#ugly duckling

[yesterdaysprint]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, October 25, 1903

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hewaaa!! Is your OC related to Director Crowley, The Maleficent crow or something? I saw your design and I found it really interesting 🩵🖤

While Miss Raven and Crowley share many visual similarities + she considers him her legal guardian and family, they’re not actually blood-related! She just showed up at NRC’s doorstep own day and Crowley took her under his wing as his “niece”. In truth, Crowley became acquaintances with Raven’s previous caretaker during his travels. That person—the “Storyteller”—knew that he would soon pass away, so he asked Crowley to please look after his ward for him.

One thing I love about Twst is how even if the inspiration for a character seems obvious at a glance (like Ace is obviously twisted from the Ace of Hearts card soldier), they can embody the traits of other characters (for example, Ace acts like Alice in that he constantly defies the Queen of Hearts). Miss Raven is technically twisted from an Alice in Wonderland riddle that was intended to have no answer... but I wanted my OC to also draw from multiple sources so that they also feel “real” and like they “fit in” the world of Twst.

(By the way!! There’s an excellent post on the Twst subreddit that discussed how Crowley is inspired by various iconic Disney birds. I’d recommend giving it a read; it’s fascinating!)

I integrated aspects of Diablo and the Evil Queen’s ravens in Miss Raven’s relationships with the equivalent Twst characters, Malleus and Vil. Diablo is Maleficent’s only competent minion, performing a number of important tasks on her behalf. Raven and Malleus aren’t familiar with one another, but she does play a key role in that she delivers the notes from the dorm leader meetings he misses. Malleus believes that she is brave to approach him (does this make them friends???), so he had assumed a strange self-proclaimed “mentor” role. He sometimes flags her down and attempts to socialize (key word: attempts) but more often than not he ends up hovering like a sleep paralysis demon… Rave has to wonder if Malleus-senpai is in need of something.

The Evil Queen’s ravens is only on screen for like… what, a minute?? And mostly just acts shocked and scared of her transformation potion brewing. This is paralleled in how Raven is intimidated by Vil’s aura, but does manage to get over it eventually to ask him for advice on how to become a “proper lady” herself. He’s the one that taught her a lot about social etiquette and manners in general.

There’s also other Disney and non-Disney references I’ve included in her lore. The backstory of Miss Raven’s guardian (pre-Crowley) is very similar to that of Beast from Beauty and the Beast… She is pessimistic at times, claiming some prospects are impossible or “nevermore” (Edgar Allen Poe)… She lacks confidence, believing she is an “ugly duckling” and wishes to become an elegant and beautiful swan… Tons more; I can’t list them all here!

In a nutshell, yes. There’s a lot more to it than just borrowing the phrase because I happen to like AiW though!

The riddle “why is a raven like a writing desk” comes from the tea party scene in the original Lewis Carroll novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Disney translated it over to their animated film, but the riddle makes appearances or is referenced in many other AiW adaptations.

According to Carroll, the riddle was meant to be nonsensical and have no answer. (In the book, the Mad Hatter himself admits, “I haven't the slightest idea,” and then Alice asks about why they are wasting their time with riddles that have no answer.) However, many people have come up with their own absurd answers to the supposedly unanswerable riddle, including: “Poe wrote on both”, “they both stand on sticks”, “they both come with inky quill”, and “because there is a B in both and an N in neither”. Ironically, Carroll was pressured into including an answer in a later edition of his book. His response was, “because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!” In the original version of this preface, “never” was spelled “nevar” (“raven” backwards).

I liked the open-endedness of the question. It keeps the door open to allow for many possibilities and encourages us to explore, to indulge in our curiosity, to experiment and let our unique perspectives shape unique replies to the same riddle. I wanted to run a blog with that kind of a creative spirit. The fact that both writing and ravens are mentioned are serendipity, but it ends up working out really well for what I do here.

My Twst OC, Raven Crowley, is also closely associated with “why is a raven like a writing desk?”. In fact, she’s twisted from the raven in the riddle, and this ties in with her backstory. Because the riddle is just… that, a riddle (and not an actual flesh-and-blood character that does things in the story) with no answer (aimless, open, without direction), Miss Raven’s character reflects that. She is a curious girl always seeking out new experiences. but she lacks self-confidence, believing that she isn’t a “main” character, just a supporting role or even a background character. Her story is that of finding her own strength, learning to become confident in her own identity, and taking charge of her own destiny—even if she’s unsure of where the winding oath may take her.

It’s all connected! ^^

[scorched-cipher]

I was trying to find an old movie/animated short for my sibling and all she told me was that it was a take on the ugly duckling so obviously I went to go and type that up and I wasn’t paying attention so

I accidentally contributed to his bullying I’m so so sorry

[caylabreon]

“Ugly Duckling”

[eah-confessions]

Wanted Mattel to introduce a child of the Ugly Duckling, a great opportunity to tell kids about the effects of bullying and inner beauty.

Ooo that is a good idea!

[batbonesandlace]

I feel like such an ugly duckling today, i just look at myself and wanna cry.

[rat-at-heart]

Some think her first crush was the Ugly Duckling, but really it was Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove

[prismatica-the-strange]

Out of this selection of my familial F/Os...

[stillnightcreatives]

In middle school I had no friends because I was depressed from gender dysphoria and didn't take care of myself... and yet I was incredibly kind and meant no harm. Our school system teaches stereotypes and promotes a toxic social hierarchy. There is no top or bottom but a complex mixture of colors. We are not creating structure in our society, we are creating a nation full of socially anxious followers. - Nickel Stillnight

[yasantiekspresi]

Black Swan

Within the vast waters I look upon,

I soon become engulfed with what I dwelled upon.

A mere glum reflection of I, a black swan,

Doleful as a creature like I could be; shamed upon.

As rivers of my eyes shaken the one I look down on;

The wretched reflection shatters like I, a black swan.

Black Swans, Dorrit Black, 1937 Poem By, yasantiekspresi

[lobotomizedpunk]

Just some cute pics of Alan as a clown in Ugly Duckling :3

[shadowpuppetteer]

Changeling Fantasy and Neurodiversity

Can we talk about the trope "Changeling Fantasy" in regard to neurodiversity? Yes I stumbled across this on tvtropes.com. Yes I finally found the name of the trope I related to too much as a kid. Yeah I've been putting this trope into my fanfic I have in my head without realizing why. And yes, I'm gonna rant about it. The changeling fantasy is basically the trope where a character finds out that their family is not their real family and that explains why they are different. It is an explanation for being outside the norm. The family group is the norm, and not being the same as everyone else means there is something wrong with the person/situation. But this trope gives a satisfying and logical explanation as to why you do not fit into this status of normal, because you were never supposed to. You are a different creature than your family, and that is ok. Great even in some cases. The story usually begins with the adoption. A stork making the wrong delivery, a tragedy befalling the original parents, or the classic baby in a basket down the river.

The family takes in the child and does their best to take care of them, despite their differences. Sometimes with the trope "interspecies adoption" the child will even get confused as to what they really are.

Although sometimes, the caretakers that either found them, or stole them away, are not as caring as they appear, and can even be the real danger...

But of course, because the child in question is different, there will always be a yearning to find out why. What can't they fit in? Is there another way of living that's more suited to them? Are there others like them out there?

Suddenly, either someone tells them, "Suprise, you're adopted!"...

Or the character finds another one of their kind (or akin to them)

This then takes the character on the journey of finding others of their kind, the "there is another" trope at times. And if/when they do find more, and if more of their kind is friendly/not wanting to kill all humans, then the feeling of belonging and understanding finally washes over them

I can say for some, that's the same feeling for neurodiverse folks. Family either, tries their best to raise you even when it can be a challenge from society, or takes advantage and abuses the child. You feel "off" from everyone else but can't tell why. You either discover or are told, "Hey guess what? You're (enter neurodiversity here) There is a great search for more knowledge about your condition and for others with it. And finally, the elation of finding a community of others like yourself. You are not alone there is whole community waiting for you. You are not a freak, what you do is normal and healthy. And despite what people have said in the past, you matter.

That is the fantasy and wish fulfillment of this trope.

[kerlhau]

Jour 23 - Le vilain petit canard.

[writing-prompts-for-palestine]

#246

The story of the ugly duckling from the perspective of a fox, trying to eat or hunt the eggs and ducklings only to eventually meet the adult swan.

—

Today’s campaign:

Haitham, from 90-ghost.

kr 14,810/kr 200,000 [7%]

[elposting]

good fucking lord