#flynn ramshackle

[baileythebean]

Update on ships!!

Here are the current canon Ramshackle Small World au ships! Please do not ship anything else unless you ask the OC’s mods!! Stora - Stone x Sora Aguilar (@thesmokerblogs, @ask-sora-aguilar)

Crystalfish - Finn Hollis x Jasper Cameron (@ask-finn-hollis, @ask-jasper-cameron)

Mandolive - Skipp x Olive Huchers (@sunshineoframshackle, @ask-olive-huchers)

Trynn - Tré x Flynn Connor (@vv4loe)

Jellybeans - Bailey Hanami x Pebble (@candy-for-the-win)

Sea Bunny - Toniø x Bailey Hanami (@toniolovesfish)

Frosted Flakes - Toniø x Pebble

Beanboozle - Toniø x Pebble x Bailey Hanami

CRACK SHIPS ⬇️ Mudskipper - Jasper Cameron x Ditch (@no-ditches-no-bitches)

Ray x drugs <33 (@theemoblogs)

@piigeonss @lilacquintet @metal-mage @toniothegammafish

[small-world-au]

Finn x vinnie! @thesilliestofallqueers / @ask-finn-hollis

Bailey x pebble! @baileythebean

Tre x Flynn??? @ask-a-snobby-fencer / @vv4loe

And finally!

Stone x Sora! (Ft. Skipp) me!

Stone, vinnie, skipp, pebble, and Tre belongs to @zeddyzi

[ask-olive-huchers]

((silly thing based on my rant that Olives are fruits))

Jasper: “you guys, Olives aren’t vegetables. They’re fruits.”

Finn: “they are-?”

Everyone: *proceeds to stare at Olive* Olive: “..what?”

Flynn: “so that’s why they’re so fruity!”

@ask-sora-aguilar

@ask-finn-hollis

@ask-jasper-cameron

@ask-a-snobby-fencer

@baileythebean

[violetlunette]

Since I’m into both Candace and Twisted Wonderland right now, I imagined Candace in Yuu's position and drew this. (More on that later.)

I used this image to experiment with thinner lines(1px) and have decided to never do it again. I like thinker lines, thank you. I like her hair color a lot and I think Grim’s eyes are cute.

[lamemaster]

A Reluctant Savior

Request: Hello! I’ve never done one of these so if I do this wrong, I apologise👀I was wondering if you could write a fic the reader and glorfindel could be in a similar situation to Flynn and tangled nearly drowning in that cave? I just thought that whole scene was so well done and I feel like since the stakes are so high that it could be a good opportunity for one of them to confess their feelings? I can just imagine glorfindel being extremely panicked(especially if the reader is human since they probably can’t hold their breath for as long) but is doing everything he can to ensure that the reader is okay and trying to keep them calm. (I don’t really know how to explain how they ended up there in the first place- maybe they were getting chased by orcs?👀)thank you for all the fics you have done thus far. I loved every single one and can’t wait for more! :) hope you have a good day/night! @itseunaimonia

Pairing: Glorfindel x Reader

Genre: Adventure ig

Wordcount: 1.9k

Summary: Bards sang of heroes and their glorious falls, of tragic demises that echoed through the ages. Tales that ended at dramatic cliffs. But they never spoke of what dwelled beneath the cliffs

AN: Thank you for requesting! I appreciate you reaching out and reading my work :) I was not aware of that scene but it so beautiful. I tried my best. I hope you like it!

This was a terrible idea. Utterly ridiculous. You were an idiot of the highest order.

Gritting your teeth, you heaved the unconscious elf further into the dark tunnel. Sweat slicked your palms as you wrestled with his dead weight.

How in Valinor's grace did you get yourself into this mess? Experts, those smug know-it-alls, would probably say you had it coming.

The cobbled streets of your childhood were a constant symphony of smells - the yeasty aroma of fresh bread from bakeries, the acrid sting of smoke from blacksmith's forges, and the ever-present tang of sweat from the throngs of people. Yet, home was a cold, damp alley reeking of garbage and despair.

Your parents? Lost in the mists of time. Your guardian? A washed-up pickpocket who'd managed to pass on the art of filching before succumbing to age. Dead, you assumed. Just another burden you now shouldered.

Thus, you became a chameleon, a nameless nobody who shed identities like leaves changing colors. A year ago, the townsfolk chased you out with burning torches and shouts of "Witch!"

Was it the pilfered trinket from the priest's pocket? Or was it the flicker of a flame in your eyes, a flicker they deemed unnatural?

You were driven from the town with 200 cows and 70 humans. A pathetic feat. Broken ribs gnawed at your insides, each breath a fiery agony.

The branches, initially your enemies, tore at your clothes and hair, but with each passing day, you learned their language.

The meandering river became your guide, its gentle gurgling a soothing melody. The timid deer, your companions. Death, a constant companion at first, beckoned with the promise of an end to the pain and rejection.

But you clung to life, the will to survive stronger than the yearning for oblivion. Fractures mended, muscles rebuilt. The forest yielded its secrets - the healing power of herbs, the language of the wind.

You embraced the "snotty witch" label they'd pinned on you. Not entirely a witch, perhaps, but in your hand-sewn woolen robes and tiny, ramshackle cottage, you cultivated a certain...aura.

The blissful solitude, however, had likely been a facade. Whispers on the wind, a flash of movement too quick to be a bird – a sprite, perhaps, or a deer with an uncanny ability to shift form. Someone, or something, had been watching.

One day, after a long trek for berries, you returned to a scene of devastation. Your tiny cottage, a sanctuary you'd meticulously built, lay in ruins. A broken pot, once overflowing with simmering stew, lay shattered on the dirt floor. Scattered belongings mocked the life you'd carved out for yourself.

Standing amidst the wreckage, a bitter truth settled in your gut: you knew this was coming. The whispers in the wind, the fleeting glimpses of movement – a sign your solitude had been a fool's paradise.

With a sigh that condensed the frustration of a lifetime, you crouched amongst the debris. You assessed the broken clay pot, a treasured piece salvaged from the forest's bounty. Repairing it seemed futile. A diet of berries and a desperate prayer for the ability to digest leaves became your grim reality.

But fate, it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor. The next morning, a glimmer of defiance against your misfortune. A new pot, not of clay but of gleaming metal, sat where the shattered one lay. And beside it, a pile of neatly folded cotton clothes. Varda be praised, for you were about to face summer cloaked in your heavy woolen robes!

This marked the beginning of a peculiar trade. New pots and pans appeared, clothes tailored for the changing seasons, even intricately carved wooden animals – silent companions that filled the lonely corners of your cottage. Your once ramshackle dwelling began to feel like a home.

In return, you left notes, expressing gratitude for the unexpected gifts. They seemed to vanish into thin air, never to be found again. No reply ever graced your humble doorway, yet none of your offerings remained unclaimed.

Then, one day, a plume of smoke rose from the distant forest, a sight that defied everything you'd come to expect from your leafy haven. Curiosity, a spark long dormant, ignited within you.

Following the meandering path, the trees parting as if welcoming your approach, you stumbled upon a truth that shattered your idyllic solitude. There, nestled in the verdant embrace of the forest, stood a city. A sprawling, magnificent city the damned deer had never hinted at.

This, then, is how you found yourself here. Dragging the unconscious elf – as good as dead – deeper into the bowels of the cave. Outside, the city burned, consumed by a chaos you couldn't comprehend, an evil far more terrible than the men who had once ruled your life.

The elf was the first of his kind you'd ever seen. He lay limp in your arms, the remnants of battle etched on his face – a face that mirrored your own, yet somehow alien. Blood mingled with the familiar features – eyes, nose, lips, hair – the hallmarks of your people, the ones who dwelled in the gleaming cities far above.

He would have died from the fall. No human would have survived that plunge. But he wasn't human.

Bards sang of heroes and their glorious falls, of tragic demises that echoed through the ages. Tales that ended at dramatic cliffs.

But they never spoke of what dwelled beneath the cliffs, of those who scraped a living in the shadows, content with mere survival. Perhaps stories didn't just end on cliff faces. Perhaps some began in the very places the world chose to ignore.

Consumed by a primal need for escape, you burrowed deeper into the cave's darkness. The air grew thick and stale, the only light a faint bioluminescent glow clinging to the damp walls. Tripping over skittering mice and jagged rocks, you pushed onward. This cave had to lead somewhere, didn't it?

The weight on your back, though light, was a constant annoyance. The elf's golden hair kept slipping down, obscuring your already limited vision.

The entire cave shuddered. Rocks rained down, peppering the ground around you with a terrifying clatter. Panic surged through you – the thought of being impaled by falling debris sent shivers down your spine.

Running through this treacherous tunnel with an armored elf on your back felt like a scene straight out of a nightmare, one ending in your mangled body and the still form of the unconscious elf lost forever in the depths of this cave.

You pushed forward, a desperate need for escape fueling your every step. In a perfect world, the roles would be reversed – the elf, strong and armored, would be carrying you to safety. But then again, you'd been no match for the creature he'd faced, the monstrous entity that had set this city ablaze.

Blinded by adrenaline, you barely registered the water pooling at your feet. It wasn't until the current snatched you off your balance, shoving you back onto the uneven ground, that the danger fully registered. A torrent of water was gushing into the cave, its source hidden in the darkness ahead.

"Gods..." you choked out, the icy water now lapping at your waist. The thought of drowning, of dragging this elf down with you, filled you with a cold dread. "I am so sorry," you whispered to the unconscious elf, your voice barely audible over the roar of the rushing water. You knew the gods rarely intervened in your life, offering little comfort in the face of impending doom.

A primal fear clawed at your throat. "Don't let me die," you repeated the mantra to yourself, your fingers clawing uselessly at the slick rock wall. A new plea rose in your heart, a desperate bargain with any unseen power that might be listening: "Don't let the elf die either."

Your eyes darted to the shimmering golden strands of hair that danced around you, a stark contrast to the dark water now rising to your chin. With a grunt, you adjusted the elf's position on your back, securing him higher.

"I tried..." you rasped, your voice hoarse. "I tried to help you," you continued, digging your nails into the unforgiving rock face, desperate for a handhold, a miracle.

Frustration morphed into a desperate plea. "This life you gave me..." you choked out, the weight of the past crashing down on you. "Heal me again! Answer me for once!" You cried out to the unknown power that had sustained you, healed your broken bones all those years ago.

The next few minutes were a blur of terror and thrashing limbs. Lost in the white noise of the rushing water, you barely registered the powerful current that ripped the elf from your grasp before the water swallowed you whole.

Dark images flickered in your mind – the suffocating embrace of the water, the desperate clawing for a surface that seemed miles away. Then, a spark of memory – reaching for the elf, your hands brushing against his cold, armored form. An anchor you never asked for, a weight pulling you down further.

At least, you thought with morbid humor, you'd die holding a beautiful creature.

A morbid fascination drew your gaze to the dried blood smeared across his forehead. With a shaking hand, you wiped it away, a tender gesture that felt out of place in this watery apocalypse.

Tilting his face upwards, you felt a strange sense of urgency. This wouldn't be the end, not yet. You brought your face towards his, the last of your precious breath burning in your lungs. This, you thought, this wouldn't be death, but a spark of life, a desperate gamble with fate.

Just as your cold lips brushed against his, a powerful current slammed into you, yanking your body from the elf's grasp. The water, like a living beast, roared around you, tearing you away from the cave's darkness.

It wasn't the sweet oblivion you expected, but a surge of painful motion, dragging you through the jagged rocks and the oppressive darkness of the cave.

Finally, with a bone-jarring jolt, you were ejected from the cave's maw, tumbling onto the familiar banks of the river you'd once walked beside. Gasping for air, you lay on the muddy ground, the weight of the world pressing down on you

He scanned the small, familiar room, a smile playing on his lips. The woman who lived in the woods. The one whose solitary existence had once piqued the patrol's curiosity.

Marek, the captain, the very one who'd shattered her only pot – a memory that now felt like a lifetime ago. Most of the guards knew her.

The woman they left trinkets for – their chosen shrine of offerings. The one who traded their gifts for stories, tales of men, a legend whispered amongst the ranks of Gondolin's guards.

And now, here he was, in her ramshackle cottage, the very same one where he'd once left a basket overflowing with scones. The woman, a mere memory until now, sat beside him.

Her hair, once neatly braided, cascaded wildly around her face. Exhaustion etched itself onto her features as she slept, slumped awkwardly in a rickety chair.

How, he wondered, had this woman reached him beyond the devastation he'd witnessed? Grief threatened to overwhelm him, a phantom pain for those lost.

A sliver of sunlight slanted through the window, illuminating her wrist. There, etched into the pale skin, was a symbol that sent a jolt through him. A shimmering outline of a wave, the unmistakable mark of Uinen, the Lady of the Seas.

[baileythebean]

For anyone curious, here are the Ramshackle OC voice claims so far (and some vids if you wanna know what that sounds like) ((FULL VERSION!!))

Bailey - He/They (my OC) -

Wanderer (Genshin Impact)

Chongyun (Genshin Impact)

Finn Hollis - He/She (belonging to @ask-finn-hollis/@thesilliestofallqueers) -

a mix of

Yanfei (Genshin Impact)

Yuuki Mishima (Persona 5)

Flynn - He/She/They (belonging to @ask-a-snobby-fencer/@vv4loe)

-Adora (She-ra) !BUT MORE MASCULINE!

Sora Wickerman - He/Him (Belonging to @ask-sora-wickerman)

-Mio (Umibe no Entranger)

Jasper - He/Him (belonging to @ask-the-richest-scrap-ever/@schnozzlebozzle) - Jax (The Amazing Digital Circus) - Hunter (The Owl House)

THATS ALL!!

[small-world-au]

Sora and his lil’ family dynamics!

Flynn: That one cousin whom you haven’t interact with in ages…awkward….

Jasper: The cursed intimidating lil’ brother who isn’t afraid to spill his feel with ya.

Bailey: THE BEST TWIN EVER!!!!

Finn: That sweet as sugar brother/sister whom you almost share EVERYTHING in common!

Sora feels safe with them and think of them as his own flesh and blood.

It’s gonna make the departure more painful once Sora finds Stone and has to go back home…AHEM! ANYWAYS….

@ask-a-snobby-fencer

@ask-jasper-cameron

@baileythebean

@ask-finn-hollis

Look!, a happy family! 🥺🥺🥺

[merakiui]

omg ponyo was also one of my favourites as a kid!! one time i even brought it to school and got upset bc nobody else wanted to watch it they wanted some dumb horse movie instead (-_-)

anyway i’ve watched it so much that the disk skips now 。・゜・(ノД`)・゜・。 but! i did get the artbook for it a couple years ago and god it’s just such a gorgeous movie and a huge comfort ♡(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑) i’m literally cuddled in my ponyo blanket as we speak

also really love tangled, & totally agree on wanting to live it. the adventure, the lights, rapunzel and flynn having insane chemistry together ahh (〃ω〃) it’s such a good movie i should rewatch it soon! i feel like it’s got great au potential as well. poor riddle locked in his tower…. :(

i like to think that the twst boys would really enjoy tangled and the ghibli movies (as all people should)! octa would probably find the peaceful harmony of the sea in ponyo a very interesting change from what they’re used to (and pester you about getting a kiss so they can live on land. dummy that’s what the potion is for >:[ )

in conclusion, movie night at ramshackle w everybody! ＼＼\\٩( ^ω^ )و //／／

Ponyo is such a wonderful film aaaaaa!!! I love it so much. >w< all of the Studio Ghibli films are beautiful and filled with magic. But Ponyo was the one I watched most when I was a child! :D it's still one of my favorites even today.

AAAAA TANGLED AU WITH RIDDLE........ omg that's so perfect. The idea of Riddle with very long hair is a cute thought. <3 he deserves to go on an adventure and fall in love with his darling and make many fun memories!!!! Tangled has such great au potential uuwaaa,,, the plot is so enjoyable. I love plots where the characters have a deal that means they must tolerate the other in order to get what they want (for Flynn it was the crown and for Rapunzel it was getting to see the lanterns) until all of that inevitably changes when they grow closer!!!! The dynamic is so wonderful... orz

Octavinelle liking Ponyo!!!! AAAAA YES YES!!! >0< this is very true. If anyone's going to be a fan of the Ghibli films, it's 100% Idia!!!! Omg he would love all of them so much. Movie night at Ramshackle or even Ignihyde means he's going to play all of his favorites, and the Ghibli films naturally have to be part of that!!!

[randomthefox]

WHY IS IAN'S DUMBASS PORTRAYING TRIP'S HELMET AS A GLORIOUS ARMOR OF WARRIORS??!!?? IN SUPERSTARS IT'S LITERALLY A BAD THING THAT SHE HAS TO ABANDON AS PART OF HER CHARACTER GROWTH!!!

I wish Flynn and all of his shitty comics would FUCK OFF!

LITERALLY!

Like, it's very clear from the subtext of Superstars that the Armor is ramshackle and thrown together for one thing, and that it's something that she uses AS A COPING MECHANISM

She literally HIDES AWAY under the helmet when she feels scared or overwhelmed!

Her shedding it is the moment she self actualizes and becomes more independent as a character! She only pulls it out after that as a cute moment where she hides under it because she's shy!

Ian Flynn is such a fucking ILLITERATE MORON that he completely misunderstood what the purpose of Trips armor was for the purposes of her story -_-

[starry-night-rose]

Twisted Wonderland Oc Masterlist

Ramshackle

Ellis Clawthorne (The Ramshackle Prefect)

Heartslabuyl

Astrid Aneira (Twisted from Anna)

Molly Primrose (Twisted from Wendy Darling)

Savanaclaw

Artemis Woodman (Twisted from Man)

Octanivelle

Fabian Nacht (Twisted from Flynn Rider)

Marina Baleen (Twisted from the Neverland Mermaids)

Scarabia

there seems to be nothing here…

Pomfiore

Stella Vega (Twisted from the Wishing Star)

Odette Cygnet (Twisted from Duchess Swan)

Ignihyde

Aimée Amore (Twisted from Aphrodite)

Sabrina Von Puppe (Twisted from Sally)(coming soon...)

Diasomnia

Victoria Le Fay (Twisted from the Three Fairies)

Ivy Villosa (Twisted from Rosetta)

Gwendolyn Schnee (Twisted from Periwinkle)

Terrovania (belongs to @/terrovaniadorm/@/hallowed-delights)

Alice Darius (Twisted from Lady Dimitrescu)

Lilith Winchester (Twisted from Lucy Westenra)

Lizzie Shelley (Twisted from Lisa Swallows)

Staff

Margaret Parapluie (Twisted from Mary Poppins)(coming soon...)

Edward Rodgers (Twisted from Captain Hook)(coming soon...)

RSA

Sanwaii (belongs to @/twsted-princess)

Hoshiko Itsuki (Twisted from Lala/Little Twin Stars)

Hikari Itsuki (Twisted from Kiki/Little Twin Stars)

Fableheart (belongs to @/jasdiary)

Reina Carrion (Twisted from Mira Shards/The Evil Queen) (coming soon...)

Toytoriya (belongs to @/toytoriyadorm / @/revivemyreverie )

Blair Handler (Twisted from Barbie)

[twsted-princess]

For the fluster ask

On that day Elias and Carol did some work in the green house together... She had a smaller dress on as she ran around trying to plant one flower to the other flower bed as she eventually noticed something in the Shed.

"Eli... could you maybe help me with something.... I think either the shovel is stuck or I am too weak to get it out there."

"Don't worry, I'll take a look."

And so he looked into the shed with her... trying to get the handle off the Shovel out and struggling as well.. as both noticed it was slightly hooked into the pot it was stuck in and both grabbed the handle to get it out.... but even if they got it out they both stumbled back... Eventually he woke up again as Carol bend over him close to his face.

"Are you alright? I was worried you hit your head."

She was very close... the comfortable smell of apples, the light hint of a cleavage and those worried eyes looking down on him as she was on top of him... what a mess he got himself into.

They were just done with sparring and moving on with the day... as suddenly a familiar face cought their view... a same tall vampire lady they were all too familiar with.

"Say Chilli... Could I spare some of your time? I feel a little... bored."

"Not at all what do you need?"

"Not here... follow me."

Vanessa led them away from the crowd and along the hallway... eventually stopping at a less occupied corner but what they didn't expect was her to boldly come close and kabedon them to the wall.... leaning down to let everything see with a light smirk licking her fangs.

"Would you mind me quenching my thirst a little?"

A light sigh escaped her... thanks to Flynn she lost a bet and had to wear this whole noble prince get up... tying her hair into a bun and filling in this radiant look.... however she knew as well that she could use this opportunity for a one little idea... eventually the guests flooded in and to her hopes Melanie also was part of the crowd to watch her later perform... yet she couldn't help to make use of this costume...

And so she let her along with the help of other members to meet her at an unfinished part of the set... Rubina took her hand gently and left a small kiss from her hand to her wrist going on a knee.

"My fated lady... I would do anything to be with you... to feel your touch each day... you just have to ask the word."

She chuckled a little before breaking the role pulling her along by her waist and trapping the Ramshackle dorm leader between the table and her, having this loving smile as she pressed her hands on the table to inspect her eyes.

"How was I, did I capture your heart?"

Hey Fumi, I love you.

Elias

"U- Um y- yes! Yes I'm fine!!" Oh no....this isn't good. Carol looked down to see him looking straight towards the ceiling, his face breaking into a sweat. "Are.....you sure?" He shakes his head. "Y- Yes yes!! Couldn't be any better!!" She watched him before giggling to herself. What a cutie...

Petva

Vanessa smiled, feeling the thump on their vein as she licks along their neck. Their skin tasted like fresh salt and a dash of citrus, akin of a margarita. "Like what you saw?" They ask, feeling her nails skim their chest and arms. "Very much so~" She feels them raise their neck, letting them press a kiss on their jugular. "Then drink up baby~"

Melanie

Rubina watches as her darling girlfriend's face turns from a rosy pink and the cherry red. Her mouth agape, one hand over her chest while the other gripes the princely suit sleeve. She looked ripe for a kiss and as Rubina gave into the temptation a voice came in. "Uh....Miss Loketon? Flynn said that you need to-" It was just Pluck and the ever graceful actress gazed at him while hiding her princess to her chest. "In a minute Pluck, I'm just looking for something." And as he leaves with a decent answer she turns back to her love. "My apologies.....he can wait a little bit. May I kiss you? Just one my love...."

[baileythebean]

HOLY SHIT WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING THESE KIDS (except Sora, the short boi, and bro is dating STONE!?!?!)

[small-world-au]

What do you think Jasper, Finn, Flynn, and Bailey's love language are??

-da silly anon

“Hmm…to be honest…am quite not sure…maybe I’ll ask them!”

“Hey guys, what’s your love languages??”

@baileythebean

@ask-finn-hollis

@ask-jasper-cameron

@ask-a-snobby-fencer

[fumikomiyasaki]

Hello👋

May I request 💙 with Amaterasu, please?

Heartkiss

💙 drunken kiss / tipsy

(Given we have no ships yet... let me pick something random and funny)

On a joined HSA NRC post graduation party Flynn looked across the room... Rubina and Nanoya were busy taking care of some students that already kinda had a bit too much of drink while he still stood here sipping his whine and enjoying the night. The actor was curious about something or moreso a certain someone who could maybe rival his own wits... he heard of a Ramshackle students who had capabilities that could maybe rival him... and eventually he spotted them on the couch... Amaterasu.

Sitting down next to them he tried to play his usual charm.

"Well all alone by yourself here? Some bit of enjoyment is not wronged here... hmm what do I call you."

"The name is Amaterasu, Master."

"Master? Are you trying to flatter me that early? Trying to become a precious gem to me? I apoligize but it does take more than that, but I commend your effort."

Despite him seeming relatively calm holding that glass of wine Flynn did notice the slight effect it had on him... as he tried to keep up a conversation... he started rambling about his acting career but even Amaterasu in itself noticed which of his words were part of his own act... the Alcohol made him slip up more than his usual self.

"A false crow, reliant on others to see him, or fade into a shadow. You really are pitiful Master Deradelle."

"Nothing new you tell me dolly, but I do wonder... you seemed to ignore or push away everyone you met here... yet you give me the time... I wonder how much interest you have in me."

"Your acting is the only thing I do take interest in... and what you are hiding."

Flynn chuckled and sat closer, putting on claw on their chin.

"I am a dangerous one, one you probably shouldn't get involved in... or else my claws might wrap around you."

"Unrelated... I feel nothing in this regard to you."

"A true puppet... hilarious in a way... let me give you a parting gift to think about."

Flynn left a small kiss on their lips, nothing long, nothing lingering before he got up, his steps were uneven yet he still carried this act of his trying to be sophisticated.

"Farewell, Doll, may fate let us meet again."

Nanoya and Rubina noticed something off about Flynn and escorted him out... just for Amaterasu to sit down and process what just happened.

[blazehedgehog]

“games… forced you to stop playing as Sonic and switch…” This was my major issue/contradiction with SA2. I grew up on Flynn’s Archie run so I LOVE the plot possibilities of Sonic having a large cast but I hated HAVING to play as them in SA2. I think Sonic 3K did multiple characters best. Could 3K’s multiple character philosophy (you pick who you want, each character is just Sonic with altered stats and extra abilities) work in 3D or is it still too time consuming?

My long standing view is that Sonic's gameplay kind of messes up being able to have anyone else explore the same spaces he does.

Like in the Genesis games, where everybody had the same basic controls plus one unique ability, it was easier to have multiple characters explore the same space that branches off in to a specific route tailored to their ability.

Everybody visits Carnival Night Zone in Sonic 3, but there are upper areas only Tails can reach, and there are lower paths Knuckles is FORCED to take due to his lackluster jumping abilities.

But the faster Sonic got, and the more they emphasized "only Sonic is this fast", the harder it is to have other characters tackle the same levels.

Like it's actually fairly brilliant that in the original Sonic Adventure, the final area of Speed Highway is this winding urban sprawl with twisting streets for Sonic, but for Knuckles, it's more like an open world he can climb and explore in all directions. It's the same space for both of them (relatively), but how they see and interact with that space is extremely different.

You can't do that with the way Sonic works in Generations. Sonic is too fast and the space for Knuckles would be ten times too large. At that point, you have to build entirely bespoke content just for each character, and that's like making multiple separate games and squishing them together. That's very expensive and a lot of work, even if you're just reusing existing art assets.

Heck, it was even a lot of work in the Sonic Adventure games. I touched on it in that other post, but note that Sonic games got WAY less buggy and visibly broken when they started focusing on smaller amounts of gameplay styles. Even Sonic Forces, for how clearly ramshackle that game is, never falls apart like Sonic 06 could.

Frontiers goes out of its way to try and nerf Sonic's speed down and down and down so he's no longer so impossibly fast anymore, so it'll be interesting to see what the DLC is like where you play as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy.

Will they get brand new Cyber Space levels? Will they share Cyber Space levels between them? How will they handle traversing across the open world? Will they all just get their own boost mode?

[denimbex1986]

'In 1999’s The Talented Mr Ripley, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Marge Sherwood is, in many ways, the eyes of the audience – sweet and somewhat naive, she welcomes Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) into the idyllic life she’s built with her boyfriend Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) in ’50s southern Italy, before the former secretly murders the latter, adopts his identity and sets off on a grand tour on his dime. When she later catches up with him, she’s deeply suspicious, but there’s still a certain fragility to her – desperate though she is to bring him to justice, she knows there’s little she can actually do.

Now in Ripley, Steven Zaillian’s icy, eight-part Netflix retelling of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 classic – the latest in a long line of adaptations for stage and screen – Dakota Fanning is inheriting that part from Paltrow. She still, at times, acts as the viewer’s eyes and ears, but that is where the resemblance ends. This new iteration of Marge is, in a sense, the antithesis of Paltrow’s sunny, floral-midi-skirt-clad hostess – dressed in trousers and oversized white shirts (and filmed in an atmospheric black and white, as opposed to the original film’s ravishing pastels), she’s steely, watchful and shrewd, someone who seems to recognise Tom (Andrew Scott) for the opportunist he is from the get go.

She’s also unapologetically ambitious, penning a book on Atrani, the sleepy Amalfi Coast town where she and Dickie (Johnny Flynn) have ended up. While her affluent boyfriend spends his days parading around his palatial villa, she takes photographs and edits drafts in a charming but ramshackle one-room apartment, filled with knitting supplies, wild flowers and candid snapshots. It’s clear that she doesn’t come from money or, at least, from as much money as Dickie does, and isn’t from his crowd of New York sophisticates – we hear she’s from Minnesota and, at one point, she resents being seen as “a small town hick”. The picture we get of Marge in these scenes – someone who is spiky, slippery and frequently unreadable – is so much richer and more complex than anything we’ve been afforded before.

It’s a remarkable performance from Fanning – still, impassive, cold and cryptic – which ranks among the 30-year-old actor’s best. And that’s really saying something: she’s been working for almost two and a half decades, having started out as a child actor, playing a younger version of Calista Flockhart in Ally McBeal, a baby-faced Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama, the exuberant lead in Charlotte’s Web, and Tom Cruise’s daughter in War of the Worlds. With I Am Sam, she became the youngest SAG nominee in history aged seven and scooped a Critics’ Choice Award, giving a shockingly articulate acceptance speech as she was lifted up to the microphone by Orlando Bloom.

Then came the Twilight franchise, after which the Georgia native graduated to more adult roles in the likes of The Runaways and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In Ripley, she commands the screen with the ease of a veteran – it serves as both a reminder of her enduring star power as well as evidence of her evolution as an actor.

Ahead of the show’s release on 4 April, Fanning discusses Marge’s own opportunism, her chic and understated costumes, and the equally dark projects she’s delving into next.

I heard that Steven Zaillian wanted you for Ripley because he loved you in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Is that right?

That’s what I heard. He saw that and then wanted to chat with me about this. I was obviously familiar with this story and the character of Marge, and so I read the scripts and they were truly some of the best scripts I’ve ever read. Steve is so brilliant, and his vision for the show… I didn’t really even think about it. I just said, “Yes, I’ll do whatever he wants.” It was a dream to be a part of.

What about the scripts captured you the most?

His writing is so nuanced, and the scripts are brilliant in that they’re actually very simple. They leave a lot of space for the actor, and especially the actors who are not playing Tom Ripley, to figure out their role in the story. A lot of the time, the characters are saying one thing, but there’s so much more underneath, and the intention behind what they’re saying is sometimes the complete opposite of what is being said. So as an actor, I knew it would be a great challenge to modulate a performance based on what’s not said, and I was really excited by that. Steve and I created a great dialogue between us and figured out who Marge is, what she knows, when she knows it, when she’s suspicious of Tom and when she believes him. Then we did some takes where you kind of flip that on its head and see what happens.

This is a real character study at its core, but it’s also a cat-and-mouse game and I felt lucky to be playing a character who does go toe to toe with Tom. He’s so skilled at what he does and most of the characters are in the dark about who he really is and what he’s doing. Marge is certainly in the dark too, to an extent, but she also knows that there’s something off and isn’t afraid to tap into that. Andrew and I relished getting to explore that rivalry.

I read that you, Andrew and Johnny didn’t rewatch the 1999 film. Did you feel the pressure of remaking something that has such an incredible legacy, or does Ripley just feel too different to be comparable?

I’m a massive fan of that film and watching the series, it felt completely different. Ripley is based on the novel very faithfully. I revisit the film because I love it, but I didn’t find it helpful in terms of playing Marge or stepping into this world because the vibe of this is entirely separate. It’s in black and white so, right off the bat, that changes things.

It looks so gorgeous, but in a very different way from the original film. I wanted to ask you specifically about Marge’s house, too. Compared to Dickie’s villa, it’s surprisingly modest. What does that setting tell us about her?

I loved all the details on that set, and it informed the relationship between Marge and Tom. Tom is fascinated with privilege and wealth, and the lack of appreciation he sees in these wealthy people when it comes to their relationship with art, travel and culture. According to him, they don’t know what to do with all that, whereas he does. So, that idea of class is super present in Ripley and what’s interesting about Marge is that she probably comes from a more similar background to Tom than Dickie, and that informs their rivalry.

There’s also her knitting – I love that Marge is a knitter. I am as well. You see her messy basket of yarn and needles on that set. Steve is a details man and he arranged those knitting needles exactly how he wanted them. I’m not exaggerating [laughs]. Everything on that set had a purpose. It’s a bit of a mess and Tom is sort of disgusted by it. She’s working on her book, and her photos and her writing – everything’s artfully displayed. The interior was partly filmed on a soundstage, but that house was also in Atrani, the little town we filmed in on the Amalfi Coast. That was special, too – getting to actually be in those extraordinary places.

Marge’s ambition is also front and centre in this retelling. Was that important to you?

I loved that. Marge has some ulterior motives as well. She’s kind of using this situation that she’s found herself in to her benefit a little bit, too. I think she genuinely does love Dickie and is invested in him in a pure way, but you do see a little bit of her opportunism come out as well. And once again, that similarity to Tom really pisses him off. She’s getting in his way and marching on what he sees as his territory.

And coming back to this beautiful Italian setting, did you, Andrew and Johnny get to have any downtime when the cameras weren’t rolling?

It was wonderful, but complicated because you’re in these beautiful places where people dream of going on their holiday, but you’re working and it was during Covid and it was challenging, so your brain doesn’t know what mode to switch into. But, we definitely found time to have some great meals and wine together. We played cards at Johnny’s and had our Italian lessons together. He had this great house in Capri when we were filming there and one day, we had a barbecue. Andrew and Johnny are two of the loveliest people I’ve ever worked with. It’s so important when you’re working on something like this which is so all-encompassing that you find time to bring light and laughter and play into it as well. Andrew, Johnny and I were able to lighten up the challenging days. I couldn’t have done it without them and I’m in awe of their performances.

What proved the most challenging?

There were practical things – we travelled a lot and set up shop in lots of new locations. We still had to take Covid tests and there was the stress of, “What if I have Covid and can’t get home for Christmas?” And it was quite intense. Every scene, no matter how big or small, had equal importance so there was never a day when you’re like [mimics falling asleep]. That’s an extraordinary way to work, but it can get heavy at certain moments. It’s a lot of time away from home and I was the lonely American whose family hadn’t travelled internationally since the beginning of the pandemic and so no one wanted to come see me because they didn’t want to get me sick [laughs]. But, I made the best of it.

I’d also love to ask you about the costumes. The Talented Mr Ripley is one of the most stylish films ever made, but Ripley takes a much more subdued approach. What does Marge’s less feminine and more pared back style in this series say about her?

With Marge, we start with lighter layers and then, by the time we get to Venice, it’s coats and sweaters and everything is black and navy. It’s kind of like her armour in which to battle Tom. But, if I had to pick one favourite piece, it’s probably Marge’s swimsuit. It’s grey plaid and old fashioned, and it’s really unglamorous but there’s actually something very chic about it in its simplicity. We wanted to make sure the costumes felt natural, wrinkled and a little bit oversized, to show that Marge wants to be taken seriously. She’s focused on practicality, and I think that speaks to what kind of woman she is in this time period.

She definitely feels ahead of her time. Finally, now that the show is about to come out, have you given much thought to why this particular story has been retold so many times? Why are we so endlessly fascinated by Tom Ripley?

I’m still trying to figure it out. As a society, we have this general fascination with grifters and con artists, but with Ripley, there are just so many layers to him. This is an exploration of people and what they’re capable of; of the haves and have nots, and how circumstances can change people. And especially in this telling, you get a real deep dive and a bigger window into this character than we’ve seen in the past. Andrew’s brought something completely different to the part that no one’s ever seen before.

And you have quite a few similarly dark projects coming up after this. Can you talk me through them?

I’ve got The Watchers coming out this summer, which is directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of M Night Shyamalan who’s a producer on it. I had a great time filming it in Dublin last year – it has this supernatural Shyamalan vibe. And then I have the Netflix mystery series The Perfect Couple, directed by Susanne Bier, with Nicole Kidman. It’s a true ensemble piece and a big family story, and we got to film on Cape Cod. It felt like summer camp. And I’m filming the horror movie Vicious at the moment – TBD, but it’s been great so far.

Ripley will be on Netflix from 4 April.'