#I am open to these tropes as long as the character is freed again i guess

[kuwurapikaaa]

Candlelight || Chrollo x Reader

Title: Candlelight Spider Leg!Reader || Plays during York New arc One-shot || Genre: Smut || Angst Pairing: Chrollo x Reader Summary: In the middle of the night, (Y/N) found herself entangled in the web of the spider. Warning: Sexual content, Age Gap Word Count: 3,660 Note: This story is cross-published in AO3 and Tumblr. Yes, my next fanfic would be another Kite fanfic after that, it would be a Jotaro fanfic. I like supplying content for underrated HxH characters. I am currently on a blast right now and I can’t just stop at this point. I am also getting into a new fandom so it is a more of an excuse to my followers who only saw me write hxh fanfics lol

In one hasty night, just like any other night. (Name) was carrying a candle and a stack of antique books to the head of the phantom troupe's room. Putting his books back to his bedroom became somewhat a routine for her. - Today seems like just like any other night. 

She just secretly reads his books. Steals five of them, but always, puts them back on their shelves as if nothing happened. As she opened the door, put the books in their respective places, to her surprise, Chrollo was wide awake. The candle's warm light illuminating his handsome face as he held a book with his left hand. His legs were crossed as he sat on a wooden chair. He's probably unable to sleep tonight.

He looks so hot and bothered. - She thought to herself as she bit her lip. She never had many wanton thoughts. It was rare for her to have those. She has been thinking about him since she read that one book that had a character that looked like him. She had been crushing on him since she joined the spiders.

At first, it was simply admiration, but right now, it’s a crush. - Chrollo made her feel like a schoolgirl hiding her feelings in front of a much older and hot guy. It’s like a junior falling in love with a senior trope, yet again.

The vision is something to admire. He looked ethereal at his current stance. His hair wasn't combed back like it did on most days. His ebony hair was a bit messy right now. He also doesn't wear his earrings, which is a surprise. Yet, said view also gave the young woman an eerie feeling about it.

Number nine bit her lip. Trying to make as little noise as possible. She is trying to avoid Chrollo seeing her so late at night. Just as unlucky as she is, the books fell. It was heavy and her arms were tired carrying it from her room downstairs to his room 2 floors higher. 

A loud thud was heard as the heavy leather-bound books fell on the cement floor of their base. Chrollo's attention was right at her. He closed his book. Fate is sealed. Fuck. He heard me. - She thought to herself, biting her lip harder. She tried to leave the candle on the floor and picked the book up.

(Name) is an enhancer. A simple person and a horrible liar. At this point, she doesn't know what to say to her leader. She was speechless. As if words were stolen from her mouth. "(Name), you're still awake." He was shocked to see that anyone was still awake at this time of the night. 

She looked into her watch. "I know it's already one in the morning. I just came to return your books." She smiled at him. She tried to make an impression on him. Since she is just a new member, it would be stepping over boundaries if she tries to have her usual boisterous speech.

"So you're the one sneaking and reading my books?" He asked as he went near her, she froze. Her body tensing each step he took. She nodded and swallowed thickly. Although she sees nothing is wrong with that, she could be wrong.

"I'm not angry at you, (Name)." He told her with his charming voice. He was looking at her in the eye. She avoids his gaze like it's the plague. But there's no escaping now. He's now against her as her body pressed to the bookshelf. The two lit candles in the opposing sides of the room and the pale moonlight was the only thing that was giving light to the scene.

His arms were around her. She was quite flustered. She never got in scenes like this, ever. It was rather her first time being in something like this. She doesn't know what to do as she is wrapped around the devil's fingers. The man was devising. It's hard to distinguish his genuine affection for his fake one.

Yet here she is, throwing herself into this. She knows what she's going to get, and it's something less than tasteful.

"Don't be ashamed, beautiful." Once he said that (Name)'s blush only deepened. Nobody has gone this close to her. Just by his voice, she can feel something underneath her panties. It was an unfamiliar feeling for her.

"Since you're here, I want you to take care of something." He continued talking. Then he went near her lips and sealed a kiss. His lips were surprisingly soft. She was shocked by his advancements. No one has ever done that to her. Her eyes were wide open. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders as the kiss deepened. She didn't even bother to fight it. 

Since day one, she always had feelings about him. He made her feel things she otherwise couldn't feel. Yet, it's a secret she kept for herself. Falling in love with the spider head is the best way to ruin the troupe. "I don't think this is right." She said immediately after the kiss broke. 

Still as charming. - Chrollo breathed, his gaze still locked to hers. He can just look at her like this the whole night if something isn't bothering him. Her gaze drifted south and what she saw shocked her. Chrollo's junk seemed bigger. - Not that she's looking at it all the time. She'd be bashful and hesitant if ever caught doing so.

"(Name)... Don't be so shy." He said to her in such a hypnotic voice. His playful hands removed the velcro on the nape of her neck. Her backless shirt was freed. Her silicone bra remained. She ended up being very flustered by his actions. - Speechless in fact.

Chrollo removed the silicone bra right away, he threw them in the ground. Her halter bodysuit remained as it was in her underwear. Her breasts now were out in the open. She was frozen, shivering. With the mixture of the cold air and the shock she is feeling, she couldn't move at all. He tucked her hair on her ears as he went down to her. His beautiful purple eyes were looking at her as his hands were pressed on either of her sides. They were near her bosom. Slowly brushing against them.

It is almost tickling her as it goes higher up into her sensitive nipples. His thumb encircling the area. She was shivering at every touch. With the cold air and his warm touch, it was truly a recipe for disaster. She was having goosebumps.

"Danchou... Please be careful. This is my first time." When (Name) said that his eyes were wide open. He was shocked to hear that a woman like her is currently experiencing her first time. - Secretly, no, openly, Chrollo likes it that his partner is a virgin. It's like he's twistedly religious. He would like to teach and somehow shape them.

"I will." He said with a smirk on his face. He unbuckled his belt and removed his black pants along with his underwear. Her eyes went wide as she saw his huge length right in front of her. It was long, and a bit thick. Probably seven inches long. It was standing and hard.

"Knees down." He ordered (Name). She kneeled to the cold cement. Then, he switched their positions. He was now the one against the hard wooden bookshelf. She had no idea what he was going to do to her. Then, he aligned his cock on her small mouth. She took it eagerly.

Her head was going back and forth as she tried her best to cover his length. It was long and could choke her. She was barely halfway into his shaft. Then, Chrollo all of a sudden, he pulled your head to his cock. Tears were dripping down her face as her eyes widely opened. She gripped her hands on his hips as she continued sucking him.

He was amused by how she was bobbing her head back and forth. Her cherry-colored lips surrounding his long length. He can hear sounds of her choking as she was struggling to get into the end of his shaft. She tried her best to cover the whole area.

His cock was reaching the back of her throat. Her right hand reached for his balls. Stroking it at the same time. - It was unfamiliar territory. He continued growling and gripping onto her hair. It was obvious that she was a virgin. She lacked many facets. In other words, she doesn't have any technique. "Good for someone who did that for the first time." He smirked at the young girl in front of him.

He pulled her off from his cock. Drool connecting her mouth and his length. She was quite flustered, avoiding Chrollo in the eye. Then, as he withdrew, he held her hand and went to the chair he used to sit in. "Come here." He said in such a soothing voice.

As soon as it was said, she followed suit. She was flustered as he could see her naked body properly in this area. Minutes seemed like hours. The only indicator of time was the candles placed everywhere in the room. The white candles slowly melted.

He held her legs as he started kissing her lips again. He stroked her back. She felt a bit ticklish as he started going to her neck. Doing butterfly kisses before finally sucking in the sensitive spot. She gasped and mouth left agape, he marked the area near her flower tattoo. It's sure to bruise up. Just as he was doing that, he was also groping on her sizable bosom.

Then, he pulled her leather pants down along with the rest of her stripe bodysuit. Her slit is now on display. Looking at it, she was rather well-groomed. Her pubic hair was well-trimmed.

She removed her stilettos along with her pants as she threw all those items in the same place as her silicone bra. She was flustered as she was already naked. Her spider tattoo in her left leg was showing. She was number nine. "Keep your shoes." He whispered to her. She wore her shoes again as he continued caressing her legs.

Then, he switched her position. She was now facing the bookshelves again, he continued touching her naked body. Her soft, milky skin. He admired every inch of her. 

He tucked her hair on her ear as he gracefully watched over the mark he created. Then, he puts his fingers on his mouth as he begins to insert them on her slick folds. She gasped once more as her wet muscle encapsulated his unfamiliar finger. “This is going to hurt a bit.” He said to her, assuring all the uncomfortable and painful feelings is all normal.

The fingers were unfamiliar, they were colder than the rest of her body. She was shivering from it. As it slowly moved up and down in her slit, an elicit moan escaped her lips. He was rather amused with her. She was more flustered than ever as she spoke, "Danchou… I… I like you." She said shyly. This moment got her feeling like a young schoolgirl confessing her feelings to her crush.

He smiled at her as he heard those words escape from her lips. Her mind right now is all mushed-up. She doesn't even know what she is saying nor thinking at this point. All she knows is that her danchou is making her feel so good right now. As soon as she adjusted with the two fingers he inserted, he added a third. Her cheeks are becoming very hot as he continues.

“Danchou… so this is what it feels like?” She asked him. He responded to her with a short nod.

His fingers still slip up and down making her feel so wet for him. Juices dripping on her legs. She was flustered as he continued his actions, she looked at him, her head turning to the left. His thumb was rubbing on her neglected clit. She bit her lip as she tried to lower her voice. He simply smirked at her as she became a sweaty mess. 

Then, out of shock, he pulled his fingers off her slick folds. He made her stand up again as he fully discarded his pants with his dress shoes. She had a better view of him like this. He stood up from the chair as he carried (Name) into the table. She sat on the hardwood as her legs were wrapped around his hips. He kissed her once again in the lips. Then, she removed the last piece of clothing from him. - His dress shirt.

As soon as she removed his dress shirt, she saw it. A mirror near the bookshelves reflected. #0. The legends were right. All the gossip she has heard from non-troupe members were correct. She is indeed toying with the spider head himself. - She never saw this moment coming.

She gasped as he aligned his length onto her. “If it hurts, grip me.” He said to her as her blue eyes opened wide. She bit her lips harder as the length entered her. She gripped harder on his back. Her manicured nails marking his back, marking half-moons on his back, where the iconic spider tattoo resides in.

Strangely enough, Chrollo has more tattoos than that. He also had one in his left arm, it was a huge dragon with many religious symbols and flowers around it. He and (Name) have a lot in common. - One of them is their unquenchable thirst for knowledge and their love for tattoos.

His length slid into her. Slowly and carefully. She yelped at the large size of his cock entering her. Unlike what she expected from men, “I’ll be gentle” he promised, kissing her lip as his grip on her waist tightened. Oh, it was expected from someone like him to say that.

Her tightness and warmth surrounding Chrollo’s cock earned a growl from him. (Name) also felt more comfortable moaning now. Her moan was rather quiet as she would like to contain the pleasure she is feeling. When his length fully entered, which took a while, instead of starting, he was stuck. Waiting for her to calm down, familiarize herself with his cock. Her tight grip on his back is getting slowly undone as her core adjusted to his length.

"It feels… uncomfortable…" She said to him, biting her lip. Still registering the unfamiliar feeling of her danchou's cock inside of her From her voice and everything, no matter how much of a slut she dresses, she has innocence. The fragile innocence that he is taking away from her.

“Is it okay now, (Name)?” He asked the woman against him. (Name) was speechless. She simply nodded to tell him that he was allowed to move. Her wet muscle has adjusted to his cock. Then, as he got the signal, he started moving his hips back and forth against her, slowly.

It elicited a much louder moan from the young woman. Her eyes went up, slowly fluttering up and down as the waves of pleasure were entering her system. Her hands were still on his back, still gripping it. "Danchou, please go faster." She ordered him as he moved in his slow and sensual pace.

He did follow her order. He moved much faster this time. His other hand went in her neglected clit, rubbing it with his thumb as he crashed his lip on her. - (Name) was overwhelmed by his actions. All the string of thoughts and doubts in her head were long gone now. 

"(Name)… So tight..." He remarked as he growled. He continued thrusting in and out. Her grip on his back tightened. She can feel her end is coming near. Chrollo finally found her g-spot.

"Right there… ah… Please!" She exclaimed mouth left agape as she whimpered. He continued his thrusts on her. This time, hitting her spot at each one of them. He started growling and groaning much louder too as he continued the way his hips rock against her. - She never knew a cock felt this good. 

His thrusts were now at a much faster pace, she mewled as he thrust his hips harder into her. "Ah… Ah… I think I'm going to cum!" She remarked as he thrust much faster into her.

As he knew the young woman in front of him was near her orgasm, he withdrew his length as he kneeled on the cold cement floor. He went near her slit as he was stroking himself while licking her labia as he began eating her out. - This is something Chrollo does not do with his partners. Although he would like to make (Name) an exception.

He stopped stroking himself as he started fingering her roughly. (Name) moaned the loudest as he was mercilessly pushing and pulling his fingers in her pink hole. His mouth moved from her labia to her clitoris. "Fufu-" she said, her swears were choked as he continued licking her clit and fingering her. Tears started running down her face as she continued to moan, louder than ever.

Her vision was covered with white as her orgasm finally came into her. "Ah... Ah…" She was incredibly speechless. Chrollo made her feel so good. She was glad that her danchou was below her, licking and tasting her precious juices.

She covered her face with her hands, all the shame she felt is coming back as she finally goes back to her senses. Cheeks hot and a sweaty body, then there is her danchou who is gladly eating her out. Licking every single drop of her orgasm like he was a starved man.

To her surprise, Chrollo's cock was still hard. - Tonight, it was obvious that her pleasure was the priority. But, how about his? "(Name)…" He said to her as he puts her legs around his shoulders. She kicked her uncomfortable five-inch stilettos to the ground. She had a sigh of relief as her feet could finally rest.

She puts her head on his shoulders as he moves her to the chair. He sat on there as he started thrusting in and out of her again. The young woman was already shaking because of the hypersensitivity brought by her violent orgasm. This time, he had no mercy with her.

She almost yelled when he entered this monstrous pace. She was at Chrollo's mercy as she held tight on him. His hips bucking up and down on slick slit. "Danchou… ah… your cock is… so big…" she cannot even form words at this point.

It's like she is being sent into heaven once again by Chrollo. Her vision is being clouded again as her back arches. He continued thrusting into her pussy until she had a second climax. She gripped harder onto his shoulder as she followed his pace. His groans got louder as he was close to his own. “D-danchou… ah...” She moaned with a sharp cry.

“Fuck!” He groaned as he was reaching his orgasm. (Name) yelped as she held much tighter on his shoulder. Spurts of white got inside of her. Her vision was filled with stars as she looked up in the ceiling. They tried to catch her breath as he withdrew his length from her. His cock went back to its soft state.

Then, she stood up. She was still quite sensitive. Her legs are shaking, cum dripping on her thighs. She sat into the cold and smooth cement. Her hands held her knees as she sobbed quietly. 

Chrollo stood up from the chair and got his blanket. He wrapped the crying woman in the warm fabric. “Why are you crying?” He asked her. His voice was very comforting, but it isn’t enough for her to stop sobbing.

“Please, danchou, don’t touch me.” She told him as she carefully removed his hands from her naked shoulder. He saw that his creation was there. A purple-ish red mark was on her shoulder, near her rose tattoo.

“I feel so overwhelmed. I feel used!” She exclaimed as she wrapped the blanket to herself. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. Luckily, her danchou seems very experienced. He knows what to do when situations like this come around. He was the firsts of many women, he knew that a lot of them would cry during their first time.

“(Name). Please. Calm down.” He said to her with caring eyes. The stars twinkled in Chrollo’s eyes.

(Name) can never handle all the burden she is experiencing. What if her family knows? She knows that her beloved mom would react in horror. She would never have a chance of having a husband. (Name) always wanted a traditional husband. Even if she has her tattoos and dresses provocatively, she wants a husband who will accept and love her.

All that is thrown in the garbage as she can never have those things anymore. She can never have a husband anymore, all because she gave in with the call of the flesh. She gave in to his desires. It’s all my fault! - (Name) yelled in her mind. It was like an empty void, no matter how you scream, nobody can hear anything.

“I…” Before (Name) can even speak, she feels Chrollo’s tight embrace. She gasped as she rubbed his back. She was speechless as the hug is very comforting.

“I love you (Name).” He cooed into her ears as he started touching her hair, calming the young girl. - Danchou is so different from her expectations. She expected someone like him to be crude and hostile. Yet, here he is, with humility and culture. He truly is a gentleman straight out of a romance novel.

“Let’s clean you up.” He said to her as he picked her up, going to the bathroom. She smiled gingerly at him as she held onto him.

Danchou is so sweet.

#chrollo #chrollo lucilfer #chrollo x reader #hunter x hunter #chrollo smut #anime smut #smut #anime #hxh #hxh smut #luna's writings

[demonologist-in-denim]

Closure Equals Death

We’ll all familiar with the narrative tropes Redemption Equals Death and it’s partner Death Equals Redemption. And what we’ve seen SPN use a lot of - and employ once again in the series final 15x20, is what I am going to call Closure Equals Death. If there is an actual name for this trope, let me know, but for this post, that’s what I’m going to call it.

It’s this idea that a character, having reached the end of their arc or established development, achieves closure of that arc or development through death. And I would argue it is used almost entirely with characters who have either a) turned over a new leaf or b) who have overcome or made peace with the traumatic experiences in their lives. And rather than letting the character grow beyond that definition of their lives - their traumatic experiences, which have for so long shaped their narrative or personality or perspective - are offered “peace” or “closure” through death. And what that is, quite frankly, is the author’s inability or disinterest in allowing the character to do the difficult, often messy, work of living. They choose instead the clean and easy out - by killing off the character.

This is what happened to Dean Winchester. Dean carried an immense about of baggage, which others in their posts about the series finale have already done an expert job of discussing. Finally freed from the hamster wheel of Chuck’s story of loss, bloodshed, and expected self-sacrifice, Dean was about to set off down a new road, one of his own choosing. He was a peace with himself and who he was. But he also faced the messiness of life, without a grand story or direction or destiny. That’s life for all of us. And instead of opening it up for the character to grow and learn and explore, the showrunners made the choice that it was “better” for Dean to be “at peace.” For his story of personal growth to end.

We’ve seen this before, with a great many spn characters. The one foremost in my mind, of course, is Crowley. The King of Hell had decided, in his final episode, to turn over a new leaf. To take a different road. And likely the very difficult road of making amends and dealing with the things he’d done in the past. Instead of allowing the character to explore that potential, the writers killed him off. And killed off Mary, who finally no longer felt out of place in the world. The only character who escapes this fate - at least immediately - is Rowena, who turns over a new leaf and is granted time to explore what that might look like for her.

What this is, at its core, is an unwillingness or a disinterest by the writers to deal with the emotionally difficult work needed to grow beyond the trauma and experiences which previously defined a character. Dean is no longer ‘daddy’s blunt little instrument.’ No longer solely a hunter, or Sam’s big brother. He’s his own person. And so he must no longer have a story to tell or life to live. Perhaps these constrains by the writers are due to the structure and nature of their medium, television. But that doesn’t make sense when considering this was the series finale - anything they chose to write was laying ground for new roads ahead, that the characters would drive down alone, without the writer’s room.

Having overcome past experiences and being at peace with himself did not mean that Dean’s story was over. You might even argue that - given that there was so much work that lay ahead of him in terms of himself and how he wanted to live his life - it was just beginning.

#spn #dean winchester #tv tropes #spn series finale #end of the road #character analysis

[fortunatelylori]

Nightfort revisited?

I’ve been watching the official trailer again and the thought occurred to me that we might be revisiting the Nightfort castle in season 8. 

So, firstly, let’s go over what the Nightfort is: 

The Nightfort is one of the abandoned castles of the Night's Watch along the Wall, the only one whose steps up the side of the Wall were carved into the ice. It sits between Icemark to the west and Deep Lake to the east.[1] The Nightfort figures in some of Old Nan's scariest stories.

(source)

The reason why I say we’ll be revisiting this location is because we were first introduced to it in season 3, when Bran passed through the castle to go beyond the wall. This is significant because the Nightfort is by far the most magical castle on the Wall, with steps carved into the ice and this crazy, weird element that didn’t actually make it into the TV show: 

The magical Black Gate is a hidden subterranean gate that allows passage to the other side of the Wall and is as old as the Wall itself. It is set deep in a wall of the well at the center of the kitchens and is made of white weirwood with a face on it. The face is old, pale, shrunken, and wrinkled with white eyes. The door glows.

When someone approaches the Black Gate, the eyes open. They are white and blind, and then the door asks, "Who are you?" A man of the Night's Watch must repeat a part of his vow, "I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers. I am the shield that guards the realms of men." The door will open then, saying, "Then pass." The door's lips open wider and wider still until nothing remains but a great gaping mouth in a ring of wrinkles.

(source)

The Nightfort is also the oldest of the Wall castles, parts of which could possibly date back to the creation of the Wall. It’s also the largest and, quite frankly, the spookiest, with  broken towers and a maze of tunnels connecting its vaults and tunnels which would make for some pretty spectacular visuals. 

But the real significance of the Nightfort links back to Old Nan’s stories in the books, in particular this one: 

According to legend, Night's King lived during the Age of Heroes, not long after the Wall was complete. He was a fearless warrior named the thirteenth Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Later, he fell in love with a woman "with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars". He chased her and loved her though "her skin was cold as ice", and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well. Night's King brought her back to the Nightfort and after the unholy union, he declared himself king and her his queen, and ruled the Nightfort as his own castle for thirteen years.[1]

During the dark years of his reign, horrific atrocities were committed, of which tales are still told in the north. It was not until Brandon the Breaker, the King of Winter, and Joramun, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, joined forces that Night's King was brought down and the Night's Watch freed.[2]After his fall, when it was discovered that Night's King had been making sacrifices to the Others, all records of him were destroyed and his very name was forbidden and forgotten.

(source)

It would make sense to revisit this location as season 8 must bring clarity to the origins, purpose and goals of the Night King and the White Walkers. 

A while back, I wrote a meta on the possible connection between the White Walkers and the Starks that was mainly informed by this story. The main gist of that meta was that Old Nan confirms that the 13th Lord Commander who went on to become the Night’s King was in fact a Stark, the brother of Brandon the Breaker and, since he was sacrificing his children to the White Walkers, it’s not outside the realms of possibilities that at least some of the White Walkers have Stark blood. 

It would also be rather strange for the writers of the show to bring this extremely significant location into the narrative in season 3 if it wasn’t going to pay off later on. 

Now, I mentioned that the thought occurred to me while watching the trailer and that’s because of three shots that have intrigued me from the moment the trailer came out. 

Firstly there’s the shot of Beric, Tormund and Ed (who I will refer to as the wall gang from now on): 

Considering we left the Wall gang under a ton of ice at the end of season 7, there’s only a few places where they could reasonably be in this shot: 

1. Winterfell - since the gang is actually opening the doors and Beric is using his sword to light the way, this place is likely uninhabited/abandoned which rules Winterfell out. 

2. Last Hearth or Karhold - this would make more sense than Winterfell because these two castles are closer to the wall so likelier to be reached by people that are probably injured and most certainly on foot. However, we’re still left with the uninhabited/abandoned issue which isn’t the case with Karhold and Last Hearth. 

3. Castle Black - the Wall Gang was attacked at Eastwatch so Castle Black is presumably still up. However what would the narrative import be to send characters there again? 

Which leads me to: 

4. The Nightfort - of course there are 19 castles all along the Wall so they could go to any of them really but, in reality, only 3 of them have been mentioned in narrative. Also, as you can see from the map below, the Nightfort is actually further away than Castle Black which would make it likelier that it wasn’t affected in the NK attack: 

The reason why I mention all of this is because, at this time, I believe that at some point between episode 1 and episode 3 (most likely in episode 2) Jon will lead an expedition away from Winterfell to rescue the Wall gang. This was sparked in part because of this picture of D*ny: 

She seems to be seated in the middle and she’s alone, which leads me to believe that Jon leaves Winterfell at some point, leaving D*ny to assume the role of leader (because of course she would). 

It would make sense for Jon to leave because otherwise how could the Wall gang make it out alive (which they should since the show didn’t kill them off in season 7)? Also the D*ny/Starks conflict needs to be exacerbated and eliminating Jon from the picture works because his presence would force D*ny to play nice with his family. On top of that there’s the parentage reveal and Jon having to leave would give him some time away to ponder the enormity of his situation. 

That being said, there’s also these two shots from the trailer: 

In the first Jon is running towards something. In the second soldiers are seen ready to enter some sort of castle. It would be strange if this was Winterfell because, at Winterfell, the tropes would be defending the castle and, as such, would have the castle at their backs. They wouldn’t try to gain access to it. Also those walls look very similar to the walls in the Wall gang shot. 

I think it’s very likely we will be returning to the Nightfort this season and, in doing so, we might actually have some light shed on why the Children of the Forest chose the man we see in the flashbacks to become the Night King and answer the question of whether or not he’s a Stark. 

Only 12 days to go, guys!

PS: I apologize to everyone whose sent me an ask I haven’t responded to yet. I’ve been swamped at work and haven’t had the time to sit down and go through them. Hopefully I’ll get to them starting tomorrow. 

#jon snow #anti-daenerys #house stark #white walkers #the nightfort #got season 8 speculation

[avelera]

⭐star⭐ The Only Way Out Is Down :D

The original meme was: Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

Sorry it took a second to get to this! I kept mulling over what I wanted to talk about that I haven’t gone into detail on already. Usually I sorta default to the Drift section in the chapter “The Handwriting of God” because it was a late addition to the story that I’m very proud of, but I’ve talked about that before.

Soooo, I think instead I’ll go into detail about how the “twist” in the chapter “Treachery” was constructed, because I feel like I learned a lot as an author by doing it and it’s probably the single thing in the story I put the most effort into. Warning, this is very self-indulgent ;P

This is gonna by default have a lot of spoilers for The Only Way Out is Down so please don’t read below the cut unless you’ve finished the story unless you want to be spoiled!

The “twist” in question is the revelation that Hermann’s own traumas with regards to Newt’s possession are writing the “sins” that they’re visiting in each Circle, and that they’re Hermann’s sins in particular, not Newt’s. Furthermore, he’s been identifying himself as the guide, Virgil in the original “Inferno” by default, having convinced himself he’s the hero of the tale here to rescue Newt and not require any saving of his own, when in fact the role he fulfills is that of Dante, the man in need of rescuing from sin. This comes to light in ch. 12, Treachery, after Newt and Hermann have consistently failed to figure out the central logic for why the Circles are styled as they are, or why they break when they do in order to free them to move on to the next and hopefully to free Newt once all 9 are completed. 

This twist may not have been planned since ch. 1, as such, because I started the fic as an Inferno-based character study of Newt with the question of, “How do I do a Newt Recovery Arc story where Newt is actually present from the very first chapter?” I’d been reading quite a few Newt Recovery stories at that point, and noticed that somewhat by necessity they all began where Uprising left off: with Newt bound to the chair and the Precursors speaking through him. Then the inciting incident would begin that would allow Newt to finally break through, but usually that was several chapters in.

So I realized 2 things from the outset: 1) I didn’t want the Precursors still around. They just create too much plot to solve and questions to cloud the narrative like “When is this Newt? How good are they at faking him?” and what to do with them after Newt’s freed. Are they all killed? Does the war happen? It sets up a whole huge conflict that also asks the question of how Newt is involved with a theoretical Pacific Rim 3. So I decided this was going to be a Pacific Rim 4, the Precursors are already dead but for some reason Newt STILL won’t wake up, allowing the narrative to stay focused on his recovery with no dangling questions after. 2) Obviously, in order for Newt to be there from the beginning, we need to start inside his head. This made it even more a mindscape journey. His POV gives us reasonable assurance that this is really him and he’s not corrupted. He remained psychologically separate from the Precursors, which is the story’s world state that I deliberately set up so I also didn’t have to answer questions of “how guilty is Newt for what the Precursors did?” He’s not guilty and he actually knows it, because that separation remained distinct in this particular interpretation. 

Originally, Newt was absolutely supposed to be Dante, the man at the center of his life who is lost with no way forward and must go on a spiritual journey to regain himself, which may be a bit unfair and confusing for readers to solve the twist because he sees himself as Dante in his opening monologue. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to set up that expectation and then flip it for one simple reason.

 I didn’t want this to be a “Hermann saves the day” story.

The narrative structure of a lot of Newt Recovery Arcs by default place a lot of pressure on Hermann’s character to be the rescuer and the Knight in Shining Armor. That can lend itself too to a character who has all the strength while the other has all–or most of–the weakness besides maybe the occasional moment of doubt. I didn’t want to do that. In fact, I wanted to deliberately subvert that. I’d already done a story with Prayers to Broken Stone where one half of the ship is in crisis and the other half rescues them, and I always thought that story was a bit flawed because it made one side out to be this angel who never tires of their constant rescuing of the other, and the other out to be desperate and broken and crying all the time. I wanted to do a more balanced rescue story,  with mutual rescue, which is one of my favorite tropes for romance.

I started realizing even from ch. 2 in Hermann’s POV that Hermann was Not OK. That the years separated and the revelation of Newt’s possession had shattered him, but he had duct taped himself back together and fiercely refused to acknowledge he was anything but the hero designated to rescue Newt from his coma. Even the fact he’s spent a year Drifting with Newt to try to revive him was meant to be the reader’s first warning sign. Hermann isn’t just being a good partner, he’s not just a hero doggedly refusing to give up. He’s broken. He’s repeating the same attempt every day, shattering his own physical and mental health in order to dash himself to pieces against the problem of Newt’s recovery. This should be the first warning bell for the reader, and for Newt once he’s regained enough of himself to start paying attention to Hermann’s mental health.

I conceived of a crossover style narrative, where Newt would begin the story outwardly broken and in need of healing and begins to transition as he healed into the stronger party of the two. He starts breaking Circles all by himself as early as Circle 5, the midway point, technically he did so with help all the way back in Circle 2 but was too in his own head and convinced of his own weakness to notice. The point of Newt’s arc would be that with each Circle, he gets a bit of himself back. He faces his old traumas and re-writes them to become victories. The reality remains unchanged, sure, but new memories help to ease the old ones. 

By the end, Newt’s only remaining trial is to face the memory of the Precursors and realize he was a hero the whole time, that he was targeted because of his strength, that they attacked his self confidence deliberately because they knew he was strong enough to defeat them, and that he doesn’t need to be prey to their manipulation anymore. Then, he’s able to step free of his own traumas in order to save Hermann. That was the big subversion I had built in from Ch. 2 onward. I wanted Newt to be the hero of his own recovery, not without help, but the help was to pull him out of the depths of despair so he could be his own hero. 

Hermann’s assurance that he’s the hero of Newt’s story is in fact hubris, and that hubris is why it takes him so long to figure out what is in fact the embarrassingly simple reality that they are in the Drift, so these Circles are constructed from both their memories and the traumas being addressed belong to both of them. His blindspot is himself, as it is with many people. Newt doesn’t recognize this in part because Hermann is so tight-lipped and secretive about the trauma of those 10+ years. So Newt is buying that Hermann is fine because Hermann says he’s fine. That is, until the evidence becomes overwhelming that he isn’t. Each Circle has in fact, brought Hermann face to face with his failures, and it’s reopening the wound until the point where he shatters from the self-imposed guilt.

Hermann’s arc in the story is also a recovery arc, but he needs to actually finish falling before he can pick himself up again. “The only way out is down” is the title and the theme of the story. In order for recovery to begin, they have to push deeper into the things that hurt them, rather than running away, before they can come out on the other side. Newt had to regain his strength because he’d already hit rock bottom and was honest with himself about this fact. Hermann’s journey is first and foremost to stop lying to himself. He can’t begin to recover until he’s acknowledged that losing Newt, learning Newt was possessed and he did nothing to prevent it, the vengeance he took on the Precursors by destroying their planet, and the devastation of that not being enough to wake up Newt immediately actually broke him and he is not ok as a result. It may seem outwardly that the narrative is therefore punishing Hermann, saying he needs to be pushed down while Newt is raised up, but I always envisioned it more that the wound has festered. It needs to be reopened and cleaned so it can heal properly, even if on the surface that looks like he’s being wounded all over again, it’s actually a step in the healing process.

So knowing this was going to be the parallel arcs of the characters back in Ch. 2 I actually went ahead and said it in the dialogue:

“…The journey into Hell was instructive, not punitive.” Hermann frowned. “But you are not Dante, and I am not Virgil who can keep whatever is down there from harming us….”

In addition, many times Hermann notes Newt’s parallels to Virgil without connecting the dots, for example when he notes in the same chapter that Newt’s catchphrase, “Fortune favors the brave,” is actually a Virgil quote. Hermann assigns himself the role of Virgil/Savior, and Newt goes along with it because he doesn’t know Hermann needs saving too, but it’s Hermann hubris and part of that too is that Hermann did not do a close enough read of the text until it’s too late. 

Hermann is the one going on a journey into a strange place, which is Newt’s mind, where he is in fact an outsider. Newt is a native of this Hell, just like Virgil. Newt has seen all these memories before. While Hermann has a surface level knowledge of Inferno and the order of the Circles of Hell, that doesn’t mean he’s an expert on what’s actually in them the way Newt is. In fact, as early as Limbo, it’s Hermann asking Newt to explain what’s happening in the Circles/memories, in dialogue that is deliberately cribbed in its formatting from The Inferno. 

“"Tell me, my master, tell me, lord,“ [Dante] thenbegan because [he] wanted to be certainof that belief which vanquishes all errors,"did any ever go – by his own meritor others’ – from this place toward blessedness?”

Parallels with:

“Newton, stay with me, what are we looking at here?”

“I’m trying, Herms, but.. ugh, I think I’m feeling kind of seasick? I’m here but I’m also…also there? I don’t…”

“Why would it be showing you this? This level corresponds to Limbo. Think!”

Even the opening quote from Inferno in the chapter summary is taken from when Dante and Virgil go into Limbo and is meant to be one of the first clues of what’s really going on:

The poet, white of face, began: ‘Now, let us descend into the blind world below: I will go first, and you go second.’ And I, who saw his altered color, said: ‘How can I go on, if you are afraid, who are my comfort when I hesitate?’ And he to me: ‘The anguish of the people, here below, brings that look of pity to my face, that you mistake for fear. Let us go, for the length of our journey demands it.’

The poet is Virgil, who is in distress when he thinks about the horrors encapsulated in the Circles, which mirrors Newt’s fear of going into them. Similarly, the next chapter’s quote is: 

I learnt that the carnal sinners are condemned to these torments, they who subject their reason to their lust.

But Newt didn’t choose, in TOWOID at least, to be subjected to Drifting with Alice. Newt is not the one who subjected his reason to his lust. Hermann did, by his own admission, when he admits he was too jealous of Alice taking Newt to visit Newt in his new home when he was invited, where he might have begun to learn that something was wrong. 

There’s a thread of anti victim-blaming in this story that actually gives away the answer to the riddle very early on, when you realize none of the sins could apply to Newt because Newt was under duress in every memory, while Hermann had free will, which is the only way one can properly have guilt, which is what the Circles are actually addressing: Hermann’s sins, Hermann’s guilt, what Hermann believes he should have done differently to save Newt sooner, meanwhile these memories are constructed too so that Newt can gain strength from seeing himself freed over and over, from that demonstration that someone did are about him. 

This goes back to ch. 1 when Newt gives his furious rant at Hermann for never noticing or caring. It’s not that Newt is actually mad at Hermann, by his own admission, he just wanted to see that someone cared enough to try to rescue him, and that’s what the Circles are accomplishing for him. Thus, the Circles are constructed from both of their needs, but Hermann’s is opening his eyes to how terribly he’s been beating himself up for not doing something sooner, to the point where he finally cracks and admits it to himself as well as Newt.

This is why I needed to do two drafts. Because like the characters, I actually went into the Circles not really knowing myself what made them break or not. I resolved to write out all the best thematic “memories” to match the 9 Circles and then find the internal link between them after. That required me to re-write Wrath, actually, in order to make sure it was clearer that Hermann was th eone who got angry, not Newt, and to throw up enough smoke around Newt’s body killing Hannibal Chau to make it seem like he was the one who acted with the traditional definition of “Wrath”. 

Actually, each Circle is very carefully constructed so that Newt’s actions are the surface level definition of the sin discussed, but Hermann is the one who actually committed the sin. Newt is physically suspended in Limbo, but it’s by the Precursors. He’s trying to reach out, but he can’t. Hermann is the one with full autonomy who refuses to reach out once he perceives himself as rejected. Lust has Newt in the throes of physical pleasure, but it’s not a pleasure he chose and Lust itself is not a sin. It’s the act of Lust being used to harm others, Hermann’s sexual jealousy of Alice leads him to the sin of abandoning (unknowingly, he’s actually pretty hard on himself) Newt to these torments. And so on. 

A lot of effort was put with the second draft to make a casual reader see the sins as Newt’s and the careful reader to see the sins as Hermann’s. By knowing this from ch. 2 on I was able to interweave into the story these two layers so that a careful reader could sense something subtly off about the characters’ interpretation of events, e.g they’re Newt’s sins, until the final revelation in the chapter Treachery, which I hoped would be a gut punch when everything fell into place, which in a way is the “passage” I’m responding to with this ehehehehe….

#my writing #the only way out is down #meme response #newmann #fanfiction meta #pr meta #fic spoilers #shleyaay123

[placetobenation]

The Black Cauldron

Release Date: July 26th, 1985

Inspiration: “The Book of Three” and “The Black Cauldron” by Lloyd Alexander

Budget: $44 million

Domestic Gross: $21.3 million

Worldwide Gross: $21.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%

IMDB Score: 6.4/10

Storyline (per IMDB): Centuries ago, in the land of Prydain, a young man named Taran is given the task of protecting Hen Wen, a magical oracular pig, who knows the location of the mystical black cauldron. This is not an easy task, for The Evil Horned King will stop at nothing to get the cauldron.

Pre-Watching Thoughts: We continue on through the 1980s with the historical 25th film in the Disney film canon which is crazy to think that there’s only been 25 films in the span of 48 years though that does average out to a film every 2 years. After a long stretch of having seen the films at least once in my life, this is a film that I have never seen before and can already say that I have some reservations about it given its less than stellar reputation. But like I usually do, I am going in with an open mind and for all I know, this might end up surprising me by being really good so we will see what ends up happening.

Voice Cast: As I have mentioned a few times, we were starting to see a trend of returning actors dwindling down and we were soon probably going to get to the point where we have a fresh cast for each film. Now we could see some returning actors in some minor roles while the bigger roles go to newcomers, and that seems to begin here as we have only one returning actor and that is Peter Renaday who voices one of the Horned King’s henchmen so we basically have our first complete new cast since the early days of Disney. At the top, we have Grant Bardsley who voices Taran in what would be his defining role as he would retire by the end of the decade, and then we have Susan Sheridan who voices Princess Eilonwy in what ends up being one of only two films she would be in. We then have John Byner who does a dual job of voicing both Gurgi and Doli in what would be his only appearance in a Disney film, and then we have legendary English actor Nigel Hawthorne who voices Fflewddur Fflam in what would also be his only Disney film. Next, we have English actor John Hurt who voices the Horned King in his only Disney film appearance and it seems like this film would just have a lot of one-off appearances, and then we have Phil Fondacaro who voices Creeper as he was coming off his most memorable appearance as an Ewok in “Return of the Jedi”. We then have Freddie Jones who voices Dallben in his only appearance in an animated film, and then we have Arthur Malet who had appeared in “Mary Poppins” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and he voices King Eidilleg as he was nearing the twilight of his career. Next, we have the trio of Eda Reiss Merin, Adele Malis-Morey, and Billie Hayes who voice the three witches Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch respectively, and then we have Wayne Allwine, James Almanzar, Steve Hale, Phil Nibbelink, and Jack Laing who voice the Horned King’s henchmen. Finally, we have John Huston who voices the narrator in what would be one of his final roles, and it is very interesting that almost everyone in this film are just one-offs though given most of them are English it would make sense given the film they were in.

Hero/Prince: Unlike some of our previous heroes and princes who you know are that from the minute you see them, we have the exact opposite here in what is a typical trope used in films of the ordinary person who becomes the unlikely hero at the end. Our hero in this film is the poster boy for that and that is Taran, the young man who lives with Dallben the Enchanter and looks after the pig Hen Wen not knowing of the pig’s power until Dallben shows him. Taran vows to keep the pig protected from the Horned King only to lose him and be captured, but he manages to escape by taking an enchanted sword and helps Hen Wen escape along with Princess Eilonwy and the minstrel Fflewddur Fflam. They find the black cauldron and he gives his sword to the three witches guarding the cauldron in exchange for it, but the Horned King’s minions find them and take the cauldron while keeping them prisoner. At this point, we should also make mention of the creature named Gurgi who is mischievous and sees Taran as his master though Taran doesn’t like him, and in the end Gurgi sacrifices himself and throws himself into the cauldron to stop the cauldron’s evil power and finish off the Horned King. The witches offer to give the sword back to Taran in exchange for the cauldron, but Taran instead wants Gurgi’s life restored which they ultimately agree to and Gurgi and Taran become friends. Taran is a classic example of the simple boy who dreams of being a warrior, but in the end he realizes the true meaning of friendship and foregoes his dreams in order to save his friend though Eilonwy reminds him that he is a true hero. I don’t know where either of them would rank amongst the other heroes and princes, but it will be interesting to see where they ultimately end up.

Princess: If you look at Disney’s lineup of who they consider to be the official princesses of Disney, you will not find Princess Eilonwy included in there even though she does call herself a princess. While we don’t know much about her like what kingdom she comes from and who her family is, we do know she is of some importance to the Horned King since he went out of his way to capture her. She uses her bauble to find Taran and they manage to escape from the castle along with Fflewddur Fflam, and despite some early misgivings she comes to trust Taran and joins him as they look for the black cauldron. They are captured again by the Horned King who uses the cauldron only for Gurgi to sacrifice himself to stop him, and they escape the castle as it is destroyed before giving the cauldron back to the witches in exchange for Gurgi’s life. In the end, Gurgi strategically maneuvers Taran into a kiss with Eilonwy though it is left ambiguous if they end up in a relationship. She is unlike your typical princess in that she is not afraid of adventure and is willing to fight if necessary, but other than that there is very little that is known about her and as a result she will probably not rank high against the more well-known princesses in the Disney canon.

Villain: When it comes to the villains of the Disney canon, most of them have evil intentions and do things that make them evil but at times they do have some tangibles that endear them to people and sometimes you may even sympathize with them. However, the villain in this film is about as evil as you can get and that is the Horned King who seeks the black cauldron to bring the dead to life and use them to rule the world. He first obtains Taran’s pig Hen Wen to show him where the cauldron is located only for Taran to free Hen Wen as well as escape along with Eilonwy and Fflewddur Flam, but after they find the cauldron the Horned King’s henchmen capture them and bring him the cauldron. He uses the cauldron to raise an army of undead soldiers only for Gurgi to sacrifice himself and destroy the soldiers, and the Horned King tries to throw Taran into the cauldron only to be sucked in himself which kills him and destroys his castle. The Horned King is about as basic a villain that you could get as he is bent on ruling the world and sees the cauldron as the way to do it, but like most villains he fails to comprehend the power of the cauldron and is ultimately destroyed by the very thing he tried to control. Because of this, he lacks the other intangibles that separates him from the other villains that have more charisma or personality than him, and as a result he will probably not rank too high though he won’t be at the bottom given some of the other villains that have been covered to this point.

Other Characters: I have mentioned that most of the recent films that I have watched have focused more on the main characters with the other characters playing a pretty minor role, and that seems to be the same case here though some of them do play a pretty big role in this film. The first is the minstrel named Fflewddur Fflam who is captured by the Horned King and saved by Taran and Princess Eilonwy, and he stays with them through their travels even being turned into a frog by Orddu the witch only for Orwen the witch to fall in love with him. We then have Hen Wen the pig who has the power to see into the future and the Horned King hunts him to find the black cauldron, but Taran is able to save him and then the Fair Folk take her under their protection before returning her to Dallben. We then have Dallben the Enchanter who keeps Taran under his care until he is forced to send him and Hen Wen away to protect them from the Horned King, and then we have Creeper who serves as the Horned King’s right hand man and is constantly abused by him until the Horned King is killed and he is overjoyed to be freed. We then have the Fair Folk led by King Eidilleg and they point our heroes in the right direction as Doli goes with them, and then we have the three witches named Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch who trade the black cauldron to Taran for his magic sword only to take the cauldron back in exchange for Gurgi’s life. Finally we have the Horned King’s henchmen who border on rowdy and a bit bumbling as they are pretty much cast aside for the undead warriors that the Horned King brings to life using the cauldron. Obviously, these characters play a role in this film whether it be minor or major, and it is always interesting to see how many play a major role versus those that play a minor role.

Songs: N/A

Plot: So not only was I not aware that this film was also adapted from a novel, but it was only one in a series of five books though this film mainly takes aspects from two of the films and not all five. It is also based on Welsh mythology which is a culture that you don’t seem to see a lot of adaptations of, and the plot involves the Horned King trying to find the Black Cauldron that he believes will help him rule the world. He learns of a pig that can see into the future so he kidnaps it only it’s keeper Taran to save him though he is captured in the process, and he meets with Princess Eilonwy and Fflewddur Fflam as they escape and learn of the cauldron’s location. Along with the creature Gurgi who believes Taran to be his friend and master, they meet a trio of witches who give them the cauldron in exchange for a magic sword Taran had found back in the dungeon. Unfortunately, the Horned King claims the cauldron and imprisons Taran and his friends until Gurgi frees them, and then Gurgi sacrifices himself into the cauldron to overload its power and the Horned King is sucked into the cauldron which kills him. The witches reclaim the cauldron and offer the sword back, but Taran instead asks for Gurgi to be brought back to life which he is and Taran heads into the sunset with his new friends. I had earlier mentioned that I would like to know the opinion of the author when they see the film, and I read that the author enjoyed the film on its own though believes it is a completely separate entity from his series. In a way, I guess that is a good thought to have in that he did like the film while hoping that those that watch the film would become interested in reading the series.

Random Watching Thoughts: We got a few firsts with this film as it is the first to feature the Walt Disney Pictures logo at the beginning and it is also the first film to not have opening credits; I want to know more about this king whose spirit would inhabit the black cauldron; I love how the narrator mentions that only evil men were looking for the cauldron; Interesting foreshadowing in the beginning as Dallben senses something terrible will happen; So there’s a war going on yet we don’t see any of it; I feel like this is the most un-Disney film that they made yet it somehow feels more Disney than “The Sword in the Stone”; I wonder how long it took Dallben to come up with the name “Hen Wen” for a pig; I thought that was a picky pig to shove that food out until Taran called him spoiled, but then he takes a bite and shudders as he swallows it; Such naivety by Taran that he thinks he wouldn’t be afraid in war; What did those poor geese do to deserve being teased like that?; Taran forgot the first rule when teasing a goat and that is never turn your back to them because they will attack; Hen Wen is the rare pig that actually enjoys getting a bath; Of all the animals the author could’ve chosen to be an all-seeing creature that can see the future, he had to choose a pig; Of course Dallben cuts off Hen Wen prematurely otherwise we would’ve seen what happens and get spoiled; Dallben tells Taran to stay at the cottage until he gets him yet he only gives him a single slice of bread and an apple as rations; Another interesting note is that this is the first Disney animated film to receive the “PG” rating; The Horned King is pretty scary, but he sounds like a character that should look a lot more scarier; The Horned King has some pretty lofty goals if he wants to be a god; Taran also has some lofty goals if he imagines himself to be the greatest warrior in the land, but yet he can’t keep his mind on the task of keeping Hen Wen safe; When I first saw Gurgi and heard him speak, the only thing I could think of was Gollum from “Lord of the Rings” to the point that I was waiting for him to say “My Precious”; It’s amazing that it took 25 films to finally have a Disney film that didn’t have any songs in it, but honestly this seemed like the film where songs wouldn’t have fit; Of course Gurgi would take a bite out of the apple before giving it back to Taran; The classic trope of describing something perfectly to the person looking for it only to say that they haven’t seen them; Gurgi was so keen to be Taran’s friend until he heard the danger coming and he split out of there; Hen Wen can take a beating as he is getting thrown around by those dragons yet he doesn’t miss a beat; I for one don’t blame Gurgi for not wanting to go to the Horned King’s castle yet Taran dresses him down and calls him a coward; Another fun fact is that this was the first film to feature computer-generated imagery; Where was that dog hiding that he just came out of nowhere?; That’s quite the rowdy party they are having and pretty risqué with that dancer’s dress flying up and showing her panties; The party comes to an end when the Horned King shows up; That was a lot of wine that came out of that pretty small bottle; All those weapons there and Taran had to grab the broom; They were prepared to execute that pig much like they would a human; Considering how many times that saucer got knocked over, I’m surprised there was still plenty of water in it for Hen Wen to show the visions; That’s quite a drop there, Taran must’ve been pretty confident that Hen Wen was going to survive; Creeper was so happy to have captured Taran only for the Horned King to choke him when he learned Hen Wen escaped; I don’t know why, but when I see Princess Eilonwy I think that she is very similar to Princess Zelda; She was so hoping that Taran was a warrior only to be extremely disappointed to learn he isn’t; What does that bauble have against the rats?; You’d think there would be some curse that comes with taking the sword from the tomb; Creeper calling the henchmen pulling the cart a weakling is a classic “pot calling the kettle black”; Taran does make a good point that the dead king has no use for the sword anymore; Fflewddur calls the guard intelligent yet when we see his face, he looks like a simpleton; That’s an interesting harp in that the strings break whenever Fflewddur lies; Fflewddur tells them to run forgetting that they were helping him get out of his bonds; Taran was holding a sword yet he doesn’t use it and gets smacked in the face; He becomes so enamored by the sword that he completely forgets that he has to escape with Eilonwy; I know he broke the barrels to slow down the guards, but that was a real waste of good wine; You can tell Creeper wants to stand up to the Horned King, but can’t because of how much stronger the Horned King is; Creeper is so used to getting choked by the Horned King that he ends up doing it to himself; When did Eilonwy get sewing supplies to fix Fflewddur’s pants?; That begs the question, does the warrior make the sword or does the sword make the warrior?; They have a fight only to make up literally a few minutes later; Fflewddur always cries “murder” in any situation; Taran and Fflewddur want nothing to do with Gurgi yet Eilonwy immediately falls in love with him; You don’t often see a whirlpool show up in a pond; I don’t know what Doli was building, but it was the shoddiest things I have ever seen; Doli must’ve had a bad experience with humans if he tells the children to be careful; Considering that he doesn’t know Taran and company, the king had no problem telling them where the black cauldron was; So the whirlpool brings them into the kingdom yet the Fair Folk have to use their power to bring them out; They were just willing to barge into someone’s house not knowing if anyone even lived there; Given all those eyes that were in the shadows, they missed a great opportunity for one of the characters to say that they have the feeling they are being watched; How many frogs did these witches need?; Gurgi tells them that he found the cauldron only to lead them into a room full of them; Orwen must not see many men if she quickly fell in love with Fflewddur; Another pretty controversial scene when Fflewddur as a frog is stuck in Orwen’s cleavage; You know it would’ve been nice to know the story of the sword and how it became enchanted; That was noble of Fflewddur offering up his harp so Taran could keep the sword; Why did the witches have to basically take their whole house with them when they left, and why would Taran and everyone just stand there while the cauldrons are flying around them?; So you can’t destroy the cauldron, but you can stop the evil in it by sacrificing yourself to the cauldron; That’s a pretty dick move of Doli to just leave them like that; Once again, Gurgi just runs away in the face of trouble; Creeper is lucky that he has good balance and didn’t fall into the cauldron himself; In fairness, Eilonwy does look more like a scullery maid than a princess unless that was her plan to not tip off that she was a princess; The scene of the dead coming to life definitely has a similar feel to “Night on Bald Mountain” in “Fantasia”; Those rats knew something bad was coming and they were getting the hell out of there; Taran wanted to be the hero and was willing to sacrifice himself to do so only for Gurgi to end up beating him to the punch; I do wish they would’ve shown the undead attacking somewhere first before Gurgi jumped into the cauldron because it does feel a bit anticlimactic; Nice try there by Creeper claiming they were only resting and not completely dead again; Another bit of an anticlimactic end was the Horned King being sucked into the cauldron seemingly out of nowhere; Creeper was so upset at first only to realize that he was free; As anticlimactic as the Horned King’s death was, the collapsing of the castle was pretty awesome; The witches thought they could just waltz in and take the cauldron not thinking Fflewddur would use their own trickery against them; That would’ve been real douchey of the witches if they just returned Gurgi’s body though he was still dead; Of course the first thing Gurgi would look for is if Taran had food on him; Leave it to Gurgi to basically force Taran and Eilonwy to kiss; Now the only question is did they go back to Dallben or did they go to Eilonwy’s kingdom?; The first film to have the credits at the end of the film like a normal film.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, this film ended up being a fairly average film and while it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, it was not very good as I was hoping so in that case I am slightly disappointed. This was an interesting time as this would end up being the last film released before my lifetime as I was born only 8 days after it was released, and it would end up being a commercial failure to the point that it was not released on home video for 13 long years. It was also labeled as the film that nearly killed Disney which was shocking to think especially since at one point Disney seemed infallible, and we will see if they can rebound with the next film or if this truly is the end for Disney in terms of its animated films. As for this film, it is not as bad as its reputation states and is better than some of the package films I saw, but it is still a pretty blasé film and marks a low point for the Disney film canon.

Final Grade: 5.5/10

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

[davidthetraveler]

David’s Reviews:  Steven Universe:  The Movie

Hey guys.  In response to the premiere of Steven Universe Future (aka Steven Universe Season 6), I thought I’d go back and rewatch The Movie and finally share my thoughts about it with you all (as well as all the fanart I’ve been accumulating for it since it came out).  And what better way to do it than resurrecting an old series I had on this blog called David’s Reviews?  So then, let’s get cracking, shall we?

The Story

This movie does an excellent job of moving us from the old feel of the show’s first five seasons into the new show it’s become.  With how much things have changed since Change Your Mind, it’s very clear that Steven Universe has changed drastically from what it used to be, and that’s reflected so well in just the first few minutes, where we see a now sixteen year old Steven addressing the entire now-freed gem empire with the diamonds before returning to Earth to show us how much Beach City and life for the gems and people there has changed.

The use of the Rejuvenator as a plot device also helps to show where our characters have been, and where they are now, giving us a chance to revisit their highs and lows as we prepare to move into this new phase in all their lives.  Seeing Amethyst and Steven leaning on each other like siblings, watching Pearl relearn how to be independent and self-willed, and witnessing Ruby and Sapphire falling in love all over again and Garnet becoming the steady rock the team relies on all showed just how much we care about these characters, and all of the lessons they’ve learned and have in turn taught to us.

The true standout of this movie is or course Spinel.  Another broken piece of Pink Diamond’s past, Spinel represents a very real depiction of someone who’s been betrayed and abandoned by a loved one.  And while we’re all left sympathizing with her, her actions aren’t just dismissed or glossed over.  The fact that Steven agrees to her going back to homeworld with the Diamonds shows that while he cares about her and wants her to get better, he also knows that their relationship, thanks to his mother’s actions in the past, is too toxic for her to stay with him.  As in the past, it’s a very nuanced and complicated and real portrayal, and it’s presented beautifully and accurately in ways that kids can still understand, even if they don’t quite grasp the psychological themes behind it.

Overall, the story is simply incredible, and definitely a fun ride, setting us up for what is yet to come in the future.

The Aesthetic

As a lifelong fan of musicals and Disney movies and Disney movie musicals, I adore the overall themes used to open and close this movie.  From the classic musical tropes of opening curtains and finale showstoppers to the fairy tale book opening and prologue, the framing device really comes through well to present the film as what it is:  an incredible performance worthy of the loftiest stages of Broadway and Hollywood.

The look itself is superb, showing off the amazing skills of the animators and production teams, who’ve clearly come a long way since the first episode.  With lighting and color palettes used to exquisite perfection, nearly every set piece is a work of art in its own right, from the dark fadeness of Spinel’s garden to the sickly pinks of the injector-stricken Beach City to the hopeful brightness of Little Homeworld.  We’ve come to expect a lot from this team, and they did not disappoint.

Of course no review of a Steven Universe property would be complete without discussing the music.  And it was all so on point here.  Nearly every song was a hit, and the vocal performances were always fantastic, from the very first song.  The three lovely ladies portraying the Diamonds harmonize so wonderfully together, they almost make you want to be smothered by their love 24/7.  I mean, who could say no to Christine Ebersole, Patti LuPone, and Lisa Hannigan all serenading you at once with “Let Us Adore You”?

And the amazing songs featuring each of our leads fit so well not only to their own styles but also to their characters’ expressions.  In particular for me is “Independent Together”, the duet between Steg (Steven and Greg’s fusion) and first Pearl, showing her memories being restored and her independence being reaffirmed, and then Opal (Pearl and Amethyst’s fusion), marking her first speaking role since her debut episode.  The song’s message of being able to be independent without sacrificing your relationships with others is a strong one, and it’s wonderfully performed by real life indie rock duo Ted Leo and Aimee Mann.

Of course, once again, the real treat here is Spinel.  From her debut song, “Other Friends”, which establishes her fun classic rubber-hose animation style, to her incidental music reminiscent of those same classic cartoons, Spinel leaves her marks on this movie in all the best ways.  And her voice actress Sarah Stiles nails each and every one of the character’s complex and thought-provoking moments.

The Tone

While there’s still plenty of that classic Steven Universe fun and carefree joy, there’s no mistaking the much darker tone this movie shifts into.  Steven’s growing up, and so is the show in a way.  From more obvious examples of dangerous situations, to showing the first time Steven has ever been hurt enough to bleed, this movie demonstrates the much deeper themes and stories the show has shifted into as time has passed.  And the complicated issues presented by Spinel and her arrival are presented in a deep and realistic light, and not just played up for drama or laughs.  True thought was clearly put into this work.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of fun and lighthearted moments to be had.  In fact, having less of these moments makes them all the more meaningful to the story, with each given more weight in light of their scarcity.  And even then, the backdrop of what is happening and what has happened lingers in the background, adding new layers of depth to even the silliest moments.  It’s a much more mature view, one that befits a more mature Steven.

My Personal Takeaway

While nothing in this movie specifically called out to me, seeing the continued growth of these characters from where they were to where they are now did remind me of my own growth over the past few years.  I’ve come a long way from who I used to be, and while most of that probably has to do more with Thomas Sanders and the Famderdom, I do feel that some of it has been seeing such an inclusive and positive show as Steven Universe.

Steven remarks himself that the reason he became a hero was because he allowed himself to change, to grow up and to understand himself and who he wanted to be.  And I’ve had to go through that same journey.  In many ways, Steven’s story could be my own, and I look forward to seeing what other parallels his and mine will have.

My Thoughts for the Future (and) Summation

All in all, I’m looking forward to seeing what other stories are yet to be told in Steven’s Universe.  And this movie has merely galvanized that feeling.  Getting to see these characters that we know and love continue to explore themselves and their relationships has been amazing.  And I know it will only continue to do so as we move into Steven Universe Future.

While I am sad that season six will be the last season for this show, I do think that it will be a fun experience to have as we explore the remaining threads of this world’s story.  And to Rebecca Sugar and the rest of the Crewniverse, can I just say thank you for what you’ve given us, and wish you all the best in your own futures.

*****

Well, I hope you guys liked that.  I really want to come back to this series on my blog.  So in that regard, is there anything you guys would like to see me review?  If there is, let me know, and I can look into adding it to the list.

In any case, thanks for reading.  I hope you enjoyed it, and I wish you all a good week.

General Tag List:

@ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2

Reviews Tag List:

N/A

#Steven Universe Spoilers #Steven Universe: The Movie #David's Reviews