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simplydannie · 5 months ago

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I just love protective brother Veneer okay!! Also, some ideas I’m playing around with to update my AU…again lol

Fame comes with a price… sometimes that includes handsy, creepy fans. It’s all fine, until it comes down to his sister… that’s where Veneer draws the line.

She did it.

The Mistress had found her six superstars. The six she was to bring up from Under Rageous to sail in stardom in Mount Rageous. That’s what they were referred to by the agency, the powers, the higher ups in Mount Rageous…The Six.

And the queen and king of these six were the twins, Velvet and Veneer. Each star knew and used the essence of the Troll…but somehow these twins had an hypnotic effect on the crowd. They brought in the most money, their music was the most downloaded, their images the most searched. The other four stars and starlets only looked upon the twins with envy as they continued to rise and rise.

The twins were treated like royalty by the agency, including Mistress. They were her little money makers…..Unfortunately, she didn’t care much for their well being, including the seductive eyes that would be thrown at either of her stars. Veneer began noticing this. He saw how they would look at him, especially his sister. Mistress told him not to worry, she told him it’s just all part of the job….but he didn’t like it, he didn’t like it one bit.

As a brother, his instincts kicked in…he was protective. What if one day these maniacs decided to take action on her?…

They were on a press tour to kick off their new album. They were being interviewed by DJ Orbit…only the best of the best would make it on his show, and they were there. Veneer was only half paying attention to what was being asked. His little facade began to fall as he saw the hungry eyes of the production team eyeing his sister. Unknowingly a scowl came over his face…

“You good there bud?”

Veneer just realized he was being talked to, “Huh?” He turned to see that Orbit had asked him a question. Velvet elbowed him. Get your act together, her eyes seemed to say.

Orbit laughed, “My question went out to both you: how do you come up with these songs that just captivates the people? Velvet already answered, what’s your take?”

Veneer was lost for words. If he had been paying attention he’d know what Velvet had said and would have followed up…He had to BS it now, “Well, as always, I follow my sister’s lead. She’s the brains who knows how to take any idea and make it..….” Again, they were eyeing her, he could see it. It stopped him in his tracks and kept him from saying anything more…

“And make it…?” Orbit seemed to push for an answer.

“…AMAZING! Make it amazing!” Veneer finished off.

“Of course what do we expect from the amazing Velvet herself! That’s all the time we have for today! We are greatly looking forward to this new album! It has already been labeled the most anticipated album of the year. Velvet and Veneer everyone!”

They cut.

“Thank you guys. Now as always, your fans await.”

As they stood up, Veneer kept eyeing the production team behind the cameras. They noticed his glare and turned away…That’s what he thought.

“What the hell Veneer! You can totally tell your mind wasn’t in that interview.” Velvet scolded as they headed to their next stop.

“Sorry! I was distracted…There were some creeps eyeing you..”

“Really Ven? Tell me something new I don’t know.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“It’s all part of the job.”

The twins were lead through two doors that lead to the outside of the studio. A red carpet was laid out that led to their limo. On either side fans chanted their names. As they walked by the fans attempted to reach out and touch their skin, their clothes, their hair, anything. They were ushered through by security and as always, followed by cameras. Fans were asking for pictures and autographs. To keep their image, they obliged. Veneer stopped to take pictures with one side while Velvet went to the other. Throughout the whole time he eyed his sister, keeping careful watch over her.

She came across a group of boys who reached out and grabbed her arm. With a teasing smile she withdrew, but again they reached to touch her hand, her arm, her hair. Before he knew it, Veneer was between the boys and his sister.

“Aw, thank you for the support, but I would like if you didn’t touch my sister that way.” Veneer did his best to smile and pull her back.

“Knock it off Veneer. You’re going to make us look bad.” She whispered to him, but he stayed, still attempting to keep a smile. She pulled away from him and returned to her fans going down along the line. The star cameras that followed them hovered over Veneer….they were watching, so he put on a smile and kept going continuing to keep a watchful eye. They continued to reach out to her, one fan in particular got too comfortable and wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her in for a picture. Velvet attempted to pull her self away teasingly, but he had a good grip. He planted a kiss on Velvet’s cheek causing the crowd to gasp and aw in unison…But something snapped in Veneer…

He ran over and pushed the guy away from her…

“What the hell dude!”

“Veneer! Enough!” Velvet warned as the star cameras surrounded them. The crowd went quiet.

“S-sorry.” He murmured to her.

“Thank you! Thank you everyone! We really have to go now! Oh my gosh I love you too!” Velvet chimed to the crowd. The boy reach again pulling her in for another picture and planting another kissed on her cheek….Veneer could see how uncomfortable she was, but for the image, she played it off, which encouraged the guy more.

“Give me your number. I’ll definitely show you a good time.” He licked his lips….That’s when Veneer pounced...

“AAHHHH WHAT THE HELL!!! GET OFF ME SHIT FACE!!!!” The guy screamed as he was tackled to the ground by Veneer. Velvet called out her brother’s name, telling him, warning him to stop. The cameras hovered around them.

“Cameras off!” Velvet demanded…but they didn’t shut down. The recorded as Veneer began beating on the guy that was sprawled out on the floor. He kept attempting to get up, but Veneer continued to drag him down.

“Stop. Touching. My. Sister!” He said as he kept pounding the guy on the face. The crowd gasped and yelled. Security came and pulled Veneer off the bystander. They hauled him away towards the limo along with Velvet.

“WHAT THE HELL VENEER!” She screamed once they were alone in the vehicle.

“How could you let him touch you like that? I know you felt uncomfortable.” He responded.

“Who cares! It’s all part of the job!!! They recorded all that!! All of Rageous just saw what you did!!! To a fan!”

“No. They saw what I did to a creep.”

“This isn’t going to be good Veneer! You do this just as we’re about to release a new album! Oh my god they’re going to be mad! You screwed up Veneer!!!”

The Six were gathered into a conference room. A table at the center, the Mistress sitting at the opposite end scowling at her computer. A set of eyes turned to smirk at the twins….their cousins, Cashmere and Luster, the other sibling duo, though they weren’t twins.

“Screwed up big time didn’t we Vincent.” Luster smirked.

“Of course he would brother. What rises must eventually fall.” Cashmere smiled with an evil glint in her eye.

“Screw you.” Velvet said.

They all hushed as Mistress stood up from her desk. She walked around and stood in front of her six stars, casting a foul glare at Veneer.

“What the hell….was that.” She demanded.

He took a moment, but he finally answered, “He was touching her. He was getting to handsy. He just…wouldn’t stop.”

“Have I not told you all that this job comes with a price. A price you all must pay for. Fans adore you, they lust for you. You are there to satisfy their wildest dreams and greatest desires.” She said.

“But….That’s…..That’s wrong.” Veneer said.

“If the rest of your peers understand it, how is it that you don’t!” Mistress’s temper began to rise. Veneer fell silent. Looking around him he saw that everyone was willing to pay that price. Of course he would, but he couldn’t see that being done to his sister. For years it had just been them two, a protectiveness had grown in him to protect her always…but it seems that was all gone now. He hung his head low in defeat.

“I’m sorry…” He finally said.

“Cashmere and Luster, it’s your turn to shine.”

Cashmere smiled wickedly, “Of course Mistress. Let’s go brother.” They both smirked at the twins as they left.

“Thanks a lot Veneer!” Velvet scolded.

“Take him to his quarters. I shall deal with him accordingly when i am done dealing with this mess he created….Oh, and skip his dinner as well.” Two giant Bergens came in and grasped Veneer by both his arms dragging him off to his room.

“Wait? What? What’s going to….Why are you locking him up?” Velvet asked.

“Children that act out need to be punished.” Mistress replied.

“….You’re going to punish him?…..How?….He didn’t mean too.”

“Velvet. Your job is to control your brother in everything he does. Fail to do so and he will continue to act out irrationally. If he continues to act out irrationally he will be discarded and replaced.” She walked up to the young Rageon, her eyes glaring down at her, “Have I made myself clear?”

Velvet had no words. She just nodded. A fear came across her heart as the Mistress dismissed them…What was she going to do to him? No dinner, no food…All for protecting her. Velvet knew there would be consequences, but she never thought it would be something like this, something over a simple little thing…Like her brother protecting her. The jerk deserved that beating, he deserved every bit of it…but this…this was fame. They weren’t supposed to live their life…They needed to live the life the fans wanted, the life the fans painted for them.

Was it a mistake leaving Under Rageous? Yes it was dangerous….but they were somewhat free…

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cynthiav06 · 2 months ago

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I'm really pleasantly surprised that you answered :)

Of course, here are some materials from where I got information about Zagreus and Peitho!

For Peitho:

https://mirrorpalace.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/an-exploration-of-peitho/ - her research, which I really love.

And here is the stream of consciousness about her - https://mirrorpalace.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/thoughts-on-peitho/

They both don't belong to me.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3093410 -the fanfiction in which she appears, just keep in mind that it can be very difficult and dark there - Nico Di Angelo becomes a victim. This fanfiction also doesn't belong to me.

Zagreus:

https://hades.fandom.com/wiki/Zagreus - his wiki page, though I can't judge how good it is, because mostly I just read fanfiction/posts on tumblr and get information from there.

and - https://www.tumblr.com/happyk44/tagged/Zagreus - there is also a lot of good material about Zagreus.

And here's one fanfiction - https://archiveofourown.org/works/47538967/chapters/119808652 - from there I draw the creepy and dark part of Zagreus. It doesn't belong to me.

I'm sorry if you get a little confused. I "collect" Character images from various sources, reinforcing them with my own thoughts. For example, Peitho in my understanding is basically the same as in "An Abyss for Atonement" with some additions and my changes. And if you were wondering why I see Percy as a legacy of goddess of charm and a chthonic god - the answer is simple - Percy is beautiful and charming,He is most likely one of the most beautiful demigods of his generation and he can convince you to do what he wants. And I think Percy has some kind of connection with the underworld, it's a subtle dark atmosphere and the fact that he likes to travel through the shadows. His connection to the underworld is subtle and not too noticeable, as if, funny to say, ghostly.

I think this was the hardest of asks, but somehow, I liked it entirely too much. It's a bit out of box take, but I have already done one where I wrote Percy as a Legacy of Odysseus, so I think this fits too. Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a recurring theme for asks?

I am so terribly sorry for the delay but I didn't want to make the post without reading up on most of your suggestions; as I have said I was really unfamiliar with both Zagreus and Peitho.

As per anon's request Percy is a Legacy of Zagreus and Peitho through his grandparents. Percy Jackson as the Legacy of Zagreus and Peitho. [His grandmother Estelle was the daughter of Zagreus, and his grandfather James - son of Peitho].

Peitho is a very interesting deity. I suggest all readers check out at least one of anon's references. She is the deity of seduction, of persuasion , of divine charm and thrall. A force of passion and abstract power.

In certain versions, she is also an alternate representation of one of the Moraie. Lachesis, to be precise. She also used to represent the concept of everything that has happened before or has been till now.

Zagreus, though intriguing, is a bit more straightforward. I know I know I just called a chthonic god straight forward, but he is. Now, the wiki states that he is the God of Blood, but in one of the codex entries, Achilles says he is also a God of life.

He has connections with Styx and has traversed through Tartarus and here's a fun fact in the orignal myths Zagreus and Dinosyus are actually the same gods or at least father and son which would kind of create an extremely strange and entertaining dynamic but let's stick to game wiki. Not to mention the very newly layered dynamic now painted between Percy, Hades, and Nico.

Now think, Percy, eloquent and charming, words dripping with unspoken power. People think it's the tongue of the sea, of sirens, alluring and hypnotic, but it's far older, far more primordial, of Peithos, of divine eloquence, of persuasion.

Perseus Jackson, who none, not god nor mortal, can deny. Persuasion by words, persuasion by war , is it not all the same? Both reflect passion and thus reflect Peitho.

Perseus Jackson, beautiful and alluring, yet dangerous. Too sharp edged. Not a gentle beauty. A sharp, passionate, bloody beauty ,whether of sea or underworld we know not yet.

Percy Jackson, with midnight black hair, so vivid, so deep, that even the Lord of the Underworld balks at the resemblance, to his own line and that of Poseidon's.

Percy Jackson, who dreams and dreams yet again of things that have been, ages before or just now, it does not matter. He has my sight drawls Peitho , lips red with blood and rose, from somewhere far away, but perhaps Sally hears it all the same for she has it too, the gift of her line.

Perseus, whom Styx spares the fatal curse of Achilles not out of Roman interference but out of familial bonds, of primordial connections. The Underworld looks after its own, does it not? And Perseus Jackson is most certainly of the Underworld, will always be.

Percy, whose mind bends blood as easily as it would water sees not the gift of Zagreus, but a horror of Tartarus but he will come to see, after all blood is life and life is blood. Of blood and over blood child, that is your power declares Zagreus from the deepest caverns if the Underworld and Percy thinks he's heard the whispers of the pit but perhaps, just perhaps blood will serve him well, better than sea, better than water.

Perseus, whose call the rivers obey, the rivers of the Underworld. They recognize the blood of their own, do they not? They do, and they answer. They always will, and so will the dead if he dares call upon them. One day, one day whispers Achilles to Zagreus as they watch, the rise and triumph of the favored child of the sea and the Underworld.

Percy, who puts all in his thrall just with the green of his eyes and the smile at his lips. He sees not the divine Peitho in himself, but Aphrodite does not miss, neither do the Olympians.

Perseus, who teeters on the edge of mortal and divine as does Zagreus between living and death. Both, neither, one more than the other. Which one? We may yet see, but Peitho knows, and so does Zagreus. They do not say it, but the Olympians feel it. The wave of change.

Percy, who finds his way in and out of his uncle's, once and again, and then always. New ways and old ones, even forgotten ones. Perhaps Zagreus will be out of a job soon, thinks Persephone fondly. Not even the Lord of the Dead finds it in himself the words of chagrin.

That's all the thoughts I can think up at the moment but I will reblog with more I am sure cause this will stay with me.

I wrote it a bit too dramatically, but I think it fits well. All things considered. Also, anon, let me know if this was to your liking.

Also, I think Zagreus's dynamic with Nico could be super interesting, and maybe just maybe it deserves it own post.

#percy jackson #pjo headcanons #zagreus #peitho #hades pjo #percy and hades #hades game #nico di angelo #percy and zagreus #achilles #sally jackson #percy and nico

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nrilliree · 10 months ago

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I haven't read F&B but I have read snippets here and there. Doesn't it say that whatever tricks alys had didn't work on Daemon. Then we have Aemond who somehow out of everyone at harrenhall picked up her, a woman who is basically even older than his mummy, which is just plain creepy, he is 18 with a woman in her mid forties or something. Not to mention Aemond's hatred of illegitimate kids, he wouldn't look twice at her. Not to mention his so called bastard child with her isn't even relevant, like no one believed it, i doubt there was one. it just seems like another way to say Aemond was even foolish enough to fall for her tricks when his uncle did not let anyone or anything affect him, the man he so wishes he could be like.

Aemond was twenty years old, and Alys was described as a woman who looked very young for her age, even if she was in her early forties. And the series suggests that Aemond has some preferences for "milfs", because the whore with whom he lost his virginity was not one of the youngest. It is not clearly stated that Alys was truly a witch or that she had any abilities beyond herbalism. The most insistent on this was Mushroom, who is the least reliable and trustworthy of the authors. It is not specified what tricks Alys may have used on Daemon, but they were most likely simple seduction attempts that Daemon was immune to due to his experience. He had experience with many women, not just whores, so it was much harder to turn his head than an inexperienced young boy like Aemond. A boy who delighted in his first (and only) "win" during the war, so he saw himself as someone who needed a "reward". Because that's how it's described in the book - that Aemond took Alys to his bed as a war prize. Maybe he was fascinated by her, maybe she was so beautiful, or maybe Aemond just liked milfs. Or he had an Oedipus complex and she reminded him of his mother. Or maybe her alleged magic really only worked on him because he was weak.

It was Mushroom who was the only one to suggest that Alys was using love potions to make not only Aemond but also Criston fall in love with her. Munkun and Septon Eustace disagree and believe that it didn't happen and that Aemond simply fell in love with Alys so much that he didn't want to be separated from her. Women during the occupation and danger often used this type of love tactics to save their own lives. Alys took advantage of this and wrapped the inexperienced Aemond around her finger.

Aemond claimed that Alys saw the future, but I think she just made him believe that she was more powerful than she really was. Maybe she also made him believe that she was pregnant by him. We don't know that. All we know is that Aemond is remembered as someone who allowed himself to be wrapped around the finger of the Strong bastard.

"A kinslayer and a milk cow" that's how they were nicely named ;P

#aemond targaryen #anti aemond targaryen #team black #anti team green #house of the dragon #hotd

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perverse-idyll · 1 year ago

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Fic Stats Tag Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the least words.

Thank you @danpuff-ao3 and @likelightinglass for tagging me! I've got an hour to relax, and this is just about my speed at the moment: something fun but not demanding. (One hour, my arse. It took me three days!) Who else would enjoy doing this? @ac1d6urn, @ripeteeth, @squibstress, @yletylyf?

Most Hits

The White Road, Snarry, 48K. I knew the answer to this one without having to check. TWR is my most popular fic by every metric and the one most Snarry readers know me by, not to mention it's old enough now to be a high school sophomore (or possibly an A level student). I'm happy I somehow managed to pull off a nonlinear fic, plus I was so, so in love with the Snarry ship and all its possibilities, and I think that shines through. I let myself explore Lily's character and responded in fic to the way Snape's story ended; gave Lily and Severus one last chance to face some hard truths; and - well, no need to flog it, there are just a lot of scenes in this fic that make me clutch my heart to this day. And I let myself be a bit romantic about my OTP! With a happy ending and everything! (Okay, I'm always romantic about Snarry, but you can't always tell that from my fics.)

If you have any desire to hear me natter on with more Writerly Thoughts about this fic, I recorded an interview with ChaosBlue over here: Fanfic Maverick episode 25

Second Most Kudos

Soft Touch, Snarry, ~15K. This was a sleeper hit. I never expected it to be popular, and it's not a fic people love, exactly. But the combination of mindfucky unethical massage kink plus character study brought readers to the yard - although, really, I doubt it has much to do with the "character study" part. I'm going to cheat here and borrow a bookmarker's comment to describe it: "Very sensual almost eerily so. Actually somehow slightly creepy at times yet very seductive at others. A weird read." I like how they can't seem to make up their mind! Because, yeah, IMO the appeal lies in that uncomfortable overlap between sensuality and creepiness, and the touch-starved atmosphere that hangs over it all.

Third Most Comments

The Afterlight, Snarry, WIP, currently at 46K. This is one of three melodramatic and, yes, romantic Snarry WIPs on my plate - ridiculous amounts of whump and/or emotional turmoil, plus a triple whammy of overwrought happy endings (but only after I put them through hell). Apparently after the last 10 years of Life Shite, my fannish desires are all about shameless self-indulgence now. This one has a serial killer subplot that's giving me conniptions, but I'm in love with the ending so I need the fic to get all the way there. It also ponders, in a "one dark thread running through the whole work" sense, what it means to die and come back, and I'll just say that Snape experienced death very differently than Harry did. I suspect this fic has as many comments as it does because readers were kindly encouraging me to continue after years of me not posting very much. I'm currently finishing up a Snape/McGonagall fic, but The Afterlight is next on the menu. Fourth Most Bookmarks

Warm, Snarry, ~11K. Hah! My PWP made the list! It's also a character study of Snape and Harry with an established couple dynamic, but come on, those bookmarks aren't about the settled kind of domestic bliss. They're more about the "naked by the fireside fucking each other's brains out" bliss. I wrote this fic for a prompt and to help me scrape the rust off my creative wheels after several years of writer's block. In doing so, I found that porn without plot doesn't come naturally to me. Or established relationship, either. Where's the angst? I muttered constantly to myself about the paucity of sexy anatomical slang and the problems with pacing a fairly drama-free fic. (Solution? Don't write 10K words of PWP when 3K words will do.)

Fifth Most Words

The Blood of Stars, Snarry, WIP, ~44K. This is the fic that started my journey into the melodramatic & romantic combo, but it hasn't been updated since 2014 (aka The Worst Year of My Life). However, it's alive! I've picked it up again and have been scribbling and revising scenes in between working on three other fics. This was also the start of my So What If It's Messy and Imperfect phase, which is a challenge as a perfectionist but a necessity in my current circumstances if I presume to have delusions of ever finishing anything ever again. It's a challenge in another sense, too, since I committed myself to writing Harry's section in first-person POV, just to see if I can. (The jury's still out on that.) It's also got book-ended sections written in third-person Snape (an obscure and hard-to-master dialect)(kidding), and I'm not terribly confident writing from his POV, either. But the fic's got one of those can't-stay-away-from-each-other plots (I love these), and Harry being unfaithful to Ginny (yes, I know, don't send the OOC police after me). It's full of emotional flailing and obsession and beloved characters behaving badly and Snape coming to a tragic end - but wait! There's also Love after Death and Snape having meltdowns and in the end sort of getting everything he ever wanted. In case it isn't obvious, I am wallowing like a pig in mud. I love this fic. 🥰

Fic with the Least Words

Truce, Doctor Who, Twelve/Clara, a classic drabble of 100 words. This won't make sense to anyone who hasn't seen their series arc and the last encounter between them. It's a drop in the bucket of my undying love for them, but alas, my fealty has already been pledged to my endless Snapely WIPs. But Twelve and Clara deserve so much more than I'm able to give them.

#fic stats tag game #snarry #a tip of the hat to Doctor Who #my fics

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britts-galaxy-brain · 1 year ago

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Everything listed was horrific and yet the stuff by Sandsuna Lily favorited of precocious, sexy kids who seduce adults is extra creepy to me knowing how Lily views victims of abuse, including her own family. She called her sister a psycho for having been groomed and assaulted and has made fun of her dad, who is also an abuse survivor. Thinking about her liking porn of kids who seduce adults makes me wonder if she thinks her sister and dad led their abusers on somehow or had it coming or something. You know, the whole MAP argument that not only can kids consent but kids want sex and initiate it so it's not really abusive to have sex with them under those circumstances. It gives me those vibes.

Oh it gets worse. Her sister running off with a groomer was a lie. According to Courtney, the guy she left with was her age, and she was in her 20s when she started dating an older guy. She left to escape the abuse she was dealing with from the family.

Even worse is Lily wrote multiple "seductive child" characters across her Stockholm series and in the A Mother's Love A Daughter's Passion short.

#lily orchard #lily orchard is a predator

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qserasera · 1 year ago

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👻👓💌 for the writing meme! haha i wanna send so many but lets go with these for now :)

from this ask meme here ahhhhh so good to hear from u friend!! in honor of scorpio month happening...i will answer these for u HAHHAHA 👻 What is your wildest headcanon? oh man,,,,what headcanons Haven't i shared with u already...hmms

i feel like if i write one out, midorikawa-sensei is somehow!! going to psychically sense it and add it in a new chapter (fingers crossed hahahhaah :)) what i think would be my wildest headcanon would be a super early morning natori shuuichi on his way to an acting job and a super late night matoba seiji who finished up an exorcism running into each other at the exact same 7/11 and end up eating a breakfast together outside the store with a wrapped onigiri and those half-off bento boxes and instant coffee in a can at one of those rickety plastic tables with mismatched chairs (look this probably canon at some point i wouldn't be shocked) something im 99.9999% sure is canon is that matoba seiji has an (unspoken) rule for the clan and for his creepy shiki servants that natori shuuichi is Not someone they can mess with at will, only matoba seiji himself is allowed to :))) (again, i think the chance of this being canon is actually Very high) 👓 What helps you focus when you write?

the music soundtracks certainly help!! hhahaha...sometimes fanmixes, sometimes cinematic/games music, and im really Really running out of good uh. makeout music? seduction music? to write to for my current fics because i've just been looping between albums by Tender and Glass Animals repeatedly, BUT if u have any recs pls do toss them my way im in dire need of them 💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?

i don't know if there's a word for this trope---like, implicit care? consideration?? without the text of the fic itself highlighting it

like there was one time in genshin fic where i somehow had written out zhongli choosing to sit in the exact spot furthest from a heat source so his back could block the wind for childe, and that line lingered in my own head for the longest time KDSJFLKDF why

or that other time u wrote a specific chapter about natori peeling oranges for matoba......that was so cute. just the!! actions!! the unspoken care and affection!!

protectiveness is also an oldie but goodie, in combo with like----how to word this---social intrigue? social dueling??

probably can chalk this second trope up to a constant diet of cdramas, where there's a lot of public conversations /metaphorical faceslapping while everyone is talking behind pointed smiles, dueling with etiquette and shades of polite words, and it's so so so so cool when another member of the otp shows up to defend!! their loved one!!! and have the social cachet to Win the conversation basically. im weak for it and i think matoba seiji is also very good at it but natori is no slouch either :)))

#thanks for asking this friend!! may ur travel adventures be doing well!!#memeity meme #replies to an admiring bog

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gascon-en-exil · 2 years ago

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Ten Ferdibert Musical Numbers that Aren’t from Wicked

or,

Hubert and Ferdinand's Fabulously Wicked (but not Wicked) Musical Revue

It's well-established fanon that Hubert and Ferdinand are a musicals couple; even the English voice actors got in on the fun. That "For Good" cover instantly turned Wicked into the Ferdibert musical, and I've done my part as well with that idea. Somewhere in my blog archives and (in more detail) on my Patreon there's a sketch for how Wicked in its entirety could be repurposed as a non-CF Ferdibert story, and I'm fairly proud of how well I was able to get the two stories to fit together.

That does not however put the rest of musical theatre out of reach for this pair of campy (and occasionally murderous) theatre queens. I've had the idea for a while now to come up with a list of numbers from other shows that I think they could pull off, and to coincide with their birthdays in late April I decided to put together just that. Here are ten such numbers and why I think they fit Hubert or Ferdinand, or both. These are naturally reflective of my own knowledge of stage musicals, but I tried to pull from a broad selection. I only excluded jukebox musicals - painful as that was because I know Ferdinand would adore Mamma Mia!, and fandom has already come with Moulin Rouge! headcanons for the pair. They didn't really fit what I was going for, though. I've also included video references for all the songs, not necessarily my favorite renditions of each number but ones that I think are useful.

(One final note: I am aware that, assuming these characters were to perform these numbers non-diagetically, significant alterations to certain lyrics would have to be made. I however am not a lyricist, so I will not attempt to make such changes.)

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"The Phantom of the Opera," The Phantom of the Opera

(F) Those who have seen your face Draw back in fear. I am the mask you wear. (H) It's me they hear. (Both) Your/My spirit and my/your voice, In one combined. The Phantom of the Opera is there, Inside my/your mind.

Let's open with one everyone will recognize. Ferdibert shippers were quick to jump on the similarities between these characters and the principles in Phantom. Hubert, like Erik, is a creepy murderer with a hideous face; Ferdinand meanwhile is the inexplicable midpoint between Raoul and Christine. He would sing "All I Ask of You" to himself, and somehow make it work. As for duets between the two, "The Point of No Return" would work as the two on the cusp of seduction - but it ends abruptly with the literal unmasking of the Phantom. One of the things I like about Hubert is that he's the only CF-exclusive who doesn't have a masked alter-ego. He's grotesque inside and out, but he never hides it...and Ferdinand might be into that?

So, let's go bigger. The eponymous number of the musical only uses the Phantom's mask as a metaphor, in a way that I believe works with the Ferdibert "Two Jewels" contrasting relationship post-CF. Hubert is committing all manner of terrible acts behind the curtain, and it's up to his charming, public-facing lover to be the "mask" to smooth over the people's outrage and fear. Also, this number ends with the much memed-on "Sing, my angel of music!" and while Ferdinand could obviously never hit Christine's notes...I read that those are often prerecorded in productions. It would be fully on-brand for them to switch to a soprano vocalization for that bit. Where else could you find such overwrought silliness but in the theatre?

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"Tango: Maureen," Rent

(F) Gotta look on the bright side with all of your might. (H) I'd fall for her still anyhow. (Both) When you're dancing her dance You don't stand a chance. Her grip of romance makes you fall. (F) So you think might as well (H) Dance a tango to hell. (Both) At least I'll have tangoed at all!

I have issues with Rent as a whole, but a few of its individual songs are solid. This is one of several musical numbers that I associate with Ferdibert thanks to Hubert's never-requited attraction to Edelgard, who functions, approximately, as Maureen here. I say approximately because the energy of this number would be fairly different; Maureen is a promiscuous bisexual stereotype, whereas Edelgard's whole thing is that she won't even look at Hubert twice if her teacher is in the room. Also, neither Hubert nor Ferdinand map exactly onto Mark or Joanne. Rather, they'd break up their lines in ways that would suit their own characters, with Hubert being both the one helplessly pining (Joanne) and also the one angry and bitter about Maureen/Edelgard's behavior (Mark). Ferdinand instead takes Mark's role of trying to steer his partner away from the object of their shared frustration...and toward himself a bit, although that's not a part of the original number at all.

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"So Much Better," Legally Blonde

You thought I was dumb But I think that somebody's judgment was poor. Seeing my name in black and white, It's like making love with you all night. No, wait! It feels so much better, Hello, much better, It's oh, oh, oh... *pantomimes orgasm* much better! 'Cause I am so much better than before!

He may not be blond, but Ferdinand is kind of a perfect Elle Woods when you think about it: smarter and more capable than anyone believes because they're constantly underestimating him. Unfortunately the musical (largely an improvement over the already-strong movie) doesn't fully work for Ferdibert, because Emmett is nowhere near evil enough to be a role for Hubert, but I like this big Act I closer for Ferdinand. This is Elle getting to show off after she gets picked for a prestigious internship albeit for sleazy reasons out of her control but that's an Act II reveal, proving that everyone was wrong not to take her seriously. Doesn't work super well in a Three Houses context, but it doesn't need to; Ferdinand would have a blast in this role. Honorable mention: "Take It Like a Man" doesn't work as a Ferdibert number because it would require that either of them would care about giving Hubert a makeover, but the dirty innuendo in the title would be even more obvious with two guys.

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"Keep It Gay," The Producers

(H) I see a line of beautiful girls Dressed as storm troopers, each one a gem. With leather boots and whips on their hips, It's risqué, dare I say, S & M! (F) Love it! (H) I see German soldiers dancing through France Played by chorus boys in very tight pants. And wait, there's more - they win the war! (F) And the dances they do will be daring and new. Turn-turn-kick-turn, turn-turn-kick-turn, One-two-three-kick-turn! Keep it sassy, keep it classy, keep it... *faints*

How could I pass this one up? It's the epitome of camp, and perfect for these two. Hubert delighted to stage a musical about Nazis! Ferdinand doing drag* for no apparent reason! Subject matter so outrageously offensive on so many levels that it circles back around to being funny! Neither character aligns perfectly with Roger de Bris or with any of the cavalcade of stereotypes that hang out in his penthouse (and also the Village People, because why not), but they nail the melodramatic verve and the "doing it for the art" amorality that you'd have to have to want to direct Springtime for Hitler. I have no idea how anyone could contort it into making it work, but I could see the Max and Leo roles here occupied by the Lions boys, who might all be sleeping with each other but who nevertheless don't really "get" drag or singing their feelings or spontaneous conga lines.

*See below for more on Ferdinand in drag.

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"Poison in My Pocket," A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Murder's not a hobby for the cautious. Thoughts of violence can make the timid nauseous. *gasps* Unless of course the victim plunges head-on through the ice. It appears that I've been handed quite an opportune solution. And all that still remains is proper execution. I had better join them on the lake before it gets too late.

Continuing with the black comedy theme, Gentleman's Guide is a delightful satire about serial murder....pretty much Hubert's dream role. I wouldn't quite buy him as a novice at killing as Monty is in this early number, but in other respects it is in-character for him. He misses his chance to use the poison in the song title, but quickly improvises a better, funnier murder instead. Hubert absolutely would compose a bunch of jaunty little songs as he's sequentially killing people off. Second place from this show would be "Better With a Man," which is another one of those numbers that's filled with gay innuendos (this time intentionally too). Nevertheless it doesn't really fit the Ferdibert dynamic, to say nothing of how Hubert wouldn't have Ferdinand on his hit list...probably.

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"Some Other Me," If/Then

(F) Look down each road left untaken. (H) Trace every turn and twist. (F) The lives that we just let go by. (H) The dreams we might have missed. (Both) Now we're old enough to know that One road ends where one begins. The moment where the "what might bes" Turn into "might have beens."

Time to dial it back a bit. If/Then is an excellent point of comparison for any multi-route video game, even if its stakes are closer to that of a slice-of-life dating sim than a faux-grim war epic. It follows its protagonist simultaneously along two radically diverging pathways in life, based on one seemingly innocuous choice. "Some Other Me" is a melancholy Act II duet between the protagonist and her friend/lover, and for Ferdibert it encapsulates the divergence of the Eagles route split and Ferdinand's early Part II anxieties over the path he takes - regardless of which route he's on. I like that this number could work for them either in CF or outside of it, as just as in If/Then neither path leads to a fully happy ending. This would all, admittedly, work a bit better if Hubert had some variance himself to work with in canon, but many a non-CF Ferdibert AU (including my own Wicked concept) has thought about what that might look like. It's not even that hard to build in Hopes canon for that matter, provided you don't assume they're dead in the second half of AG.

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"I Am What I Am," La Cage aux Folles

I am what I am. I don't want praise, I don't want pity. I bang my own drum, Some think it's noise, I think it's pretty. And so what, if I love each feather and each spangle, Why not try to see things from a different angle? Your life is a sham 'til you can shout out loud I am what I am!

My longstanding headcanon that Ferdinand would enjoy drag is based on a few things. There's his generally flamboyant attitude, of course, but there's also his Manuela supports where he recalls mimicking her roles on stage. Maybe he'd be comfortable taking them on himself? At any rate, there's no shortage of iconic drag queen numbers in musical theatre, and while I considered options from Hedwig and the Angry Itch and Kinky Boots I ultimately settled on this anthem from La Cage aux Folles, the dramatic solo reprise/follow-up to the bawdy ensemble number "We Are What We Are." Ferdinand would nail the mixture of pride and indignity, the demand that - as in "So Much Better" above - he be taken seriously no matter how he chooses to present himself. It's almost a shame he grows out his hair post-timeskip and would probably take advantage of that when doing drag; the wig-throwing at the end is as much symbolic as it is hilarious.

Up until now though I've been overlooking one of the most obvious candidates for a Ferdibert musical: Sweeney Todd. It's another musical about a serial killer that abounds in black comedy - and what's more, Hubert's folding razor lost item, with its implicitly murderous flavor text, draws a direct parallel between him and the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The problem, however, is that as perfect as that setup may be...Ferdibert really doesn't fit the musical. Never mind that Ferdinand would struggle to match the manic mixture of twisted love and pragmatism of Mrs. Lovett, or that Sweeney crooning to his murder weapons in "My Friends" is something more like you'd expect of a killer like Jeritza if he were given to singing. No, the biggest problem is that Sweeney Todd is a Cockney musical, written from the perspective of denizens of London's lower classes. Ferdinand's dream getaway would never be so pedestrian as that envisioned in "By the Sea," Hubert wouldn't be out to revenge himself on a man of vastly higher rank, etc. That said....

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"A Little Priest," Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

(H) Have charity toward the world, my pet. (F) Yes, yes, I know, my love. (H) We'll take the customers that we can get. (F) Highborn and low, my love. (H) We'll not discriminate great from small. No, we'll serve anyone, meaning anyone, (Both) And to anyone At all!

Apart from this being arguably the most fun number in the show, "A Little Priest" would offer Ferdibert tons of material for black comedy wordplay while also turning the class commentary of the original on its head. A pair of downtrodden working-class people singing merrily about baking people into pies in the name of capitalism (and corpse disposal) sounds like a literal take on eating the rich; from a pair of aristocrats, it sounds like the sort of hypocrisy seen in some of their canon interactions in Hopes. Hubert grouses about nobles who hold themselves above the law...while never mentioning that they themselves are nobles who are allowed to exist above the law because they're top cronies in the new regime. In a post-CF world, this number would have even more sinister (and funny) undertones than ever, with the bodies piling up so fast from Hubert's underground activities that Ferdinand decides to help by coming up with a way to get rid of them more efficiently while also, ahem, addressing food shortages. That is another reason Sweeney Todd as a whole doesn't work for Ferdibert: who would stop them, or even could? They truly are a dangerous pair - but so very wonderfully evil. Adding to the comedy would be that, while Hubert would be more than happy to do the murder himself, Ferdinand would only be role-playing as the shopkeeper that he'll never be, in the way that Mrs. Lovett does throughout the number...since, you know, they haven't gotten around to killing all these people yet.

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"Rose's Turn," Gypsy: A Musical Fable

Why did I do it? What did it get me? Scrapbooks full of me in the background. Give 'em love and what does it get ya? What does it get ya? One quick look as each of 'em leaves you. All your life and what does it get ya? "Thanks a lot!" and out with the garbage. They take bows and you're battin' zero.

In most cases I'd give the big diva songs to Ferdinand, as discussed in the final entry for this revue. However, this diva number in particular would be glorious for Hubert. Even leaving aside the inherent comedy in imagining his relationship to Edelgard as that of an overbearing stage mom, I feel with the right lyrical reworking "Rose's Turn" would perfectly capture the moment where Hubert realizes what Ferdinand would be trying to get him to see in "Tango: Maureen": that Edelgard will never appreciate him in the way that he wants because Byleth exists. This number is musically complex, with disparate callbacks to over half a dozen previous songs strung together in a way that resembles a mental breakdown - because that's more or less what it is. Different actresses have played "Rose's Turn" in very different ways, and I see Hubert not so much unhinged as bitter and determined to assert his own wants for a change. What unfathomable terrors could that possibly entail?

But that leaves me with one question: what diva song should Ferdinand have? There are many options, and I considered a bunch ranging from Les Misérables to Company to Sunset Boulevard, but in the end I had to go with an old classic.

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"Don't Rain On My Parade," Funny Girl

But whether I'm the rose Of sheer perfection, A freckle on the nose Of life's complexion, The cinder or the shiny apple of its eye. I gotta fly once, I gotta try once, Only can die once, right, sir? Oh, life is juicy, Juicy, and you see, I gotta have my bite, sir!

Capturing the same relentless, foolhardy optimism that Hubert apparently admires about him, "Don't Rain On My Parade" fits amazingly well for Ferdinand. It even works in context. Fanny is here determined to marry a man she's been warned against, and when it predictably doesn't turn out well she closes the show with a reprise of this number telling the world she's going to get right back up and start again. Ferdinand may or may not end up with Hubert depending on the timeline, and he might regret it either way, but he simply can't be kept down.

#Fire Emblem #FE16 #Fire Emblem Three Houses #Ferdibert #Hubert von Vestra #Ferdinand von Aegir

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bvedangi · 2 years ago

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I posted 38 times in 2022

That's 25 more posts than 2021!

12 posts created (32%)

26 posts reblogged (68%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@gaelley

@moerusai

@nattaphum

@marshmallord

@notme-rainbowfart

I tagged 17 of my posts in 2022

#kinnporsche - 14 posts

#mileapo - 6 posts

#kinnporche the series - 5 posts

#kinnporsche the series - 4 posts

#vegaspete - 4 posts

#apo nattawin - 4 posts

#jeff satur - 3 posts

#mile phakphum - 3 posts

#porsche pachara - 3 posts

#kimchay - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 70 characters

#if only the pathetic meow took this chance to shoot his sperm provider

My Top Posts in 2022:

When you are all in for Vegas being the minor family boss but that motherfucker and his sperm-provider decided to stage a coup and blew up his chances of being the head so now Porsche has to be the head and cannot get his brains blown by his bae and replace his tobacco stick addiction with gun stick addiction:

49 notes - Posted August 16, 2022

Am I the only one that wants Chay to give Kinn the shovel talk? Like this is how i imagine it

Chay: I will rip you in half if you ever, ever put a finger on my brother. You are not allowed to fuck or get fucked by my brother.

Kinn: *sweats*

Chay: no brother of mine is allowed to fuck!

Kinn: *saying his last prayers*

(later)

Porsche:*"seductively"* Baby, I am alone.

Kinn: *still scared* stay that way. It's for the greater good.

(Meanwhile KimPorsche)

Kim: And thats why Chay is the absolute best and precious and we don't deserve him at all. So that's why we need to worship him and keep him happy. He is the bestest

Porsche: *nodding along* as long as we agree on it.

68 notes - Posted June 14, 2022

Has this been done?

88 notes - Posted June 12, 2022

There's never a dull day in this fandom.

And honestly I hate daemi, they are creepy and high on popularity, even if that popularity comes from the series' script and impeccable acting jobs and not their book.

I still don't understand how the kinnporsche novel got famous but it somehow did, but they should just sit down and let P'Pond and P'Apo deal with script of the show.

Also a reason why I hate them is because they remind me of things I normalised back in middle school as a kid who stumbled on mature stuff quicker and had messed up ideals about romance. While I did manage to grow up and shed that skin before hitting 20, the daemi duo clearly did not and also, not the major part of bl fandom in Thailand and hence why daemi still remains toxic actively and gives me headaches.

These two adults need to grow up, from a 20yo to clearly at least a 30yo duo (I assume; not sure abt their age but they are clearly older). They remind me of my cousins who still find Twilight and fifty shades Trilogy peak romance.

I really hope that BOC doesn't need any further legal work for getting S2 rights

110 notes - Posted July 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

It feels as though all the kinnporsche couples are destined to be alone during the reaction.

First it was Jeff, who tested positive and the KimChay couple was broken.

Then, the Build mess and his self imposed hiatus and the VegasPete couple was broken.

Then daddy Mile tested positive and Kinnporsche MileApo was broken.

Then Jeff was announced to join and I thought at least one couple is intact for the live, but lo behold :

Babycode tested positive today.

Just fucking great.

131 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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getmemymicroscope · 3 months ago

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Stretch of DNFs

I do write a bunch about the movies I do watch, but I guess I might as well make a quick blurb about why I don't finish some of the movies I start. Mostly cuz, well, why not?

Fukrey 3 (2023)

I really did want to enjoy this. I mean, I really liked Fukrey - movie and songs, and Fukrey 2 wasn't too bad either. Sure, no Ali Zafar hurt a bit, but the rest of the cast remained. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be. I did get in a slight bit, but eventually it just became too much. Somehow, after everything, Choocha remains a complete idiot - it's gone from slightly funny to mostly just frustrating (him with the popcorn-related mess, for example). And then he goes and spoils their 'plan' (didn't anyone tell him not to, or was it just them saying they wouldn't tell him for our own sake?). And the final straw was when they got to the airport and he didn't know how to use the water fountain. It was funny for a second, but then it continued and he never picked it up - and then, the minute I turned it off was when he asked Lali to make his hands into a bowl so that he can drink from it (and, even worse, his 'friend' Hunny just shrugs and is like 'do it'). We're 2+ movies in, now, and if he's still treating you like this, he's not your friend. Lali deserves better. But yeah, that airport scene was my final straw. I didn't really laughed much up to that point, and that was a sign to give up. Bollywood's obsession with friendships where the friends really don't seem to give a shit about each other is just ... not my cup of tea.

The Lady Killer (2023)

Apparently this movie was so mediocre that it flamed out, which isn't new for Bollywood, but also so subpar that it was released without being fully edited. According to Wiki, it only sold 293 tickets on its first day, which is crazy because Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar aren't exactly nobodies. So subpar, in fact, that it bypassed the 'streaming' route after falling out of theaters and immediately got released for free on YouTube. I got a bit into this movie too - it's clearly attempting, at bits, to be a 'gritty thriller' - but really suffers there because it is just slow and boring. I guess some point maybe they were going to address the whole fucked up 'Bhumi doing it with her dad' storyline - but that's just hard to stomach. Sure, sexual assault - but, like, the story doesn't immediately make it out as bad; instead, Arjun Kapoor's character makes it all about "I liked you and then I saw you doing this and now I'm hurt." Which, uh ... okay. And maybe there's a bit of Stockholm syndrome going on (I didn't get in far enough to see), but her immediate reaction isn't 'help me' or anything, but instead she smiles (seductively?) and just teases him. Teasing him!? He just saw you having sex with your dad! There's nothing to be seductive about here. Maybe it eventually picks up. I doubt it though. It feels like the story had some potential, if you get past the ick, but it just gets bogged down in trying to be "look at how dark and gritty and creepy I can be."

Visfot (2024)

Riteish and Fardeen Khan. Really wanted to like this. But then I got afraid this was gonna be some subpar attempt at a Taxi No. 9211 story (which I love), and was worried. Hard to do that well (though Selfiee did a decent job). Luckily, it isn't that - I don't think. On the other hand, it's just a mess to begin with. Fardeen has a friend who is an insult to the idea of friendship, and why he's hanging out with him, no idea. Obviously that leads to shit hitting the fan. Plus there's this completely unnecessary 'sensual' scene between Fardeen and Krystal D'Souza that lasts for like 5 seconds. Pointless. Then Riteish shows up, has an annoying kid, and then finds out his wife is cheating on him. Oh, and there's some weird bullshit going on that leads to Fardeen in a car with Krystal and Riteish's kid - and when he asks her who the kid is, instead of responding, she just stutters and remains silent. I made it to the point where Riteish goes to the hotel where his wife is and just gave up. This type of story requires brilliant story-telling and your ability to care for the characters - and as fucked over as he might be (by his own stupid decision to take the dumb jacket instead of just throwing it out!), you don't feel for Fardeen's character. And that, combined with a bunch of annoying characters (the kid, Krystal's boss person, Fardeen's 'friend') just becomes too much.

Welp, those are the DNFs for the past week. Hopefully this week will be better.

#movies #movieblr #dnf movies #dnf

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maxwell-grant · 3 years ago

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Having asked your thoughts on designing Frankenstein's daemon, might I now ask your thoughts on bringing Count Dracula from the written word into illustration? (I'm definitely in favour of the 'Hairy Old Mountain Man of Horror pretending he's people' look from the original novel; one of the small tests too many Draculas fail to pass is an absolutely tragic lack of the Evil Beard and/or Wicked Moustache explicitly described by Mr Stoker).

Unlike with Frankenstein, where I think the design needs to be painstakingly thought out in order to achieve the best balance of the creature's traits for horror and tragedy alike, I think with Dracula you can actually just take an approach of "whatever works". Because as I mentioned before, I think much of the appeal and longevity of Dracula is how the character's both a layered villain as well as a shapeshifting narrative force that can be tailored to whatever you want to do with. Granted, there are bad or dissappointing Dracula designs, of course there are, but in regards to the leeway you get for reinterpretation, you get a lot more of it with Dracula than with other literary icons.

Like with Frankenstein, I'm gonna bring up how I'd tackle a less grim, more comedy-centric Dracula first, one that's less a force of horror and more of a charismatic villain, and I think to that end I definitely agree that people are sleeping a lot on the hairy old man barely-passing-off-as-humanoid of the original story. Despite very much loving these performers, I'm actually not a fan of takes that mold Dracula too closely to people who've portrayed him, like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, partially because I think it's a waste of an opportunity to create your own Dracula design. Since I can't draw (yet), I'll do what I usually do and make a board of images to try and convey some of my thoughts on one way I'd design Dracula.

(Pictured: Kiwi's design for Dracula, Hotel Transylvania concept art, Nandor, Castlevania Dracula, Charles Dance in Dracula Untold, Vladislav, a Transylvanian rug)

I used the images in my other Dracula post and I’ll post it here again because I absolutely adore @kiwibyrd's designs for Dracula and it's main heroes, in particular I love the way it strikes a good balance at making sure Dracula looks distinctly separate from the humans, but not too much that he couldn't conceivably operate in society as just a harmless old man. I also adore the mustache and bushy eyebrows and pointy ears and I think these three are wonderful features to keep on any Dracula design. I'm also very partial to the Hotel Transylvania concept art, even if it makes me incredibly depressed to look at all the great designs they had for Dracula that they threw in the trash because they somehow decided making him look like Adam Sandler was the idea to go with.

I deeply adore What We Do In The Shadows, both the movie and the show, and Jemaine Clement's Vladislav is one of my favorite (maybe even my actual favorite) on-screen Draculas. But I also enjoy Nandor just as much, and I think it's really great that as a character he's completely different from Vlad while also being ostensibly a take on Dracula, and in particular I bring up his Jersey look because "Dracula in common clothing" is a criminally underrated concept for a joke.

As a character, I'm very partial to comedy takes on Dracula that play him up as a decadent aristocratic supervillain, the kind that can get away with talking in third person. I also have this idea for a version of Dracula who dresses ostentatiously in finely-broidered Romanian or Transylvanian patterns, maybe even wearing a rug as a cape, claiming that he's carrying the legacy of his people on his back. And of course he's lying, he's not Vlad Tepes and he's not even Romanian, he is just a parasite pretending to have a history to be proud of, but good luck getting him to admit that. And finally, I'd like this version to be played by Charles Dance, and I consider it a tremendous crime against humanity that he has yet to play Dracula proper even despite being in a film with the character's name on the title.

So that's kinda how I would design a take on Dracula for something more comedic or more based around him as this guest character and personality on-set. Now, if we're talking a more serious version, I think the possibilities increase, and I won't be getting into all of them because I may prefer to keep them to myself, but I'll elaborate a few ideas.

For example, the edition of Dracula I personally own comes with these really scratchy, really creepy B&W illustrations related to the story, that I can't find scanned online so I'm uploading them here so you can look at. They don't necessarily depict the scenes but rather some of the story's moments, like Van Helsing staking Lucy, Renfield in a straightjacket, Dracula as a coachman, and they are more focused on conveying the horror of the concepts at play.

Dracula never looks the same way in any of the illustrations, in fact you kinda have to piece him out of them by trying to find teeth or capes or eyes or bat-features to see where he's hiding this time. In the first, it's the half-man half-bat, in the 2nd, he's the shrieking bat silhouette next to Renfield, and in the latter, he's the gaping jaws and eerily humanoid eyes in the wolf. The effect to me almost feels like if you were to look at a bunch of tv static and then see a humanoid shape form for a split second before everything went back to normal, something like you'd get from Slender Man or other modern creepypastas, and I’ve argued before that Dracula’s form of horror is a very modern one.

In terms of illustrations of Dracula that keep up the original traits while still pulling off horror, I definitely have to hand it to the one at the left of the image above, drawn by regourso on Deviantart (account deleted at present). Going back to Castlevania’s many takes on Dracula, two in particular that stick out to me would be Castlevania: Judgment’s armored dress Dracula, who’s got this great twisted heart/rose motif going on in his outfit, and Dracula’s final form in SOTN where he just sits in his throne and his cape twists into all these monsters, particularly how it’s depicted by witnesstheabsurd’s depiction.

I’m not particularly a fan of how Dracula’s “final form” in these games is usually just some big demon, and part of what I like about his final form in SOTN instead is that, while it’s not a particularly challenging final boss, I do find it interesting the idea of us never actually getting to see what Dracula’s true final form looks like, only an ever-shifting pitch-black torrent of teeth and claws and bloody veins pouring out because that’s ultimately what Dracula is and brings to the world.

On the flip-side of the rotten old monster, we have the charming seductor Dracula, and while I’m really not a fan of how various adaptations have convinced people that “the point” of Dracula is that he’s a seductive force and an allegory for Victorian xenophobia and I’m reeeally even less of a fan of adaptations that make Dracula some misunderstood tragic hero (and I think I’ve made rather violently clear my feelings on interpretations that play up a romance between him and Mina), that the seductive force part exists is impossible to deny, so conversely, while on one hand we can have Dracula as the gargantuan whirlwind of predatory violence, we can also go for Dracula as the tantalizing lover.

I’ve seen a lot of opinions proclaiming Frank Langella as the best Dracula because he was the best at actually being seductive while still playing Dracula, although I haven’t yet seen his performances. If I had to point at one picture I look at and do buy for a second the idea of Dracula as a romantic character, it would be that particular still of Raul Julia in the left of the above image. And it’s strange for me to think of Raul Julia as attractive because I mainly associate him with his brilliant comedy performance of M.Bison (I know it’s far from the highlight of his career but, look, I grew up with Street Fighter, I can’t help it) but those eyes are definitely looking pretty convincing to me, if nothing else.

And I’ve included this still of Sebastian Stan in the right because, during a conversation between me, @krinsbez and @jcogginsa about who could be a good fit for Dracula, jcog suggested Sebastian Stan, partially because he’s Romanian, and I’ve learned recently that Stan was actually interested in playing the character in Blumhouse’s upcoming remake. And you’d think I’d hate this idea considering how much I don’t care for tragic anti-hero Draculas, but who says that’s what he’d have to play?

Do you have any idea how much actors, who are traditionally known for heroic or supporting roles, usually LOVE it when you give them a chance to cut loose as the main villain?

I’d want Sebastian Stan to put all of his charm, all of his talent, all of his good looks and etc, into playing the absolute most vicious, bloodthirsty and irredeemable Dracula put on screen. Someone who is exceedingly, eerily good at being a lovable protagonist, who’s all smiles and charming eyes and politeness mannerisms and maybe even a funny accent, and then it isn't as funny when he's flying through your window intent on kidnapping babies to feed to his brides, except he may take a moment or two to do so because he's feeling pretty hungry himself right now.

Now, admittedly this is kind of a lot to juggle in regards to a single character, which is why my answer for questions like these inevitably has to be “depends on what I’m going for”. That being said, if I was going to try and cast someone who I think could both look the part of Dracula, as well as respectively, play “cartoon aristocrat” Dracula, “mercurial embodiment of evil” Dracula, as well as realistically be an attractive, even seductive performer who can charm viewers even as the character descends into horrible villainy, and juggle these performances even?

I think I’d have to go with Mads Mikkelsen. Not specifically because of Hannibal (I actually haven’t watched it yet), although it’s definitely a factor, the thing that actually made me pick him specifically is, other than his looks, his voice, his reputation for playing sinister characters, the fact that he loves the role and wants to play it, or how many people are deeply in love with this man, or that people already joke that he looks like a vampire, was watching him in Another Round, and specifically that glorious final scene where he’s just dancing to his heart’s content and just, moving with such spring in his step and such joyful vitality even though he’s past his mid-fifties, and that was the moment where, in regards to how much you all love this man, I went

And now I am going to add “casting Mads Mikkelsen as a dancing Dracula” to The List of Reasons Why I Became a Filmmaker.

#replies tag #dracula #horror tag #bram stoker #charles dance #sebastian stan #mads mikkelsen #castlevania #raul julia #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #vladislav #nandor

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tothemeadow · 3 years ago

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How Genshin Characters View the Traveler (aka crushes galore)

I know this isn't a Genshin blog but I need to get this off my chest and organize my thoughts because I believe in Aether harem supremacy ✌

Disclaimer: this is meant for fun, so don’t get your knickers in a twist

Albedo

Albedo blatantly admits that the traveler fascinates them. He'll usually ask to hear of their numerous journeys and take notes on them. He quite enjoys their company, but Albedo is pretty clueless about his own feelings, especially those of the romantic sort. He wonders why he catches himself staring at them so much.

Amber

Amber is easily one of the traveler’s biggest supporters. She almost gets a bit too excited whenever they’re around, but she’ll also outright deny that she has a crush on them if anyone were to poke fun at her. If time allows it, she’ll often ask them to go gliding around Mondstadt with her.

Ayaka

Ever since she first heard of the traveler, their accomplishments genuinely impressed Ayaka. However, once she first met them in person, she was taken aback by how attractive they were. Furthermore, once they helped her out, she gets more insight of how truly wonderful they are and her affections (hence the dance performance).

Barbara

Barbara truly believes they are an actual gift sent by Barbatos himself. Not only are they kind and helpful, but they treat her with respect as a person, not some glorified object. She tends to get flustered easily and turns shy whenever the traveler compliments her.

Beidou

Beidou likes to laugh, and she thinks the traveler is funny. She often swaps stories about fights and adventures with them, so there’s definitely a bond between them! She especially appreciates their fighting spirit and would be honored to have them join their crew or at least be a drinking buddy (despite what the traveler says).

Bennett

The traveler is essentially an idol in Bennett's eyes. He admires them so much, but it never gets to the creepy level of obsession. He jumps at the opportunity to travel with them every time. Bennett isn't really good with distinguishing feelings, but knowing that they treat him as an equal makes his stomach flutter.

Childe

Hey girlie 😏 Childe gets off to the idea of someone successfully kicking his ass or potentially being able to kill him, so he is an absolute simp for the traveler. He genuinely loves it when they show disinterest at his flirting, and he swoons whenever they're sarcastic with him. He's not pathetic, he's just a sadomasochist.

Chongyun

Frankly, Chongyun’s just happy to have another friend besides Xingqiu. He also really likes the way they don’t push him out of his comfort zone, but instead try to gently coax him out. He’s often very cold to the touch and constantly chilly, but he feels oddly warm whenever the traveler is beside him.

Diluc

Appreciates the fact that the traveler isn't full of shit (unlike some people). He's impressed by their competence and their fighting abilities, so he doesn't hesitate in complimenting them. He usually says things without really thinking through them, so sometimes Diluc says something sappy or embarrassing without meaning to.

Diona

Diona thinks the traveler may or may not be cute. She won't admit it, though. She won't admit that she cares about their wellbeing either. The traveler is just another person who's going to come and go, so there's no point in getting invested in them. It's a relatively simple crush, nothing more.

Eula

Eula is more or less impressed with the traveler. She views them as a truly reliable person that is able to get the job done. Although she may seem skeptical at times, one of her greatest fantasies is to find more rebellious people like them and break free of Mondstadt and her lineage.

Fischl

Perhaps the traveler is a dashing monarch from another world! It genuinely excites her that they follow along with her roleplaying, even when some of her messages get lost in translation. She appreciates their friendly gestures and the fact they don’t treat her like an outsider.

Ganyu

A lot of people have a difficult have a hard time understanding Ganyu’s feelings, so it came as quite as a surprise that she and the traveler clicked almost instantly. The traveler treats her as another person, not as some ancient being; this type of behavior is what made her become flustered around them in the first place ☺️

Hu Tao

Thinks they’re super cute! She’s one who’s playful and flirty; however, her ways are a bit odd. She usually tries to tell what kind of casket she’d lick out for the traveler, what she’d dress them in, etc. Sometimes, she’ll bake “special cookies” in the shapes of bones just for them.

Jean

Much like Barbara, Jean sees the traveler as a blessing. However, unlike Barbara, Jean doesn't swoon over their looks or mannerisms; frankly, she's just glad that someone rational is willing to help and not make too much of a commotion (like some certain members of the Knights of Favonius).

Kazuha

Has feelings for the traveler and makes no effort to hide them. Often times Kazuha will write them poems or haikus; sometimes he'll add dried flowers or a pretty leaf. He truly has a way with words, and it never fails to stir something inside the traveler's chest. He's very gentle and mild-mannered, so he never forces anything too heavy on them.

Kaeya

Kaeya is a humongous flirt and everyone knows it. However, he seems even more so once the traveler is in the picture, and he has the tendency of showing off in some sort of way. He knows he's attractive and uses his looks to advantage whenever he can, though he makes sure to keep it somewhat subtle.

Keqing

Keqing isn’t the type to deal with people’s shit and isn’t fond of fools. Fortunately, the traveler doesn’t fall into either of those categories, so she gets along with them quite well. She can find similarities in their personalities (like working constantly), so she appreciates the fact that she can openly discuss these sort of problems with them.

Klee

Genuinely sees them as an older sibling! Klee often goes to them for advice or to spend the day together; often times, she'll send letters or drawings whenever they're apart (and yes, the drawings usually consist of her and the traveler blowing something up).

Lisa

Another flirt, no problems asked. Lisa makes euphemisms quite a bit, and it truly brings her joy when her comments make the traveler blush. Despite being scolded by Jean to tone it down a bit, she genuinely can't help it. The traveler is her personal cutie, and it's only natural for her to treat them as such, isn't it?

Mona

She could easily tell right away that the traveler was someone special upon first glance. Mona sometimes dreams about them - especially about how they helped her out and landed her a place to stay in Mondstadt. She’s grateful for everything that the traveler has done, yet she’ll deny any feelings for them with a bright blush on her face.

Ningguang

The traveler is seen more as a pet. Ningguang is straight up the sugar mama type, and she openly flaunts it. Granted, she respects the traveler highly, but something about their being Liyue’s hero sounds very, very charming. Whether or not she makes a romantic move is entirely up to her, but it’s not out of the question.

Noelle

Needless to say, Noelle gets flustered fairly easily, so whenever the traveler shows affection and support towards her abilities, she somewhat short-circuits. She'll usually try to play off the fluttering in her heart and simply convince herself that the traveler is only being nice, but she can't deny the fact that she has feelings for them.

Qiqi

Another one that looks up to the traveler as an older sibling. She often refers to her notebook to remind herself as to why she likes them so much; they’re patient with her and genuinely try to help her remember things, plus they’ll bring her candies from Mondstadt sometimes.

Razor

Razor has no idea what romantic feelings are or how he should identify them. All he knows is that he gets excited whenever he sees the traveler, and his metaphorical tail wags furiously. He's keen on protecting them and bringing them food, plus he likes to lie next to them when they relax by the fire.

Rosaria

Like Diluc, Rosaria likes how the traveler isn’t full of shit and can actually put up a decent fight. However, she isn’t the type to compliment them, but rather points out how they can further hone their skills. If anything, she acts more like the traveler’s drunk aunt.

Sayu

She’s mostly indifferent towards the traveler, but - like with most people - she envies their height. Sayu appreciates that they don’t make fun of her size, plus they somehow always manage to find her when she’s hiding for her nap, so she’s fairly interested in what kind of person they are.

Sucrose

Like with most people, Sucrose is quite shy around the traveler, but for some reason she feels more comfortable around them than anyone else. She respects them much like she respects Albedo. She also thinks the traveler has a very nice smile.

Thoma

Thoma is another flirt, but he’s much more reserved in his ways. He’ll often make encouraging comments or flatter the traveler with a bright smile. His flirting either makes the traveler blush or it goes right over their head. There is no in between.

Venti

Venti has a slight... obsession for them. Not in a creepy way, but more in a clingy sense. He practically hangs from them whenever he's messing around, and he unashamedly writes them songs. Venti is also a big fan of hugs! When he's drunk, though, that's when things take a darker, more seductive turn...

Xiangling

Xiangling’s poor little heart goes doki doki whenever she gets to cook for the traveler, have them cook with her, or eat a meal that they prepared. The way to her heart is definitely through her stomach! It’s a fairly small crush since cooking is her true love in life, but if the traveler pops up at Wanmin Restaurant and specifically asks for her again… Oh boy.

Xiao

Secretly has feelings for the traveler, but he refuses to admit it. Xiao thinks feelings like these are a waste of time and only bring pain; since he's been through much and the ultimate emo, he's even more emotionally constipated than the normal person. Although he doesn't outright say it, he'll often show his affection through actions.

Xingqiu

Two words: library dates. Whether if it's meant to be romantic or not, Xingqiu has an affinity for those who show genuine intelligence and is willing to discuss stories with him. Xingqiu could literally sit there all day and listen to the traveler tell him about the different worlds he's been to. It's quite refreshing!

Xinyan

Like Venti, Xinyan will write songs for the traveler, but she's more timid about showing them since rock music has yet a long way to go in Liyue, much less in Teyvat. She'll casually invite them for a jam session and ask for their opinion on how her songs sound. All in all, she thinks the traveler is pretty rad 👀

Yanfei

Yanfei is very skilled and knowledgeable in a wide range of topics, but when it comes to the art of seduction… not so much. She isn’t entirely sure if she has affections towards the traveler or not, but she enjoys being in their company nonetheless. However… she may or may not have tried to teach them Liyue law while over tea 😅

Yoimiya

Thinks the traveler is a lot of fun! She was already interested by the mere fact that they were an outsider, but once they showed their worth and came to her aid, it really sealed the deal. Viewing fireworks with them was an incredibly crucial moment, and she’ll keep that memory stored in her heart for all time.

Zhongli

Zhongli is very protective of them and wants to spoil them, but at the same time, he's also very, very broke. It's not sugar daddy status, obviously, but he enjoys treating them out to a dinner or a night on the town. The traveler thinks he's doing it just to be nice, but Paimon calls bullshit.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x traveler #genshin impact headcanons #other

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officialcharactersimp · 3 years ago

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Best of Friends

Summary: "Like they were in the red room together and they’re best friends and now talking all about stuff yknow and accidental confession of feelings OwO" is the actual note I left myself

A/N: sdaklfjsdsf fluffy it's just fluffy ok leave me alone I had the want to write it and so I did. I also have 2 more parts already (one almost finished, one half-finished). WC: 1.2k

my carrd masterlist

please reblog my posts!!! it feeds my soul and fuels my writing :)

CW: fluff :3; maybe minor bw spoilers?? don't think so but just to be safe; mentions of sexytimes; reader says no thanks to sexytimes and yelena is like ok that's fine :); reader was a widow but that doesn't mean they haven't since discovered that they are not in fact cisgender :)

“Have you ever had a crush on anyone?” Yelena asks you. You sit up and look at her. She sits up too, crossing her legs and adjusting herself on the queen-sized bed. You’d managed to snag an apartment with two bedrooms, but both were cramped and there wasn’t a common space to sit—just a bathroom and hallway-turned-kitchenette between the two rooms, so you both often ended up in one of your rooms to hang out. This evening, it was hers.

“Yelena, I’ve been in the red room since I was six, same as you, and it’s not like I’ve really met anybody in the past month and a half,” you say. “I’ve been mind controlled for all the years I would have a crush.”

“Well, we still felt things,” she said, looking at her lap. “We just couldn’t do or say anything.”

“Did you have any crushes?” you turn the question back onto her.

“Oh, of course. A few little ones, but there was always one that never left me alone,” she sighs. “I spilled my beans, now your turn,” she pokes at your knee.

“Alright, alright, I had one or two, too, mostly later on,” you admit.

“You were quite a late bloomer,” she recalls, making you blush. You were the last of your class to get the hysterectomy, considering they preferred to do it one you were “fully matured.” “I’m only teasing,” she assures you.

“I know, Lena,” you say.

“So who were yours,” she grins.

“No way!” you scoff.

“Okay, just the biggest one, and I’ll tell you mine too,” she says. “We’ll do it at the same time.”

“Alright, alright, fine!” You yield, heart beating so hard you swear it’s visible.

“3…” Yelena begins

“2…” you say.

“1!” you both shout.

“You!” you both shout in unison. An almost dopey grin spreads across her face as you slap your hand over your mouth in surprise, letting out a shrill laugh.

“Do you still?” you ask after a minute, your blush spreading down across your chest.

“Do you?” her question answers yours.

“Mhm,” you nod bashfully.

“I’ve crushed on you since we were 11,” she admits.

“I was 15,” you giggle. “I had all these dreams about kissing someone, and before I woke up I would see it was you, but only for a second,” you said softly.

“You used to throw your hand over the side of the bed, into the gap between ours. I always put it back when I saw, for your elbow’s sake, but sometimes I would hold it just for a second,” she confessed. “Oh my god, that’s so creepy,” she lamented.

“It’s okay, Lena,” you put your hand over hers. “We had so little comfort or contact there, I really don’t mind. It’s kind of nice to know, actually,” you say.

“So long as you don’t think I’m creepy,” she says with relief.

“Aw, of course I think you’re creepy. But not because of that,” you laugh, making her shove you with her free hand playfully. She interlaces your fingers and squeezes.

“You’re creepy too.”

“Thank you,” you hum softly.

You both sit there for a bit, holding hands and smiling at each other, basking in the moment you’ve both daydreamed about for years inside your mental prisons, a spark of hope and joy finally realized.

“What do you say about making your dreams come true?” she says, cocky and mischievous.

“Like, kissing?” you ask. She nods. “O-okay, yeah, that’d be nice,” for someone trained in keeping their cool, you’re failing fantastically at it in this moment.

“Still so innocent somehow,” she hums, bringing a hand to the nape of your neck, then sliding it to the back of your head to pull you in gently. She meets you halfway and then her soft lips are on hers, gentle and reassuring. You bring your hands to rest lightly on her waist, letting your eyes close and your body relax.

Without your surgery done until later, you never went on many missions that involved seduction, and you’ve never kissed a girl. Her lips are so fucking soft.

“So sweet,” she pulls back, resting your foreheads together. You press your noses together and smile. “Is it everything you dreamed of?” she smirks.

“And more,” you confirm.

“You want some more?” she teases.

“Yes please,” you say, trying not to sound too desperate.

“I’m more than happy to oblige,” her voice sounds a little husky as she pushes you back down to lay on the bed, settling over you before kissing you again.

“Lena,” you gasp between kisses. “How the fuck are your lips so soft?” you ask.

“Chapstick, dekta,” she says back when she can. You stick your tongue out at her, a little whimper of surprise making its way out of your throat as she takes it as an opportunity to slide your tongues together and gain entrance to your mouth.

You follow her lead, letting her explore and tentatively doing the same, trying to contain any more of your sounds. You’ve never kissed anybody like this before. You’re floating on cloud nine in the whole situation, hardly able to believe it.

“Let me hear you, dekta,” she says when you pull back for air. “You always sound so cute, I’ll bet you’re downright adorable when you whimper for me,” she says.

“Okay, okay, I will,” you say. “Just don’t stop, please,” you beg. She chuckles and goes back to kissing you, and now you let out all the little whimpers and whines that were trying to escape beforehand. She hums happily into the kiss.

“Absolutely precious,” she confirms. “So good for me,” she praises, you whine a little louder. “You like that?” she asks. You nod frantically. “Like it when I tell you how good you are? How about when I tell you that you’re my favorite?” she presses further. You hum happily, flushing red again.

“So cute,” she says, nuzzling her face into your neck. You run your hands up and down her back, enjoying the pressure of her body on yours and relaxing.

“I’m not cute,” you say. “I’m a trained killing machine.”

“Still cute,” she says. “Even if it’s just for me to see,” she kisses your jaw. You feel one of her legs slotting between yours. “Unless you want to keep it here tonight,” there’s no pressure or expectation in the question, so you answer honestly.

“Can we just kiss and cuddle?” you ask. “I’m just—it’s not you, it’s just a lot—“

“It’s okay, dekta,” she hushes you. “I know, it can be a lot. Don’t worry. There’s plenty of time for me to take you apart later,” she says with a smirk you can hear.

“Is that a promise?”

“Just you wait, mladenec,” she says. “But for now, come here,” she rolls you both to your sides and brings her lips back to yours. She doesn’t have to tell you twice.

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trickfootpike · 3 years ago

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OKAYOKAYOKAY now that i've had a few nights to Ruminate here are way too many thoughts from 9/16's show -- fair warning that they aren't *super* coherent as a lot of this i just tried to loosely organize from dms i threw at folks night-of, but it is most of what i remember sticking out to me!

GENERAL THOUGHTS --

last saw the show in august of 2019 - back then i saw it up in the mezzanine, this time i was 7 rows back dead center in the middle of the orchestra. watching the show from the mezzanine feels like a god's eye view of the show while sitting up close in the orchestra is much more like being in the world of men, and how it hits in hadestown particularly is just nuts bc you really do feel like you're on the factory floor.

back in the London production i remember eva playing eurydice with more youth and hope to her, and when the show came to Broadway eurydice hardened. in a world with a pandemic eva seems to have actually shifted this back! Eurydice is still holding tightly onto Orpheus Knowing that the world is unlikely to be kind enough to let them have each other for long but she starts off less faithless than she used to, I suppose I would describe it? she's definitely played more open with others from the beginning rather than having it be something she has to really work towards!

WAIT FOR ME IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FEELING FROM THE ORCHESTRA THAN THE MEZZANINE AND NOT JUST THE LAMPS. the lamps really only swing out to over the first 2 rows, speaking very generously, anyway. what i remember being most impactful from last time was how the whole theater rumbled as the walls of the set split to reveal hadestown. what i couldn't see and afaik no boot's been able to pick up is the the set ALSO SPLITS AND STRETCHES OPEN AT THE TOP. that awning that covers the balcony lifts and the wall of hadestown is revealed to stretch floor to ceiling and it is just so much, so fucking much oh my god i could not stop hysterically blubbering to myself watching hadestown stretch open like it is absolutely here to devour you whole. it makes you feel the immensity of The Wall. I've linked ig videos of the set pre act 1 and post intermission to give like the best perspective on it i can and tried to film them so they were zoomed as closely as to what my eyes were seeing as I could, but here are also some pictures!

PRE ACT ONE

INTERMISSION

after our lady of the underground when eurydice comes back from hades' office and Persephone is finishing with her show, me being closer this time i was actually able to see amber's face during way down hadestown ii and flowers. and how she portrays seph's feelings re eurydice, it's like : genuine concern and watching over her when she first starts on the line, Quiet Seething and Jealous Rage as the fates' tattle "Hades put his hands on ya" that sticks for a While including the first half of flowers, but as soon as eurydice remembers the meadow her and Orpheus visited her heart just b r e a k s and you can see her wiping away tears. seph's just so caught in her own feelings of helplessness in hadestown. when hades tells her to stay out of him dealing with Orpheus all the fight just deflates out of her and the direct accusing look Orpheus gives her at the end of if it's true mixed with seeing his effect on the workers makes her physically rear back like she's gotten the fight slapped back into her

even with this audience who almost for sure has all seen ht before, there was still the loudest heartbroken gasp when orpheus turned. i know everyone calls this out but it still hit me hard that with a greater percentage of previous viewers in the audience it still hit us all like a fucking brick

and ofc. road to hell ii. it's a millions times more impactful than it already was what with the pandemic, making it through hard times and how they could be hard again but making the best of them even if it doesn't turn out well this time either. i was crying so hard last time but this time i was crying harder but also feeling like a huge weight was being like, very softly cradled in my chest to take some of the burden away

TOM'S HADES/HADES AND PERSEPHONE SPECIFIC THOUGHTS --

Tom's Hades whole tl;dr could be that Hades is a Performance. all those descriptions of him beign "jazzy" and "egodriven" are correct, but there is also this massive vibe he gives off that all his showmanship is there as a cover up for the very pessimistic man at the core of him. when him and persephone are getting along the jazziness is there for genuine playfulness with her, but apart from seph it is a purposeful exaggeration on hades' part to get Whatever it is that he wants. he is playing up aggression as king (see papers) and what he thinks as being suave (see hey little songbird) to maintain his throne and his marriage, and Epic III is the Destruction of that performance. Tom's Hades at the end of Epic III isn't trying to sell anyone anything, you just get to see the suddenly very scared and unsure heart of the man behind the performance of foreman and king. And oh boy is Tom's Hades at his heart unsure. He is so fucking pessimistic; back in Act 1 when Orpheus starts to sing Epic I he turns from Persephone even before she gets reminded of the world above and starts longing for it, because he already expects to see it coming and he doesn't turn back to her Ever Again, literally until he comes to get her in Way Down Hadestown. Not even when she gives him a kiss on the cheek goodbye. His Kiss, The Riot is him trying to figure out how the hell he's gonna be able to rebuild his performance after his whole kingdom saw through it, but he also ends it being so very certain that the deal he figures out for Orpheus Will end with Orpheus failing somehow. There is no doubt in this very pessimistic Hades that doubt will come in, whereas Patrick used the end of His Kiss The Riot almost like he was desperately trying to justify that his doubt came to him only in Persephone's absence

road to hell i: tom's hades loves cheering on the band so much he is Part Of The Problem that Hermes has to get to chill out and it makes so much sense for this jazzy dramatic motherfucker

balcony time (road to hell i until livin' it up on top): when they were upstairs playing dominoes they kept laying their tiles with these overexaggerated movements.. Like when they actually getting along they are so damn flirty and trying so hard to make each other smile and laugh and it is TOO CUTE

way down hadestown: Once Again "I missed ya" gives me no rest, mostly because Tom delivered it with this super coy and cocky grin and Amber immediately smiled back at him like Persephone couldn't help herself

chant i: is spent with him looking up proud into his creation while persephone is looking down with heartbreak and disgust seeing the workers as people in suffering and the ugliness of hadestown. as the song goes on he gets increasingly frustrated like a child who's super proud of the drawing he brought home from school that Persephone has nothing but terrible things to say about. when eurydice starts singing about her suffering seph throws out her arm and points to her like "see! See what you're doing!!" while hades is more in himself processing his disappointment, frustration, heartbreak, but over the next minute you start to see him Formulating A Plan as he watches eurydice. but he doesn't look entirely sold on going through with it until seph throws out her last verse in disgust. it was absolutely the straw that broke the camel's back.

hey little songbird: THO IT SOUNDS SO SEDUCTIVE ON AUDIO. OML DOES IT LEAN INTO EURYDICE'S "STRANGE MAN" DESCRIPTOR. HADES IS LIKE THE CREEPY SALESMAN ON THE CORNER WITH WATCHES AND A TRENCHCOAT. BUT HE'S SELLING HIS SHIT WELL, HE'S JUST ALSO A WEIRDO

Why We Build The Wall/"Behind Closed Doors": That followup on hades' threat when eurydice arrives in hadestown. as hades goes to the stairs he like not whacks, but definitely nudges seph's arm harder than Patrick does to get her attention. when he did she Startled and laid her hand over her arm where he'd tapped her like she was overwhelmed by just that touch........ but then she turns around and watches him take Eurydice up and when he opens his coat and she Realizes you see her whole body go slack. once eurydice goes past the office doors hades turns and lingers staring pointedly down at seph, for *seconds* whereas with patrick i remember it being more of a pointed glance. it drills home that hades is doing this specifically to spite seph and he wants her to know it. and you can see amber discreetly wipe her face before she turns back to "does anybody want a DRINK." there's less direct seduction between hades and eurydice but more explicit threat between hades and seph about eurydice

papers: actually isn't too much Bastärde as it is his Performance. HOWEVER, the way he directs the workers to beat Orpheus is chilling. Like patrick he hangs around, but he's watching until the last 10 seconds so it's way longer. And he makes like the smallest gestures with his hand to direct the workers to the different stages of beating Orpheus, fuck it was twisted

how long: how long actually starts with seph and hades seemingly coming to each other on a similar page - hades came out pensively fiddling with his wedding ring and Amber delivered "I know" like seph was already past the eurydice situation. this also could have been a product of time and seeing how actually little he did "seducing" eurydice lmao

chant ii: very much Hades Sees Orpheus As A Threat™️ (more on this further below) , also dare i say it but tom kills I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY

epic iii: oh man oh man. he looks so untouched until Orpheus starts the lalas and he goes from completely passive unimpressed face to like. his body unfolds on his stool and his hands go slack and he looked between Orpheus and Persephone when he asked where Orpheus had gotten his melody. he asked it a lot softer than I expected him too as well. a big part of the audience actually laughed when Hades sang his lala because Tom cracks his voice during it but it petered off into sniffling when they realized why and then we were all just crying together as persephone placed the flower in his vest.

lovers desire: SOME VERY CUTE STUFF. hades' performance is broken but tom's hades is still a Jazzy Jazzy Man at heart and they're like 100 times more playful with each other - they're both giggling and grinning their asses off while they dance together and give each other these like nudges to the next series of steps and it was adorable and I was discretely sobbing. they both played it like they knew how to do this dance with each other better than they knew anything, the little nudges were like..... them playing inside this dance they already knew so well? Like more overexaggeration to make each other laugh and just revel in this wonderful thing they've rediscovered- specifically I remember that Amber raised her skirt soooooo high when she was doing the curtsey and Tom was like waggling his eyebrows at her and adding extra flourishes with his hands and widening his eyes super big everytime he pulled off a move (the funniest ones were when they do like the two-step where they move one after another in sequence and he's copying her moves in reverse and oml it was just adorable). When Seph had the move where she pulls their linked arms over his head to tuck him into her I remember that was the one part where he wasn't doing this goofy act but his expression straight up melted and he looked so smitten. and when it's the last bit of the dance and he spins her across the stage, seph's face breaks open with tears his expression responds with like this mix of heartbreak and "ohhhhh no baby please don't cry" as he moved across the stage to quickly take her into his arms for the dip at the end

AFTER this when orphydice has finished promises and right before Orpheus turns to ask Hades if they can go, they come out of slow dancing to the side but are still super wrapped up in each other - seph wraps herself around one of his arms and presses herself super close and Tom leaned down with this little smile like Hades was gonna try and steal a quick kiss, but then he hears/sees out of the corner of his eye/senses or something Orpheus approaching and pulls himself up and formal to be the king. When he says I don't know and seph wrenches herself away from him to the other side of the stage to firmly stand behind Orphydice he gets this look of Extreme Frustration on that she's still not standing with him and these damn kids are still more important, bc even with character growth he still is a petty selfish bitch who does not like to share lmao, he's just getting that he Has To now

wait for me ii: Hades stays onstage by the microphone stand to the left to watch Hermes deliver his judgement to orphydice/seph/the workers and watching Tom during this was a Treat. this is the first time he's seeing how orphydice and esp Orpheus function when he's not involved to terrify them. they're so sweet and so good, and they have what looks like so much unwavering faith in each other unlike him and seph, maybe they really could... so when he delivers "i let them try" that last word is stretched with so much wonder. he's getting this first glimpse into feeling how everyone else felt when orpheus sang of how the world could be that isn't just focused in about how he feels about persephone, which always drives him - now he's having to deal with the Greater Implications and orpheus' seemingly unbreakable faith in a better world rocks him to his core. that certainty that orpheus would fail gets shaken as he watches them and when Seph asks him if he thinks they'll make it, his I Don't Know is 1/2 defensive and 1/2 actual uncertainty. he still hates to be wrong but he's wondering if his beliefs about doubt will turn out differently this time. he isn't optimistic about it by any means but orpheus, eurydice, and the workers' response to them both does give him pause

meanwhile in hades and persephone's section, on a personal level they deliver their lines to each other like they're a great deal more nervous about what next fall will bring than i've seen and heard before - something I'm thinking stems from hades' worldview being so suddenly shaken and seph too being a little more vulnerable?

MISC THOUGHTS

Tom seems to be leaning into Hades not having done anything with Eurydice other than tempt her down - once she's in Hadestown even during Why We Build The Wall he drops the salesman croon entirely and when he does rarely speak to her/about her it's commanding as a king who sees her just as another object under his possession, with very little interest in her for anything at all beyond that. he was just going after the goal of making sure Seph knew he had Options whether or not he actually pursued them

tom is super dedicated to how power-hungry hades is. I remember when I saw Patrick during chant ii he was playing hades as more affected by how much seph seemed to care about the workers now and desperately trying to get her attention back (even negatively), Tom was more consumed in seeing Orpheus as a threat because of how effectively he had turned his "children" on him. He knocks Seph down in those "shackle her from wrist to wrist" less as a personal petty attack to her like Patrick does and more like to try and destabilize her as someone backing Orpheus up. Tom's Hades perceives Orpheus as a Threat no matter how much he plays up his Performance as Nonchalant Jazzy King. he really emphasizes Hades' relationship to Orpheus whereas Patrick played more into his relationship with Eurydice, which makes so much sense what with Tom's Hades being a pettier more egotistical messy bitch obsessed with his kingdom and Patrick's Hades' obsession being his wife and Hadestown being like, this side-effect of being a god that he just couldn't help, he Had to build and strive for power whereas Tom's Hades reveled in it and wanted it. Instinct versus drive I guess. one of my buds put it super well as: "Patrick!Hades sees everything as a threat to his power Tom!Hades is so certain of his power that he can afford to be somewhat nonchalant but the fact that Orpheus alone is his main genuine threat is fucking brilliant"

and ok for now, that's what I've got! if anyone wants any clarification or wants to ask details about specific moments I didn't put in here feel free to shoot me an ask!

#hadestown #em speaks #theater #tom hewitt

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rottenbrainstuff · 3 years ago

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This Dracula Daily stuff started coincidentally just as I received a big order of silent movies on dvd, including Nosferatu. In honour of our friend Johnathan, I think I’m going to rewatch a whole pile of Dracula-related movies now, including the Coppola movie which I remember liking, so I’m super excited about that. Let’s kick things off first with a review of

Nosferatu

1922, directed by FW Murnau. Hey! Happy 100th birthday, movie!

If you’ve seen only one or two silent films, there’s a good chance this was one of them. This film has been firmly embedded in pop culture - there’s something about it that captured the imagination. This film was made in the period of German Expressionism - my absolute fav - though it is perhaps less distinctively so as a film like, for instance, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - but it still shows some of the characteristic distorted and disorienting stylization of the sets and acting.

But I have to say, respectfully, this one is actually not even close to being one of my favourite silent movies. It’s interesting for sure, but I don’t find it as compelling as other films. Murnau has other films with better stories and better visuals that I would probably recommend first.

(It could possibly also be I’m not a fan of Greta Shröder, who plays the wife character. I’m usually really fascinated by silent film acting, but somehow I never really enjoyed her performance at all. Sorry Greta)

I’m not super happy with the copy I have, either. I have the 2007 Kino blu ray. The restoration is ok… and at the very least, with this release, we have the option of English intertitles, I appreciate that. I wish there were more special features, perhaps getting into some of the pop culture influence, but there’s just a pretty dry little making-of that goes into details about some of the locations. This release only includes the original score that was written for the movie, and I appreciate its perseveration but…… guys it’s boring. A lot of old film scores are really, really boring, like, aggressively boring, and I think they make silent films that much more unappealing for modern audiences who might be curious to get into them. Sorry. Scores by Gottfried Huppertz are an exception (Metropolis and Die Nibelungen etc) and otherwise I mostly just don’t like them. I wish this movie had included some alternate audio tracks with modern scores, which is something that is popular to do with new releases of silent movies. Sunrise was released with a beautiful modern score, the latest edition of the Passion of Joan of Arc has three modern scores to choose from, like. Man guys come on. What a way to take a movie that most people are tangentially familiar with, and present it in a way that I think most people will find boring.

My very first copy ever of Nosferatu was cheap and crappy and it came from a bargin bin, and had a soundtrack done by a goth metal band. It wasn’t good but at least it was interesting and I wish I had hung on to it.

Well, why should you even watch this then?

All that being said, although this has never been one of my personal silent favs, it’s still a funky little expressionist movie. And most definitely it is notable for everything that it has inspired, and as a Dracula adaptation and an early horror film, I do definitely appreciate it. I have always liked that… you know… so Bela Lugosi’s movie came out in the 30s and after that vampires were sexy and seductive. I do like that before that became the Big Thing, we’ve got this creepy unclean rat bastard over here. I like the depth that it adds to our collection of vampires in media, and the association of vampirism and a spreading plague. (Don’t forget, this movie came out only a few years after the massively deadly Spanish Flu, so imagine how fresh it would have been in the audience’s mind as they watched this vampire arriving with his plague rats) The look of Count Orlock is so unique with his weird rat-like features - someone even likened his appearance to a tick, which is even grosser.

Is there anyone who remembers the Are You Afraid of the Dark episode about Nosferatu? That was one of the best eps in the show!

There’s a lot of Dracula Daily discussion going around right now about how Johnathan Harker is either too British or too much of a himbo to recognize / protest against the parade of red flags that appear as he gets to know Count Dracula - in this film, they took the idea that the character is just totally dismissive of all the superstitions and spooky shit, straight up laughing at it all until it gets to a point where he can’t anymore, and I think that’s a good take.

“Those suspicious marks on my neck are obviously just weird mosquito bites! Ha ha ha! I really don’t know why everyone is so worried about me.”

It does have some cool shots - I really enjoy the little experiments it does with stop motion, and the shots where Orlock’s shadow is filmed as its own creeping entity…

Iconic!

I mean Murnau is one of the great silent film directors, and this is definitely a pioneer in horror film, there’s definitely reason to watch it. I just feel like I have to recommend it somewhat cautiously, because I have a feeling some people watching will feel it doesn’t live up to all of its considerable hype, which I admit I did myself, when I watched it for the first time years and years ago. And maybe if you can, source out a version with a fresher score.

Some fun assorted random facts:

Werner Herzog (I vould like to see ze baby, yes that guy) made a remake of this movie in the 70s, did anyone see that? I heard it wasn’t great.

This movie was produced by Prana Film. Albin Grau, one of the founders of this company, was super into occultism, which was very trendy at the time, (you can see him wonderfully portrayed btw in Shadow of the Vampire) and this company was started with the intention of producing films with occult themes. Nosferatu was however the only film they produced, and then the company went bankrupt. Oops. It’s a bit too bad because imagine how cool it would have been if they had managed to produce a whole series of spooky supernatural German Expressionist films.

There’s a popular story that the names and places etc were slightly changed from Bram Stoker’s book because Prana was trying to sneak in an unauthorized adaptation. (And btw this movie was made only about 25 years after the book came out) It actually says right in the original opening intertitles that the movie is an adaptation of Dracula, so they really weren’t trying to be sneaky at all. The changes were probably made just to adapt the story for a German audience. Either way, it didn’t work, because they were sued by Stoker’s heirs in the end. All copies of the film were ordered to be destroyed, but luckily several prints survived and we were able to preserve this film.

In 2015 it was announced that Robert Eggers (the director of The Lighthouse) was thinking of remaking Nosferatu. In 2019 he then said in an interview that he wasn’t sure the project would go ahead - “maybe the film doesn’t need to be remade.” I don’t know guys. I respect the heck out of the fact that even though he’s already put in preproduction work, he’s honestly questioning whether or not this is a remake that SHOULD be made. I’m certainly not a fan at all of remakes of films that aren’t that old when it’s done as a cash grab for studios that are unwilling to take risks on new stories. But I think there’s definitely an argument for updating Nosferatu for a modern audience. Eggers proved with The Lighthouse that he has the eye for shot and composition that would totally do justice to this silent movie. I think this could have been absolutely amazing and I’m a bit sad it didn’t end up going through.

Apparently after his initial SpongeBob cameo, Nosferatu is the night manager at the Krusty Krab now. Good to see that he’s keeping busy these days.

Next up in my Dracula binge, I’m thinking I’m going to watch Shadow of the Vampire, which is a delightful what-if story about filming Nosferatu.

#I apologize for any errors in this because I have a serious case of Covid brain this week #film nerdery #rotten reviews #nosferatu #Dracula daily

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