#the movie is really effective in the same way a good fairy tale is effective

[betelgeusing]

watched The Substance and I cannot lie I LOVE the part where she goes goblin mode

[fairytale-poll]

MOD'S CHOICE POLL

Mod's own propaganda under the cut:

Sasha as Red Riding Hood:

During submissions, I became so absolutely excited when I saw this pop up. I don't know who decided to submit it, but they unlocked some childhood memories for me. Back when I was a child, my family visited Pakistan (my parent's country of origin) for the entire summer. One day I, bored, asked for some movies to watched and my parents and uncle brought back some clearly bootlegged DVDs dubbed in Hindi/Urdu, and Bratz Kids Fairy Tales was one of them. I watched it so many times, you have no idea- I think that I might have wrecked the whole DVD with how much I watched it. (A similar thing happened later on when I obtained a clearly bootlegged copy of Bratz Fashion Pixie too but that's another, non-Red Riding Hood related story.) I wasn't surprised that it was eliminated right off the bat, but my childhood nostalgia dictated I put it here, or else I would be betraying the 7-year-old in me.

Shang, Tao, and Paotze:

Another childhood favorite of mine. This picture book has such beautiful art and I remember being very surprised by the story as a child. I found a PDF of it online to reread when the contest started and honestly it still holds up. The three sisters that are the Red Riding Hood in the story I feel are genuinely very clever. And for nothing else, look this one up solely for it's beautiful art which is just breath-taking whether you're a child or an adult!

Lamb:

Not going to lie I never played this game. My good friend who I adore submitted this to the poll and it immediately got eliminated and I just felt bad lol. But it does look cool & I trust their taste so I do think that this game is great. I want to play it but I am really bad at getting myself to play games.

Aku:

Samurai Jack is a CLASSIC and I dare you to not watch this clip and crack up. Mako was a gift of voice acting and I miss him so much. Also this episode is just pretty amusing.

Amy Lee:

My sister was actually the one to submit this and I will use her own propaganda here: "Evanescence was a voice of a generation." Honestly this song is kind of just okay, there are better Evanescence songs, but got to respect the effort they put into the music video. Who can resist to choose Amy Lee anyway?

The Path sisters:

Like many people who know this game, I know it through Izzzyzzz's two video essays on it. I didn't play the game afterwards, but I did watch some play-throughs since I don't play many games + it seemed mostly like a walking simulator anyway so I felt like I got the same effect. It is AMAZING and has so much story and analysis and I love shit like that... In particular, Scarlet, Ruby, and Rose are my favorites whose stories really resonated with me, even if I haven't exactly gone through their life experiences. Ginger too. And there's some really horrific imagery in Robin's...I would recommend everyone find a way to experience this game-- whether that's playing it, watching Izzzyzzz's videos, or finding a walk-through/analysis of it, it's worth it!

Lisette:

So this manga is sort of obscure but it is also sort of nostalgic to me. Well, nostalgic by proxy. My sister read it when I was younger and told me some details about it and for some reason it stuck with me. Like??? For no reason. It's not even that good lmao. The first chapter right off the bat is pretty edgy & handles sensitive topics very badly. But goddamn if I do not think about random elements of the story for no reason. I don't really remember shit about Lisette but hey this picture of her looks really cool.

Red:

If you notice a theme among these being "nostalgia" you would be right, as this was another nostalgic offering from my childhood that I would watch semi-annually. I was also fond of the sequel, though I thought it felt like a different series than the first one. (Which isn't unusual with animated sequels to popular movies, but the fact that the sequel was set-up by the ending of the first one implies it was planned? Weird). But anyway Red is iconic and funny and voiced by Anne Hathaway and also her sad emo song "Red is Blue" sometimes still gets stuck in my head, so take that as you will.

Chacha:

I know absolutely nothing about this series. But it looks very cute so I like it. I love cute magical girls they deserve the world. Also I looked it up and apparently the Studio who did the Akazukin Chacha anime would later do the Yu-Gi-Oh animes from the 2000s and 2010s, so there's the obligatory mention of nostalgia.

[unnotigneugierig]

I think we should talk about the fact that…

…we shouldn’t judge the past based on our morals/ethics. We should look to history same the way as an anthropologists looks to(learn/study about) different cultures, ethicists or societies; they need to “forgot” their society viewpoint to truly and more accurately understand to.

Think about that when we are studying/learning about historical figures, we need to understand that the humans(and any being) are not “black and white”. We are spectrums, we do good and bad things, we are not define, like some philosophers theorize, only by our actions, but also on our beliefs, intentions and place/time context. Society likes to define someone as hero and the other a villain, a victim and an aggressor; as if the people was “flat characters”(they are usual in fairy tales, ex: the three little pigs, red hood,etc. They usually represent a stereotype or an ideal, and are not well developed, that’s why their actions are most time very predictable).

Bad people can also do good things and good people can also do bad things, someone that was good for you for other can be bad, and same for the opposite. There are plenty of articles exposing the “not so good”/dark side of the “saints/good people”. One example could be Gandhi that had…well… “weird habits”. We just have so strongly in us that idea that has to be a good and a bad, maybe because the way we learn history is not imparcial (well truly anything can really be, we will always need to those the words to communicate) , how Churchill said was synthesized: “History is written by the victors”. No one wants to tell a history where he is the bad guy or people can judge his mistakes, so he creates a false idea manipulating/distorting the truth to hide that he wasn’t “the absolute pure hero” he want us to believe. Combined with the number of times it’s repeated we got a well done Illusory Truth Effect.

Of course, it’s not always that the powerful is who tells the history, one example was what happened in the Vietnam War. The mainstream media being against the war was almost essencial for the results it had. Both the countries played dirty, but was Vietnam who got the “better” image on the public view.

Nowadays it’s really popular movies, series, novels, comic about the villains point of view, antiheroes, heroes that are not really heroes, villains that are not really heroes, etc. People are interested on this, they want to see characters that are not morally perfect, that takes questionable actions, that mistake, that cry and laugh, that can hurt and be hurted, that are like us, “HUMANE”. That’s why I don’t understand how we still keep choosing I side, and don’t try to understand both sides, and keep hating and judging each other, instead of accepting or respecting…

That’s all I wanted to say, if you agree or disagree, fell free to express that, just try to not be rude or aggressive. That’s is my OPINION, so it’s not necessarily right.I wish it help us to think about about actions, and if we want to keep doing what we do.

[starrytief]

Malice (read through thoughts)

I want to try to write my thoughts about the books I'm reading down both to be more intentional about my reading but also because I feel like it.

That being said, I'm already 19 chapters into the book so these thoughts are going to be a bit sparse and not so well-organised. I'll try to be consistent with the upcoming reading sessions.

I have never read a fairy tale retelling before, so I did not quite know what to expect. The only version of Sleeping Beauty I am familiar with is Disney's animated movie, so I am not sure how the original fairy tale goes -- that being said I was pleasantly surprised with the world and the lore around it and how the characters breathe life into it. Some aspects feel exaggerated in a way (light vs dark, good vs evil, the way most of the Graces in Lavender House read like the evil stepsisters from Cinderella), but I find they work nicely for a setting like this and it maintains some of the fairy tale spirit in a sense.

I really like the characters. Alyce is an interesting point of view, and I enjoy a broody and kinda vindictive character. I love how her discovering her origins and the way all of it affects her are central to the story and conflict, as well as the fact that this knowledge is such a huge drive to her actions. I had no idea how Aurora was going to be like, but again it was a happy surprise. She is the perfect counterpart to Alyce, and I enjoy her determined but mischievous personality. I love that both of them are so driven, and although right now they seem to be on the same page while striving for their goals, I do wonder if or when their respective goals are going to clash. There's already the aspect of Alyce possibly trying to break the curse herself, although as she knows that might not end well. Not to mention Aurora's mother and her father. Of course there is the chemistry between Alyce and Aurora too, so I am honestly looking forward to the drama (Alyce shapeshifting into Aurora when thinking of beauty? That was so gay). I also enjoy the interactions between Alyce and the other Graces, especially Rose. Rose does come across as cartoonishly evil at first, but she seems to be the vehicle through which we are shown the struggles of being a Grace and the toxicity that comes with it. Laurel on the other hand is a treasure (I hope these don't turn out to be last famous words).

I think one of my favourite aspects of the book are how the world's history and current society are interwoven in the story. I think it's great when the consequences of history still have an impact on the current story and the characters, be it as a device to cover the truth (such as the biased history Alyce had been fed before) or as a way to create obstacles (like the policies around the Briar heir's partner). Things like that, this feeling of action and reaction between world and characters are what makes a story truly effective, and I think the book has been quite good at it thus far.

I am now Concerned(tm) about Alyce and what the King is going to ask of her. I wonder if she's going to share that with Aurora, or if this spiral of secrecy is going to be another source of conflict. I am very excited to keep reading in general though, and see where this first book is going to end.

[bonesandthebees]

Internship season is over! I am freeeeeeee! I can ramble again! Whooooooh! (don’t mind me completely ignoring my last assignments and the incoming exam season, it’s fiiiiiinnnneeee)

Anyway, the strings epilogue. Bee, I don’t know how you do this, but your epilogues always make me feel like crying and laughing at the same time. I’ve felt it before, Stars is a good example, but never this hard. It’s the fact that you know things will eventually turn out okay again, but it took a lot of pain to get there and thing will never be the same. It’s the way you never go with a full happy ending. And what I mean by that is that you don’t skip over the pain, you let it play out before giving us (and the character) the reward.

In WF it’s Tommy and Wilbur living on their own and going about their life before Phuk and Techno reach out again. There’s a promise of hope, but the suffering is still there. The trauma is still there. It doesn’t get erased for a happy ever after. The consequences stick.

Same with Stars, you could have let them find Niki earlier. You could have stared at the coronation and off handidly mention who they got her. That would have been a happy ending, but it wouldn’t have been a full ending. And you give us a full ending instead. You give us Wilbur finding Niki, you give us that bittersweet reunion. You give us three lost years but a promise for a better future.

And then there’s Strings. And this one hits particularly hard, because the characters know there missing Something, but they don’t remember What. And again. It can’t instantly go back to being okay. Tommy can’t just go back to his normal life and meet Wilbur right after. So for him it’s 2 year and for Wilbur it’s 5. And in that time both of them are looking for each other without knowing what they are looking for. And Tommy is looking in the right places too. The open mic night.

Also, it took me a while to realise, but it makes sense that everyone from L’manberg moved to Essempi. Their town is gone. So now they are all just roaming around in the same city as Tommy and he knows them, but he also doesn’t. And he doesn’t know why.

What I’m trying to say is, you do bittersweet ending really well. It always hurts, but it always feels rewarding at the end. It feels real. No fairy tale “and they lived happily ever after”. It’s always realistic to the actions and consequences of the characters and the rules of the universe.

-🌲

aaa spruce hello!! i hope your internship went well and good luck with your eventual exams!!! (ik you have another glass ask in here but i am saving that to answer when i am slightly less tired)

this is so nice to hear. I really love writing epilogues, because it's such a nice way to tie off the story and show the consequences of what happened. I feel like for certain stories, you have to show the long term effects of everything to really make the ending stick. sure, you can leave things up to the readers imagination, but why not give them a glimpse of what's happened since the end? you don't have to give full answers, but it gives an ending some room to stand on if that makes sense.

when it came to the stars epilogue, there was no question in my mind that i was going to show the full scene with wilbur finding niki. I wasn't just going to continuously mention her as a character and not give her a proper reunion. also, I knew from the moment i started the fic that wilbur and niki weren't going to reunite until years after the main plot. it just felt like it fit to me y'know?

and then there's strings. again strings is based off a movie, so a lot of the epilogue was taken from that, but I made my own adjustments to it. I won't say what adjustments so as not to spoil anything for those who haven't seen the movie, but I loved the idea of wilbur and tommy being drawn to each other over the years after everything went down. even if they couldn't remember, they knew they were missing something, and they were actively trying to find that missing piece. fate works in funny ways and all that.

yeah not everyone from l'manberg moved to essempi obviously, but the main cast did because it just made the most sense for most people. essempi is a huge city where there's a lot of jobs and opportunities available. wilbur of course was going to move there bc he always wanted to live in the city, which is what pushed phil and techno to follow him since they wanted to all be in the same city. niki and jack were like wilbur and wanted to be in a city as well.

but yes tommy knows them and he doesn't at the same time. they all keep bumping into tommy and he just misses it and so do they. except i will confirm wilbur and tommy did not bump into each other until the night we saw in the epilogue. it was an instant recognition thing for them.

i'm so glad to hear that my endings are like that though. I'm very much the type who wants to write happy endings, but ones that feel earned. that means the consequences still have to exist. it wasn't an easy victory, but that's what makes it more satisfying.

[true--north]

I have finally watched Wish 2023.

Good things: A++ costuming. Medieval style of the movie is awesome, there is nothing to compare to it. Also, scenery is pretty impressive. I wish Arendelle and Northuldra costuming were that good.

I like the meta of Wish, they tried to make a prequel set up for other Disney fairy tales: Asha is the first Fairy Godmother, a woman from the town is that seamstress that created the fashion book from Sleeping Beauty, Magnifico is the face into the Evil Queen's mirror, the wishes floating up looked like the lanterns in Rapunzel, Asha's cart's transformation looked like Cinderella carriage's, etc. The classic fairytale book opening was beautiful and nostalgic.

That's all.

Bad things: where to start?

Animation Style. As I feared since the early gifs, this combination of styles is not my cup of tea. The combination of simple flat drawing and 3d models for me ruined the immersion and created a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" weird effect. Even worse. Because in the Rabbit the drawn characters remained drawn. and the real actors remained actors. In Wish, the characters could be 3D one moment and flatly drawn the next. Or have 3d face but flat dress, 3d clothes but flat simplistic hands, etc. The way they acted against flat painted sets like at a theatre stage was just weird. Maybe Disney was trying to tribute their two eras of animation this way, but it didn't work for me. I kept noticing the changing styles and found it annoying.

Asha is uninteresting as a heroine. I wasn't moved by her at all, there's nothing special about her(except that she has a living mother, but still her father is dead and she's ready to talk about him right at the interview.) There are "no like other girls" heroines, but Asha is literally the opposite. Maybe they tried to make her generic on purpose, like she's a proto-princess as well: laughs like Rapunzel, is awkward like Anna, talks to animals like Snow White and Aurora, runs like Elsa in Let It Go, has the same colour palette like Isabella, has similar scenes with "Be our guest" and "Under the sea", but she didn't inspire me. And she is too adorkable. Her friends have more personality and coolness than she.

Her goat is just awful, I'm serious here. Not only is he ugly, but he talks in a weird for a baby goat manner and makes stupid jokes. In fact, the jokes in Wish are really cringe. The chickens and eggs, the goat's tail in Asha's face…no, thanks.

Magnifico. I absolutely do not miss "classic villains", especially if they are going to be like him now. I don't know how the old Disney did it but Queen Grimhilde and Maleficent were a way more understandable and "justified" in their hatred than Magnifico, even though we know nothing about them. They had something in them Magnifico doesn't. Lady Tremaine and Ursula are just geniuses, super bosses and icons in comparison to him.

He has no reason to be so paranoid and do what he does other than a mental illness he got as a child. He has no reason to fear being attacked by the citizens, he had no reason at all to fulfill/continue fulfilling anyone's wishes, what for?

What he was doing did nothing at all to prevent his fear of being attacked he developed when he was a boy. Holding wishes back doesn't protect the city from war that was not going to happen, actually. If Magnifico had been drinking energy from wishes from the beginning it would make much more sense, but no he started doing this only after he opened the book of forbidden magic. Although, he indeed had the right to decide what is worthy to fulfill because it was his magic, not everyone's.

He's ugly and yes as I've noticed before he looks like older Prince Hans.

I found the final moral that magic is unnecessary and we should do everything by themselves, that people can't live well with it and are asking too much, discouraging and too didactic rather than inspiring. If wishes are not going to be fulfilled in the end and it's painted as good, then why Asha was sad when she found out that Magnifico didn't want to fulfill all of them? Magnifico at least fulfilled a % of the wishes, now they have zero. The problem that sometimes wishes just can't come true and it will hurt you is not addressed as much as it should. Oh, and the collective wishes have magic and are good but individual wishes should be achieved by hard work thing...Idk.

What was that all about?

And all the songs are not catchy at all. "I'm a star" has some unpleasantness in its message I can't put my finger on.

⭐⭐⭐ experience. Only its aesthetic made the movie for me. Sorry, Lee, Buck and friends 😗 I just hope that F2 wasn't your last good piece of art and that you'll make better than this for F3 and 4(one of the Wish directors is a Frozen storyboard artist. Mark Smith, do better, please.)

[trulyinspiringmovies]

Shrek 2

“Shrek 2″ is often considered to be one of the greatest sequels of all time by some people... and those people would be correct.

Shrek and Fiona are happily enjoying their marriage until they’re invited to a royal ball by Fiona’s parents. Fiona and Donkey are excited to go, but Shrek is hesitant. He has a feeling that Fiona’s parents won’t really like him or accept the choices that Fiona has made. Still, he ends up going and gets caught up in a ploy crafted by the Fairy Godmother.

The first “Shrek” was content with delivering a simple, yet powerful story. It used the benefit of simplicity by crafting genuinely funny jokes and sharp commentary about the relentless push of conservatism from DreamWorks's clear rival. “Shrek 2″ is ambitious, if not anything else. It retains the same level of jokes and commentary and I dare say that it actually elevated those levels. There were so many moments that had me laughing out loud. A few notable jokes were the “Cops” parody, which is still relevant today, and the Starbucks joke which is just so good. While maintaining the same level of quality of jokes and commentary, “Shrek 2″ also does what every good sequel does and expands the scope of the first film. I love everything about the kingdom of Far Far Away. First off, the name is just top-notch. It effectively positions itself as the place that every fairy tale starts off mentioning. Making it a parody of Hollywood is just so damn clever. “Shrek 2″ also feels like a genuine continuation of the first film because it follows up on logical plot beats. In a franchise about being more realistic about our ‘happily ever afters’, of course, they should explore what the in-laws think. Of course, we follow up on Prince Charming who hasn’t learned the lessons of the first film. Speaking of Prince Charming, “Shrek 2″ delivers with its new characters. Every one of them just hits the mark. Doris The Ugly Stepsister was hilarious to me as a child. Mongo will always have a place in my heart. Puss In Boots was so popular that he got his own spin-off movies, one of which is gaining exceptionally great critical reception in theaters right now. And who could forget the Fairy Godmother? She’s such a fun villain because she gets to be the celebrity who gets to ham it up when the cameras are rolling, but then switches to an evil mob boss on the flip of a switch. Plus, she has an amazing singing voice. She performs a cover of “Holding Out For A Hero” and has the rare honor of exceeding the original as the definitive way of listening to the song. Jennifer Saunders really sounds like she’s having a blast in the role. The final climax of this film is one that sticks out in everyone’s mind. I think rightfully so because the action is high-octane, high-stakes, non-stop fun with great jokes and call-backs along the way. You truly feel like Shrek is running out of time because of the love potion Fiona’s about to drink and the effects of the potion he drank. I do think the twist was a bit predictable, but it was still executed in an ambiguous enough manner that it didn’t bother me one bit. All in all, this movie is a masterclass on how to make sequels. I know it’s a meme to call it the best sequel of all time, but there is some truth in that. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it the best, but I think it’s perfect for the “Shrek” franchise.

★★★★★

Rewatched on January 4th, 2023

[adamwatchesmovies]

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002)

Believe it or not, Cinderella II: Dreams Comes True ranks among the better straight-to-video Disney sequels. It does not belong in the same category as the original. Not even close. The animation is good - for a movie never meant to go to theaters. The voice actors sound enough like the cast of the 1950 movie to fool young viewers. No adult has any business sitting down and seriously watching this but if your kids LOVE Cinderella and they want a little bit more, for the low-low price of $0 - which is essentially what you pay for a movie on Disney+… - yeah, I’d recommend it.

Following her wedding to Prince Charming (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes), Cinderella (voiced by Jennifer Hale) has moved inside the palace. There, her mice friends decide to put together a storybook of their favourite post-scullery maid adventures.

Though the film doesn’t appear to be an attempt to recoup losses following a cancelled television series, it's essentially split into three episodes with a wraparound story. The first chronicles Cinderella’s first official job as a princess: planning the annual banquet. Anyone who’s seen their fair share of children’s television will know the entire plot as soon as the story begins but it makes good use of the character. Cinderella isn’t like Ariel or even Snow White. She grew up knowing NOTHING of palace life. If anything, fancy gowns make her uncomfortable. She’s much more at ease in simple clothes cooking, cleaning and relating to common-folk rather than snooty royals. The fact that the film knows this and maintains it is refreshing.

The second segment is by far the weakest. In it, Jaq (voiced by Rob Paulsen) realizes he’s now of little use to Cinderella and gets her Fairy Godmother (voiced by Russi Taylor) to turn him into a human. Once again, you can foresee every development far ahead. What somewhat redeems this story is the amusing reversal. Before, the mice kinda-sorta took care of Cinderella. Now, they’re like little kids who want to impress mom and often get in the way. Though the status quo is inevitably re-established and this might make you think that the story has a message that counters the “Cinderella” story as a whole, it isn’t meant to. The moral is instead that even if you’re small, there are certain things you can contribute, certain things only you can do. Children will appreciate this lesson.

The final tale is easily the best. Actually, it’s the only reason to recommend the film. In it, Cinderella’s stepsister Anastasia (Tress MacNeille) falls for the town baker. Despite her mother’s objection, she allows Cinderella to help her pursue her heart’s desire.

What makes this story good is how much you can expand from it, even with how little we’re shown. If this were a traditional Grimm’s Fairy Tale, Cinderella would resent her stepsisters and stepmother. She would never dream of helping them out. This is a different Cinderella. She’s over what happened in the past - obviously, she came out on top in the end - and decides to do what she always does: respond to others with kindness. In her interactions with Anastasia, we get a lot to unpack. The sister complains that Cinderella always had it easy because she’s beautiful. Could it be that all of the mistreatment Cinderella faced before was caused by jealousy and insecurity? Is this the beginning of a redemption arc for a villain? In the scenes where Lady Tremaine (voiced by Susanne Blakeslee) scolds her daughter for pining after a commoner, we get hints of what life at the manor is now like. With her favourite target gone, Lady Tremaine takes her anger on her daughters and they’re too spoiled to ever make it into the real world. The upbringing she’s given them has had the opposite effect of what she wanted. Again, a lot of this is the viewer extrapolating what’s on-screen, but the beginning of those trails are there.

If someone took Cinderella II: Dreams Come True and really worked hard at it, they could make a great film. This is a true sequel, not simply a rehash or an uninspired rip-off of a story we’ve seen a million times. While there are dumb moments only the kids will like, this movie is for them. Actually, the audience isn't even that broad. It’s made for kids who specifically love Cinderella. For that demographic, it’s got enough sweet and funny moments to make it worth checking out once the grown-ups have finally gotten sick of seeing the same movie 30 times. (May 7, 2021)

[ramshacklehousewarden]

Just a thought, My Prefect/Yu

You know building up my MC kind of hits various things in Japanese Society which lead him into the way he was. I was worried that it would be too much, but it hits nicely

Yu is the thrown away child and from what I've researched about JP culture surrounding things like Orphaned children it's very tragic. Yu's only comfort is the movies he watched as a child.

Seeing others being tossed aside effect Yu as wanting to show them some kindness where he was shown known. Society views orphaned children as bottom tier

Mental Health is Stigmatized a lot, so Yu's grief is never resolved fully because of that and older kids in his situation put in his head that the reason why he was abandoned because he cried a lot (Among other things)

He isn't a delinquent, but the way he acts may make people think otherwise so a part of him can't fully go that route because he wants to be seen and noticed (and of course loved) This extends to his views on NRC as a whole. Most of the students (Including some of the main cast) looks down on Yu because of his lack of magic. This reminds him of how he was treated in his old world, so he openly talks bad about NRC despite a few good things it has He admires people like Deuce because he wants to do better, and Yu wants to do the same. Yu tries really hard to be better and push away his trauma and be a better person. His inner desire to Be Better.  Same goes for Jack who wants to be the best he can be. His antagonism/beef with Leona and Azul I can see really shows that distain since Leona tends to look down on peeps and Azul wants to take advantage of that pain. 

Vil for his confidence and not being afraid for being who you are, although in the same breath he views Vil as stifling sometimes

He admires Kalim obviously because of his kindness and worries for people taking advantage of him showing that side of him being a protective sibling. He would go to hell for Cheka and any friends he makes because he’s never had any friends due to people not wanting anything to do with him

Can sort of relate to Jamil, but only in the fact that Yu comes from a country that if you stand out you are shunned so. Idia maybe due to the Mental Health aspect

LET ME TALK ABOUT THE MALLYUU FRIENDSHIP

Yu knows in a sense what it's like to be shunned due to who you are. So, I see a strong close friendship with these two.  Yu sees that sense of loneliness and can understand somewhat. Yu openly wants to show Malleus that he is deserving of companionship

Yu’s Overblot form I made the Fairy Godmother with some Heartless/Kingdom Hearts influences because ignoring the whole “possessed by phantoms whose dreams being crushed and taken away” Yu desperately wishes to have the Fairy Tale ending like the people in the movies. He also wants to be seen and acknowledged, someone who will tell him things will be Ok just as the Fairy Godmothers would do to the people they help

The Heartless angle could be due to him just shutting his heart down/keeping his feelings to himself because he feels he can’t talk about it with anyone because he thinks nobody will care

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

The Dream of a Child Who Wants to Be Loved/Acknowledged

I feel like this would springboard into plots with others that they could relate leading to some sort of thing

[princesssarisa]

I find your posts on opera really interesting...even though I've never seen an opera! Do you have any recommendations for getting into opera (e.g. which are the easier ones to listen to, best shows to see for a first opera, etc)?

Thanks for turning to me for this question. I'm honored.

One opera I often recommend to newcomers is Hansel & Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (a 19th century German composer, not the British pop singer who took said composer's name as his stage name). The story is a familiar fairy tale, it isn't too long or complicated, the tone is a nice balance between dark and light, and the music is both easy to listen to and gorgeous. As your first filmed production, I'd recommend the Metropolitan Opera's 1982 Christmas Day broadcast, which stars Frederica von Stade and Judith Blegen in the title roles, and which is sung in English.

Although if you don't want to start with a children's opera, but would prefer a more "adult" choice, there are plenty of other other options:

La Bohéme by Giacomo Puccini is often considered the ideal "first opera." The plot is a simple slice of life, the music is sumptuous, the tone effectively balances comedy and drama (although the ending is tragic), and since it's about the lives of ordinary young people and their romances and breakups, everyone can identify with at least one of the characters. If you're not a fan of sentimental tragic love stories, though, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're open to it, than I'd recommend either of the two filmed broadcasts of Franco Zeffirelli's Metropolitan Opera production (either from 1982 with Teresa Stratas and José Carreras or from 2008 with Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas), or else Baz Luhrmann's 1993 Opera Australia production with Cheryl Barker and David Hobson, which resets the action in the 1950s (and was an obvious forerunner to Moulin Rouge!).

La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi is another good choice. It's also a tragic love story (based on the same novel as the classic Greta Garbo movie Camille, in fact, and even more of an obvious influence on Moulin Rouge! than La Bohéme is), but it's slightly less sentimental than Bohéme and more substantial in plot, with social commentary about "fallen women" and how they're treated. Until recently, I would have recommended Franco Zeffirelli's 1982 film version starring Teresa Stratas and Plácido Domingo – it is a beautiful, compelling movie. But given the recent #MeToo allegations against Domingo and his possible links to a sex trafficking ring, it's probably not the most comfortable choice to watch anymore. So I'll recommend the 2006 LA Opera production starring Renée Fleming and Rolando Villazón – especially because I attended it in person as a teenager and saw the cameras filming!

Then there's Georges Bizet's Carmen, probably the world's most popular opera, with absolutely iconic music (you're bound to recognize at least some of it from pop culture!), a tone that strikes an excellent balance between comedy and tragedy, and a simple yet compelling story. Some are turned off by what they see as the sexism and racism of the plot (it revolves around a sexually liberated Spanish Romani woman who seduces a young soldier, driving him to a life of crime, and then leaves him when she can't bear his jealousy, which drives him to murder her), but you don't have to view it that way. It can also be seen as making thought-provoking, valuable commentary about issues of gender, race, and social class, without portraying either Carmen or Don José as clearly "good" or "bad." Of all the filmed performances, I'd recommend the 2006 Covent Garden production with Anna Caterina Antonacci and Jonas Kaufmann.

If you'd rather start with a comedy, though, Gioacchino Rossini's The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) is the classic comic opera. It's hilarious, the plot is reasonably simple and easy to follow, the characters are likable, and the virtuosic music is truly sparkling, for want of a less clichéd adjective. Jean Pierre Ponnelle's 1974 studio film version with Hermann Prey, Luigi Alva, and Teresa Berganza is probably the best widely available version to start with, though if you can get a hold of the 2007 Met production with Peter Mattei, Juan Diego Flórez, and Joyce DiDonato (it's available from Met Opera On Demand for a $4.99 rental), that's also an outstanding version.

Of course my own first opera was The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) by none other than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The plot is slightly complicated, and the libretto features all too much 18th century racism and sexism (which modern productions and adaptations usually downplay), but it's still a very enjoyable fairy tale, magical and funny yet heartfelt and thought-provoking too, and with magnificent music. To this day I'm slightly obsessed with this opera, with a Blogspot blog devoted to my musings on it, and as you probably know from my posts, I've written a gender-bent retelling of the story, An Eternal Crown, which I'm trying to get published as a novel. I'd recommend either the 1991 Met production with Francisco Araiza and Kathleen Battle (a gorgeous traditional-yet-modernist production with sets and costumes by the famous artist David Hockney, although unfortunately, it does have the slave characters in blackface), or the 2003 Covent Garden production (a slightly darker and less traditional production, but excellently performed, and blackface-free).

I'm sorry if I've gone on too long, but this is obviously a subject I care a lot about. I hope whichever opera you choose to start with is just right for you!

[dycefic]

Hello, I recently read some of your work and I really really like your writing style! I’ve loved everything I’ve read so far and if it is not a burden to you and you are okay with doing so, I was hoping you could answer a few questions?

I was wondering if you had any formal writing education? Any advice for writing? Also wondered what kinds of books and authors you read, if you read?

I am sorry for all the questions, and if they’ve been asked before (I tried to find any answers you may have given to these or ones similar and I’m sorry if I missed them but direct me if need be).

I am also a writer and I’m always very curious about writers I look up to/ really like- most of them just happen to not be among the living so I do t really get to ask them any questions. Thank you for your time! It’s a pleasure to be able to read your writing!!

Thank you!

I am blushing extensively, thank you for all your kind words!

As for writing, I have had no formal education in it. I tried - and might not have dropped out of university if I'd succeeded - but creative writing required higher general scores than I got in school. I've read a lot of books on writing... like, a LOT... and always taken an interest in plot structure. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who walked out of House Of Flying Daggers (I saw it in theatres, I'm that old) rhapsodizing about the way they visually represented traditional storytelling metaphors (ie 'a rain of spears').

I will note that while it seems that absolutely everyone recommends Stephen King's 'On Writing', I've never read it because a) I found the little bit I read wordy and self-indulgent, and b) the very mention of that man's name enrages me because my partner once got into a serious hyperfixation and we didn't have a single conversation in which King's name was not mentioned for OVER A YEAR. This is not King's fault, but the name still fills me with intense fury.

Books on writing I would recommend:

K. M. Weiland's 'Structuring Your Novel': I like her 'voice', and her chosen examples, and pacing longer stories is one of the things I have the most trouble with.

J. Michael Straczynski's 'Complete Book Of Scriptwriting': It's an old book now, but it's still one of the best I've ever read, and my long-standing favourite. There's a ton of fascinating history about the evolution of screenwriting, and a lot of very pithy advice that applies just as well to novels and short fiction as it does to movies and television.

Chris Baty's 'No Plot? No Problem!': I haven't reread this in quite a while, but I remember it as being really helpful as well as fun to read. I also recommend NaNoWriMo in general. I've been participating since 2002 - this year will be my twentieth anniversary of NaNo - and my writing has improved enormously in that time. Writing is like everything else, insofar as the more you practice, the better you get. I've hit 50K every year since the beginning, so even if I never got a novel I wanted to finish, polish, and put out there (and a couple of them are promising), that's still 950,000 words I've written.

Also? Fanfiction. Fanfiction is a GREAT way to practice the craft. Because the characters and universe are pre-built, you can focus on the writing itself, on things like examining nuances of character, identifying and using tropes, and building a compelling story. Between NaNo and fanfiction, over the last 24 years, I have written over 2,000,000 words, and you can't do ANYTHING two million times without getting better at it.

As for who I like to read, I can't recommend Diane Duane, Tamora Pierce, and Georgette Heyer too highly. Not only do they write good stories, they were/are very, very technically skilled. Reading their work is an education in itself. I also recommend consuming narratives from other cultures - I learned a lot about different narrative conventions from things like reading translated novels, myths, and fairy tales, reading manga, and watching Chinese and Korean movies and dramas. It really gives you a different perspective on the mechanics of storytelling, and shows you how many 'default' or 'obvious' plot tropes are actually really culturally specific. (I have consumed every re-telling, re-imagining, or re-translation of Journey To The West, including the old tv show AND the Hallmark movie. I really recommend this, as it is FASCINATING how many ways different people interpret the same story. The Korean 'Korean Odyssey' and Netflix's 'New Adventures Of Monkey' are my favourites)

Bonus reading: When Books Went To War, by Molly Guptil Manning. It's not about writing, but it's about why stories are important, the lifeline a novelist can throw to someone experiencing the darkest of times, and what I believe may have been publishing's finest hour. I cry every time I read it, and it makes me proud to count myself a writer. If you ever wonder why you're slogging away so hard at learning so fickle and difficult a craft, this book will remind you.

“The therapeutic effect of reading was not a new concept to the librarians running the VBC (Victory Book Campaign). In the editorial Warren published on the eve of commencing her tenure as director, she discussed how books could soothe pain, diminish boredom or loneliness, and take the mind on a vacation far from where the body was stationed. Whatever a man's need—a temporary escape, a comforting memory of home, balm for a broken spirit, or an infusion of courage—the librarians running the VBC were dedicated to ensuring that each man found a book to meet it.” ― Molly Guptill Manning, When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II

[panvani]

Mochizuki Jun The Case Study of Vanitas Anime da Vinci Interview - pt. 1 -

An interview with MochiJun about Vanitas was uploaded to Anime da Vinci, and while I’d seen a lot of partial translations, I haven’t spotted a full one. This is my attempt. Corrections and suggestions are gladly accepted. The link to the original is at ddnavi, appended with interview/808972/a/. Since the interview is pretty long, I’ll be breaking it up into three parts.

The opening paragraphs of the article are just the same summary/promotional lines from every other official Vanitas source, so I won’t bother translating them again.

To summarize its contents: Mochizuki talks about inspiration for Vanitas and her time in Paris, how she wants to make people want to go to Paris, and a little spoiler.

She conceived the character of “Vanitas” during her first trip to France...

- Please tell us the details of how The Case Study of Vanitas was born. What kind of idea created this work?

Mochizuki Jun: Aahh, how far should I go back... ahaha...? For my next work [after Pandora Hearts] I’d been thinking, “I want to draw either vampires or a school setting~” and I conceived the character of “Vanitas” during my first trip to France. While sightseeing in Mont Saint-Michel, I mused on drawing “the story of a single vampire who’d watched over an island for something like one hundred years.” Everything else about The Case Study of Vanitas came from that one idea, and the general forms of Vanitas and Noé were born there.

MJ: There were a ton of things I thought about doing for my new serialization after Pandora Hearts, like increasing the number of romance and battle elements. With regards to battle scenes... to be honest, when I was drawing Pandora Hearts, the head editor told me to cut down on them since “you kind of suck at this,” and I wanted to give up. I started thinking, though, like “I don’t draw them so of course they suck! If I drew them more, they’d be good!” and frantically studied to improve with every volume. I have to get way better at anatomy and the composition of fight scenes in comparison to my last work... is what I thought.

- What drew you to vampires in particular? If there are any vampire stories you especially like, please tell us.

MJ: I don’t remember exactly what the first vampire I ever saw was, but when I was little I was really impacted by the movie Interview with the Vampire [based on the novel by Anne Rice.] When I watched it, I was captivated by the tragic and fleeting existence of vampires, as well as the blood sucking scenes, so those ideas were planted firmly in my mind. Plus, it probably had an effect on my fondness for stories with a dynamic between a young man and a girl. This is a little off-topic, but it’s actually where I got the name for the Crimson-Shell protagonist. [The two main characters of Interview with the Vampire are Louis du Pont, a young vampire man, and his adoptive daughter Claudia.]

- Why did you choose to set the story in 19th century Paris? What sort of impression did your first visit to Paris leave?

MJ: Paris was the first place I’d ever visited outside of Japan, so I thought it was huge. I’d been invited as a guest to Japan Expo, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding the entire time I was on the plane. Everything I saw seemed so new. Noé and I shared our kind of joy for Paris.

MJ: Since then, when taking personal trips overseas, I’d pay really frequent visit to this on-site publishing house in Paris. Their accompaniment for every question or problem I had when it came to any aspect of French culture was really helpful. Since I’d been so blessed to have them, I was able to go into writing ready, thinking “yeah, I’m gonna draw a manga set in France!”

- Yamaguchi Ryuu-san, who got his start designing for Final Fantasy, produced some fantastic drawings of the Paris Catacombs and Notre Dame Cathedral for The Case Study of Vanitas. That being said, it’s interesting how your Paris has not the Eiffel Tower, but a huge “Tower of the Sun” in construction to conflict with the real Paris. Please tell us about any difficulties you’ve experienced when drawing Paris.

MJ: I’m always troubled by the balance between “where I should stay true to the Paris of this time,” and “where I should create a false Paris.” I’d be super happy if this manga made someone take the chance to go to Paris. So, I had a strong passion to invite favoritism for Paris, and wanted that “the manga backgrounds should be the same as Paris!” There are falsehoods in my Paris, but the designs were taken from the real, present day world.

- With such names as the unresolved Beast of Gévaudan Incident, the Marquis de Sade, and Dr. Moreau, never before has Paris been made to adopt such an uncanny and bewitching atmosphere. If you have anything that might be a little bit of a spoiler, please let use hear it.

MJ: The Paladins of the Catholic Church draw their motif from the legend of Charlemagne. The characters from Vanitas aren’t actually the same people as those in the legend, but I like to play around with the shared relationship dynamics and character traits. [”Paladins” refer to the twelve highest ranking Knights of Charlemagne from French mythology collected in what is known as the Matter of France- the most famous of these stories is called the Song of Roland.]

MJ: Then, all of the Malnomen have their motifs taken from fairy tales or famous works of fiction [i.e. Loup Garou, based on Little Red Riding Hood, and Naenia, based on the story of Faust.] At first I thought “well, it’s set in France, so I’ll limit myself to stories documented by Charles Perrault,” but by the second volume I’d expanded my boundaries to the Brothers Grimm and was getting my hands on other stories too.

Pt. 2 here.

Pt. 3 here.

[eustochium]

reviews of every movie i’ve seen in theaters lately, because this is what i do with my friday nights now. maybe spoilers or whatever if you care

-Elvis: i do genuinely believe austin butler made some faustian pact for an oscar because there’s no way that he managed to turn out a performance like that when his resume to that point consisted of supporting roles in Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure and Vanessa Hudgens’ Coachella appearances. anyway it was unfortunately good, bc Baz Luhrmann is the hollywood purveyor of grandiose spectacle and tragicomic fairy tales, and for that end chooses his source material very well. costume design was objectively perfect, because of course it was. staging a montage representing elvis’s hollywood years to an instrumental britney spears mashup before punctuating it with the sound of a gunshot and cronkite’s voice announcing the assassination of MLK is probably one of the most insane creative choices i’ve seen on a screen and shows that baz knew exactly what kind of story he wanted to tell. the unfortunate part is that baz is also a wildly wealthy white australian who, despite a well-intended effort, was extremely out of his depth in trying to portray the nuanced realities of race in mid century america as they pertained to Elvis Presley’s career, but this effort still led to objectively the best musical scenes in the movie. stan yola and go stream her album right now. 8/10

-Don’t Worry Darling: literally so much fun. Harry Styles didn’t quite sell the character for me thru most of it, until the ending sort of gave some justification for why he might have come across as less than wholly convincing—but tbh i doubt that was an intentional performance choice. his press conference soundbite about how DWD “feels like a movie” got rightfully clowned on but it’s actually like. the most apt assessment of it lmao. definitely sets you up to know there’s gonna be some big shocking final twist, and while idk how i feel about it, at least it kind of resolved my biggest issue throughout watching most of it which is the glaring fact that not a single person in this movie convincingly looks like they’re from the 1950s. everyone in the movie has a face that knows about texting and the costume design doesn’t help either, literally like an online brain poisoned person’s mental image of what 1950s suburbia looks like, so that works. messy plot that didn’t really know what to do with itself. nevertheless Miss Flo ate and left no crumbs, as the kids say. also the supposed controversy abt the behind-the-scenes drama was one of the first truly enjoyable entertainment news cycles in a good long while. not a great film but genuinely a great time. 7/10

SMILE: viscerally creepy at a few scenes but that’s rly all there is. freaky premise on the surface but overall not very good and didn’t have anything to say about its central theme of trauma that hasn’t already been said much more effectively by plenty of other, much better movies. 3/10

Pearl: slapped, went absolutely insane, spoke to the soul, talented brilliant amazing showstopping spectacular never the same un-afraid to reference or not reference etc etc. never seen X and don’t particularly care to bc there’s truly nothing i could ever imagine in any way adding to what that movie did for me. didn’t breathe once during mia goth’s entire 8 minute monologue, literally exited the theater feeling like that “girls with they ____” meme, in the best way. she named her murderous pet gator after Theda Bara. absolutely zero notes. 10000/10

Moonage Daydream: A good movie to go see with your mom, if your mom’s celebrity crush growing up was David Bowie. 9/10

[merakiui]

Hey Mera! I just saw Milk Crown anon's twst concept and it kinda reminded me of the pixar theory, idk if ur familiar w it but basically it's how all the pixar movies connect and that movies like cars and monsters inc (movies w/out humans) take place in the distant future where humans no longer exist. (it's acc quite interesting i recommend checking it out if u haven't already).

(This is such an oc type of theory and most likey vry untru but I want to share it w u so ehe), kinda like what Milk Crown anon said, but what if MC acc came from the past (which would be our present time) and that twst is set far into the future. During MC's time, scientists discovered (or created, but in supernatural ways bc I like to believe that magic has always existed) a powerful substance that holds powers similar to the magic in fairy tales. At first the substance didn't serve as any threat and was experimented on, but it did radiate vry low and harmless energy that covered a wide radius (coming back to that ltr). However, over time the substance became dangerous and they weren't able to contain it anymore, and resulted in a giant explosion that affected everyone on the planet. It wiped out most living things on the planet and caused a lot of land forms to deteriorate, w many cities breaking from land and sinking into the ocean (cough twst ocean cities cough); we haven't seen twst full map of the world but from what's shown so far, a lot of them look like islands so hmmmm. The damage caused civilization to reset to the beginning (oh what if the explosion cased ppl to forget everything about human civilization and brought them back to primitive times). Most ppl that were near the explosion and w/in the "deadly" radius (like a nuclear explosion) died, however those that survived developed physical mutations that resembles that of fairies (wink wink) and the ability to control the substance, which would ltr be known as magic. Basically for those that survived, the closest ppl became what would be known as fae w the most magical energy (radiation lol), and from there it varied. Ppl that were farther away would develop magical abilities too, albeit not as strong in comparison to the former, with some developing physical mutations (ie. animal features), and other's retaining their human biology but still possessing magic. Ofc there were also some ppl who were immune to the explosions effects and remained magic-less humans. Same thing w animals and plant life w some staying the same and some becoming magic-like. (Idk but blot could be a side effect for using magic bc of it's overall deadly effects it had on the planet and that no one's biology is compatible enough w the magic so it festers in blot(?)

So what if , while the magic was being contained, MC was w/in the radius of the harmless range and absorbed some of the low energy, but didn't exhibit any side effects from it. However, when the explosion occured MC was put into a preservation pod, which would ltr be what we know as the black coffin from the beginning of the game, which protected them from the explosion and preserved their body for years. When they wake up in twst they are surrounded by a new world flowing w magical energy, which triggers the energy they previously absorbed to manifest into their ability to see those visions in their dreams.

Also as someone that was part if the fandom when the game first came out, then kinda left (bc of gneshin like most lol), but is coming back bc eeeee they're finally updating again! I rly do love this game, I remember interacting w other's in the fandom about theories, characters, events and stories ahhh such good times.

:O that’s a really neat theory!! Thank you for sharing it with me!

[amysteriousmessenger]

‘As The World Falls Down’ - ‘Danger’ Ray x Reader Fic

Based lightly on ‘As the world falls down’ from Labyrinth, Reader attends a midnight ball, but all is not as it seems. 

Word count: 3.4K Rating: SFW CW: Elixir, drugs, cult behaviour, creepy Ray, forced Elixir Reader: Gender neutral Disclaimer: this isn’t how I actually think the Elixir would affect someone but I wanted to keep the fairytale aspect to the story!

Reblogs appreciated!! <3

_______________________

‘You’ll drink it, right? And then you can stay here with us forever. We’ll never have to be apart.’ Ray said, the blue bottle sitting between his half-gloved hands. He seemed nervous, but eager for you to have it. You’d already told him that you wanted to stay at Magenta and be a part of Mint Eye with him, hence he had brought you the Elixir that everyone was required to take to cleanse themselves. You wanted to stay, but you had seen the effect that the liquid had on Ray, but you were a little bit tentative to actually put it to your lips.

You’d grown such tenderness and genuine affection for Ray, and you were leaving behind a life that you didn’t really care for, so why would you not want to stay in Mint Eye? You nodded, reaching out your hands to take the bottle from him. He smiled, but the smile did not match the emotion in his eyes. There was a sweetness to his lips, but an intensity and darkness to his gaze that was… unsettling to pinpoint.

‘A-ah… It won’t hurt, right?’ You asked, taking a seat on the side of your bed. The colour reminded you of those sugary isotonic drinks that you saw teenagers drinking outside of schools or on the weekend, but you were certain that it was not the same liquid.

‘Maybe just a little…’ He started, ‘but I’ve flavoured it to taste like peaches, just for you. You’ll be happy with us, a place where you can truly belong. Don’t you want to stay with me? To feel held?’

You did. Though you’d come here by chance, you’d found people who longed to feel loved and needed. The life you’d left behind was nothing compared to the one that could lay ahead for you, and yet, why were you so scared to take the final plunge?

‘Okay…’ You took the heart-shaped bottle from him. You watched Ray as you uncorked the bottle, feeling somewhat as though you were about to drink the poison from a fairytale or a movie. But of course, surely this Elixir was nothing like that. Ray wouldn’t do that. That smile of his meant no harm. He cared for you and wanted you to stay with him at Magenta.

The first thing you noticed after opening the bottle was the heavy scent of peaches, Ray really must have poured a lot of nectar into the Elixir to cover up its original smell, which burned your eyes. Perhaps smelling it wasn’t the best idea. Perhaps drinking it wasn’t the best idea. You were hesitant, but it was the only way you would get to stay with him. You took one more glance at Ray, who stood in front of you smiling in all his princely attire, before pressing the bottle to your lips.

Instantly, the Elixir overwhelmed all of your senses. Though it was seeped in peach flavourings, it did little to cover the burning sensation it left in your mouth and throat. It was like drinking nail varnish remover, or pure gasoline. It hurt. You choked, spluttering slightly into the back of your hand.

Ray handed you a glass of water, smoothing out your hair and assuring you that the pain will pass. It was all part of joining Mint Eye. You had to purify yourself of the person you were before you entered Magenta. It had to happen in order to find true salvation with the Savior. You continued to choke on the liquid as you felt it hit your stomach. Did Ray… really drink this every day? How was he even still standing? No wonder he looked so ill all of the time.

The longer it was in your stomach, the worse you started to feel despite Ray’s reassurances that you would be okay.

‘Ray, I don’t feel too good, I think I’m gonna…’ You barely finished the sentence before your head started to spin. Your eyelids fluttered shut in an attempt to ground yourself and focus on sitting upright, but to little avail. You began to fall back onto the bed, but your head never hit the pillow, so that the last sensation you felt before the slumber took over you was the sensation of Ray’s hand supporting your neck and shoulders.

‘I have you, my Princess. I’ll never let you fall…’ He whispered as you began to lose consciousness. He mumbled something else that you couldn’t quite make out, but it sounded awfully like ‘For anyone else.’

-

You woke up, or at least you think you did. Nothing was real, and yet, it had to be. You were already on your feet, being guided down the maze of corridors. Everything was a daze, and it felt as though you were dreaming, yet you could have sworn that the footsteps you were taking felt undeniably real. Illuminated only by the cloaked men carrying candles, you caught a glance of yourself in a mirror on the wall and gasped. You hadn’t really had the chance to process much since regaining your consciousness. It hadn’t occurred to you that the clothes you fell asleep in were not the ones you had woken up in.

The dress was huge: white and crystallised. It was something from a fairy-tale, beautiful from everyway you turned. As soon as you realised you were the one wearing it, you couldn’t believe you had missed it in the first place. It took up the entire lower half of your vision with its endless layers of silk and satin. You paused at your reflection, trying to take in as much of the detail as you could in the dim lighting. The sleeves were great cream-puffs of fabric and the tight corset held your torso rigidly in place. At any other time, you might have complained about the confines of a corset, but it felt as though it was holding you together as you lost grip on everything else around you. The dress was somewhat bridal, but the princess aesthetic far outshone that of a matrimony. You carried your eyes upwards, giggling slightly as your face warped in the mirror and you pawed at the heavy necklace that sat over your collarbones.

Your hair had been done too, littered with small star pins which sparkled against the mirror. Those weren’t yours, you didn’t own anything like that, so how had you come to get them? In the haze of half-consciousness, you couldn’t find it in yourself to care as you reached a wavy hand up to tap your fingertips along the hair pins, as though to make sure that they were really there. They certainly felt real, but nothing felt real. The textures were all wrong, the colours too bright. There were so many of them and they were so beautiful that you wished you could take them out of the dream with you whenever you woke up.

A cough resonated from behind you, it was the cloaked Believers who had been leading you through the corridors. They did not raise their eyes to meet you, but stared downwards as the one on the left said; ‘Your presence is greatly anticipated.’

‘Who?’ You asked, bewildered as to the fact they were talking to you. For some reason, you had assumed that they couldn’t speak. Were they real?

‘Yours.’ The other one deadpanned.

‘Me? Mine?’ You responded, confused.

‘Yes.’

‘Oh.’ Well, they must have been real! You stumbled slightly over the front of the dress as you moved to follow them. You hadn’t even thought to ask where you were going. Really, it hadn’t even occurred to you that there was a destination, you had simply found yourself walking with them and continued on the journey they had been leading you on.

They brought you to a pair of heavy, ornate doors. Some thought lost within your brain told you that you recognised the door, but you couldn’t find the connecting memory to remember where the doors led to. You attempted to ask them but found that your reverie had taken your voice. You swallowed thickly and remained silent until the door opened. They ushered you in with a ‘For Paradise’ before leaving.

The sounds of life were the first thing to reach your diluted senses. Bursts of music unlike those you had heard within Mint Eye before reached your ears. It was rich, elegant music only achieved with live instruments and talent. It was overwhelming to have so many of your senses assaulted at once, so it took a few moments to gather your bearings. Your eyes began to focus on the surroundings and you slowly realised you were in Magenta’s throne room. Yet, you had never seen so many people gathered in here. The room of people seemed to dance and spin, mingling in their cliques and couples. Masks of all told tales of trickery, of lust, wealth, and status but few bore of identity or name. There were so many masked faces, with each masquerade domino covered in a thin layer of black crushed velvet which absorbed any of the light cast upon it. You were the only one without a mask, yet you had not woken up with one so you could not be to blame for the feeling of exposure. At least, that was what you told yourself as each masked face followed your shaky steps.

A blonde woman smiled at you, offering you her hand. Her mask was slightly different, your eyes were a little too fuzzy to make it out, but it looked as though she had a little decorative side pieces and sequins, setting her apart from the other guests. You knew her, but you could not place exactly how in that moment. Her warm smile made you want to trust her, so you had no reservations in taking her outstretched hand and following her lead. The blonde woman pulled you through the crowds as they parted for her with each step she took. They parted even before she got near to them, making sure she had plenty of space to walk through. You had to watch your feet as they walked so you didn’t stumble over the both of you, consciously kicking the front of the dress so the material didn’t drag along the floor.

‘Ray… You shouldn’t leave her lost like this. I don’t want to see my lambs running astray.’ The blonde woman said as she suddenly stopped walking.

‘You’re right, my Savior… It won’t happen again.’

That voice. Despite your delirium, you knew that voice. Ray.

You had no control over your own movements but watched as the woman moved your hand from hers to Rays. She seemed satisfied with the exchange and, before returning to the party, added; ‘See to it that it doesn’t.’

‘Y-you look beautiful. I chose your dress myself; I hope it is to your liking.’ He stuttered slightly, though tried to feign the confidence of his Prince Charming aesthetic. You followed his voice upwards until you reached his face and notice that he was also wearing one of the black masks. Like the blonde woman, Ray’s domino was a little different to the others: it was the same black velvet but this time it was stitched with the same silver thread that adorned your dress. The small stitches swirls along the right-hand side of his mask, occasionally catching the light when he turned.

He looked at you with such intensity that your felt your heart begin to race. Cinderella had found her Prince.

You opened your mouth to try to reply to Ray, but your voice had yet to return so no noise actually managed to make its way past your lips. He smiled, seemingly understanding the fact you couldn’t speak. Perhaps that was why he was smiling.

You noticed that the music had changed, and people had started to dance in couples with one another. Ray seemed to notice it too, but he did not look surprised. If anything, he seemed expectant. Ray turned and picked up a small flurry of flowers from the table behind him. Oh, what was the word for that? A cottage…? College…? Corsage? Corsage! You were glad to have found the correct word as Ray tentatively slid the flowers onto your wrist and tightened the ribbon. He hummed along to the new song, watching with pride as he watched you inspect the flowers.

‘I chose them from the garden just for you. Would you like to know what they are? These are red roses, which symbolise longing and desire. Those ones are Jonquil, they are like very small Daffodils and there are many of them as My Savior favours Daffodils, so I keep them in the garden. They mean reciprocation of affection. I find them rather sweet; they grow in clusters and yet… they yearn for love…’ He trailed off, lightly tapping the petal. ‘Finally, these ones are yellow Hyacinth, in Floriography the meaning differs depending on the colour, but these ones… They mean jealousy.’

Ray didn’t really give you the time to mull over the meanings he had told you before he once again swept you up with a different conversation.

‘My Princess, might I have this dance?’ Ray bowed, smiling with one arm crossed over his chest in a princely manner. You nodded, giggling at a somewhat over-dramatic curtsey you had attempted to do. My, what an idyllic dream! You didn’t wake to wake up, reality would never be as sweet.

The Ray you knew was never usually so calm, collected. You knew him as a nervous, over exhausted, and a little bit flustered. The Ray of your dreamy reverie was more calculated in his movements.

Ray’s gloved hand took your bare one and the other slipped around your waist. You’d never attempted to ballroom dance, but little mattered in an illusion such a this, so it wouldn’t matter if you were to miss a step or two. You placed your hand over Ray’s shoulder and lifted the arm he was holding to match his stance.

There's such a sad love Deep in your eyes a kind of pale jewel Open and closed Within your eyes I'll place the sky Within your eyes

A space parted for the two of you on the dancefloor as you noticed people seemed to move for Ray in the same manner that they did for the blonde woman. Ray seemed a little bit nervous to lead, but his grip on your hand told you that he was determined to keep you in his arms regardless of whether he knew the steps confidently or not. Knowing Ray, he had memorised them again and again.

Through his mask, his blue eyes were dedicated to your face, neck, and the enveloping of your hand and his. It was as though he couldn’t get enough of the sight of your hands intertwined like that together. You felt the hand on your waist begin to guide you gently as he took one step forward, then another back: pulling you with him in beat to the music.

You lost yourself to your thoughts and to the music. He looked like a prince and- did he say he had picked your dress himself? He had dressed you like a princess. It seemed fitting, since he already claimed you to be one, and had decorated your room as though you really were one. His own personal Princess. You had to be dreaming, nothing that felt so beautiful could ever truly be real. You had to wake up at some point or another.

There's such a fooled heart Beatin' so fast In search of new dreams A love that will last

After a moment, you had to snap yourself out of your own thoughts and focus on being led. Ray had indeed memorised the steps to the dance, and apparently had memorised your steps too since he guided each movement of yours, possessing your body in the dance as though it was one with his own.

He spun you around, grinning as he watched you spin again and again, as though you were just a small Ballerina in a decorative music box: dancing on command whenever the box was opened. Ray pulled you in to a dip, holding on to your back and not really letting you support yourself, which you did not mind. It was hard to control your own weight in dreams, everything felt so weightless and floaty that you somehow praised your own illusion for making everything seem so realistic. Within your heart I'll place the moon Within your heart

Slowly, your stomach began to churn. Maybe in your dream, you were still not one for dancing. You felt as your breathing got a little heavier by the moment as the colour started to drain away from the room. People were no longer dancing happily in beat as they had once done, they stood; scared and tense, watching as you turned to face them one by one. They were masked and cloaked, for sure, but they were not enjoying the party. They were moving closer.

The grand music you had heard was no longer playing, and the weightlessness you felt turned to breathlessness as you felt the true tightness of the corset around your waist. The heaviness of so many layers of satin, lace, and silk grounded you to the floor and made it impossible to move, let alone run, like your feet were willing you to do. Cinderella would not leave the ball tonight.

You had to ask Ray, he wouldn’t lie to you… Would he? This was your dream; you could control what happened! Why was it turning into a nightmare?

As the pain sweeps through Makes no sense for you

‘R-Ray… What’s going on…?’

Ray’s face suddenly changed. He broke off the dance and stood still for a moment, watching as you tilted your head in confusion and a glimmer of fear. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the same blue liquid you had drank before falling asleep. You shook your head, not wanting to feel the sickness that came with such a commitment. He seemed both disappointed and dissatisfied with your reluctance. You couldn’t stop the shaking that had started, heavy tremors that wracked your body to the bone.

‘Ray… did you not use the correct dosage? See, look how the poor child suffers. You don’t want to make her leave, do you Ray?’ The same blonde woman from earlier said. You frantically turned, looking to find her face, but she was just a faceless voice in the blurring crowd.

‘No, my Savior.’ Ray said, grabbing one of your wrists. He didn’t squeeze tighter than necessary, but it was more than apparent that you were not escaping his grip any time soon. There was a desperation to it.

‘Then do it like I instructed you.’ She said. Ray swallowed and nodded, popping open the cork to the bottle with his freehand and pressing it against your lips.

Every thrill is gone Wasn't too much fun at all

It took a moment of coughing and spluttering for the wrongs to right themselves again, as Ray took the bottle away from your lips. The overwhelming flavour of peaches filled all of your senses and choked you. Whoever said that peaches were a symbol of family and unity had never taken a bite of one so infected. The sweetness was a danger in itself, it hid the darkness laying within. Sugar-coating it. You hadn’t noticed the burn of the Elixir as much this time, probably since you weren’t really drinking it. It fell down your open throat and pooled as poison into your stomach.

‘You’ll be happy with us, my Princess…’ He repeated as you held your throat and coughed. You were dizzy, so dizzy. The room seemed to spin and, if it were not for Ray’s chest, you would have fallen forward onto the ground. You wheezed onto him form, squeezing your eyes shut until the pounding in your chest and head began to even themselves out.

But I'll be there for you As the world falls down

When your eyes opened once more, the colour returned to the room and the music resonated throughout each nerve ending in your body. The room was alive once again and you could feel it. Ray was looking at you and smiling. You were still dreaming; the clock had not yet struck Twelve.

Falling As the world falls down

[niniane17]

I saw the Cruella movie. Spoilers, I guess.

It is not a good movie. It is not even a decent movie. But it's very interesting nonetheless, though not for pleasant reasons.

Mostly, it shows how things haven't changed all that much when it comes to the portrayal of female villains and heroines. There are a few changes, but they are mostly cosmetic due to what we consider fashionable these days, and to how certain activities, such as driving and smoking, are no longer seen as improper for women. However, the basic dychotomy between the heroine and the villain is the same.

Essentially, the Baroness is a mixture of all classic Disney Female Villains, among which the 1960s Cruella is just an example: she is a vicious, cruel, cold and aloof woman who dresses overtly feminine while rejecting the traditional feminine roles and virtues. Thus, her femininity is meant to be a fake and a shallow imitation of the real thing, which is being nurturing and non-threatening to the men around her. It goes without saying that the heroine has very few meaningful interactions with other women except her saintly mother and the villain, which emphasizes the idea that positive relationships among women who are not directly related are rare.*

Now, this is really nothing new, but this movie made the bold (?) decision of taking it a step further and making it text and not merely subtext. In the backstory, it's stated that the Baroness absolutely did not want to have a child despite being married (the horror!), and left her own daughter to die, effectively linking rejection of motherhood with infanticide. It is thanks to the intervention of yet another man that her child is saved, and she is trusted to the care of the proper feminine woman, who is is the angelic influence in Cruella's life, up until she embraces her role as a villain, thus becoming more like her biological mother. I suppose I could give Disney credit for making the stepmother the good woman for once, but then again they used the "genetic evil" trope which in 2021 is fucking unacceptable, so no cookies from me.

(Also. This loathsome trope killed not one, but two franchises. Don't you think it's time to learn some lessons, Hollywood?)

The only thing that in my opinion is still "subtle" by this movie's standards is the ageism, since it is not directly stated that the Baroness' style is thirty years out of time and fearful of anything new, but it's still very apparent, especially during Estella's parade which is an homage to her contemporary fashion icons, such as David Bowie.

Besides the lack of originality in using familiar fairy tale tropes without even bothering to explore them a little (which is, you know, the whole point of this kind of story), there's the baffling attempt of grounding them in the real context of 1950s to 1970s UK, and this is why they become ridiculous, to the point of being insulting. For example, the idea that in the 1950s a married woman could freely decide whether she was going to be a mother and that her husband could be excluded from such a decision is...not accurate, to say the least. But that's exactly the issue: it's not possible to tell a "realistic" story about a female villain without mentioning the limited role women had and sometimes still have in society. There's a reason why ASOIAF makes a point of showing how Cersei is still forced to play by Patriarchy's rules, and even if that in no way excuses her from her evil deeds, we can see it's an injustice.

I understand that Disney could not bring itself to tell such a story, but then why did they bother at all? Did somebody in the business lose a bet? Nobody had asked for this movie, nobody wanted it. We were all perfectly fine with Cruella Devil the gleeful puppy killer.

In hindsight, it's funny how we were all scared this movie would be the epitome of "girlboss feminism" or to portray feminism as BAD ACTUALLY, while it's not even that: it's merely a Cinderella (lol) or a Snow White who at some point decides to become the Evil Queen for some reason. Not really the kind of story we need, if nothing else because we have already heard it a thousand times.

*As much as I like Anita, she is not really part of the gang the way other men are. Her connection to Cruella at school is not explored at all, and neither is the fact she is risking it all for her. This is its own problem, for many reasons.