#also i like haydee

[mzannthropy]

I suppose I should start on some The Count of Monte Cristo adaptations now. I think I saw the one with Richard Chamberlain sometime years ago, but I don't even remember if I finished it. I see the 2002 film mentioned a lot, which to me seems well liked by some people but not everyone, so idk... Which one is your favourite?

[mako-neexu]

"surely this time i will be normal for one day"

[suddenly remembers prison tower is supposed to end you bc goetia planned it but dantes took on the role of being your abbe faria and became your tiny light of hope in this prison of despair because he himself knows better than anyone how it feels to be an innocent soul, to be dragged and trapped in a life of despair, betrayal, and be casted away in a hell where madmen dont come out alive and so saves you by killing him, "the one who escaped the chateau d'lf", he's also summoned initially as a tool to kill you but dantes, initially being just a shadow, made ogawa heim because 'fuck u goetia' and caught feelings seeing guda's iron determination so fought alongside them and against the one who gave him a demon worm in his head. and just as he became your tiny light of hope in prison tower, you get to see him casually admit guda is his "destiny" and saw them as someone who is "radiant" after going through everything with them…like you know, a star. thats why both his np refer to guda in the new saint graph. because a star burns brighter than flames, more dazzlingly than fire that he himself is in awe of you and made a new alt solely because of you, inspired by you, even as he hurt himself by creating a new spirit origin, because his wish is solely for you to see the end of your journey and reach antarctica, because guda is a person -is a living human - who wants to see tomorrow and thus he split himself into two- or rather assigned himself and his other self in the singularity "count of determination (to bring about the 7 tribulations)" and as the "count of regret (you, his worry, who has to go through this harsh journey)". count of determination is the one who enacted the trials, because he is the spirit origin who is a ruthless murderer from his revenge story and thus must make sure guda goes through the merciless trials to go forward, yet count of regret is still worried all the same for guda considering the dangers of creating this world and with cagliostro around and other unpredictable variables, and in this ongoing journey thats why "black shadow" count is still on the look out for you. and in these trials he is both your ally and enemy that you must overcome because he wants!! you!! to move forward!!! even as you face your most trusted betray you, overcoming despair and hatred even as you drown in hopelessness seeing those you love die, overcoming his flames and as he extends a hand out and tempt you into a life where where you are a god of revenge, reaching an end that you hope for- a tomorrow that you want. (because we dont know what happened to the "real" dantes whereas dumas' version wrote that love extinguished his flames, and so left france behind with haydee. a fictional happy end that most likely didnt apply to the real dantes given his attitude to dumas and his version of the story since they never interacted again beyond dumas talking about writing his tale. )

an end that also isnt part of the famous Avenger, Count of Monte Cristo summoned to the grand order, only the popular interpretation/parts that people remember the most engraved in his spirit origin. and for him, this avenger, this part of his life where he is at his lowest who became your tiny light of hope in that prison tower, despite burning with eternal hatred chose love time and time again, save you, help you time and time again, because he doesnt want you to end up like him. one who has lost all things precious to you and so turning into a life of vengeance and blood, burning everything to cinders until you as well consume yourself, losing yourself in the process, becoming an empty shell, quietly dying as emptiness and quietness takeover the aftermath of those flames. you, as radiant as a star, don't deserve that kind of fate. you, his accomplice, his co-conspirator should never succumb to or have that kind of fate where only hate, sorrow and despair awaits you at the end nor does he want your journey to be at a standstill, idle, where you are helpless the more this story- this journey drags on and unable to move forward because of forces beyond your control.]

[through my teeth/clenches my fists] "oh. okay. so we're doing this now. okay."

[stardust-sunset]

Theater kid curis bros

YES.

Darry definitely loves musicals……I feel like their mom loved music and would play piano with him as a kid…his mom used to tell him of her dreams to go to a real live theater to perform and so the Curtises used to put on little plays for their mama and papa and that’s what introduced them to theater! I headcanon Darry likes to volunteer to help out with the sets at Pony’s school, like if he has the time he’ll paint the sets and even build them-he likes working with the other people and he does such a good job that the Soc parents sometimes tip him. So it’s nice. Plus the painting relaxes him and he’ll sing along to the songs (DARRY CAN SING THIS IS NONNEGOTIABLE-i see you brent comer…) some of the girls definitely crush on him, he’s very popular in the school’s theater department. He also likes to sing along to his records when he’s home alone…soda walked in on him once and it was one of soda’s favorite records and y’know that scene in zootopia where claw haydee walks in on chief bogo playing the gazelle app? it’s like that. it’s literally just like that lol

RIP Sodapop you would’ve loved modern musicals…this boy would fuck up legally blonde and mamma mia and grease…Sodapop was definitely into the arts…he was never really into sports because it was kinda rough on him (I headcanon he used to play soccer as a kid but it just wasn’t for him) but he found a safe haven in drama. Ngl he was always type cast as the comedic relief or the love interest but he didn’t care. i feel like the dancing and singing and acting helped him work out his extra energy. I feel like he used to keep up with soccer but it kinda confined him with how many rules there were and such and he just never felt free. he felt more free in drama club because h expuso just do what he wanted with his character and really make it his own. He’s really good at dance. He probably got shit from Steve about it for a bit but Steve doesn’t care. If Soda is happy he’s happy. Darry definitely went to all the shows no matter how busy he was and he’d always cheer the loudest. The Curtises were obnoxious at those plays but they’re just supporting Soda. I feel like Soda also just randomly starts singing. Doing the dishes, working, whatever. He’s just always doing something.

Not exactly theater kid but I love the Ponyboy in choir headcanon. I feel like while Darry was taught piano Pony had no interest…so his mom taught him guitar so Pony knows how to play guitar. and another thing is when Pony’s parents died he was what, in eighth grade? And I feel like after that things got really hard but he picked up guitar again and started singing to try and relieve the pain. (a lot of Pony’s coping mechanisms revolve around drawing or reading or singing or writing poetry and when he got back into guitar he started writing songs…even if they were little and unserious it helped him cope) Darry walked in on Pony singing something once…probably a song he wrote (Ponyboy definitely writes poetry and songs in his free time) and encouraged him to join choir because he thought it’d be helpful and it honestly was. He would rather die than tell the gang (only Johnny and his brothers know) but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. He accompanies their music sometimes too. I can see Pony doing painting sets or something with Darry! I don’t know if he’d do acting just because he’s rather do something to destrezas him and being in cast can be stressful…It’s a bonding activity when Darry has time to show up.

That’s what I have lol-I love artsy boys ���

[leseigneurdufeu]

vampire comte de monte-cristo...

I like your mind.

Everything proceeds normally until le château d'if. There, Faria, realizing he will die, decides to give one last secret to Edmond: he is the last of the Spada vampire clan. He bites him and turns him into a vampire, then dies a few months later.

The newfound strength and stamina account for how he survives his escape. Known as Sinbad the Sailor on the Sea, he scours the mediterranean to get even richer. Meets Luigi Vampa, who is at the head of a small convent and a big troop of outlaws, most of which dont know about him being a vampire. Edmond overpowers him and makes him his drone/thrall.

Franz stumbles into monte cristo island. There, it's not the drugs but the hypnosis of Sinbad that makes him fall asleep/faint.

Later on, everyone finding Monte Cristo charismatic or not recognizing Dantes in him are just falling for his glamour again.

Except for Mercedes, because she truly loved him and true love, even unilateral at that point of the story, can break every magic. Or something like that.

Bertuccio is also a vampire, and Benedetto wasnt completely dead yet, but he bit him to save him. He now blames the part of darkness in every vampire (and so himself for springing it to a child with no prior moral education/experience) for his sister's death. Monte Cristo will later dispose of Benedetto/Andrea that liberally because he sees a rogue vampire as a threat to himself.

Despite her begging prayers, he always refused to turn Haydee. He goes into the duel with Albert knowing he cant die (but mercedes saves albert's life). When Valentine is poisoned, the scene goes exactly the same (you have to trust me, even if you were to wake up in a tomb) but he turns her instead of Juliet-ing her. However, since she was so sick, she doesnt turn, she simply survives the poison.

There are multiple people he couldnt save because they dere already dead (his father, Haydee's mother...) or outright refuses to save when able to (Caderousse) but the death of Edouard shakes him and he realizes he's been playing God but acting like a demon.

He finally turns Haydee and they sail into the sunset to travel forever on the sea.

[salubriousbean]

Oh my gosh The Count of Monte Cristo just got SO GOOD

mèrcÈDÈS??!! SHE KNOWSSSSSS AAGHDHSHSJJD

I'm trying not to give spoilers because I highly recommend this book it's so gooddddd slglhdlgdb and I apparently am reading an abridged version (it's still 9 pages short of 600 lol) and I was ROBBED of a subplot with Caderousse and Calvalcanti like HFAHAJGAGJSHDJ

Also, Albert is such a silly goose.

At first I didn't like Haydee but now I like her so yeah, yes girl get that treason evidence against that guy

🎶 Everything's coming together 🎶

[pizza-hats-of-the-world-1882]

Caderousse and Albert for the character bingo? :3c

hello comc and drawfee mutual!

ok im ab to say smth that may not make sense if you didnt follow one of my quests [the comc 19th cen. fanfic quest (i read a couple of comc fan sequels from the 19th cen. {they werent very good})] and in these fan sequels he is criminally underutilized!!!! bc he ends the real book when he is BEGINNING a character arc! he is on a quest to restore his family honor and make a new life! and i think the book ended at a good spot im not saying it should have followed him further but! if! you are writing a fan sequel, hes the only one who has an actual trajectory[spelling?] to follow and they! do! nothing! with him!

i love how we are introduced to him as like. a frat boy/spoiled rich kid and slowly it is revealed he has like actually many good qualities. this frat boy has a moral backbone! that doesnt always line up w what is socially expected of him like in the duel! or even what i expect of him like when he first finds out ab his dad's war crimes and he decides to cover it up but is also absolutely devasted i cant articulate it but that was a really interesting moment for me

i had an answer to this one but now i cant explain it. he really is just a silly guy! hes not interesting bc of any hidden issues to brood over or his dynamic w the count, hes interestong bc hes a rich frat boy who apparently has moral integrity!

and by fans i mean the aforementioned 19th cen fic writers and also some adaptations. i never think ab how much i love albert until i am deprived of him then i start screaming for him to get more screentime.

i think he would enjoy being a purse dog

when my mom was reading comc and she was fairly early into it she said "i hope they dont have albert and haydee have a ~thing~ going on just to cause drama" which i must say is a thought that absolutely never would have occured. to me.

hes just a silly lil guy!

and now caderousse:

i just like it when charcters have a signature accessory. the red kerchief is a look!

i like how different he is from the rest of the haterz clubtm. bc he straight up didnt want to do that! he just wanted to complain and drink! but danglars and fernand went wild w it. he even wanted to come forward afterward but danglars threatened him! i just think its neat that everyone else in the haterz clubtm seal their fate here except caderousse, who gets locked into the vengeance much later when he kills that jeweler*. edmond was straight up going to forgive him/give him a second chance and massive diamond for providing exposition. gaspard you fumbled the bag!

i get why he tends to be cut, hes not as integral or dramatic a part of the vengeange as the rest of the haterz clubtm but if you dont have ONE then whats even the point

idk im just kinda curious ab him. especially his past w benedetto!

*or maybe didnt kill that jeweler i love how ambiguous it is on who killed who in that scene very interesting [and also i love how the intro sets up what each of the haterz clubtm's fatal flaw will be, and caderousse is greedy yes, but also he is completely spineless!! if danglars says keep your mouth shut, you do it! if your wife says lets kill this guy, you do it! if benedetto says it'd be super easy to rob this place, do it! my guy, stand up please!!!! my mom said "he should be on america's dumbest criminals but for france" i cant disagree.

well yeah

the red kerchief is a look! is it a good look? who's to say...

he's a lil cringfail baby kitty cat who cant do anything right<3

[a-mossy-amethyst]

Everytime i watch the tcomc 2002 adaptation i die inside. Fernand isn't fernand-ing, AND WHERE IS HAYDEE?? WHERE'S VALENTINE AND MAXIMILLIAN?? It's a solid movie, but it doesn't feel like the count of monte cristo. It also feels like it's sooo anti-climactic

The 2002 really fell short as an adaptation. I understand having to cut down on material to make it fit the length of a movie, but the amount of things they just straight up changed? I couldn't enjoy it properly.

Fernand being Edmond's best friend was a... choice. I was willing to accept it well enough, fine, but it really made Edmond out to be more naive than he was- in the books he recognized Fernand as an enemy before getting arrested.

I absolutely love the women of tcomc, they're all such interesting characters. It's always sad to see Haydee, Valentine, Eugenie, Mercedes, Madame de Villefort, etc. erased or changed for the sake of the plot or romance.

Also, Albert being Edmond's son?? I did not care for it. I feel it takes away from Mercedes' decision to marry Fernand. And takes away from Edmond seeing how damaging his revenge is to innocent people, since now he just doesn't want to kill the person who's actually his kid.

Mercedes and Edmond getting together was so unnecessary, and just... bad? They're two completely different people now. Even if they were in love once, too much has changed. (Plus with how much of Edmond's revenge hurt Mercedes, especially in the book, her rejecting him/his help was just the consequences of his actions. And he accepted that.)

It's not a bad movie, but I'd never recommend it as a good tcomc adaptation

(Sorry for the ramble but this movie really was disappointing as an adaptation)

[konu-d]

this cursed notion crawled into my brain and you are one of two folks big on Dantes so here

Enfer Chateau Dilf

unfortunately Mako already made this joke to me so the impact is lessened, but don't worry I still took psychic damage

But also, considering Dantes has two adopted daughters within the fate universe (Concetta and Haydee even if Concetta is his niece and poses as his servant) and quite a few adopts in book lore (He's basically adopted the Morrels, Haydee, and Valentine by extension of Haydee and Maximilian), combined with the fact he's around 33+ years old canonically, yeah

he's got the dilf energy

Also like you've seen what he looked like before he got thrown into the Chateau d'lf, that man went from golden retriever puppy to cougar daddy and I will not be dissuaded

[kaibutsushidousha]

I finished reading OC2 was Haydee always with you like Dantes since the Prison Tower event or was it just for OC2? Also is she now staying inside the MC head after the end of OC2?

Haydée is a piece of Avenger Monte Cristo. She was inside Fujimaru’s head since Prison Tower because that’s where a Monte Cristo was. She’s no longer in Fujimaru’s head because both Monte Cristos left.

[mzannthropy]

While faithful to the literary classic, “The Count of Monte Cristo” will place a larger emphasis on the characters’ psychological depths, emotions and motivations. It will also boast stronger female characters, including the young Haydée, who isn’t a frightened slave as in the book but rather a brave and empowered woman.

This is from an older Variety article (October 2023) but I keep going back to it. (I know I'm supposed to wait and hope, but I also do a lot of thinking.) I keep wondering about what they might mean by "brave and empowered woman" and whether this will be another case of "girlbossification" of a female character from classic literature. I just think it's best if we are prepared. As far as I can see from the article, none of the people involved said those words about Haydee, it's the article's writer talking, but she couldn't have pulled it out of her ass either. So, make of it what you will.

I think Haydee is fine as she is, if they want to develop her further, they could just give her more stuff to do, with her own life, unconnected to the count, like going to art galleries and such. She already has her music.

The new French film has Haydee seducing Albert as part of Count's revenge plan. Which... no. I'll take sounding like a 21st century twitter account over that, thanks.

[wonkasz]

What annoys me the most about the new count of monte cristo film is that the casting really made me believe they may still do the book ending with Haydee x Edmond (or even just have them fall in love) because the actors aren't even that far apart in age? Anamaria is like 25 and Pierre is a decade older........they needed to make him wear a prosthetic mask as the count just to make him appear somewhat older than Haydee or Andrea. Also prior to the Cannes press release of the film, they both did an interview and photoshoot with each other, and I'm sorry but how was I supposed to interpret any of this as just father/daughter-like: https://64.media.tumblr.com/444504cb28535fa4abc222ebc2f98897/3a7a9f39a37563e3-e2/s1280x1920/702111d3ab592075b89a69a3af8236aaa9a8c48a.pnj , https://64.media.tumblr.com/578ad6b89883415d85d827e079acc0fd/3a7a9f39a37563e3-2b/s1280x1920/dd159f045d1d7e2f3e834b0e47b10b187a040024.pnj

Honey, how I feel u. They’re fooled us so bad!

Such chemistry between the actors in the film and all of it is lost! Why movie creators scared of age gap so much? Every movie become a cliché just because no one want to create something new. My best friend Edmond deserves a happy ending and someone who really love him. He deserve to live a life that was stolen from him. Instead we get “our children will live a life we can’t” shit as if Edmond is too old to fall in love again UGH. All ages deserve love, not only the young ones.

Also:

Albert immediately forgets that Haydée is his father's victim, shows no sympathy for her, and immediately challenges the Count to a duel to save his pride. It would be better if at that moment Haydée realized that Albert has no real love for her and this is all just a game to anger his parents. But no! For some reason she zealously defends him and opposes the Count, as if he is the villain in this whole situation! This plot just pissed me off.

[e17omm]

I have recently seen that signalis is on sale and don't know if i should buy it. I don't know much about the game and have seen that you like signalis, so would it be possible to explain a bit wht the game is about.

Space lesbians and eldrich horror done right. <- the short version.

The long version ->

You play as Elster, or rather, LSTR-512, a Replika. Basically a human android. You are on a ship called the Penrose, and your Gestalt (human) co-pilot (Ariane) is missing.

This is a game with a story you have to figure out. Its not hard. Its not hiding its story, but you will definitely have to pick up notes (in-game) and pay some attention to get an idea of whats going on.

It is a highly spoilerable game in terms of story.

In terms of gameplay, it is like a top-down, but you see it from an angle.

The genre is survival horror. Limited resources, tight rooms, limited inventory, and enemies. Ammo conservation and inventory management is the game, and about half the time you can try to sneak/run past enemies to conserve ammo.

Signalis recently got an inventory update that should make the inventory management MUCH better. (Basically some items gets special slots that only they can go in, and since you would basically need them on you at all times, it now saves slots in your normal inventory) (this was about the only complaint before from the community - the inventory was TOO small. This update fixed some of that while not making it too easy either)

Okay to recap because I rambled a bit:

Signalis is a Top-Down, Survival Horror game with an eldrich horror theme done right. A lot of messed up and confusing things happens in this game, but its not so vague or random that you cant make sense of it.

The start of the game goes like this:

You wake up. Search your crashed ship. You leave it. Go through an archway. Find a hole in the ground. Go down the hole. Find a hole in the wall. Go through the wall. End up in a regular-ish room. Listen to a radio broadcast. Next time you're in control of your character, you're in a bathroom in a mining facility.

That doesnt make sense, right?

It will.

I really want to talk about it in detail, but again, its highly spoilerable. Not fun if I go into detail about what the opening 5-10 minutes is, right? (What I talked about above).

The game is about 8 to 12 hours long (per playthrough), depending how long you take on puzzles and how long you take exploring. The game has a map, so its not like Haydee where you have to draw your own.

The gunplay is as simple as aiming your weapon, and as long as youre aiming close enough to an enemy, Elster will soft-lock onto it (aim assist, basically).

In terms of characters, most (and by most I mean that there is litteraly 1 guy) are females. And not only that, but they are tall androids (most of the time. Looking at you, 152cm (5') Kolibri's (Smolibri)) (This doesnt spoil anything really, just fun info you can find) (the rest of the androids are generally above 200cm) (there is stepladders in game and the files calls them "Kolibri steppy". The devs definitely had fun.)

Most of them are enemies, due to the afformentioned i̴n̴t̷e̴r̴g̷a̷l̴a̷c̴t̶i̷c̷ e̴̳͂ḻ̴̇d̴̳̑r̸̜͒i̷̦̓c̶̨͌h̸̻͝ ̷͇̐h̷͉͛o̵̞͋r̴̜̋r̵̺͝o̶̩͌r̶̳̄ i̴͖̖̘̝̘̙͉̅͒͜ṅ̶̼̮̮̻̥̱͍͊̎̀͘f̴̗͎͇̔ḙ̶̟͈̳̭͓̃ͅc̵̢͇̱̼̫̘̦̯̋͋͂̽t̴̗̬̬̥̂ͅỉ̶͍̗͔̱͎̲̩̞͗̅͗͐̈̓o̴̡̹̤̜̖̞͇̼̅n̵̼͖͂̈́́͊̏͑̌ͅ.

So to recap the story as spoiler free as possible: You are an LSTR (Elster) android (Replika) in search of your missing human (Gestalt) co-pilot called Ariane. All in order to keep your promise to her. What is that promise you ask? You better remember it.

For the bird enthusiasts: most (and by most I mean all) Replika names correlate to a bird! Elster correlate to Magpie's, for example.

Does that have a meaning to the story? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ play to find out.

The art style of the game is pixel (as seen in the screenshot), but also (to borrow the words of Bricky) "Its sci-fi, if all we knew were the 80's". Big blocky screens with big buttons and static on screens.

The music - oh the music is fantastic. Tracks like "3000 cycles", "Cigarette wife", "die toteninsel emptiness" and "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky (yeah this game borrows some music) fits the theme of the game so well.

(Couldnt find the artist :C)

In terms of horror, it is mostly the environment and story. The only form of "jumpscare" is enemies screeching at you, or you get a cutscene with some mildly disturbing imagery. There is no form of "big loud thing jumps in your face" jumpscare. You will never turn around a corner and get a fnaf jumpscare.

The fandom is also chronically insane. (Not calling anyone out - I am a part of it.)

They are all excellent memers and artists of wholesomeness shipping. (Meme by unblueable1 on Twitter)

(Gif by Teflonflak on Reddit)

[mako-neexu]

[own interpretation/only for those who can forgive]

daddy kink jokes and getting "dad-zoned" aside, dantes does have a reasonable explanation for the behavior and stance. and maybe thats why i like writing it so much into my fanfics. i dont understand why people dislike this... (is it because of pseudo-incest??? age gap???) but i like it so ill make a post with my thoughts. cut below

because it does come back to the original novel, where when he was incarcerated, his betrothed was stolen away from him and married another bc of pressure, his father believed in him until the end but died without ever seeing his son again... and then there is the Abbe, whom was also his 'fate' and had treated him like a son. so i really get that Abbe Faria who was his light and guide during his time alive would be tremendous inspiration and hope to his heart that has tasted the bowels of despair. coupled with studying under the old man, there was no doubt he truly picked up a lot of things from the Abbe... but also as he is his own person, dantes became a demon of vengeance, one who is compassionate and understanding as well towards victims of circuimstance and highly advocates for determination and personal retribution when wronged.

now, towards fujimaru ritsuka - constantly told to us by the narrative to be the Avenger, Count of Monte Cristo's fate, star, light, accomplice, and "one and only" - his care for them is highly overprotective and selfless that it ultimately becomes selfish and "evil" because it is at the cost of someone else's blood spilled for their sake. he feels like an overprotective father because that is one of the roles he took upon himself... or rather, what you could consider as "canon" if you aren't including romantic implications. (after all, there is that significant age gap that leads many people to simply think that he is a "partner in crime" (platonic) / "older brother" or best friend / "dad" type if the romantic implication isn't preferred by the player....)

but because in prison tower, guda saved him by letting him be their "Abbe Faria" combined with how their soul is and just how guda thinks of him and treats him, the kind of love he has for Fujimaru Ritsuka, grown further overtime, is a kind of madness where you can call it "poisonous". both to him and guda... because if you also think about it, dantes is far more dangerous than any outer god trying to invade their body and destroy the world theyre living in considering dantes in the waste pit and the amount of things sakurai hinted...

one of the factors that also contribute to dantes "dad-zoning" (not really) guda is because guda's family was basically massacred so i think he wants to ease the pain a little bit by being the 'father' in the fake tokyo for them because he cant recreate people guda barely remembers/or isnt in the surface on the bleached earth considering everyone is inside chaldeas, but also being the vengeance demon FROM the book, he doesnt know how to act in any other way other than being the man that was thrown into prison, met the Abbe, and escaped alive. the novel is what the world remembers so those parts of himself that was the "Avenger" was engraved unto the world. in order to help guda, the only way he could do it was through an Avenger like him would. and the man who was saved that is Edmond Dantes's hope and fate- his inspiration is Abbe Faria, whom saw him as a son... and guided him like a light. because with that desire to guide as a light the same way dantes was saved, he put himself into the father role due to how strong his feelings are for fujimaru ritsuka.

even towards haydee, she was constantly referred to as a 'child' throughout the novel because of the age difference until haydee really pressed on and told dantes she loves him romantically. so even to haydee, he felt like a parental figure first even with the master-servant relationship (a time where he can finally have things in control and do what he must to protect those he loves) and to abbe faria, he felt like a friend and a son to the priest (a time where he needed guidance and knowledge) and combined with his personal experiences, he wants what is best for his accomplice.......so i think its really understandable why he would be so close to an "overprotective father" to guda.

its a tough kind of love, but also, so overwhelmingly sweet. where if you struggle and do your best, you will be greatly rewarded no matter what. but if there are factors beyond you that even you cant do, dantes, no matter how incomprehensible and unreasonable he may be, is there to be the fire that will pave your path clear. just as long as you yourself walk it and let him guide you through it. very much like a father...

[kareenvorbarra]

I haven't read the Queen's Thief series yet but I really loved your rendition of Haydee and the Count in that fic. If you ever decide to write more of her, I'd love to read it! I loved all the little hints you put in about her from the perspective of another character, esp her coming off as a bit more prideful when she sang for the other girls

Thank you!!! what a lovely message to receive omg, I know a few people read that fic who were Queen's Thief fans but didn't know TCOMC very well - I'm glad it also works from the other perspective!

tagging my co-author @child-of-hurin because she is equally responsible for the fic :)

I'm so glad you liked Haydee's characterization! I do actually have a partially written fic from her point of view that isn't a crossover, but i haven't worked on it in a while. i'll try to get back to it!

[fayevalcntine]

well The Count of Monte Cristo's indian adaptation Padayottam where albert and haydee end up together

Ok? Padayottam also seems to be a movie that is heavily inspired by Count of Monte Cristo, not actually an adaptation of the book itself as the overall text, and it also seems like Prince Chandran, the character representing Albert is actually Udayan's (Edmond) son, so it takes a lot of liberties with the original story. I'm not going to go against every adaptation that does this if the context in them is very different from the book material.

But I think I can be allowed to say that in a movie adaptation that's supposed to be a more faithful one of the book, where Albert isn't Edmond's son, and Haydee isn't a princess in a plot of court intrigue, it just doesn't work well enough for me. And adaptations having made a creative decision with something doesn't automatically mean it's not a bad one for other adaptations. See: making Fernand a rich and titled man as well as Edmond's actual friend already before the betrayal happens. That's somewhat unrealistic in the book's setting and also makes Fernand's military choices (like the betrayal of Ali Pasha) have less weight to them, because Fernand being a poor Catalan who rises the ranks of Parisian society through blood money is supposed to be the point and one of his main crimes.

[scarletlotus182]

Okay so putting some thoughts down on the ending, the only complaint I've got about it is it really feels like the stuff with Haydee doesn't feel justified. She barely gets any actual screentime which is a shame because even if they weren't doing a romance with her, I would have loved to see her friendship with Valentine develop.

Also, again, the Mercedes stuff is all super depressing and I will die on the hill that she was done dirty. A much better ending imo would have been her and Dantes rekindling their romance and picking up where they left off (if they wanted to sell me on the romance aspects at all, of course).

That aside, the ending was fantastic. Dantes' whole tour of his old home and the prison to give himself closure was a really good touch on things too.