with a half-offended look. "And why the fuck would you think that?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Y/n chuckled, their eyes locking onto his. "Come on, Solomons, you practically passed out on my doorstep. Your ass dragged yourself here," they pointed out with a shake of their head. "You're completely and utterly obsessed with me." It was a statement that held a strange kind of truth, one that neither of them could deny.

Amid the playful tension, Alfie's mind was flooded with flashback. The clashes, the power struggles, and those rare moments of begrudging understanding flickered like fragmented images in his mind. In those recollections, he couldn't help but acknowledge that, despite their vehement denials and ceaseless battles, they were undeniably linked by something enigmatic.

They were like two fierce elements in nature, forces of destruction and creation, forever locked in a volatile dance that defied easy categorization. Their connection was a riddle with no solution, a puzzle they could never fully solve, and yet it was the essence of what defined their relationship - a captivating enigma that kept them eternally entwined, two halves of the same turbulent whole.

A glimmer of levity broke through the intensity of their exchange. "You're mine, sunshine," Y/n quipped, their words laced with an odd affection.

Alfie's chuckle was a rare, genuine sound amidst the tension that usually enveloped them. "Fucking looks that way," he said with a half-smile, their shared history and complex connection making the playful banter all the more intriguing. The words, though lighthearted, held a deeper truth about the inexplicable bond that tied them together, a connection that refused to be severed.

An unspoken pact seemed to settle between them, a silent truce forged in the crucible of their shared experiences. Their eyes locked, each acknowledging the enigmatic connection that had both united and torn them apart over the years. It was as if their tumultuous past had culminated in this one moment, where they stood on the precipice of something undefined.

With a deliberate tenderness that was as rare as it was unpredictable, the reader's hand reached out, their fingers grazing Alfie's cheek. The touch was cool to the touch, as cold and unpredictable as the relationship they shared. It was a gesture that defied easy interpretation, a hint of a deeper connection that refused to be denied, no matter how much they clashed or how much they tried to push each other away.

"If I find you still here in the morning," Y/n warned, their fingers still caressing Alfie's cheek, "you're dead." The threat hung in the air, laden with both menace and a strange kind of intimacy.

Alfie responded with a sly grin that was half defiant and half affectionate. "And I wouldn't have it any other way," he retorted, a declaration that underscored the complex nature of their relationship.

With a smile that held a hint of something deeper than just the banter they usually engaged in, Y/n turned and walked away, leaving Alfie on the couch. Their footsteps echoed through the cavernous space, a reminder that, despite the tumultuous dance they shared, there was a bond that neither of them could easily sever.

A/N: thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed, again, thank you for the request 🥀. I look forward to more :)

#fanfic #alfie solomons #alfie solomons fanfic #alfie solomons x reader #alfie solomons imagine #tom hardy x reader #tom hardy fanfic #tom hardy #peaky blinders alfie solomons #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinder fanfic

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marciabrady · 1 year ago

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Hullo Marcia! I was wondering, what- for you- are the most annoying misconceptions Disney fans have about Disney (or if you want to narrow it down, just Walt's original three)? I feel like fans for the last 20-30 years are just so intellectually far removed from the franchise and don't understand anything about it which is why we have stupid takes like "Mulan would hate those boring feminine princesses" or "Snow White is passive" or "Rapunzel is the healthiest most feminist Disney film" being passed around like basic facts.

Oooh that's a good prompt. I have so many more, I was actually thinking about making a post about this soon but:

Belle is the smartest princess because she likes to read lol you all knew this would be coming!! It's the most painful because it's overly simplistic, to the point of being glib, but she also probably makes the stupidest decisions out of any princess and doesn't showcase intelligence at all throughout the film, imo. The fact that she holds a eight page illustrated edition of Jack and the Beanstalk doesn't absolve her of her terrible choices, nor the fact that she probably is the most communicatively ineffective character I've ever seen lol

That the original three princesses are practically interchangeable when they could not be further apart in terms of visual decision, storytelling approach, or vocal performance- *especially* when the past two or three decades have given us nothing but Belle and Rapunzel variants.

Snow White being 14 and the Prince being 31...I don't think the people who repeat this actually believe it either, it's just false outrage at this point.

Cinderella waited for a Prince to save her or that Ariel went to the surface only for her man/gave up her voice and family for him (which like...this is already a reach but you have to actively not pay attention to the film to think this).

That Tiana's "girl boss" status is aspirational when that's actually the part of Tiana that's pre arc. Contributing to grind culture isn't a good thing and the movie acknowledges that there's only so much in Tiana's direct control. She grows after she discovers that there's more to aspire to, outside of something that's so restricted to the capitalistic structure. I think we all need to relisten to "Dig a Little Deeper" lol idk if she's a princess, but I feel this about Meg too. Her jaded side isn't #goals the way most people make it out to be, like it's one thing to be relatable but I don't think we should necessarily cheer her being damaged before she works to overcome it.

When they summarize or promote any Princess as "the first who's not looking for a man." At a 2017 D23 panel of four princesses, Annika, Auli'i, and Paige all said the same thing about their princesses by defining them on their relationships to men while only Jodi was smart enough to avoid this trap lol add to this: when they promote a Princess as "breaking the mold," which is the mold at this point.

When they market any princess as the only one to have x attribute or be the most y (it's normally strongest, bravest, fill in your patriarchal attribute here). It's passe at this point and comparing apples to oranges. Tiana isn't the only one that has a business acumen, Belle isn't the only one not looking for a man, etc.

#ask #anonymous #the fact that you all call me marcia is so cute #it feels like a dear libby moment

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thatfragilecapricorn30 · 1 year ago

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Is 'Will They or Won't They' about David and Gillian?

I finally got around to reading Will They or Won't They by Ava Wilder, which is a novel about two Hollywood actors (Lilah and Shane) that star in a hit TV show in which their characters are a fan-favorite ship, but the actors famously hate each other. The author is annoyingly coy about who the book is about (if anyone) and in The X-Files fandom, fans have speculated that it's about David and Gillian. So what did I think? (mild spoilers below)

Yes, the book is definitely about Gillovny!

The show Lilah and Shane star in (Intangible) is filmed in Vancouver and is extremely popular. It's also a paranormal show: "Walt's main innovation had been to bring in every mythological creature under the sun, as well as open the show up to the world of larger supernatural conspiracies (government or otherwise)." (pg 34)

Lilah, like Gillian, has short, chin-length red hair.

Shane is described as "beautiful" with "long legs, long lashes, dark hair that fell over his forehead without reaching his eyes. Not just beautiful, but attractive, too." (pg 4)

Lilah and Shane meet before their audition, in a room with all the other candidates. They chat while waiting and then are both hired due to their intense chemistry with each other, which is pretty much how The X-Files audition went.

Both actors are unknowns when they are hired and the show propels them to mega-stardom: "He was the only person who understood what she was going through, because he was going through it, too: the surreal, thrilling, terrifying, one-in-a-million experience of going from nobody to capital-S Somebody practically overnight." (pg 80) This sounds a lot like how David and Gillian describe their relationship.

They famously do not get along on set, meanwhile their on-screen chemistry is ever-present and their characters' slow-burn romance is what hooks the fans: "No matter how the two of them felt about each other when the cameras were off, it was the chemistry between their characters, Kate and Harrison, that made the show worth watching." (pg 16)

The showrunner suggests that Lilah and Shane go to couples counseling, which Chris Carter recommended to David and Gillian.

Lilah and Shane participate in a photoshoot that sounds just like the Rolling Stone shoot, in which they are in bed in minimal clothing, while the photographer takes pictures from above.

Lilah and Shane's characters are known for gazing at each other: "...staring longingly at each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking." (pg 19)

No, it's probably about some other couple or no couple at all.

There's no height difference between the two. In fact, it's specifically stated that Lilah and Shane are almost the same height (and Lilah is taller if she wears heels).

Shane was not interested in being an actor, but was scouted and encouraged to audition for the role of Harrison. He had zero acting experience before the show.

The book opens with Lilah returning to Intangible after leaving the show for four seasons. Which I guess is similar to The X-Files but is a much larger gap than David's absence.

Most of the similarities between this book and The X-Files occur in the first half. Once past that point, the characters are pretty fleshed out and don't seem like they are necessarily based on anyone in particular.

Parting thoughts:

There are so many similarities between Lilah/Shane and David/Gillian and their experience on The X-Files that it almost feels like it has to be about them. I've seen speculation that it's about Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries, which is also a possibility.

Whether or not it was about David and Gillian, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you're into romance novels.

If you read this book, what do you think? What famous Hollywood couple was Ava Wilder basing her story on?

#my.txf #the x-files #ddga #gillovny #txf

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thewickedmerman · 4 months ago

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Ranking Don Bluth's Movies

Okay, so I've recently been having some issues with making videos and until I can sort it out, I can't really get any new clips for videos. So that makes it harder for me to be able to talk about certain topics I want to discuss on YouTube. However, I really want to talk about this so I decided to make a post here on Tumblr and when I have my technical issues sorted out, I'll post a YouTube version. However, since I'm not playing a character on Tumblr, that means that this won't include my signature merfolk language like "mermazing", "What the Tartarus", or "Dear sweet Poseidon." But you can expect that in my video when I sort out my technical issues.

Anyway, as a long-time fan of animation, especially of 2D animation, I’m a pretty big fan of Don Bluth. Here’s a brief history lesson about this legend. He was a big fan of Walt Disney animation ever since he first saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as a child and realized all he wanted to do in life was make animated movies. He managed to work at Walt Disney studios and even got to meet Walt Disney before he died, and he would end up leaving the company years after Walt’s death and taking several animators with him due to the disappointment in the company’s lackluster work with films like The Rescuers, Robin Hood, and The Aristocats. He made all of his movies with his friend, co-producer, and animator Gary Goldman. His company would ultimately fail due to financial issues, but his work did manage to force Disney to start uping their game and resulted in the Disney Renaissance. The whole history of Don Bluth’s animation career is really much more complex and extensive, so I highly recommend watching AniMat’s video series on the history of Don Bluth, which I will link down below. Trust me, it’s a great and educational watch that you should check out, after you read this post, of course.

While he sadly never managed to become the next Walt Disney, due to the failure of certain films and his company filing for bankruptcy, he has undeniably created movies that were a big part of many of our childhoods. Some holding up better than others. In this post, I will share my personal rankings. I’ll go over the plots of each movie in the order that they were released, discuss what I liked or disliked about the film, and at the very end of the video, I’ll rank them. First of all, don’t take my rankings too seriously. We all have our personal preferences for what makes a good movie and our own biases and personal experiences tend to influence how we will feel about a movie. This is just my opinion and if you disagree, that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t be an asshole about it!

Also, lets go over some guidelines. I only will be covering the movies that Don Bluth actually worked on, which means that sequels to his movies, apart from Bartok: The Magnificent, won’t be on this list. Besides, The Land Before Time sequels have enough movies to be on their own list. Let me know if that’s something you guys would be interested in. Secondly, they have to be full-length animated movies, so his animated shorts, Banjo the Woodpile Cat and Small One won’t be on this list. Lastly, he has to have actually directed the film, which means none of his work as just an animator or supervisor from Disney will be included. Also, this post WILL include spoilers. So don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now without any further delay, lets dive right on in.

The Secret of Nimh

The recently widowed Mrs. Brisby is trying to save the life of her youngest son, Timmy, who is sick with pneumonia and is told by Mr. Ages that Timmy can’t go outside at all or he could die. Things get complicated when the farmer decides to plow early and while Mrs Brisby and Auntie Shrew manage to stop it temporarily, it’s only a matter of time until he fixes it. So Mrs Brisby visits The Great Owl, with the assistance of Jeremy the crow, who informs her that the Rats of Nimh can help her. She gets the help of Mr. Ages and Justin, who are members of the organization, who help her meet Nicodemus, who gives her a magical amulet and has the rats help her move her house to where it’s safe. However, secretly there is a plan from the villain, Jenner, who wants to kill Nicodemus.

So as you can tell, a lot is going on in this movie based on my crude summary. But to be fair, it never feels like too much is going on to the point where the story feels messy. The story actually is very flowing and nothing feels crammed in, apart from Jeremy, who is the worst part of the movie and like everyone, I can’t stand him. He just reminds me a lot of comic reliefs from modern Disney movies who add nothing but bad and forced comedy. But apart from that, everything else feels organically woven into the story. It never feels like it’s too detailed because its knows what to keep vague and what to elaborate on. The score is epic and helps things feel grand. Not to mention the whole question of morality of the movie is very well done and complex but done in a way that kids can understand without talking down to them. It’s all very relevant in this day and age. I love the dark elements of the film, as it helps give it a lot of atmosphere. While I wouldn’t say that it feels like a movie that you could play on Halloween, it’s still a pretty dark film. Part of that is the designs of certain characters. I absolutely ADORE the design of The Great Owl. Just look at this guy! He looks so majestic and mysterious and it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, with my favorite being when Mrs. Brisby uses the stone.

Speaking of Mrs Brisby, she’s a really great and unique character. She’s not a heroine who has grand ambitions, but rather is a mother who just wants to exist enjoying life and for her kids to be happy and healthy. She’s timid and not the bravest but despite her fears is just willing to do whatever it takes to save her son’s life. She does get braver but it’s not to the point where she feels like she went through major character development. I kind of like that she gets to stay who she is. She’s a loving and caring person who doesn’t have to change who she is. She never stops being scared and doesn’t really gain any confidence but is just a likable and gentle character that will throw herself into danger if it means saving the ones she loves or even someone she just met like Jeremy. Although, I say she should’ve just let Jeremy die and put us all out of our misery.

The rest of the characters, apart from Jeremy, are also interesting and likable, even if they aren’t nearly as engaging as Mrs. Brisby. Even though Auntie Shrew and Mr. Ages are grouchy characters, it still comes from a loving place. The voice acting is top-notch, especially from Elizabeth Hartman as Mrs. Brisby, Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus, and John Carradine as The Great Owl. The animation is some of Don Bluth’s best work, especially with the scene where Mrs. Brisby uses the stone. You’ll be hearing me say this A LOT throughout this video, but Don Bluth’s animation is always so flipping gorgeous. This was clearly a passion project for Don Bluth and it really shows as he’s often referred to it as his favorite movie he’s ever made. While I wouldn’t say it’s my personal favorite, it’s definitely among some of his best. Sadly, I didn’t grow up with this movie and didn’t see it until I was in high school. However, I do wish that I had grown up with it because it’s a genuinely great movie and is better than anything Disney was releasing around that time. Hell, it’s better than most of the films Disney is releasing today.

An American Tail

Starting off in Russia with the Mousekewitzes, a family of mice that are clearly Jewish, celebrating Hanukkah. Unfortunately, the celebration doesn't last, as the mice are attacked by Russian cats that are not so subtle in their symbolism. After their home is destroyed, the Mousekewitzes immigrate to America where they believe there aren’t any cats. Unfortunately, Fieval gets separated from his family after nearly drowning. Having arrived in America, specifically New York, he sets off to find his family while meeting some colorful characters that either try to exploit him or help him find his family and discovering there are indeed cats in America.

So as you can probably tell, this movie is influenced by the treatment of immigrants that come to America to escape their problems only to find out that America is full of problems as well. It’s a very complex issue and while this movie mostly focuses on Fieval’s struggle to find his family, these issues are handled pretty well. It’s not afraid to show the harsh realities but also knows how to make it simple enough for the kids to digest it and help them learn more about it as they get older without dumbing it down or having nothing of value for adults. I didn’t grow up with this movie. I only saw it once on Cartoon Network when I was a kid and didn’t really watch it again until I was a teenager. But just like The Secret of Nimh, I wish I had grown up with it. I love how dark and serious this movie is without having to be so dull and lifeless.

While Fieval did cause his situation with deliberately throwing his hat on deck so he could see the fish during the storm, you can still sympathize with him. Yes, it was his fault, but he��s also just a kid that I’m guessing isn’t any older than seven in mouse years. He’s lost and alone in a new country where he doesn’t know anyone and has no idea where his family is. The emotions of his family are very strong as well, since all of them, apart from Fieval’s big sister Tanya, believe him to be dead. I love how this movie allows the emotional moments not to be interrupted by pointless comedy like a lot of movies nowadays.

This is the first Don Bluth movie that is a musical and I will be honest and say that while they’re good, they’re not great, apart from "Somewhere Out There", though I do prefer the end credit version sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. Not only because of their phenomenal vocals but also because the singing voices for Fieval and Tanya aren’t very good. While the child actors they got did a great job when it came to acting, they really should’ve gotten singing doubles for them because it makes it harder to listen to. The others have better singing in them, even if Fieval does still sing in "Never Say Never" and "A Duo". But they aren’t anything to brag about. Plus, "There Are No Cats in America" honestly does play into some ethnic stereotypes.

The villain, Warren T. Rat isn’t really anything great or even very interesting. He serves his purpose but he’s not gonna make a lasting impact. Plus, his little bug friend adds nothing and the two of them don’t have a very interesting dynamic. Luckily, the rest of the characters are likable. My personal favorite is Gussie. She’s very flamboyant and prissy but also cares about others and standing up for what is right, despite also being privileged. Showing that individuals are multi-dimensional. The animation is gorgeous (Though the rotoscoping is obvious), the action scenes are pretty intense especially when the cats are super feral and monstrous, the score is epic, and it will absolutely make you cry, especially when Fieval is reunited with his family. I love how soft and timid Fieval’s voice is with a twinge of hope that his family is really there when he hears their voices calling for him and his father playing the violin. It honestly gets me misty eyed and I have to fight the tears when he’s reunited with his family.

It should also be noted that this is one of the few times in animation where Jewish characters are portrayed as the heroes and not as a joke or villains with very Jewish features. Yes, you could argue that it’s not the best because of the fact that they’re portrayed as mice, but it’s nice to see them as a loving family and characters with fleshed-out personalities that aren’t just stereotypes. It’s a great movie and it’s clear to see why this is considered one of Don Bluth’s best films. It’s a classic for a reason.

The Land Before Time

Long before the double-digit sequels, with their light-hearted feel and musical numbers, was a pretty dark film devoid of musical numbers. And to make things easier, I won’t be referring to them by their scientific terms but instead the simple terms they were given in the movie. Anyway, it takes place during the time of the dinosaurs when the Earth was changing and the leaf eaters set out to find The Great Valley, a place unchanged and filled with fresh water and lush green food. Littlefoot, a young longneck, and Cera, a young three-horn get attacked by a sharp-tooth. They are saved by Littlefoot’s mother but it costs her, her life and Littlefoot must travel to The Great Valley and find his grandparents. Along the way, he meets Cera again, as well as a swimmer named Ducky, a flyer named Petrie, and a mute spiketail named Spike. They must try to find The Great Valley while trying not to perish from hunger, as well as not getting eaten by Sharptooth.

I’m not gonna lie, I grew up watching The Land Before Time films religiously as a kid. Anytime a new Land Before Time movie came out, I had to have it. But lets save my opinion on the other movies for another time. Lets face it, the original film is BY FAR superior to the sequels. First of all, this is one of Don Bluth’s best-looking films. In fact, I’d say it’s his second-best-looking movie. What’s his best-looking film? We’ll get to that later. The film manages to make the film look gorgeous, despite the fact that they’re living in a barren wasteland, which shows that you don’t have to make a film be brown and grey in order to make it look apocalyptic. But maybe that’s just one of the advantages of animation, specifically traditional animation. The Great Valley is absolutely GORGEOUS! I mean, the visuals are nothing short of spectacular. Not to mention the action scenes are absolutely phenomenal. By far the best action scene is the Sharptooth attack and when Littlefoot’s mother is battling the Sharptooth, especially during the earthquake. It was absolutely intense and I ADORE it for that. Not to mention the score for the entire movie is just epic and iconic.

Speaking of Littlefoot’s Mother, I was absolutely heartbroken by this as a kid and even now it makes me absolutely ball. I love how they really take the time to allow Littlefoot to properly grieve the loss of his mother with being angry about it, sad, depressed in an unhealthy way, finding comfort in her footprint, thinking he hears her voice (Though it’s arguable whether or not her spirit is actually guiding him), thinking for a brief moment that she’s still alive, and ultimately accepting the fact that she’s truly gone. It’s harsh but it’s important for kids to learn how to accept loss because they will inevitably have to face it.

While on the subject of Littlefoot, he’s always been one of my favorite fictional male characters. Part of this is also because of the sequels but in the original movie he’s just as amazing. I love how he acts like a real kid that makes mistakes and has flaws while still being a great leader with a strong moral compass. One of my issues with Arnold from Hey Arnold, despite my immense love of the show, is that Arnold after season 1 starts to become too perfect and helps others learn lessons but never learns a lesson himself or even gets grounded, especially in the last two seasons. Littlefoot is stubborn, can be sassy, is playful, strong-willed, fun-loving, and more so in the sequels can be surprisingly sarcastic. He has his doubts and can be a bit self-righteous at times but it’s never to the point where it’s unbearable. He’s just an overall fantastic character.

As for the other characters, part of the reason why this film works is because they’re all so likable and engaging. Ducky is absolutely adorable and endearing, which is helped by a pitch-perfect performance from Judith Barsi. Spike is so cute and lovable, which is odd, due to my usual hatred of characters who have eating be one of their prime characteristics but for some reason, he’s just so likable. I will admit that I prefer Petrie in the sequels, at least, in movies 2-6 like with most of the characters, but I still love and enjoy him in this movie. I just find him funny and I think part of that is his voice that just helps make him funny to me. Plus, unlike someone like Jeremy, Petrie is actually plot-relevant. But I do think that fake-out death of his was really unnecessary. As for Cera, I will admit that growing up, I absolutely couldn’t stand her. However, watching the movie again for my Don Bluth marathon, she actually grew on me. Maybe it’s because recently I’ve been seeing a lot of unlikable and poorly-developed characters but Cera just didn’t annoy me. Part of the reason is because, unlike say Isabela from Encanto, instead of it being a grown woman acting like an unbearable brat, Cera is just a child and unlike Sasha from the Barbie movie, she’s not like this because “Oh she’s a teenager,” especially when Cera isn’t a teenager, but because of her upbringing. Plus, unlike these unlikable characters, we do get softer moments from her sprinkled throughout the movie that don’t make her character development feel out of nowhere or half-baked and help her feel like a character with depth. While she’s still my least favorite of the five main characters, I do actually like her now.

I’m shocked about how short the film is, which comes in just a little over an hour. I feel like the film could’ve used twenty more minutes to help flesh things out. It manages to handle generational traditions and prejudice pretty well but I feel like that twenty minutes could’ve developed it more. The film was edited quite a bit and if you’re an average moviegoer and not someone who overanalyzes things like me, you won’t notice. However, if you are like me and notice details like that, it might bother you a little but you’ll still have a great time. I also felt like at times the narration didn’t need to be there. Such as after they were attacked by Sharptooth and were struggling to find The Great Valley or when Cera was having her self-pity moment. It’s not done to death and doesn’t feel pandering but they could’ve cut some of the narration. I absolutely love the friendship between the characters and it feels absolutely believable, even between Littlefoot and Cera with all their conflict. Yes, the film isn’t exactly perfect but there’s no such thing as a perfect movie. But it’s honestly one of my all-time favorite movies. I need animated movies to return to this kind of darkness.

All Dogs Go To Heaven

The film that got annihilated by The Little Mermaid and it’s clear to see why. But lets get into the plot. It’s about a German Shepard named Charlie Barkin, who is killed by his ex-business partner, Carface and goes to Heaven. However, Charlie doesn’t want to be dead and decides to re-wind his life watch to bring himself back to life and he shall remain alive so long as the watch remains ticking, otherwise, he’ll die and go to Hell because he can’t go back to Heaven. He then tries to get back at Carface with the help of his cowardly but loyal best friend, Itchy, by “rescuing” a little girl named Anne Marie, who can talk to animals that Carface has been using to win bets while also keeping her locked away in a room with minimal care. Charlie uses her for the same thing but is clearly nicer to her, though just to get into her good graces, but starts to form a bond with her.

As a kid, I was absolutely in love with this movie and would watch it constantly as a kid, especially the Heaven scenes. However, while I would still say it’s a great movie, I honestly don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did as a kid. Part of that is because I really don’t care much for the characters, save for Anne Marie, who I’ll talk about in a little bit. Charlie, while not totally detestable, as he is given some soft moments, feels too harsh at times. His character development isn’t done well enough to make me root for him and for the things he’s doing, he needed some really amazing character development. Overall, the character is okay but he’s not that engaging or entertaining to watch, apart from a great vocal performance from Burt Reynolds. Itchy is entertaining and likable but I feel like in the second half he's forgotten about until Carface attacks him. Dom DeLouise gives a great performance but the character is missing something. He’s at least likable, even if I don’t exactly love him. Carface is an absolutely boring and generic villain that does nothing but get angry and shout. Nothing about him stands out and I tend to forget about him, even as a kid. Killer is just the typical incompetent villain lackey.

I also feel like the title is misleading, due to how we don’t really spend much time in Heaven or really talk much about it. With a title like "All Dogs Go to Heaven," you’d think that the film would be all about that. It feels like two completely different stories were put together and one overtook the dogs in Heaven plot. Plus, this film tends to just forget about things like the fact that Charlie is trying to lay low and keep Carface from finding him and Anne Marie but still promotes his name for his casino right in the same town. Carface never has any realization and we just cut to him assuming Charlie is alive and has Anne Marie without any build-up. Also, they established that the animals can’t talk to animals outside of their species but Charlie can talk to the Big Lipped Alligator? Also, the gator’s rat followers are clearly offensive and haven’t aged well. While the pacing isn’t horrible, it’s a bit messy.

The songs aren’t very good either, apart from "Let Me Be Surprised", "Soon You’ll Come Home", and the end credit song, "Love Survives." But the rest of the songs are pointless and not very pleasant to listen to. Part of that is because they’re mostly sung by Burt Reynolds, who just isn’t a singer. He sounds like he’s talk-singing and it’s not pleasant. Yes, he sang in "Let Me Be Surprised", but at least Annabelle, voiced by Melba Moore, could sing, which helped balance it out and it had fun lyrics. The lyrics in the other songs aren’t good and serve no plot relevance. Not to mention "You Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down" has a glaring racist moment. "Lets Make Music Together" has great singing and would be a good song on its own but it serves no purpose and gives absolute tonal whiplash. It’s no wonder this became a meme. "Soon You’ll Come Home", despite clearly not being sung by Judith Barsi, is the only song I love. But this movie clearly wasn’t meant to be a musical, since the songs feel tacked on.

Now you’re probably thinking I don’t like this movie but I actually still love it. Part of that is the atmosphere, especially when we’re in Heaven or Hell. Those scenes show off some of Don Bluth’s best work. It has a lot of interesting ideas like clocks representing the life of someone. Plus, the actual Hell scene was the stuff of nightmares and I love it for how dark and twisted it is. The animation is top-notch as always. I also love the relationships between the characters, Charlie and Itchy have a great friendship with amazing chemistry, which is helped by Burt Reynold and Dom DeLouise being best friends in real life. Charlie’s relationship with Anne Marie is also really sweet. And while the characters aren’t great, the situations are still fun with exciting action scenes. I also love that the movie had the guts to let Charlie die at the end and not find some way to bring him back to life without the watch. That’s really impressive that they let their protagonist die and I admire it for that, which leads to an ending that’s the most emotional part of the film. It has a lot of great things about it that lead to an overall enjoyable experience. It just needed to fine-tune those details. But it’s clear that cutting ties with Steven Spielberg and even George Lucas was a mistake on Don’s part.

However, while the film is still good on its own, Anne Marie is what elevates this movie into a great film. Without her, the film wouldn’t be half as enjoyable. Not only is she absolutely adorable but she’s the heart of the film. She’s sweet without being cloying, spunky without being a raging fireball, and smart but still realistic and naive. She was always a delight every time she was on screen and part of that is the perfect casting of Judith Barsi. She was amazing as Ducky but this is the role I tend to associate her with more. She gives it her all, even out-acts the adult actors, and becomes the stand-out performer. She’s honestly one of the great child actors and it’s really sad that she and her mother were murdered by her father. It honestly makes the ending all the more emotional for me. Also, while this is minor, I hate that she still ends up wearing those rags for the rest of the movie even after she gets so many beautiful new outfits. Let her wear one of those dresses. My personal favorites are her sailor dress and her fur-trim coat.

Rock-a-Doodle

While All Dogs Go To Heaven might’s had the warning signs to Bluth’s downfall, this was definitely the beginning of the end. But lets get to the plot, such as it is. A singing rooster named Chanticleer has the power to bring the sun up with his crowing but one day it comes up without him and his “friends" laugh at him. This was secretly the work of The Grand Duke of Owls who wants the world in eternal darkness so the light won’t hurt him or something. But it turns out this is all a storybook because we cut to live-action where a real boy named Edmond is being told the story by his mother. The rain is endangering Edmond’s family farm, so he calls for Chanticleer, which instead brings the Grand Duke of Owls who turns Edmond into an animated kitten so he can eat him for daring to try and bring back Chanticleer. But he’s saved by Patou, a basset hound that can’t tie his shoes and they set off to find Chanticleer in the city along with some other colorful characters because apparently the sun actually can’t come up without Chanticleer.

Yeah, that’s not all the details in this movie but the film is both too complicated and too simple at the same time. First of all, they never explain how the sun managed to come up that one time without Chanticleer and suddenly it can’t anymore. Or the fact that they don’t allow birds at the club but allow penguins, a type of bird. They have Goldie pretend to be in love with Chanticleer but then the next minute they reveal through narration that she fell in love with him for real out of nowhere. During the climax, Chanticleer reveals that he can’t crow anymore for some unexplained reason. The story is all over the place and feels like an acid trip, which is why they put in a lot of unnecessary narration from Patou, which gets annoying because it happens every few minutes. But all it does is annoy the audience and feel like you're being talked down to. The film is so unfocused and all over the place that I find it hard to even talk about it. Also, I find it really annoying how no one believes that Edmond is really a human boy turned into a cat by The Grand Duke of Owls. I mean, y’all know the villain has powers and yet you find it hard to believe that Edmond is really a human boy?

It doesn’t help that the characters are all either bland and boring or unbelievably annoying. Edmond is cloying with how precious he is and it doesn’t help that the actor can’t act and talks with a lisp. It’s odd because in the past, Don Bluth has been great at hiring talented child actors for his films. What happened? Snipes gets the silver medal for most annoying character with his obnoxious and chauvinist personality, Peepers is a smug and know-it-all brat, Patou doesn’t shut up with his narration, Goldie is bland with no real character, Chanticleer should be the protagonist but isn’t even really a character and is instead a plot device, and Hunch takes the gold medal for the most irritating thing from this movie to the point I’d rather be stuck in a room with Valentino from Wish, Ben from Treasure Planet, Fred from Big Hero 6, the Moose from Brother Bear, and even the entire cast of Home on the Range than deal with his idiotic antics.

The songs are also either unmemorable or awful, specifically the terrible villain songs. Yes, there’s more than one villain song. Even the animation, while great, feels like a downgrade and has such a childish feel to it. It’s almost like a more polished silly symphony. Not to mention the live-action scenes are so awkward with acting so terrible it’s giving background or minor characters from 7th Heaven. Yeah, it's that bad! You can tell that Don Bluth wasn’t comfortable with live-action because it really shows with this terrible framing device.

The only positives I can say about the film, apart from the animation and voice cast (Save for Edmon), is the first song sung by Chanticleer, even if it’s nothing spectacular, and The Grand Duke of Owls. He has some class, is decently threatening, and his lines are pretty good. Although, I would’ve loved if he looked more like The Great Owl from The Secret of Nimh. Though it’s silly how he gets yeeted by a flashlight. But overall, it’s just a terrible movie and clearly something you put on to keep your toddler quiet. It’s never engaging or exciting. They really should’ve used more of the structure and plot from the original Chanticleer play. Maybe I’ll do a rewrite of Rock-a-Doodle one day.

Thumbelina

Based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale of the same name, Thumbelina is about a girl no bigger than a thumb that was born from a flower to an old woman that longed for a child. Thumbelina longs to find people who are the same size as her and one night she meets and falls in love with the fairy prince, Cornelius. But before the two can live happily ever after, Thumbelina is stolen by Mama Toad, who wants to use Thumbelina’s beautiful voice to make money and force her to marry her son, Grundel, who is in love with her. Thumbelina manages to escape with the help of a swallow named Jacquimo. Meanwhile, both Cornelius and Grundel search for Thumbelina. All the while Thumbelina must find her way home to be reunited with both her mother and Cornelius while facing obstacles and learning her own self-worth.

This was a movie I watched A LOT as a kid and it honestly still holds a special place in my heart to this day. Is it flawed? Yes! The story is a bit too episodic, but to be fair, that’s exactly what the original story was like as well. Plus, I don’t hear people complain about that with movies like Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, and Moana. I do think it would’ve benefited from a couple of rewrites. But considering Don Bluth had to write the script within the span of a couple of weeks, I feel like he did pretty good, especially considering some other movies that had a lot more time that turned out terribly. Another issue is the designs of characters like The Gitterbugs and the animals on Thumbelina’s farm looking way too exaggerated and like characters from a pre-school book. I feel like this could’ve benefitted from Don Bluth’s early dark style, as it would make a contrast from the bright and happy world Thumbelina knew when she was with her mother and the beautiful night she spent with Cornelius to a world that she’s unfamiliar with.

However, it’s honestly a great movie in my opinion. I can forgive it having plot holes because of the fact that I can suspend my disbelief when it comes to fairy-tale movies where it runs off emotion rather than logic and is more impressionistic. So I don’t care that she randomly grew wings because it didn’t make much sense in the original tale either. Plus, she was created from magic, so whose to say she couldn’t just magically get wings?

Unlike Rock-a-Doodle and even All Dogs Go to Heaven, the characters in this movie are all great and entertaining. They’re just so memorable and fun to watch in my personal opinion. Mama Toad, Ms. Fieldmouse, The Beatle, Cornelius, and especially Thumbelina. I know a lot of people complain that Thumbelina just whined and didn’t really do anything. But considering the fact that she was taken away from her home, has never been out in the real world before, is constantly being accosted by someone, and is no bigger than a thumb, I’d say she has every right to complain and not to have much hope. Her journey is that people keep on telling her what to be and what to do and she has to learn to stand up for herself and find her own self-worth. Something many relate to and struggle with. Could it have been better? Yes! But I feel like it’s done pretty well. I relate to Thumbelina's struggle, due to my autism and how I often feel like there isn't a place for people like me in this world. So I can't help but root for Thumbelina and sympathize with her situation. But she isn’t just a stick in the mud. She's playful, bubbly, charming, sweet, and just so endearing, a subversion from her pessimistic outlook, making her unique. Part of why she’s so great is definitely thanks to the stellar performance of Jodi Benson, who also did the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Unlike Matthew Broderick as adult Simba from The Lion King, which came out the same year, Jodi Benson managed to help the character feel fleshed out and make her personality fly off the screen due to her prior experience instead of suffering from a flat performance.

I know a lot of people hate Jacquimo and I was ready to hate him too but he’s actually not bad. My only issue is the fact that he could’ve just flown Thumbelina home this entire time. He’s based on a character that didn’t appear until the last third of the story and even then, he didn’t fly Thumbelina home because she just completely forgot about her mother who’s worried sick about her and is never seen again. While it’s annoying how he meets her quite a few times and they never think to just have him fly her home, he’s not actually a bad character. He’s a helpful character that helps support Thumbelina, such as when she’s feeling insecure about her appearance, he reminds her it doesn’t matter what others think about her and that there are people who love her. I feel like this issue could be fixed if he injured his wing when they first met after trying to save her and therefore couldn’t fly her home. Plus, given all the terrible comic reliefs I’ve been seeing from Disney lately, he’s far less annoying and actually serves some purpose.

The only characters I’m not so fond of are Grundel the toad, Mr. Mole, and Thumbelina’s three jitterbug friends. The latter are just pointless and add nothing other than saving Cornelius when he’s frozen but they could’ve found another way to get around that. In the case of Grundel, he’s just not convincing as a villain and even makes Gaston look competent. He’d work better as a villain sidekick. I honestly think Mama Toad should’ve been the main antagonist with her son being a lackey. Sort of a Fairy Godmother and Charming from Shrek 2 situation. She’s far more entertaining and interesting and I wish we saw more of her. Same with Ms. Fieldmouse, who could be just as much of the villain as Mama Toad. As for Mr. Mole, he's just there and doesn't really do much.

The romance between Thumbelina and Cornelius is so cute! While I do think they should’ve had more of a conversation together where they get to know each other before the "Let Me Be Your Wings" scene, I do buy their chemistry. There’s at least more of a basis for their relationship than the Disney Princess couples from Walt’s time. Not to mention, this is a GORGEOUS-looking film! One of Don Bluth’s best-looking films. Yes, I’ve mentioned some designs are too childish looking and some CGI is very dated but the animation is still absolutely phenomenal. For the flying scenes, they took inspiration from ice skating, which explains how graceful and elegant they look. This movie takes my breath away, especially "Let Me Be Your Wings."

Speaking of which, the soundtrack absolutely slaps! The songs were done by singer-songwriter, Barry Manilow and he did a phenomenal job. The songs are entertaining, move the story along, and show how the characters are feeling. That is the purpose of a musical. Even with a song like "Yer Beautiful Baby," which doesn’t have good singing, it’s still entertaining to watch with its high energy. The best songs are definitely "Let Me Be Your Wings", "Soon", and "The Sun" but I love all of these songs. Well, except for "Marry the Mole." It’s infamous for being the only song from an animated movie to win a Razzie for worst original song and while it’s not good, it’s not that bad either. It’s okay and it being the only animated song to win that award means nothing when the Razzies no longer have that category and they are infamous for not even watching the films that they nominate. But apart from that one hiccup, the soundtrack is amazing and it’s impressive that he had no prior experience with musicals, especially given what happened with Wish, which hired pop artists to write the music and their inexperience showed. Disney needs to fire Lin Manuel Miranda and hire Barry Manilow. I could go on about how this film is an underrated gem but lets save that for another day.

A Troll in Central Park

In the world of trolls, where all trolls are mean, ugly, and hate flowers lives Stanley, a nice and rosie-cheeked troll that magically grows flowers with his literal green thumb. He was to be turned to stone by the evil ruler of the trolls, Queen Gnorga but is convinced by her hen-pecked husband to send him to a place where nothing grows. However, that backfires because he’s sent to New York City right in the middle of Central Park. There he meets and befriends a bratty little boy named Gus and his sweet little toddler sister Rosie. Gnorga learns how her plan backfired and sets out to destroy Stanley.

This tends to be Don Bluth’s most universally hated film and for absolutely good reason. It feels like it was written for a Barney the Dinosaur audience instead of for all ages. It’s absolutely pandering, has little to no plot, nothing really happens, a lot of jokes go on for way too long, and it makes up rules as it goes along like a preschooler at playtime. Stanley can grow plants that apparently are sentient but he can also transport them to a make-believe world with trolls like him and make Gus’ toy boat the size of a real boat? When Gus is turned into a troll by Gnorga, he has her ability to turn people to stone with his thumb and then when he’s back to normal can unstone Stanley? Gnorga can control Gus’ thumb when he’s a troll? Gus turns back to normal when Gnorga turns into a rosebush? Gnorga didn’t think to check where the place she was sending Stanley was before sending him there? If Stanley has these other magical abilities, why didn’t he leave the troll world? Oh my gosh! It’s an absolute mess and really feels like something meant to keep your toddler quiet.

It doesn’t help that the characters we’re following are absolutely unlikable. Stanley is absolutely annoying, stupid, and useless. He reminds me of all those annoying toxic positivity people in life that say if you just believe and be positive it’ll happen. It doesn’t help that he’s never any help until the climax but it doesn’t feel earned due to how pathetic he’s been. Gus is just an irritating and shrill little brat that would make even the most liberal person want to beat the hell out of him. Even his moments of being a loving brother to Rosie don’t help balance out his bratty moments because he’s just too annoying and unlikable. Rosie is just there and does nothing but be cutesy. While her cutesyness isn’t nearly as pandering as cloying as Edmond, she just adds nothing but to be captured by the villains. Speaking of the villains, they’re lame as well. Gnorga is basically like those villains you see in preschool shows that hate goodness and prettiness and love the nastiness but is a simpleton and a total clown of a villain you can’t take seriously. Her husband is just the pathetic henpecked husband who is totally incompetent and bad comic relief.

The songs all suck and feel like rejected songs from a d-tier preschool show. Childish, pandering, and sounding like the writers had less than a week to write the songs. How did we go from the bangers of Thumbelina to songs that make the soundtrack of Rock-a-Doodle sound like Beauty and the Beast?

The sad thing is that this movie, despite how dumb it is, actually had potential. I feel like it would’ve been interesting to have Gus be an orphan in the foster system that is jaded and pessimistic from life and he ends up meeting Stanley who is positive and naive and the two learned and grew from each other. Showing how both their world views have some truth to them but also are flawed. Maybe I’ll do a video where I do a rewrite of A Troll in Central Park. Let me know if that’s something you guys would be interested in. But as for this movie, I was embarrassed when watching it like I was watching something meant for toddlers.

The Pebble and the Penguin

Taking place in Antarctica, the Adélie penguins are preparing for a mating ritual where the male penguins present a pebble to a female penguin they fancy and if she accepts it, they mate for life. Our protagonist, a shy and stuttering penguin named Hubie, is in love with "the most beautiful girl penguin," Marina (The narrator’s actual description of her, not mine) and she seems to feel the same. However, Hubie can’t seem to get a pebble until one night he wishes on a star and an emerald cube falls from the sky. Unfortunately, an evil macho penguin named Drake is also after Marina’s flipper in marriage and tries to feed Hubie to a leopard seal. Hubie manages to escape but is lost at sea where he's captured by humans to be put in a zoo. He manages to escape with the help of a cranky and wise-cracking penguin named Rocko, who agrees to help Hubie get back home before the mating ceremony and they form a friendship along the way.

This was another movie that I watched a lot as a kid and enjoyed. However, unlike Thumbelina, it sadly doesn’t hold up at all. While it’s not bad, it’s just a mediocre mess. The movie was a production nightmare and it shows in the final product. This can definitely be seen in the writing with how it tends to skim over important details like showing Hubie getting captured by humans, how Rocko survived the killer whales, explaining the apparent magical powers of the pebble that can let Hubie see what’s happening with Marina back home only once and is never brought back up again, and the rules of the mating ceremony. Apparently, there’s a law that you have to choose a mate before the full-moon mating ceremony or you’re banished. It’s done to make Marina’s situation more dire but it just makes the world-building a bit ridiculous. The pacing is also all over the place, hence why the film has narration that works at the beginning and the end of the film but is constantly done throughout the film to the point it feels pandering and unnecessary because the film should’ve been able to show it by itself. It’s not nearly as bad as Rock-a-Doodle’s narration but it’s still really pointless. They even give Rocko the ability to fly at the end of the film but give no real explanation as to how this is possible. The only explanation is lazy writing.

Hubie is a really unlikable protagonist. He’s clearly only interested in Marina for her looks, is really selfish, doesn’t respect Rocko’s very clear boundaries, manipulates and lies to Rocko to get what he wants from him and faces no real consequences for it, is absolutely useless to the point he’s more of a damsel in distress than the actual damsel in distress, and actually held his breath until Rocko said he liked him like a spoiled 4-year-old. His motivations for wanting to be with Marina aren’t any different than Drake's. The only difference is that Drake is more up-front about it. I appreciate the representation of people with speech problems, as I myself struggled with that as a child, but the character is so unlikable that I can’t even appreciate it that much. While he’s not as bad as Stanley, he’s still a really terrible protagonist.

Marina is just there to be a love interest and to promote the film’s message that it’s not the pebble, it’s the penguin and that’s it. She’s a non-entity. She at least has a beautiful singing voice. Hubie’s three bird friends are pointless and add nothing to the story. You forget all about them until they pop up. The only good characters are Rocko and Drake. Rocko is really enjoyable with his tough and wise-cracking personality and we often feel his frustration with Hubie, given the fact that Hubie is awful. But their friendship isn’t convincing because it had terrible development, he hasn’t shown any signs of liking Hubie, and I just can’t imagine anyone actually liking Hubie. Drake is voiced by Tim Curry and that’s pretty much all you need in order to make a villain great. The character gives Gaston but a lot smarter and just has a lot of charm due to Tim Curry’s stellar performance. And it’s truly sad that the more appealing option is the villain.

The animation is still great, though there are times it’s clear that corners have been cut with some art cels not being finished and characters being frozen in frame. But the animation is still gorgeous to look at, especially the killer whale chase, which is really spectacular, especially with the way the orcas are animated. I also love the creativity of the opening sequence, "Now and Forever."

Speaking of which, the soundtrack is a banger. Barry Manilow returns to do the music for the film and I’m thankful for his contribution. While not as good as the songs from Thumbelina, this is by far the most enjoyable aspect of the film with songs that feel like they were made for Broadway. The only song I don’t like is "The Good Ship Misery." The melody isn’t very good, the vocals are too harsh at times, and is just meh. And while I don’t think "Looks Like I Got Me A Friend" works in the film, due to a lack of development between the characters relationship and Hubie holding his breath until he gets his way like a Karen is off-putting, the song is still really catchy and fun. But the rest of the songs absolutely slap! "Now and Forever", "Sometimes, I Wonder", and "Don’t Make Me Laugh" are bangers. If there’s any reason to check this film out, it’s just for the songs.

Anastasia

Inspired by the historical event of the real Grand Duchess Anastasia, our story takes place in 1916 when the Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is celebrating the 300 anniversary of the Romanov family. However, it’s interrupted by Rasputin, who places a curse to have Nicholas and his immediate family die. He’s successful in his mission, with the exception of the youngest daughter, Anastasia who managed to escape with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie, and even caused Rasputin’s death. However, the two get separated and Anastasia gets amnesia. Ten years later, the Dowager Empress is offering a reward for anyone who can reunite her with the lost princess. Two conmen, Vladimir and Dimitri, who was also the servant boy who helped Anastasia and her grandmother escape, try to find an Anastasia look-alike in order to get the money and even have the music box that the grandmother gave Anastasia to help their con work. They come across an orphan named Anya, who looks just like Anastasia and is trying to find her family in Paris, which is where the Dowager Empress lives and they convince her that she could be Anastasia without telling her about their scheme. But it turns out that this is the real Anastasia. Meanwhile, Rasputin, trapped in limbo and literally falling apart, schemes to kill her so his curse can be fulfilled.

This is a movie I watched ALL THE TIME as a little boy and it actually got me interested in the history of the real-life royal family when I was a teenager. So don’t be surprised if my love for this movie shines through. During the 90’s many companies were trying to capitalize off the Disney Renaissance with very few being able to hold their own. This film was one of the exceptions and part of that is because of Don Bluth’s previous experience working at Disney. He knew what made it work and the lack of that magic during Disney’s Bronze Age was why he left Disney to begin with. However, he added his own signature touch to it, which I felt was missing in Thumbelina. This movie is definitely dark and not just because of the subject matter. I mean, you got the villain trying to kill off the protagonist by using the images of her dead family to make her sleepwalk to her doom. That’s pretty dark. I feel like Don Bluth is most comfortable with stories that are dark and I love him for that.

This is by far Don Bluth’s most GORGEOUS-looking film. Due to the fact that this was made with 20th Century Fox, he was able to have much more of a budget than he did with his past works and it clearly shows in every frame. This is arguably the most gorgeous-looking animated movie I’ve ever seen, though Klaus might be more beautiful. It’s a massive film with scale, stellar colors, mermazing character designs, and one of the most stunning animated sequences with "Once Upon a December." Not to mention, Anastasia has such an incredible wardrobe. Arguably the best of any animated heroine. There is some CGI in the film but I feel like it works to the film’s advantage, especially when it comes to the nightmare scene. It never really looks jarring to me and for the most part, blends seamlessly.

Anastasia herself is one of my favorite fictional characters and if she were an official Disney Princess, she'd be my second favorite after Ariel. I absolutely adore how sassy, snarky, and sarcastic she is. I look for opportunities to repeat a lot of her one-liners in real life. She’s one of the characters I credit for me being so damn snarky and sarcastic with an endless amount of sass. But she's also caring and kind to help balance her out and not feel like just a hothead. However, she clearly has her limits and isn’t afraid to call people out and I love her for that. She’s honestly the best protagonist of any Don Bluth movie, even better than Littlefoot.

The rest of the characters are also really likable. They are all entertaining no matter how little screen time they have, which is helped by stellar performances. I know a lot of people don’t like Rasputin but I honestly think he’s the best of all of Don Bluth’s villains. Yes, he’s comedic but I don’t feel like it’s ever to a ridiculous extent like Gnorga and her husband. Plus, despite his comedic moments, he’s actually legitimately intimidating and I can take him seriously as a villain. Such as the scene where he tries to have Anastasia’s family lure her to her death. Which is helped by an amazing design and a phenomenal performance from Christopher Lloyd. Bartok may not be necessary to the plot, but he’s a lot of fun and it’s nice to have a villain sidekick who is actually pretty competent and not an idiot. Plus, he’s absolutely quotable!

This movie also is able to hit you in the feels with scenes like the reunion between Anastasia and her grandmother. We see a jaded old woman that has dealt with loss and people trying to con her slowly start to let down her guard and realize that this woman is her long-lost granddaughter. The moment she calls Anya her Anastasia always gets me emotional.

The music is absolutely PHENOMENAL! This is the best soundtrack from any Don Bluth musical. I know that’s not saying much, considering the track record of Don Bluth’s musicals, but it’s really amazing. It even blows Thumbelina out of the water. Every single one of them are bangers and have a Broadway-style to them that I ADORE. The best songs are definitely "Once Upon a December", "Journey to the Past", and "In the Dark of the Night." The songs are all memorable, full of energy, and have great vocals, especially the songs sung by Liz Callaway and Bernadette Peters. The score is also brilliant, especially "The Prologue" and "The Nightmare." But then again, I’m a sucker for epic choirs singing in a score.

An issue I do have with the film is something a lot of people love and that’s Dimitri and his relationship with Anastasia. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re not bad and are still good but I feel like they were both rushed. They went from arguing, then the Learn to Do It musical number (Which didn’t focus on their relationship), he gives her a dress that she snarks on, she changes her hair and puts on a pretty dress, and suddenly they’re having feelings for each other. That was just an odd transition. I feel like they needed a scene before the waltz where they have a conversation and start to understand each other better before they begin to fall in love. It just makes Dimitri seem like he only started to fall for Anya because of her looks, which doesn’t make him or the relationship look the best. However, I do still enjoy Dimitri and the relationship. I just feel like they needed to develop the relationship a bit more. In all honesty, I would say it’s still the best romance from a Don Bluth movie, but the standards aren’t high there.

I also don’t like how Anastasia left her grandma when she had been looking for her family for so long only to leave her aging grandmother, who she only has so much time left with. It isn’t an awful decision but I do think they could’ve just had Dimitri move in with Anastasia and her grandmother and they could all be together. I know it implies that the royal life isn’t for Anastasia but still, I feel like they could’ve done better than that. But overall, this is honestly one of my favorite movies and much like Thumbelina, it captures the magic that’s been missing from a lot of Disney’s more recent movies.

Bartok the Magnificent

The only direct-to-video sequel that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman ever actually worked on, which is meant to be a prequel to Anastasia, focusing on Bartok. Supposedly taking place sometime before the events of Anastasia, Bartok is a con artist for his own personal circus with his partner in crime, a bear named Zozi. The royal advisor, Ludmilla, claims that the young Prince Ivan was kidnapped by the infamous witch, Baba Yaga. So Bartok, given all his false accomplishments, is sent to rescue the prince. He must accomplish three missions in order to save the prince. But Baba Yaga, obviously, didn’t actually kidnap the prince and it was really the clearly evil royal advisor, Ludmilla who wants the throne for herself.

The biggest issue this movie has is how it feels absolutely disconnected from the original Anastasia. This is meant to be a prequel but how long ago? Obviously, this takes place in a different time period but based on the fashion it’s so long ago that it’s clear that there’s no way Bartok would’ve lived long enough to be there during the events of the original movie. Not to mention that considering all he did to help Prince Ivan, it doesn’t seem realistic that he would one day work with a man who would plan to kill the royal family. I know people change but this is a pretty big leap with no real explanation. Plus, while there was magic and fantasy in the original movie, it still had a level of being grounded in reality. Whereas this movie is clearly meant to be more fantasy, campy, and clearly doesn’t take place in a world grounded in any form of reality. It just feels like two completely different worlds.

However, if you can manage to ignore those massive plot holes, it’s actually really entertaining and fun on its own. It’s nothing great but it has a lot of things going for it like enjoyable and interesting characters, a fun and whimsical look, jokes that are funny, pretty good action scenes, a good message of what’s on the inside that counts, and the quests that Bartok goes on (Even if a little repetitive) are still fun to watch. I feel like all the issues would be resolved if the protagonist wasn’t Bartok. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bartok and he might be my favorite character in the movie. But, unfortunately, his inclusion just gives the film continuity issues when it would’ve been better just to have the film be given a protagonist that was unique to this film.

The animation clearly is the weakest looking of all of Don Bluth’s movies, due to it being made for direct-to-video and not for the big screen. However, it’s still pretty good animation. Yes, there is a clear indication that corners were cut and the CGI is really dated and jarring, but it’s still pretty to look at and really plays into its more whimsical fairy-tale folklore look. Not to mention, the animators definitely had fun with the likes of Baba Yaga and Piloff, who are some of the best characters in this movie thanks to the voice acting, the animation, and good writing.

Ludmilla is an absolutely delightful villain. Yes, she’s power-hungry, selfish, and cares very little for those below her but it’s clear that she’s also frustrated with being bossed around and ignored by her boss, who is a literal child. Speaking of which, where are his parents? Anyway, I also love how Ludmilla clearly is on the brink of losing that last shred of sanity she has left. It makes it easy to believe that when she turns into a dragon, she’d go so insane she’d lose her ability to talk when she sees her new form. Plus, the performance by Catherine O’Hara is excellent, as usual. She just puts her all into any performance she gives and is just eating up the role deliciously, which makes Lubmilla so much fun to watch. I wish we got to see more of her.

While I do find Zozi entertaining, though that could be because of Kelsey Grammer’s performance, he doesn’t seem all that necessary. He doesn’t add much other than giving inspiration and motivation to Bartok. He’s fun to watch and I like his relationship with Bartok, but he doesn’t add much to the movie or have much of a point. Also, why bring Kelsey Grammer back to voice another character in this movie when he already voiced Vlad in Anastasia? Also, his design is a bit odd to me. It’s just a bit too cartoony for me personally. But maybe I’m just spoiled by the bears in Brother Bear, The Fox and the Hound, and the black bear from Balto.

The songs aren’t anything to write home about. The only songs I like are "Baba Yaga" and "Someone’s in My House", which are both pretty fun. As for the other songs, the lyrics aren’t anything special, the melodies don’t grab me, and are so mediocre that they make the songs from All Dogs Go to Heaven look like The Little Mermaid. But the titular song is definitely the worst, especially since Hank Azaria is no singer and makes it hard to listen to. Kelsey Grammer has a great voice but "A Possible Hero" is so forgettable. Catherine O’Hara has a nice enough voice, but the "The Real Ludmila" just isn’t it. It’s so unmemorable and nothing about it stands out to me. Plus, the imagery that likely inspired a lot of fetishist people on DeviantArt isn’t helping.

Overall, it’s not one of Don Bluth’s best works, but it’s still a good movie that’s a lot of fun and I can see myself revisiting it if I was in the right mood. Definitely check it out, since it’s a movie people tend to forget that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman made. But I can’t say you’ll fall in love with it and a lot of it will depend on how you felt about Bartok to begin with.

Titan A.E.

We’ve finally gotten to the last movie that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman ever made and boy was it a way to go out. In the year 3028, the human race is force to evacuate the planet due to the threat of the Drej, an alien race made of pure energy that end up destroying the planet. But before that, a young boy named Cale is given a special ring from his father, who is part of the government and didn't survive. Fifteen years later, the humans are living amongst aliens but aren’t given the best treatment. Cale has grown up to be arrogant and jaded. He’s confronted by Korso, who knew his father and tells Cale that the ring his father gave him is actually a map linked to his DNA and will lead them to the Titan, a secret project the humans created in order to make a new planet. So Cale, being forced to come along or be killed by the Drej, joins a rag-tag team to help save the human race while fighting off the Drej.

This is by far the most BORING Don Bluth movie ever and Don himself never wanted to work on the movie. He said himself that he didn’t know anything about sci-fi and wasn’t even a fan of it. But if he and Gary hadn’t done it, the animation division of 20th Century Fox would be shut down, which ended up happening with how the movie BOMBED. Neither Don or Gary were involved in the script and you can really tell, due to how lifeless this movie is. Nothing about the movie stands out because it’s dull as sandpaper and has no personality. A Troll in Central Park and Rock-a-Doodle are worse but at least they had personality.

Considering the troubled production history of this movie, it clearly reflects in the writing and what an absolute mess it is. First of all, the motivation of The Drej destroying Earth because they were afraid of what the human race would become is very flimsy. I know prejudice isn’t based on logic but this is just a weak reason. There’s a lot of things that don’t make sense like how Akima gets shot and then she’s just told she needs rest without anyone doing anything to fix her wound. It’s also really insane that the dad would give his son, who couldn’t have been any older than 6-years-old, a ring that was humanity’s last hope. First of all, ignoring the fact that a child that young is most likely to lose it, he basically just put a target on his son. Not to mention that despite it being fifteen years later, Cale is acting like the events just happened. Why is he asking for ketchup and complaining about his food moving when he should be used to eating the alien food and at this point wouldn’t even remember what ketchup taste like? Not to mention, are we really supposed to believe that characters would be dressing like this in the 3000’s? They look like grunge from the 2000’s. It’s just weak world-building.

Korso as a twist villain makes little sense because there’s no build-up. Why would he be trying to appeal to Cale’s humanity when he made it clear he didn’t care about humanity? This is a sentiment that Korso shares, so why not play to Cale’s ego and what he’d get out of it instead. Also, the way he gets caught because he was too stupid to make sure the door was closed is ridiculous. His redemption at the end wasn’t convincing in the slightest.

Speaking of Cale, he’s one of the most unlikable protagonists from a Don Bluth movie. He’s an arrogant jerk that just treats everyone terribly. I know that he’s been through a lot but he’s just too harsh for him to be likable. Not to mention he doesn’t even care about saving humanity but rather what he can get out of it. The rest of the characters aren’t very likable either. These are some of the most forgettable characters that you will ever meet. Akima is just the generic love-interest and a tough girl, Korso is dull, Stith is just a violent hothead and that’s all, Gune is just some pointless comic relief that isn’t even putting much effort into it, and The Drej are the most boring villains to ever exist. The only character I find to be entertaining is Preed, which is thanks to the fact that Nathan Lane is hamming it up a bit to make the character more interesting and fun to watch but not in a way that’s too over-the-top. The other actors play the characters too straight and that makes the characters too static whereas Nathan Lane adds some much-needed entertainment.

Speaking of the acting, this movie is proof why just because someone is a talented actor, that doesn’t mean they are necessarily good at voice acting. Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore are clearly talented actors, but their performances are too dry and lifeless. It feels like they foamed it in and their inexperience in voice acting clearly shows.

The animation is another issue. While the 2D animation looks amazing as always, due to the production troubles that caused a lot of people to get laid off, they had to cut corners by using CGI animation for backgrounds, special effects, spaceships, the Drej, and even spacesuits. At times, it can look nice, but most of the time it looks really dated. They don’t blend well at all and it’s just really jarring. The soundtrack is also odd with its very dated rock songs that don’t really match the tone of the film.

Something positive I will say is that I love that this movie actually has people of color in it. As you can tell from Don Bluth’s work, when he’s focused on humans it’s just been white people. Obviously, it still has a white protagonist but it also has an Asian leading lady with Akima and even shows both Asians and black people in the background. While it’s not groundbreaking representation, it’s still nice to see people of color in the Don Bluth style.

I will admit, I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi, but I’m especially not a fan of the sci-fi that goes for a dull, lifeless, and apocalyptic look to it because it’s just boring and lacks any creativity. If you’ve seen my review of Lightyear on YouTube, you know why this isn’t a good idea for sci-fi. While this movie is a bit better than Lightyear, since we at least get to see some cool locations and the 2D animation is stunning, it’s still lifeless. I tend to prefer sci-fi that have more fun with their concepts like Treasure Planet, Lilo and Stitch, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command or ones that combine fantasy with sci-fi like Atlantis: The Lost Empire or Winx Club. This movie has none of that passion or creativity. It’s clearly a by-the-numbers film that does nothing with its potential. I literally forgot about this movie after watching it and just remember how bored I was. It deserves to be known as the film that destroyed Don Bluth’s career.

The Rankings

Now that we’ve gone through all of the movies, lets rank them. As I’ve already mentioned, this is, of course, going to be biased, as it’s my own personal taste. And while I do encourage your all to share your opinions, don’t be rude about it or your comment will be deleted without hesitation. Now lets dive on into the rankings.

11. A Troll in Central Park

I would pay to have this movie erased from my mind Totally Spies style, despite the physical pain that would be inflicted on me. That’s how bad this is. While it’s nowhere near one of the worst animated movies out there by a long shot, I was honestly embarrassed while watching this. The characters are unlikable, the songs are awful, the humor is stupid, the writing is terrible, the villains are lame, it’s unbelievably pandering, and feels like something you put on to keep your kids quiet for an hour and a half and not caring about them actually watching something with quality. If my wife and I ever decide to have kids, we aren’t letting them watch this. It’s absolutely putrid.

10. Rock-a-Doodle

This is honestly almost as bad as A Troll in Central Park. But this movie at least has an entertaining villain and one good song, which makes it marginally better. However, the characters are either bland or annoying, the other songs range from forgettable to awful, the story is a horrible mess, the comedy sucks, the live-action scenes are painfully amateur with terrible acting, and the narration is insufferable. Phil Harris deserved better than for this to be his final movie role.

9. Titan A.E.

While not awful like the other two, it’s still pretty bad. I’m not into this kind of gritty Sci-Fi, the characters range from forgettably boring to just annoyingly unlikable, the CGI is heinous, the story is dull and unmemorable, it’s clunky, and just so boring that my wife struggled to stay awake during it. It’s just a bad movie and I hate that this was the last film that Don Bluth ever made because it destroyed the career of a great artist. But Nathan Lane was a delight, as always.

8. The Pebble and the Penguin

It’s sad that a movie I enjoyed so much as a kid really doesn’t hold up. While the songs slap, the animation is gorgeous, and both Rocko and Drake are enjoyable character, everything else is a mess. Hubie is absolutely unlikable and can’t take care of himself, Marina is a non-entity, the other characters are pointless and useless, the narration is pandering, the story is a mess, the friendship between Hubie and Rocko isn’t believable, and while it’s not a bad movie it’s mediocre at best. But there’s at least a level of entertainment to it, unlike the ones lower on this list.

7. Bartok the Magnificent

This movie isn’t anything great but it’s still a lot of fun and an overall good film. While the animation clearly isn’t as strong as the other Don Bluth movies, due to it being a direct-to-video project, it’s still pretty good and has a lot of creativity. The characters are likable, the villain is fun, the story is engaging, two songs are good, and it has a good message. Its main issue is that the inclusion of Bartok, while a great and entertaining character, causes a lot of plot holes in this film and the tone of the film being totally different from its predecessor. But if you can turn your brain off and ignore that, it’s a pretty fun time on its own. I do wish Ludmilla had more screen time and that the songs were better.

6. All Dogs Go to Heaven

If my younger self was making this list, it would’ve been higher than this but there are some glaring issues. The characters aren’t that engaging, there are only two good songs in a movie that clearly didn’t need to be a musical, the villain is boring, and we really don’t get to see much of Heaven. However, it’s still a great movie with a lot of merits. The animation is gorgeous, the story we get is fun and engaging, the relationships are great, it manages to get me of all people to cry, it had the guts to kill off the protagonist, and Anne Marie is an absolute delight that elevates this movie from a good film to a great film. Plus, while I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did as a kid, it still holds a special place in my heart.

5. Thumbelina

Call me blinded by nostalgia all you want but I think this is a genuinely great movie. Yes, the writing isn’t the best and it clearly needed a rewrite or two. However, the film we got is still amazing in my opinion. Thumbelina is an engaging and charming character, Cornelius is a dashing and likable love interest, the romance is good, the characters are a lot of fun, the animation is gorgeous, and while "Marry the Mole" isn’t a good song, the rest of the soundtrack is an absolute banger. To me, it’s a classic and it actually has more of that Disney magic than the films Disney’s releasing nowadays. And if my younger self had made this list, this film would’ve been in the top 3.

4. An American Tail

I didn’t grow up watching this movie but I honestly wish that I did because it’s an amazing film. The characters are likable, it has a great message, the family aspect is strong, it does a good job tackling some serious issues, the animation is gorgeous, the humor is funny, the action is engaging, and it’s very likely to get you emotional, especially by the end of the film. While the songs, apart from "Somewhere Out There," aren’t anything great, they’re still pretty fun to listen to. The villain isn’t anything memorable but he serves his purpose.

3. The Secret of Nimh

I know a lot of you will end up coming for me for not having this as number one but I just don’t enjoy it as much as my top 2. The characters are likable, the story is engaging, the animation is gorgeous, the action is exciting, the hero's journey that Mrs. Brisby goes on is unique, the atmosphere is enticing, and while the villain is a bit generic he’s still fun for how devious he is. But Jeremy is absolutely annoying and I genuinely wanted Dragon to eat him. Much like An American Tail, I didn’t grow up with this movie, but I wish that I did. I can see why people consider it to be Don Bluth’s magnum opus.

2. The Land Before Time

What can I say? It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. The animation is absolutely stellar, the action scenes are intense, the characters are amazing, the friendship between the characters is spectacular, it doesn’t talk down to its audience, its aged like fine wine, Littlefoot is one of my favorite fictional male characters, and the death of Littlefoot’s Mother still makes me cry at the age of 30. If you haven’t seen it, you are missing out. This movie is iconic and it’s clear to see why it spawned so many sequels, even if only movies 2-6 are good.

Anastasia

I mean, is anyone really surprised here? I absolutely ADORE this movie. It feels like a Disney Princess movie from the Renaissance era but with Don Bluth’s own signature dark edge. Anastasia herself is one of the best fictional characters EVER, the songs are amazing, the animation is one of the most beautiful looking animated movies ever (If not THE most beautiful), the characters are likable, it gets me emotional, the action is awesome, the villain is great, and is just an all-around phenomenal movie. While I do feel like Dimitri and his relationship with Anastasia could’ve been A LOT better, they’re still pretty good.

And those were my rankings for Don Bluth’s movies. These films, even the bad ones, make me truly miss 2D animation. Lets hope that Don Bluth eventually gets to release his film version of Dragon’s Lair. At least it would give him the chance to end his film career on a better note than Titan A.E. and it would be nice to see a 2D film in the movie theater again. With computer animation being the dominant animation nowadays, traditional animation has pretty much become an endangered art form that thrives in television and independent projects. However, I’m hoping that there will be someone who will challenge Disney the way Don Bluth did. Yes, that would be difficult but it’s not impossible. After all, they had no competition in animation before Don Bluth, and had he not challenged them to do better, we wouldn’t have the Disney Renaissance. We can’t let 2D animation die because there’s a beauty to it that can’t be captured in 3D. If Don Bluth could manage to challenge Disney and force them to do better, who’s to say that someone else won’t do that as well and revive traditional animation?

So what did you guys think? Did you agree with any of my choices? What are your rankings for Don Bluth’s films? Let me know in the comments below. Let me know. Please like, comment, reblog, and follow me if you haven't already.

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