#but there were people who cosplayed this on tiktok and im...??? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr Inc. is using 66 technologies for its website.

#but there were people who cosplayed this on tiktok and im...???

writingoddess1125 · 7 months

Text

I was a Tiktok with a ICP song and a female Buggy cosplay and Because I wrote the twins post I couldn't fucking help it- I got a different idea involving twins.

IM SORRY

In this the twins are girls named Dee Dee and Lee Lee and aged up to 19... You'll see why-

I'm so sorry- again

Hell Comes in Pairs.

"Where are those damn scouts!- Does it take this long to gather intell on a new pirate ship!" Buggy yelled as he stared out at the mountain of papers infront of him. Mihawk and Crocodile ignoring is existence it seemed as Buggy continued to bitch.

It wasn't long till the two scouts rushed into the room. They looked a bit flustered and quite happily as they held the folder in their hands.

"Reporting the Intel we got on the Newest Pirates, One of them for sure are no threat" Mihawk raised a brow at hearing the confidence.

"Oh?" He hummed, sipping his wine. The young man nodded with a grin "Let's say they are less then pirates and more-" He was cut off by his calmer friend.

"They are more physically interested in terms of pirate life then others. Paired with their drug and alcohol trade" He stated calmly, Crocodile face scrunched in disgust.

"So you're telling me you ended up fucking a bunch of people instead of collecting real information?" Crocodile said with a irritated voice. Buggy getting up as his own temper gor the best of him, stretching his head over to the two and yelling.

"Your job was to collect information not get your dick wet!"

The young pirate stared at Buggy, his face turning into stone as he stared at the Cross Guild Leader. Before gears started to turn in his head and his face went as pale as paper. Buggy pulling back a bit confused by the young man's reaction, before practically jumping in his skin when the Pkrate screamed a horrible yell of realization and began to wipe his mouth rapidly practically sobbing.

"NOO!! GOD FUCK NO!" He screamed, Turning away from the Cross Guild leaders in total shock. The second pirate looking at his peer in confusion till the screaming one grabbed the folder from his hands and opened it, holding it up in the air for the young man to see. Before the second pirates eyes got wide as it sunk in what his peer saw.

"PFFF!- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! NO FUCKING WAY!!" The man yelled laughing as he ended up falling to the ground. Buggy face burning with anger as he thought they were making fun of his nose, Mihawk standing up from his chair and walking to the anguished amd laughing pirates and snatching the folder from the hand of the laughing pirate and looked.

....

Mihawk stayed staring at the folder, her head slowly looking up to Buggy. Staring at the male who looked ready to bust before covering his mouth with his hand.

".....You two are dismissed" He told the two young pirates who as quickly as they could got out of the office.

"YOURE GOING TO LET THEM GET AWAY FOR MAKING FUN OF MY DAMN NOSE!?"

"They weren't laughing at your nose-" Mihawk mused, Crocodile now standing and walking to Mihawk to see what he saw. Crocodile only catching a glance at the contents of the folder before closing his eyes and taking a deep drag of his cigar.

"Defiently not your nose-" He mused, Buggy marching over and snatching the folder finally in a fit of rage before looking inside. At the sight he didn't know if he wanted to scream, cry or jump into the sea. His stomach twisting up in ways he didn't know possible and he could feel his lunch wanting to come up.

There looking back at him was two girls- Doing far too suggestive poses for photos. Pirate hats on both of them, and in rather skimpy pirate outfits made of bright colors. But what stood out the most was the bright blue hair in pink tails, watercolor eyes lined in black makeue and that smile just like his own and painted red like his signature clown make- it was like he was looking into a sick twisted mirror.

He could see the notes attached to their photos- the keywords reaching him was 'Two Captians of the Hokus Pokus Dee and Bee, 19 and a Green zone- People can board and party on the ship as long as rules are followed" and "Like a sailing brothel or drug den-" Buggy staggered at seeing the words and closed the folder not wanting to see further.

"Captians Dee Dee and Lee Lee, the 'Friendly' Pirates" Mihawks said calmly, havibg saw the names listed in the file.

"Well, it looks like your legacy has been secured in some way Buggy-" Crocodile said first with a deep chuckle, ignoring the damn evil glare Buggy shot him. Buggy feeling a few spark of rage filling his chest as he crumbled the folder in his hands. Mihawk seeing this very rare and serious look to Buggy.

"I'm setting sail-" He said through clenched teeth, Tossing the ruined folder onto the table before marching out and slamming the door behind him. He marched down the halls as he felt nothing but pure rage fill him, Seeing the two pirates in the courtyard and detached his hand. Grabbing the one who had screamed by the neck and dragging him towards him.

"Where did they sail-" Buggy hissed, Holding the young man by his neck with a harsh grip.

"E-East Blue- Just past the 8th branch!" The young man squealed, Buggy nodding and with a sickening crunch crushed his windpipe dropping the man to a crumbled mess on the floor. Beginning his March once more to his ship and setting sail.

#x reader #one peice x reader #buggy the clown x reader #one piece #buggy one piece #buggy x reader #one peice live action

189 notes · View notes

rileebilee · 1 year

Text

𝐢𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧 - 𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜𝐰𝐡𝐲

isaacwhy x reader oneshot . . .

hii, im mars and yes!! i am a isaacwhy fan/groupchat fan!! and i do write on wattpad but im on tumblr a bit often and see very few isaacwhy stories / oneshots so here i am! this is from my oneshot fanfic on wattpad, so if u wanna see it its here!! (https://www.wattpad.com/1315770424-the-group-chat-oneshots-ikkicon-isaacwhy-x-reader) ive removed some things from here, but not big changes!! ˚ · • . ° .˚ · • . ° .

fem!reader (sorry!!), she/her prns, any cosplay u want for this :)

˚ · • . ° .˚ · • . ° .

i fixed my hair, making sure nothing was wrong. i had shorts on under the dress so i wasnt flashing people (erm!!) and i had thigh-high socks on. i could hear the others screaming from below me, giving me the idea we were gonna go soon. i walked down stairs, checking the time to make sure i wasnt done early. i saw the others run from out of the hallway and getting chased by larry, whoo was looking at my like a little baby thats fucking mesmerized, so were the others.

"what?" i asked them, seeing them all snap out of it. "and we though isaac was hot?" tanner joked, making all the others laugh. i see them all run to isaacs room like little girls having drama to tell others.

i walked into the room, to see them all "diamond testing" isaacs necklaces, i smiled under my mask (yes i made u fucking readers faceless also, deal with it shitheads) when isaac pushed yumi away, he didnt make the beeping sound the next time, making then all run after isaac. i start laughing, putting my phone in my bag and setting it down by isaacs bed. i saw isaac run into the laundry riom as the others ran to the stairs, he ran into his room abd locjed the door quickly. "hey" he looked at me, smiling and putting his weight on the door. "hi" i smiled to him, taking off my mask for a moment. breathing in and out. i was nervous for this convention. really. fucking. nervous.

˚ · • . ° .˚ · • . ° .

once we got there, which i was riding with isaac and larry, and yumi, tanner, and nick were together. i grabbing my bag and got out with isaac. i was about the dame height as him, but a little bit shorter. and larry was looking up at me, like i was a goddess or something.. we all went in and started looking around i got stopped by a few people, so did the others. they all started complementing my cosplay and saying they liked my videos. after we finished with that we went over to these 3 people and started asking them random questions, yum started with a take it or double it for the next person, and isaac started asking them to rate his outfit, and i started telling them if they followed me on tiktok ill take them anywhere they want. once we were all done, nick had the idea to make larry go up and annoy them more. "this is not gonna end well." i said to isaac, looking up and him a bit. he smiled and me and i put my head on his shoulder, i couldnt do this alot unless i had my boots on, but it was nice once in a while. "ay love birds, stop loooking at each other and watch larry" nick looked at us both, staring us down before looking at larry again. we glanced at each other for the last time and looked at larry, who was getting held down by the group of whatever theh were. me and isaac started giggling at him while tanner joined in with us. nick was trying to hold back his laughing since he was recording. larry showed them the money and one of them yelled that they dont want it. they let go of him and nick ran over to him, recording him

˚ · • . ° .˚ · • . ° .

we all started splitting up in groups, me, isaac, and nick in one group. then it was larry, tanner in the other. we all went different ways to go interview some people. we got stopped by these people outside nick and me started giggling because isaac walked up to us and explained what happened

"dude they fucking walked up to me and started asking if i was smii7y.." he loked over to them and waved. we saw the others walking towards us, they told us that there was a group of people over there at their gonna interview, me and isaac had the idea to interupt their interview. we ran up and started asking random mixed quesitons.

"who the fuck are you?" yumi asked "ay uh, 10 dollars or uh smash or pass?" isaac asked, trying to not giggling "smash or pash or double it and give it to the next person". we all started just asking questions and they all kept answering them.

˚ · • . ° .˚ · • . ° .

we were on our way home and i felt a hand slip onto my thigh, i looked over and smiled at isaac, seeing him focused on the road. i looked back over, grabbing my phone from my bag. i checked my twitter, seeing all the pictures i was tagged in. i smiled at one of the pictures with me, isaac, and nick. i put my phone down, glancing at isaac through the corner of my eye. i saw him looking at me. i looked over at him also, grinning.

˚ · • . ° .˚ · • . ° .

once we got home, i ran up to my room to remove my cosplay. i heard a knock of my door, i changed into my shirt and shorts quickly and opened it. "hi" isaac mumbled, hugging me, "hi." i smiled into his chest. closing my eyes. i sighed, feeling him let go. "come on" he grabbed my arm, dragging me to his room. he made me lay down with him, feeling his arms slither around me. bringing me into his chest, i closed my eyes and sighed. "i love you." he mumbled into my ear, "i love you too." i smiled, feeling his arms tighten around me, i felt my eyelids get heavier, closing them for a moment, and next we both fell asleep.

#isaacwhy #the group chat podcast #the group chat #softwilly #larrycroft #bigtstreamingservice #yumimain #isaacwhyoneshots

154 notes · View notes

jellyfishdoodler · 6 days

Note

I was deep in that community in 2020/21 and got quite popular on TikTok with my cosplays, and was close friends with people on the server, but was never in the server myself. I always got major bad vibes from the server, and back then I was worried it felt culty. There was so much drama, people turning everyone against the people they fell out with, pitchforks and flames. At one point, I fucked up cause unrequited-feeling-yadda-yadda, and almost everyone dropped me and blew the situation WAY out of proportion. I was genuinely worried I would get a smear campaign against me for simply catching feelings for someone, but thankfully cause I was never in the server they didn't seem to put too much focus on me. I almost lost friends cause of it all, but I think those who truly cared about me managed to see past the cult-tinted-glasses and a few months later they welcomed me back. I never contacted those high-up in the server hierarchy after this, only my friends. I used to want to contact them cause of influence, to help my own channel grow through mutual collaboration, but I'm so glad I listened to the bad vibes I was getting and never gave them too much reason to focus on me. Was hard to see my friends get drawn into such a dark place and not really be able to say anything about it. I was never on the server so didn't think I could speak up about how cult-like it felt, just off-hand complain "that server is too much drama" to try and encourage friends to open up about their unspoken fears or anxieties created by the server. It never worked, society rebuilt after the pandemic, and I moved away from cosplay as I had normal life to get back to. It's so fucked up this shit happened and all I could do was watch from the sidelines as my friends were torn apart mentally by this group. I'm so glad I got to experience popularity in the JSE/Markiplier cosplay scene and made the friends I still have today, but DAMN am I glad to have not been popular enough for these guys. 🌛

God yeah I remember this whole thing. Thank you for sharing here 💛 The whole thing was fucked and Im so sorry that you got swepted into it even the amount that you did.

#betraist drama

4 notes · View notes

steveharrington · 2 years

Note

'not ur weirdo constant thirst for joseph quinn' WHY WPULD YOU HIDE THAT IN THE TAGS. DRAG EM

LIKEEE just saw a tiktok of what was clearly a stranger things meet-up at a convention of some sort with a lot of eddie cosplayers and the comments were just like. miles and miles of the meanest comments ive ever fucking seen being like "im embarassed to be in this fandom now" "im going to return my hellfire shirt" and even going so far as to body shame some of the people in the video and its like. first of all the concept of dressing up for a convention is not that fucking crazy like how is it any different from the millions of eddie costumes we're gonna see this halloween yk?? also these people are having fucking harmless fun and its SO bizarre to have people who claim to love a show where the main characters embrace being freaks and nerds and dressing up to play dnd then turn around and brutally make fun of people for fucking. cosplaying. like sorry people watch the show and express their love for it in ways beyond just saying they want to fuck joseph quinn all the time

#sorry i used ur ask to rant SDKFLJSDLF im just so annoyed #that video literally made me delete tiktok #answered

83 notes · View notes

dyketennant · 3 months

Text

im sure i've talked about this before on here, but in relation to the concert etiquette thing, i went to see [POPULAR LOCAL PUNK BAND THAT HAD SEVERAL SONGS BLOW UP ON QUEER/COSPLAY TIKTOK] and at the very front, right next to the massive speaker at this small bar venue, were two fourteen-year-olds. before that specific band came on the other person who was touring was doing his set, like. literally a couple feet away from these teens (it was a pretty low stage). definitely within sight, hell, within touching distance, and i hate to be all "these darn kids" but jesus christ. these fucking kids.

they literally spent his whole set dicking off. filming each other on their phone, giggling, texting their friends, taking selfies. hell, they did the macarena and laughed while this guy played a depressing ass song about the loss of a partner (up to interpretation how) again, right next to the stage where he could see them.

and then they were complaining about their ears and head hurting because, yknow, they were standing directly next to a giant speaker with no ear protection, and at that point i was just sad man. i was scared to point it out because yknow, theyre just kids, until one of my friends made a slight comment about it in the car on the way home, and all three of us proceeded to go off about it for the rest of the drive (which was very cathartic tbh, but doesn't make it any better).

i understand our individualistic society is all about making your concert experience "your own" but especially if it's at a smaller show (or at any show tbh but you know), they are human beings. they can see you. they can hear you. even if they're not who you came there to see (i.e. they're an opener or something) you should still give them your basic respect, because it's what you would want if you were performing songs that meant a lot to you and that you had likely spent hours practicing. it's just basic decency.

and if you know you're going to want to goof off and whisper to your friend/you get distracted easily...there's nothing wrong with hanging a little closer to the back. so you can enjoy the live music but not ruin others' experiences as much. really, the back of the crowd is not always as bad as people make it out to be, especially if you're not going to give the artists your attention anyways.

just a discouraging time to be an artist of any kind, man.

#concerts #yeah :/#also tbh even if i dont know the band i still enjoy the opener bc like. it's live music! it's fun!#plus if i like the main artist. they probably chose their opener(s) for a reason!#that's how i got into slothrust which has been a blessing on my life. they opened for tfb

2 notes · View notes

sapphsorrows · 4 months

Note

What do you think of Arielle scarcella?

first of all, she's not a conservative. i don't know any lesbian who is a conservative... they might be out there but i doubt it. the left has just gone so crazy that people who were considered liberal in 2010 are now branded as far/alt right.

second, although she is a lesbian, she is not an ally to lesbians. no one who promotes the "true trans" narrative (basically: these crazy tiktok nonbinary/trans people aren't ~really~ trans, the only ~true~ transexuals are the ones like blaire and buck who say they have had gender dysphoria since they were kids and who have had medical work done and who pass, tldr trans privileges for me but not for thee) is an ally to women or lesbians.

im sorry but, as of right now, there is no middle ground to this trans thing. you're either on the side of women and girls or you're on the side of men who want to cosplay as women and girls.

6 notes · View notes

ferrets4eret · 2 years

Text

Hi tumblr, been a while since i posted art huh

Anyways i bring to you scott major 1995 except this scott is from an au one of my mutuals made on tiktok! (Their @ is rinisgay2.0 im pretty sure if you wanna look into it more)

Some basic info about him and more from me below cut

Alright so the first photo is a screenshot you can find on the video they made about the au on tiktok about yk what gem each character is, where the gem is, etc and the second photo is a screenshot of our dms to each other about the au. They were basically explaining to me the whole backstory and stuff.

I also wanna say that the gems and the little team they said are a team made up of lizzie, jimmy, pixel, katherine, fwip and gem.

A short explanation about it would be that lizzie realized that xornoth would 100% be cancelled by twitter and for good reasons so she decided that instead of staying with him (bc he kidnapped them at some point) she would form a team and when they go to the next planet they would stay there instead of leaving. That planet being earth.

Anyways so enough abt a minecraft au now lets get talking about me 😁

So basically uh now that schools going on ive had less and less time to brainrot on tumblr and make my own posts besides reblogging a bunch of things. Ive also been using tiktok a little more, just cause some videos there are funny and theres a lot of cool cosplays. Thats also how i met my mutual who made the empires au (their also an eret fan like me and we are a little uncommon so yk i had to become besties with them) but anyways yeah

Also i still do draw, i draw alot if im being honest. But most things that i draw now are unfinished sketches and if i do finish a drawing then i like to keep it to myself for personal joy. Just occasionally sharing it with irl friends. And honestly, as an artist, i dont think owe anyone my art (im also not taking commission and ive never tooken commissions before so yeah i think i really dont owe anyone art). Sure its nice to share it with people, but im a very introverted person when it comes to sharing things like art so yeah.

Anyways sorry for rambling, i will post more things about the au tho so if you really wanna see my art lookout for those! :D

31 notes · View notes

klqrambles · 2 years

Text

tPoDG Modern AU ideas because @gabriel-shutterson has brought it back into my brainspace

Dorian and Basil first interact through insta comments because Dorian was one of the first people to put a genuinely nice comment on Basil’s post.

Eventually they get to talking in dms and turns out they both live in the same area so they decide to meet up

Dorian has sent Basil photos of himself and Basil’s like “oh god im going to be catfished so hard but i wanna believe”

They meet at like a starbucks or something

Dorian is a bitch for a pumpkin spice latte. Basil just orders a black coffee

Henry’s Basil’s friend from when they were 7 (they met at a high school gathering type thing that both their fathers attended)

As laid out in the other post, Henry has a million different burner accounts he uses for all kinds of things but most often it’s trolling the the form of a moral dilemma

Henry never participates in fandom discourse or flame wars because even though it would totally be his area of expertise he doesn’t understand the appeal. Dorian, on the other hand, is in every fandom discourse thread

Dorian’s youtube watch history before meeting Henry is mostly to do with classical piano/orchestra (he would love twosetviolin). After, it’s half fashion/beauty videos and half conspiracy/occult videos.

Henry’s watch history is an enigma. He will watch anything remotely problematic just as more fuel for his trolling schemes.

Basil’s watch history is a lot of speedpaints, art tips, and long-form video essays.

Dorian’s insta and tiktok famous

In a timeline where Basil and Dorian get together, they run a couple’s account on insta but each of their photos inexplicably has Henry somewhere in the background to the point where they had to clarify “no, he’s not stalking us. He’s just constantly third-wheeling even when we tell him not to.”

Basil can cook a pretty good meal and is pretty proud of that. Henry cannot cook anything but he can make some mean brownies and Basil does NOT want to know why he can make brownies so well. Dorian cannot cook to save his life, he will burn himself making a smoothie.

Dorian is a weeb and he has cosplayed Todoroki.

Henry graduated Uni with honors with a double major in chemistry and philosophy (my own hc) while also being the guy who appeared at every scheduled party and even some that weren’t.

Basil and Henry once, at 4 am delirious from a collective 2 hours of sleep over the past 72 hours, wrote the most disgusting and smuttiest crackfic ever (about who idk but think along the lines of those Obama x shrek fics) and it still lives somewhere on Basil’s computer never to be opened again if Basil can so help it. Mostly it was Henry writing it while Basil had his head in his hands but every once in a while Basil came up with an idea that made the fic so much worse.

Sibyl is in her last year of Uni (a small university with full scholarship and top of her class) working on a theater major when she meets Dorian.

Sibyl has her own small youtube channel with like 10 followers where she posts herself practicing and little moments with her fellow cast members.

She drops out of school to be with Dorian but.. ya know 😬

#the picture of dorian gray #dorian gray #basil hallward #lord henry wotton #long post #this isnt even the tip of the iceberg but it’s what my brain can remember rn

47 notes · View notes

killerlookz · 2 years

Text

why do i feel like a majority of eddie fans fail to realize like... eddie was actually outcast and seen as a freak, like genuinely disliked by his peers... he did things that were objectively to society at the time "cringe"... he played a fantasy role playing game and got on top of lunch tables and yelled at people.... most of yall would still consider that "cringe" today... i say this, only because- the amount of eddie profile pics i see on tiktok in people's comment sections whether its on cosplays/edits/talking about people that write fic and calling it "cringe" or just straight up like, being rude to other fans for indulging in fandom.... and even sending death threats to real life people on the show *cough* grace *cough*... it just reads to me like u have zerooooo media literacy.... like if ur doing that shit eddie would nooooot like you????

like i had someone come at me and say eddie wouldn't fw you if youre the type of person who harasses alternative in public... and they were like "eddie is a metalhead not alternative/ he wouldn't care bc alt people are a different type of weird" .... DAWG no thats literally what happened to him

sorry... pardon... im being chronically online for a moment oops

#anya talks💕

18 notes · View notes

anakinskywalkerog · 2 years

Note

Thank youuu so much for liking my cosplay, it means so much to me 🥺😭 Im gonna probably do tiktoks in it and I also have many other ideas for his cosplay for example: cosplaying him in my casual clothes or even maid Anakin. 🤣🤭 Also yea, I live in the same town as his farm is, but I dont even know where is it exactly, I moved here in July :'D But even if I have met him, it would be awkward as hell, because my autism wont allow me to talk to him and I would be shy af. :D:D And tbh: If I were in relationship with him, I would desire handholding 24/7, because I love his hands and 24/7 cuddling ><

wow yeah i bet if you stick around there for a while you might have a chance at seeing him!! depending on how much of a recluse he is when he is at his farm 😂 but i don’t really imagine him as someone who would want to hire people to run all his errands for him, so he’s gotta go out and buy milk, right?

i’m jealous of your opportunity to glimpse him but i’m also sure i would be too awkward and shy to go up to him in public. i’ve seen celebrities before, even celebrities i admire, but i never went up to any of them because i didn’t want to bother them 😫 and also they didn’t seem to want to be bothered going into CVS you know? but it’s still cool to see people you admire, even if you don’t get to talk to them

#star wars #anakin skywalker #hayden christensen #answered asks

3 notes · View notes

daigina-3 · 2 years

Text

I cannot TAKEE it anymore there’s so much cute fanart on tiktok and I even like some of the cosplays but there’s people out here literally bullying kids for duetting y/n Eddie/stranger things tiktoks. Like YES I am not into y/n stuff and its more popular among young people and do I find it silly? Sometimes! But im not going to go onto a video of an actual ten year old (who no shouldn’t be on tiktok in the first place but that doesn’t excuse these people) who duetted a y/n scenario with Eddie and try to bully her because she cant lip sync well?? And shes doing something cringey?? Shes TENNN i cant STAND these people thats a child! As if ya’ll were the coolest kids on the block when you were literally ten

#UGH im going to snap!!#think things are cringey thats FINE!!#I do!!#but I keep that shit in private conversations w my friends and even then #ive only sent cringe to my friends like twice and we were still IN PRIVATE more considerate than these ppl #fully in public #in young teens comments or calling cosplaying kids cringey #we GET IT YOU ARE SO COOL PLEASEEE GO RUIN SOMEONE ELSE’s FUN YOU COOL COOL KIDS!!

2 notes · View notes

maddestmewmew · 2 years

Text

jesus christ i dont know why im on tiktok anymore.

theres this random kid, theyre 17, who is a bit . cringey. i wont lie. they made a couple steven universe song covers with the lyrics edited to be about being nonbinary/trans, and they cosplay, and theyre loud about liking things like dsmp and shit. and theyre openly queer and happy about it and like . yea, some of the stuff they do is kind of weird but JESUS FUCK the amount of harrasment theyre getting for the crime of being a cringy teenager? theyve tried everything theyve privated their account theyve tried to ask people what they did wrong and how to stop it theyve done so much to make up for the nothing they did wrong . and people are STILL attacking them. theyre 17. SEVENTEEN. and when they reasonably asked, "why are people attacking me, a child, for doing childish things" they got "oh so youre pulling the minor card" SHUT UP!! thats not "pulling the minor card" theyre pointing out the fact that YEA, YOURE ATTACKING AN ACTUAL CHILD FOR BEING A BIT EMBARRASSING. "theyre a full adult in a few months they cant keep pulling the minor card" IT WOULD STILL BE BAD TO MAKE FUN OF A /TEENAGER/ FOR BEING JUST THAT IF THEY /WERE/ AN ADULT!! god i fucking . genuinely hate this

#like yea ok. steven universe is dumb and i dont like dsmp and they sing bad #and??#that just means i wont interact with them. Thats All.#why does this mean to some people its ok to bully someone???#seriously debating deleting tiktok #ALSO. the way people reacted to the will wood situation is DISGUSTING but i wont get into it bc thats a whole nother rant

1 note · View note

fayzart136 · 4 years

Text

Shaperatown

Hey, remember when I made that Hadestown AU?

Well... I made a fic for it. It turned out longer than expected (8.6K words) but I’m very happy with it. Any feedback is much appreciated!

ROAD TO HELL

The kiosk had long since been abandoned. It wasn’t like there was any food left on the shelves, anyway. All of it had been taken by the hungry people of the town. The only movement on the train station were a few newspapers littering the ground, seeming to shiver in the cold wind.

Michael wasn’t surprised by the deserted station; this winter had been particularly harsh. Everyone would rather stay inside and huddle by the fire than sit on a freezing platform. Being a vagrant, he didn’t exactly have that luxury. Besides, someone had to be here when she arrived. He tried to light a cigarette, not an easy task with his prosthetic arm. As he was struggling, he noticed another person. “Oh, hi there, stranger. Fancy seein’ you here. Don’t mind me, I’m just waiting on someone.” The sign above the platform only had one train scheduled: Shaperatown. It didn’t say at what time it would arrive. Michael noticed the person looking. “Yeah, it never shows when. But it’ll come when it’s time. Prob’ly at the end.” At the end? The stranger wondered. “The end of my story, ‘course. Seems like a fine time for a train to show up. If you like, I can tell you. It’s always better to tell stories when someone’s actually listenin’.” The person sat down next to Michael, and he smiled. “Thanks, stranger. I have to warn you though.” His smile faded. “It’s a sad tale. One might even call it a tragedy. But even sad tales deserve to be told, don’tcha think?” He chuckled. “Hell, maybe it’ll turn out this time.” He turned toward the stranger. “So, what’dya say? I can’t promise I’ll even finish the tale, and it might take me a long time. But are you ready to hear an old song again?” The stranger nodded. “Good. Now, it all started when this new guy came into town...”

COME HOME WITH ME

“Hey, who is that guy?” Michael glanced over to where Raven was looking. A blonde man had just entered the diner and was sitting a few tables away from them. “Oh, him? I dunno, he’s new. I think his name was Louie, Leo, something like that.” Raven studied the stranger. Despite his tall frame, he still got lost in his big overcoat. His clothes were covered in mud from the road and heavily worn. His bags were right next to him, with what seemed like all his belongings. He looked like a man who didn’t intend to stay very long. “I’m gonna go talk to him.” Raven decided out loud. He got up, but Michael grabbed his shoulder before he went. “Look, Raven...Don’t come on too strong, okay?” Raven scoffed. “Please, Michael, you know I’m the master of the soft sell.” Michael didn’t look like he believed him one bit. Nonetheless, Raven strolled up to the table the man was sitting at.

“Come home with me.” Lloyd looked up at him. “I’m sorry, what?” “I said, come home with me.” Raven flashed his brightest smile. The man blinked rapidly and frowned. “I- Do I know you?” “Not yet, but you will.” He removed the guitar that was strapped to his back. “The name’s Raven. I wrote you a song, wanna hear it? It’s mostly a medley, but there’s stuff of my own in there, as well.” The man seemed to still be reeling a bit, but most of the confusion on his face had been replaced by a sort of amusement. “I see. You play, then?” “Yeah, I’m also in this theatre troupe, and we’re thinking of expanding to a circus-” The man laughed. “Oh, a drama queen and a clown, as well!” Michael couldn’t bear to see this anymore and piped in from his table. “You should really listen to the medley, though. It’s pretty out there, but the guy’s got talent.” Lloyd looked over at Michael, then back at Raven standing ready and eager with his guitar. He sighed but couldn’t help smiling a bit. “I mean, sure. Why not.” That’s all the encouragement Raven needed, and he started singing.

When the medley was over, Raven was a bit short of breath. He always got really ‘into’ his performance, and this time, he gave it his all. Lloyd was staring at him, brows raised. “Well. That was certainty the most... unorthodox seduction I’ve ever enjoyed.” Raven grinned. “But you enjoyed it, though?” And sure enough, Lloyd had been oddly charmed by the performance. There was a passion there, a kind of chaos and sincerity that really spoke to him. He tried to act nonchalant and shrugged. “I mean, I definitely didn’t hate it. I’m curious to see your theatre troupe, now.” “Great! You’re gonna love it. It’s a bit chaotic, mostly because we don’t have a stage manager yet, but you should totally come to rehearsal.” Lloyd considered that for a moment. He glanced at the road through the dirty windows of the diner. There were worse towns to rest in. Surely, he could stop for just a moment. If the winds changed, he could just pack his bags and go, anyway. He looked back at the strange man, who was staring right back at him excitedly. No harm in taking in the scenery, as it were. “Say... Raven, was it? You’re in luck, because I just so happen to know a stage manager. And he would love to go with you.”

WAY DOWN HADESTOWN

Michael winced as the distant, but sharp call of the train cut through his hangover. Groggily, he dragged himself into a sitting position. Around him, other partygoers slowly woke up, as well. “Sounds like your ride is here, Fay.” The woman, who had been sleeping it off on the couch, groaned in frustration. “Oh, come on! That was not six months!” Begrudgingly, she got up and straightened her dress. “Someone teach that man to read a bloody calendar,” she mumbled. Michael got up as well. “I’m sorry, but I guess it’s time to go.” Fay huffed and grabbed the nearest bottle. “I’ll go pack my bags.”

Everyone had come to wave Fay goodbye. Michael, Lloyd and Raven stood a bit apart from the rest. The Floozies were there as well. But then again, they were always kind of always there. No one knew where they had come from, or how many of them there actually were. They all had to exact same cotton candy hair, and it was impossible to tell them apart. Either they could move between locations very quickly, or there were more than anyone could count. However many there were, they were always seen in groups of three. Raven got along with them pretty well. “I don’t get it,” Lloyd confessed. “Why does everyone say Shaperatown is such a terrible place? I understand why Fay doesn’t want to go back, but everyone here acts like that place is Hell itself.” “You’re not that far off, actually.” Michael said, “You’re new, so it’s not weird you don’t know.” He lowered his voice. “Y'see, down there, the dead are put to work. They get desperate folks, make ‘em sign this contract. An’ when ya do, they shove your soul in this mannequin thing. Unable to talk or rest, they make the perfect workers. There are thousands of dolls there, just slavin’ away for Mr. McAlister. No-one who goes to work there, ever returns.” Lloyd looked down the track, as though he would be able to see the city from there. “You’re saying they got jobs there?” Raven looked at his boyfriend in shock. “That was not the part to take away from this story, Lloyd!” “Yes, I know, I know. I was just surprised this McAlister fellow is able to provide so many jobs. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the economy isn’t doing great at the moment.” “Oh, not over there.” One of the Floozies piped in. “A little bird told me the economy is running smooth as ever!” “Yeah!” The second one added. “All the money comes from there.” “Quite literally,” The third one finished. “What, with all the mines and all.” “What’s that matter?” Raven asked incredulously. “Who cares about the economy when you’re dead?” He grimaced. “I’d eat pig crap on crackers before I consider working there. Who in their right mind would trade feeling the sunshine for some spare change?” Michael nodded. “Tell me ‘bout it.” He held out his prosthetic arm. “I’ve got one wood part, and that’s a-plenty, lemme tell ya.” His expression turned to horror. “God, can you imagine full-body phantom pains?” He shuddered. Lloyd stayed quiet. All conversation died down as the train arrived. For a moment, the whole station was covered in thick smoke, making everyone cough. When they could see again, the only carriage opened, and a man stepped out. It was the man they’d been talking about: Edgar McAlister. A short man dressed in a fine suit and top hat. His curly hair was graying, but you could still see a bit of the carrot color. Fay walked up to him. “You’re early.” She snapped. McAlister’s neutral expression didn’t change. “I missed you.” As the couple got into the carriage, the Floozies whispered in Lloyd’s ear. “Didya see his suit?” One said. “Wanna bet he never goes hungry?” The other added. “Seems like he owns everything.” They all said in unison. “Kind of makes you wonder how it feels.” Lloyd marveled.

CHANT I

Fay had almost forgotten how polluted the city was. Even inside, the smog seemed to carry more dust than oxygen. The air was heavy and hot, and the noise and light gave her a headache, after not even an hour being back. She threw her coat on the couch. “God, this place is getting worse every year.” “Oh, I apologize,” Edgar said calmly. “Let me just turn off the factory. I’ll go let everyone starve, because Fay dearest is uncomforable.” The tension between them hang in the air. Fay knew where this conversation would lead. She took another drink to prepare herself. Edgar crossed his arms and nodded to the factories outside. “I’m doing this to provide for you, you know.” Fay scoffed. “I don’t remember asking you to.” Edgar raised his eyebrow. His voice stayed icy, only frustrating Fay more. “I am pretty sure you agreed to this. I seem to recall vows of some sort.” And so, the argument began in earnest. “Oh, you mean the vows you forced me to make?” “I didn’t force you to do anything. It wasn’t like I dragged you down the aisle.” Fay felt the urge rise to punch something, preferably her husband’s face. “Besides,” He continued smugly, “I now am the most succesful man in town. You no longer have reason to leave.” Fay couldn’t believe her ears. “Do you still think that was the bleeding problem? I left you,” Fay spat. “because we didn’t work.” “I made it work!” Edgar countered. “I put in the effort to win you back over. I built all this,” He gestured around. “All to win your heart! Shouldn’t you at least be grateful I’m doing all this for you?” Fay leaned forward. She was a head taller than her husband, and she looked down with curled lip. “I feel nothing for you."” She whispered. “I loved you once. But now, I feel nothing but loathing, disgust and hate.” That shut him up for a moment. He swallowed. "Very well.” He said. “If you’ll excuse me, I have just decided the workload for the dolls should double.” As he walked away, he called back over his shoulder. “I’m sure your father will be pleased about that.” He slammed the door on his way out. Fay wasn’t surprised. This was how it went every year. She felt a pang of guilt for her father receiving the consequenes of her failing marriage. Another swing from the bottle helped ease it a bit.

CHANT I / SONGBIRD

“You said you could provide for me!” “You’re acting like it’s my fault the storm is here!” “No, “Lloyd spat. “But it is your fault I am!” He walked toward the door. “Wait. Wait, Lloyd, where are you going?” “Out!” He called. His hand was already on the door handle, when Raven grabbed his arm. “Wait, Lloyd! Don’t go!” Lloyd tried to shake him off. “Don’t be so dramatic. I just need to clear my head, I’m coming back.” “Are you?” The genuine worry in his boyfriend’s voice made him turn around, hand still on the door handle. “Yes, of course I will. Like I said, I just need time to think. Will you please let go of my arm?” Raven didn’t let go, his jaw stubbornly set. “Ravey, what’s the matter with you? You aren’t usually this paranoid.” “I have a bad feeling.” He confessed. “I don’t want you to leave during a fight.” Lloyd sighed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but there’s nothing to worry about. I won’t hit the road. Right now, I’m just angry and I need to calm down.” He pried Raven’s hand from his arm. “I’ll be back. I promise.” Raven didn’t respond. Lloyd was right, this wasn’t like him. But as his boyfriend went through the door, he couldn’t help the anxious feeling in his gut.

Lloyd sat by the side of the road and took a deep breath. The cold wind cut his lungs, but the bite refreshed his flushed face a bit. Raven and he had been having more and more fights, lately. Almost all of them were about money. Raven was so caught up in his music, he didn’t seem to notice all the firewood and food had dwindled and vanished. He thought he could do what he had been doing every winter, not realizing there now were two mouths to feed. And as pretty as his songs were, they weren’t able to shelter Lloyd from the wind. He groaned and covered his face in his hands. He should’ve left when he had the chance. He had always gone wherever the wind blew him, never growing attached. But in spite of himself, he had caught feelings for Raven, and now he’d gotten himself stuck. As he was moping, he heard a cheery voice. “Hey there buddy, you’re looking down. Say, you’re Lloyd Allen, aren’t you?” He looked up to see a man in a snazzy suit looking down at him. His smile was dazzling. “You were stage manager for that Neverland play, right? That was a fine piece of work, there. Can’t have been easy to keep everything on track.” Lloyd scoffed softly at the memory. “It was like herding cats.” He confessed. The man nodded. “I bet it was. I mean, the actors were fine and all, but everyone knows the real work happens backstage.” “Exactly!” Lloyd agreed. The man sat down next to him. “Well look here, I’ll level with ya. It’s a damn shame to see a guy with your potential merely managing plays. We think you gotta lot of potential.” “Who’s ‘we’”? Lloyd asked. The man waved faux-casually. “Oh, just some fellas over in the city. That’s right, I’m from McAlister Inc., and I’m here to help. I’ve got a proposition for ya. How’d you feel about a proper job?” Lloyd frowned. “In Shaperatown? No thank you, I’d like to keep living a while longer.” The man shrugged. “Well, it’s hardly dying if you get better, right? Besides, you’ll basically become immortal. Seems like a pretty good tradeoff to me.” Lloyd thought about it. “Well, when you put it like that... I’ve heard some things about the work conditions, though. They tell me everyone’s miserable there.” The man looked like he had said something ridiculous. “How can you be miserable when you’re never hungry or tired? Those doll bodies don’t need anything, except the spare part every now and then. Immortality, never a care in the world, and a stable job?” He jabbed Lloyd playfully in the shoulder. “Really, you’re the one who’s cheating me.” Lloyd tried to think of what Michael and Raven had told him about Shaperatown. Was there something he was missing? Surely, if the man was telling the truth, it couldn’t be as bad as they made it out to be. Definitely not so bad as to dismiss it out of hand. He got up. “Thank you for the offer. I’ll go talk it over with my boyfriend, and I’ll get back to you.” The man looked incredulously, still with that smile on his face. After a few seconds, he laughed out loud. “Oh, that’s a good one. ‘I’ll get back to you’, you’re a riot!” Still chuckling a bit, he got up as well. “I don’t think you really get what’s goin’ on, son. Y’see, I’m a busy man, I can’t stay long. I got clients to call, orders to fill. Now, like I said, ya got potential, but if I walk into town, people will practically fling themselves at me for the opportunity to work. For you ten others, you know what I’m saying? It’s now or never.” “I have to choose right now?” Lloyd asked. “That’s the idea.” The man’s smile dropped. “Although I don’t think it’s much of a choice. Look all around you.” He waved at the barren lands. “It’s not like you’ve got anything to lose. So what’ll it be? Would you like to work? Or would you rather starve to death? The choice is yours, if you’re willing to choose.”

Lloyd was stunned. After a brief consideration, he shook his head. “I can’t leave.” He said. “It wouldn’t be fair.” “Life ain’t fair, baby.” Floozie said. Lloyd hadn’t seen her approach, and he startled a bit. “Yeah,” The second one said. “You gotta do what’cha gotta do.” “No, I couldn’t.” Lloyd protested. “I promised Raven I wouldn’t leave.” “Oh,” The third one said. “Jus’ like Raven-baby promised to provide for you? How’d that turn out?” Lloyd didn’t have a good response to that. “I shouldn’t. It would break his heart.” He said, but he already sounded less argumentative. “So what?” All three Floozies said in unison. “Everyone must deal with heartbreak eventually. If it isn’t from you, it’ll be from someone else.” “Besides,” one continued, “The man is right, y’know? You’ll just go hungry if ya stay.” “And what good would that do?” The others added. “No use in you both starving, right?” Lloyd’s heart ached. He knew he shouldn’t. Ever since he met Raven, he told himself he was above such selfishness. He didn’t have to only hold his own anymore. But the gnawing in his stomach was persistent and wouldn’t be ignored. He turned toward his house one last time, almost hoping Raven had followed him and would stop him. But he was alone. He turned back to the man in the suit. “Alright. I’m going.”

WAIT FOR ME

After Lloyd disappeared, everyone held their breath for Raven. They all expected him to completely fall apart. However, at first glance, he seemed to be doing okay. He still went to rehearsals and kept writing his songs. In fact, he started working even harder, fully throwing himself into the theatre. And sure, he drank a bit more at afterparties, and his laugh had a bit more of an edge than usual, but he assured everyone he was fine. Lloyd had needed some time for himself, he said. It had been a couple weeks, but he would be back any minute. There was nothing to worry about. But Michael knew him. The cheery façade Raven threw up couldn’t fool him. He went to check on him.

“Hey, Raven? You home?” The smell hit him as soon as he stepped through the door. The stench of stale beer, as well as stronger stuff, mixed with that of unwashed dishes and dust. Michael carefully stepped around the empty bottles and strewn-across laundry. He heard Raven call from the bedroom. “Go away! I’m not home.” He sounded like he had been crying. Slowly, Michael opened the door. Inside the bedroom was an even bigger mess. There wasn’t an inch of the floor that wasn’t covered by trash of some sort. Raven lay on the unmade bed, still clutching a bottle of scotch. He shielded his eyes from the faint light as Michael stepped in. “Hey man.” He said, softly. “How you doin’?” “How the fuck does it look like I’m doing? Go away.” He took another swig from the bottle. Michael walked over and tried to gently remove it from his hand. “A’ight, I think you had enough.” “Yeah, you would know.” Raven snapped. Michael stayed calm. “I do.” Raven opened his mouth to say something, closed it again, and groaned. He threw his arm over his face. “I’m sorry Michael, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, it’s just-” “Don’t even worry about it man, it’s fine.” As Michael sat the bottle on the nightstand, he noticed a strong scent. His nose crinkled. “Hey, uh... D’ya know what might make you feel better?” He offered. “How ‘bout a nice shower to freshen up, huh?” Raven chuckled dryly, still covering his face. “Way to bring it up tactfully. But no.” He paused. “What’s the point?” “Of showers?” Michael asked. “You know damn well that isn’t what I meant.” Michael went silent. He sat down on the edge of the bed, not really knowing what to say. “C’mon,” he said gently, touching Raven on his shoulder. “Let’s get some food into you. We need to talk.”

A slightly more presentable Raven sat across him at the kitchen table. The man looked like hell. His dreads were a tangled mess and he looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. Clutching his bowl of soup and with a blanket thrown around his shoulder, he looked completely unlike the flamboyant showman he was. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.” He said sheepishly. Michael waved. “Like I said, don’t worry ‘bout it. You’d do the same for me.” Raven smiled. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Michael paused, taking some time to pick his words. “I know you’ve been pretty torn up after Lloyd left.” Raven snorted. “Well, what gave you that crazy idea.” Despite the jest, his voice cracked slightly with the threat of tears. He cleared his throat. “Yeah,” Michael said deadpan. “I dunno how I could think sucha thing.” “It’s just-” Raven gripped his bowl a bit tighter. “He promised he’d be back. He didn’t say when, but it’s been months! What if something happened to him? What if...” His jaw tightened with emotion. “What if he isn’t coming back?” Michael rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, uh, it’s about that I wanted to talk to ya, actually. I didn’t wanna tell you before, because I was ‘fraid you’d get depressed. But, well...” He gestured vaguely around. “I can’t get worse than this.” Raven finished. “Yeah, pretty much.” Michael said bluntly. “So, I got good news and bad news. The good news is: I know where Lloyd went.” Raven’s sprung up. Immediately, the spark returned to his eyes. “You do?! Where is he?” “Y’see, that’s the bad news: you’re really not going to like it.” Raven sat down his bowl and leaned over the table. “Tell me. Where is he?” “Well, you have to promise you’ll not do anything stupid, okay-?” "Michael! Where. Is. He?” Michael sighed. “He’s in Shaperatown. I saw him boarding the train.” Raven looked at him in shock. “...Shaperatown? Are you serious?” “Yeah.” he said. “There was this other guy with him. I think he got recruited. I’m sorry, Raven.” “What are you sorry for?” Raven asked. “This is great news!” Michael squinted. “...Is it?” “Yes! Don’t you get it?” Raven threw the blanket off his shoulders and got up. “It means he didn’t mean to leave! He must’ve gotten tricked or something. What’s more, it means I can get him back!” Michael got up as well. “Now, hold on a minute. How in hell are ya gonna do that?” “I don’t know yet, I’ll see when I get there.” Raven threw on his coat and guitar and headed for the door. Michael jumped between them. “Woah, where do ya think you’re goin’?” “Shaperatown. I have to save him, move outta my way!” Raven tried to get past him, but Michael grabbed his shoulders. “Just think. How do you plan to get there?” Raven shrugged. “I don’t know, by train?” “You got a ticket?” He paused. “No. I’ll, uh, I’ll just follow the tracks!” Michael laughed. “Right, yeah. You’ll never make it. It’s a long way down, and you don’t have a chance, ‘less you know the way.” “It’s literally one direction!” Raven protested. “But do you know where you can rest safely? Do you know where the dogs patrol, and where you might find a bite to eat?” Raven looked down, frowning. “No.” He looked back up. “But you do, right? You’re a vagrant, you must’ve walked that track a thousand times.” Michael stammered: “I- Well, yeah. But I ain’t really supposed to say...” “Michael, please. I have to follow Lloyd. He’s the only man I ever truly loved.” Raven stared at him with such intensity, Michael couldn’t help but relent with a sigh. “Okay, I’ll teach ya how to get to Shaperatown. But don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

And so, Michael taught Raven how to read the hobo marks, written in chalk on the trees and fences all along the track. He taught him to walk under cover of night, and where he could rest out of sight during the day. He also gave him a small radio, so they could communicate if necessary. Raven hugged him and set out. It took him most of the winter to reach his destination. He nearly got himself killed multiple times, by hunger or snow or resting in the wrong place. But he never gave up. Hope burned like fire inside him, and it kept him warm through the storm. Wait for me, he thought. Just be there when I get there. I’m coming. Finally, the wall of the city appeared on the horizon. But his journey wasn’t over yet. He had to find a way in. The gates were guarded by vicious Blood Red Dogs, and Raven didn’t have nearly enough funds to bribe them. So, he snuck around, searching for a spot he might get in. It wasn’t that hard; the wall was constantly upgraded and maintained by the workers of the city. He had to crane his neck to see them, but Raven found them working on southern part. He felt a chill. Even without faces, the dolls looked miserable. Their bodies were falling apart from use, the wood cracked and paint chipped. As they carried the heavy stones, they dragged their feet and kept their head low.

Now, Raven was a poor boy. But he had a gift to give. He could make you see the way the world could be, in spite of the way that it is. You might say he was ‘touched’. He removed the guitar from his back and started singing. He sang about his lost love, the long road behind him, and the fire inside him. There were two ways this could go: either the dolls would be moved by the song, or he would be screwed. But he believed with all his heart and soul this would work. The dolls looked up and turned to him. They should have alerted the guards. They should have continued their work. But instead, they listened. Having been trapped in the city for ages, the song stirred a part of them that had nearly been extinguished. When Raven finished, one of them accidentally dropped a rope down the wall. At least, that what it would have said, if asked. All the others meant to pick it back up, but they forgot. They each were so occupied with their duties, they failed to notice the singer climb the wall, thank them, and enter the city. At least, that’s what they would’ve told you.

Droves of dolls filled the city in streets, slums and homes. If they weren’t working a shift, they just stared blankly ahead. Raven mumbled an apology as he stepped around them. Then, his radio picked up a very faint signal. His heart stopped as he recognized the voice, even through the static. “...Flowers. I think I remember flowers.”

LADY OF THE UNDERGROUND

Lloyd stepped inside the dimly lit hole-in-the-wall speakeasy. The Mannekin had been rather difficult to locate, but it was filled with costumers. Workers lay strewn around the room like ragdolls, some hanging in chairs, others lying on the floor. Expressions were impossible to tell on the blank faces, but they seemed more dazed than usual. Some were using some strange red dust to dull the mind, others held magnets to their head. Lloyd held a strange appreciation for their inguinity, at least.

The owner of the bar wasn’t too hard to find. Even if he hadn’t been the only alive person in the room, his red hair and alternative clothes made him a person hard to miss. He sat lounging, arm thrown around a very old looking doll. “Byron McAlister?” The boy looked up in suprise. “The one and only.” “My name is Lloyd Allen. Could I have a word with you?” The boy looked him up and down, a surprised smile on his face. “Wow,” he marveled. “you talk really well for a doll.” It took a second for Lloyd to really grasp the comment. When he did, he crossed his arms. “I’m- is that supposed to be a compliment?” Byron laughed. “Okay, yeah, I hear how that sounded now. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s, usually, by the time people find this place, they’re already having trouble moving and speaking and stuff. I mean, take my dearest Jasper, for example.” He gestured toward the doll next to him. “Poor thing hasn’t spoken in all the time I know him. So, congrats, you must have very strong willpower. Or a remarkable memory.” Lloyd didn’t really understand what he was saying, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Before he could ask, the boy shrugged. “Anyway, whatever the case, you’re here now. So, pick your poison and enjoy.” Lloyd shook his head. “No, I’m not looking to get high. Listen, I’m a friend of your mother’s. I need you to get me in contact with her, or with McAlister. I’ve m- There’s been a mistake.” Byron chuckled. “Ah, regretting your career choices, huh?” Lloyd shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t regret anything. That is a futile excercise. I had a logical reason to do what I did, and I just need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And to do that, I need to get back. Can you talk to your parents for me?” Byron took a sip of his drink and held up a finger. “Okay, first of all: mighty bold of you to assume either of my parents care about what I have to say. Even if they did,” He sat down his glass. “Father tends to get a bit.... possessive. Trust me on that.” “So, what?” Lloyd asked. “You’re not even going to help?” “I am helping.” Byron countered. “I am giving these people the moon and stars back. It’s the only way they can flee Father’s world. He would kill me if he found out about this place. So if you’re not going to enjoy the wares, I’d enjoy your memories as long as they last.” Lloyd’s radio crackled with an angry tirade, but he decided it wasn’t worth it. He stormed back outside.

FLOWERS

Now, Lloyd wasn’t going to take this sitting down. So, his job was... disappointing. He might have made a bit of a mistake. And that Byron brat had been no help either. No matter. He could get out himself. He wasn’t going to be like all the others, moping around all day. What good would that do? No, Lloyd decided he was going to devise a plan. Surely all these depressing morons still had some fight in them. He just had to ignite it. Reel them in with entertainment of some sort, and then slowly introduce the idea of revolution. There were so many of them; if he riled them up, they could get out of here. Or at least some of them could. Or at the very least, they could create a distraction while Lloyd escaped. Either scenario worked for him. So he sat out to work at the factory. Every shift, he would steal some parts. Nothing big, a bolt here, a wire there. Nothing anyone would miss. The one good thing about being trapped in this body was that he didn’t have to sleep. He could tinker and build all night long. After many nights staying up in his dingy sleeping quarters, he finally managed to build a semi-functional radio station. All those dolls had radios attached. Surely some of them were still functioning enough to pick up his signal. He brushed some leftover bolts from his desk chair and sat down. He felt the urge to take a deep breath, but due to a lack of lungs, that wasn’t possible. He decided to just jump into it.

“Hello, dear listeners! My name is Lloyd, and welcome to the Shaperatown Radio Hour! I’m here to lift your spirits, because boy, do they need it. Today, I’ll be telling the thrilling tale of-”

“Welcome back, dear listeners! I tried talking to some of you the other day. Well, it’s possible I talked to one doll multiple times. I have a hard time telling you apart. Anyway, it seems at least one of you is unresponsive as ever. No matter! I can talk to you through this, and I think... No, I know that it works! So, onto part five of-”

“Uhm, hello, dear listeners. Sorry if I sound a bit down, it’s just.... I’ve been forgetting things, and I don’t like it. I don’t know if it’s this body, or this place, or the fact the only voice I’ve heard in weeks is my own, but... I didn’t remember how I met Raven. I’ve told you about Raven, right? The only man I ever truly loved. And I forgot how we met. B-But I won’t let that get me down! I have written down everything I remember about... Uhm...” A rustling of paper can be heard. “Raven! Yes, right, that was his name. Raven. See? I can fight it. I won’t become a mindless drone like the rest of you. So, with that tangent out of the way, let us continue with part-”

“Is anybody listening? Are any of your godforsaken bodies whole enough to pick this up? This stupid shell is getting more and more difficult to move, and it’s harder to talk. That moronic Byron said something about willpower or memory... I must get out of here, as soon as possible. I-” The voice is overlapped with static. “I don’t want to forget.”

A rustling of paper can be heard. “Uh, let’s see. Raven! Right, of course. Like the bird. Both boyfriend and bird start with a b. Should be easy to remember. My boyfriend’s name is Raven. My boyfriend’s name is Raven. My boyfriend...uhm.” A rustling of paper can be heard. “Raven, that was it! Raven. Raven. My boyfriend’s name is... Damnit.” A rustling of paper can be heard.

The static almost drowns out the soft voice. “I have given up trying to remember. My notes read like the story of someone else. Even still, as soon as I finish a word, I forget what it said. It’s no use.” There’s a solid minute of dead air. “...I’m so tired. I can drag myself to the assembly line and work, but any other movement feels like operating a marionette made of concrete. Talking is...” More silence. It lasts a lot longer this time. “Flowers... I think remember flowers. There was a field of them. They were purple, the favorite of... someone.” The static recedes for a moment. “I had a ‘someone’, didn’t I? Well then, ‘someone’, if you’re hearing this... I’m sorry.” The voice becomes more distorted and wavering. “I am so sorry. I never should have left you.” There seem some more attempts at talking, but they’re too heavily distorted and overlapped by interference to make out. Finally, even those attempts stop.

COME HOME WITH ME II

Raven burst into the room. He had run all across the city, following where the broadcast was clearest. It had led him to this room. He looked around, but he only saw another broken down doll, sitting in front of a pile of junk. “Where is he?” He yelled, more to himself than to the doll. Even if it knew where Lloyd was, it wouldn’t be able to tell him. He frantically opened the closet door, as though Lloyd would be hiding in there. “Lloyd? I came for you, where are you?” “Ravey?” The staticky voice made Raven gasp and spin around. He scanned the room, but still saw nothing. The doll had turned to face him. It seemed to be shaking. “Ravey, it’s me.” Raven’s heart dropped. “...Lloyd?” The doll nodded. Tears sprung in his eyes and his throat closed up with emotion. “Lloyd!” He sprinted across the room, throwing himself into his boyfriend’s arms. Weeping, he held him close, like he would disappear again if he let go. The wood bruised his arms, but he didn’t care. He tried to talk, but he couldn’t get anything past his choking sobs. Lloyd hugged him back. “It’s okay, Raven... I’m sorry. I tried so hard.” His own voice trembled as he hugged him closer. “I tried so hard. I’m so sorry.” The two men sat there, holding the other tight. Even as Raven’s tears dried up and his hiccups slowly died down, they didn’t break their embrace. “How did you get here?” Lloyd asked. “On the train?” Raven smiled. “Nah, I walked.” He felt the wood under him shift as Lloyd reeled in suprise. “You walked?” “Sorry it took so long.” Even after all that happened, Lloyd’s adorable confused stammers had stayed the same. “I- wha- How in the world did you get over the wall?” “I sang. It convinced the dolls to let me in. And I could sing us home again.” He untangled himself from Lloyd and looked to where his eyes should be on his blank wooden face. “Come home with me.” He said. “I won’t let them take you away from me again.” “Take me away?” Lloyd asked.

An unfamiliar voice spoke up. “I don’t believe we’ve met, young man.” Raven turned around to see Edgar McAlister, ruler of Shaperatown, step into the room. Three Blood Red Dogs stood menacingly in the doorway. McAlister said coldy: “Look, I don’t know who you are, or why you would think you can just waltz in here without anyone noticing. You must be quite emptyheaded. But I advice you leave now, before things get..” He glanced back at the Dogs. “...ugly.”

Raven stood up, standing protectively in front of Lloyd. “No. We’re leaving, and you can’t stop us!” McAlister laughed. “How very noble. I don’t suppose your boyfriend told you how he came to be in my employ?” “I don’t care how you tricked him!” “Tricked?” McAlister raised his eyebrows. “I did no such thing. He understood the terms. I offered him an opportunity, and he left of his own accord.” Raven looked back at Lloyd. He wouldn’t look him in the eyes. “Lloyd?” He managed to ask. “That’s not true, is it? Tell me he’s lying.” There was no repsonse. “...Lloyd. Tell me it’s not true.” Edgar laughed wryly. “Oh, take this lesson from an old man: unless you can prove your love with gold, you’ll never keep your lovers close. They get you high, they get you low, and then they leave. I learned that the hard way, and now you will, too. He belongs to me. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

CHANT II

Now, everybody knows the walls have ears. And this is especially the case when the conversation happens in front of a radio station that nobody bothered to turn off. Jasper hadn’t broadcasted anything in decades. He had been one of the first dolls built, and had long found any attempt at communication to be futile. But Byron still kept his radio in perfect condition, in the hope he might one day speak to him. And so, he had been able to receive the Shaperatown Radio Hour. At first, it had just been another channel, a small part of his mindless backgrond noise. But when he heard the confrontation between Raven, Lloyd and Edgar, the numbness inside subsided a little. He had been a dolly, a worker, an accessory for so long, he had ceased to think of himself as a person. But Raven loved Lloyd. Despite everything, they still had hope, however faint, that they could escape this hell. Jasper found himself repeating Raven’s question in his mind: is it true? At his first attempt, Jasper only broadcasted feedback and static, his radio unaccustomed to use. Still, his grandson’s eyes lit up with disbelieve. “Jasper? Was that you?” Jasper took the words he heard from the broadcast, and tried to communicate. His new song rang through the Mannekin, getting clearer with each word. “Is it true?” He asked. “Are we mindless drones, forgetting ourself? Is there nothing we can do? I believe: no! We keep our head low in his employ, but I believe he’s lying. I believe we can look up! If they can do it, so can we. I know we have the willpower, and we can tell him what we think!” One by one, the dolls around him echoed his refrain. First, the speakeasy, then the street, then the neighbourhood, and soon the enitre city was chanting along. One by one, the dolls found the will to move, and with Byron cheerfully leading in front, they formed a march. Even Fay joined in, and together they stood outiside Lloyd’s room.

Back inside, all three men heard the commotion outside. Edgar walked over to the window to see the droves of dolls marching in the streets. His wife and son were there, too. Ungrateful, the lot of them. He sneered. “Well, young man,” he said. “Seems like you made quite a strong impression. Now, here’s the deal:” He lit up a cigar. “In about three minutes, I’ll have you tried for trespassing and attempting to steal my property. I’ll even be genererous and let you pay off your fines in my employ. However, I’ve been told you have quite a way with words.” He smiled. “So take a stab. Make me laugh. Make me weep. Make me feel young again.” This was an impossible task, he knew. The only song that made him feel anything these days, was the music of machinery and the singing of coins. He laughed as the young man cautiously took the guitar from his back. “Sing!” He said. “Sing for an old man.”

EPIC III

Raven swallowed., nervously. But he was a performer. He could do this. He took a deep breath and grounded himself. As soon as he strung the first chord, he felt the song resonate in his bones. He smiled, and sang.

When the song started, the room seemed to disappear around Edgar. The walls fell away as the boy described the time when he himself had been a young man. He sang of the wonderful nervousness twisting in his stomach as he asked the beautiful young Fay to see a band play with him. She was so vibrant, and Edgar smiled at the memory of when she said yes. They really had been in love. After all those years of fighting and bitterness, he had almost forgotten that. The giddyness and tenderness overwhelmed after such a long absence. The boy started the wordless chorus of the love song, and all the dolls outside sang along. He even saw Fay mouth the words, though she stopped when she caught him looking. He stood, facing the window, the boy continuing to sing behind him. The subject of the song turned to the present time. It described all the work, all the bitterness, and Edgar felt weary. His heart was heavy from all he hated and feared to lose, and the gently sung words stung like daggers. When you win, you sometimes lose, the boy sang, and all you love does not love you. At that, the pressure that had been building behind his eyes finally became too much, and Edgar McAlister wept.

PROMISES

“You did it! You madman, you actually did it!” Lloyd swept up his boyfriend in a hug and they spun around the room laughing. “We’re going home!” They slowed and stopped their turning. “So,” Lloyd said. “You cannot look back the entire way?” “No.” Raven explained. “I can only look back when we both have reached the station.” Lloyd thought for a second. “Well, can we hold hands? Maybe a call-and-response thing? We can make this work, we-” Raven interrupted. “No, McAlister said I can’t know you’re there. It has to be done on trust alone.” Lloyd was quiet for a moment. “Do you? Trust me, that is?” Raven opened his mouth, reconsidered his answer, and closed it again. “You promised you’d come back.” He said. Lloyd took Raven hands in his own. “I know. And I am so, so sorry. But you promised you could provide.” They stood there, each considering the mistakes of the past. “Look,” Lloyd said. “I know I’m not always the most... empathetic. And I can’t promise I ever will be. But Ravey, I’m making a new promise to you. I swear, I will never, ever be disloyal to you. And I don’t mean that in the boring way most people do. Monogamy isn’t our thing.” “It really isn’t.” Raven agreed. “What we have, is so much more than that. I promise I will be loyal to you in every way that matters. And if we-” Lloyd caught himself. “When we hit a rough spot, we’ll figure it out. Together.” Raven smiled. “I have a new promise to make, too. I can’t promise we’ll have it easy. My songs aren’t going to make us rich, so I can’t promise you gold and silver.” “I would never ask that of you.” Lloyd said. “I just want you to be there for me.” “I will. I swear. I won’t lose myself in my work again, and I will shelter you.” The two men embraced. Lloyd trembled. “God, I wish I could kiss you.” Raven looked up and pecked him on the cheek. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll figure something out.” He cupped his boyfriend’s face with his hand, and studied his face. It was the last time he would see it for a long time. “Are you ready?” “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You set the pace. I’ll follow.” Raven drank in the sight of his boyfriend, took a deep breath, and turned around.

DOUBT COMES IN

Raven blew in his chilly hands to warm them up. His legs ached and his back burned from carrying his guitar, but he had a smile on his face. He’d done it. He had walked in there and gotten Lloyd out. And now, they were going home. The Floozies were walking alongside him. “Do you really think he’s behind you?” They asked. “Of course he is.” Raven responded. “Can’t you see him?” The three Floozies turned back, to where Raven couldn’t see, and just shrugged with a smile. Raven itched to turn back as well, but he suppressed the urge. “Don’t be a tease. I know he’s behind me, he said he’d follow.” “Oh, “one said, “jus’ like he promised not to leave? How’d that turn out?” Raven stopped in his tracks, but shook his head and continued. “No, this is different. We’re different, now. No more broken promises.” The Floozies laughed in unison. They all had the exact same rhythm and pitch, and Raven felt a shiver up his spine. “Aw, Raven-baby is delusional. Again.” They said. “Did he really promise to stay? Or did ya just think he did? You shouldn’t trust everything your brain tells ya, Raven-baby. It doesn’t have a great track record.” Raven’s hands started shaking. He grabbed the strap of his guitar across his chest and tried to argue back. “It isn’t like that! I’m sane!” this time, his mind finished. He continued: “I-I haven’t had a major break in ages. There's no reason I would have one now.” “Hm. Funny.” One of the Floozies said. “Ain’t that exactly what you thought last time?” “You knew.” The second one said. “You knew all along you’d fall back eventually. It was inevitable.” “No...” Raven protested. “It’s- I’m...” He tried to find the words to argue back, but he was too distraught. The Floozies looked at him with what seemed like pity. “Poor, mad Raven-baby. Or was it David? Who are you again?” “Shut up!” Raven shouted. His breathing quickened. “Don’t call me that!” “You don’t even know who you are.” Their words cut into him, making him loose his footing and stumble. “Jus’ how many mental breakdowns do you expect him to put up with? You don’t deserve him. Why would he stay with a madman? He finally had enough of your crazy, and now he’s gone.” Through his tears, Raven could see the train station. He quickened his pace. Just a bit more. He had to ignore the doubt gnawing away at him a bit longer, and then he could check. The Floozies hounded him, their overlapping taunts matching what he heard in his head: “You don’t deserve him-” “Just a madman-” “Who are you?” “Mr Adams-” “Not worth the effort-” “-just keep reinventing yourself-” “Who are you?” As Raven approached the station, the doubt became near certainty. Lloyd wasn’t there. Why would he be? He would turn around and be completely alone, yet again. Why delay it? As he started turning his head, he heard a call: “Ravey, wait-!”

ROAD TO HELL II / RAISE MY CUP

The stranger stared at Michael. That can’t be it, surely? What happened, did they make it? Michael’s eyes were teary. “I told ya: it’s a sad tale. An old one, as well. You knew from the start how it would end, if you’re honest. They changed the story, sure. As it’s been changed a thousand times before. But a tragedy’s a tragedy, ain’t no changing that.” He chuckled, but it came out more like a sob. “In a way, I feel like Lloyd would’ve appreciated that.” He looked up, trying to keep the tears from falling out. “Ah, dangit, I told myself I wouldn’t cry this time...” He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. He sat like that for a while. “I wonder how much longer I can take.” He mumbled to no one in paticular. “Telling these stories. So much goddamn pain...” He took a shaky breath. “Alright. Alright...” He rubbed his face and sat back up, trying to compose himself. “But even still, we keep telling ‘em anyway. ‘Cuz, here’s the thing: to know how it ends, and still to begin to tell it again. As though it might turn out this time.” He smiled sadly. “I learned that from a friend of mine.”

The stranger heard the distant call of the train. “Well, what’d I tell ya? Right on time.” He got up from the bench. “I think that’s my cue. It was nice talking to you, stranger. I hope you enjoyed my tale.” As the thick smoke of the train filled the station, it became harder and harder to see Michael. He waved goodbye. “Good night, brother. Goodnight.”

#shaperaverse #paul shapera #new albion #hadestown au #shaperatown #dolls of new albion #dona #new albion radio hour #ballad of lost hollow #bolh #narh #lloyd allen #raven #fanfic #Also!!!! im going to yell in the tags #but there were people who cosplayed this on tiktok and im...???#still reeling from that tbh??#people are so talented and i dont know how to respond to that

12 notes · View notes

jayteacups · 2 years

Note

In the Actor AU, “Memories of the Future” took forever to film because Eren and Zeke kept making the baby who played Baby Eren laugh by pulling silly faces instead of staring ominously like in the script.

Awww yess I love this HC! Actor AU is my absolute favourite, I'm gonna use this as an excuse to talk about a few of my actor au headcanons

Random AOT actor AU hcs!

It took a record number of takes to shoot that scene with Eren and Zeke ominously staring at baby Eren, because they kept breaking out into smiles at the baby who kept smiling and waving at them all cute and stuff

Hange writes fanfiction of the characters in their downtime (they're a very avid multishipper. they definitely enjoy erurihan the most tho lmao). Connie is an avid fanfic reader and has no idea that Hange's written some of his favourites.

Zeke has a secret stan account for canon Levi. (and actor Levi too tbh) Levi found out, laughed for a grand total of ten seconds, then blocked every single one of Zeke's accounts. Zeke retaliated by making even more. Levi's still on the hunt to find them and block

Talking of, Zeke and Levi are hilarious though when they're interviewed together, so for the press stuff for S4 they were together for pretty much every interview (to Hange's chagrin, because before Zeke became a prominent character it was always them, Levi and Erwin being interviewed as a trio). there are youtube compilations dedicated to Levi and Zeke's banterous moments, titled something like 'levi ackerman and zeke jaeger having a lovers spat for seven minutes straight' 💀

Armin loves reading fan theories! spends hours on stan twitter stalking through tweets about what people think is in the basement and laughs at how horrifically wrong they are

Jean and Marco worked on a project together before being casted for AOT! (yes they were child stars too lol)

Annie is really shy off screen

Eren can't keep his mouth shut about spoilers for shit. It just comes out. Hange had to literally clap a hand over his mouth during an interview because he was about to let slip the identities of the Armoured and Colossal Titans during an interview lmao

Every time a character dies every cast member buys that actor flowers. Gabi bought Sasha a humongous bouquet as a gift after shooting Assassin's Bullet because she lowkey felt bad, it was so large that Sasha could hardly carry it by herself.

Levi has a lot of stunt experience so out of the cast members, he does most of his stunts. His stunt double likes to joke he has the easiest job because he barely needs to show up

Erwin went to a convention whilst cosplaying his character once. got told by a bunch of fans that his eyebrows weren't big enough but was an otherwise very convincing cosplayer

Actor Eren hates canon Eren so much especially in S4. Just reads his lines and sighs and goes 'is this dude fucking serious'

Erwin is a talented pianist and performs covers of the show's opening and ending songs, the soundtracks, etc.

Floch was a huge fanboy of the series and ran around his house screaming when he got casted for his role

Before becoming an actor for the show, Floch also ran an AOT facts page on instagram or something, that's how committed he was to the show, and still keeps it going incognito (listen i hate canon floch so to compensate im trying to make actor floch seem nice lmao)

Actor Floch also hates canon floch if we're being honest here

Yelena and Porco were just here for the paycheck they had no idea what this show was before getting casted and lowkey can't wait to finish it lol

Gabi and Falco make tiktoks all around set - both their idea and a new marketing ploy. Pieck is a recurring star in these tiktoks. Mostly it's her napping between takes whilst Gabi and Falco snicker and zoom in on her face with a dumb filter on or something. Sometimes they go up to other actors and ask them a question about the show, their character, or what happens behind the scenes

In a similar vein, Connie and Ymir run a podcast like this where the actors get to expand on those things past a two-minute tiktok! They started this after S2 (connie and ymir brotp!!!) Also out of all of the actors Connie is definitely the most interactive with the fans. interviewers love him too!

On this podcast, sometimes Ymir invites Historia and they read PG Yumihisu fanfic lol. Ymir also loves it when fans give her yumihisu fanfic or fanart to sign at fanmeets! and they're definitely dating offscreen.

Mikasa hates the red scarf with a passion. Levi hates the cravat with a passion. Makes them sweat like crazy especially when they're shooting during the hot summer (and gets in their faces for stunts)

After 'Friends' aired, Kenny, Kuchel, Levi, Mikasa, grandfather Ackerman, Mika's dad's actor and the actors for child Levi and Mikasa all took a big group photo. Mikasa posted it and captioned it #ackerfam

Actor Jean's favourite character is Armin

Actor Eren and Mikasa's favourite character is Hange

Actor Connie's favourite character is between Levi or Jean

Actor Erwin's favourite character is Erwin ��

Feel free to add more!

#aot headcanons #snk headcanons #aot actor au #snk actor au #actor au #attack on titan headcanons #shingeki no kyojin headcanons #aot #snk #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #aot actor au asks

689 notes · View notes

tarobytez · 3 years

Text

disability in the Six Of Crows Duology; an analysis of Kaz Brekker, Wylan Van Eck, and the fandom’s treatment of them.

****Note: I originally wrote this for a tiktok series, which im still going to do, but i wanted to post here as well bc tumblr is major contributor to what im going to talk about

CW: ableism, filicide, abuse

In the Six of Crows duology, Leigh Bardugo delicately subverts and melds harmful disability tropes into her narrative, unpacking them in a way that I, as a disabled person, found immensely refreshing and…. just brilliant.

But what did you all do with that? Well, you fucked it up. Instead of critically looking at the characters, y’all just chose to be ableist.

For the next few videos paragraphs im going to unpack disability theory (largely the stuff surrounding media, for obvious reasons) and how it relates to Six Of Crows and the characterization of Kaz Brekker and Wylan Van Eck, then how, despite their brilliant writing, y’all completely overlooked the actual text and continuously revert them to ableist cariactures.

Disclaimer: 1. Shocker - i am disabled. I have also extensively researched disability theory and am very active in the disabled community. Basically, I know my shit. 2. im going to be mad in these videos this analysis. Because the way y’all have been acting has been going on for a long ass time and im fuckin sick of it. I don’t give a shit about non-disabled feelings, die mad

Firstly, I’m going to discuss Kaz, his play on the stereotypical “mean cripple” trope and how Bardugo subverts it, his cane, and disabled rage. Then, I am going to discuss Wylan, the “inspiration porn” stereotype, caregivers / parents, and the social model of disability. Finally, I will then explain the problems in the fandom from my perspective as a disabled person, largely when it comes to wylan, bc yall cant leave that boy tf alone.

Kaz Brekker

Think of a character who uses a cane (obviously not Kaz). Now, are they evil, dubiously moral, or just an asshole in general? Because nearly example I can think of is: whether it be Lots’O from Toy Story, Lucius Malfoy, or even Scrooge and Mr.Gold from Once Upon A Time all have canes (the last two even having their canes appear less and less as they become better people)

The mean/evil cripple trope is far more common than you would think. Villains with different bodies are confined to the role of “evil”. To quote TV Tropes, who I think did a brilliant job on explaining it “The first is rooted in eugenics-based ideas linking disability or other physical deformities with a "natural" predisposition towards madness, criminality, vice, etc. The Rule of Symbolism is often at work here, since a "crippled" body can be used to represent a "crippled" soul — and indeed, a disabled villain is usually put in contrast to a morally upright and physically "perfect" hero. Whether consciously on the part of the writer or not, this can reinforce cultural ideas of disability making a person inherently inferior or negative, much in the same way the Sissy Villain or Depraved Homosexual trope associate sexual and gender nonconformity with evil. ”

Our introduction to Kaz affirms this notion of him being bad or morally bankrupt, with “Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason”, etc. This mythologized version of himself, the “bastard of the barrel” actively fed into this misconception. But, as we the audience are privy to his inner thoughts, know that he is just a teenager like every other Crow. He is complex, his disability isn’t this tragic backstory, he just fell off a roof. It’s not his main motivation, nor does he curse revenge for making him a cripple - it is just another part of who he is.

His cane (though the shows version fills me with rage but-) is an extension of Kaz - he fights with it, but it has a purpose. Another common thing in media is for canes to be simply accessories, but while Kaz’ cane is fashionable, it has purpose.

The quote “There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken.” is so fucking powerful. Kaz does not want nor need a cure - its said in Crooked Kingdom that his leg could most likely be healed, but he chooses not to. Abled-bodied people tend to dismiss this thought as Kaz being stubborn but it shows a reality of acceptance of his disability that is just, so refreshing.

In chapter 22 of SOC, we see disabled rage done right - when he is called a cripple by the Fjerdan inmate, Kaz is pissed - the important detail being that he is pissed at the Fjerdan, at society for ableism, not blaming it on being disabled or wishing he could be normal. He takes action, dislocating the asshole’s shoulder and proving to him, and to a lesser extent, himself, that he is just as capable as anyone else, not in spite of, but because he is disabled. And that is the point of Kaz, harking back to the line that “there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken”.

I cried on numerous occasions while reading the SOC duology, but the parts I highlighted in this section especially so. I, as many other disabled people do, have had a long and tumultuous relationship with our disability/es, and for many still struggle. But Kaz Brekker gave me an empowered disabled character who accepts themselves, and that means the world to me.

Keeping that in mind, I hope you can understand why it hurts so much to disabled people when you either erase Kaz’s disability (whether through cosplay or fanfiction), or portray him as a “broken boy uwu”, especially implying that he would want a cure. That flies in the face of canon and is inherently fucking ableist. (if u think im mad wait until the next section)

Next, we have Wylan.

Oh fucking boy.

I love Wylan so fucking much, and y’all just do not seem to understand his character? Like at all? Since this is disability-centric, I’m not going to discuss how the intersection of his queerness also contributes to these issues, but trust me when I say it’s a contributing factor to what i'm going to say.

Wylan, motherfucking Van Eck. If you ableist pricks don’t take ur fucking hands off him right now im going to fight you. I see Wylan as a subversion another, and in my opinion more insidious stereotype pf disabled people - inspiration porn.

Cara Liebowitz in a 2015 article on the blog The Body Is Not An Apology explains in greater detail how inspiration porn is impactful in real life, but media is a major contributing factor to this reality. The technical definition is “the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability” - but that does not cover it fully.

Inspiration porn does lasting damage on the disabled community as it implies that disability is a negative that you need to “overcome” or “triumph” instead of something one can feel proud of. It exploits disabled people for the development of non-disabled people, and in media often the white male protagonist. Framing disability as inherently negative perpetuates ideals of eugenics and cures - see Autism $peaks’ “I Am Autism” ad. Inspiration porn is also incredibly patronizing as it implies that we cannot take care of ourselves, or do things like non-disabled people do. Because i stg some of you tend to think that we just sit around all day wishing we weren’t disabled.

Another important theory ideal that is necessary when thinking about Wylan is the experience of feeling like a burden simply for needing help or accommodations. This is especially true when it comes to familial relationships, and internalized ableism.

The rhetoric that Wylan’s father drilled into his head, that he is “defective”, “a mistake”, and “needs to be corrected”, that he (Jan) was “cursed with a moron for a child” is a long held belief that disabled people hear relentlessly. And while many see Van Eck’s attempted murder of Wylan as “preposturous” and overall something that you would never think happens today - filicide (a parent murdering their child) is more common than you would like to believe. Without even mentioning the countless and often unreported deaths of disabled people due to lack of / insufficient / neglectful medical care, in a study on children who died from the result of household abuse, 40 of 42 of them (95%) were diagnosed with disabilities. Van Eck is not some caricature of ableist ideals - he is a real reflection on how many people and family members view disability.

Circling back to how Wylan unpacks the inspiration porn trope - he is 3 dimensional, he is not only used to develop the other characters, he is just *chefs kiss* Leigh, imo, put so much love and care into the creation of Wylan and his story and character growth that is representative of a larger feeling in the disabled community.

That being said, what you non-disabled motherfuckers have done to him.

The “haha Wylan can’t read” jokes aren’t and were not funny. Y’all literally boiled down everything Wylan is to him being dyslexic. And it’s like,,,, the only thing you can say about him. You ignore every other part of him other than his disability, and then mock him for it. There’s so much you can say about Wylan - simping for Jesper, being band kid and playing the fuckin flute, literally anything else. But no, you just chose to mock his disability, excellent fucking job!

Next up on “ableds stfu” - infantilization! y’all are so fucking condescending to Wylan, and treat him like a fucking toddler. And while partly it is due to his sexuality i think a larger portion is him being disabled. Its in the same vein of people who think that Wylan and Jesper are romantically one sided, and that Jesper only kind of liked Wylan, despite the canon evidence of him loving Wylan just as much. You all view him as a “smol bean”, who needs protecting, and care, when Wylan is the opposite of that. He is a fucking demolitions expert who suggested waking up sleeping men to kill them - what about that says “uwu”. You are treating Wylan as a burden to Jesper and the other Crows when he is an immensely valuable, fully autonomous disabled person - you all just view him as damaged.

And before I get a comment saying that “uhhh Wylan isn’t real why do you care” while Wylan may not be real, how you all view him and treat him has real fucking impacts and informs how you treat people like me. If someone called me an “uwu baby boy” they’d get a fist square in the fucking jaw. Fiction informs how we perceive the world and y’all are making it super fucking clear how you see disabled people.

Finally, I wanted to talk about how the social model of disability is portrayed through Wylan. For those who are unaware, the social model of disability contrasts the medical model, that views the disability itself as the problem, that needs to be cured, whereas the social model essentially boils down to creating an accommodating society, where disability acceptance and pride is the goal. And we see this with Wylan - he is able to manage his father’s estate, with Jesper’s assistance to help him read documents. And this is not out of pity or charity, but an act of love. It is not portrayed as this almighty act for Jesper to play saviour, just a given, which is incredibly important to show, especially for someone who has been abused by family for his disability like Wylan, that he is accepted.

Yet, I still see people hold up Jesper on a pedestal for “putting up with” Wylan, as if loving a disabled person deserves a fucking pat on the back. It’s genuinely exhausting trying to engage with a work I love so much with a fandom that thinks so little of me and my community. It fucking shows.

Overall, Leigh Bardugo as a disabled person wrote two incredibly meticulous and empowered disabled characters, and due to either lack of reading comprehension, ableism, or a quirky mix of both, the fandom has ignored canon and the experiences of disabled people for…. shits and giggles i guess. And yes, there are issues with the Grishaverse and disability representation - while I haven’t finished them yet so I do not have an opinion on it, people have been discussing issues in the KOS duology with ableist ideals. This mini series was no way indicative of the entire disabled experience, nor does it represent my entire view on the representation as a whole. These things need to be met critically in our community, and talked about with disabled voices at the forefront. For example, the limited perspective we get of Wylan and Kaz being both white men, does not account for a large portion of the disabled community and the intersection of multiple identities.

All-in-all, Critique media, but do not forget to also critique fandom spaces. Alternatively, just shut the fuck up :)

happy fucking disability pride month, ig

2K notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

iammooong

Untitled

angryrussianfeminist

كهربائي الجهراء 24 ساعه

cuteweddingkoozies

Cute Wedding Koozies Custom Wedding Favors for Guests

restaurant-toast

Your Ass Is Grass And I'm Gonna Mow It

sansagiggled

why was she crying when she wanted to dance