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as requested here's the edit!! i wasn't sure which pov to use but then i remembered how buddy has been through a LOT. imagine being locked up your entire life and then forced to pit against someone you (accidentally) start falling for. someone who you can't even avoid because out of everything they could've done (with the key, the power), they chose YOU. so now youre in a predicament!! to risk everything or do nothing at all!!

sorry for the yapfest. they're invading my brain.

song : love me not by Ravyn Lenae

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I’ve had this idea since season 1, but now that we’ve officially met Violet, I feel like I was truly able to channel her Diva Energy lol.

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Cinderella Boy - Cardboard Trend

⭐🗝️

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a little compilation of nox and violet making the same/similar expressions 💜🩶

they even have the same smirk (sorry I will always take the chance to use this meme)

he really has just taken all her mannerisms, huh. surely I will not be thinking about this for the rest of forever.

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Alright chat, the flip flop is free now, I CAN SHARE MY THEORY.

This started as a vague crack theory but it spiralled and now I have tangible evidence and a thought process and have spent the last week going INSANE but most of the theory rests on one stupid detail---namely, the brand of this mysterious keyholder's flip-flop---that I couldn't share until now.

This theory is---and hear me out---

Before he was a key, Buddy was actually a fictional storybook character turned real.

WARNING: Long, only vaguely coherent rambling and Inco going insane.

Okay I know you're like "wtf are you on about" so just. just. just hear me out pls

To understand this theory we need a little bit of context, which means talking about:

The Elephant Book

"The Elephant Book" is an unfinished comic that Punko worked on before Cinderella Boy or Stagtown. It is a story about two characters who learn the secrets of a hidden organization, called Artifax... secrets that have to do with beloved fictional characters who become real because of readers' love for them. I don't want to spoil too much of it, but I highly recommend giving it a read if you like theorizing about Cinderella Boy. You can get it on her store here as an eBook. It got cancelled before the plot could be fully realized, but here's the thing---Punko has said that The Elephant Book informs Cinderella Boy.

This in itself is intruiging, but what is most fascinating to me---and here is where the flip-flop comes in, LMAO---is one particular plot point.

Again, I don't want to give away too much of the Elephant Book because it's a fantastic story. However, it does feature one part about one book character in particular---Alice, from Alice in Wonderland.

A book character who attempted to enter the "real world" through a looking glass---through a mirror.

And if you take a look at this mysterious keyholder's flip-flop...

IT SAYS ALIC[E].

here me out im not insane here me out

This looks like just a normal brand to me, nothing that has any plot significance. So it's important to ask, why then was it included? Why would Punko include a fictional brand as detailing on a random item of clothing... unless maybe, it was a reference? A jaded, non-diegetic callback to another "Alice" from a different, dropped story...

This leads me to believe that this mystery keyholder was once a storybook character, and has since been greeted into the real world.

I don't know how, but one theory I have is that maybe, to avoid a hassle, Ex Libris may take book characters and turn them real with magic to use as henchmen.

HEAR ME OUT

These people would be untracable; they would have no documents or papers, and nobody from the real world would miss them.

Their memories could be erased or modified so that they do not realize this is their history. They could be amnesic, or remember a false previous life before working for Ex Libris.

They would be easier to control because of this. Ex Libris could manipulate them because they would have qualities that would stop them from fitting into normal life; Ex Libris would feel like the only place they "belonged".

If the keys and their magic exists---and we've seen Violet and Buddy have a spell page---why couldn't this magic be plausible?

Now hear me out even more: Buddy used to be one of them.

I HAVE REASONS.

1. Words n stuff

Weird that Buddy only has one name, or that it doesn't seem to match the other keys.

That's---an underwhelming first point. Uh. That's all. Food for thought.

OH AND ALSO, "Ex Libris" means "from the library of". Could be referring to people who work with them being LITERALLY from books.

2. Dialogue

Perhaps this statement is more literal than we thought. Perhaps in Buddy's "home book", he was a villainous character.

Almost like all three of those phrases apply to him.

3. THE MIRRORS GUYS THE MIRRORS OH MY GOD

Buddy has been seen with plenty of mirror symbolism. Particularly in Dreams by Night:

Reflections show story characters, we know this.

But also, when Buddy escapes through the mirror (like Alice through the looking glass, in The Elephant Book)...

THE GLASS IS CURVED.

But we saw the mirror, the mirror is flat. We know the dreams are supposed to be extremely symbollic...

So what if the mirror is meant to symbolize more of a portal, from one world---a fictional world---to a real one?

...okay thats all i have for now that was kinda underwhelming.

I PROMISE IM NOT INSANE I PROMISE IM MORE COHERENT WHEN IM NOT EXHAUSTED LIKE I AM RIGHT NOW

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This is so stupid but this panel of chase reminds me of the evil intimidating horse 💔

I've been thinking about this since last week 😭

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IN HONOR OF THE CINDERELLA BOY S2 DROP: Here some fanart i made and tweened a bit (first time tweening)

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Hi~ I was really occupied with school and preparing the webtoon contest I just… disappeared. I couldn’t read Cinderella boy’s episode and I didn’t want to be spoiled so I just shut tumblr down for a long time but I read all the episode I didn’t have and WOW.

Enjoy my fanarts.

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saw this buddy image on here and immediately had to do something about it

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Introducing: Budd-ENA

I’ve been really into Ena and Ena ocs for the past month so I wanted to make one for Buddy/Nox :3

(Some design notes/trivia under the cut because I put a lot of thought into this)

Voices:

—Villainess/Vampire’s voice comes from Medea (Hades II), I thought her moon-theming and general vibe were perfect

—Villain/Vessel’s voice is Zagreus from Hades, I just like how he sounds

—(Despite how much I love the voice acting, I’ve never actually played or watched anyone play Hades lmao)

———

Design:

—Besides just being a part of my design for regular Nox: I included the moles because mouth moles are a signature trait of many femme fatale/vintage female characters, and moles below the eyes are called teardrop moles

—Vampire’s design mimics both a cat and, well, a vampire/demon

—Villain and Vessel’s design hinge a lot around crescent moons (including the little hair spike), and more curved lines compared to Villainess/Vampire

—Vessel’s black sclera and blue iris are inspired by the sad side of original Ena

—Instead of blue-screening, Budd-Ena beige-screens (books screens??)

—The text that replaces the voice lines is the opening of Franz’ Kafka’s Metamorphosis

—The text during Vessel’s freak out is Lorem Ipsum (aka placeholder text)

———

Misc Things I might get around to if I make a full design:

—Villainess acts a lot like early-story Nox and Nox when he’s fully playing his role as a villainess. All the snark is concentrated in him

—Vampire is inspired by Nox’s more mischievous/malicious/emotional side

—Villain is like what little we see from Nox at the very end of season 1, much more mellow and solemn

—Vessel comes from when Nox is in a panicked state like in the coffin during Requiem, and is a representation of Nox feeling like he needs to play his roles as a villain/villainess — regardless of his own sense of self

———

I might make more stuff with this design in future because I like him a lot :33

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what a pretty princess

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Hug time ⌯' ▾ '⌯!

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@jaiscbstash gaymers au has consumed my soul. go read their fanfic now!!!!!!!!

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10 Cinderella Boy fanfictions that changed my brain chemistry, that you should absolutely go read, right now.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63755626 @loona-versers

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64014607 @jaistashu

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60729112 @xiaomao-ai-wo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63807682 @leejeann

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62405593 @iwikpines

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58553476

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62383159 @lillifer

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60877444 @ PROSE WHEREVER YOU ARE???

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61314283 @jaistashu

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61235539 @spookieee28

I counted and I think that's 10, if it's not don't @ me, my strength is English not Math.

There are so many talented authors in the fandom, but these are some of the fics that I genuinely do not have the capability to hype up as much as I would like to. They CHANGED ME I'm not even joking.

I was going to write out descriptions but I have been calculating my time today and I do not have it. @tsippi since you asked!!

We should make a reblog chain within the fandom where everyone adds a fanfic that they genuinely cannot love enough :D

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crawled out of my grave to post student council stargoth. hi

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fanart for @shyve3's amazing carmilla au!! i couldn't help it

closeup and the illustration that inspired this post under the cut!

(art by caroline murta)

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In regards to the progression in Nox and Chase’s relationship (generally-speaking; not just the romantic stuff), I feel like the season 1 finale hug isn’t talked about enough.

Yes, the kiss is what made Chase realize his feelings for Nox at the end there (and that’s not if he goes into denial about liking Buddy/just liking the fact that he kissed a guy and stuff) but ultimately the kiss only actually happened so the two didn’t freaking die….

In contrast the hug happened after Chase vented about things he’d been hiding for a long time; some of which he’d even seemed in denial about to himself. And we’ve seen Chase comfort Nox a lot. Like sure Nox was there for him too like in the beach arc when he was apologizing, but when it came to hugs it was always Chase moving first; him pulling Nox out of situations and into a hug.

But here is where Nox finally goes in first. That hug was many things: it was about their trust in each other, it was an apology, an assurance to Chase about his doubts and insecurities, a promise that all would be okay. And it was tight. It wasn’t just a hug, but an embrace; Nox put a lot into that. It was meaningful. As characters and in the progression of their relationship, it was very very meaningful.

First and foremost the kiss was so they didn’t die drowning in the soggy pages of a book. And with Chase’s realization at the end, he - again - only just realized he liked Nox. The slow burn is still very much going - that kiss was the beginning of the romance for Chase. It was the hug that was meaningful to their relationship and them as characters - their trust in each other and how they cared for each other.