#love that he is narratively a prince charming and a princess in the tower and a faceless devoted knight

[welcometogrouchland]

ok i just saw this hc but i immediatly adopted it: hunter is trans and he was binding unsafely for a lot of time until darius (also trans) put a stop to it in the reunion that definitevely happened between LR and COTH and gave him a quickly put together temporal binder promising him that he would make him a proper one post DoU

Firstly anon I think I know exactly which comic you're referring to and second of all REAL I LOVE TRANSMASC HUNTER!!! All hunters are good, and I acknowledge that every interpretation of him has a lot of textual validity. He's got that link gender going on! Transmasc is just my fav bc my transmasc friends are attached to it <3

I don't have much/anything to add to this one bc I'm not transmasc and don't bind or anything (I fielded this ask to some friends before hand just to make sure I didn't say anything dumb) BUT- I do have this for you

[ID: two versions of a digital drawing of Hunter from the owl house. He stands with one on his hip looking off to the side. He's depicted in his costume from for the future, except his wolf shirt has been replaced by a binder. In the first version the binder is plain black, whereas in the second version it has a simple strawberry pattern on it. There is a note that (in the first version) reads "Hunter in the binder baby!!!" And (in the second version) "Hunter in the STRAWBERRY binder baby!!!". End ID]

[cafeleningrad]

No, I don't think that RGU "subverts fairy tale narratives". On the contrary. I don't know how intentional the writing was on the writer's part but RGU's themes, structure, and resolution are much closer aligned to the Grimm-fashion fairy tales than the manicured opening sequence might make the viewer believe. At some points they do conciously reference fairy tales whilst alos having a good grasp on it's story contents. In fact, the opening sequence is less accurate about fairy tales than the actual plot of RGU.

Anyhow, actually a quick rambling how many fairy tale motives are in Utena. some referenced to, some overtly named, some just by my personal associciation:

The only fairy tale where the story is actually changed is Sleeping Beauty. There the visual reference is extremely strong with the duel plattform (a tower) being hidden in a forbidden forest, surrounded by thorns and roses, a princess waiting/sleeping (in her coffin) on a bed of roses. But unlike in the tale, the princess isn't woken up by the whimse of the prince but is allowed to choose if she even wants to wake up. [By the way, here's an essay comparing the pschycological literary interpretation of (The contemporary reading of) Sleeping Beauty with RGU.]

On the theme of girl locked away in a tower: Rapunzel come to my mind. Indeed Rapunzel loves her prince but he's also her co-conspirator as well as mean to escape her captivity. Their scheming is interrupted, both get horribly injured while attempting to escape. They both wnader around for a long time until their finally find each other. Scarred, they still are deeply happy to have found each other once more.

One OST track is titled "Bluebeard's castle". So fitting to be played in Akio's tower. The titular Bluebeard appears at first charming. Yet his bride discovers his secret chamber of previously killed women, relaizing what a monster her once so enarmoured husband is. It's a fairy tale beginning with a slight snese of unease, building up dread the longer the bride resides in the castle. What a perfect association for Akio's facade and body count of abuse.

The next Bluebeard in the making, Touga explicitly compares Utena with "the golden Goose"; In which every one tries to rip out the bird's golden feathers, creating a gigantic queue of greed. Even though Touga most likely wants to compare Utena to something precious worth exploiting, his comparison misses how the goose's doing finally made a princess laugh, and none actually was able to rip out the precious gold feathers.

Speaking of animals... In an conversation during which Nanami has a hard time naming her ever growing distress towards Touga's and her relationships, one statue in the background switches in the form of the "Musicians of Bremen". Nanami carriesway more animal associations than even Anthy. In fact Nanami turning into a cow is her being treated as domestic labour animal. In "The musicians of Bremen", labour animals are to be slaughtered after they can't labour anymore. So they flee their circumstances, band together (heh), and find a new home as band of misfits. Whereas the statue is a string of visual warnings about Nanami's dangerous situation, it gives me hope, that Nanami might, like the Bremen musicians, escape to a not glamorous but future full of support and friendship.

Last association coming to my mind. This is an entire free-falls association but with so many Utena-Nanami-paralles, why not make an animal comparison, too? Utena reminds me so much of the "Puss in Boots". Not destined to be anything but a cat, anything but a girl, she puts on clothing that shoul dnot be hers. It suits her quiet well. Yet the puss does it's deeds to help out their master who gave her the boots. They trick an evil magician with nothing but cleverness and ligt up their master into fortune. Utena doesn't help out of thanksfulness yet, like the cat, she does act out of care and adoration for the rose bride, and triumphs over a sinister figure that seemed once so overly powerful. LIke the wizard turning himself into a mouse, Akio turns out to not be overly powerful but actually a scared manchild who refuses to grow up, and actually isn't the allmighty figure he paints himself to be.

[Bonus: Saionji as the frog prince. Very serious analysis. Even though the popular image is one of a princess kissing a frog, and him turning into a prince, the actual tale is... not so gentle. The frog asks the princess to take hiom with her, in return to giving her back the ball that actually belongs to her. The princess feels humiliated having to play-act a romantic dinner scene at the frog's demands to sit on her side and be fed. Her protests are overruled by her father reprimanding her to hold her promise towards the frog. (Anthy mentioning how Akio is more like her father to her.) But the princess has her fill with the impertinent frog, throws him against a wall, and there: He becomes a prince. The parallels between Saionji getting beat up like a punching bag until he finally chills (somewhat) down are almost too obvious. Also, the frog and him share the colour green.]

In general, fairy tales often feature disempowered protagonists, often young women, most of the time they aren't even royalty. The protagonists often survive the most dire consequences by cleverness, resourcefulness but also their kindness to strangers - not raw power or powerful magic. I've no idea why people claim that retellings are "dark", "misbehaving", or "adult" because not only is it inaccurate to whom fairy tales were told, but even in format of children's publications, fairy tales are incredibly dark already. Children's fears of abusive parents, being neglected, mistrateatment, poverty, the world being scary being forsaken by mistakes by those who were supposed to care for the child, domestic violence, even incestuous abuse do feature in fairy tales - however, the protagonists survive the most dire of straits. Even if hurt in the process, they surivive, and "lived happily ever aftere". It's a faint, promise that they found happiness anyway. How similar it rings with "someday we will shine". If these common elements don't ressemble Utena's journey, and the circumstances of her friends, i don't know what else would bear a stronger ressemblance.

Apart from Anthy's and Akio's vague connection to godhood, and allegory, none of the kinds is special. Utena is a classic fairy tale orphan child, no special parentage, only her role as protagonist follows her fending off the darkness around her.

[tangledmovielove]

Tangled is One of My Favorite Disney Movies – But I Hate the TV Series

Tangled has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, and I absolutely adore the love story of Rapunzel and Flynn. However, there’s something I absolutely cannot stand: the Tangled TV series. It ruined everything for me, and if I have to consider the series as canon, it would completely destroy my love for the original film.

It’s honestly painful how they trashed Flynn’s character and their entire relationship just to cater to some misguided notion of modern feminism and "progressive" ideals. They’ve turned Flynn into a bumbling fool, completely ruining the clever, charming, and smart character he was in the original movie. And worse yet, they’ve stripped Rapunzel of her independence and made her doubt the very love she so clearly shared with Flynn in the film.

What infuriates me the most is how the series portrayed the idea of rejecting a marriage proposal and then staying together as if that was somehow a healthy or sensible thing to do. In the time period this story is set, marriage wasn’t just about a wedding ceremony—it was about being together, about having a future, about building a life with someone. Back then, people married young because it was often the only way they could truly be together. Flynn’s proposal in the movie wasn’t rushed—it was a natural progression of their deep love for each other, especially given the era they lived in.

But in the series, the message is clear: marriage is a prison—even if you love someone deeply, even if you’ve been together for months or years. This is a terrible message, and it’s absurd. If you love someone, you want to marry them. You don’t reject them because you feel like it will strip you of your freedom. That’s a red flag that implies you don’t actually see a future with them. Marriage isn’t a trap—it’s a symbol of commitment and love. If someone considers marriage to be a prison, they’re subconsciously thinking about cheating or breaking up. And that’s not love!

The historical inaccuracy is also glaring. Back in the time period this story is set in, marriage was the way for two people to be together. There was no “waiting for a few years to decide” because society didn’t allow that. No one could just live together as a couple back then, especially if you were a princess. The idea that Rapunzel and Flynn should have waited years to get married is ridiculous. If anything, they should have been portrayed as a couple eager to get married as soon as possible because that’s what would have made sense for their time.

And don't get me started on how the series turned Rapunzel into a fighting, modern-day “Mary Sue” girlboss character. In the original fairy tale, Rapunzel was already empowered—she made decisions for herself, let the prince into her tower, and plotted her own escape. The only thing that’s different in the series is that they’ve amped up her physical strength to make her more “modern” and “feminist,” as if it wasn’t already clear from the original that she was no damsel in distress. This change in her character feels unnecessary and forced, and it completely undermines the beauty of the original tale, Petrosinella, where her love for the prince was a true source of freedom, not a burden.

To add to my frustration, I despise how they twisted the whole narrative to fit a “modern feminist” agenda. The original Rapunzel (or Petrosinella, as it’s known in Basile’s version) is a beautiful love story, and Disney’s series ruined that. Rapunzel was a girl in an oppressive situation who found freedom and love in the prince, which was an empowering message. She wasn't just waiting for a man, she was waiting for a future and a life outside the tower—and a marriage to a prince was the way to escape. That was reality for women at the time. So why is that seen as a problem now?

And don’t even get me started on how they made Flynn look. In the series, he’s turned into a completely different character—dumbed down, less charming, and just... wrong. He’s not the clever rogue who stole Rapunzel’s heart in the movie. He’s a different person altogether, and I refuse to believe he’s the same guy. It's honestly insulting to the character development we saw in Tangled.

At the end of the day, I refuse to count the series as canon. It’s not. The original movie is still my canon, and I firmly believe the writers of the original film intended for Rapunzel and Flynn’s story to end right after the movie, with their love continuing in the short film Tangled Ever After. If the series had never happened, their love story would have been perfect, and I could have continued to enjoy the magic of the movie without this unnecessary and frustrating complication.

The series just isn’t believable. It doesn't fit with the tone of the original movie. And it absolutely doesn't fit with the world that the Brothers Grimm or Basile created. If the writers of the series saw how the original story was meant to be interpreted, they would be spinning in their graves.

So, for my sanity’s sake, I’ll continue to treat the TV series as non-canon. I’ll take my happily-ever-after with Flynn and Rapunzel from the movie and ignore the disaster that came afterward. Disney really missed the mark here, and I just can’t forgive them for ruining such a beautiful love story.

[marie95disneygirl]

Tangled is One of My Favorite Disney Movies – But I Hate the TV Series

Tangled has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, and I absolutely adore the love story of Rapunzel and Flynn. However, there’s something I absolutely cannot stand: the Tangled TV series. It ruined everything for me, and if I have to consider the series as canon, it would completely destroy my love for the original film.

It’s honestly painful how they trashed Flynn’s character and their entire relationship just to cater to some misguided notion of modern feminism and "progressive" ideals. They’ve turned Flynn into a bumbling fool, completely ruining the clever, charming, and smart character he was in the original movie. And worse yet, they’ve stripped Rapunzel of her independence and made her doubt the very love she so clearly shared with Flynn in the film.

What infuriates me the most is how the series portrayed the idea of rejecting a marriage proposal and then staying together as if that was somehow a healthy or sensible thing to do. In the time period this story is set, marriage wasn’t just about a wedding ceremony—it was about being together, about having a future, about building a life with someone. Back then, people married young because it was often the only way they could truly be together. Flynn’s proposal in the movie wasn’t rushed—it was a natural progression of their deep love for each other, especially given the era they lived in.

But in the series, the message is clear: marriage is a prison—even if you love someone deeply, even if you’ve been together for months or years. This is a terrible message, and it’s absurd. If you love someone, you want to marry them. You don’t reject them because you feel like it will strip you of your freedom. That’s a red flag that implies you don’t actually see a future with them. Marriage isn’t a trap—it’s a symbol of commitment and love. If someone considers marriage to be a prison, they’re subconsciously thinking about cheating or breaking up. And that’s not love!

The historical inaccuracy is also glaring. Back in the time period this story is set in, marriage was the way for two people to be together. There was no “waiting for a few years to decide” because society didn’t allow that. No one could just live together as a couple back then, especially if you were a princess. The idea that Rapunzel and Flynn should have waited years to get married is ridiculous. If anything, they should have been portrayed as a couple eager to get married as soon as possible because that’s what would have made sense for their time.

And don't get me started on how the series turned Rapunzel into a fighting, modern-day “Mary Sue” girlboss character. In the original fairy tale, Rapunzel was already empowered—she made decisions for herself, let the prince into her tower, and plotted her own escape. The only thing that’s different in the series is that they’ve amped up her physical strength to make her more “modern” and “feminist,” as if it wasn’t already clear from the original that she was no damsel in distress. This change in her character feels unnecessary and forced, and it completely undermines the beauty of the original tale, Petrosinella, where her love for the prince was a true source of freedom, not a burden.

To add to my frustration, I despise how they twisted the whole narrative to fit a “modern feminist” agenda. The original Rapunzel (or Petrosinella, as it’s known in Basile’s version) is a beautiful love story, and Disney’s series ruined that. Rapunzel was a girl in an oppressive situation who found freedom and love in the prince, which was an empowering message. She wasn't just waiting for a man, she was waiting for a future and a life outside the tower—and a marriage to a prince was the way to escape. That was reality for women at the time. So why is that seen as a problem now?

And don’t even get me started on how they made Flynn look. In the series, he’s turned into a completely different character—dumbed down, less charming, and just... wrong. He’s not the clever rogue who stole Rapunzel’s heart in the movie. He’s a different person altogether, and I refuse to believe he’s the same guy. It's honestly insulting to the character development we saw in Tangled.

At the end of the day, I refuse to count the series as canon. It’s not. The original movie is still my canon, and I firmly believe the writers of the original film intended for Rapunzel and Flynn’s story to end right after the movie, with their love continuing in the short film Tangled Ever After. If the series had never happened, their love story would have been perfect, and I could have continued to enjoy the magic of the movie without this unnecessary and frustrating complication.

The series just isn’t believable. It doesn't fit with the tone of the original movie. And it absolutely doesn't fit with the world that the Brothers Grimm or Basile created. If the writers of the series saw how the original story was meant to be interpreted, they would be spinning in their graves.

So, for my sanity’s sake, I’ll continue to treat the TV series as non-canon. I’ll take my happily-ever-after with Flynn and Rapunzel from the movie and ignore the disaster that came afterward. Disney really missed the mark here, and I just can’t forgive them for ruining such a beautiful love story.

[its-no-biggie]

i LOVE this. i really dont like these 2 very much in canon but this dynamic is SO much more compelling, and honestly feels more in-character for BOTH of them. not to mention the implications for ultra despair girls.......

okay consider. the setup is the same - byakuya is captured and toko is stranded with komaru and has to save him. and you can keep the stuff about how shes already on thin ice with the future foundation bc of genocide jack, and if she comes back without byakuya she might get kicked out - but get rid of her "i HAVE to stay with the foundation to stay close to byakuya-sama" motivation. i dont think she would stay with the future foundation out of loyalty to the cause or anything but like. maybe she likes the job stability in a post-despair world. maybe shes worried what will happen to her if she isnt affiliated with the future foundation (because of the whole. serial killer thing). ANYWAY she thinks if she returns empty-handed she'll be in a bad spot so. unfortunately she has to rescue him. then instead of constantly being like "i cant wait to see him again~~" the whole time shes like "ugh why did it have to be HIM who got taken hostage..... hes gonna be sooooo smug when i rescue him...... he'll never let me live this down...... maybe i can just leave him behind......" so her driving force can still be rescuing the hostage but. shes kind of annoyed about it the whole time lmao

AND!!! this strengthens her character arc!! her big character flaw that she overcomes in this game is that shes, to put it bluntly, a selfish coward. she betrays komaru to save byakuya, not because she cares about saving the life of a hostage but specifically because of her one-sided obsession with him. if the hostage was anyone else, she would not get this involved. and then her big turning point is letting komaru go free, even if it means she cant guarantee that byakuya will be safe. but doesnt that have more weight if she explicitly views byakuya as a pawn to be traded for her own self-interest? she doesnt actually care about saving HIM, shes sacrificing herself and her own interests to let komaru escape. this is functionally what this story beat is supposed to be, and it gets muddled by having tokos sacrifice be. a loved one in danger. yes, tokos obsession with byakuya is self-centred, and she doesnt really think of him as a person, but at the end of the day, she is trying to save a person she cares about. so just. give her a selfish motivation that ISNT centred around a romantic interest???? if the character arc is about her learning to set aside her own interests for the sake of someone else (komaru), then having her not even care about the hostage shes trying to save, only seeing him as a pawn to further her own interests, is WAY more coherent.

and i mean. this doesnt solve the problem that byakuya is basically just an object used to further tokos narrative in this game, but like. if youre already doing that, you could at least do something more interesting than having her be obsessed with him yknow? hell, in this au you could even lean into the fact that byakuya is obsessed with toko - he pulled strings to get her into the future foundation and shes enjoying the perks of it. she knows if she saves him here she'll be able to call in a favour in the future. its way more interesting!!

anyway and then the scene where she saves him would be HILARIOUS. hes like a princess in a tower waiting for a prince charming to save her, except hes an entitled asshole and she wants nothing to do with him. byakuya (smugly): "i knew youd rescue me" "took you long enough. i was starting to think you werent coming......" "wow, you did all that just to rescue me? you must really care" toko: *we should have just left this guy in the cell istg*

[ Danganronpa ] - Reversed

What if Byakuya was the one obsessed with Toko ?

[thesecretattic]

There’s no real achievement in the world’s narrative of a “Victorious Woman” according to them you’ve got to be your own King, Knight in a shining armour, Prince, Warrior everything so that you can live your entire life like you meant to… all alone in some sort of an ivory tower or exile, it’s a punishment more than an honour which includes selfless (and rather baseless) altruism based on the loving & nurturing instincts of a Woman… she’s got to be everyone’s Mother Teresa, it means never getting any love cuz you are some sort of a consecrated celibate self designated nun, and you are still expected to give lots of it from nowhere… to the entire world all your life, you are supposed to get up everytime you are pushed around on your own cuz you are independent, you don’t need anyone, you are on an exemplary mission to spread love and happiness without seeking out your own, you have to teach kids at blind school, cook for the needy, talk to yourself, love yourself, get yourself flowers and then die and bury yourself in the sands of an hourglass. There’s no victory in that. Its better to lose than to win this title or badge of honour (I was already stuck with “Lip Virgin”) it’s nothing but what the world wants to see adamantly, it has nothing in it for us. Hence I’m dying with defeat rather than victory cuz I’ve not been made for a lonely existence like this, I’m not that great. Well at least the Devil communicates more than Harsh Rajput who’s apparently bigger than him. I’m dying I lost but it’s better than winning all that glory which is only convenient for your impotent sons, who cannot actually man up to rescue a Damsel in Distress, Prince Charmings indeed are for Princesses never said I was one, this is exactly why I wanted a cooler Robin Hood, he saves the girl, the Damsel and wins her heart, it was always the guy’s part to earn that victory but they changed the entire story into some boring soliloquy, hence I’d said “Stories never stop with THE END they always end with And They Lived Happily Ever After Again…” - Zara Sauleh

[karlyfr13s]

Helping Destiny Along

A fluffy CS one-shot for the lovely @teamhook

Thank you @veryverynotgoodwrites for being one heck of a beta, and @the-darkdragonfly for your brainstorming powers!

Summary: Henry Mills has a theory: for each Captain Hook, there must be an Emma Swan. Well, he found Princess Emma Nolan at long last and is determined to bring her together with Killian Jones now that he's back in the Wishverse version of the Enchanted Forest.

Read it on AO3

At nineteen, Princess Emma Nolan believed in True Love. After all, her parents had found each other, and everyone knew theirs was a legendary love worthy of poetry and song. She watched for a prince from the high windows of her tower bedroom, waiting for someone tall, dark, and handsome to sweep her off her feet. He would be bold, romantic, dashing, and kind-hearted—she just knew it.

At twenty-two, she concluded that such a love was rare and that her parents may be the only two people with a Capital-T, Capital-L True Love, so she started looking for the more run-of-the-mill variety. Instead of waiting for someone to ride up to the castle gate and court her, she took a more active approach and sought her love by traveling and meeting new people. When that didn’t work either, Princess Emma tried for mutual attraction, which was fun at twenty-four, but grew stale by twenty-five. So she resigned herself to loving her kingdom and her people.

At twenty-eight, a man knocked on the door and utterly transformed her life. To be clear, she did not love that particular man. Henry came from a faraway land and told her fantastic tales that seemed beyond the reach of even her magic, and while she did not love him, he told her somewhere out there in a world beyond her grasp there was an Emma Swan who was his mother, and who loved him ferociously. For days, she and her parents welcomed Henry to stay in their home and share meals at their table, and for days he regaled them with stories of his world and of other versions of each member of the Nolan family. They were spellbound by his narratives. He was a gifted storyteller, and as if he’d known this was too fantastic to be believed, he came with something called photographs that showed a still window into his world. She saw a version of her mother, Queen Snow, but much younger and with close-cropped dark hair instead of the silvery tresses she was accustomed to. Her father was another surprise--he looked barely older than Emma herself, sandy hair where now there was gray, and while she knew her father was still a strong and capable swordsman, this version of King David seemed able to challenge even the mightiest ogre.

Princess Emma Nolan even saw herself, but not herself. They looked identical, she and Henry’s mother, and while her style was different from this unknown twin’s, she couldn’t help but notice some similarities. Emma Swan was often pictured in a short red leather coat, while Princess Emma Nolan’s favorite doublet was a rich blue leather. When she commented, Henry told her they both wore them like armor, gesturing to the bruise on his shoulder from their earlier sparring session in the yard. Emma Swan liked to pull her hair back, wearing it high on her head much like Princess Emma Nolan when she wasn’t expected at court or in her regal finest. Henry even had a picture of his mother with a sword--is she trained as well? She’d asked, and Henry grinned at the question, answering with another tale of his mother besting a pirate in single combat!

“I’m pretty sure that fight was rigged though,” he admitted as they walked the castle gardens one afternoon. “And that’s part of why I’m here.” He stopped and faced her, saying he hoped she could believe one more outlandish story before he had to return to his world.

“You seem to come well-armed with evidence, Henry. I don’t see why I should doubt you at this point.”

“My mother, Emma Swan, is an incredible woman. It took her a long time, but she found her True Love, and I think you can find yours. When I learned there was a version of her--of you--here, I had to find out if you were with him too, and when you weren’t…” Henry trailed off, frowning at the ground. He was quiet for a long while, and Emma ran through his words over and over. Henry thought he knew who her True Love was? How? How could he know that his mother and whoever she was with were one another’s True Love?

“I know he’s here now--I’ve met him before, and back in my world--”

“What? Then how can he be my True Love if he’s from your world?” None of this was making sense, and for the first time she doubted Henry. It seemed he could see the uncertainty within her, and he steered them to a bench to sit and talk as he clarified this man was not from his world, but had been brought there by a curse. The same curse that separated Henry from his own family.

“I know you understand curses and magic,” he began and she nodded at his words. “So when I tell you he was swept up in a curse and brought back in time to my world, that should make sense, right?” She nodded again, wondering who could have cursed two men from different worlds at the same time. Someone powerful and dangerous. Henry sighed and continued. “His name is Killian Jones, and he’s the best man I know. He’s my father in every sense of the word, and while there’s a version of him who is my mother’s True Love, I know there is one who is also yours. He has to be.”

Henry told her a lengthy story about a witch who ensnared a group of people from this kingdom, trapping them in a place called Hyperion Heights. He spoke of a coven leader who cursed Killian Jones so he could never be in contact with his daughter—a child she had abandoned him with after tricking him into spending a night with her. “But you see, Emma, you can break that curse. Your love--yours and Killian’s will break that curse. You will have each other and Alice--hell, and Robin! I haven’t even told you about Robin,” he was lost in thought again after that. Emma waited and tried to make sense of all she had learned.

Is it possible? In some way, his tale made sense. If what he said about the curse was true, it would explain The Gap. Emma had never mentioned The Gap to Henry, though he may have learnt of it through other means. It was rarely spoken of, but everyone in the Enchanted Forest shared one simple truth: there was a block of time no one could account for. Whenever Emma or her parents tried to focus on that space, thinking back to her twenty-sixth birthday, there was a strange void where there should be at least some memory of the year. She could remember the celebratory ball and the night of her birthday, but every time she tried to focus on what came next it only earned her a persistent headache.

“Please don’t hate me, Emma,” Henry put a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to the present. “I told him to meet me here three days after I arrived. That’s tonight. He’ll be here, and he knows what I believe about you two because he also knows my mother and her Killian. He’s, uh...not entirely convinced. He’s been through a lot, but…” He shrugged and gave her a lopsided smile.

“It’s his story to tell, so I won’t go into detail, just...go easy on the guy. He might be a little gun shy—uh, guarded,” he quickly clarified when he saw her blink in confusion. “I don’t think he’s seen anyone since that witch who duped him, led the coven, and tried to destroy Hyperion Heights. Think that might do a number on a guy.” He looked so sincere, so much like he did when telling all his other tales that Emma chose to believe. Henry hadn’t lied to her before, so what would the motivation be to do so now?

She chewed at her lip, fretting over what to do and how to greet someone who might be a part of her very soul--someone who had been through tricks and curses, and had suffered real loss. She couldn’t simply turn him out in the night, that was unthinkable, but what do you say to the other half of your heart? If that is what he is. This had to have been simpler for her mother. At least she’d simply caught her father in a net after robbing him. That seemed easier than calmly welcoming fate to dinner and introducing the man to your parents on day one.

“Well,” she got up and dusted off her breeches, “I suppose we’d best let my parents know we’re expecting another guest. And I may need to change as well. I think I’d rather not smell worse than the stables when I meet him.” Emma faltered on the last word, not knowing how to address Killian Jones. Henry smiled and followed her lead.

-----

One thorough and contemplative bath later, Emma emerged in a blush pink gown that shimmered softly in the waning sunlight. It had taken her three other dresses before she settled on this one. It was simpler than what she wore to galas and State events: tea length and embroidered in sheer flowers. She knew it would glow softly under the lights of the candles and torches at dinner, and Princess Emma Nolan found herself hoping he would like it.

When he arrived, it was Henry who greeted Killian Jones first, clasping the man’s hand and giving Emma a moment to simply observe. His smile was warm, a bright white flash of teeth and Emma noticed the slight creases at his eyes as well. An authentic smile, she noted, enjoying the genuine moment between the two men. He was dashing there was no other word for it--dressed in black and rich crimson, rings and charms gleaming in the firelight, their glimmer echoed in the silver strands that threaded here and there through his otherwise coal-black hair. Where his left hand ought to be, Emma found instead a polished silver hook and she remembered whispered gossip of a pirate captain referred to only by the moniker Hook. Once a fearsome leader of a brutal band of thieves, he had all but vanished into lore years ago. She realized too late that she’d been staring, and cleared her throat softly before curtseying to cover the awkwardness. Henry took the moment to introduce them, “Captain Killian Jones, may I present Emma Nolan, Princess of Misthaven.”

She offered her hand and Killian took it up, placing a chaste kiss across her knuckles. His eyes met hers, their brilliant lapis blue making her breath catch in her throat. Regardless of the formality of their meeting and the fact Henry, her parents, and several serving staff looked on, she felt the pull immediately. From the moment her hand was in his, it felt right. She wanted to keep hold of him more than she’d wanted anything in her life, wanted to memorize the rough calluses formed by his years at sea, but she forced herself to maintain propriety and brought her hand back to her side. Emma reminded herself they did not know one another, to not get swept up in Henry’s notions without evaluating the truth of the situation. Though she saw in his gaze a strange flicker of recognition, a brief knitting of his brow that asked a silent question she could not interpret, she let the moment pass and returned to her expected duties.

Emma introduced him to her parents, watching her father’s scrutinizing gaze contrast with her mother’s brilliant smile. No doubt her father was riddling out Henry’s purpose in inviting this man to dinner, though she couldn’t fathom him guessing the truth. All through dinner, Emma could barely take her eyes off Killian. He shared a few stories from his days at sea, talking of far-off kingdoms and uninhabited islands, and Emma felt a longing take hold of her as he spun a tale of a snow-covered northern kingdom where they carved elaborate ice sculptures, held firelight festivals, and celebrated the beauty of winter rather than fearing its chill. His voice was low, its velvet warmth wrapping around her and pulling her from all sense of time. The evening passed quickly, and long before she was ready, Emma’s parents stood to signal the end of the affair.

“It’s far too late for you to make a return journey, Captain Jones,” Queen Snow spoke. “We welcome you to stay as a guest in our home. We will have a room made up for you at once and hope you will accompany us for breakfast in the morning.” At his thanks, the Queen turned to Emma, “Oh, and Emma, darling?”

“Yes, Mother?”

Emma approached and her mother drew her in for a close hug, whispering softly, “See to it that Captain Jones can find his way. Most of the staff have already retired and I’d hate for him to get lost in search of rest.” With that, the Queen turned and gently tugged her husband toward their own chambers, leaving Emma to escort their two guests.

She could hear her father grumbling about leaving Emma unchaperoned, but Snow’s voice echoed back, “David, she’s twenty-eight, not sixteen, she’ll be fine. Our daughter is perfectly capable--” Their voices were lost as they rounded a corner, and Emma suppressed a smile. It didn’t matter that she was a full grown woman, her father would always be protective of her.

When she turned around, Emma realized Henry had vanished. Someone seems to think himself a matchmaker, she mused and as her eyes fell upon the man who waited by the fireplace she could understand why Henry had made himself scarce. Deep breath, Emma. He’s simply a man like any other. If she tried very hard, she just might convince herself of that. Well, unless she stopped to listen to the way her heart raced when the corner of his mouth ticked up in a smile.

“Did you want--that is,” she faltered and tripped over her tongue, coming to stand near him where he leaned against the back of a chair by the hearth. “I don’t know how long a trip you made today, and so…” Why was this so hard?

“I’m quite alright, Princess. Would it be terribly inappropriate of me to ask you to keep me company and perhaps share a drink?” She smiled in response, slipping a large book from a shelf over the mantle after pointing out where her father kept a set of glasses on a shelf nearby.

“He thinks I don’t know about this,” she opened the volume to reveal a bottle. “Rum he had imported from the south--is that acceptable, Captain?”

“Aye, that will do nicely. Bit of a pirate in you isn’t there, Princess? Pinching a man’s rum while he’s fast asleep.” They shared a conspiratorial grin as she poured and each took up a chair near the fire. “To what shall we toast, love?”

She hummed in thought, considering the man before her. The pull was still there like some invisible thread entwining the two of them and she hoped it wasn’t only she who felt it. “To new beginnings,” she offered, holding her glass aloft. He echoed the sentiment and crystal clinked as their eyes met over the rims of their glasses before both looked away shyly and took a sip. The warmth and spice slid down her throat, settling in her stomach and making her shiver. They were quiet for a time, simply sharing the space while they glanced at one another, eyes never quite meeting, nor acknowledging they were both performing the same dance.

“I take it dear Henry shared his theory with you?” Killian broke the silence, addressing the weight that had settled in the room. She confirmed he had shared that along with several other stories, asking if it were true he’d been swept away to a land without magic. “Aye, and for some time I had no memory of myself or this place. When the truth finally came back to me it was...difficult to deal with. Did he...mention Alice?” He swirled the rum in his glass, eyes flicking up to meet hers.

“Yes, he also mentioned a curse is keeping you apart,” she reached across the small distance that separated them, hand resting on the brace that held his hook. “Killian—if I may call you Killian,” she felt herself flush at the informality and he nodded encouragingly. She said it once more, feeling the musical quality of it as she continued. “What kind of monster keeps a father from his daughter like that?”

His shoulders sagged as he said the story of Gothel was one for another day, that it was a story filled with dark shadows he dare not conjure without the sunlight to dispel them. “I only mention Alice because...well, given what Henry has told both of us I have been...” his brow furrowed as he searched for a word, and she leaned forward, absently running her hand over his sleeve and feeling where the firm leather of his brace ended and the warmth of his arm began. His gaze dropped to where her hand rested and she looked up, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “Concerned,” he finished at last. “That is, I’d thought perhaps because I have a child with someone else, and because I am obviously older than you are, that you might feel...or not feel a certain…not that I think Henry is necessarily right…”

His words tapered off and she became very aware they were both leaning in now, the distance between them nearly closed. She could see the silver in his hair glinting in the firelight, the strands at his temples more greyed than the rest. Greedily, she took in all she could in this moment. The heat that radiated from where her hand still rested atop his arm, the scents of leather and petrichor that clung to him were so close she could nearly roll them on her tongue. When she searched his eyes she saw a lingering hurt, but behind that was what appeared to be cautious hope. Setting her glass aside, Emma brought her hand up, allowing herself to do what she’d been wanting to all evening and running her fingers through his hair. He held her gaze, eyes wide and uncertain and she realized his past hurts ran deep enough that he wouldn’t act on that hopeful glint she’d seen moments ago. She would have to be brave for both of them.

With a whisper of his name she closed what little distance remained between them. She’d intended a light brush of her lips, had simply wanted to know what may lie between them, but the moment their lips met Emma knew she would never be satisfied with so little. She poured herself into the moment, moving to grip the front of his shirt and pull him tightly to her. He followed her lead, their kiss deepening as he tilted his head, the two of them moving as though they had done this a hundred times before. She heard her pulse pounding away in her head, felt his breath ghosting over her lips as they breathed into one another for a moment before he captured her lips again. Something shifted then, like the single beat of a massive heart, a shockwave rippled outward, though neither could be bothered to break this moment. Finally, the two pulled back, eyes searching one another.

“Was that?” Emma asked, not knowing how to complete the thought. Her parents had told her their story several times: the kiss that broke the curse. The kiss that radiated out from them in a burst of force and light. The kiss that sounded an awful lot like what she had just shared with Captain Killian Jones.

Killian rested his forehead against hers, breathing out slowly before replying in a soft voice, “Aye love, I think it may have been.” She asked how that was possible, neither naming it yet and both quaffing their rum before leaning back in their chairs. “Years ago,” he began, “I ran into a fortune teller on the docks. He told me I would find my happiness though it was presently locked away in a tall tower. So, when the time came and I found myself facing a witch and finding a woman locked away in a tower I had thought my moment had come. Instead, I found Gothel and her tricks. I brought a daughter into this world only to have her freedom snatched away by the cold-hearted woman who bore her.”

Emma watched him closely, he seemed far away and lost in another time. “Tonight,” he continued after several beats, “when I saw the westward tower of this castle I had to stifle my hope that perhaps after so long--what is that tower to you?” He leaned toward her suddenly, his sapphire eyes searching hers as though he could read the truth within them.

“My bedroom,” she admitted. “My parents thought it would keep me safe. With only one known entrance and exit, it was easy to post guards and easy to know who sought my attention. Of course, there is another exit, but no one other than me knows of it. I devised it when I was sixteen and desperately wanted a way out without the entourage of guards.”

He fell silent, his forehead creased in thought as he tapped a finger against the bow of his lips. The mantle clock’s rhythmic ticking was nearly deafening as Emma waited through each drawn out second. Mesmerized by the path he now traced along his bottom lip, her mind drifted back to the soft press of his mouth against hers and she wished fervently to undo whatever had him so lost in his own thoughts. Come back to me, Killian, she sighed aloud and he snapped to attention. “My apologies, love. I believe I may be in need of rest.” His explanation rang hollow and she leveled a gaze at him, knowing this wasn’t the full truth.

“I swear to you, Princess, I will make my theories known. I do not intend to hide anything from you.” He stood then, stretching languidly before offering his arm and waiting for her to rise. She acquiesced if only for the chance to feel the warmth of him once more before she retired for the night. She tried to stifle her yawn behind her hand and heard him chuckle low in response. “It seems I may not be the only one in need of sleep. Lead the way, love.”

She led him to one of the guest rooms not far from Henry’s. As she bid him goodnight, Killian leaned down to brush a featherlight kiss across her lips, wishing her sweet dreams. Emma felt as though she floated on air the whole way up to her room, content to leave him to his musings tonight and trusting he would speak his mind soon enough.

----- The morning saw Emma waking earlier than usual, calling a chipper “Good morning” to her sleep-rumpled lady’s maid before dismissing her and attending to her own routine. Still abed at this hour? It seems dear Tink has been keeping late hours herself. She let herself ponder whose affections might be persuading the spunky blonde to be less than punctual, smiling at her reflection as she brushed out her golden tresses.

Once ready, Emma hummed to herself, making her way down the innumerable stairs in search of breakfast, her parents, and Killian--the thought made her grin. His sudden shift into contemplativeness notwithstanding, he had been the perfect gentleman last night. Thoughtful in their discussion at dinner, genuine and curious without overstepping, and then there was the kiss. She flushed, pausing before the dining room doors to gather her thoughts and put on what she hoped was a soft smile rather than the doe-eyed look she’d undoubtedly been wearing since she woke.

Her parents, Henry, and Killian were already seated when she entered--the latter both rising and inclining their heads in deference. “Good morning, Princess,” they intoned in unison. She laughed, insisting they sit and continue the conversation she had interrupted, taking her place at her father’s right hand and quietly thanking the servingman who filled her cup with coffee and cream.

“Killian, you were asking about the tower, yes?” Queen Snow offered an encouraging half-smile before sipping demurely at her tea. At this, Emma heard her father mutter under his breath about the Captain inquiring about his daughter’s bedroom.

“Yes. You see, Your Majesty, I can’t help but notice it is nearly identical--from the outside,” he clarified at her father’s rapidly reddening face, “to one I encountered years ago. That particular structure was the residence of a rather powerful witch.”

“Gothel,” her father spat, and all eyes shifted to him. Emma saw Killian’s jaw clench at the name and he gave a single, curt nod in affirmation.

With her mother’s hand resting on his shoulder, her father began the story she’d heard many times over the course of her life. The story of how Gothel heard the regents were expecting and deduced there would be a child born of the most powerful magic in all realms: True Love. That she knew as well that child would have light magic, and that even if it never manifested there would be power in their blood. It was the story of why Emma’s parent’s fortified their home so heavily once word of Gothel’s covetous wish reached them, and why they insisted she train with sword and bow.

“It’s why my little girl was taught to ride like a soldier and not a courtier. Hell, it’s why I gave into her frankly dangerous wishes and allowed her to learn to sail--in case she needed to escape quickly.”

“Does it help to know Gothel can’t harm anyone anymore?” Henry offered helpfully, trying to lighten the weight that had settled on the group. There was general agreement at the table that, yes, it did help. Quite a lot, in fact, and it felt as though the sun broke out from beneath the clouds as they returned to their breakfast.

“Is that what you were concerned about, Captain?” Emma caught herself in time and used his title, not yet ready to have that discussion with her parents.

“The thought had crossed my mind, Princess, but it seems your own construction must have inspired hers for some reason.” He dismissed the thought, though she could practically hear the gears of his mind grinding away. The conversation returned to banal pleasantries about the weather and what game was in season. Her father consulted Killian on the conditions at sea, and in general the rest of the meal was like any other. Like any other meal you share with your family, a new friend, and the man you just shared True Love’s Kiss with less than eight hours after meeting him. Perfectly normal. Emma put on her court smile and commented politely, waiting for her moment to pounce.

“Join me for a walk in the gardens, Captain?” The moment arrived after a lengthy debate about the benefits of traveling by horse in comparison to ship. Thank the gods for the momentary lull as her father’s cup was refilled yet again - Emma didn’t think there was enough coffee in the whole of Misthaven to keep her alert on this topic.

“Of course, Princess.” He smiled bashfully, running his hand through his hair and standing as she rose. “May I?” He offered his arm and she accepted, the two making a long overdue exit.

The grass was still damp as they walked the grounds, the morning sun hinting at a warm day to come despite the slight chill that had Emma leaning in close, basking in the warm line of contact with Killian. “So, what was it you held back up there?” She broke the silence and watched the arch of his brow as he glanced at her. “I’ve always known when people are dishonest, or not fully honest in this case,” she explained. “It’s a feeling, sort of like a rock settling into my stomach. I don’t know if it’s part of my magic or something else,” she shrugged at this and watched his expression shift from curiosity to contemplation. No doubt he was thinking up a way to explain whatever was plaguing his mind.

He remained in that state as they passed her mother’s bed of crimson roses and all the way through the lilies that always made her nose twitch, their heady scent overpowering. Spotting the bench she and Henry had sat on—was that only yesterday?—she took the lead, turning to face him as they sat.

“There are some strange coincidences,” he began. Their knees brushed and she leaned into the contact, hoping her touch might ground him in the present. His past included darkness, and here in the bright morning sun amongst the flowers she hoped to keep those grim memories at bay.

“The tower is the first of them, and I’ve no idea which came first. Given Gothel’s numerous deceits, I’m not inclined to believe any of her tales nor any of Belfry’s—the woman who claimed to be the missing princess, Rapunzel,” he clarified when he saw her puzzled look. “Did you know the witch?”

She shook her head, “Only what my parents told me: that she was interested in my magic and had a reputation for taking what she desired by force.” He expressed clear agreement, and when his focus became distant Emma took hold of both hand and hook. “Whatever it is, that doesn’t change who we are to one another, Killian.”

That must have heartened him, for it earned her a gentle smile. “Aye, love, I suppose you’re right. You see, the other strangeness was Gothel’s impersonation. I’ve never given it much thought, but why should she play at being a princess? I’d no notion who the woman was, yet she changed her appearance, her voice, her name. Why?” He hypothesized then that either Gothel bribed the fortune-teller, planting the man in Killian’s path with a bogus story about happiness in a tower, or that she somehow knew Emma would be important and hedged her bets by occupying her own tower and putting herself in Killian’s path.

“You see, I’ve considered the strangeness of these overlaps and in part I wonder if one of the gifts she or a fellow witch of her coven acquired was prophecy. She seemed to know far more than anyone ought to, and perhaps thought to entrap me and use me to get to you.

“If she knew we were, uh,” he gulped, and flushed a charming shade of pink all the way to his ears. “Destined for one another, then it would be well within her character to exploit that. To make me think she could lead me to my happiness, then snatch you away for her own nefarious purposes. As well, I’m starting to suspect the unaccounted year the townsfolk allude to may well have been a longer span of time than any of you realize.”

It made sense in a way, and while they couldn’t be certain of Gothel’s intentions, Emma was definitely grateful the woman was gone and could do them no further harm. As far as The Gap was concerned, she supposed there was no real way of knowing how much time had passed, only that it seemed like a year. Had she slept as Aurora once had? Every answer seemed to lead to more questions, but Emma resolved herself to focusing on what mattered most first: reuniting Killian with his Alice.

“Despite her purposes, Killian, whatever they may have been,” she reached up and cupped his cheek. His eyes were blue as the sea and she let herself fall into their depths as she brought him back to the present. “Last night, Killian, True Love’s Kiss is potent magic and I think—I’m almost certain, actually—that we broke your curse. We can find Alice, and you can finally hold your daughter in your arms again.”

“We?” He grinned at her, nuzzling against her hand before turning to kiss her palm. “Then you’ll accompany me, love?”

“Of course! I know we’ve only just met, but I think it’s more than obvious how I feel about you given the fact we broke a witch’s curse with our first kiss.” They shared a laugh, shifting so she could rest her head against his shoulder as he draped his arm around her.

“She’s a bit different, my Alice,” he cautioned.

“And we aren’t?” she challenged. “Tonight at dinner, let me handle my parents. We’ll tell them what happened and make plans to seek out Alice. Henry said she’s with someone called Robin—does that name mean anything to you?”

“Aye, that’s Alice’s love. I know where to find them.”

“Then that’s our next course. Reuniting you with your daughter is the first step toward, well, I guess…” she paused, pulling back to meet his gaze again. “I guess toward becoming a family, right? I mean, my parents will have questions and all things considered, I guess we have other planning we’ll need to do in the future, but—“ he cut off her monologue with a kiss. It was sweet and slow, like he was trying to memorize the feel of her lips on his. His tongue flirted with her bottom lip and she twined her fingers in his hair.

Pulling back to meet her eyes, Killian smiled. “I love you, Princess Emma Nolan,” he whispered.

She felt warm all the way to her toes, grinning as she replied, “I love you, Captain Killian Jones.” The two shared a lingering kiss, the spell suddenly broken by a loud whoop of excitement.

“I told you both!” Henry hollered, emerging from his hiding place behind a large oak tree and performing some bizarre dance Emma had never seen. The three laughed, Henry congratulating them on their newly blossoming relationship while Emma and Killian thanked him for the unlooked-for but welcome help.

“What can I say except: you’re welcome.” His smile was bright at the sun and he slung an arm over both their shoulders, walking between them as the three returned to the house and, for Emma and Killian, toward the start of a new life together.

Tagging the usual suspects: @kmomof4, @teamhook, @veryverynotgood, @caught-in-the-filter, @hollyethecurious, @laschatzi, @donteattheappleshook, @lonelyspectator12, @the-darkdragonfly, @zaharadessert, @winterbaby89, @jrob64, @wefoundloveunderthelight, @ultraluckycatnd, @stahlop, @alexa-fangirl-forever, @superchocovian, @monosalvatore16, @snowbellewells, @batana54

[docnoctem]

What do you think of movie Shiori and her motivations?

Hi! I've had a lot of evolving thoughts about movie Shiori over the years, and I hope you don't mind if I copy-paste a few of my own past thoughts about her here.

-I'd argue that Shiori in the movie is in some ways a representation of what a girl is left to be when the fairytale narrative they exist within has already filled the necessary roles with the other women in the story, and she is establishing (or desperately clinging to) an existence in the story through her actions. She isn't quite the maiden. She isn't quite the witch. She isn't the princess, even as she cares for the ghost of the prince, because the prince did not ultimately choose her. (Utena was once the maiden as an innocent child, but she denies a familiar past for a more honest future, casting off her chance to be the princess. Anthy is denied the title through Dios' relation to her more than her own standing, and through the cycle of abuse her blood begets, she becomes both princess and witch.) In an arguably more structured fairytale now, Movie Shiori is more closely related to the townspeople than she is her own character in the show.

-She knows the truth of that school and that world, but what's she going to do with it? Her prince is dead, and he died for another; even if she "makes Juri play the prince" as she claims, Shiori knows she's not the princess, and she isn't empowered or punished enough to be the witch. Shiori is something in the movie that exists, but it's a role the fairytale as we know it hasn't defined for her, and so she just moves through the confined world at a whim, neither rewarded nor stopped, she speaks to the shadows and lives among the dead and holds back the living. You could say she's just trying from every angle to affect this story-- or to play a part in this story that she knows is all a façade. I think that's an interesting aspect to her heightened selfishness and perhaps arrogance in the movie: why should she want it? She shouldn't. She should get to reject it and escape, she should get to leave for the outside, she should be the one who is bigger than her place in the world... but... why shouldn't she have a place in it to begin with?

-Not that dissimilar from Wakaba honestly, I think she's resentful of her place and her lack of "special" qualities in both continuities, but the movie just makes it more... well, more. It's just more. Shiori is a girl that was abandoned by the prince-- more than that, she's a girl who was touched (in the sense of being impacted by the prince, being close enough to change her life) but never loved by the prince, and that has set the foundation for who she can become in the rules of the story. That's not someone who gets to be the bride who breaks the chains of the dead prince's possession, nor the tragic victor who lets go of the chains of the prince's lost love. Her prince is dead, but he didn't die for her; she can be with him still as they are now, white sheets covering the room she shares with a phantom, and it isn't seen as a triumph. She's starting at the bottom of the tower, and the fairytale is taking place in the highest room, a room she'll never get to. And that just isn't fair.

-On her design: The movie really stepped it up in making Shiori seem more beautiful, but she lacked that immediate visual cue of demureness, which is kind of interesting in how much it calls attention to how simple but well-designed she already was. The series design has a clean, polite charm to it, but what stands out most is the reservedness in her styling and posture, and the sadness of her eyes. The show succeeds in this with all of the characters, but I really have to commend the expressiveness in Shiori's eyes, even (and especially) when that expression is one of resignation. Something I highly enjoy about Shiori's character is how it juxtaposes that timid outer appearance with something much harsher and much more destructive under it-- a very sharp bite of loathing and resentment directed toward herself and the people who make her most aware of herself. The movie makes her look feminine but not demure, reminding us that those aren't the same description.

[alias-b]

Eros & Psyche: SOMY drabble

Billy Hargrove x Evie Fenny: Whump with a Happy Ending Drabble

~Evie contemplates her past relationship after getting together with Billy. ((No real fic spoilers, it’s no secret that Billy & Evie are soulmates & Endgame. Just some extra words for them to touch.)) TW: Talk of past grooming/Abusive student& teach relationship.

Whew, I wrote something, guys. Lol named is sorta after an existing chp bc I'm shameless. xoxo askbox open. Goodnight! :)))

He’s perfect.

Heaven carved her a prince from all her favorite fairy tales. Dash of charming. Sprinkle of classical good looks. A darling smile. Enough to melt any girl. Evangeline had no chance.

Fredrick always included Evie in his life. Well, the part of it no one else was involved in. That counted. She told herself it did.

Hawkins couldn’t know how much he loved her. She was sure that truly ached him. 

She was pretty sure.

Fredrick included Evie in what was under his mask. She told herself that was what mattered most of all. His true self and it was bared. All hers and hers alone.

She told herself.

Evie was telling herself lots of things these days. Fredrick called her a classic over-thinker. She didn’t need to think, she had him. He’d guide her along. Being wise and experienced of course. All she needed to do was let go and trust him.

But, he was perfect.

Fredrick took her to parties with other thirty year olds. Always held her hand. Said the right thing. Brought her under one arm. Introduced her as if he was thrilled and proud she was with him. Showed her off like a new designer watch. Fredrick liked to buy Evie designer things too in lace.

Things that made for a better pose in cotton sheets. Pictures she claimed she was too shy to let him take. 

He’d press a tight smile. Telling her it was enough to have her trapped in his thoughts. 

The, he’d unzip his pants. The sound prickled under her skin.

“This is Evangeline,” he boasted at parties, “my girl.”

Men and women extended their hands. Fussed over her. She just looked so youthful. She must have secrets.

“For now,” Fredrick said in the car once, “just tell anyone who asks that you’re nineteen.” He smiled and caressed her cheek. Fredrick always said the right thing. “You’re too beautiful. I love you so much.”

Slowly, he unzipped his pants.

All Evie wanted to do was please him. See that smile. See the lights behind it because he was hers and she was a moth drawn to them. Fredrick liked most that she was his too. He came to her upon a deathly white horse with a silken, red cape upon his back. Bought her lace and flowers.

Fed her only a certain amount and took plates away before she was finished. 

“There’s this silk nightie I want to buy you, but it’s just a smidge too small. Couple pounds should do it. Not that I think you need to lose it.” He cared so much. Evie welled and drank her cool water down. Swallowed the ice cubes when he went to the kitchen. 

They drank quite a bit. He liked her swaying and loose. Not alert. Not overthinking too much. Cause he cared. More than anything.

Evie always said no to coke lines. Yes to shots. Yes to the occasional pill that lit shit up inside her. Let her see the night sky in living color. 

Fredrick kept close. He always did. Especially if other men approached her. His arm pulled her back into his orbit. One sharp snap. Another prickle that made her skin pulse.

Europa trapped circling Jupiter and its great red storms. Clinging desperately maybe cause she’s scared and she doesn’t know it. She doesn’t have anywhere to go and no planet will love her or hold her like her Jupiter.

Fredrick could storm too. Could get snappy. Grip her too hard. Leave marks she had to hide from her mother and classmates. It’s all passion. That’s what he said. He loved fierce and unyielding. Just like a prince would, they’re supposed to love hard. 

Evie’s terrified to disappoint him. Terrified to leave the narrative because who would she be without it? She figured that was normal, growing up with the same dynamic in her household. Children wetting the bed cause their parents build these anxieties into them. Phantoms that never leave.

“Letting everyone down would be my greatest unhappiness.” She often repeated that to the mirror. Repeated it when Fredrick was slamming things around. Pretending he’s fine until she’s crawling to unzip his pants and then all is forgiven.

Evie loved being forgiven. Gentle pats and warm embraces into the night. Fingers to swipe her loose tears. Fredrick gave her everything she needed.

Even if he was the one telling her she needed it.

Prince Charming knew to force his kisses and wake the princess. Now she owed a debt. He knew she needed saving from her tower or dragon. She was too helpless to decide her own path. He knew that she had to love him in return to break the curse. She doesn’t get a choice, it’s destiny.

Evie believed in destiny when she met Fredrick. He certainly murmured it into her ear enough. Hushed tones that made her feel cradled. Made her feel found. Made her float.

But, she can’t tell people, “This is Fredrick, my prince.”

Once he screamed at her for even signing a little heart above the “i” in her name during class. All because he cares. Because he’s the prince who knew better. Because no one would ever understand them.

Maybe that was why she loathed Billy upon meeting him that windy autumn day.

Billy Hargrove was the exact opposite. He never pretended to know better. Not as far as Evie’s soul was concerned. Evie didn’t grovel. Didn’t beg his forgiveness for the slightest misstep or incorrect thought. They nipped at each other, but it was an equal exchange.

Billy’s not a prince. He didn’t try to be either.

He didn’t shake her hand when they met. Not until Neil made him. He doesn’t always hold doors. Doesn’t constantly have to have Evie under his arm. Under his eye.

Especially doesn’t start slamming things when she laughs at Tommy’s stupid jokes or shares her drinks with Steve. He didn’t tell her she couldn’t hang out with Heather or Carol without him. Didn’t steer her from her mother or friends. He also didn’t pry for secrets out of mistrust.

He doesn’t care what she does as long as she isn’t getting herself into deep shit. Without him. His words. He’s not perfect and he doesn’t try to be.

Billy drove like shit. He smoked too much. He got into fights. He could be a total sourpuss grump, but he doesn’t grab Evie to leave bruises over it.

He fucked hard though, he always made sure Evie got off. Never unzips unprompted. Girls hit on him and he says that he’s seeing someone. Easy enough. Sometimes gesturing to Evie if she’s in the room. No need to bother her with pointless shit.

They were always aware of each other even if they didn’t interact. Something magical there neither could place.

Billy knew things Fredrick didn’t care to remember about Evie as well. How she’s a talented roller skater. What she liked on her cheeseburger. Her favorite movie snacks. Her order when they grab Chinese. The articles of clothing that always comforted her on bad days. How to gauge her mood by the song she’d hum or the book in her hand.

How she tapped the rhythm of songs she wrote into flesh and hard surfaces. How she wanted to turn the radio up when her favorite song was on, but politely doesn’t always. Billy does it for her.

He doesn’t comment when she eats and doesn’t care what she wears out or to bed.

He’s often trying to piece together the bits of songs he hears her humming and creating. She’ll share them with him one day, he won’t make her.

Billy’s not a prince. He’s probably beaten up a few in his day. But, he remembers. He pays attention. He lets Evie exist as her own soul and take up her own needed space. 

They’re two equal stars twinkling pleasantly in the same shared constellation.

There’s plenty he didn’t tell her. About himself. About his life. Things he wanted to share, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Maybe one day. She needed to trust him enough in that light. And she did.

Before getting together, Evie thought of Billy too often when she was with Fredrick. Especially when she was under him. Counting the seconds before he finished with her. She hadn’t been warmed up enough and her prince was hurting her with his passion. 

She wondered about asking him to stop. If he would. If he’d ignore her and chase his end. If he’d bruise her wrists again. A lot could be said about Billy, but he’d stop.

He wouldn’t ignore this beautiful star he’s so well attuned to. Billy wouldn’t hurt Evie and call it passion. He’d own his shit.

But, they tell her Billy isn’t the prince and the princess always was supposed to end up with her prince. Billy was a lone, glittering god with his own marble pedestal. Unobtainable. Eyes that watch the mortals below.

Maybe he’ll grace them with his presence and a fresh set of shiny arrows. Messy, little Eros with a laundry list of issues and vices he’ll never outrun. Evie didn’t mind to carry a few vices if he’d watch hers too. She was just a mortal girl with dreams higher than stars could go. Piled with dead weight as Fredrick collapsed into her. Smothering her. 

And Evie’s first thought was always the shine of Billy’s eyes blaring into her after Fredrick dropped her at the end of Cherry Land so she could walk home. Defeated and wanting for more. They broke her heart.

Fredrick pushed down. Crushed her until Evie was gasping herself awake in her own bed. Eons later after she left him. After he shattered her already.

“Squirming more than usual.” A voice in the pillows next to her muttered. Billy groaned, turning over like he was annoyed. 

Evie knew he wasn’t. She didn’t feel her heart give an unpleasant clench like she’d upset him. One arm slung over her stomach as Billy stretched back out on his front, facing her. A barely there glow from the moon trickled between the curtains showing his lashes fluttering.

“Just a dream.” Evie reached out and traced a line into his shoulder. Let her finger trail up to tap his nose. Made him scrunch and look sorta adorable.

“Well, it’s over.” Billy closed his eyes. Nestled into her heat. “Try rolling for another.”

“I like this better.” She caught his lip twitching up. Billy remained silent for a while there. Almost lulling back to sleep. He shifted up. Revived Evie with a simple, cathartic kiss. Mapping more across her cheek as lazy as can be. 

They still felt carefully packaged. Billy had a way with careless affection that was still so striking and beautiful. Flaming arrows through her heart. 

They don’t hurt. So few things hurt with Billy. Evie liked to think she returned that.

His arm tightened.

“I’ll roll this time.”

And Evie could let him without sacrificing her own agency. Her own narrative.

Fingers reached up to draw select gold curls aside. She decided princes were small and overrated. Billy had wings and he had light and he had a swelter of carefully exposed nerves that he trusted Evie to pluck. A heart he let her guard. He wouldn’t ask but she’d give that back.

Love cannot exist without soul. Without trust. 

Evie pushed up to meet his oncoming kiss. Brought him back down to touch the soft earth with her. Where they felt safe together.

She realized it then as Billy shifted up to see her there. Fredrick never made her feel safe, he just used her to save himself. Sunk his teeth in to suck her dry of vitality so he could have it. 

She didn’t ask Billy if he trusted her. Didn’t tell him in this moment that she trusted him. That was destiny. Not the draining of your soul until you’re forced to give it over.

Sometimes it was just knowing the obvious placement of stars. Glittery dust might sprinkle delicately over them.

“Let’s roll later,” Evie nudged her head into his, “always time for dreaming. But, I think I want to be wide awake right now. Hope that’s not too disappointing.” Hands shifted around his shoulders. A fuller smile crossed and Billy matched it. Blue eyes glinting almost iridescent. He hummed in thought. Seemed to agree. 

“Evangeline,” he sounded out with some lazy amusement, “you couldn’t disappoint me if you tried, you know that?” Billy settled himself against her. Continued to map his euphoric paths. Stroking her cheek and hair. Sparking. Hushing. “Hope you know that much, Angel.”

“I know, Billy,” she sighed out to the forgiving cloak of night, “I do.”

[exileseverafter]

Exiles Character Inspirations

Or, “Max, what are you doing? Are you putting off finishing the next chapter?” Maybe I am! Maybe.

Ezra Kettle: I make jokes about Grumpy Bear, but honestly I’ve always had a sore spot for the worrywart or sourpuss who cares deeply but can’t express it through sunshine all the time. The characters in Exiles aren’t supposed to be 1:1 parallels to classic fairy tale characters so much as composites. In Ezra’s case, the role he plays in the second chapter is inspired by more sympathetic portrayals of the giant’s wife in Jack and the Beanstalk. She’s someone who trusts Jack and gives him advice to hide him from her husband. As pointed out by Into the Woods, Jack’s actions wrong her when she’s done nothing to him. His actual background has much more in common with Cinderella, and indeed if you read him the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk and Cinderella he’d probably connect more readily with the latter despite the subject matter. 

While he’s not particularly feminine, Ezra is a male character who tends to take on narrative roles that are traditionally female-coded. His skills and powers are connected to the kitchen and the hearth. He falls in love with Prince Basil in a very deliberately blatant ‘rescue romance,’ tends to play an emotional support role among his companions, and is even in distress in Book One. I didn’t do this to be deliberately subversive in a ‘see what I did there? Feminism!’ way, but just to play around with gender in fairy tales altogether. Often stories will feature the ‘princess who fights,’ but not the ‘man who nurtures,’ and I like to see more of both. 

In retrospect, it isn’t that surprising to me that I started Exiles around the time I was starting to think about my gender identity. That said, no one in Exiles is a self-insert! If anything, I put some of myself in all of them. Yes, even the villains.

Marjorie Snow: Marjorie is kind of a slippery character, and not just in-universe. Sometimes she’s hard for even me to pin down! Book 3 has been difficult to write because she just slips out of the spotlight as if she wants to hide her true nature even from the narrative itself, and I have to prod her back into it. 

She’s partially inspired by the character of Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair, a self-serving trickster and social climber who uses manipulation to get her way. In earlier iterations of the character she was a lot more genuinely amoral. But I started exploring the idea of someone who had internalized the idea of immorality and being the ‘bad girl’ juxtaposed against some sense of ‘goodness’ that existed in her mind, and feeling she could never escape that badness, but using it in the service of something (or someone) she considered ‘good.’ In that sense, she doesn’t have much in common with Becky at all anymore! So it goes. 

Her fairy tale parallel character appears to be Snow White at first, but I mixed parts of the ‘wicked stepsister’ archetype or the ‘bad girl who opposes the good heroine’ to create someone who is really neither a pure heroine nor truly wicked at all. 

Philomene Marl Thumbelina: Did you know the original version of Philomene as I first imagined her had Basil’s curse and was human-sized? She came about when I doodled a princess in a dress made of quilts with a polar bear companion. Something about the character concept wasn’t quite working in my mind, so I gave her curse to Basil and made her a tiny little princess and the team scientist. She’s probably also the closest the foursome has to a leader, but she’d only admit it reluctantly. 

Her name makes it clear she’s a parallel to Thumbelina, albeit a very loose one. There was an actual in-universe person named Thumbelina who was the founder of the massive City-Colony that bears her name, and one day we may hear her story. Still, Philomene does deal with a frog who wants to marry her, and like all Flower Folk she was born out of a flower. The fate of Thumbelina Kingdom at the beginning of Book One is taken from Sleeping Beauty, and the Marl family has 12 sisters because of...well, the Twelve Dancing Princesses. That last one’s more of a shallow shout-out than anything else, I’ll admit. 

This is going to feel a little obvious to some of you, but she was pretty heavily inspired by Princess Bubblegum. I like princesses and I like scientists, what can I say? But I was also thinking about how someone who had political power and responsibilities would deal with a world that is mostly enormous and full of dangers, the World of Towers as her kinfolk put it. She tries to understand dilemmas as a problem that needs solving or a question that has a definite answer, and she seeks that answer through research, trial and error. Sometimes this leads to her taking a rather narrow view of the situation, but she may need to do so in order to avoid being overwhelmed. 

Oh, and she’s also got a little bit of Sailor Mercury in there. 

Basil of Sethwhile: Basil was always Prince Charming! Or a Prince Charming wannabe, at least. Granted as a reader pointed out, he grew up mostly isolated with fairy caretakers and animal companions, brave but naive about the world and eager to break out of his restraints and save himself. So in a way, he’s Prince Charming but also a Disney Princess, isn’t he? 

At his hammiest, Basil is invoking Amelia from Slayers, Prince Edward from Enchanted, or just about any optimistic shonen anime protagonist you can think of. I’m also pulling more than a little bit from the character of Utena Tenjou, someone who seeks to become the prince no matter how difficult that may prove to be. (There’s a reason the ‘original’ Prince Charming was a woman, and that’s because of Revolutionary Girl Utena.) 

He thinks only Prince Charming can break his life-threatening curse, and deep down he’s terrified of the idea of waiting/relying on someone else to save his life. So this is basically Prince Charming striving to become Prince Charming in order to save himself. He is both the prince and the princess archetype in those terms, I suppose. But it’s impossible for a person to be a perfect archetype...

Playing off that duality, his backstory is pulling from Sleeping Beauty, but the curse itself is more inspired by Kai’s condition in The Snow Queen. I suppose I could say Aurora comes from East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but truthfully I just like bears. 

[allgirlsareprincesses]

The Quest for the Lost Bride: Anidala (and Reylo) as Orpheus and Eurydice

One of the theories I’ve found intriguing since belatedly joining the Reylo fandom has been that of Reverse Anidala, or the idea that the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala is being told in reverse, as the joyous romance of Ben Solo and Rey of Jakku. When researching folktale types for my Reylo as Eros and Psyche analysis, I came across the apparent inverse of ATU 425: The Search for the Lost Husband, which is ATU 400: The Quest for the Lost Bride. If Star Wars does indeed draw on mythology from around the world, and the theory of Reverse Anidala is correct, it seems reasonable that Anakin and Padme’s tale would match closely to these Lost Bride tales, the most famous of which is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. On the surface, the mythological motifs in the Prequel Trilogy didn’t seem as distinct as those of the Sequel Trilogy, but a deeper dive demonstrated that George Lucas is, in fact, the inspired genius we all know him to be (awkward dialogue notwithstanding).

Quest for the Lost Bride tales include, just like Search for the Lost Husband stories, variations such as the Animal Bride and Supernatural Bride. There is slightly less standardization in the Bride tales than the Husband ones, even within a single cultural tradition: for instance, some versions of the Orpheus tale end with the eternal separation of the lovers, while others include the eventual happy reunion in the Underworld after Orpheus’ death. However, the most well-known of these stories are tragedies, so I’ll be focusing on those, including both Virgil and Ovid’s versions of Orpheus and Eurydice, several versions of The Swan Maiden, The Crane Wife, the Shinto creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami, and more. As some of these involve faith traditions that are still practiced to this day, I will try to handle them respectfully, but I would appreciate a generous correction if you feel my treatment has been in any way insensitive.

Orpheus was the son of Apollo, the sun god, and Calliope, chief of the muses who presided over epic poetry. He was best known as a uniquely-skilled musician and poet, whose music could charm all living things and even cause rocks and trees to dance. In some versions of the tale, Apollo gives Orpheus a golden lyre and teaches him to play it, and this hero is nearly always associated with magic or witchcraft. While the Greek story presents Orpheus as an artistic soul, both contemporary and later critics scoffed at this as his “unmanliness.” They would often blame the hero’s loss of his wife on the husband’s failures of traditional, aggressive masculinity. Accordingly, later iterations of the Quest for the Lost Bride folktale type have the hero as a warrior, king, or prince.

There’s a lot of Anakin Skywalker here already, both from a canonical perspective and a fandom perspective. The son of an inspiring woman and The Force itself (which is the deity of the Star Wars universe), Anakin is essentially a demigod, and his extraordinary skill with the Force is clearly a gift from that powerful “father.” His power does sometimes take on an artistic, charming character (and as a calligrapher, his grandson has clearly inherited this artistic spirit), as when he floated the pear to Padme, but the Jedi force him to turn his skills to war instead. Anakin is pressed into a violent role at odds with the selfless soul his mother Shmi describes, and even the fans at times seemed dissatisfied with his softer nature. This is part of the reason that the Clone Wars TV show portrayed him as much more traditionally masculine. We recognize both versions of the character as Anakin Skywalker, but they each reflect a particular audience perspective, just as the different mythical Husbands do.

Eurydice, on the other hand, is hardly described at all in the myth. Unusually, there’s not even a mention of her particular beauty. It seems she is just the object of Orpheus love and no more, leading to a great deal of excellent feminist criticism (which we’ll get into later). However, other versions of the Lost Bride give us more detail: most notable is that the heroine is nearly always a fairy or other ethereal creature, who hails from a mystical world apart from the mortal realm. She might be a fairy princess, a selkie, a mermaid, a swan, a crane, or even a goddess. Frequently, she must be enticed or abducted from this other world and her means of returning to it must be destroyed (usually with the typical burning of the animal skin). In some versions of the tale, she even had another husband before the hero captured her. She comes to love her new husband sincerely and live happily with him for a time, but there is always a sense of her being out of place.

When Anakin meets Padme as a child, his first words to her are “Are you an angel?” This has always struck me as a fascinating artistic choice by George Lucas, a man who so enjoyed worldbuilding that he frankly got a little carried away with it in much of the Prequel Trilogy. He certainly could have chosen a Star Wars-y sounding name for this alien race of ethereal beings from the moons of Iego, but he chose something with a very specific and recognizable meaning: Angel. He knew that this word would immediately communicate what a convoluted explanation of in-world lore (*cough* midichlorians *cough*) would not: an image of purity, kindness, and beauty. Padme is cast as a supernatural image of perfection, and we understand immediately that the lovesick Anakin has placed her on a pedestal, seeing her forever as Angel rather than as Woman. To marry Anakin, Padme must to some extent turn her back on her principles (remember her insistence that she couldn’t “live a lie?”), and is then torn between her loyalty to her husband and to democracy. In a sense, she has been plucked from the fairy world of Naboo and drawn into a marriage that, though filled with genuine love, places her at odds with her true nature.

In Quest for the Lost Bride tales, this duality of the lady is often expressed by the Animal Bride motif, with the heroine taking one form when she is away from her fairy world, and another when she is in her natural home. This might be taken further by having a false bride, a variation best known from the Black Swan of the Swan Lake ballet. In this example, the bride’s false nature is personified as a completely separate woman, while her true self exists in the form that the hero first falls in love with. Interestingly, this appears to be referenced in the costuming of Queen Amidala and her decoy, Sabe: During the invasion of Naboo in The Phantom Menace, Sabe wears a towering robe of black feathers. Later in the finale, Padme wears a similarly-feathered gown of soft white layers.

In Attack of the Clones, we see this duality within Padme herself in the two scenes in which she confronts her feelings for Anakin: When she denies her feelings for him and declares that they cannot be together, she wears a jarringly seductive black dress. This is clearly not her true self. Later on Geonosis, when she finally declares her love for him, Padme is clad in pure white. She then wears white again as she binds herself to him in marriage. Still another variant of the two brides theme is the human woman versus the shade (sometimes a rotting corpse), but we’ll get to that later….

Orpheus and Eurydice’s union seems to be doomed from the outset, as Hymen, the Greek god of marriage, fails to bless their marriage. Eurydice is then pursued by an insistent suitor, and in fleeing him, steps on a viper and dies of a poisonous bite to the heel, descending to the Underworld for eternity. In other Lost Bride tales, the enchanted wife returns to the fairy realm or retreats into her animal form, often after a betrayal by her husband. In the Maori tale of Mataora and Niwareka, husband Mataora strikes his spirit wife Niwareka across the face, and she flees back to her homeland because domestic violence is unheard of among her people. And in the Shinto creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami, wife Izanami dies in childbirth, burned to death when giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi. In fact, it’s extremely common for the fairy wife to flee or die after giving birth to her husband’s children.

Again, the parallels to Anakin and Padme’s story should be obvious: Since marriage is forbidden by the Jedi Order, the couple’s nuptials must remain a secret, meaning their union is never blessed by the powers of their world. Though Padme has no suitor, we see Anakin in Revenge of the Sith split into two people: the Jedi who loves his wife, and Darth Vader, who bids her join him in his galactic domination. In that sense, Vader is the dark rival for Padme’s affections. Further, he cements the loss of his wife with the ultimate marital betrayal, attempting to strangle her with the Force. And finally, Padme dies after giving birth to the twins, at the same moment that Vader rises from the flames that consumed Anakin Skywalker. The Lost Bride descends to the Underworld, and now begins the husband’s Quest.

One of my favorite sources for this analysis was In Search of the Swan Maiden: A Narrative on Folklore and Gender, by Barbara Fass Leavy. I strongly recommend checking it out, but this is one of her excellent points that caught my eye:

“.... according to the tale type Index, wives search for their lost spouses, whereas husbands who have lost fairy wives embark on quests - a particular irony given that the searching women characteristically win back their spouses and the questing men characteristically do not.”

I find this fascinating as a commentary on the perspective of both the storyteller and the audience in the Prequel Trilogy versus the Sequel Trilogy: the traditional tales seem to assign greater agency to the men, but greater success to the women. This can be seen in the prequels when Padme seems unusually passive and even dies of a “broken heart,” despite having two children to live for, as many have pointed out. Further, the first six films of the Skywalker saga are told from a masculine perspective, so a Quest for the Lost Bride tale seems like a natural fit. In the sequels, however, the perspective has shifted to the feminine, attempting to assign greater agency to the heroine and leading her toward a successful retrieval of the Lost Husband. This is important, because from this point onward in the myth, I’m going to be applying more and more of the story motifs to the Sequel Trilogy, not just the Prequels.

Back to the Quest: Orpheus, devastated by his wife’s death, roams the earth playing mournful tunes on his lyre. Eventually, he decides to descend to the Underworld and plead with Hades and Persephone for his wife, referencing their own love story to appeal to their empathy. Just because it’s gorgeous, here’s part of his song:

“Let me again Eurydice receive, 

Let Fate her quick-spun thread of life reweave. 

All our possessions are but loans from you, 

And soon, or late, you must be paid your due; 

Hither we haste to humankind's last seat, 

Your endless empire, and our sure retreat. 

She too, when ripened years she shall attain, 

Must, of avoidless right, be yours again: 

I but the transient use of that require, 

Which soon, too soon, I must resign entire. 

But if the destinies refuse my vow, 

And no remission of her doom allow; 

Know, I'm determined to return no more; 

So both retain, or both to life restore.”

*MELTS* So anyway, his song works and they tell him he can lead Eurydice out of the Underworld, BUT she must walk behind him and he must not look back at her even once, or else she will spend eternity as a shade in Hell. In other tales, the husband might be instructed never to look upon the wife’s animal form (The Crane Wife), or upon her rotting corpse (Izanagi & Izanami), or he may be given another admonishment from his father-in-law as to the acceptable treatment of the daughter. Invariably, the hero swears he will obey, but whether an hour or many years later, he fails. In Orpheus’ case, he is nearly returned to the land of the living when he is unable to resist the temptation to glance back and check that Eurydice has not lost her footing. She vanishes, and Orpheus (described thereafter as having a “frozen breast”) is again wracked by grief, swearing off of [sexual] contact with women and again roaming the world singing songs of sorrow.

If the “look back” can be seen as a loss of faith, or a fall to the temptation for power, then Anakin certainly demonstrated this in his reach for the power that Sidious offered. Padme begs him to run away with her, to turn back toward the Light, but Anakin “looks back” to the powerful promise of the Dark Side and loses her forever. Similarly, Ben Solo gazes at Rey across the burning throne room, clearly thinking only of being with her…. Until he “looks back” at Snoke’s throne, and is pulled back into the fear and bitterness that have kept him trapped in the dark for so long. Within her own Search for the Lost Husband journey, this is the moment that Rey also sees Ben’s true form, and realizes that she has to leave him. The lovers are separated (for now), until the husband can reject the lure of power and keep faith with his wife.

I’m very much not the expert here (that’s @corseque ), but we know from the Darth Vader comics that he was trying for the rest of his life to bring Padme back from death. We don’t really know how near he was to success, but that story may be relevant to the plot in The Rise of Skywalker. In any case, the myth now starts to get very interesting: Feeling spurned, a group of Maenads (female devotees of Dionysus) attack Orpheus in a forest and literally, gruesomely tear him limb from limb, until the ground is littered with body parts. This is actually a fairly common event in Greek mythology, such that it even has a name: Sparagmos, “to tear apart.” TEAR APART. Anakin, of course, did indeed lose limbs at the time of his “death,” when Obi-Wan cut off his legs and then Sidious raised him as Vader. If Reverse Anidala is true, and Ben Solo begins his story at a moment parallel to when Anakin Skywalker ended his, then of course the son of Leia sobs in the first sequel film: “I am being torn apart.” It’s poetry; it rhymes.

(GIF source: @mamalaz)

After his death, Orpheus’ head floats down a river on his lyre, continuing to sing his mournful songs to all who will hear. It eventually lands on the island of Lesbos, where it prophecies and eventually becomes as famous as the Oracle of Apollo. As I mentioned in my previous post, the iconic helmet of the tragic fallen hero does make an appearance in the ST, and it even seems that Kylo Ren is seeking wisdom from it. Apollo and the Muses finally take pity on poor Orpheus, and they bury his limbs. In some versions, the story ends here with a nightingale taking up the song of the lost lovers, but in others, Orpheus finally descends to the Underworld and is reunited with Eurydice, and they spend eternity together, hand-in-hand. Perhaps this means that Anakin may finally return to Padme and they may be together in the Force.

Among the other stories of the Lost Bride type are details that also align well with the Skywalker Saga: In the Shinto tale mentioned above, Izanagi fails to retrieve his wife but then begets Amaterasu (the sun goddess) and Tsukuyomi (the moon god). Anakin’s children Luke and Leia are visually associated with the sun and moon throughout the films, and similar imagery is used for Ben and Rey (NOT suggesting they’re siblings, people, just descendants of the Skywalker legacy, geez).

Another feature of these tales is the original meeting of the wedded pair: While in Orpheus and Eurydice their initial meeting is unrecorded, most stories actually include the abduction of the bride, either physically or by default because the husband has hidden or burned her animal skin. While this doesn’t really apply to Anidala, it certainly applies to Reylo, as Kylo of course carries Rey off to Starkiller Base. But it applies in another way, as well: In The Last Jedi, Ben breaks down Rey’s lies that she has told herself about her parents, in a sense burning away the protective skin of denial that she has, rendering it impossible for her to return to her childlike state. This is in a way another abduction, as Rey is forcibly pulled from her enchanted form to her true self.

(GIF source: @lyanna-stark)

There is also the common motif of recognition, which appears in the Search for the Lost Husband, as well. Often, when the lovers are separated, the lost spouse forgets the questing spouse and does not recognize them when they come to the rescue. Their memory is usually jogged by the spouse performing a unique task that only they can do, or by returning a gift which was once given before. From The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales: “It is interesting to note how these extended narratives tend to duplicate the motifs by repeating them in reverse order - she recovers her suit, and he recovers her; she presents a ring, and he represents it to regain her.”

In Revenge of the Sith, Padme cries to Anakin “I don’t know you any more!” clearly stating that she no longer recognizes her husband. While we have yet to see those characters’ reunion, there is a particular moment of recognition in the ST, related to a powerful object which has been previously offered as a gift: the legacy lightsaber. When Rey calls the saber to her in The Force Awakens, Kylo breathes “It is you” in the novel, clearly recognizing her in some way. There are hints that Rey also recalls him on a subconscious level, though for now we can only speculate how. Still, it’s clear that many more legacy objects are going to appear in TROS, so there will be plenty of opportunity for Rey to get a reminder!

In Barbara Leavy’s book, she mentions that the central thesis of these folktale types seems to be that the relationship between spouses is the basis for peace and stability in the world:

“These examples of emotional failure are significant because they suggest that even were it true that romantic love is an invention of modern Western literature, its elements not to be read into narratives where they do not apply, the importance of emotional bonds in the marital relationship has probably always been recognized. The breakdown in the attachment of husband and wife is a significant feature of some of the world’s most widely-told stories. So long as the family supplies society with a basic structural unit, the affective tensions within the family will be crucial aspects of daily life and the narratives that grow out of it.”

As applied to the Skywalker Saga, I take this to mean that the wars of in “Star Wars” are tied to the breakdown of the marriage of our central characters: Anakin and Padme, and later (to a lesser extent) Han and Leia. It follows then that this central conflict can only be resolved by the healing of the bond between husband and wife. When we say that the Skywalker Saga is the story of generational trauma, this is what we mean, and it is a tragically relatable tale for much of the audience. We see the sorrow of our broken families writ large in a violent conflict across an entire galaxy far, far away, and we yearn for hope and healing.

Leavy further illuminates an aspect of these stories - Psyche’s Search and Orpheus’ Quest - that I find particularly fascinating in light of the frequently gendered discourse around Star Wars:

“If it is true that the Orpheus tale is as favored by men as the Cupid and Psyche tale is favored by women, then male storytellers appear to be expressing through these narratives their difficulties in achieving self-definition consistent with stereotypical ideals of manhood. The typical success experienced by Psyche and the equally typical failure encountered by Orpheus can be profitably analyzed in the context of a recent study of the difference between the ways in which men and women respond to their own fantasies:

‘women would see deprivation followed by enhancement, whereas men would see enhancement followed by deprivation.’ In contrast to women, ‘men showed a preference for extreme endings, which revealed itself most clearly in the tendency of men to see any decline or fall as abrupt, total and final. The possibility of a resurgence or second chance, which is implicit in the female pattern, does not seem very real for men. Perhaps an important difference is that the woman is socialized to lose (or give up) control without panic, and that she picks up as a positive concomitant to her submission confidence of recovery in the face of failure or suffering.’”

If I may generalize, the Star Wars fans who seem to want or expect a tragic ending for Ben Solo predominantly identify as men, whereas those who want or expect his redemption and happy ending predominantly identify as women. It seems that the Star Wars fandom does bear out Leavy’s claim that men relate to the tragic Quest for the Lost Bride, which contains harsh punishment for the failures of its hero, while women prefer the Search for the Lost Husband, which rewards its heroine’s persistence with a passionate love. Again, this is a generalization, as obviously individuals of all genders and none can enjoy a wide range of stories.

Many critical analyses of Orpheus and Eurydice point out that there is a distinct power imbalance between the pair, and that therefore a happy ending can only occur if the husband successfully subjugates his wife. Much of the hero’s actions seem to be an attempt to control his wife or control her fate, and this is nearly always characterized as a character flaw on his part. In fact, the descent into the Underworld is sometimes interpreted not as an expression of death-defying love, but of an unwillingness to accept the finality of death, or a failure to accept that the fairy wife has chosen to flee of her own volition. On the rare occasions when the husband successfully retrieves the lost bride from the mystical realm, it is usually not because he approached her with humility and remorse for his lack of faith, but because he vanquished her demon lover. On the other hand, some stories actually switch perspectives from husband to wife after the bride is lost, and the tale suddenly becomes the Search for the Lost Husband, with all its typical features. When the lovers are equals and the wife pursues the husband, then their reunion is successful and lasting. This seems to be happening both on a large scale within the full nine films of the saga, and on a smaller scale within the Sequel Trilogy itself, as Anakin and Ben follow Orpheus’ path while Rey alone follows Psyche’s, which is an excellent sign for Ben’s redemption and happy union with his bride in The Rise of Skywalker.

So there you have it…. Yet another big-ass meta that hopefully demonstrates the genius mythology of the Star Wars saga, and not just the fact that I’ve spent way too much time researching this. Thanks for reading and as always, feedback is welcome!

Previous posts in this series:

The Search for the Lost Husband: Reylo as Eros and Psyche

More Search for the Lost Husband: The Burning of the Beast’s Skin in Star Wars

This post is dedicated to @ahsokaeden65, who gave me a gentle kick in the butt to finish it! <3

[bunny-wan-kenobi]

Bunny’s Beastly Review *SPOILERS*

I’ve seen the movie three times. I started as the skeptic. Then I saw the film. Here are my thoughts...

I’m a Disney lover, and the films from the Disney Renaissance are close to my heart. I think that animation is a medium that is so rich in the way that it can construe meaning and capture emotion in an artistic, entertaining, magical way, and the animated Beauty and the Beast is an exceptional example of this. 

I’ve been skeptical this whole time of Disney’s recent efforts to translate their animated works into live-action. It feels so opportunistic and uncreative to capitalize on what the animated films already did SO WELL instead of creating something new like Moana or Zootopia. When I first heard the news, I planted myself in the belief that these films really don’t need to be made. 

Do I still believe that after seeing Beauty and the Beast? Well yes...and NO. Maybe I was primed to come to this conclusion after enjoying many elements of Cinderella and falling unexpectedly for the live-action Jungle Book, but I can honestly say that Beauty and the Beast surprised me...but not in the ways I was expecting. 

I expected the nostalgia, the covers of classic songs, the pretty visuals, the strong supporting cast. I knew I would get that. But what surprised me was how happy the movie made me feel. It was the same infusion of warmth I felt when I saw Cinderella’s radiant gown twirling on the ballroom floor in the Disney live-action version.

 It was like I was a little girl nestled on the couch, sometimes in awe, sometimes just beaming because the movie evoked some intangible positive regard that wasn’t based on the perfection of it, but on its ability to speak to my heart. The live-action Beauty and the Beast managed to awaken that feeling in me, which means that there is the possibility that it won’t mean the same thing to someone else or ignite the same experience for everybody, but since this is my review...this movie honestly just made me happy. 

The movie’s not perfect--heck there are just some elements where the animated film is simply superior, but I’m glad it was made. Here’s my breakdown:

The Exceptional

- It answers questions I always had from the animated movie and creates a cohesive narrative. We learn why the villagers forgot about a LARGEASS CASTLE AND ROYALTY a few miles of forest away. We learn why Chip doesn’t age (don’t pretend this never bothered you). We learn more about the curse itself. I appreciated these gaps getting filled.

- We got answers to questions we didn’t know we wanted. I LOVE that Belle’s mother features in this movie, that it holds weight and connects her and the Beast’s stories of loss and loneliness together. I liked getting to see Mr. Potts and understanding just how widespread the effects of the curse were. I liked the backstory given to flesh out Gaston, Maurice, and the Beast, leading to...

- The Beast. I LOVED the Beast. I hold Dan Steven’s performance as equal and different from Robby Benson’s, and that is the highest praise I can give it. His Beast is less growly and irascible, more grumpy and self-effacing. I think it was a brilliant idea to re-interpret Beast as a classicist Sun Prince-eqsue figure and position him in juxtaposition to the romantic and intelligent farmgirl Belle. It changes the nature of their love story in that Beast’s flaws include his predilection to look down on others and judge them along with the usual selfishness and temper. Yet this Beast is just as soulful, just as expressive, and just as much of an endearing dork, made evident by Steven’s wonderful face-work beneath the CGI. It’s the little moments: the sharp exhale of shock and grief when Belle leaves, the surprised smile when Belle asks them to “go home,” the befuddled expression when he realizes in the library scene that he actually likes this girl. I felt like I was watching a different Beast, someone familiar yet refreshing, and I fell for the character. And then the song....

- Evermore. Yes, I’m that person. I’m playing it on loop. I have no shame. I wasn’t expecting this song, I wasn’t spoiled beforehand, so I was BLOWN AWAY. I really enjoy “If I Could Love Her,” but I understand Alan Menken’s explanation that it didn’t quite fit into this narrative. Evermore does. It’s a song of mourning yet it’s stalwart in the Beast’s resolution to keep waiting, keep going on even as he believes that Belle is never coming back and that he IS going to waste away for YEARS all alone. It really has some dark implications when you pause to think of it, but this song soars beyond them, carried by the imagery of the Beast rising higher and higher in his tower to see Belle leave and then THAT SHOT pulling out of the tower to Belle...it was EVERYTHING. 

- Maurice. I really appreciate that Kevin Kline brought a dignity and quiet strength to this character that was treated as a caricature before. I really felt for the character in his grief, and I think he had more dimensions within this film and that made his relationship with Belle more compelling. 

- GAS-FREAKIN-STON. Or LUKE EVANS. Luke Evans made this character his own and I think his performance is one element of the movie I like better than the animated film. His Gaston is still egoistic and broad, but there is a kind of cunning and real malice in his actions that heightens both his attraction and his presence as a villain. He’s just so enjoyable to watch as he’s trying to manipulate Maurice’s affections or preening in his chair during “Gaston” or bellowing in the kill the beast sequence. Not only does he have the singing chops, there is so much personality and charm in this performance and it’s simply magnetic. 

- The set. Yes, there is a blend of Jacques Cocteau and other fantasy films, but this set was haunting and magical to me. I liked the sinuous shapes of the outer facade, the crumbling floors, the detail in Belle’s bedroom (the gold on the ceiling ugh). It was a beautiful setting, and a feast for the eyes. 

- The stakes are raised. I cared about the supporting characters before and they were all lovable, but I think this movie conveyed more clearly what the cost of the curse is and how tragic it is for all those caught within it. Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth and the others are desperate for this to work because their humanity is at stake (and for Mrs. Potts, her SON’S) and there is a yearning for that carried in the film that adds even more emotional weight. I don’t know if I’m the only one that actually loves “Days in the Sun,” but this song got to me. They’re wondering whether they will ever be human again, but not in a celebratory, bombastic way like “Human Again,” but in an understated, more poignant way. There’s a beauty of the human spirit that rises in the song, evidenced beautifully by Audra McDonald’s delivery of: “I could sing/Of the pain these dark days bring/Of this spell we’re under/Still it’s the wonder of us I’m singing tonight.” They haven’t given up on hope or of love, and though Belle’s change really isn’t made as clear, this is probably what impacts her decision to stay. So when they become objects at the end, the score cradling that moment, it’s devastating. 

The Good 

- The love story. Both versions are good, but I feel like the way it’s developed in the live-action film is more organic and allows the characters to spend a little bit more time together. It was so sweet to see Beast and Belle bonding over their love of books (say that 3x fast), the quiet understanding that passes between them when they visit Paris, the comfortable dynamic they enjoy as they puzzle over how they are both oddities. And the transformation moment, while somewhat dulled, is undeniably charming because of Belle’s tearful relief when she sees Beast/Adam. This was probably the most important element to get right, and I thought it was solid. Plus it crushes all the Stockholm-syndrome arguments by framing Belle’s decision to stay and help the castle residents and giving attention to her desire for freedom and efforts to escape in the beginning.

- The supporting characters. Like I said, I expected them to be wonderful and they were. I loved every performance, and this set of amazing actors brought new life to the characters. Special shoutout to Ian McKellan’s crusty Cogsworth, who made me like Cogsworth in a way I didn’t before. Also, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that instead of Babette, a feather duster coded as a sexualized French maid, we get a beautiful, elegant Plumette and a tender love story with her and Lumiere. AND SHE’S PLAYED BY GUGU MBATHA-RAW, a gorgeous black woman. And she gets one of the prettiest costume designs in the movie, a woman who should be a princess in her own right (someday...). 

- The rest of the songs still have the vitality and warmth of the original. “Gaston” is a highlight of the film and I really appreciate that they included Howard Ashman’s original lyrics (in other songs too). They made the film feel new to me.

- The fact that I ended up shipping a operatic wardrobe and a toothless harpsichord. Like...they had a dynamic that was unexpectedly moving and I was really rooting for them. 

- Belle’s village is ethnically diverse! Like Brandy-Cinderella levels integrated. That was pretty cool. 

- The French-ification. Okay...it’s still not in French, but I really liked that this film stands apart from the animated version by heightening the French aspects of the original story. The costuming (expect for maybe Belle--more on that later), the sets, the inclusion of “Maman” and Notre Dame, and the overall aesthetic provided a welcome fusion of the original and the animated. 

- BELLE TRIES TO ESCAPE. Like, she really tries to get out but decides to bring the Beast back and stay. She’s curious about the curse and learns more about it, and she remains an assertive character who pushes back when people try to make her comply. 

- Belle’s little “UGH!” during the “Belle” reprise. I can relate. 

- It’s a little thing, but Dan Steven’s disgusted head tilt when rejecting the rose. It cracks me up but points to the pompousness nature of the character. That’s when I knew we were getting a different Beast. 

- The “Beauty and the Beast” scene was really lovely to look at and was somehow more charged (maybe it was the dip?). The revolving shot when Beast lifts Belle up...magic 

- Every time Beast smiles toothily like a weirdo. Just charmed. 

- I actually like the trip to Paris scene because it allows for more of Belle’s development and for her realization that the castle (and Beast) has become home. It was also hella dark (like PLAGUE Disney--REALLY?!)

- That freakin’ snowball. EVERY theater I went to laughed uproariously at that scene, and Beast’s delighted laugh afterwards makes it. 

- LeFou and Gaston’s dynamic. There was a camaraderie and friendship that was fun to watch, and I thought Josh Gad did a great job with the role. 

- That mob song was so gooooood. I wanted to fist pump to it and I liked LeFou’s “But I fear the real monster’s unleashed.”

- The final ballroom scene is really sweet. I loved the sequence with “Winter turns to spring” and what a quiet moment it was. An addition that worked really well. 

- The end credits made my heart swell, and my aesthetic was all the silhouettes of the supporting characters and then the zoom out the stairs with Celine Dion soothing us the whole time with her beautiful voice. Gosh those credits were beautiful...

- Some of Emma’s line deliveries stood out to me, in particular when she declares “And I told you NO,” when she tells her father “Yes. Yes it is” in response to him telling her that returning to the Beast would be dangerous, and the “I love you.” Those were moments where I saw the strength of Belle emerge and Emma disappeared into the role, leading to...

The Meh 

- Emma Watson’s performance was the underwhelming one for me. I wanted so much to like it, but in some scenes it felt flat and just didn’t carry the passion of Paige O’Hara (the “Belle” reprise is a prime example). I still saw Emma as Emma and not necessarily as Belle. Yet even her performance warmed to me over time, and I think I appreciate more of it with each watch. The autotuned singing did take me out of the movie at times, and I really wished that was better because Emma does have a gentle sweetness in her voice and looks beautiful in the film. Was it bad? No. But it wasn’t my favorite Belle performance. In the end, it did sell the love story and I still enjoyed the character, but I think this performance was the weaker note in a solid film. 

- The dress. It was still pretty and floaty, but I wanted more. I wanted Cinderella-level brilliance, something that evoked the iconic dress of the animated version. This was nice, but it could have made so much more of a statement. 

- The inclusion of the Enchantress into the rest of the film. This really felt unnecessary. I get why they did it, but the scenes really didn’t make much sense. Why is Agatha living in the village? Is she monitoring the curse? WHY? Why is she a poor barmaid? Why does she have a Morgana-eque forest hovel? Like maybe they were going for enigmatic, but her scenes just felt like filler and could have been taken out without much impact or just expanded differently. 

- MRS POTTS SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT LINE. She should not have said “It’s because he loves her.” That was the Beast’s moment--his moment to finally acknowledge that he loves Belle because he doesn’t have a moment to really say it in the rest of the film, and it’s supposed to be a weighty moment. That was robbed in the film by giving the line to Mrs. Potts and I will fight you on this. 

-  I get it...but Belle hiking up her dress every other moment and going out IN WINTER without layers annoyed me like AREN’T YOU COLD. I wanted to throw blankets at her. 

- Why give Cogsworth a love interest? That felt gratuitous and unnecessary. That lady had some pipes though...

- Some of the pacing felt rushed because of the editing, and I really wish the film had slowed down to linger in some moments. 

- It really weirded me out that Belle had all these conversations about the curse and the Beast RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BEAST. Like...he wasn’t sleeping. It just felt kind of...not right? Like, can you talk about him somewhere else? Was I the only one who felt uneasy about that? 

- THE LAST SHOT. If you’ve seen it, you know. You know why the movie shouldn’t end with that. An editor should have been on that and it still jars me. 

I honestly can’t think of anything else right now that I really disliked. Some of the song sequences could have been more powerful (yes I still keep going back to that “Belle” reprise) and Emma’s performance was inconsistent (because there were moments in it that were quite good to be fair), but overall, it comes down to the fact that I enjoyed the film enough to see it three times. I mean...that’s a review in itself, and better than 500+ words on the topic. The movie had enough in it that made me love it, and me and my friend sang through the “Beauty and the Beast” cover at the end, bobbing to the syncopated beats, and we had a great time.

The point of a review isn’t to convince you to like a movie. It’s to point to the way you interacted with it in case someone else can resonate with it, get excited by it, or feel legitimated in the way they feel about it--whether good or bad. I enjoyed the live-action Beauty and the Beast, so now I’m going to stop typing, make some quesadillas, and return to listening to “Evermore” on loop.