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adulttrio-imagines · 4 years

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Yandere!Illumi x Reader Pt 1

A/N: This is going to be a 2-part series since I git a little carried away and didn’t want it to be too long. I’ll post part 2 soon. It’s also fairly dark, so please proceed with caution.

EDIT: I originally posted this answering an ask I was sent sometime back, but tumblr kept messing things up so I’m just going to re-post this

EDIT 2: Part 2 HERE

Prompt: “I would give up everything for the chance to see your laugh again.”

The man in the suit is beautiful.

He’s beautiful in a raw, delicate way that mirrors the unbridled strength his long lashes frame. It’s an uncommon beauty, unique to strange lands far beyond the clutches of York New. Some might even call him odd, with his arrogant face and brittle nose, hunched over the small booth his weak chin and long neck gave him the appearance of an overgrown crane. But as you continued to push your legs to the limit, stretching them wider and wider as you contort your back around the smooth exterior of your pole, you couldn’t help but to tear your eyes away from your adoring fans and observe his demeanor.

This isn’t the first time he’s been to your shows, and based on the regularity he’s appeared at the past few months, you doubt it’ll be his last. He stares at you with impossibly large eyes that never blink (their starvation is pronounced, you feel their hunger even from here), lazily swirling a glass of whisky in one hand as he rests his chin in the other. You can’t see his legs from underneath the table at this distance, but from his posture you can tell they’re long and just as impossibly slender as the rest of his body. As you saunter around the stage, entertaining the roaring crowd that shower you with dollar bills, you note the silky texture of his suit (it’s expensive), the glint of his heavy-looking watch (possibly adorned with gold), and from the way he so effortlessly balances his glass in a well-manicured hand, you can tell he’s well-bred, wealthy, and sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the other noisy hooligans at the bar.

The room spins in gaudy shades of pink and neon green as you twirl around some more, the rush of wind cooling your face. You make your way up the pole, taking extra effort to stretch your legs out and angling them just right to display the soft curves of your thigh, the heat from the room coloring your cheeks as you sneak another glance at the man. More than the money, you like the way his cheekbones arch and the pronounced slopes they produce, the way they shape his fine features when he curls his lips in pleasure and expose a set of perfectly straight teeth that makes your heart pound just a little too fast for it to be normal.

You wink at the crowd before you, making sure to tilt of your waist just right to sneak a peak of your ass, teasingly arching your leg forward as you slowly hitched your already short skirt up just a little more, relishing in their excitement. You reward their charity with a flourish of your own, flashing your brightest smile when their thunderous cheers applaud your performance.

Your eyes snap back at the man in the suit, who’s gaze has remained transfixed on you this whole time. He claps politely, but the amusement that your dance draws from your crowd isn’t reflected in his face as he returns your stare with an empty look of his own.

He’s beautiful yes, in a way that makes you want to twirl your fingers in his silky locks and tug then hard while you kiss into the early hours of the morning. A delicious shiver crawls its way up your spine and you blow a kiss to him. Groping hands reach out from underneath you, desperately reaching for your attention, but you keep your eyes on the strange man, who accepts your kiss with a curled fist.

You lick your lips, unsure if the tremors you felt were from the rush of excitement, the heat of the room, the swirling pools of intent in his eyes, or a combination of all three.

But you do know this.

You’re making him yours.

.....

Your darling’s name is Illumi, and he doesn’t speak much.

It's not as if you aren’t trying. But he’s still as a statue and unmoving as stone, his face kept carefully blank as you dance around him like butterflies, slowly trying to coax him our his shell, whispering sweet words that drip with honey as you brush a hand against cheek (his skin is ice, and the tips of your skin freeze upon contact). He holds your eyes with his pair of dark abysses, directing your attention towards his mouth as you continue to wrap yourself around him, all but crawling into his lap, the hard wood of the booth creaking under your weight when you plant feather-soft kisses all around his face, paying special care to tease the corner of his lips as you press your hips hard against his throbbing groin.

He doesn’t return your steaming confessions, preferring to grunt one syllable answers in response to your questions, but he receives your affection with barely restraint lust, grabbing your thighs with spider-like hands as he nudges them open, letting out a low groan when you stop rubbing yourself against him and made movement to unbuckle his belt.

“Let me-“ He tells you between breathless kisses, “Let me take you home.”

You can barely contain your own pleasure as he slides a hand against the dip of your hips, struggling to nod.

“Sure.” You feel him smile, and a faint prick nicks the back of your neck.

The room goes dark.

And everything you know changes.

......

The cellar Illumi keeps you in is better than most. There’s proper heating, a small equipped bathroom in the corner, and a warm nest of blankets for you to curl into whenever the coolness of the stone floor after a fit of misguided rage becomes too much and form sores on your delicate ankles.

There’re no windows here, so you make a game of counting the scratches on the wall, bathed in the comfort of the dark, to make time go faster, adding a collection of your own on the wall beside your bedding when the days slowly stretch into weeks, even when your nails are filed down to blunt tips and your fingers are raw and inflamed.

Sometimes the boredom of it all drives the final nail into your head and snaps your existence in half, and you would brokenly hum songs of distance past, following the buried memories of times long forgotten, dancing around the small room on delicate toes and graceful arches, so different from the bold movements you made from your stage at the bar, before the old pain from your left knee would force you crumpling to the ground and bury your screams into the blankets.

“Why won’t you eat the food I give you? Would you rather starve?” Illumi asks you calmly. You eye him warily and drop your gaze to the neatly arranged fruits that lined the plate. He visits twice a week, dressed in strange clothes dotted with circular yellow nubs of what you can only guess to be buttons, often bringing with him baskets filled with peace offerings of sweets and little trinkets, as if they will make you happy.

You nibble at a slice of apple, careful to keep your gaze on the ground as you fight down the urge to empty what little contents you had in your stomach, one part out of hunger, ninety-nine parts from the ache in your head when he slapped you into the stone wall and bashed your face into it with extra vigor for refusing to take a bite of the bread he brought down the week before.

“Good job!” And he’s empty, empty, empty. The hollowness in his joy almost scares you as much as when he leans down to pay the top of your head patronizingly, as if you were nothing more than a badly misbehaving puppy who finally learned to obey. His fingers dig into your scalp when he feels you flinch under them, and he rams you headfirst into the ground as you helplessly choke for air when he carefully applies pressure to your trachea, all but strangling you while staring down with sinking eyes that drown out everything else.

And you realize three things.

He’s neither human nor beast.

He’s a beautiful doll who carved his name into your flesh for no reason other than because he could do it.

And there’s nothing you can do to escape.

.....

“Dance for me.” Illumi demands one day during one of his many visits. You look up your cup of tea, and stare at the man sitting cross legged across from you on top of a checkered blanket, like some sort of demented underground picnic. Under the flickering light from his kerosene lamp, his skin looks especially pale, and the gaping holes that represent his eyes are especially haunting. His visits range in frequency, and you can’t tell if you like it more since his absence is peaceful, or hate it for how unpredictable he gets when he does see you.

Hesitantly, you get to your feet and walk into the center of the room where a lone pillar stands. You place a hand of it, inwardly grimacing from its roughness, and forcing your body to contort around it. But just as you start, he raises a hand and shakes his head.

“No, no, no, not that.” He says, hair shimmering like black waves out in the sea, as formless as his tone, “I want to see your other dance, the one you perform when I’m not here.” You blink, not surprised to learn that he keeps track of your movements frequently enough to see you dance on those rare occasions. Instead, you kneel down to his level and take a sip from your cup, smacking your lips loudly as you smile widely and say, “No.” He strikes you across the face, and breaks an arm for good measure. You can tell from how easily it crunches in his grasp that your nerves are destroyed, especially when it flop helpless next to you in the ground. It is the first time he inflicts permanent damage on you.. But it’s not the last.

.....

You learn that your Illumi’s last name is Zoldyck. It’s hard to miss since it’s painted and hung high in every room he brings you in.

His change in mood is astounding and you’re cautious not too upset him. You’re unsure what flipped the switch, but suddenly your above ground for the first time in months and the sun that shines through the large French windows that span from ceiling to floor hurts your eyes, but it feels painfully good to feel the warmth of natural light grace your face.

You look wistfully out into the garden, where acres of woods stretched endlessly before your eyes, and a range of mountain lines dot the far edges of your vision. And wonder if you would even be so lucky to feel grass press against the soles of your feet again.

The Zoldyck mansion is huge, lined with riches and elegance that screams of old money, and it’s easy to lose yourself in the passage of time as you wonder aimlessly through the elaborate halls, admiring each ancient artefact that tastefully decorates each room. But even its size and grandeur pales in comparison to the aura Illumi exudes that makes you feel so insignificant and small, as if the universe itself would split and swallow you whole. You dance around the mansion, often in the dead of night on weeks where Illumi disappears into the shadows that cut unnaturally into the walls, your feet guiding you through both the lavishly decorated rooms to the empty halls. It’s easy to pretend that you were in a haunted mansion as you sang from door to door; you never see anyone else, but the continuous presence of following eyes that track each leap you take reminds you of old ghosts lurking behind corners. “Where’s your favorite part of your house?” You ask Illumi one sunny afternoon, when you’re both lounging in his sunroom and lapping up what limited time you had left with the sun before autumn arrived and brought the chill with it.

He is surprised by your question, as if no one has ever asked for his opinion in his life, and blinks impossibly slow in response. Placing a finger to his lip, he quirks his head and hums. “Hmmm. I don’t know. I don’t really care much for this house.”

And just like almost everything else he does, it’s horribly empty, and succeeds in shutting out your efforts and extension of friendship.

You return to starring listlessly at the lush gardens below, and make a mental note to ask Illumi if you could one day explore those grounds as well. There were only so many halls you could pass before turning into one of the many ghosts that haunt the mansion.

.....

Zeno Zoldyck is the first and only family member you ever meet. How you ran into him was mere coincidence. You’ve never left Illumi’s wing of the house. But by sheer coincidence do you run into the old patriarch on one of his rare ventures into the family library.

“It’s not easy playing chess alone. You don’t grow at all as a player if you’re only exposed to techniques you are familiar with.” He slams a pawn over your queen, ignoring the shriek of shock you return over his sudden appearance, and takes a sit across you. Despite yourself, you calm what nerves you had left and nervously prod your own pawn forward. He spares you fleeting glance and switches your rook out for his bishop.

And just like that, in the gaping hole that was Illumi Zoldyck’s home, you made a friend.

Zeno is a peculiar old man. He drinks only jasmine tea and likes it so hot it scalds the skin of his lips (you eye the scars that travel down his neck, self-inflicted and not from battle); like Illumi is gaze is piercingly empty, but unlike Illumi he can talk for hours on end and never fails to brighten your mood on days you felt as if your head was full of cotton and your eyes only saw the deaths of stars. You decide you like his straightforward ways and cheeky words, and you can only guess he likes how you’re the only person willing to entertain him in this lonely home on the most boring of days. He’s sprightly for an old geezer, and his wit tempt the corners of your lips ever so slightly.

And so you both meet once a week for a game of chess.

You’ll drink poison and burn your tongue if it meant filling up the empty spaces of time that suffocated you whole.

“What was he like as a child?” You decide to ask one day. Zeno doesn’t take his eyes away from the board (you tried switching the pieces once, and now he knows better than to trust you).

“Stupid. And ugly, if you ask me. Who knows what his mother ate.” He moves his king away from your bishop.

“Like an ugly duckling.” You hum in agreement and move your knight over to his king instead. Grumbling incoherently, he retreats his king further.

“Nothing like that. He’s was never really there,” tapping his forehead, he gives you a pitying grin, “I’m sure you understand.” You shrug in response.

“He couldn’t have helped it.” His king narrowly misses your pawn, and you click your tongue in irritation. A comfortable silence draws on as you both analyzed the board.

“Why do you defend him?” Zeno finally speaks after he slides his knight over to your king, and you bring your knees up to your seat, hiding the lower half of your face behind them before finally shrugging.

“He was a child, there wasn’t much he could have done.” It’s difficult to ignore the bitter taste those words form, and you push them all away as you bring your surrounding pawn to his knight. Zeno frowns.

“But he is now a man, and you are his prisoner.”

You can’t help but sigh when his bishop finally corners your king,

“I know.”

.....

On the nights where Illumi was home, he would occasionally demand you perform for him. Creeping hands dragging you from corner you curled into on the bed you unwillingly shared with him, not caring that the force of his careless throws injures your back further and colors your body with more bruises than you could possibly care to count.

“Why won’t you dance for me?” He demands you once again. It’s different this time though, you realize from watering eyes, choking on the cloud of poison that radiates from him, weighing you down to the floor as you feel your feet slowly turn to stone and merge with the tiles. You do not understand this sudden burst of anger (you think it’s anger; grief, rage and bitterness all swirl around you in endless clouds that it becomes very hard to differentiate one from the next) and you cannot stop yourself from begging for relief as the temperature in the room plummets to dangerously low levels.

“I can’t.” Dark circles creep dangerous close to the edges of your vision. He drives his foot further into your stomach.

“You can.” He nudges you hard, and the blood you cough out stains his foot.

“I can’t.” You want to scream in his face, and somehow he hears the resistance in your voice and digs his foot deeper.

“Why can’t you do this, for me?” He lifts you by your hair, forcing you to look right at him. “Is it because you can’t? Or is it because you won’t?” The last syllable rolls off his tongue with such harshness you never thought him possible of.

“Please,” You plead instead, grabbing at his legs, “let me go.”

It’s only for a fraction of a second, but you see his eyes widen and the pure, unadulterated rage he spews strangles you, and it is so, so bitter that your heart stops and the world fades. He backhands you, and the stinging slap he gives hurts less than the searing pain that sets your chest aflame as holds your down and carves his name into your skin, right at where your collarbones dip and met, slowly and carefully etching something with needles he pulls seemingly out of his shirt. You put up a struggle, desperately screaming for someone, anyone to save you, but he just as easily pins you down and continues his task as if your screams were nothing (they probably weren’t).

“You are mine.” He says, after a long eternity, and your throat his hoarse and raw from all the begging. You can only stare at the name he forcefully carved into your skin with abject horror, shaking furiously, half from fear and half from grief, at how you would now be forever reminded of him.

He licks the blood off his needle, and whispers, “never forget that.”

#hunter x hunter #hxh #illumi #illumi x reader #yandere #angst #zeno zoldyck #zoldyck family #illumi is not a good bean in this #my writings #tumblr has been a real b lately

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tsukihimeyfan · 5 years

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To Undertale

In honor of its 4 year anniversary, I would like to talk a bit about Undertale (I know I’m a bit late, but bear with me). Apologies ahead of time for the long post, and to anyone who reads it in its entirety; thank you. Also thank you very much to Toby Fox for giving birth to this masterpiece that has touched all of us so much :) I will be discussing several important details in the story, so SPOILER ALERT (just in case)

I came upon Undertale very late. It had already been out for about a year when I first heard about it, but everyone said such wonderful things and I was curious, so I decided to watch a playthrough on youtube, just to sate my curiosity. But Oh Man, I was not prepared for what I found: a gorgeous soundtrack, dozens of memorable characters, an amazing story, an incredible journey, and a veritable fountain of feelings sprouting in my heart. I fell in love.

For at least several weeks afterwards, the words “stay determined”, “everyone can be better if they just try” and “despite everything, it’s still you” bounced around in my head. Also, the idea that “even if its painful, even if you are going through a hard time, you can always choose to be kind, and happiness can always be found there, for others as well as yourself” became embedded in my soul. Even now, thinking about the True Pacifist ending fills me with joy. It was only fairly recently that I finally completed my own playthrough of the game, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were still many little secrets to uncover (for example, did you know that the “gauntlet of deadly terror” bridge is just a rock formation that Papyrus painted over to make it more dramatic? He also added the rope for safety LOL😂)

The best part of the game, in my opinion, are the main characters. They are all more complex than they appear, they all have their struggles, and I would like to talk a bit about my opinions and theories about all of them.

Let us start from the beginning and talk about everyone’s favorite goatmom, Toriel. Of course, we all know her sadness at the death of her children, new and old, but if we really think about it there are signs that the situation may have been even worse than it seems... Namely, the shoe box in the room Toriel prepares for Frisk. If you check it, it says there are several shoes “in a disparity of sizes”. Presumably, these are the shoes left behind by the human children before they left the ruins, but they surely didn’t leave the ruins barefoot, right? And if they only stayed with Toriel for a day or so like Frisk does then she wouldn’t have had the opportunity or the need to go out and get some for them. This implies that each human child that fell probably stayed with Toriel for a while, long enough for her to need to buy them new shoes, maybe even because they outgrew their original pair. This, in turn, means that she had a chance to really get to know them, take care of them, and love them, unlike Frisk, who she only took care of for a little while before we leave. This might explain why she is so angry at Asgore, why it is unlikely that she will ever forgive him. If this is true, he not only killed random innocent human children that she didn’t really know, which is bad enough on its own, he might have killed her children, children she treasured. This also explains why she is so obsessive about protecting Frisk from everything and keeping them in the ruins no matter the cost. And yet, despite her pain, her “loneliness and her fear”, she still is one of the most gentle, kind and caring characters you meet, even willing to try to prevent Asgore’s death as well as Frisk’s. Toriel is best goatmom <3

Then we meet the star of the True Pacifist run (especially if you call him often); the Great Papyrus! He is my second favorite character for good reason. He is so much fun from the very beginning. Although he might appear to be a bit narcissistic at first, you quickly realize that in truth he is just lonely and desperate to impress in a misguided attempt to make more friends. Even so, he is always attentive to the feelings of his friends and tries his best to make them feel better. His relationship with Undyne is also quite adorable, and there are signs that he knows more than he lets on about everything (he is at the very least great at gauging the emotional state of people and manipulating them a little to push them towards self improvement, as Frisk’s date with Undyne and his warning about Alphys can demonstrate). Also, the way he always tries to believe the best of people, even in the worst circumstances or when he is scared, is truly admirable. I really love that precious cinnamon roll

Then there is Sans. Oh my god, Sans. He steals the show in the genocide route, truly. He is my favorite character of all, and there are so many things about him you don’t find out if you don’t dig deeper and talk to several people. First of all, he is a wonderful brother. Although he always teases Papyrus, he does his best to cheer him up all the time (for example, in the Genocide route he says that Junior Jumble is the hardest, even though in other routes he says its the crossword, just to make Papyrus feel a bit better when the human refuses to play along with his puzzles), he pays the bills for the house, he probably gave Papyrus his action figures (Papyrus tells you santa gave them to him, but there is a thank you letter to santa in Sans’ room), he made sure Papyrus’ room was super cool and comfortable when he doesn’t even have a bed frame himself, he was probably the one who bought Papyrus his car on the surface (one of the guys at Grillby’s tells you that he spends most of his time checking out car magazines), he helped him build his sentry station and battle body, and he reads him bed time stories every night. Second of all, although he seems to be a comic relief character at first, he is struggling with major depression (you can find out that he is eating less, he doesn’t sleep much at all at night, he feels hopeless all the time, he seems fatigued all day, and he doesn’t see a point in doing anything at all) and is probably using humor to cope. Finally, there is Sans’ heroism as well as his tragedy: he is one of the only characters who is aware of the resets. First he had to live through Flowey’s endless resets, when he first befriended everyone and then proceeded to kill them all in a variety of ways, presumably being the one to stop him from getting the human souls several times (Flowey tells you that Sans has caused him “more than his fair share of resets”). Then there is YOU, who manage to free the monsters, begrudgingly earn his trust/friendship, and then rip it all away (even worse, he is completely aware of your betrayal; if you reset after a True Pacifist ending, you can find a picture of Frisk smiling happily with all of your friends together, and the only time such a picture is taken is when you all make it to the surface, so he certainly knows that you freed everyone and then returned them to the darkness for your curiosity). And yet despite all of that, despite knowing that fighting you is pointless (especially since he can tell every time he kills you and you load your save file), despite not having hope anymore that he will one day see the sun and remain under its light, he still fights you fiercely on the genocide route, again and again, employing all of his considerable power, but not for himself (he doesn’t hope for anything anymore after all); its because he still wants his brother and his friends to have a better future, because he knows that if you win the world will end and no one will ever return, because he still wants you to reset so that everyone will come back and have another chance at happiness, no matter how brief. Jesus christ, this character gives me all of the feels. I love him so much

As for Undyne, I love how she seems so rough but is actually very sweet to her friends and loved ones, and she cares so much for her fellow monsters, always trying her best for their sake. Also, her crush on Alphys is the cutest thing ever, particularly if you take the time to call her often (you’d be surprised how often she talks about Alphys. Papyrus also tries to encourage her several times to be honest with her feelings, and their dynamic is frankly the best mentor-student relationship I’ve ever seen)

In the case of Flowey, I really like how he is a sort of reflection of the player ingame, especially for those who chose to go through the genocide route (“‘I don’t like this’, I told myself, ‘I’m just doing this because I have to see what happens’ Hahaha, what an excuse!”). And the Asriel twist was truly masterfully executed.

I really empathize with Alphys in a lot of ways, since I struggle with social anxiety myself. Her journey to overcome her self hatred and be honest about her mistakes is really touching. I love how her friends understand that she only had the best of intentions at heart and continue to stand by her when she comes clean about what she did. Friendship can really make all the difference in the world for those of us who are struggling like her in one way or another. Her apparent suicide if you kill Mettaton or Undyne, her pillars of support, is one of the saddest things in the game I think. I also really admire how during genocide she presumably opens up the true lab for the evacuating monsters despite her fears, and if you abandon the genocide route in Hotland she takes charge in order to protect all monsters in Undyne’s stead

When we first meet him, my opinion of Mettaton is the same as Undyne’s; “I don’t really like that guy, but I admire his lifestyle”. However, I really enjoyed his growth as a character after Frisk beats him and his fans remind him of what is truly important. He becomes so much more supportive of his friends, and I really like how he always stays true to who he is, even going so far as to find the body/look that perfectly represented how he felt inside, and later encouraged others to do the same (like giving that one lion his dress)

Finally, we come to one of the most interesting characters, even though they are rarely mentioned and not really seen except in the ending of the genocide route: Chara. Truthfully, I think they are often misunderstood because the biggest impression they make is in said ending, when they take control of Frisk and destroy the world. However, I do not believe Chara was inherently evil. After all there are clear indications that Chara is the narrator of the game (the most obvious being the mirrors in Genocide). They tell you that your determination awakened them from death, and I believe that their spirit becomes attached to yours at the beginning of your adventure, which would explain how you, a human new to the underground, can understand the monsters that can’t speak normally like the Froggits and the snails (notice that their text starts with a noise they make, like “ribbit”, and what they actually mean is in parenthesis) as well as the ancient writing on the walls. After all, Chara lived in the underground long enough to become a sibling to Asriel and become known by all the monsters, it would make sense for them to have learned their language, and then they translate for you. This would also mean that all the funny commentary whenever you check an object or a monster comes from Chara. Also Chara being the narrator would explain why they go silent at one point or another during the battles with Asgore and Toriel (when the description says only “...”). Many people argue that their plan to cross the barrier with Asriel and kill humans means they were evil, but I do not think so, even if they did hate humanity. After all, if they only wanted the power to kill humans they could have killed one of the Dreemurs in their sleep, taken their soul and crossed the barrier with it. Instead, they killed themselves, gave Asriel their soul in order to break the barrier and made a plan to free all of their monster friends and family. Death from buttercup poisoning is not an easy one either (it includes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and blistering of the intestines); they had to suffer in terrible agony for days in order to achieve their goal, all for their monster family. People also argue that the fact that they laughed after accidentally poisoning Asgore means they did it on purpose or enjoyed causing him pain, but Undertale shows us many times that sometimes you laugh when the only thing you want to do is cry. There is also this during the fight with the Snowy amalgamate which proves my point: (look below) . Finally, during the battle with Asriel in True Pacifist, you use your memories with your friends in order to save them, but you don’t know Asriel at all, so how do you save him? The answer is simple: Chara shares their memories of him with you, and since they are the narrator, they are also the one who encourages you to use the last of your power to save your friends. In conclusion, I think in the beginning Chara is just a slightly bitter, slightly misguided, sometimes unnecessarily violent child who tried to do their best to protect those they loved, even though in hindsight it might not have been with a good method. In many ways, they remind me of Undyne (specially after MK says that maybe she is mean, not cool, in the True Pacifist ending. That really breaks my heart, when I think about all she has done for monsters in general and MK in particular in other routes. It would also explain why Chara seems to admire her so much, calling her a heroine in every route and seeming horrified by the state of her body when she is killed in neutral routes). This means that what they become in the Genocide route is because of you, and they even tell you so at the end (you are the one who makes them think the only meaning of their reincarnation is acquiring power). It makes sense that seeing everyone they know and love being killed systematically right in front of them would twist them, turn them into something they were never meant to be in order to cope with what is happening. Also, Sans does say that gaining LV causes you to feel less and hurt others more easily. Your actions take that well-intentioned but misguided child and turn them into a demon.

I am so in love with these characters that I cannot do a Genocide route myself. I only know about it from watching playthroughs but I don’t have the heart to destroy their happiness. I only ever did a single run, without resetting once, all the way up to True Pacifist. I like to think that in some universe where they are real, they are living happily on the surface, Sans has had the chance to restore his lost hopes, and resets are no more.

I would also like to thank the Undertale fandom for giving me a home, and so many wonderful ideas to explore. Since Deltarune practically confirms that the Multiverse exists in canon, the possibilities are endless, and the amount of detail and dedication you guys have devoted to building those other realities is truly outstanding. I specially love Underfell, Aftertale (and its close relative Errortale), Underswap, Handplates, Endertale, and Underverse/Xtale. To their creators, thank you for the ideas, the art, and the possibilities. And most of all, thank you Toby Fox for starting us all on this wonderful journey.

And to all my fellow fans: Remember, Always Stay Determined ♥️

#undertale #stay determined #happy anniversary #despite everything it's still you #toby fox #thyf rambles

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eddycurrents · 5 years

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Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible & The New Race of Man - “Dark and Terrible”

Words: Mike Mignola & Scott Allie | Art: Sebastián Fiumara | Colours: Dave Stewart | Letters: Clem Robins

Originally published by Dark Horse in Abe Sapien #1-3 | April-June 2013

Collected in Abe Sapien - Volume 3: Dark and Terrible & The New Race of Man | Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible - Volume 1

Plot Summary:

After learning about the state of the world since he went into a coma from Panya, Abe lights out to discover himself and his purpose. His first trip takes him through Colorado where he comes across an assortment of vagrants on a train and then a congregation filled with monsters in a town that was cut off by the crab-things.

Reading Notes:

(Note: Pagination is solely in reference to the chapter itself and is not indicative of anything within the issues or collections.)

pg. 1 - This is a pretty straightforward adaptation of some of the invocations you’d see in the Goetia with names changed to suit the story and cut down a bit when it comes to adding powers and dominions and such.

pg. 2 - Though the set up of his sigils and circle is wonky. If you ever find yourself trying to do a demonic evocation, don’t do it like this. You’ll just mess yourself up.

pg. 3 - It’s really no wonder that it doesn’t work. (Just one of the reasons why you should never assume that an error or twelve in a ritual in a book is a lack of knowledge from the author.)

Also, I absolutely love the darkness here in the art from Sebastián Fiumara and Dave Stewart.

pg. 5 - Neat design for this Ogdru Hem.

pg. 6 - The faded photograph approach to the flashbacks is neat. Also, we see Devon pushing his “Abe is the devil” narrative again. Dude needs to pull his head out of his butt.

pg. 7 - Also, Devon’s obsession with Fenix is still rather creepy. And interesting that Panya is still remaining silent.

pg. 8 - The art from Fiumara and Stewart here is just gorgeous. Love the weight given to the larger crab Ogdru monsters.

pg. 10 - This siren-song spider monster thing is really neat. Also horrifying and probably completely made up given the context. I quite like this approach to storytelling from Mike Mignola and Scott Allie.

pg. 12 - Nice body horror. And the integration with the vampire story in the “Pickens County Horror” is nice.

pg. 14 - They seem oddly angry that the bundle of clothes can talk.

pg. 16 - This is just an amazing reveal for Abe’s new appearance. Though we’ve seen it a number of times previously, the reveal here feels important.

pg. 17 - Nice bits of awkward action here.

pg. 21 - I love the reaction panels here.

pg. 22 - Even though they were just fighting with him, it’s interesting that the two other vagrants choose to essentially cover for Abe’s escape instead of pointing out that he’s in the cabin.

pg. 24 - Nice that we finally get the full conversation with Panya. Along with a recap of what happened to Hellboy and Abe’s sadness over it.

pg. 25 - And a recap here of how Langdon Everett Caul became Abraham Sapien. Mignola and Allie are doing a good job of not only intertwining the various stories throughout the Hellboy universe, but also ensuring that everyone’s up to speed.

pg. 27 - I love the composition of this panel. The kitty in the foreground is adorable. It also kind of makes the admission that Kate may be fraying at both ends more ominous, since the conversation is kind of backgrounded. And Panya definitely seems to be telling Abe that he needs to get away before everyone else starts cutting him up.

pg. 30 - I love the silence. Though, is Abe looking for the priest in the confessional or what?

pg. 32 - Lucky. Right...I don’t think luck exists in the Hellboy universe. There’s always an ulterior reason.

pg. 33 - Also, this priest is very accepting of Abe.

pg. 34 - The agents raise a really good point about the Ogdru Hem and the monsters they create. Almost every previous encounter yields monsters that seem not to show higher forms of intelligence. Crafty, sure, but not conversational intelligence. Personalities seem to be destroyed in the transformation.

Though, we have seen exceptions. Including the frog monsters that the Black Flame trained, a few of the Ogdru Hem themselves, the “Revival” frog kid, and Nazi lady from Conqueror Worm. Makes you wonder where all of the more advanced monsters happen to be. And why they’re unseen at this point. What horror are they planning?

pg. 37 - This definitely explains why the priest was accommodating to Abe. He thinks the monsters are good.

pg. 39 - It’s interesting to see that some transformations aren’t complete. When other times it seems like it’s immediate and wholly at once.

pg. 40 - Aw, Abe’s still doing to stupid heroic thing.

pg. 43 - It always seems to devolve. Nobody ever listens to “reason”. Mob rules.

pg. 45 - The turn from a misguided but still seemingly Christian line of belief from the cliffhanger, to the more explicit Lovecraftian stuff here at the beginning of this chapter is a nice twist.

pg. 46 - Also the horrific realization that Abe has of previous prophecies.

pg. 48 - And that explains Henry even more as he transforms. It would also seem to answer Vaughn’s question previously about where the smarter Ogdru Hem are. They’re infiltrating societies more stealthily. Transforming and infecting from within.

pg. 49 - Hell of a time for Abe to grow a conscience about killing other monsters.

pg. 50 - Love Clem Robins changing the style of the font and word balloons for Henry’s monstrous appearance. It helps differentiate his human form from the Ogdru Hem personality.

pg. 51 - Love these monster designs. Their fluid nature and asymmetry remind me a bit of the infected from Prototype.

pg. 52 - Abe not wanting to shoot other monsters didn’t last very long.

pg. 53 - Though there’s no loyalty between the monsters either.

pg. 57 - Why use a shotgun when you can use a giant rock?

pg. 59 - Though it didn’t really seem to work.

pg. 60 - Henry, as the Ogdru Hem, definitely seems to be giving some foreshadowing as to what’s coming.

pg. 63 - It’s kind of funny that the Bureau finally catches up with Abe...

pg. 64 - ...only for it to all go to hell again.

pg. 66 - What this occultist is doing is curious. Also, we seem to be getting the admission that the Bureau will be leaving Abe alone for the time being.

Final Thoughts:

After getting the other Fiumara brother, Max, for BPRD: 1948, we see Sebastián here. Both of them are phenomenal artists, so it’s a coup to see them both brought into the Hellboy universe family. Especially on a series as steeped in horror as what Abe Sapien becomes as this ongoing started. While his style is still dark, like Max’s, it’s a little more restrained when it comes to his exaggerations.

I realize that that’s kind of odd when it comes to a story that includes horrific body transformations, twisted monsters, and fish men, but there’s less exaggeration when it comes to Sebastián’s depiction of the average person. You can see some shared influences between the two Fiumaras, but Sebastián’s seems to lean heavier towards Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, Tom Mandrake, John Ridgway, and Thomas Yeates.

Which in itself I find fairly interesting because this story gives me very heavy vibes for both early Saga of the Swamp Thing travels by train by Martin Pasko and Thomas Yeates and of the later “American Gothic” arc from Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. I also get a bit of the Incredible Hulk feel from the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno television series.

Going for straight-up horror, while maintaining the ongoing major narratives in the present, I thought was a great idea for this series. Like pretty much every series within the Hellboy universe, each serves its own purpose, which ensures that there isn’t any chance for the stories to become stagnant or repetitive. Even here as we get a recap of many different events, but cast now in a different light.

d. emerson eddy is dark and terrible.

#Give 'em Hellboy #Hellboy #Abe Sapien #Dark and Terrible & The New Race of Man #Mike Mignola #Scott Allie #Sebastián Fiumara #RaisingHellboy #214

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ask-constantinvaldor · 7 years

Note

Say at least one bad thing about every primarch, plus the emperor if you want. Maybe even the other custodes too if you're feeling like it.

*Sips Hot chocolate and pulls out a piece of paper.*

I. “Despite his knightly demeanor and all his talk of honor and loyalty, The Lion was far too willing to keep secrets, even when he could and should have told the truth. He believed he should have been chosen Warmaster simply because he was the 1st primarch ever created. He was unable to relate to mortals and even his own Legion. He demanded respect and obedience, but rarely gave it to others, even his own brothers and adopted father.”

II. REDACTED (They made the mistake of facing me, they should have fled and lived a little longer. Not that they could have escaped the Ten Thousand and I.)

III. “For all his talk of perfection, Fulgrim failed to see the perfection in humility and doing his duty, All he ever wanted was glory and adoration. He wanted everyone to sing his praises from the highest mountaintops and the lowest of gutters.”

IV “Perturabo never should have been given command of a legion. Like Fulgrim he wanted praise and glory for his achievement. While paranoia is a strength, Perturabo saw criticism and enemies everywhere, even when it did not exist and even among his own family. He believed Rogal Dorn was his rival but this rivalry was a product of his own deranged mind. His treatment of his Legionaries was sick and disgusting, While victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice, Perutrabo murdered one in ten of his own legionaries when he was reunited with them, simply because they did not meet his achievable standards. He spent their lives like a spoiled prince spends gold, War was never a necessary evil for him, it was an equation and a bill at his doorstep, One he was too eager to solve by spending his own son’s lives.”

V “The Khan was always a mercurial soul. A paradox. Reckless one moment, overcautious and dawdling the next. A bloodthirsty hound and a diplomat. A admirable, cultured and philosophical man, and a barbarian that mounted the heads of his foes on his jetbike, In his desire to not be a tyrant, he neglected discipline and too many White Scars considered becoming traitors, yet in his widsom, he granted them atonement through battle. In short, he traveled down many paths,and ran off the road constantly, Thankfully the one road he stayed on was one of loyalty.”

VI “ Leman,.. Like Dorn, I admire him for his steadfast loyalty and envy him for how simple things are for him Simply tear the Emperor’s enemies apart and follow orders like a good little corgi. Yet, he is a hypocrite, He claimed his Rune Preists used the power of Fenris, when one could smell the musk of the Warp on them a mile away. The culture of Fenris may have saved the VIth legion from tearing itself apart, but it was anathema to the Imperial Truth. He always assumed the worst in Magnus and that he was always right, So self-righteous, so eager to charge with his axe raised high. So changeable. One second he’s offering you a tankard of Mjol, The next, you’re head’s been removed and being chewed on by one of his wolves and he’s bedded your wife, cousin, sister and daughter at the same time. He always chose the most violent and direct option, even when diplomacy might have prevailed. If I had brought a leash for him, perhaps Prospero might not been destroyed,and the handful of innocents on the wretched rock might have lived.”

VII “I admire Dorn for his refusal to compromise his ideals, his honesty and his zeal. I wish I shared his idealism. But his refusal to compromise is his greatest weakness. He is more stubborn than a mule. He would rather win a moral victory and lose the tactical war than make a hard or dishonorable decision that keep you up at night. In addition he will not accept that Arlette will not let him fortify the Tranquil Courts.”

VII “Konrad Curze refused to accept help for dealing with his visions dammed him. He saw only one way to bring justice, through fear. The Night Lords were a necessary evil, but under him they became nothing but a band of criminals, He claimed to be a bringer of justice. A rather bold claim when one skinned men, women, and children alive.”

IX. “Sanguinus was compassionate and empathetic, but he never saw humans as people, he treated them like pets. For all his humiltiy, he basked in thier admiration like a tanner in the sun, Some part of him he refuses to admit enjoy’s how they view him He was too idealistic, and like Dorn refused to compromise on his ideals when it would be necessary. He was also surprisingly short tempered and hateful on occasion. I’m not sure if he knew this, but to some of the Silent Sisterhood, he came off as Misogynist.”

X “ Ferrus Mannus was incredibly short tempered. For all his and his legion’s cold-hearted and automata like behavior, he emotions collared him and kept him on his knees like a slave. He said he would purge the silver from his hand and ban the voluntary cybernetics of the Iron Tenth when the Great Crusade was done, yet if he had the strength he boasted so much of, he would have done it already. if he was logical as he claimed to be, he would not have died on Isstvan V.”

XI [REDACTED]

XII. “Although Angron would not accept it, I pity him. The Emperor should have let him die. The Butcher’s Nails have stolen any chance he had for a happy life, Yet the Butcher’s Nails does not excuse forcing them to be implanted them in his men.”

XIII “ Roboute is a statesman second only to Malcador. What he has done with Ultramar is nothing but remarkable. However, his obsession with control and efficiency, and his idealism, means everything must conform. Everything must be right or it will all fall apart. He cares for mortals, but like Sanguinius he believes he is their better and knows what’s best for them. Like the Lion, he demanded respect and obedience, and while he did earn it from his subordinates, like his brother, he had scorn for those who disagreed with his vision and banished them from his presence like the nobleman he denied he was. One can look no further than the 22nd chapter of the Ultramarines. These men are Destroyer’s and primarily Terrans from the old XIIIth legion. Many of their number also come from Ultramar and their Chapter Master is from the 500 Worlds. Yet the 22nd has a distinctive and unique culture that makes them stand out among the XIIIth ad other legion’s Destroyer Corps. Gulliman has made his dislike of Destroyer’s weaponry well known and their culture does not fit into his idealized view of his Legion , so he keep them at arms length like a red-headed stepchild. “

XIV. “Mortarion’s dislike towards Psykers, while justified due to the abuse of his foster father and the suffering he inflicted on him and the people of Barbarus, does not excuse his blind and irrational hatred for all of them. In addition, he lavished his affection on the legionaries from Barbarus and disbanded the Librarius of his legion. This made the former Librarians feel like illegitimate children. Mortarion was a prideful as Fulgrim, and could not accept the fact the Emperor had to save his life. When Mortarion spat on his oaths, he became the very thing he and the old XIVth legion swore to destroy, a tyrant with a callous disregard for life.”

XV “Magnus was arrogant. He believed himself superior to his brothers because of his abilities. He was a glutton for knowledge, but for all of his knowledge, Magnus was not very wise, and in his folly, dammed our entire species.”

XVI “ Horus… *sighs and takes a swig of hot chocolate* As much as I hate to admit it and as much as I tried to turn a blind eye to it, Horus was arrogant and acted like a spoiled brat. For all his tactical brilliance, for all his humor and kindness, He graved glory and adoration not for his Legion or for humanity, but for himself. Like Fulgrim, he wished all to bask in his glory and sing his praises. Horus wanted statues of himself, wanted people to prostrate themselves before him. He wanted their affection and love and to say “Yes Horus you are so brilliant what would we do without you.”

An old quote came to me regarding Horus Lupercal. “Veni Vidi Vici” Horus Came, he saw galaxy and humanity, and wished to conquer it. First for the Emperor, now for himself and his sick desires,”

XVII Lorgar is complicated. Arlette and I advised to Emperor to be merciful, when He censured him After the II and XI, I could not bear to slay another one of His children, and Lorgar’s transgression was nothing compared to the horrors the II and XI wrought on humanity. And I sympathized, with him not wishing to be a warrior, to try and be something besides another warlord. After all, when the crusade ended, and if Emperor’s safety could be absolutely guaranteed for eternity, i would live in a cave high in Himalzia with sheep for food and company and indulge in falconry and blacksmithing and toymaking and compose philosophical treaties. I could venture down from my solitude and strike down injustice and distribute candy and toys to children.

I was a dammed fool.

Like Leman, he was so changeable. He was like a child’s bouncy ball. Except he was loyal and devout in a misguided way, and than wicked, traitorous and spiteful, burning works and unleashing damnation with a smile on his face.

Lorgar had such faith in Emperor, he deified him, raised statues and built church’s all for Him. Now he is devoted to the Primordial Annihilator and will do anything to please his gods.

If only he had such faith in Humanity.

XVIII “ Vulkan’s Promethean Creed is an admirable philosophy. He had a heart bigger than an Ordinatus and kindness, compassion and smiling all came so easily to him. I envy him for his effortless kindness. Kindness, compassion and smiling are all things the Ten Thousand must hone as much as our skills in assassination and bladework.

Yet that compassion in his greatest weakness, Vulkan is not a warrior, he is a builder, a worker ant defending his anthill out of love. A blacksmith who forged all his creation but his weapons with pride.”

XIX “ Corax’s goal of liberating those in bondage is an admirable goal. Yet for all his time spend hiding in shadows, he failed to recognize necessary evils. On a personal note, I believe this character flaw led to his Terran legionaries meeting an ignoble end.”

XX The Alpha Legion began as a hammer in the shadow, another necessary evil. Yet when Alpharius took control, they became a twisted serpent. The old Christian devil in the form of a Hydra. Alpharius was a glutton for complicated plots and schemes. He is intoxicated on suffering and disorder. He is like Horus in the regard that all must know they were outsmarted by him. All most know that as soon as they sat down at the Regicide table with him, they were played like a damn fiddle.”

Any complaint’s about the Emperor, I shall keep to myself.

Arlette and I may have our disagreements, but we have each other’s back.

The only custodian I can complain about is Diocletion. He is quite frankly, a Dick. Empathy and compassion are skills he must learn. Time with the Ligo Aetos and humanity itself will be his teacher. “

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shayne-or-something-blog · 7 years

Text

Episodes 11-13

Brock confuses a piece of grass for a bug just to make Misty freak out.

Ah shit, Charmander, not this episode. The feels are coming back already.

Why does Misty keep trying to catch non-water Pokemon? These people and their elemental ethics.

The entirety of Pikachu trying to explain what Charmander said pisses me off. Every bit of it. How does Ash speak Pikachu but not Charmander, and why does he have to have the last bit of everything Pikachu relays to him be done in charades? How was Charmander caught at all if he belonged to another trainer? Don't Pokeballs just bounce off Pokemon owned by others?

Fucking Charmander in the rain with the leaf over it's flame, come on heart, we can survive another break.

How does this shitty english accented Damien have so many Pokemon with him? I wish I could have more than 6 at a time. He has like 16.

Damien is such a dick to Pokemon, how did Charmanader ever like him in the first place?

Is there Pokemon abuse laws in this universe? There should be if not.

Pokemon aren't supposed to be used in personal fights, ruining all of my rival battles in every video game so far. Sorry about that Dickbutt (my rival of course).

Misty in the span of one sentence says that this is dangerous and they shouldn't be doing it and then follows that up with a wink and "Gotta help a Pokemon in need." Everyone is so fucking wishywashy in this show.

Spearow are just real dicks.

Damien and his gang leave the Pokecenter in the middle of the night during a pretty bad storm cementing my speculations on his intelligence.

Ash without a hat ruins my headcanon.

Charmander was in a glass rehibilation thing last we saw him, but somehow opened a window and bailed during the night.

Brock gives more of a shit about Charmander than Ash, but he ends up with that shitty Zubat. I hate that thing.

Jesse and James syncing for their motto was a little off and it bothered me much more than I anticipated it would.

More pitfalls.

The giant drill machine has legs and hides behind a thin tree. This works.

Team Rocket calls themselves geniuses for digging a hole. For the second time.

This balloon bazooka thing just weirds me out. It somehow followed Pikachu, moved super slow but caught it still, and somehow the balloon absorbed Pikachu and then shrank to a fourth it's normal size.

Charmander keeps doing the gimme hands and it's adorable.

Charmander flamethrowers the group but doesn't melt the rubber balloon to Pikachu's flesh, disfiguring it for life.

Damien left in the middle of the night but ends up where Ash and co. are at the most coincidental time.

Damien is still Charmander's trainer, can Pokemon just choose to release themselves if they dislike their trainers too much? Did Ash steal Charmander?

Not gonna lie, Charmander is the most hype part of the series so far for nostalgia reasons. That dude is a hero.

That makes pitfall number 3 for the series.

HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE, SQUIRTLE SQUAD

Brock asks a bunch of Squirtle who they are like they're gonna answer him in something other than "Squirtle"

Second to the right Squirtle gave his life for the horde.

Old Western shootout theme is dope, no lie.

Can Jenny stop her bike in anyway other than a sliding drift?

Jenny and Joy are the laziest shits animators could do, but I love it.

"They're not troublemakers they're just misguided" excuse for the Squirtle Squad.

Jesse's rant about world domination being greater than lunch is ended with her stomach proving her wrong.

None of these sunglasses should be able to stay on the Squirtle's faces.

Pitfall number 4.

Terrible translation about jelly doughnuts meme.

So like, Meowth can speak to Pokemon in human speech and they understand him just fine? This does nothing to help my understanding of interspecies conversations that take place in this show.

Pikachu Thundershocks everything but it's target.

Rapid Spin, not a Gen 1 move, Squirtle is cheating.

Oh God, another Goldeen.

This Goldeen is pissed.

Just fucks Pikachu up out of the blue.

Where did the Squirtle Squad get all this rope?

Pikachu requires specifically Super Potion to heal from the Goldeen attack. Nothing else will suffice.

Where did the Squirtle Squad get purple hair dye, and WHY do they have purple hair dye?

You can tell someone is doing something important by the way they fall when doing normal activities in this show.

Ash's upper body strength is really impressive for a 10 year old.

ANOTHER GOLDEEN

Gary mothafuckin Oak, ladies and gentlemen.

Jesse pulls a bazooka on the people in the shop. A bazooka.

The bazooka fire cherry blossom petals?

So many guns in this episode but didn't they ban a later episode for having guns in it? What makes these guns okay? Is it the cherry blossom bazooka?

Jenny knows a secret passageway to the hidden cave where the Squirtle Squad stays?

Charmander's voice is the best.

The end of the secret passageway was blocked by a rock so how did Jenny even know about this passageway to begin with or that it would lead there? I'm so confused.

Purple hair dye was just a prank bro.

Squirtle fell over and it can't get up.

Ash had two literal bombs thrown on him and just gets his clothes dirty.

Squirtle going ham and picking Ash up over it's head while crying made me legitimately laugh.

Even Team Rocket doesn't understand how Ash and Squirtle got from the cave entrance to the top of the cliffs.

Smokey was wrong, only the Squirtle Squad could put out forest fires.

Ash has gotten so many freebies in his journey so far. 4 of his 6 Pokemon just kind of rolled with him, 1 of the other 2 was Caterpie so who counts that. Two free badges on top of that?

I fear I'll memorize the PokeRap by the end of this.

The very next episode actually just rails Ash for all the freebies he's gotten. Dope.

Krabby just foaming at the mouth always cracks me up.

Ash tries to swordfight Krabby with a stick to weaken it instead using any Pokemon.

It works.

Why did Damien's excess Pokemon not phase away like Krabby did?

Why in the world was there a random cut to Oak making ramen thrown in lol

Brock gets them into the lighthouse by offering to make bacon cheeseburgers for the guy running it.

Bellsprout phone makes me jealous I don't have a Bellsprout phone.

So much random ass tofu in this episode.

Of course Gary caught a Krabby too that's three times bigger than Ash's.

More mouth foaming, love it.

OH SHIT, THIS IS BILL'S LIGHTHOUSE? HOW DID I NOT REALIZE THIS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER?

Bill just chills in the best Kabuto cosplay of all time.

I want to see Jesse and James do their random motto and movements from someone else's point of view.

The acoustics in this lighthouse are stunning.

So Dragonite is the Pokemon Bill was referring to being the last of it's kind but that is prove to be untrue. Is this a diffent kind of Dragonite or Pokemon?

This is also legitimately one of the most vivid memories I have of the original series, watching Godzillanite come out of the water.

Second size matters joke made in this children's show.

Godzillanite knows Bill isn't the one who fucked with him but leaves anway, leaving it all alone again.

Dragonite cloud doesn't help not make me mad that they never come back to Godzillanite in a future episode.

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capricious-passions-blog · 7 years

Text

By Topic

Words, words, words.

OTHER

PengyChan

Flat Dreams

Yes

53,940

Alright. Full disclosure. This is a really good fic. But … I’ve never understood the whole - ‘it makes Bill Cipher into a redeemable character’ thing. Bill feels well rounded and it gives Bill Cipher good motivations for the show. But … he’s still actually a rather genuinely rude person who does bad stuff with only slightly more understood reasons. If anything it just pulls him from psychopath to misguided. I don’t feel sorry for him, I’m just six times more interested in him as a character. But other than that - Man is this a really great fic.[Note to Self. Edit this description][Edit of the Edit: Ignore me. I know nothing]

DisneyMuse, slytherintbh

The Demon’s Apprentice

Yes ish

149,836

2 major works, plus a drabble and alternate endings

Have I read this? I feel like I have, but I’m not sure. It’s where Dipper becomes Bill Cipher’s apprentice of magic and Ford is just not having it. But … have I read this?

The_Lionheart

One Sword

Yes and No

First Posted

2016-07-31

Last updated

9 May 2017

239,518

9 works

Oh, just lots. Portal adventures. Reimagining of canon episodes. Crossovers. But what I wanna know is how they get away with some of that purple prose stuff? Poetry? Different formats? It’s brilliant. How? Just - how?

KID STANS

Tell_Me_Tales

Math is Money

No?

First Posted

2016-10-22

Last updated

28 Nov 2016

2,622

As I recall - this one was actually kind of adorable. Right? I don’t know why it’s marked unfinished unless the Tell_Me_Tales had more in mind. Otherwise it feels like a pretty cohesive pair of one-shots. And Filbrick is … normal.

Tell_Me_Tales

A Girl Named Carla

Yes

6,569

Carla McCorkle meets Stanford and it’s awkward, and funny, and adorable.

ONE AND A HALF STANS

LogicalBookThief

One and a Half Stans Au

Yes

5,092

2 works

De-aged Stanley

biteinsane

Wearing the Working Man’s Clothes

No -

First Posted

2016-05-11

Last updated

25 May 2017

15,063

So it says Tiny Ford Au, and I was thrown off. I thought - the shrink ray stuff. But it’s kid Ford. And Kid Ford’s mind too. So it’s cute! But also - how can Cipher NOT take advantage of that? A One and a Half Stans, with Ford.

RELATIVITY FALLS

thesnadger

It’s A Great Idea (Who Are You To Judge?)

Yes

4,295

Relativity Falls. Grauntie Mabel and Grunkle Stan compare lives over drinks. Not the best idea.

runawaycartoonist

Gravity Falls: It’s Relative!

No -

First Posted

2016-05-04

Last updated

20,587

Stanley and Stanford go and visit their Great Auntie Mabel for the summer.

Amydiddle

Theory of Relativity

Yes

39,151

Relative Falls. Au colliding with Canon. Stanley and Stanford end up in relativity falls on a boat trip. Actually, the kids meeting their older selves - that’s neat.

THE JOURNAL’S CONCEPTION TIMEZONE

LogicalBookThief

The Devil You Know

Yes

5,677

Possession. Mystery trio. Ford gets possessed before he realizes that’s not a good thing. And Stanley … obviously gets caught in the crosshairs.

Keleficent

Trust Me

Yes

6,528

It …

Well anyways. Stan falls into the portal and … just … BADness ensues. Ford gets him out, but … so yeah

impish_nature

Finding the Right Frequency

Yes

6,885

Ford, and that radio! Talking over the air! Him and Stanley! It hits the spot.

WinchesterWarrenSon

Fractured Fingers

No -

First Posted

2015-12-14

Last updated

25 Aug 2016

15,631

I shouldn’t like this one so much, but um … I REALLY like this one. Stanley comes to help Stanford in Gravity Falls.

eosrealis (Aurorealis)

Cooperation is Mandatory

No -

First Posted

2015-10-09

Last updated

6 Nov 2015

26,024

Stanley is a werewolf. And yet outcast from all other werewolves - of course he couldn’t just get with the program, even as a wolf! And so Ford leaves Gravity Falls to study the phenomenon.

the_subpar_ghost

Gravity Falls Timestuck AU

Yes

26,761

Mabel trapped in the past and Stanley has to help her get back. Mostly through finding Stanford, and we all know how that goes down.

Kazriku

Silent Falls

No -

First Posted

2015-10-01

Last updated

26 Feb 2017

31,078

Absolutely no idea, but it’s got one helluva mystery element and it feels like it’s going someplace, but I’ve no idea where.

Kazriku

My Demons

No -

First Posted

2015-08-16

Last updated

28 Mar 2016

33,672

Mystery Twins.

Demonic Possession included. Kazriku also made a lyric video based on the same title and I recommend listening to it. Possibly while reading.

The Last Speecher (HeidiMelone)

Stanley McGucket

Yes

39,759

Stanley MCGUCKET. And that’s just PART ONE.

… wait. Guys. It UPDATED since I last saw it. I have so much to catch up on.

Fordanoia

Gotham Falls

No -

First Posted

2016-09-27

Last updated

18 May 2017

45,735

Batman, Gravity Falls crossover! What more do you people want?

asbelow

Time Has Changed Me (And Left Me Full Of Doubt)

No -

First Posted

2017-01-18

Last updated

13 May 2017

46,708

REALLY GOOD ONE GUYS. Everytime I think about - Stanley. Going through that portal. Coming out. And still not speaking to Ford for another couple of years. Having that kid. Dealing with trauma of having been on the other side of that portal. REALLY GOOD ONE. Major focus on awesome slice of life that just is REALLY GOOD.

MaryPSue

Raising Stakes

No -

First Posted

2015-11-23

Last updated

4 Jun 2017

56,058

Vampire Stanley. Enough Said. Also Stanley showing up at his old ‘friend’s’ house when the guy is thinking about how harmless Stan Pines is. He was BEGGING to get his throat ripped out. That scene was so cool.

Sarah1281

A Time Wish

Yes

59,420

Stanley goes back in time to stop himself from landing Ford in the portal. He lands as a old mind in a young body and stays level headed as Ford wigs out. And proceeds to relieve the next thirty years.

MYSTERY TRIO/NERD/TWINS

Kalajorn (Mortsyn)

And Then There Were Three

No -

First Posted

2016-04-19

Last updated

25 Jun 2016

21,450

Mystery Trio.

LogicalBookThief

The Devil You Know

Yes

5,677

Possession. Mystery trio. Ford gets possessed before he realizes that’s not a good thing. And Stanley … obviously gets caught in the crosshairs.

impish_nature

Phobos

No -

First Posted

2016-01-03

Last updated

10 Feb 2016

24,721

Mystery trio and Stanley has issues from his time on the road. It is unfortunate that it is incomplete.

Tell_Me_Tales

D-23:Guardian

No -

First Posted

2016-08-15

Last updated

23 May 2017

28,242

Carla McCorkle. Tell_Me_Tales adds a great addition of her as her own mystery trio in some of their work. Short chapters … that I feel get better as time goes on, but is that just me? Also - Gargoyle Stanley Au, but not monster Au.

tallykale

A better place, a better time

Yes and No

First Posted

2015-12-02

Last updated

22 Feb 2016

49,002

3 works

Mystery Trio. Stanley and Stanford reunite. Help.

babyblueavenger

Mystery Nerds AU

Yes and No

First Posted

2015-11-26

Last updated

2 Jun 2016

97,460

5 works

Series. It’s the last one that isn’t finished, with a 4 chaptered 46k word count hanging off the side.

NOT CANON TIME PERIOD

azhdarchidaen

In Search of Antidotes

Yes

30,200

Historical Au. It’s great. So Stanley goes to help Stanford and it’s all in 1892. Double thumbs up.

The_Lionheart

Takin’ Care of Business

No -

First Posted

2016-11-27

Last updated

19 Mar 2017

30,663

Modern … sort of Au. Where … Stanley goes to help Stanford. But Mabel and Dipper are more like niece and nephew - not great nibings. And … it’s really good. I really like The_Lionheart. They’re a really good writer.

delcatty (Harlecat)

The Thing On the Doorstep

Yes

35,915

What is this - lovecraft? ... Ha! I was right. I also don’t know much about lovecraft. But I do, however, know about this. And it’s Stanford getting himself into messes in a 1930’s setting and Stanley trying to help while overcoming Fiddleford’s phobia towards horrors of the eldritch type. The actual thing on the doorstep is … a mixture of a shiver down your spine and ‘bleck.’

STANS ON THEIR LONESOME

The_Lionheart

Missing

Yes

4,103

How Stan has dentures. A basic recap of when and where he lost most of his teeth WITH CRIPPLING FEELS.

MaryPSue

Now You See

Yes

4,158

Stanford never feels like he has to ask for Stanley’s help to come to gravity falls. You can probably guess how well that goes. Cause he finishes the portal but how to keep the world from ending?

The_Lionheart

The People That We Always Hoped We Would Be

Yes

11,546

Christmas Carol AU where everyone comes back into the past to get Stanford to reconcile with Stanley. Oh my gosh. THIS ONE. That one scene. WITH THE GUN.

the_subpar_ghost

Gravity Falls Timestuck AU

Yes

26,761

Mabel trapped in the past and Stanley has to help her get back. Mostly through finding Stanford, and we all know how that goes down.

The_Lionheart

Takin’ Care of Business

No -

First Posted

2016-11-27

Last updated

19 Mar 2017

30,663

Kazriku

Silent Falls

No -

First Posted

2015-10-01

Last updated

26 Feb 2017

31,078

Absolutely no idea, but it’s got one helluva mystery element and it feels like it’s going someplace, but I’ve no idea where.

The Last Speecher (HeidiMelone)

Stanley McGucket

Yes

39,759

Stanley MCGUCKET. And that’s just PART ONE.

… wait. Guys. It UPDATED since I last saw it. I have so much to catch up on.

TIME TRAVEL

Nicnac

Five Years Older

No -

First Posted

2016-11-01

Last updated

10 Jan 2017

7,659

27 year old Mabel going into the past and finding Mullet Stan. Come on guys. This one is almost mandatory viewing.

TheLazyBAMF (TheGuardian219)

Fixing a Mistake

No -

First Posted

2015-12-13

Last updated

7 Nov 2016

8,334

Stanley uses a time wish to go back in time and relive his life so he doesn’t ruin Stanford’s. So … he’s in his kid body with his grumpy grandpa mind, and kid Ford wants to play all the time, but is smart enough to see something’s up. How could you not want this?

The_Lionheart

The People That We Always Hoped We Would Be

Yes

11,546

Christmas Carol AU where everyone comes back into the past to get Stanford to reconcile with Stanley. Oh my gosh. THIS ONE. That one scene. WITH THE GUN.

orphan_account

The Ghost that Lives in Great Uncle Ford’s Basement

Yes

22,348

Stanley - GOES BACK IN TIME, and ends up as a ghost. But I think what’s most important here, is that he’s basically lived twice but looks young. And the ending. It finally makes Canon the better option in a not ‘rip your heart out and feed it to cannibals’ way.

the_subpar_ghost

Gravity Falls Timestuck AU

Yes

26,761

Mabel trapped in the past and Stanley has to help her get back. Mostly through finding Stanford, and we all know how that goes down.

Sarah1281

A Time Wish

Yes

59,420

PORTAL

scribefindegil

Nomenclature

Yes

1,133

Haha! - No, I’m sorry. This one. This one is great. Portal Ford.

eltigre221

Gravity Falls: Aspects of Stanley

Yes

3,321

500 Fords Au. In a hall of Fords, Stanley splits himself into parts of his personality. And Ford has to put that back together.

MiniatureGlitterSoul

Searching For Stanford Pines

No -

First Posted

2016-04-17

Last updated

7 Jun 2016

9,805

Portal Ford.

Beleriandings

A Tale Of Three Stans

Yes

12,413

They’re in iceland. Stanley and Stanford get separated. Until Stanley runs into another portal Ford. This is a really nice read. Short, but not too short. In a fun setting, running around doing interesting stuff. Police get involved to some degree. Otherwise it wouldn’t be Stanley and Stanford.

Nicnac

Lost and Found

Yes

12,687

2 works

Connected to Elementary Falls. “CanonFord!” lands in Elementary Falls universe. It creates TWO happy endings, so plus.

KuroJanKazu

Reminiscence at Sea

No -

First Posted

2016-04-04

Last updated

29 Sep 2016

17,754

Reverse Falls. Stanford ends up in reverse falls in one of his trips through the multiverse. And really learns to like … Will Cipher.

The Last Speecher (HeidiMelone)

In Another World

Yes

30,381

One shots of Portal Ford. Journal Style.

Queen_Mab

Ad Astra

No -

First Posted

2016-07-29

Last updated

3 Jun 2017

54,200

Mabel falls into the Portal to find a new Grunkle. The selling point would have to be how amazing the portal Mabel bits are. Ford and Mabel. It’s just fantastic at times. And then in rolls the Dipper and Stan bits and everything is up in flames.

The_Lionheart

One Sword

Yes and No

First Posted

2016-07-31

Last updated

9 May 2017

239,518

9 works

BLIND FAITH AU

pinesinthewoods

Blind Faith

Yes

21,027

Stanley and Stanford both land in the portal. Stanley loses his eyes. Blind Faith Au.

fex_libris

Darkened Light, Starless Night

No -

First Posted

2016-10-03

Last updated

12 Dec 2016

5,531

BlindFaith Au. They get out of the cave, but things aren’t peachy.

impish_nature

Blind Rage

Yes

4,743

BlindFaith Au. Stanford goes off on some midnight attackers and Stanley isn’t handling heat of fire too well.

impish_nature

Silent Plea

Yes

2,070

BlindFaith Au. Stanley helps Stanford with cave flashbacks.

impish_nature

Seeing is Believing

Yes

5,136

BlindFaith Au. Stanley regains some of his sight

POST CANON/NEXT TO CANON

impish_nature

Sleight of Hand

Yes

1,638

Oh my gosh - MagicStanley! It’s beautiful.

Neelh

Homologous

Yes

1,642

HA! I was wondering what ‘homologous’ even means. And then I saw the author’s note. Read my mind.

Reread it. I have no words. Monster. Angel. Blessing. Curse. How shall I describe this author?

LogicalBookThief

Stan Protecting his Kids

No -

First Posted

2015-10-29

Last updated

6 Mar 2016

1,670

2 works

First one is Soos’s dad. The second is a tourist and Wendy. I actually thought the Soos and the dad bit was interesting. I never would have thought about it, but yeah. That could go down like that.

eltigre221

Gravity Falls: Aspects of Stanley

Yes

3,321

500 Fords Au. In a hall of Fords, Stanley splits himself into parts of his personality. And Ford has to put that back together.

SilveryBeing

Key Moments

Yes

8,913

Stanford looking into different realities. Seeing the consequences of various actions over the course of his life. Post Weirdmeggedon. It’s good, but also full of Stanford hate propaganda NOPE THAT IS A LIE. Why am I lying like this?

Nicnac

Lost and Found

Yes

12,687

2 works

Connected to Elementary Falls. “CanonFord!” lands in Elementary Falls universe. It creates TWO happy endings, so plus.

KuroJanKazu

Reminiscence at Sea

No -

First Posted

2016-04-04

Last updated

29 Sep 2016

17,754

Reverse Falls. Stanford ends up in reverse falls in one of his trips through the multiverse. And really learns to like … Will Cipher.

Vituperative_cupcakes

The Demolition Log of Stanford F. Pines

Yes

22,280

A really amazing, after Dipper and Mabel leave, but before they set sailing sort of random adventures of the Stans. Full of humor, fun, and if I have this right - proper flash-back angst?

highwayKing

Stannapped

Yes

22,508

The one where Stan’s old buddies catch up with him, shove him in a trunk again, and Ford has to find him. And he does! Wait … oops, spoiler.

CCs_World

Mabel and Ford for Gravity Falls

No -

First Posted

2016-10-19

Last updated

22,889

Ford and Mabel Fluff as they try and save their kidnapped siblings. Apparently. Actually - you know what? I think it updated since I last saw it. I should … probably go read that.

impish_nature

Demonic Conman

Yes

26,385

Reverse One of Us Au. Stanley becomes the demon for Bill Cipher. What an exhausting ride. And the ending. Pretty much low-grade torture for the soul. As I recall, wasn’t there an alternate ending to this too?

MaryPSue

Hive

Yes

32,368

Note: Have not read. Vaguely skimmed. Looks interesting. [Note to self: read]

Post Canon horror story with casual fluff and happy ending. I think. Wait - how is this in my history if I haven’t read it? *Sigh* I don’t even know anymore.

SandyQuinn

There’s an Endless Road

Yes

41,073

This one is so great. Who doesn’t love a road trip? With your annoying brother and archenemy? Stanford sure knows how to pick ‘em. Also, this tag - ‘horror that is completely undercut by humour.’ It’s adventure in an almost episodic way, but also not at all, and is just super fun while not simply ‘pure fluff’ in any way shape or form.

Giroshane

Gravity Falls Adventures

Yes. But you kinda wish no. Series is marked incomplete, so maybe?

44,073

3 works

The Adventure with ____

How else to describe? Hurt/Comfort.

Stanley, Stanford, Mabel, and Dipper. Post Weirdmeggedon/in Weirdmeggedon.

WDW

A Thousand Natural Shocks

No -

First Posted

2015-10-09

Last updated

3 Aug 2016

53,750

Neverhuman AU. As in, ‘Stan Pines Dead’ Stanley actually died in that car crash and made a deal with a demon that wasn’t Bill Cipher and melded and is … no longer … human I guess.

videogamelover99

A Different Form a Different Time

Yes and No

First Posted

2016-12-23

Last updated

16 Apr 2017

26,407

6 works

Based on Flat Dreams and Pengychan’s and doodledrawsthings probably ideas and drawings. Bill is stuck as a human and is mostly annoyed.

Queen_Mab

Ad Astra

No -

First Posted

2016-07-29

Last updated

3 Jun 2017

54,200

WinchesterWarrenSon

Motorbikes and Sailboats

Yes

114,378

3 works

Okay, so if you’ve ever heard of Jimmy Snakes being a jerk and being in cahoots with Stanley in any way shape or form … this was probably where those ideas came from. That and the original Jimmy Snakes character info from the show. This um … it breaks you. If I was going to warn against any of these fics. This is the one I’d seriously warn against. I’m serious. Parts of me wish … that I’d just glanced over this one. I don’t know if I’ll ever recover. You should finish it, bordering on tears if not outright crying. It’s good. Really, REALLY good. Almost too good. I’m warning you DO NOT READ THIS ONE (you’re gonna read it anyways aren’t you, well I tried)

The_Lionheart

One Sword

Yes and No

First Posted

2016-07-31

Last updated

9 May 2017

239,518

9 works

BOAT ADVENTURES

molossiamerica

2 AM

Yes

3,062

In relation to the title. One word. Relatable. But other than that - these two. I tell ya. Sea adventures.

thesnadger

It’s A Great Idea (Who Are You To Judge?)

Yes

4,295

Relativity Falls. Grauntie Mabel and Grunkle Stan compare lives over drinks. Not the best idea.

StoneSabre

So the Ocean Soothes Our Scars

No -

First Posted

2016-10-20

Last updated

27 Nov 2016

5,508

2 works

Grunkle Adventures at sea

LogicalBookThief

A Pound of Flesh

Yes

10,918

I remember this mostly for the Clairvoyant. Post Weirdmeggedon boat adventures.

Beleriandings

A Tale Of Three Stans

Yes

12,413

CCs_World

And You Were Not So Old

No -

First Posted

2017-01-01

Last updated

10 Mar 2017

17,629

Stan contracts a serious illness and Ford is obviously extremely upsetted (yes I mean upsetted). Guys, right about now I’m banking on the lack of Major Death tag. Also how is this not longer? It feels longer. Huh.

dliriously

Changing Tides and Tribulations

No -

First Posted

2016-06-04

Last updated

23 Jun 2016

49,902

Really fantastic Stanley and Stanford post weirdmeggedon on their boat sail away and still deal with nightmares and disillusion and ‘what did Ford get up to in the portal?’ and STUFF!

embulalia

Two Old Men and the Sea

Yes

69,409

Boat adventures that head back to Gravity Falls. This one includes werewolves, nightmares, amnesia, seizures, Demonic possession, and torture. All from the tags, because for the life of me this blends in with other fics. I should probably reread this. (I remember the werewolves well enough ...? and obviously liked it ...)

scribefindegil

Fisherman’s Knot

No -

First Posted

2016-03-06

Last updated

27 May 2017

84,545

You think it’s over. And then there’s another twenty thousand words if not more. You don’t know how to handle these feelings.

WinchesterWarrenSon

Motorbikes and Sailboats

Yes

114,378

3 works

AMNESIA STANLEY

anonymousAlchemist

our past ghosts always haunting

Yes

1,347

Stanley never regains his memories. And it’s okay.

hapful

out

Yes

2,587

Amnesia Stanley. Andrew - ANDREW - *he thinks he’s andrew … * I can’t -

thesnadger

Things You Can’t Take Back

Yes

5,058

Stanley in the Colombian forest. But why is Stanford there? Dun, Dun, DUUUN. But no, actually - the feels.

Aaronna

With the Help of a Brother

Yes

5,638

Amnesiac Stanley. They get to the boat. Sad Ford. With a happy ending.

Nicnac

Weep Not for the Memories

Yes

7,718

Scrapbook doesn’t work. Amnesia Stanley.

impish_nature

A Lot More Lost

Yes

9,620

Feral Ford Au. Stanley Amnesia.

thesnadger

Summer’s Over

Yes

10,604

3 works

I’m - no THEY’RE trying to kill you. And I quote “Making Ford Feel Guilty For Fun And Profit; Actually There's No Profit; And No Fun; only pain”

BILL CIPHER ISN’T GONE

bananabog

Balm

Yes

1,073

A one-shot that wasn’t meant to be more unfortunately, but has a very interesting premise about Bill not being gone from Stan’s head.

roomapple

Liar To A Liar, For Lies Are His Coin

No -

First Posted

2016-10-19

Last updated

13 Mar 2017

23,456

Same Coin theory. Bill is back. Mucking about in Stanley’s head.

thesnadger

Axolotl

No -

First Posted

2016-02-18

Last updated

18 Jan 2017

32,458

Post Weirdmeggedon and Bill is back. The Stans head over to Gravity Falls from their sea voyage to let family comfort, and maybe find a solution.

embulalia

Two Old Men and the Sea

Yes

69,409

THE GRIM

moosesmittens

A Grim Night

Yes

688

I could care less how short this is. It’s that Grim dog. I’m so glad this was written. Any and all ‘Grim’ fics about Stanley and this dog are blessings in my eyes.

HowAboutThatSnapback

Death Omen, Shmeath Omen

Yes

1,649

Just the title. Just the title on it’s own is enough. THAT TITLE.

Kalajorn (Mortsyn)

The Black Dog

Yes

1,763

This one has Stanley befriending the grim because of an accident. It skirts the depressing and jumps into the Stanley is amazing.

impish_nature

Signs of a Well Lived Life

Yes

3,276

JOML AU @notllorstel

More Grim Au. I think they actually die in this one. Quote on Quote “Bittersweet and stuff”

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

WDW

Estranged, Lost, Found

Yes

5,047

This exists. And that is enough. I have no idea how this could have been thought up, but … I rather thought it was okay. You know. Once you get over the Stanley feels. What is it with this man. And my poor heart.

Nicnac

Elementary Falls

Yes

48,665

15 works

Stanley and Stanford get an orphaned Dipper and Mabel. A lot of oneshots around this, filled with feels and fluff.

EvilEkat

Versability

Yes

131,274

Stanley … strikes it rich, become an even worse person, and then gets the kids when his and Stanford’s names are mixed up.

Overall - Excellent. Very, very Excellent.

#Gravity Falls #Recommendations #Fanfiction #By Topic #Master Post #my junk

3 notes · View notes

meadowstoneuk · 4 years

Text

The AG Team At The Movies

It's lights, music and a double-bill of action, as we at AG each select our two fave movies for a desert island filmfest. DVD player supplied…

Garry Coward-Williams, editor

I love old black and white films. Without modern special effects they utilised dramatic lighting, specially written film scores and characterful acting to tell their stories and I think they’re all the better for it.

Great Expectations (1946)

Kindness, malice, friendship, deceit, snobbishness and wastefulness abound in this beautiful monochromatic re-telling of a Dickens classic about a young man who is gifted great wealth from a mysterious benefactor and becomes ruined by it.

The opening scene of Pip on the bleak Kent marshes walking past the gibbet, to visit his parent’s graves and then getting frightened out of his wits by the convict Magwitch is a masterpiece of drama and cinematography.

A first class cast with outstanding performances from Bernard Miles as the blacksmith Joe Gargery and Finlay Currie as Magwitch. Also film debuts for Alec Guinness as Herbert Pocket and Jean Simmons as the spiteful young Estella.

The Lavender Hill Mob is a true Ealing Comedy classic

The Lavender Hill Mob (194)

An Ealing Studios classic, in which a mild mannered, obsequious bank clerk, Alec Guinness, secretly desires to be a master criminal and hatches a plan to steal a van carrying gold bullion.

He teams up with Stanley Holloway who has the means to melt the bullion into statuettes of the Eiffel Tower and they recruit two professional criminals (Alfie Bass and Sid James) to complete the gang.

This story is about friendship and the coming together of the middle and working classes to realise a shared goal — the bullion. Of course the plan ultimately fails, but the friendships and trust remain in a truly uplifting film.

This was Audrey Hepburn’s film debut and it was a career game-changer for the then unknown Sid James as scriptwriters Galton and Simpson recruited him for Hancock’s Half Hour as consequence of seeing it at the cinema.

amateurgardening.com/blog

Wendy Humphries, letters editor

I love films with a sense of humour with the thread of a love story woven in, two of my favourites are Corina Corina and Mamma Mia. I’ve snuggled down to watch them both in lockdown and if you’re not familiar with them I highly recommend them.

Corrina Corrina

Set a deeply segregated LA in the 1950s, Ray Liotta’s character Manny is forced to hire a housekeeper after the tragic death of his wife. His withdrawn daughter soon bonds with Corrina played by Whoopi Goldberg and they have many adventures.

Corrina Corrina is ‘a charming and frequently hilarious tale’

Without knowing it and to the great disapproval of his neighbours, Manny begins to fall in love with his housekeeper as her influence helps his daughter with her trauma. It’s a charming and frequently hilarious tale that tugs at your heart strings and has a happy ending.

Mamma Mia!

This romantic musical comedy is inspired by one of my all time favourite bands, ABBA! It’s the unlikely but very funny tale of a girl about to marry on a Mediterranean island who has invited three of her mother’s lovers in hope of finding her real father.

With Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Julie Walters and Colin Firth in the cast it was always going to be a great sing along hit even if some of the singing is a little unorthodox. It’s a great comfort film with many classic ABBA hits and who cares if the story line is a little contrived.

amateurgardening.com/how-to

Lesley Upton, Features editor

Two films I never tire of watching are Brief Encounter and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Two very different films and chosen for very different reasons.

Brief Encounter is a 1945 black & white film directed by David Lean with the story by Noël Coward. It stars Celia Johnson as Laura and Trevor Howard as Alec – two strangers who fall in love after meeting at a railway station.

They’re both happily married, but after they start talking, meet again and arrange to go out to lunch, they realise they are attracted to each other – and they fall in love.

Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter Image: Alamy

The story shows the guilt felt by Laura as she starts to tell lies to her husband to cover up her clandestine meetings, and how she is torn between her comfortable life as a housewife and an exciting affair.

By today’s standards it’s all very tame – nothing actually happens apart from a few passionate kisses – but you can feel her dilemma. The pent-up emotion must have been very potent and risqué in the 1940s.

In fact, the film was banned in Ireland at the time because it was deemed to portray adultery in a sympathetic light. It’s a classic.

Star Wars, or Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope as it was later labelled, was the first Star Wars film, being released in 1977. It was written and directed by George Lucas, and starred Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.

I don’t think this Star Wars film can be equalled. It introduces us to the characters, has the good v evil storyline, plus battles, humour and romance. I love watching the attack on the Death Star and the first use of the now famous phrase, “May the Force be with you.” It’s a fantastic movie.

amateurgardening.com/how-to

Ruth Hayes, gardening editor

When I was nine my dad took me to the cinema – Dorchester Plaza if memory serves – to see the biggest word-of-mouth event in cinema history, a small-budget sci-fi film called Star Wars.

It wasn’t particularly dad’s things (I think he preferred Airplane!) but I nagged him into submission and from that day, from the minute the iconic credits rolled and the space cruiser loomed overhead (come on, admit it, you ducked the first time too, didn’t you) cinema opened up a whole new world for me.

Star Wars – now known as Episode IV A New Hope – is basically cowboys and Indians in space, right down to the baddest baddie of them all being clad head-to-toe in black.

The Force is strong with Star Wars

It has everything. Space battles, clear-cut good and evil, a beautiful, no-mess princess who can handle a blaster gun, a ‘walking carpet’ Wookie, explosions, romance (OK, potentially incestuous romance but they deftly dodged that bullet in Return of the Jedi) and cute, bickering robots.

And then, of course, it has swashbuckling, wisecracking space pirate Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and sweet, slightly dim farmboy Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill, who has aged into quite the silver fox). Be still my beating heart. I was as in love as only a nine-year-old can be and that flaming ardour (for the film as well as the leading men) still burns as brightly as it did 43 years ago.

amateurgardening.com/blog

The other film I’d take is… is… oh boy this was really tough. Princess Bride? Gosford Park? LOTR: Return of the King? Magnificent Seven? Where Eagles Dare? Terminator 2? True Romance? Sense and Sensibility? Maybe even What We Did on our Holidays.

I’m settling for Pride, the historical comedy-drama about a group of lesbian and gay activists in London who raised money for striking Welsh miners in 1984 when they realised the cops had stopped harassing them and moved onto a more political target.

It is a wonderful story of hard-pressed communities, political victimization and demolished prejudices and it boasts an epic cast: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Andrew Scott, Monica Dolan, Paddy Consadine, Dominic West and George MacKay among others.

Moving, hilarious, life affirming and tragic, not a moment of screen time is flabby or wasted and I defy anyone not to get watery-eyed at the end when the miners turn up to support the LGBT activists at their rally.

amateurgardening.com/how-to

Janey Goulding, assistant editor

Treachery, celebrity, kick-ass women, road trips and redemptive friendships: All About Eve and Almost Famous seem like peculiar bedfellows for a double bill, but they are kindred spirits of cinematic storytelling.

In All About Eve, Bette Davis redefined tragicomedy with her portrayal of ageing theatre darling Margot Channing, a brilliant yet brittle performer at the top of her profession in the 1950s who sees her star fading – only to be upstaged by conniving, fame-hungry Eve, ruthlessly dismantling the older woman’s career, relationships and reputation with a grin.

This tour de force of tears and tantrums pivots on barbed emotional swagger and deliciously dry one-liners, including the legendary: “Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy night.”

Almost Famous is a stunning ‘rocktacular’ about real friendship

Then comes Almost Famous, a ‘rocktacular’ based on the life of music writer Cameron Crowe in the 1970s, where a band that ‘just wants to be cool’ meets 15-year-old fan boy William Miller. Adorable wunderkind writer Miller winds up trailing this temperamental group of incendiary reprobates for a Rolling Stone cover story on a journey that feels like Alice In Wonderland meets Spinal Tap.

Between domineering mothers, belligerent editorial staff, misguided groupies and egotistical musicians, idealistic William fights to retain his values and objectivity in an odyssey of drugs, stomach pumps, sheepskin coats, malfunctioning airplanes and awesome grooves, while valiantly trying to write his first published article. As he walks the line between duty and friendship, he learns the most profound lesson: “The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone when you’re uncool.”

Decades apart in tone, styling and cultural mores, this is an enduring partnership of solid gold classics showcasing the stuff that makes life worth living. To be watched over and over, with dirty martinis and tie-dye bellbottoms.

amateurgardening.com/how-to

Let’s keep gardening!

One of the great things about lockdown was that more people discovered the joy of gardening and growing things and we greatly hope that this won’t wear off now that ‘normal’ life has resumed.

This blog is an insight into what the AG team is up in their gardens, what we like to grow, what we pick and harvest, what’s worked for us and what hasn’t – because like everyone, things go wrong for us too!

Our gardening ‘agony uncle’ John Negus is also still working hard. Send him your problems and questions, with pictures if you can, and he will get back to you with an answer within 24 hours, as he has been doing for decades. Contact him using the AG email address at: [email protected]

amateurgardening.com/blog

We already have thriving Facebook page but are also on Twitter and Instagram. These sites are a brilliant way of chatting to people, sharing news, information, pictures and just saying hello –we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Best of all, as gardeners are generally lovely folk, more interested in plants, hedgehogs, tea and cake than political shenanigans and point-scoring, so the chat is friendly and welcoming.

You can find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/AmateurGardeningMagazine

Twitter: Twitter.com/TheAGTeam

Instagram: instagram.com/amgardening_mag

So please drop by, follow us, ‘like’our posts and say hello –we will reply as soon as we can. Happy gardening!

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