#I HAVE RESPECT FOR CANON VLAD AS A CHARACTER FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blackevermore · 6 months

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x Secrets of The Lake: The Company of Misery and Pain ( Also on A03)

{ Chapter 17 }

Summary: Vladimir Masters’ family tree has always been tainted by secrets swept under the rug. From generation to generation there have been countless reasons the Masters’ family had seemed to keep private from the public. Even to this day, Vladimir was no exception. But what was one to do when a restless spirit from the settlement years finally breaks free from restraints and demands you answer for your ancestor’s crimes? Vladimir doesn’t know. However, Clockworks does.

Notes: We just having fun, rewriting some of the canon, new adventure new characters. I will apologize now for any grammar, spelling, weird sentence structuring in advance. My brain writes faster than my fingers and even when I go back through to reread it I still miss things. Sorry about that!

Word Count: 4.2K

P.s: Chapters will be taking longer to get out which means they will get longer to read as well

The art of fatherhood was different for everyone, some would treat it as a goal that had to be achieved, others would scoff at the idea of ever having a small being having to rely on them, and then there were the golden few who genuinely want the honour of being called someone's dad. Vlad had found himself transforming from the first version to the last in a matter of years and at times it was still too surreal for him. He cheated himself out of having the infant years when he created Dani, in a way he was grateful he didn’t have to do diapers. He refuses to be envious of Jack for that. However, he lacked the time and the patience the infant years gave you when your child turned into a teenager. Danny was his first go around and that was hell on wheels considering Vlad took every chance he got to spite the boy. Over time he had become the fabric of Danny's growth as a young man and had even given a few pointers on how to handle certain situations. In a way he had gotten that fatherly relationship with Danny, maybe not in the best way (or the way he wanted) but it was there.

Here he was fussing over Dani making sure she was packed for the summer. Making sure she had her necessary items that he deemed important: her phone, her laptop, four pairs of shoes, necessary summer clothes, his antighost technology that was oh so better than Jack’s (and worked), her house keys just in case ( not that she actually needs them), and finally the emergency credit card that she would need to text Kate to use. Vlad had no idea why he behaved like this when Dani had spent countless times over at Danny’s family home. It was indeed her second home when Vlad was away on business. He was now becoming overbearing and trying to helicopter her. When Dani finally commented about it Vlad backed off and agreed with a distaste of himself.

The whole time he ran around his Minnesota home trying to make sure Dani was ready, Tayonna watched in the shadows at times laughing at Vlad's antics. He was much different than Vladan. Vlad was cool-headed to an extent that prevented anyone from seeing him when he was in distress. The man could be juggling the world on the tip of his fingers and he would make it look effortless. He carried himself with an eerie confidence that made people move out of his way and he commanded with ease. Vlad had mean eyes that only softened to things he deemed worthy and even then they still demanded respect. Vlad spoke clearly, with overly over-enunciated vowels and sometimes lingered on sounds with a hiss like a snake. Vladan was Vlad's polar opposite who hunched at the idea of unnecessary conflict. Vladan, despite his frown brows and hooded pale wolf eyes, was soft on the inside. All of the possible intimidating nature Vladan could muster was surface level, once you got past that he was simply a man with a big heart. He only showed a sign of authority when faced with an opposing manner. Vlad was a single shade of red while Vladan was shades of blue that fluctuated daily. Vlad held the room by its neck, Vladan lurked in the back, and yet they both equally wanted nothing more than to go home.

Tayonna found herself admiring Vlad outside of the striking resemblance he held with Vladan. It was like she was meeting a stranger who read the same poem but in a different cadence. Within the month and few weeks she was here she would describe him like a cat. White and fluffy but very much untouchable purring around with pompous behaviour in an obnoxious way that was almost laughable. Yet at times when Vlad was being a father to Dani, Tayonna could only imagine Vladan doing the same. Fussing over his daughter, driving manners into their possible son, and complaining about how tired he was after everything.

This world was so much different than when she was alive. The first was that people like her roamed freely with no one to answer to. Next women held more power than just being at home, they worked, they owned, and they were able to do just the same as their male counterparts if not better—lastly, pants. Tayonna was so surprised that women could wear pants, no one cared, and no one yelled or screamed about how evil it was that women and young girls could wear them as well. When Tayonna saw Dani running about in pants she had almost the nerve to say something. But Vlad didn’t have an issue with it so it must have been okay. The few times Tayonna looked out the windows and saw people walking by she damn near felt like she was peeping at naked people. This was so different. So abnormal. She had been in her domain for years on end, with no interaction outside of the red mist, no possible way of knowing what the living world was like. When she haunted Vlad she did in the comfort of what she knew. Now that she was here she was more scared of the moving world than the fact Vlad looked like Vladan.

“Tayonna.” Vlad walked past the doorway into the living room. Tayonna was near the bay window enjoying the sun.

“Yes?” She responded.

“I’m going to leave now and drop Danielle off. When I come back I will begin packing myself and we will be leaving to go to my other house.” Vlad said, rolling up his dress shirt and smoothing out his hair. Tayonna looked him over then gave him a hum of acknowledgement. Vlad told himself to walk away but the sight in front of him was statuesque. Tayonna sat along the window seat with a knee tucked under her chin, her wild curls were held back by a scarf but sprayed around her in a halo of kinks. She was in her human complexion and the sun made her brown skin glow with a honey hue. The contradiction of her dated clothing against modern architecture paved a deeper meaning between life as it was and life now. She looked like an artist's thesis statement that life lingers even in white walls and grey scaling.

‘ She’s always been beautiful ’ Vladan thought.

Indeed, Vlad agreed.

Vlad couldn’t believe he was agreeing with the voice inside his head. Of course, Tayonna was charming to look at with her raw beauty which was much different than women today. But he could not tiptoe around the line of possibly finding her attractive. She was a ghost, an intruder who came into his life like a fist to the face, he could not allow his curiosity to be tainted by someone else's feelings or even his loneliness.

“Do you need something, Sir?” Tayonna brought Vlad out of his thoughts causing him to blush. The way she called him Sir made a funny feeling rattle in his chest and he liked it. Vlad liked the formality in the suggestive nature, it was almost like a game of power and control. He knew she didn’t mean it in such a way but rather to be polite but oh the way his heart skipped at the sound of it. He hoped she would do it more often if she was going to be around. Vlad quickly cleared his throat and tried to calm himself down by turning away from her and raising a hand to dismiss himself.

“Nothing, I shall be back and then we will leave.” Vlad was quickly out of the house towards the car where Dani waited with headphones on and her feet on the dash.

“Make sure you eat!” Vlad yelled out the window.

“Why wouldn’t I eat?” Dani yelled back.

“I don’t know, Jack’s cooking is questionable.”

“Well, mom will likely be the one cooking.”

“You’d be surprised, she’s not much of a cook either.”

“I heard that!” Maddie yelled from the door and Vlad couldn’t help but laugh.

“Am I lying? Or do I need to recall our time in Jack’s dorm where you nearly set the whole building on fire making pasta?” Vlad smirked and Maddie gave him a very motherly disappointed look of ‘Why would you bring that up’ before she rolled her eyes and huffed out a chuckle.

“Alright, be safe, call me later.” Vlad turned his gaze back towards his daughter and Dani nodded eager for him to finally pull off.

“Take care, Madeline, I’ll see you all before Daniel leaves for college.” Vlad waved as he pulled off and busted a U-turn to head back towards his house. He was barely down the road when his phone began to ring through the whole car.

“Masters.” He answered.

“Good morning, Sir. Is now a good time?” Kate sounded airy as if she was outside.

“It’s as good as it gets, you’ve been missing in action for a while.” Vlad was snappy. Kate had been gone for a while, no text, no call, not even an email informing him of any update. Surely the woman remembered she was meant to be on a business trip, not some crazy extended vacation.

“I’m in Germany,” Kate responded simply.

“What in the heavens are you doing in Germany?!” Vlad's brows knotted and he huffed out a fit of air. She was doing this on his time.

“Jackson and I got to Pennsylvania and were able to pull the records, however-”

“However?” Vlad's brow rose.

“However, the records showed that, yes, you had family that dealt in the colonies but business was managed across seas. The name associated is not Vladan; it was under a man named Tillman who was listed as head of state up until Anya-Tillman Mægisters was listed as a successor.”

“Yes! Anya was the father of Vladan.” Vlad became excited as the pieces started to fall into place. Finally some good news!

“Yes, I found that as well but Vladan does not seem to take on the family business after his father’s passing. The business was dissolved due to lack of resources and funds.” Kate paused as if she was flipping through a book.

“The last mention of his existence is one official marriage certificate in the Germanic state to an Odo, and a previous betrothal while in the colonies to a Phoebe Speldercast.”

“Don’t you ever say that name again!” Vlad's voice boomed through the car with a heavy bass that rocked the car’s interior. This made him swerve off to the side of the road and slam on his breaks. His grip on the wheel was tight and his hands began to glow as his powers activated. His chest became tight and his eyes flashed completely red and a fit of rage sideswiped him before sizzling out and bringing him back. Vladan’s mist began to rise from his arms and Vlad had to take a deep breath to gain control of his body. He looked up in the rearview mirror and Vladan stared back like an unhinged man ready to attack. Vlad could feel Vladan tussling within his mind and the man only seemed to get angrier. The phantom closed his eyes and mentally blocked out the angered spirit until he was sure he wouldn’t break loose again.

The car was silent and Vlad knew that Kate was likely just as speechless on the other side of the phone.

“Kate I dearly apologize, I’ll have to call you back.” Vlad didn’t wait for a response and quickly hung up on his assistant. Vlad turned back towards the rearview mirror and saw Vladan was still there with the craziest set of eyes and his face turning red.

“Did that hit a nerve?” Vlad asked sarcastically out loud.

“She’s the devil who took everything away from me.” Vladan was no longer an echo in Vlad's head. His voice was clear and accented.

“Can you possibly tell me anything about her?” If this was the lead Vlad needed then by god was he going to take it.

“She was a witch,” Vladan spat back.

“Was she crucified?” Vlad didn’t want to sit here and pull teeth. This isn't even his problem and yet it seemed he couldn’t get answers to fix it.

“No,” Vladan responded defeated and Vlad sighed. Finally, he could feel his body become his again as he unclasped his hands from the wheel and then grumbled when he saw the leather was scarred.

“Tayonna can’t remember anything that happened, if there is anything you can offer I would gladly appreciate it.” Vlad looked away from the mirror and towards his side mirrors to see if anyone was coming. When he saw it was clear he pulled back onto the road. Vladan had yet to respond and Vlad took a quick glance to look in the mirror. Vladan was gone and Vlad slapped his palm against the wheel in frustration.

~~~

“Sir?” Kate answered the phone hesitantly and Vlad cringed in the reminder of earlier.

“I do apologize for earlier Miss Way, no, I can not explain myself but trust me when I say I have no idea either.” Vlad paused.

“Apology accepted,” Kate responded and Vlad let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding.

“Wonderful, I have a new name I need you to look into, Phoebe Speldercast, which you had mentioned earlier. My records do not mention her at all and I’m starting to believe it is for a reason.” Vlad huffed about his room putting together a suitcase and snapping his fingers for the ghost maids to appear and handle the rest.

“Why are we doing this again, Sir?” Kate seemed to snap back to her normal personality and Vlad was glad.

“It seems I have more family issues than I’m comfortable discussing.” Vlad let out an ironic chuckle and Kate responded with a ‘hah’ and then told him she would look into it before hanging up. Vlad threw his phone on the bed and then plopped down to sit, he held his head in his hands, ran his fingers through his silver hair and pulled out the ponytail. This was exhausting and he still had the stuff to do before the day was over. He felt like every time he got closer to finding out something both Tayonna and Vladan left him crumbs to work with. He hadn’t heard from Clockwork since Tayonna arrived and that made him feel more abandoned than ever. Then again, he didn’t expect much help from the timekeeper anyway. Clockwork was a very hands-off sort of being that already knew the answers but wanted you to figure it out by yourself. Sure he gave you a clue but said clue would only be good for five seconds before the mystery continued to unravel into turmoil.

This was beginning to feel like the summer was going to drag and the small idea of any vacation Vlad had planned would be thrown away. Vlad sat up straight and peered ahead, he caught sight of himself in his full-length mirror and duly noted his appearance. Still handsome, still him, still had dark circles under his eyes he was sure were permanent, and still had that strip of black hair that came out of nowhere. He touched his jaw and thought how under all the facial hair he grew was a baby face that would give it away he wasn’t actually in his forties. No longer ageing at an appropriate rate was a blessing just as much as it was a curse. That’s why he never shaved more than he should. He felt the pricks of his beard coming in and made a note to sharpen up when he got to Wisconsin. As he continued to make note of his face a red mist left his lips and he looked over his shoulder to see Tayonna standing in the door.

“That name,” Tayonna began. “I don’t like that name.”

Vlad hummed and turned around, “Nor does he.” Vlad felt his hand twitch a few times as Vladan tried to get him to reach out to the woman. Vlad told him to stop and Tayonna tilted her head as she heard him. Vlad noticed she started to walk toward him, she was cautious as she stood beside him and slowly brought her hand up to push back a few loose strands of hair. Vlad stayed still, he didn’t want to scare her with any sudden movement. This was the closest they had been since he removed the collar from her neck. He felt his heart flutter when she moved her hand down to cup his face. His core burned for a moment then settled again when she removed her hand.

“She was a nasty woman, she wanted him all to herself.” Tayonna backed away to put distance between them again. “I don’t remember anything else. I feel like every time I try to think about my life I have nothing. Except him.” Tayonna bit her lip and hung her head.

Vlad shot to his feet and pulled the girl into a tight hug. When they touched their cores vibrated against each other making their owners shiver. Tayonna brought her arms up and wrapped around Vlad in a way only a lover would. Vlad bit down his discomfort from knowing it wasn't for him and just allowed the two souls to interact. He felt left out strangely despite being the owner of the body. Tayonna wasn’t holding him, he told himself, she was feeling Vladan and likely reminiscing on what it once felt like to hold her old lover. He knew that's what Vladan wanted, it was why Vlad was currently holding the girl like his life depended on it. Vlad told himself to be content and to not bring his own emotions into this. Was the situation fucked up, yes, was there anything else he could do, not really.

If he tried to fight Vladan’s impulses then there was no telling what the soul inside him would do next. He didn’t want to imagine it either.

“Go to sleep,” Tayonna whispered into Vlad’s shoulder then placed her hand in the middle of his back. A surge of energy shot through Vlad and right to the middle of his core making it pulse a few times then willow into a slumber. Vlad felt the heat that normally flows through his body come to a chill, making his teeth chatter. Tayonna was the first to pull away but not completely out of the embrace. She looked into Vlad’s eyes and held him there for a moment as if trying to see if Vladan was still around.

“I apologize,” Tayonna shifted on her feet and then settled back into Vlad’s arms.

“It’s alright, I’ll heat back up” Vlad's voice cracked a bit as he settled his core and the unbelievably cold chill coursing through him.

“ Not for that,” Tayonna corrected him.

“Then for what?” Vlad's brow rose.

“You are not held often, you crave it more than he does and he uses that against you. He is smart.” Tayonna finally removed her arms from around Vlad and tugged a bit to break his hold. Vlad awkwardly let her go and that sparked something inside him when he lost her touch. Vlad could have been annoyed knowing that Vladan had triggered something like that inside him. But he was too tired to care, too tired to fight back and honestly just wanted another hug as it was.

“He is a nuisance.” Vlad finally straightened himself and pushed back his hair to put it back into a ponytail. Tayonna reached out a hand and pulled at his forearm to stop him.

“You need to let your hair down. Relax more, as best as you can, that is.” Tayonna nodded then walked out of the room and off somewhere in the house.

Vlad clenched his fist then shook out his hands as he closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

“This is ridiculous,” Vlad grumbled.

“She’s getting comfortable around you.” Vladan's voice came from behind Vlad causing the man to jump a bit and turn around. The spirit was reflected in the mirror on Vlad’s bed with a very tired expression almost as if he was about to pass out. Vlad was silently pleased to know Tayonna’s powers finally zapped the other into calming down and being out of the way.

“I wouldn’t say that when you don’t seem to know when to settle down. Seems like she’s trying to keep you away from her.” Vlad didn’t mean to say the last part, it came out on its own, and he didn’t try to apologize for saying it. Vladan didn’t seem to take offence mostly due to being tired (or not hearing it). Vladan did however manage to bring his face up to stare Vlad deep to his core and it made the phantom stiffen.

“Some of this isn’t me,” Vladan let out a yawn and blinked his eyes a few times. His head lulled to the side and he caught it in his hand. “You have strong emotions buried inside you. They trigger me just as much as they trigger you. You’re lonely.” With that, Vladan vanished and Vlad knew he was utterly alone in the bedroom once again.

Vlad knew he had some emotions buried deep that he chose not to deal with. It was better that way, especially with his newfound path towards not being the villain in everyone’s story. They were emotions that kept him the way he was for years and only recently was he able to shift his focus. His loneliness wasn't completely cured. Where he was able to make it with having his own Frankenstein family he still longed for someone to share it with. He wanted a partner and Vlad wasn’t sure what the hell Vladan was getting at when he said Tayonna could help. Tayonna was Vladan’s ghostly lover who just a few weeks ago was on a rampage and is now being civil. Vlad liked them crazy but not that crazy.

~~~

Tayonna was not okay with going back into the Ghost Zone. The sheer thought of going back made her think that at any moment she might be sucked back into the hidden world she was kept in and imprisoned. She had managed to escape and find Vlad by following his trail of ectoplasm that fell from his wound. She had lost the trail halfway through and saw random ghosts entering and exiting out of a portal and chose to follow it blindly. Lucky for her it was the right way to go, but now she wasn’t too sure she could handle stepping back into the green void she knew had no ending or beginning.

“Tayonna, come along.” Vlad’s black rings crossed over his body turning him into Plasmius. The woman forgot he could change his appearance just like her. Vlad had been human for so long that she flinched a bit when he turned around to look back at her. Vlad looked around to see what made her jump then laughed.

“You copy my powers and forget where you got them from?” He teased and Tayonna huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Come now, it’s only 10 minutes from here and I much rather settle in before mid-afternoon.” Vlad walked over to the computer that was connected to his ghost portal and typed in something that made the machine come to life and the doors slowly open. A mist of fog rolled in as the bitter chill of the Ghost Zone filled the room and then the harsh glow of neon green. The machine’s main clock above the portal began a countdown of thirty seconds. Vlad wasted no time in flying into the portal but when he felt a pull on his core alerting him of Tayonna he turned to look over his shoulder.

She stood on the edge of the portal looking down into the Ghost Zone and then shaking her head and stepping back. Vlad tsked and knew that his portal would close in just a few seconds if she didn’t hurry up. He quickly rushed back, took the girl's hand and pulled her into his body as he floated back up just as the door was closing.

“Forgot how to fly already?” Vlad teased her again, hoping that whatever was making her nervous would subside. Tayonna said nothing as her black rings formed around her waist and transformed her into her ghost form. She pulled away from him but held onto his hand as they floated in place for a bit.

“I don’t like it here, it feels like a prison.” Tayonna squeezed Vlad’s hand and he could tell that she needed the comfort right now. He was a gentleman before anything else and he firmly made sure she knew he wasn’t going to let her go.

“Well, actually the prison is that way. The Ghost Zone, within limitations, is a wonderland of free will.” With that Vlad pulled her along so they could start their travels and Tayonna kept close. A feeling told her that something lurked around them and as much as she thought she could defend herself if need be, Vlad would certainly be of great help. Vlad could sense it too, not from his core but in general, something was watching them and he didn’t have the time to stop and figure it out.

“He was never here.” Tayonna broke the silence after a while of flying and that caught Vlad’s curiosity.

“The Ghost Zone?” He responded. How in the world would someone dead not be in the Ghost Zone? Of course, Vlad had heard of some ghost crossing over but that was only to those that had nothing to be restless over. All the ghosts here had something they refused to let go over. Love, revenge, anger, hell even the children's pride of innocence. All the ghosts that could be accounted for in the zone were people who had something that didn’t allow them to move on. From what Vlad understood from both ghosts that now haunted him, they should have been stuck in here for years.

“I never felt him lingering around. Even when I left the water and found you I could never feel him here.” Tayonna said.

“Wasn’t he just mist?” Vlad asked, he was sure that Vladan’s embodiment of the red floating mist would be enough to trigger a ghost's senses. Then again he never sensed him, despite being in his body he could never tell when Vladan was around, only Tayonna.

“That’s not his ghost,” Tayonna pulled closer to Vlad when they flew past another ghost who paid them no mind. “He has no physical form, that's why he is nothing but air. He is nothing but an imprint.” Tayonna sounded hurt to say that.

‘She took my body’ Vladan spoke in Vlad’s mind. He sounded very drowsy as if he was still fighting the sleep that Tayonna put him in.

‘Who’ Vlad thought back.

‘The witch’ Vladan went silent again and Vlad felt an overbearing feeling of dread tickle his core. Tayonna felt it too and huffed, shaking her head as if she was annoyed by it. Vlad gave her a look and Tayonna silently acknowledged it.

“He feels dread.” Tayonna knew it was pointless to get worked up but the unknown anger she had against Vladan was still there. Even if she couldn’t remember why she was upset with him, that didn’t stop her from expressing it. Vlad's core rocked back and forth between the two emotions and he stopped flying and let go of Tayonna's hand.

“Stop it, both of you, this is still my body and still my mind at times. I would like not to have to feel his emotions and yours reacting at a constant back and forth. It’s draining me.” Vlad felt the both of them become remorseful and he knew it was best to just forgive them so he could get to where he was going. Tayonna didn’t try to take his hand and flew a few paces behind him. Their trip was over when they made it to a giant castle-like door and Vlad tapped on his wrist to unlock it.

He landed and then held out his hand for Tayonna to take, once they were both inside the new house Tayonna looked around amazed at the change of scenery.

“You live in a castle?” Tayonna walked over to study the old bricks along the dungeon-like wall. Despite being turned into a lab for Vlad's ghostly needs he kept the castle like decor. The walls were the old bricks from when the manor was first built, thick pillars lined along the structure that kept the foundation of the house. Vlad even decorated with a few old nick nacks around on the shelves and an old suit of armour near the portal door. It may have been the Dairy King's home once but that didn’t mean he couldn’t fashionably love dairy.

“It’s a bit small for a castle but nonetheless it was built for a sort of king,” Vlad smirked. Tayonna looked around more and then came back to stand beside Vlad with her hands behind her back.

“What are your rules?” Vlad was confused then remembered that while they were at his other home he made clear his do's and don’ts. He thought for a moment then shrugged.

“We are far from the city and my neighbours are a mile away. You are free to do as you please within reason. As we know when you stray too far you get hurt so let's try to avoid that. You are free to do as long as you are in my company.” Tayonna's eyes lit up with excitement and she smiled. The flutter of happiness Vlad felt made him smile as well and he felt his heart skip. Tayonna's smile was indeed something he had never seen before and he hoped to see it again now that she didn’t have boundaries. It was his main reason for buying the manor for himself years ago. It gave him the ability to do his ghostly needs.

His Minnesota house was too close to other people. Anyone could look through his back windows and see him or Dani using their powers no matter how hard he tried to block them out. Hell, at one point Mrs Welmsworth began peeping into his garden when he planted new flowerbeds and almost caught him using his powers in the kitchen. When he came back to Wisconsin he really did let loose and allow his ghostly behaviors to get the best of him. Since he worked from home no one could bother him when he just wanted to be blue. Or maybe his eyes were being funky and were stuck red for a day, or his fangs wouldn’t retract, or simply he just wanted to be Plasmius. At times he was sure Plasmius was his own person just as much as he was an ego.

“Would you like a tour?” Vlad gestured around them and Tayonna shook her head no before turning back into her human form and floating up through the floor. Vlad nodded and went about calling for the ghost maids to make sure they had brought over his stuff. When he left the basement, he was right next to the kitchen and heard the sound of pots and pans moving around. He checked his watch and saw that it was only 3 pm, a bit too early for anyone to be making dinner, let alone be in the kitchen when it was just him and Tayonna there. He strongly hoped it wasn’t the Dairy King, said ghost had a bad habit of forgetting he wasn’t the owner anymore and there wouldn’t be random things of dairy products lying around.

Vlad peeked into the kitchen and watched as Tayonna swirled her hands around flicking open cabinets and drawers and pulling out cooking utensils. Some he didn’t even know he had stored away since he didn’t do much cooking when he was here.

Tayonna felt at home in the large kitchen, there was space for her to float off the ground and quickly move around to snoop through Vlad’s things. The reason she had even started in the kitchen was when she saw the old style stove that looked like it hadn’t been used in years, it brought her back to her years being alive. She didn’t need to eat but the call to be crafty pulled her in and she began her attack on wanting to make something. Vlad was impressed with how natural she seemed in the kitchen.

“Sugar, flour, butter, and if there are berries, bring them here,” Tayonna said, clapping her hands and watching the room come to life as the fridge opened and the butter flew out, the cabinets opened and flour and sugar floated towards her. She pointed to the large island next to her and the items gently placed themselves down. When berries did not appear Tayonna looked around then saw a lonely plant pot tucked behind a few books. She snapped her fingers for the pot to move and once it was in her hands she placed her hands in the dirt and mumbled a few words then watched as a small berry bush sprouted.

Vlad was more than impressed, she could conjure things by simply asking for them aloud, he wished he had that ability, maybe he could ask her how she did it or even better yet, learn to copy her ability to copy others. He wouldn’t mind being lazy and calling for something to come flying towards him. Then again that’s what the ghost maids were for. Vlad leaned against the kitchen archway and watched on as Tayonna set to work making dough with her powers adding in the berries before turning around to turn on the stove.

“Open the window and bring me wood.” Tayonna commanded and the window towards the patio door opened and the snapping of tree branches caught Vlad’s ear. When they floated into the kitchen Tayonna pointed to the small door under the stovetop and it opened for the wood to rest inside. She then stuck out a finger and shot a blast of lighting to start the fire. Vlad knew it would take a while for the stove to heat up but the girl didn’t care and placed her hand on the iron rack in the main part of the stove to heat it. Within a few minutes, Tayonna was starting up something else and the kitchen was once again back to life.

Vlad noticed when Tayonna stopped and became interested in the sound system near the end of the counter. She was like a baby animal picking and poking at the item. He would have to teach her eventually simple technology so she wouldn’t break anything.

Tayonna finally poked enough that she hit the on button and rock music began to blare out the speakers. She jumped back out of fear and gasped, the music seemed like it was coming from all directions and that was terrifying, she covered her ears and stood back. Vlad quickly ran over and turned it off and finally broke the laughter he was holding in. Tayonna's brows knotted and she pointed towards the sound system in disgust.

“It’s a sound system, like a radio, or a music box,” Vlad said, still trying to choke back a chuckle.

“That is not a music box, that is a bunch of noise clashing together.” Tayonna frowned and shook her head.

“That my dear is AC/DC, which may I say is not just a bunch of noise but a rock classic.” Vlad crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on one leg. “And may I ask what you are doing in the kitchen?” He swirled a finger around gesturing to the pots and pans and food lying around.

“You said I could do as I please.” Tayonna retorted.

“And you can, but I’m still the owner of this house and I can still ask you what you are doing.” Vlad smirked and that seemed to ease Tayonna.

“I’m making something-”

“Bunt Berry Cake, you know how much I love it.” Vlad and Tayonna stared at each other as the awkwardness between them grew. Vlad mentally told Vladan to shut the hell up, then coughed apologizing, Tayonna nodded her head and cleaned her hands off on her dress.

“I’m sure you’ll like it just as much as he does.” Tayonna laughed and Vlad’s expression softened at the gentle sound of her voice.

“I hope so or I’m going to be very upset.” Vlad said, slightly flirtatiously.

“I’m rather skilful with cooking so I promise you’ll like it, Sir.” Tayonna smiled.

And there it was again, Sir , Vlad’s weakness that made his lip ends twitch into a smile.

“Then I can’t wait,” Vlad winked at Tayonna which made the girl blush unbeknownst to him as he walked away and out of the kitchen. Around the corner, Vlad was mentally kicking himself and blaming Vladan for his sudden flirty behaviour.

It truly was going to be a long summer.

#📖ghost stories👻#danny phantom #vlad masters #dp fanfic #my writing #oc x canon

2 notes · View notes

ruiniel · 1 year

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Prickly thorns, tender roses

Fandom: Castlevania series (2017-2021)

Rating: Mature 🔞

Relationship: Alucard/Original Female Character

Characters: Alucard, Original Characters

Summary:

Set after the events of Castlevania (Netflix) Season III. After the betrayal of his young apprentices, Alucard feels barely alive in his lonesome castle. Days wear on, chipping away at his mind and sanity. And what is the son of Dracula to do with this unwanted visitor, suddenly come at his doorstep?

Chapter tags & warnings: Inspired by Castlevania, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, POV alternating, Post-Castlevania Season III, Written before season IV. Explicit depiction of death and related themes. This is an M-rated fic. Whatever you see in Castlevania, you may at one point see here. Considering what happened with Taka and Sumi, I felt this had to be addressed.

XII. Strange fates

It was night outside by the time she emerged. Ravenna stalked forward from the direction of the Belmont Hold, her mind full. It had been her first day of research amid the boundless knowledge contained in the vault, and as expected, she'd gathered nothing as of yet. It was not the most heartening outcome, but then again, she had some time. Her eyes and back hurt from the strain, but her purpose was a strong enough beacon to pursue; she would carry on, do her best. But now her best mainly meant having a good, long rest, and even the prospect of lying down to sleep in that ghostly chamber allotted to her was most appealing at the moment. Her thoughts strayed; she thought of her temporary host and their uncanny, intriguing deal. Ravenna thought back on their conversation: surely one held in respect by a Belmont, could not be inherently evil? But was this Hold truly bequeathed to him, or were they lies? After all, a Belmont and a half-vampire... No, a dhampir, as Adrian had called himself.

Then again, if she was to believe him, the two had worked together to defeat Vlad Dracula Ţepeş. I suppose I will simply have to trust... him, until proven otherwise. She would be a liar to say their understanding did not suit, after all.

A knot in her belly spoke of hunger, but Ravenna willed her mind to other things: all the work set before her. As she walked, nearer and nearer to the castle, the woman noticed a brightness hailing to the far eastern side of the clearing where the behemoth of a structure stood.

Fire. What's this? A figure stood there, tall and straight, and alone.

Adrian. She'd not caught sight of him all day. To be fair, I'd been underground for most of it. He was drenched in thought and despite her previous resolution to rest, her steps led her right to him.

The lonely chirping of a cricket greeted the falling evening. It was warm this early in summer, but once the sun disappeared a familiar chill fell upon the lush, shadowed forest. Turning from the starlit heavens, Alucard set his gaze on the pyre of kindling before him. Two bodies lay there, covered in wrappings of linen. He had no knowledge of how funeral rites would be held in their home land, but considering the lay of this land and its recent history, he had settled for burning them. How ironic, he thought with a dark smile.

But now, about to proceed in lighting the pyre, he wallowed. He could do nothing but gape at the remains of the ones he'd once taken in and cared for. Were it not for the Styrian, you'd still be on display, he thought with no trace of resent; he'd simply ceased to care of the outside world, and they were a part of it.

How fitting and unexpected, that one of their own kind had indirectly spared their honor. Though he doubted they had ever known the meaning of such, living most of their lives in constant fear as slaves to a vampire. At first he'd pitied them. Then he had become accustomed to their presence, blinded by his own foolish infatuation to see their thirst for control. Or perhaps he'd not wanted to see it. Thinking about those times, as he unfortunately often did, Alucard would relive moments where a mere glance or a lingering look obtained a completely different meaning, and each time he felt his spirit wither beyond recognition. His own motives and state of mind from before were murky and vague now at best. He had needed... someone. No, he had needed a purpose. He had simply needed, and they had so fortuitously found him. It all fell into place; but the memory of that night would still haunt, as would the burden of their deaths.

You've been lying to us...

"I never lied to you," he repeated the words they never heard. Or did you? his guilt scorned. His eyes were caught by their lifeless forms. Alucard took an intake of breath, grinding his teeth, willing the maelstrom to cease its churn. If only he'd told them of the weapons. If only he had told them the full truth, they may not have attempted their foolish plan, but a strange seed of unseeing doubt had kept him from being forthright, and there, there lay the true blame. His face changing into a bitter smile sheltered by the night, he had to admit he'd sorely misjudged their cunning; or their desperation, as it were.

Alucard made an attempt to light the torch, but his arm fell back to his side. It seemed only yesterday Sumi pleaded with him, watching him so longingly, maintaining the two of them needed a friend. And fool that he was, distraught and shamefully in need of companionship, he'd believed them. He had wished to believe them. Yes, the fault was not his alone, but it felt as though a great part of it was. And they'd been so young, younger than he. Now, having carried their decomposed remains unto their final resting place it all resurfaced, in a sudden, unstoppable torrent of emotions clawing beneath layers upon layers of lingering grief and disappointment.

I should have told them. He tilted his head forward, his hands clenching into fists. Perhaps it was the curse of his existence, for those he held dear to ever die by his hand? Alucard stepped forward and lit the torch. He glanced at the shells of his former apprentices, his supposed friends. Perhaps they had been, in the beginning. Who knew? Strange fates roamed this world, coming to strange ends.

He lit the pyre.

Just as the kindling took to flame he heard footsteps approaching, and refocused his vision. He discerned a silhouette in the night. Speaking of strange fates...

Alucard followed her with his gaze until Ravenna came to stand by his side, but said nothing, turning back to the sight set in flames.

The woman wanted to ask him of this, but felt as though she'd be interrupting a farewell of sorts. She looked to the rising fire engulfing the pyre, then to him, noting his aching features and how he stared emptily ahead.

"They were two human warriors, come from faraway lands," Alucard broke the silence after long moments. "They sought me for my aid, befriended me, then attempted to kill me."

This was unexpected. Her eyes cut to his, but he would not meet her gaze.

"... but, why?" Ravenna contended to ask, seeing as he spoke of his own accord. An image of brutalized, healing skin came to mind. The scars...

"They fell... prey to their own humanity." A mirthless smile bloomed on his lips. "They wanted their own empire," Alucard added, almost wistfully. Then, as the fire became stronger and soared upwards he turned to look her way. In this light and with those eyes and hair, this woman reminded him of the fierce fleet footed spirits of the forest, ones he and his father beheld during certain magical nights of the year; he saw them, swaying to the golden-red tunes of their spirit fires, beaming their enchanted smiles at him. He still recalled their ever-summer laughter. But these eyes bore wariness and fear behind their depths. She was only human, after all.

"It was a situation of kill or be killed, in the end. Not unlike animals," Alucard said to no one in particular. "Though now I wonder..." he turned to view the distant stars.

"And you were angry, hence the... impalement," Ravenna uttered in contemplation.

There it was, the icy emptiness surrounding him again. Ravenna resisted the urge to step away.

"I was..." his words ceased as the flames grew higher and higher, ... disappointed? Broken? Murderously grieved? "...I could not allow them their rest," he settled.

He felt a foreign pressure on his right arm. What—

Her fingers were gently placed on him. Alucard looked into her face.

"I regret your loss."

His eyes widened only slightly at the sincerity in her voice, written on her features. Yes, not unlike the Ladies of the woods she was, with those high cheekbones and that round mouth. Alucard pulled his arm away and looked back ahead. "I suggest you go inside. There will be a strong smell soon."

"I'm used to funerals done in this manner," Ravenna said. "We had them quite often in Styria, for the same reasons." No one needed bodies susceptible to whatever evils roamed and attempted to inhabit them.

Alucard remained silent. Her presence was not truly that bothersome though her reactions, her seeming compassion, were a little odd... irritating even. Uncalled for. He slowly descended to the ground, crossing his legs under him. From the corner of his eye Alucard saw her do the same; so be it.

They watched the fires purify and change, their faces illuminated in passing light and shadows, until late into the night, Ravenna rose to stand.

She said nothing to him, merely heading for the castle entrance. As she departed, the woman stole one last glance his way: an unmovable stone figure on an empty night, burning memories. His eyes were set on the ground, his features flaring white-gold.

Ravenna turned away, and left him to continue his silent vigil.

#alucard x oc #ruiniel:fanfiction #prickly thorns tender roses #not rewritten has my 2020 style rip

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sparkys-ec-corner · 2 years

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,,,can you please infodump me about to be irregular. idc if it's like five thousand words I just need to knOW MORE-

OMG 😳😳😳 *cracks knuckles* let's go guys (2nd chapter of tbi and sol invictus when, me????? it's been months!!! *cries in hands*)

okok so. basically, tbi's timeline is fundamentally broken from its creation. luna wakes up from her death slumber and tampers with everything to try achieving true utopia, something that every other timeline was unable to. oss era goes mostly the same before Tale of Abandoment in a Moonlit Night, except for the fact that amostia is a fusion of maria's children that seth kidnapped. from oss era on, many events progressively deviate from canonverse

h&g are the only irregular pair from project ma that survives. a fantasy/reality pair, so to speak - gretel develops future sight, is unaffected by any sort of hypnosis and can later peek into alternate timelines for a brief time; hansel can induce hallucinations and delusions unto someone and permanently rewrite their memories.

as arte&pollo, they actively lead banica down the road of gluttony, kidnap carlos since he made banica happy even though they don't like him, and are violently intolerant to anybody who tries interferring with their plans. they're very manipulative and twisted, though mostly because they genuinely believe that they're doing the best for banica.

as ney, she becomes a triple agent for riliane once she breaks through her indoctrination, using her sight to advise riliane which would be the best action to ensure lucifenia's safety and victory.

as lemy, he becomes the fifth pierrot to keep rin chan safe. he very much hated her face change, and tore off the effects of the lust vessel from her face. he's still a good bean for most part. out of all irregulars, he had the happiest, most peaceful life.

WELL. riliane&allen are a day/night pair, their official irregular titles being dayqueen and nightking, respectively. A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN IN PRIDE ARC, LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA. it's here where things start to really change - for one, both vlad and marie are killed by riliane in different points of her life (banica isn't a demon in tbi), so she never loses her memories as shown in "sol invictus".

instead, allen is sent away due to the first awakening of his powers which greatly disturbed elluka (tbh elluka didn't like either twin from day 1; they always felt wrong to her). riliane studies all she can to become a good ruler when time comes. upon allen's return to the palace, the twins pretend not to know each other.

there is a lot of things as i said, but uhhhhhhhhh. the gist of it is that riliane becomes a conqueror, allen is hella gay for asan, asan is an important character since he's able to see past the first layer of reality (he can see the lucifen twins' eldritch forms without much harm to his psyche besides immense fear, for example), riliane's rule lasts much longer than in canon (she's 18 when the revolution happens), and allen kills an entire crowd when he's beheaded to stop riliane from destroying the country. yay

im not yet done outlining envy arc, but inukichi is asan's reincarnation due to allen taking asan's soul with himself and making them reincarnate together. also, ren is alive and amostia's reincarnation (well, kinda. ren's situation is pretty messy)

cain&abel are around, though trapped in anglomois since they were stillborn and unable to reincarnate. they consumed the souls of project ma's failed irregular children in an attempt to stabilize their souls and successfully reincarnate, thus gaining the bodies they don't have. kiril is fighting for his life every day as the kids can consume any soul, it's only that irregulars are more suitable to their goals but they will eat whatever stays in their way. also, they're the reason why eve's hypnosis-induced incarnations are sleepless

amostia is the irregular who came the closest to ascending before seth sealed him away. he floats in the void ever since, only receiving sporadic visits from luna, and constantly attempts projecting himself into people's dreams. by grath arc, he's visited by michelle who accidentally entered the void and eventually becomes her guardian angel/friend/lover. that is, until ma happens and michelle is erased from reality. it's only downhill from this point on, but [major spoilers that aren't even fully outlined lmao]

btw ma is an anomaly even amongst irregulars, and luna had to personally shove her into lukana's body before ma's very existence destroyed the universe (a note: she did it in a span of two seconds)

besides that, many arcs are fully or partially focused in minor characters such as rindo for lust arc, asan for pride arc, rin chan for sloth/pierrot arc, etc. i theorically could get into detail, but tbh this is already excessively long. so like,,,,,, yeah,,,,,, haha. oh god i hope i can continue writing this au soon

#answered asks #as i said i could ramble even more but this is already so long. oh my god #this is more of an overview bc there's a lot of stuff. a lot of stuff fr #i didnt get into detail with the Body/Soul/True Form mechanic of irregular ascension; for example #i really like this au it's so funky haha. and omg the amount of brainstorming i did for it lol #tbi anon

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shezzaspeare · 4 years

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Pilot/Episode 1: Patching Things Up With Pastiche & Fanfiction

Hi, hello, and the wait is finally over! My name is Blessie, and welcome to the first episode webisode log installation I've decided to call these things an episode for now because why not also let me know what do you actually call these things episode of The Science of Fanfiction, where we take a closer look into our beloved works of fanon because we've all got plenty of time to spare till Season 5. Before I continue, I would like to thank everyone who's liked and reblogged the last few posts before this one. It means a lot for a small and growing Tumblr user like me, and your support is something I cherish more than my modules. You guys rock!

Anyways, like with most things, we have to talk about the boring and bland stuff before we proceed with the fun stuff. For today, we are going to settle the difference between a couple of things: first being the confusion between pastiche and fanfiction; then the distinctions between tropes, clichés, and stereotypes, which we'll tackle the next time. It's important for us to establish their true meanings in order for us to really understand what fanfiction truly is, even if it's merely just a work done for the fandom. I know – it's boring, it's something that shouldn't be expounded that much, but I believe that all forms of writing (unless it's plagiarised) is a work of art — and fanfiction is not something we always talk about. I hope that by the end of this, you'll learn about what they really are as much as I did. Let's begin to talk about the—

[Image ID: A flashback of John (left) and Sherlock (right) finding an elephant (not in the screen) in a room in The Sign of Three. End ID]

. . . I did say that this GIF will always have to make an appearance here, didn't I?

So, just as with Sherlock Holmes, all other works of fiction have their own pastiches and fanfiction, and many more original works out there have taken inspiration from them to create their own books. Although they've gained popular attention, this will not be possible if they did not have taken inspiration from the materials their writers had at the time.

[Image ID: Various actors as Dracula. Jeremy Brett in 'Dracula' (1978) (upper left), Adam Sandler in a voice role for 'Hotel Transylvania' (2012) (upper right), Gary Oldman in 'Dracula' (1992) (lower left), and Bela Lugosi in 'Dracula' (1933) (lower right). End ID]

For instance, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' (the second most adapted literary character, next to the consulting detective himself) has been portrayed on the screen over 200 times — from Gary Oldman to Adam Sandler — and has spawned off numerous books and pastiches of its own such as Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot'. Its cultural impact served as a basis of how we see vampires today, since some characteristics of the Count were made by Stoker himself. Stoker's creation is the brainchild of his predecessors and inspirations.

[Image ID: Vlad the Impaler (left) and a book cover of 'Carmilla' by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (right). End ID]

Other than the ongoing hysteria over dead back then and the existing vampire folklore, Stoker also took his inspirations from the published books on vampires he had at hand. He is said to have taken inspiration from Vlad the Impaler, a Romanian national hero known allegedly for having impalement as his favourite method of torture. He is also said to have been inspired by the J. Sheridan Le Fanu's 'Carmilla', a Gothic lesbian vampire novella that predates Dracula by 26 years. I could go on, but hey, we're going back to Sherlock Holmes now before I deviate any further. However, if you want to know about Dracula's literary origins, I suggest you watch Ted-ED's videos about the subject matter such as this one or this one.

Very much like Stoker, ACD didn't just conceive Holmes on his own. He took his own inspirations from what he had available at the time.

[Image ID: Dr Joseph Bell (left) and Edgar Allan Poe (right). End ID]

As we all know, ACD's biggest inspiration for Sherlock Holmes was one of his teachers at the Edinburgh University, Joseph Bell. He was famous for his powers of deduction, and he was also interested in forensic science — both characteristics which Holmes is greatly known for. He also drew inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe's sleuth, C. Auguste Dupin ('The Purloined Letter' & 'Murders in Rue Morgue'). As ACD himself has said at the 1909 Poe Centennial Dinner: "Where was the detective story until Poe breathed life into it?" Some other writers he took after are Wilkie Collins, Émile Gaboriau, and Oscar Wilde.

Now, what does this say about us Sherlockians/Holmesians (depending if you're the coloniser or the one that was colonised)? Basically, ACD laid the groundwork for us with Sherlock Holmes: his humble abode 221B that he shares with his flatmate Dr. John Watson, his adventures, memoirs, return, casebook, last vow, and all that. Now that we have this material at hand, we can now make our own versions, takes, or even original stories featuring the characters of the Canon. Our inspiration comes from ACD's Sherlock Holmes, and we now get the chance to make our very own stories/conspiracy theories about them.

As I have mentioned earlier, Sherlock Holmes is the most adapted literary character in history. He has been adapted in over 200 films, more than 750 radio adaptations, a ballet, 2 musicals; and he's become a mouse, a woman, a dog, even a bloody cucumber. On top of all that are numerous pastiches and fanfics, and finally, we have arrived at the main topic of our post!

Fanfiction and pastiche are often confused together since they have three common elements: they take after the original work, they usually use the characters in that original work, and more often than not do are they set in that same time frame/period or not long after that. The common misconception is that pastiche are printed fanfiction, which is only partly true. While pastiche is definitely fanfiction in some ways and vice versa, there are fanfictions out there that aren't necessarily classified as pastiche that have been published.

Let's get on with our definition of terms to clear up the confusion a little more. Pastiche, according to Literary Terms, is:

. . . a creative work that imitates another author or genre. It’s a way of paying respect, or honor, to great works of the past. Pastiche differs from parody in that pastiche isn’t making fun of the works it imitates – however, the tone of pastiche is often humorous.

A good example of a pastiche is Sophie Hannah's 'The Monogram Murders', which is her take from Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.

[Image ID: A book cover of 'The Monogram Murders' by Sophie Hannah. End ID.]

Although this was a commission from Christie's estate, it's still considered as a pastiche as:

It's takes after Christie's writing style;

It is set in the early years of Poirot's career (1929), which is still within the time frame that the author wrote him in;

It features Poirot and;

It pays respect to Christie in a sense that it stays true to her (Christie) characters and way of storytelling.

Meanwhile, our good and slightly unreliable friend Wikipedia defines fanfiction as:

. . . is fictional writing written by fans, commonly of an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settings, or other intellectual property from the original creator(s) as a basis for their writing. [It] ranges from a couple of sentences to an entire novel, and fans can both keep the creator's characters and settings and/or add their own. [ . . . ] [It] can be based on any fictional (and sometimes non-fictional) subject. Common bases for fanfiction include novels, movies, bands, and video games.

To avoid any copyright infringement issues if I ever use a popular fanfic in the fandom, we'll use my (unfinished and unpopular) Sherlock Wattpad fic, 'Play Pretend'. You can read it here.

[Image ID: The second self-made book cover of Blessie/shezzaspeare's 'Play Pretend'. End ID]

Why is it considered a fanfiction and not a pastiche?

It takes after an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes (BBC Sherlock) which is a TV show, not the ACD canon itself;

The author (in this case myself) uses her own writing style and does not take after the original story's style;

Although it is set well in modern-day London and after Season 4, it also features scenes decades before the actual fanfic is set and outside of London;

I added a considerable number of characters, i.e. siblings to canon characters;

I had my own take some of the canon characters' personality especially after the events of Sherrinford;

It is written by a fan – myself. It is a work of fan labour and;

It is only a work of fanon, and isn't likely going to be considered by the show as its writing style is different from the actual show.

To put it simply, you can have more freedom in a fanfiction as it does not necessarily restrict you to follow or take after the original stories. Alternate universes (AUs) such as Unilock and Teenlock are perfect examples of this thing.

So can a pastiche be classified as fanfiction? Yes.

Can a fanfiction be classified as pastiche? Not all the time.

What's the difference? While yes, they share the basics, pastiche is technically leans more onto the original work's fundamental elements whereas fanfiction is a broader range of works inspired by the original work but doesn't necessarily follow all or any of its fundamental elements.

In order for us to understand it more, I'll give another example.

[Image ID: The 'Enola Holmes' title card (upper left) and Henry Cavill as its Sherlock holmes (upper right). Underneath it is a a scene from the opening titles of BBC Sherlock (lower left) and Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal In Belgravia. (lower right) End ID]

Most of you are familiar with these 21st-century adaptations of Holmes: the 2020 adaptation of Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes books and BBC Sherlock, which needs no further explanation – but for those who don't know, it's basically Holmes and the gang if they were alive today. I specifically chose these two as they are the ones that I believe would get my points across best. Though both are considered as wonderful pastiches with a well-rounded cast and awesome visuals, if we break them down bit by bit, we'll see which one is more of a pastiche and which one is more of a fanfic. (Yes, I know they're both screen adaptations. However, as Enola Holmes was based on the books and BBC Sherlock's fanfiction has the show's scenes written out in most fanfics, hear me out.)

They share these characteristics of a pastiche:

They feature characters from the Canon (Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, and Lestrade);

They have additional characters added by the writers (Including but not limited to Molly Hooper, Eurus Holmes, and Philip Anderson for BBC Sherlock while Enola Holmes has Lord Tewkesbury, Eudoria Holmes, and Enola herself) and;

They pay respect to the original Canon as their stories are based on the cases (BBC Sherlock) or simply what was going on around them (Enola Holmes).

They also share these characteristics of a fanfic:

They are made by enthusiasts of Sherlock Holmes (Moffat has called himself and Mark Gatiss 'Sherlock Holmes geeks', while Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes books are not just one or two but six);

They follow a common trope (we'll discuss these tropes in the following episodes) that goes on in the fandom (Sherlock's Sister & Modern AU)

They are based on a fictional subject (Sherlock Holmes);

They used characters and story elements that are copyrighted by the author/author's estate (fun fact: prior to the production of Enola Holmes, the Conan Doyle Estate filed a lawsuit against Springer & Netflix over Sherlock's emotions since he was more 'sympathetic' than he was portrayed in the Canon – this was later dismissed by both parties) and;

Their writing styles don't necessarily follow ACD's.

Despite these similarities, there are very obvious differences between the two that separates them from being a pastiche and a fanfiction.

Enola Holmes embodies pastiche more as it doesn't stray far away from the original elements of the Canon. It's still set in Victorian England. While Springer added characters of her own and definitely twisted the Canon to suit her series, she didn't necessarily place them out of the social construct that was going on around the characters. It follows ACD's writing style more as Enola Holmes' setting still remains within the Canon's original setting.

Meanwhile, we can safely say that BBC Sherlock is a work of fanfiction. While it did give us The Abominable Bride, the main series focused on Holmes and Watson in 21st-century England, which is drastically different from Victorian England. There are phones, black cabs, and cellphones — things which ACD Sherlock Holmes doesn't have. It also diverted from the Canon in the characters themselves, which is mostly seen in the names: Henry Baskerville became Henry Knight, Charles Augustus Milverton became Charles Augustus Magnussen, the H in Dr Watson's name stood for Hamish and Sherlock's full name is actually William Sherlock Scott Holmes. They also changed the personalities of some Canon characters: Mary was actually an ex-assassin, Mrs Hudson was an exotic dancer who drove a kick-ass sports car, Irene Adler is a dominatrix, to name a few. Moffat and Gatiss created a world of their own featuring the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which is really what most of us fanfic writers do with Mofftiss' rendition of Holmes.

In conclusion: while pastiche and fanfiction could have been the same thing, they're actually not. There's more to them that just printed fanfiction or pastiche e-books, and we all should take some time to see and observe them in a closer perspective.

And that's it for our first episode! I hope you enjoyed it. It was a lot fun for me to write this, especially now that I'm only starting. I would also like to note that while intensive research has been done on this series, some parts of this comes from my own observation and opinion, which may vary from yours. I am very much open to criticism, as long as it is said in a polite and civil manner. I'm still young, and to be educated as I go is something that could really help me with this series.

Like and reblog this you like it. It helps out a lot. Be sure to follow me as well and the tags underneath if you want to see more of TSoF.

See you soon!

Blessie presents – The Science of Fanfiction: A Study In Sherlock (2021) • Next

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SOURCES • Pinterest, Google Images, Wikipedia, Literary Terms, Conan Doyle Estate, Definitions, The Sherlock Holmes Book, and Google

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vampiresuns · 3 years

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picrew credit

It’s Nana’s parents!!! [Insert Screaming Cat meme] Louisa is on the right, and Vlad on the left. Here’s a short bio and some fun facts under the cut:

🫀 Louisa De Silva 🫀

Name: Louisa Aureliana De Silva Lascal.

Meaning of the name: ‘Louisa’ means famous battle, ‘Aureliana’ means golden, gilded. She is named after her paternal grandmother (Louisa) and her mother (Aureliana).

Nicknames: Lulu, Lu, Lucha, Luchita (Lucha is the spanish diminutive for ‘Luisa’, it is, also a pun on ‘fight’, which in spanish is also “lucha”).

Family: Joaquín De Silva (father), Aureliana Lascal (Mother), Paris De Silva (younger sister, owns the Moonstone and Jasmine, the magic shop), Alma De Silva (younger sister), Aelius Anatole (son).

Place of birth: City of Altazor, Altazor, Antiqulla region (the westernmost end of the Bulan range)

Favourite Food: Pollo arvejado, with a side of rice and fries.

Favourite Drink: Chicha, with a lot of ice.

Favourite Flower: Dandelions

Birthday: Feb 22nd

Age: Mid to late fifties

Height: 5′7

Zodiac: Aquarius sun, Sagittarius moon, Pisces rising.

Patron Arcana: The Lovers, and Knight of Wands

Upright: partnerships, duality, union, Reversed: loss of balance, one-sidedness, disharmony

Upright: action, adventure, fearlessness, Reversed: anger, impulsiveness, recklessness

Gender & Orientation: Cis woman, bisexual.

Languages spoken: Alzor, Venterrean, Vesuvian Common Tongue, Balkovian, some Zadithi.

Magic: N/A, though Vlad has taught her a significant amount of alchemy, she is no magician.

Familiar: N/A

Occupation: Doctor

🥀 Vlad Radošević 🥀

Name: Vladislav Elyseo Radošević-Cassano

Meaning of the name: ‘Vlad’ means rule, and ‘slav’ means glory. ‘Elyseo’ comes from Elysium and means blissful. His middle name is after Elysian Juriša-Radošević, his grandmother.

Nicknames: Vlad, Eli (used exclusively by Valerian), Moj Mali (used exclusively by Mircea, means ‘my little one’)

Family: Matilda Cassano (biological mother, deceased), Krešmir Radošević (biological father, deceased), Mircea Radoševic (uncle and adoptive father), Florentino Cassano (uncle and adoptive father), Valeriy ‘Valerius’ Radoševic-Cassano (younger brother), Aelius Anatole (son).

Place of birth: Vesuvia — he considers himself Balkovian, however.

Favourite Food: Seafood peka.

Favourite Drink: The Blood Of His Enemies Coffee and Grapefruit soda, not together.

Favourite Flower: Heather, Tansy.

Birthday: October 25th

Age: Late fifties to 60.

Height: 6′5

Zodiac: Scorpio sun, Aries moon, Virgo rising.

Patron Arcana: The Lovers and King of Cups

Upright: partnerships, duality, union, Reversed: loss of balance, one-sidedness, disharmony

Upright: compassion, control, balance, Reversed: coldness, moodiness, bad advice

Gender & Orientation: Cis man, bisexual.

Languages spoken: Balkovian, Vesuvian Common Tongue, Venterrean, Zadithi, Alzor, Nevivic, Hesperian. His Prakran is abysmal, but he can read it.

Magic: Alchemy.

Familiar: Cyrila ‘Kiki’ and Cecilia ‘Keke’, two Somali cats. You tell them apart because Kiki looks like she’s never produced a single thought in her life, and Keke because she looks like she thinks you’re a humongous idiot.

Occupation: Alchemist, researcher.

Fun facts 🫀🥀

Vlad’s rapier (all the R-C have one) is called ‘Beheaded Voivode’. He can set the blade aflame through Alchemy.

Louisa was exiled from Altazor at the age of 20, then lived in Venterre and Zadith, were she finished her medical studies. She moved to Balkovia for what was supposed to be a 6 months programme and scientific coven, but then she met Vlad and she ended up staying. She was exiled for opposing the dictatorial regime existing in the country.

While Louisa knows alchemy —which she learnt to become a better doctor— she doesn’t consider herself a magic user. She, however, can lend her life force to Vlad if the need arises. This creates a unity of energy between them which Vlad can channel into more powerful alchemy. This is because they’re beneficiaries of The Lovers.

Thematically both of them are about breaking bad parenting cycles. Vlad’s parents were notoriously irresponsible, neglectful and despondent parents, with Matilda being even cruel and purposefully hurtful. Louisa’s were extremely unaccommodating, strict to the point of traumatising and extremely hypocritical. Neither of them wished to have children until they realised they could do it together.

Vlad and Louisa did not marry until the war in Balkovia ended. It began months before Anatole was born, and it ended when he was around the ages of three/four.

Vlad calls Anatole ‘Lilu’ and ‘Lily’, it comes from little.

Vlad’s monocle is functional. It’s made of alchemy altered glass and it’s the design of a group of fellow alchemists and Vlad himself. He has very little vision on his left eye due to almost blowing up a room trying to stabilise fireroot. He was successful, making him the first person to ever stabilise the compound through a stable, long-lasting method. In the future, Anatole uses his father’s alchemic breakthrough to provide public lighting to the streets of Vesuvia. This method is currently used in Balkovia for public buildings, since it requires very little money to run.

Both of them are quick tempered, but understanding with people they love. It’s if they don’t like you the problem.

Originally, Vlad thought Louisa was an alchemist because she was describing the process of lightening up a Molotov.

Louisa knows how to use firearms. She learnt in Altazor, when she began getting involved in the fight and protest against the dictatorship in it. She still has good aim, but is out of practice and prefers it that way. She prefers to focus in ways to help those affected.

Her best medicine is ER medicine and field medicine. She is trained to be a war doctor and was a volunteer when time permitted in the Balkovian war.

While Louisa’s relationship with her parents eased with time, it is not good. She prefers to keep them at a distance.

Originally, Aureliana and Joaquín opposed Louisa marrying Vlad. They even tried to make her go back to Altazor or at least Venterre when the war began, but Louisa told them she would rather take out her own femur and eat it. She, clearly, harboured a lot of resentment for them, as they were key to her exile.

Louisa’s favourite Radošević outside of her husband was Elysian. It was the first time she had a positive role model whose politics were the same as hers, and didn’t punish her for it.

Vlad’s biggest personality trait is ‘I Love My Wife, I Love My Son’.

Louisa was one of the few doctors to treat poor people in Vesuvia who caught the Plague.

Vlad can only draw objects (for invention designs) and buildings.

Both of them read a lot. It’s not weird to find them having reading dates.

Vlad has a series of Alchemic symbols tattooed around his wrist. He uses them as magic on-the-go.

When raising Anatole, they privileged communication, autonomy, self-expression and support more than anything else. Even through his argumentative teenager phase.

Speaking of their son, Anatole takes after Louisa in terms of politics, moral compass, and determination to see things done and to do what is right.

Vlad’s politics can be summarised in “If you’re told not to tamper with the shelf, and you do, and it falls on your head, then that was your own damn fault”.

Whenever Vlad began brooding because he was “sure” Louisa didn’t like him, his cats bit him.

Louisa housed and protected her sister Paris when she ran away from Altazor looking for her, upon discovering the real reason why her sister was sent away. Paris showed up out of the blue at her doorstep. Their other sister, Alma, helped her orchestrate the escape.

Louisa gets ready in 30 minutes, tops. Vlad in 2 hours.

While Valerius acts like he can’t stand her, he actually loves and respects Louisa a ridiculous amount.

Vlad is more emotional than Louisa but has more trouble showing it. He’s gotten better with time.

Vlad sails. Louisa always makes fun of him for being insanely competitive, but joke’s on her because she’s just as bad. As a true Aquarius sun and a Sag moon, she hates being told what to do. Whenever she gets like that, Vlad just looks at her with heart eyes.

Vlad is closest to Violeta Radošević, Milenko’s mother, out of his generation of cousins.

Except for formal occasions, Louisa doesn’t wear shirts or dresses that go past her ankles. Prefers them to the calf, as she needs to be able to move freely (she moves a lot).

It’s very likely Louisa is the one with undiagnosed ADHD out of the two of them, hence where Nana gets it from. She’s never checked.

Louisa loves dancing (so does Vlad but he hates admitting it), and she taught Anatole most of what she knew. As she grew up, she was constantly in dancing lessons, inspired by her own mother’s love of ballroom dancing. It’s one of the few things she’s fully grateful about.

This is more of a language fun fact than anything else, but Alzor and Nopali are extremely similar languages, and are almost virtually interchangeable.

They both stand by ‘one child is enough’ but end up adopting all of Anatole’s friends on accident, sometimes, even his partners a little, depending on the verse we are in.

Finally, out of the Arcana canon characters, Vlad would get along the best with Nadia, Salim and Aisha. Louisa would get along the best with Nadia, Julian and Portia.

#the radosevic-cassano #vlad radosevic #louisa de silva #vlad and louisa #the arcana #the arcana oc

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fureliselost · 3 years

Text

I posted 797 times in 2021

355 posts created (45%)

442 posts reblogged (55%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.2 posts.

I added 1.169 tags in 2021

#danny phantom - 280 posts

#danny fenton - 236 posts

#dp - 139 posts

#art - 96 posts

#eli art - 86 posts

#eli fics - 76 posts

#sam manson - 68 posts

#vlad masters - 64 posts

#eli rants - 63 posts

#fanart - 61 posts

Longest Tag: 125 characters

#danny: *remembering that dash shoved him inside lockers three times today and pushed him down tbe stairs on the way to class*

My Top Posts in 2021

The biggest irony in Danny Phantom is that it's a show about death but never once is death actually spoken about closely nor is the main character ever indicated to have dealt with death/loss (not even his own).

572 notes • Posted 2021-07-23 23:25:59 GMT

Yo, I've been thinking about Danny's grades. Because, like, most of the DP fandom writes ff with Danny being one bad grade from flunking out 'cause he can't fight ghosts and keep up with the school work.

But, like, is that really accurate tho? (And let me make it clear that I've only watched DP once and that was in Feb, so I could have some information missing here)

Cuz on the very first ep Lancer tells Danny he has basically nothing bad on his record (whereas Tucker had some transgressions).

And I can only remember Danny's grades being mentioned 5 times in the entire show (on One Of A Kind, Teacher Of The Year, What You Want (?), TUE, and, obviously, Mystery Meat — there is Vlad's mentions of Danny's grades and Danny's dream in Frightmare, but I'm not considering those).

On One of a Kind, he gets a D in his biology — which, from the way he said it, it sounded like he never got a grade that low — but he managed to raise his grade.

On Teacher of the Year, he fails his English (?) exam — not because he was occupied with a ghost, but because he was obsessed with playing Doom (let's also remember that, on One of a Kind, Tucker literally says Danny's problem was time management) — but then he was able to retake the test and got a 91%.

On What You Want, he mentions he's a C student.

And, well, everyone knows what happened in TUE: Danny says he isn't prepared for the CAT 'cuz he didn't get to study throughout the year because of ghost fighting (which IG is where the whole fanfic thing comes from).

But, like, was Danny actually not able to study because of ghosts? Because I can't actually think of a time where he was actually stopped from getting his homework done by a ghost fight.

But you know what does come up in my mind when I think of all of that? "Poor time management skills"... Oh, wait, that's already Canon!

Before I get into the time management skills, lemme bring up again Vlad's comments, Danny's A grade on his dream on Frightmare, and Danny's comment on What You Want (as well as what he said in TUE).

Guys, the educational system sucks. In 2004 it was worse. Teachers also suck in that respect (do I need to explain that I don't hate all teachers, only the sucky ones?).

There are teachers who humiliate you in front of the class for having a question they believe you shouldn't have, I'm pretty sure everyone has been in that situation or knows someone who has. Some teachers shame you every time you get a bad grade instead of offering solutions — that affects people, it doesn't even have to be that explicit.

I spent 'till my senior year of highschool thinking I was a terrible student (because teachers told me I was every time I got a bad grade). That only changed when I was calculating my GPA to see which colleges I had a shot at: my GPA was 3.6/4

Now, take Mr Daniel Fenton. Youngest son of a family of geniuses. His older sister got the highest ever CAT grade and writes Theses for funsies. His parents not only where accepted to appear on genius magazine (Jazz may have done the application for Maddie, but she wouldn't lie on it knowing that they would do at least some fact chacking — meaning that she probably picked accomplishments of Maddie's and used only the ones she approved of, meaning that they had accomplishments other than the ghost related ones) but they also built a freaking portal to another dimension.

Not to mention that Tucker is a top notch hacker and doesn't get good grades because he doesn't want to (which doesn't matter because he changes them anyway) and that Sam never shows any concern towards her grades and, being from a rich family, she probably has to get good grades.

Take Danny, who wants to be an astronaut — the literal hardest job to get on the face of the Earth, which also requires a degree in the STEM area (which Danny is admittedly not the best at). Now put him in a place where his grades dropped a little — Maddie, his mother, literally told him he had to get good grades because "Fentons get As" or whatever.

Is it that hard to think that a lot of Danny saying his grades are so terrible and he's not prepared for the tests is because that's just how low he thinks of himself academically?

Lemme get back to the time management skills.

So I've already established that the educational system sucks and it wasn't any better in 2004.

It was even worse at recognizing and dealing with neurodivergent kids.

And I'm pretty sure that, like, 70% of the fandom sees Danny as Neurodivergent-coded — autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc.

The thing with being neurodivergent is that sometimes ND people suck at some executive functions/have executive dysfunctions.

Do you know what is an executive function? Time management skills.

When it comes to studying, I personally have a lot of trouble with distractions and getting myself to start the assignment. That problem is usually solved if I have someone to do it with me — and by that I mean that the person usually just sits nearby and sometimes helps me with processing an information, which tends to consist in just me talking.

Which is basically what Lancer did with Danny in Teacher of the Year. Which,,, Lancer, my beloved, yes! When he found the problem, he tried to find a solution and his frickin solution worked!

Anyway, this is all I wanted to say: the educational system sucks, Danny has a warped view of himself, Danny is neurodivergent, and Lancer should've been portrayed as an awesome teacher since the start because he was awesome.

700 notes • Posted 2021-06-11 09:10:12 GMT

Mr Lancer: Where is your homework?

Danny, absolutely exhausted out of his mind after an all-nighter chasing a ghost and had no time to do said homework: A ghost ate it.

Lancer, realizing that's a plausible excuse: *sighs*

The rest of Casper High's student body, also realizing it's a plausible excuse: It's free real estate.

837 notes • Posted 2021-11-23 02:47:00 GMT

Someone explain to me why Wes' immediate reaction to finding out the truth about Danny is "imma expose that mf".

Like, 1) not only is that a jerk move (and none of Wes' fucking business), but it's also basically outing him; 2) is he stupid? 'cause Danny can literally lift a bus and he could, like, kill Wes v easy; 3) if he's really so adamant about posting it online because he's an amateur reporter or "the truth must be heard" or whatever other shit, why does he never think about talking to Danny to get the whole truth? Like, is he that incompetent?

1067 notes • Posted 2021-04-28 07:06:39 GMT

Valerie: Where is Danny?

Sam: Not that it's any of your business, Valerie, but he's busy.

*Danny crashes on their table as Phantom*

1068 notes • Posted 2021-06-23 03:02:09 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #q1 #dp consumed me this year

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ganymedesclock · 4 years

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So... What do you think about revisiting Danny phantom in general? Revisiting the fandom I've noticed a lot of fanfic that have Danny's parents finding out his deal rather violently, or generally having more violence/angst than the original show..

I’m assuming you’re sending me this ask because of my recent burst of Danny Phantom art, so, it’s probably not a surprise to say I’m doing a certain amount of revisiting myself, and certainly not about to shame anyone else for it. It was a very dear cartoon to me in many ways and left some enduring hallmarks on my own writing, and I can absolutely understand people feeling the same way.

That said, as someone who’s been in this fandom for a while, albeit quietly- there certainly is a thread of macabre interest in fandom spaces, one I don’t always know that I agree with, especially when it comes to the Fentons.

My personal verdict on the Fenton parents specifically is I think they are not handled fairly by canon. This is a problem that Danny Phantom as a show shares with Fairly Odd Parents, though I would argue the Turner parents in FOP are quite a bit worse at this.

Roughly, I think how the Fenton parents are canonically depicted suffers from a phenomenon that affects many parts of the show: DP, as a series, has a bit of a sense of confused priorities between comedy and drama, and as a result, what’s 'real’ in-universe and what’s “just supposed to be a joke”. The kind of humor that DP tends to spring for is exaggerated or shocking behavior- it also tends to be a humor that hinges on the idea that other people are generally inconvenient to the main character. So humor-characterization is inconsistent here- Jack is negligent until it’s more inconvenient to depict him as overbearing (see: Girl’s Night Out and other cases he desperately wants to bond with Danny) he’s a recluse only loved by his wife until it’s more inconvenient to depict him as having an active social life (Masters Of All Time and that he and Maddie are going to a themed party so they’re dressed ‘weirdly’ in public)

A big victim of this is Jack’s sense that ghosts aren’t people and his desire to dissect them. Because here is the thing: it’s all talk, in the worst way. It hinges on the idea Jack- someone who knows enough of what he’s doing that along with Maddie and, in the past, Vlad- ripped two different holes in reality hard enough to permanently alter someone’s relation to undeath- has never seen a ghost before the series as he says in Mystery Meat.

The series has a big problem where it hinges on the Fentons’ inventions and expertise but also wants to treat them like idiots constantly. And if you notice how much I’m talking exclusively about Jack- that’s part of the problem. Maddie, in many ways, outside of episodes that throw her a bone, despite constantly being told by people she’s too good for Jack, is really treated as an extension of Jack. Masters Of All Time even suggests that her choosing Jack in the first place was just a path of least resistance between her two college friends, and she’d have married whichever one stuck around.

The Fentons are not respected as experts, so Jack is given his ignorant line about dissecting a ghost. The Fentons need to remain exaggerated, ridiculous, an inconvenience to Danny- so they threaten his alter ego and point guns at him, but this is funny and not serious and not a reason to be worried about them as parents, because they are not on Danny’s level. Nobody is ever on Danny’s level. There is literally an episode called The Ultimate Enemy. The antagonist is an evil future Danny. The only person who could ever be Danny’s ultimate nemesis is Danny himself.

And when the series stops milking the Fentons for jokes about how they’re so stupid and how Jack is an idiot and Maddie married that idiot but even she doesn’t respect him even though she loves him and dutifully follows him everywhere and god how can these people care about ghosts they’re so ignorant and out of their league-

-then it kinda shuffles its feet awkwardly and goes, yeah. the Fentons love each other, and love their kids.

Yeah, Jack has framed photographs of Maddie, Jazz, and Danny on his personal workstation.

Yeah, in Mystery Meat Jack was seriously debating walking away from his lifework because it upset one of his kids.

Yeah, every time in canon the Fentons find out Danny’s secret they’re immediately all in supporting him.

Yeah, even not knowing it’s Danny, Jack has an amiable conversation with him in Million Dollar Ghost and the ghost containment units designed by the Fentons get some jokes about that they’re a little cramped but they aren’t horrifying prisons of inhumanity- and as soon as Danny Phantom the ghost boy has a good point, Jack lets him go on purpose.

Yeah, Jack is a competent ghost hunter who can take on Skulker and win as well as beat down the giant lake monster Skulker brought with him in Girls’ Night Out and would do this in a heartbeat, no jokes and no sidetracks, because that monster just chewed on his baby boy and nobody does that to his baby boy.

Yeah, Maternal Instinct is an entire episode of Maddie throwing hands with (or deceiving and manipulating) literally anything she thinks was responsible for getting Danny in this dangerous situation.

...And then the series says “but that’s not funny! Here, have jokes about the Fenton Stockades, that exist and have spikes and Jack wants to put his kids in them for time out, when the spikes apparently don’t hurt given Jack is not injured for being put in there. Here, have a joke about Jack attacking Jazz with a vacuum cleaner because he gets hellbent on the idea she’s possessed for no good reason. Here, have an uncomfortable joke about how badly Jack Fenton wants to vivisect a ghost while it screams. Funny funny funny. Why- why are you flinching?”

It basically creates a comedic situation where the show is constantly winding up like it’s gonna punch you- with the idea that the Fentons are bad parents and this has consequences for Danny and Jazz personally- and then laughs in your face if you flinch. It’ll never actually punch you- but it will sure keep swinging its hand really close to your face and laughing at your reactions.

This is, I’m just gonna say- one of the worst elements of the series, this weird relationship it has with “hahaha are we depicting an abusive family or not? ;)” where its actual point is that Jack Fenton is a person who should be shamed for being overzealous, for caring about this niche field, because nobody cares about ghosts! (unless the entire premise of the show does) Nobody wants to think about ghost science! That’s LAME! (unless Vlad does it)

So I think ultimately this creates a polarizing experience in the fandom. What part of this information do you take?

Do you take, say, my personal approach, which is:

“Hey, so it’s pretty clear and consistent that the Fentons love their kids and wouldn’t hurt them. The Fentons are nice people. They can be obsessive or headstrong but there’s nuanced and salient ways to examine this in the basic framework that they care, both about their family specifically, and in general- and while I think they can have flaws or conflicts with their kids, and with ambient ghosts in the world, I really don’t think they’re in danger of torturing a sapient entity in their basement and it frustrates and annoys me that canon ‘makes a joke’ of them doing these things because it thinks they’re so incompetent that these things are not really malicious actions, when- whether or not you successfully shoot them, it takes a certain kind of person to point a weapon you know is dangerous at something that looks, and talks, like a fourteen-year-old, especially when you’re a parent who has probably at least once in your life worried about something happening to your kids, and the ghost of a teenager means something happened to someone’s kid, in a general sense.

So my end conclusion on the Fentons is I think they are being depicted in a kind of metatextual bad faith, that they are not cruel or malicious people, and in my personal take or understanding on the series, I’d massively dial down those elements, and if any remain, take them seriously as problems they have in their relationships with other people.”

Or do you take an approach more rooted in,

“If the Fentons are shown to be negligent parents they are negligent parents, I’m going to examine and depict them as that, and I find this very hard to forgive, so it’s going to have real and nasty consequences.”

Both are basically valid. The place where I tend to get a little uncomfortable is twofold:

First, I think sometimes people just really want some fictional tragedy to either create or consume, and to that end, you aren’t going to get much juicy drama out of the Fentons being reasonable people. This isn’t evil or unforgivable, but for me, it’s definitely my least favorite fannish content to create or consume. I’m no fan of angst for angst’s sake, and I feel like there’s enough misery and heartbreak in the world that I’m not interested in wallowing in it unless it’s got something interesting to say.

Second- and this is a point I’m gonna be saltier: A lot of abusive Fenton fics that refuse to forgive them for the poorer-taste jokes the series makes, simultaneously give Vlad a blank check, when he has done targetedly malicious things to Danny.

Now- do I also have a more sympathetic read on Vlad, and feel like canon also gives him a bad rap? Yeah! But you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say, “I can’t forgive the Fentons for stuff that was tagged onto them because canon thought it was funny, but I’m gonna editorialize Vlad’s depiction to lionize him as the ideal parent figure for Danny to run into the arms of.”

And the main reason I get so worked up in this, is I feel like Jack in particular (when Maddie is characterized as subordinate to Jack, following his cues, etc., and that’s its own demon) is... characterized as kind of a mocking caricature of traits that I personally recognize as an autistic and ADHD person.

Because the reality is? In many practical ways, I am Jack Fenton.

I like a bunch of weird stuff people find unacceptable or gross, like bugs

I’m hyperlexic (that means I talk, a lot)

Scatterbrained, forget words or where I left something or, sometimes, to do something important

Passionate and excitable including and especially in situations where it’s not normal, or expected, to have this much energy

I absolutely can forget birthdays, even for people I love dearly that mean the world to me! It’s horrible! There’s almost nothing I can do about it! My brain refuses to hold onto this information reliably and no amount of caring fixes it.

And being this way, living like this? My worst nightmare has always been that people think I either don’t care or that I’m just too much of a stupid, flippant buffoon to get right.

The thing about Jack is he’s “a person like me” and he’s “a person like me” who was designed to be a joke. We’re clearly expected to view him as untrustworthy, stupid, just like a big dumb dog of a man who barks in the wrong directions, who sometimes, when it counts, fetches a stick like he’s supposed to. Good job, Lassie. You got little Timmy out of the well.

And I am going to say with certainty and confidence that feeling like this is how people see me is the most unbelievably crushing feeling I have ever experienced in my life. That my excitement and passion means I’m unprofessional, stupid, don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s nearly painful for me, as an adult, to watch Danny Phantom because the show can never get off Jack’s case. And the few times it does, he hauls overtime arduously to make a difference, to help, to build something that will protect others, to put his own life on the line to stop hostile ghosts.

And immediately, then he goes back to being stupid stupid dog man. ha ha. why does his wife love him? no wonder his kids don’t ever want to be seen with him. no wonder his best friend is trying to kill him and he doesn’t even know, the big idiot.

(never mind that we see a scenario where he does know. and admits he would’ve forgiven Vlad anyway. but he can’t forgive Vlad hurting Danny.)

So to rein in this wild tangent: I’m not saying all must love Jack Fenton and despair. I’m not even telling people to hide their angst. If I have a sincere request, it’s this:

If you’re inclined to thinking of Vlad as a cool, troubled, complex person (as I do!) and are haunted by the implications of The Ultimate Enemy specifically for Vlad, that when Danny lost everyone else in his life that Vlad really genuinely tried to help, and was not gloating and happy and victorious to have Danny as his protege, and when that went badly, he was haunted to the end of his days by not having been able to help-

-but immediately turn around and think Jack is just a rotten awful person who’d absolutely hurt his own kid in spite of canon to the contrary (when there’s just as much, if not more, canon of Vlad being willfully hostile)

It might be good to examine why you’re feeling this way, and if this might not come down to the fact that even when canon has people call Vlad a desperately lonely fruit loop, it has a lot more respect for him than it does for Jack, and this isn’t because it’s actually taking a stance against any of the qualities it gave Jack that someone might find disagreeable- it’s because Jack’s just “a big old fat idiot nobody likes, right?”

and that’s... not something comfy to buy into.

#Danny Phantom #readmore #long post #I have a lot of feelings about the fenton parents #and about how generally cartoons like to normalize child abuse in the context of jokes #and this creates a very upsetting similarity between parents who are otherwise characterized as good and reliable #but given these jokes anyway #and parents who genuinely seem really nasty #but it's tied up in a bow with 'it's Just A Joke'#Anonymous

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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 4 years

Note

Percy, Skye & now Rakepick. You really have a thing for characters the fandom hates, huh? 😂 Though ofc one of them’s a lot worse than the other 2 although the first 2 fucked up a few times as well and the fandom hasn’t really forgiven them for that. I know you find them “interesting” for reasons most of the fandom disagree with & I low-key feel bad for you. I wish I could relate to you but even tho I respect your opinions, I really don’t like any of those 3 either 😅

Thank you for your kind words! Aha, well I really am the champion of unpopular opinions, it seems to be true in every fandom I’m in. (Says the person who liked both Last Jedi and Game of Thrones S8) But I’m glad you mentioned those three in particular, because they kind of outline three different ways people can “like” a character.

Liking Percy is similar to liking Beatrice.

I can understand why the characters in-universe and parts of the fandom might dislike them, and I suppose that’s valid...but I will never understand it. There are characters out there who I will gladly pledge my sword, my bow, and my ax. That I will defend until my dying breath because they’ve truly done nothing wrong in my eyes, and I want to share their side of the story if I can. Percy could be annoying, sure. But no one ever talks about how the majority of the Weasleys openly disliked him, the twins bullied him with impunity, and Molly and Arthur took a stance that, in my personal opinion, was a bit too neutral. Likewise, I can understand Penny’s desire to protect Beatrice, and her confusion at how much Beatrice has changed. I can understand people thinking she gets in the way (which used to be a much more popular opinion) but she lost a year of her life to the Cursed Vaults, so of course she’s traumatized and coping with it as best she can. She has, in my opinion, just as much skin in the game as MC, and she’s actually older than they were when they started poking around. So why can they investigate, but she can’t?

Liking Skye is similar to liking Merula.

Here is the type of garbage character I shamelessly stan, but I can also concede that the Antis are correct in almost every detail. Now, I can provide an alternate perspective, a different point of view, and explain why they are sympathetic to me, but I will never say that the Antis are wrong. Because with how unlikable these disasters make themselves, it’s pretty much inevitable. I agree, Skye is obnoxious and self-centered, the story gives her too much focus, and she constantly makes mistakes. That being said...it’s crystal clear why she behaves the way she does. She was raised a child celebrity in Quidditch culture. Her social skills and her empathy are stunted as a result. She’s shown that she can be friendly, in my opinion, but more often than not, she screws it up. Still, I can’t help but root for her. Merula is the same way. She’s practically on a mission to make everyone hate her, and she crosses all sorts of social lines, like making fun of MC’s potentially dead brother, or their very literally dead best friend. Merula has never apologized for the abuse she put several people through. And yet...god, I feel so bad for this child. She lost her parents, had her girlfriend best friend stab her in the back...had another one of her friends ditch her for her rival...was betrayed again by what she viewed as a surrogate mother...she’s all alone. Her worldview is so fractured, and her aversion to showing weakness is only digging her deeper into these terrible, unhealthy habits. I want her to heal. To grow. I believe she can do it.

Liking Rakepick, as I’ve tried time and again to explain, is similar to liking Barty Crouch Jr.

What can I say, I’m a sucker for the problematic mentor trope. As a child, I watched Nickolodeon, and I was drawn to villains like Chase Young, and Vlad Plasmius. Characters who were definitely not good guys, but still had a kind of teacher-student relationship with the hero. It’s a creative dynamic. Now, that doesn’t mean I always like it - I absolutely hated it when Cersei tried to pull this crap with Sansa in Game of Thrones - but sometimes...it just kinda works for me? Plus, I think we need to acknowledge that we can admire a villain without condoning their actions. This isn’t me saying that Rakepick or Crouch are misunderstood, or more “complex” than simply being wicked. This is me enjoying their wickness. Admiring a villain for just how well they villain. Yes, I just used that word as a verb. Barty Crouch Jr fooled Albus frigging Dumbledore for ten months. No other villain has done that. I think he’s extremely underrated, one of the cleverest antagonists in the books. Rakepick is, or was, one of the smartest and most ruthless characters in the HPHM story. I don’t think it’s giving undeserved credit to admit that Rakepick is a force to reckoned with. She broke MC’s wand before they could cast a single spell. She is, I do believe, the only character to canonically defeat them. And she wiped the floor with them. I don’t know what else to say. Liking villains doesn’t mean you would defend their choices or consider them good people. Barty Crouch Jr. used what I consider to be the most evil spell in the series to help torture the Longbottoms into insanity. Rakepick has used it more than once without a care in the world, including the unspeakable incident in the Portrait Vault. And that’s not even getting into what she did to Rowan. Do I hate these characters for what they’ve done? Of course. But do I still think they’re cool? You bet I do! And there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that.

#Percy Weasley #Patricia Rakepick #Skye Parkin #Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery #Fandom Asks #Beatrice Haywood #Merula Snyde #Barty Crouch Junior

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dannyphannypack · 5 years

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Crossover Fic Recs

Hey, saw your post for some fic recs! Unfortunately I can't continue the wonderful thread of reblogs because I wish to remain anonymous, but here have some cool crossovers that I didn't see get rec'd yet :D (you can either post this or add it to the reblogs, I don't mind either way)

Just Another Meteor Freak [500k words, complete] (and it's sequel, which is unfortunately incomplete) is a Smallville/DP crossover that's absolutely a fantastic read and I cannot recommend it enough, it's one of my faves! Brief synopsis: Danny goes to live with his aunt Martha Kent after his family dies (and for once Danny's family dying in a crossover fic doesn't have anything to do with TUE!), and misunderstandings of the good kind and mishaps ensue because of course Danny and Clark's hero complexes come into play. It's got hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, sibling-esque-bonding, and all sorts of cool stuff, including ghost king headcannons and new powers for Danny. It takes place mostly from a Smallville perspective, but Danny's woven in so seamlessly that you won't believe he wasn't in the original show to begin with. I read it for the first time after having not watched Smallville in years and I could still understand it though, so I think that if you haven't watched Smallville before you could still enjoy the fic a lot!

And like, honestly, I totally recommend other stuff by this author (jadedbluerose) too. She's got a Merlin/DP crossover that's pretty fantastic, but unfortunately she hasn't updated anything since 2014 :( still worth the read though!!

Spirited Away [70k, complete] is a Harry Potter/DP crossover, it's honestly THE MOST hilarious fic I've ever read. Synopsis: Danny is an unwilling student at Hogwarts, and the most chaotic Hufflepuff the world has ever seen. He claims he's been kidnapped but when no one listens to him, he raises all kinds of hell to try and get kicked out. And if that doesn't work, well, he can always sue them. 100% worth the read, it will definitely make you laugh.

Various Superphantom (Supernatural/DP) crossovers by sapphireswimming. Literally anything Superphantom found here? Totally the best. You can also check out Superphantom fics by surelysilly (whose fics are more on the darker end of the spectrum, and their prose style is kinda abstract rather than your traditional linear narrative) Vitaliciouscreations (they've got a oneshot collection that's pretty fun, as well as a oneshot that I wish they'd continue and a complete cute 13k-word penpal fic.)

How to befriend a ghost [80k, incomplete] is a HTTYD/DP crossover in which Danny gets stuck in the Viking era, and I originally started reading this for the Danny & Hiccup friendship because it's adorable and both of them see how similar they are to each other and find kinship in that. The dragon Danny gets (because this is a HTTYD crossover, this is inevitable!) really sneaks into your heart though, and I ABSOLUTELY adore Sparky as much as I adore Toothless. He's very lovable and complements Danny super well! Of course, it's not all friendship bonding and training dragons, the archipelago is Danny's home now (until he can find his way back to Amity Park/his own century) and he's going to protect it too when trouble arises, just like the dragons do. He even gets new powers along the way. This fic is pretty fun, there's a lot of switching perspectives and you really see the characters' voices come through in it, and you even get to see the dragons' POV, which is really interesting since you get to learn Sparky's backstory!

Den Mother [8k, ongoing] is a Young Justice/DP crossover that acknowledges the fact that Danny is by all rights a first-generation hero, and he's treated with the respect as such and gets to join the Justice League rather than the YJ team. Of course, he doesn't WANT to join the league at first, which is a different take than you'd expect, but he reluctantly agrees and is then given the same responsibilities as a Justice League member--that is, to teach the YJ something about teamwork or whatever. It's not very long right now, but the premise is so good! It has a lot of potential.

A Foreign Perspective [200k words, complete] is a DNAngel/DP crossover that I saw @scrollingdown call a fandom classic once and honestly agree, even though I don't think many people know/have read it. It's a cute friendship fic that focuses on Phantom (not Danny, but Phantom specifically) making his first friend, an older boy named Daisuke, who seems normal at first, but is slowly revealed to be a little more understanding of Danny's situation than he appears. Some comfort involved too since Danny deals with a little more with the idea of mourning/loss than in canon, seeing as Daisuke thinks he's a full ghost and therefore a teenager that died, and Danny learns to be a different kind of hero because of it. Really cool fic too since you don't need to know DNAngel at all to understand the fic, since it's told from DP's perspective, and you get to learn about Daisuke as Danny does. It's just super sweet and it's got some action here and there that makes it exciting, and it's really a fun read.

Other stuff by this author is worth the read too! They've got oneshots of a HP crossover and Ghost Whisperer crossover, and a sadly incomplete HTTYD crossover [100k words] that is still super super good and also deals with ideas about mourning and loss. Their non-crossover stuff is also pretty interesting (there's a Mute!Danny AU and Dash kinda-redemption oneshot I really liked).

Diversity [150k, ongoing] is another Ghost Whisperer/DP crossover, it's a found-family fic where Danny runs away from home after his family dies in the events post TUE. He ends up running into Melinda and she goes out of her way to help him. There's a couple underlying mysteries surrounding the ghosts that haunt this fic, and Melinda tries to understand Danny's past and ends up tangled in a conspiracy because Danny's hiding his ghostly alter-ego and also the GIW are involved at some point (and they are much more menacing here than in canon). It's totally a page-turner, and you can get as invested as Melinda in hoping Danny heals from his loss. Spellbound [150k, ongoing] is a HP/DP crossover by the same author! Danny accidentally gets trapped by Magical Britain and is bitter about it, but he's trying to make the best of it. The Wizards have no idea what to make of him, but he just wants to go home, and he makes a couple friends while he plots his escape. (It's actually been a while since I read that one, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but I do remember feeling bad for Danny in this fic, poor boy's lonely and can't even interact with kids his own age because he's an unknown creature to the wizards. Good thing Danny's never been one to follow authority.)

A Visit to Paris [10k, complete] is a Miraculous Ladybug/DP crossover in which Danny is Akumatized... sort of. The results are hilarious: Danny's a troll, Hawkmoth is frustrated, the heroes aren't really sure what to make of it, and Danny and Adrien make a lot of puns. Oh, and Danny is the only one smart enough to fix Paris' villain problem (okay, so it might be slightly cracky). It reminds me very much of Spirited Away, which I mentioned earlier. It's got the same level of chaos that's for sure. All in all, it's a very, very fun read.

A Different Sort of House Call [50k, incomplete] is a House MD/DP crossover, it's been years since I read it but I've always considered it one of the fandom classics too? It was definitely one of the first things to pop to mind when I was trying to recall all the cool memorable crossovers to rec you, so this goes on the list too. It's Danny at the hospital with House, and the doctors are trying to diagnose him without knowing about his ghost half (and Danny's not exactly willing to tell them either). There's angst (especially since the author wrote this to follow Lab Rat by AnneriaWings), Vlad trying to be an ally (sorta?), and House being clever as usual. Sadly it's incomplete but it's still super good!!

Running Blind [20k, complete] is a CSI/DP crossover (it took me forever to find the link again since it wasn't listed as a crossover). It's super good, Danny runs away for reasons unknown (at the beginning of course) and gets caught up in a murder investigation and he suspects the culprit is supernatural so obviously he helps out. The CSI guys are both trying to protect him (thinking he was a target for the murderer) but also trying to uncover his past and the reasons he ran away. When you find out why he ran away, you might be awed like I was (especially when you realize how long it had been since he ran) or you might be unimpressed, but the aftermath and his family/friends finally catching up to him might make up for that. I kinda liked how Vlad was written here too.

Ghost Crimes and its sequels is a Criminal Minds/DP crossover. It's the first in a very long series (currently 500k+ words in total) that expands on the DP world and lore, and also involves a lot more murder, death, blood (and the other related gore-ish stuff), and overall realism. Like, Danny fights what is basically Jack the Ripper and its terrifying. It's kind of like a "dark and gritty" DP (but like, not unbearably or overwhelmingly dark and gritty), angst sprinkled here and there, along with darker themes and less light-hearted issues (mental health/trauma/depression/etc. and neglect/abuse and like, actual competent adults like social workers and stuff are a real thing in this fic). There's a lot going on but it's got its lighter nice moments too (Dani is there and gets to be a part of Danny's family, Val's in on the secret, among other things). Also some of the chapters are illustrated, it's great. Definitely check it out!

Okay that's a lot of fics so I'm gonna stop now. Have fun reading!!

#danny phantom #phanfic #crossover #submission #THIS IS SO GOOD !#THANK YOU OMG !

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dolldirector · 4 years

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Fallen Realm Playlist Masterpost

Big infodump under the read more, if you like my OCs and/or agree with my flawless music taste this should be interdasting

1. MUSE - Thought Contagion

Vampire stuff, punk vibes, a nod to thriller, all of the above fit the mood of a FR show + the song is genuinely very good and I could see it being used on stage easily.

2. PAIN - Call Me

Absolute banger. But that's besides the point. I see this as being the bassist Jez/Jamie's song (with a side of Deuce as the second vocalist). Jez is a fairly quiet lad who generally keeps to himself but I always imagined that he’d be secretly very flirty and cheeky, but would mostly only really express it via music. I actually wrote a lil short story where most of FR's band (minus Rex and Isabella) find themselves in some dive bar after a show, and end up performing in the place of the no-show band that was meant to be there that night. That band ends up being the very same one that kicked Jez out, so it’s a bit of a revenge story for him. This short is on my discord by the by.

3. Emigrate - Eat You Alive

Oh boy, this is a strong one. Basically, just watch this video but pretend that Axl is Richard (the frontman). That’s it. That’s the explanation.

Being serious though, RZK is and always has been a huge influence for Axl's visual design, mannerisms and on-stage behaviours. On top of that, this is 100% the type of music he'd listen to, and the lyrics may as well just be plucked right outta his brain. Are the words meant to be aimed at Valeriya in a threatening way? Or is it a cheeky flirt with Trinity? Both? Neither? We’ll never know.

Also, completely unrelated I’m sure, here’s a wip you may or may not be able to force me to finish on stream via channel points soon...

4. Axel One - Out of the Dark

Can't exactly say much about this one cause it's spoilers, but I will say it's less about the song itself and more about the video, and that it does concern the one FR character who is already dead when the story begins.

5. Lord of the Lost - Raining Stars

Just seems to me like a real good song to perform to. I can imagine seeing acrobatic stunts in slow-mo to this track. That’s it for this one, just “I just think they’re neat”. Gorgeous song and video by an amazing band anyway though.

6. Oomph! - Supernova

Kinda the same deal as the Emigrate song, you can just insert Axl into this one in Dero’s place, along with Jez, Vlad, and Thatch. Once again the style and lyrics fit him perfectly, and this one earns bonus points since Dero is actually Axl's canon voiceclaim - specifically in this era of Oomph!’s music too.

7. Die Kreatur - Kälter als der Tod

At the risk of this thread becoming Oops All Axl TM - AH YES. This one is perfect for the point where Axl finally gets the fuck over himself, and stops being horrible to Vlad because of guitar jealousy, and they become bros.

Realistically, I doubt that Vlad - the clueless human vampire fanatic - will ever realise that Axl is a real actual vampire, but he'd be so glad that they seem to have this ~shared interest~ in them, and he'd by hyped as heck to do a performance like this with his guitar buddy. By the way, Vlad wonders to himself, isn’t it odd that he’s never seen Axl putting his fake fangs in?? Weird

As for the girl on the altar, there are a couple ideas I’ve toyed with. Random audience member for fun. Trinity but Axl gets mad jealous even though he thought and said he wouldn't. (No sharing!! Not even for jokes.) Valeriya but the poor thing is scared to the point of tears because this is just a little too close to a real experience for her and Vlad just can't figure out why. Axl insists she’s just being dramatic. Rex has to rescue her because she’s too shy to put her foot down.

Or perhaps Isabella would wanna join in, but she can't take it seriously and keeps laughing which just causes a chain reaction every time with even Axl cracking a smile. There are like a million cut takes now. Send help.

All in all a fun crossover to think about.

8. Adelitas Way - Still Hungry

This one is just Diesel’s anthem. This is the story of a young punk who can’t stop, won’t stop, never gives up and needs more. Right kinda music for him too.

9. MONO INC. - Shining Light

100% a full-cast song. I feel like the lyrics apply to a number of different things about various members of the circus' backstories, and their found family vibe together - if you think about them in super vague terms, at least. I liked to consider the vocals a duet between Rex and Isabella, being the two singers, but there are a couple lines that are kinda too adult for Bella and would make the duet sorta odd so ehhh 90% of it can be that, let’s say. (This is baring in mind that Isabella is an orphaned minor and Rex is like a father figure for her - as he kinda is for many of the members of the circus)

I also did a doodle of this. This one will also be on the force-me-to-work-on-this-WIP-live pile.

9.5. Lacrimosa - Lichtgestalt a.k.a the original version of Shining Light

Same song, just German and carrying a much darker, creepier tone. It fits in new, fun ways.

10. Oomph! - Viel zu Tief

OOPS ALL AXL TM

Lyrics are very important for this one. Once again, music is the right style, Dero is still his voiceclaim, and Axl actually speaks German in canon (and NO I didn’t do that just so Oomph! songs fit him better, shUT UP)

11. Pet Shop Boys - It’s a Sin

Bit out of left field for this playlist, sure, but with all the controversy and extremely shakey morals in FR's world and with its characters, this one just seems fitting. Plus I'd want em to cover it for a show. Banger.

Honorable mention goes to Ghost’s cover of this song. I don’t even listen to Ghost but my reaction upon finding out this exists was like “lmao yes, of course, why wouldn’t they”.

This song in general I associate instinctively with Vlad, purely because its 80s and campy and I feel like he’d be the type to listen to Ghost.

12. Destiny Potato - Lunatic

Very strongly feel this is a performance song featuring Isabella. This song fits the character - and in particular her tragic backstoryTM pretty well. I’d even go so far as to say the singer would be a pretty good voiceclaim for her if her voice wasn’t meant to be more robotic in canon. This is pretty close to what I imagine, though. Strong n sweet.

13. Nightwish - I Want My Tears Back

One of the first songs I imagined to go well with stage performances. This one for sure would be a duet between Rex and Isabella.

Plus at about 3:10 there's a long solo with a bit of back-and-forth between the guitar and hurdy gurdy (I think?) that I could 100% see Axl and Vlad doing on guitar and keytar respectively.

14. Lord of the Lost - Drag Me To Hell

Yeah this one is just Axl @ his ex

15. Lindemann - Steh Auf!

Bleib nicht liegen, es wär schade - Zirkus ist heut in der Stadt

So, this would be from Isabella’s perspective. Did I mention she was orphaned? Yeah. I guess this one is a little dark.

16. Otetsu & GUMI - Disordered Self-Restraint Girl

The song itself seems to be the story of a child who is trying to coax their parent/guardian into getting up and doing things, not realising that parent had passed away from a drug overdose. Drugs isn’t the way Isabella’s parents died, but the rest of the song fits that part of her backstory imo. Plus, it’s German, and Isabella is German, so yay!

Uh oh, vocaloid.

For a long time I've associated this one with Valeria, and her feelings towards the circus in the early days. After she's accidentally turned by Axl, Val gets effectively kidnapped by FR, taken in before she can even regain consciousness and completely against her will, since it would be incredibly irresponsible of them to just leave a fresh new vampire out in the world so they kinda don't have a choice. While she eventually finds her place and elects to stay after some time has passed, there was a period of time where she definitely would have felt trapped.

This is without even going into the fact that she's now stuck travelling and living with her would-be murderer, and - due to the fact that half of the circus don't even know non-humans exist, let alone what actually happened to Valeria - many of the people around her don't seem to care, or simply do not understand why she's so scared and stressed. It leaves her, at times, feeling like she could be killed tomorrow and nobody would give a shit.

Showtime, katanamochi bunbun furimawashi kubi kara ue hanetobashite mo - ashita ni nareba minna motodoori, waratte yurushite

Translation: Showtime, even if a sword wielder slices my head and makes it fly off, tomorrow everything continues as usual, smiling, forgiving

(Don't worry, in reality Rex, Diesel, and Thatch are there for her & understand the shit she's going through. I promise the folks in the circus do actually care. It's just hard for her to see it in this period of time.)

(There will almost definitely be more songs and doodles added here in the future, but for now that’s all folks!)

#fallen realm #playlist #masterpost #ocs

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2ofswords · 4 years

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001 pathologic

Even if it says “Pathologic” I’ll mostly be talking about Pathologic 2 and specify if it’s not the case. It’s just where most of my experience lies since I’m not done with Pathologic Classic HD yet. ^^

Also I’m putting this one under a cut because… man. That got long! Like way too long, I thought I could do this one very quick and now two hours have passed and I’m still writing it! Dear god, these are a lot of questions!

Favorite character: ... It’s Dankovsky. We all know it. I mean I went into the game being like “I’m pretty sure the tragic asshole character is gonna be my favorite...” Credit where credit is due, I persevered until the day 11 conversation. But we all would have known that Marble Nest would have gotten me anyways so.. Yeah. I especially love his dynamic relationship with Artemy in Patho 2 and he is just a fun and complex character, that I really love to think about and who has made some terrible decisions while still staying sympathetic for me. Also the mix of science and dreams is just something that I find interesting and also can kind of relate too. Love that stuff!

Least Favorite character: In Patho 2 it’s Oyun. The way he talks about the Kin makes me really uncomfortable. The animalistic portrayal is for me one of the biggest flaws in the game and he is the worst offender. And yeah since he is one of the Kin, I’m probably not the one who should judge... But I don’t know... from what I’ve heard that seems to be considered a problem by the fanbase in general... Outside of that I also think he’s just structurally very badly included in the game? He appears very late and is hostile in a way that doesn’t really make you engage with him. And I was way to stressed and didn’t get enough opportunities to actually talk with him to really make a connection (though one reason was, that I didn’t give him my house in the first run. Didn’t want to, so I had the pleasure to walk to Shekhen every time to meet him.) Even without the very questionable undertones his constant ranting about strength and leadership didn’t really appeal to me in a game, where leadership just far has only proven to fail everyone in a time of crisis. The way he is revealed as the murderer is kind of weak, since you either figured it out long ago or the game just randomly tells you... He just is very unappealing to me. Vlad the Elder also fucking sucks. But at least he as well as the game are so open about it, that it’s easier to ignore while the game seemed to make me want to like Oyun, while I really couldn’t so this one makes me a little more salty.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): 1. Artemy/Daniil: What a shocker! Narrative foils who have an actual rivals to friends ark in the game and a shitton of sexual tension within it! What’s not to love? 2. Lara/Rubin: I just think they deserve each other. Both of them are very hard working and prone to giving up themselves for the greater good but they are also harsh to others. I think they would apreciate each other but also reign the other person in and care about them. 3. Daniil/Rubin: I just want Rubin to be happy, okay? This one is more a Patho 1 thing, but they really appreciate each others work and I really like how they interact in the Bachelor route. They care about each other and they share a lot of struggles and actually a more similar view on the town and the world than Daniil does with Artemy. Also again we have two very hard working people here, who would have a lot of bonding over weird science projects. (Even if these one are worse at reigning each other in and fights would be pretty horrible to the point of needing a mediator because non of these two are talking to each other and maybe only stoop down to writing very passive aggressive letters...) 4. Notkin/Khan: Also more of a Patho2 thing, since they act way more brutal in P1 and also do not really reconcile. But in P2 they seem to care and immediately bury the hatchet when shit hits the fan. The whole house of the death quests shows them more as bickering friends. And I have a soft spot for bickering friends romances, okay? Also this one is obviously only two teenage boys having a crush, no shitheads allowed here! 5. Yulia/Eva: I cannot really chose between my favorite w/w pairing, there are so many good ones! Right now it’s Yulieva again. They are tragic, they are soft, they are so atmospheric and fun to write! Also I just love Eva and think she should get as many girlfriends as she wants.

Character I find most attractive: Uhhh... I don’t know I find their models beautiful but there are not a lot of them I find specifically attractive. I guess it’s between Daniil, Artemy, Lara and Yulia for me. Daniil get’s the most ridiculous style points ever but... too old for me specifically. I think Artemy is really attractive but I think his outfit is also really unflattering ... Lara is so much my type and so is Yulia! (Though why didn’t you keep the short hair, queen, it would have made this choice so easy!) I think I’ll have to go with Lara, because I first saw her and just went “I love you” immediately?

Character I would marry: If I assume that the other person would be as happy with our arrangement no matter who I chose: Victor. He is the perfect husband by definition and I want to learn more about time magic. Though this marriage would remain very much platonic and also very much sexless... he is way older than I am and that is disregarding that time is weird for the Kains. Also we have to consider Nina’s continuing existence... okay I don’t mind that one at all.

Character I would be best friends with: My first instinct is to say “man all of these people would despise me”, which is such a Pathologic mood. I think I would be best friends with Eva. I think we would get along well and we’d have much to talk about. Also, her house is cool and we could go stargazing!

A random thought: I love Dora! She is the worst and most iconic child caretaker of all time and I want to talk about her! The whole baby thing and the way it’s delivered to Artemy is already great but then she just silently takes the baby and gives the reward when you’re there the second time? The time she takes Grace away is genuinely such a good dialogue and a tough decision so that’s great but then, she manages to actually get Grace adopted by a dead person, if Peter is dead! And then she may think it’s Andrey WHO IS DEAD TOO! Seriously, who hired her! I know the entire town is falling apart but man! Dora sure as hell doesn’t help the case. But she tries her best! I think. I hope.

An unpopular opinion: Oh I have a lot of unpopular opinions, but I think most of them should get their own post, where I can explain in details and a bit more serious what I’m actually talking about. But here’s a small one: Okay ummm… please my fellow burakhovsky shippers, please don’t get mad but… uuuumm…

…

I like the first Bachelor conversation in Patho2 better than the one in Patho1. … Okay, look. I love the “left hand right hand” line as much as everyone else. Wouldn’t have missed it and loved it in Pathologic Classic! And I also think it’s a shame that Daniil’s homosexuality got dialed down. Totally agree with that. But! I really love them starting out on the wrong foot. Their whole dynamic of having to establish their relationship makes their journey and the scenes where they actually reconcile again so much more powerful to me and I love how dynamic it is. And having the two of them completely clash underlines for me how much they have to try and develop to be more comfortable and confine in each other. It’s a great starting point! Also the scene is hilarious in it’s own right. The whole buildup to it where Artemy is in such a desperate position to find out his own kind-of-brother wants to murder him… starting this whole thing with “you owe me” and the whole “Vorakh” thing. It’s really great how in retrospect it’s just a really fucking bad start and a trainwreck of the Bachelor trying to sound competent but from Artemy’s perspective it’s just utterly horrible because the whole town wants to kill him, his father is dead and this stranger is talking some bullshit! Yeah, nobody would have any patience and so the situation escalates immediately! It’s great storytelling and absurd and… I really do love this scene and it’s dynamic and I think it's a great first interaction! (Even if it is sad if people think that they now get the Bachelor. Which… dynamic storyarc… complex character. But I think most people will get that eventually, if they just engage with the whole storyline.) It also makes it a bit more genuine when they actually do act friendly, because you can see, how they act, if they’re not trying. In P1 the Bachelor’s dialogue can feel manipulative rather than friendly and while that has it’s own positives, I just prefer the more dynamic approach of their relationship. To be honest, I think both conversations fit in their own games nicely. I just prefer the overall approach to their relationship arc and I also think it’s just less clumsily written and a bit more memorable apart from the very first line. And while I love it in Patho 1 I couldn’t really see it and it’s sudden intensity in the writing-style of the second game, so I also do not really miss it specifically in their interaction. It’s great were it is but it wouldn’t enhance the situation here.

My canon OTP: Victor and Nina. This man just loves his powerful evil and passionate wife and I respect that. I think the way they are described and how Victor would fit in makes this combination so interesting to me. He is quiet and capable and you can really imagine the whirlwind Nina still appreciating him and... it’s so cute, okay? They are in love!

Non-canon OTP: (Oh my god, there are so many pairings where my brain goes “what do you mean, they aren’t canon???) I think Lara/Eva is a really cute pairing that sure as hell isn’t alluded to in the Canon at all. Lara deserves Eva’s positivity and her view on the potential of the soul could be really cute. And Eva deserve her practical care and consideration. Also they are both talking about how they do not know what to do with their live and since they both arrive at this rather depressing conclusion very differently, they might be able to help each other! Also they could play matchmaking with the local doctors together and I find that hilarious.

Most badass character: Aglaya. There isn’t really a competition. (Okay Clara is also really badass and one has to mention Aspity for just dying when she feels like she should make a point and for being alive whenever she has something really important to say... that’s also pretty badass and she also is in general.) Aglaya is so powerful and intimidating and armed with metaknowledge. She even knows about her plot armor (and how long that will last...) Do not cross this lady, you will definitely regret it! (Okay the true answer is obviously Teensy. But shhhh…)

Pairing I am not a fan of: I’m not really a fan of Aglaya/Artemy especially in Patho2. I just cannot get over her immediately opening the gallows and then breaking Grief down. Artemy in Patho2 doesn’t really feel like a person who would appreciate either and he gets like really upset about Grief without it getting really resolved. (And Aglaya is very unapologetic about it, which might be a part of the truth since we don’t know what happened but still doesn’t help the case.) Also they talk very businesslike and like Aglaya is just making plans which Artemy in mind which doesn’t feel like a good baseline even if she appreciates his insight. It’s still only one person making the decision in the end... But I also totally get the appeal and they are both stubborn, have an interesting way of seeing connections and their worldviews are very interesting together especially, if we think about P1, so I also get shipping them! I’m just not the biggest fan myself.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Uhhh... Hm... There is not really a character I find completely broken and I’ve complained about Oyun enough... So I have to go with Aglaya and only for the reason that I find the ending where they leave town pretty forced. (I’m sorry, I don’t hate her! All of the characters are so amazing, she only has some writing choices specifically that I didn’t like! But I still think she’s cool!) I actually kind of like that it exists and I think the way it plays out is very heart-wrenching and honestly amazingly made but the whole way to get to the decision feels a bit awkward to me just because both of their duties get weirdly lampshaded without making the meta entirely obvious. Either just shattering the fourth wall here or making the situation way more desperate for both of them would have done the trick, I guess. I in general would have loves, if her meta would have been used a bit more explicitly. It felt a bit gimmicky to make her cool at times and while Artemy might not be the route for that... there ideology talk in Patho1 sure as hell managed that. Their dialogue is still good but I had very high hopes while I approached it. I do know that there is more behind the meta and I wish we could have seen a bit more of that then her offhandedly mentioning it. She never really engaged with her struggle and never allowed Artemy to really engage with it, what also made the whole town fleeing scene a bit jarring, especially if you didn’t play the first game.

Favourite friendship: I mean the whole apple basket gang friendship, obviously! Is there really another friendship that competes in the game? I love their dynamic and I also love how torn apart the friendship is and how they are only beginning to reconcile even at the end of the game. Not all is good yet but they stay hopeful and I think that is a very strong message.

#crimsondaisy #ask

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blackevermore · 3 years

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x Secrets of The Lake: The Company of Misery and Pain

{ Chapter 11 }

Word Count: 3399

P.s: I’m lowkey in love with Kate....

Vlad should have known Miss Way would have a way with words as he held the phone between his cheek and shoulder. She was currently stuck at the airport as her flight had been delayed twice to Virginia but somehow her luggage was already heading there.

“With all due respect Kate, why did you feel the need to call and inform me of this?” Vlad took hold of the phone and smirked, not like he minded the call but honestly it was pointless.

“I felt the need to tell the man who was paying for this. I didn’t want you calling me and asking me how things were going if I was still stuck here.” Vlad could have sworn he heard a snicker through her monotone voice. “This could have been avoided if you allowed me the ride on your jet. Or are assistants not allowed there?”

“Actually the jet was due for a recall repair, that’s why I booked you a first class ticket.”

“Whoa is me, billionaires are liars, very well, but I did think it was best to call and tell you, Sir.” Kate huffed on the other side of the phone and Vlad could hear her pulling the phone away to talk to someone else. Then she pulled the phone back sounding a bit happier but still emotionless. “Oh well, I guess calling you did the trick. I should have told them I was your daughter or something earlier. My flight is in 30 minutes so I will be arriving in Virginia at 9 pm, our time.” Vlad turned to the clock in his office amazed at how fast time had flown by today. It was nearly seven in the evening and Vlad had yet to actually talk to Tayonna.

Speaking of the ghost he looked over to her and she still sat quietly in the chair gripping the fabric of her dress. She looked lost in thought staring towards the ground and Vlad felt the tug at his heart. He quickly turned away and realized Kate was still talking to him.

“Did you hear a word I said?” Kate asked.

“I’m afraid not, I’m currently working on loose emails and documents. You wouldn’t mind repeating yourself?” Vlad cleared his throat and looked down at the real documents he left unfinished days before. He groaned as the lie became reality and picked up his red pin to actually start working.

“I said I will report back to you after I visit the state records office.” Kate sighed and Vlad could only imagine she was rolling her eyes and slowly tapping her foot.

“Very well, thank you once again, Miss Way, Good night.” Vlad hung up the phone with a click and sighed, he undid the first two buttons on his shirt and fixed his hair before settling back into his chair. In due time he had gotten lost in his work rereading due days and trade off agreements with typos a young intern had made. How could anyone actually have these documents looked over twice before being handed to their boss and not caught certain mistakes?

Vlad finished up marking down a document and putting it back in a folder to be sent back to the office to be rewritten. Tomorrow he was going to have to sit down with the writing team and remind them that business had no room for typos. Especially for ones that make it to his desk and he catches them. He wasn’t an overly strict boss with no sense of morality, not anymore at least, but he took the presentation of business very seriously.

“You always work so hard Vladan, you’ll always be so stressed.” Tayonna spoke and it made Vlad look up in confusion. First off, his name was not Vladan and he wasn’t sure how many times he would have to tell her that. And second, working himself hard was the only way things ever got done.

“Miss Tayonna I’ve told you countless times I am not Vladan.” Vlad deadpanned her and shook his head before looking back down. Tayonna's face twisted in confusion then dropped as she turned away once more. Vlad noticed and it piqued his curiosity, did he look so much like the man she called him? Every time they locked eyes or she looked at him she always saw someone else before it melted away. Every sour interaction they had was due to the red mist showing up and Tayonna wasn’t truly attacking Vlad but whatever that thing was. Even back at the pond, he understood now the red mist was her target and had tried to find safety in him.

“You look so much like him...so much like him,” Tayonna whispered in sadness, she brought a leg up to rest her head against and that’s when Vlad noticed she was barefoot. He wanted to tell her off for sitting inappropriately in a very expensive chair like some child. But it was best for him to bite his tongue and swallow it, hopefully, if she was going to be sticking around he could teach her to sit properly. Vlad put down his pen and crossed his fingers in front of his face.

“My name is Vladimir but I much rather you call me Vlad.” Vlad told himself he couldn’t really need to be on a first name basis with the ghost if he was going to get rid of her quickly. What would it matter when this was all over and he could get back to his normal life? When he put her to rest would she just go back into the Ghost Zone or would her core fizzle out and she finally passes on? Vlad wasn’t sure, maybe that’s why he told her his corrected name, just in case she was to be another core floating around at least she knew who he was.

“Vlad?” Tayonna finally looked back up to him with disheartening eyes. “He would have been so upset if someone called him that.” Vlad could see she almost wanted to laugh but she held it back through a broken weak smile.

“Well I get upset when someone says my full name spitefully. I am not him so please try to correct yourself from now on.” Vlad gave her a coy smile, then rose from his chair with a crack in his back. It was well into the night and he could feel the need for a shower and sleep nagging at him. Checking the clock again it was only 8:30 and he grumbled as he could hear the children mocking him from miles away of being an old man. He wasn’t old, maybe not physically, he could stay up if he wanted to, but the way his sheets felt after a long day told him it was best to just be old mentally. If he wanted his beauty sleep he very much was going to have it.

“I think it’s best we try and talk in the morning, for now let's head to bed.” Vlad said calmly and held out his hand for her due to habit. Tayonna didn’t take it and stood up to follow him. Ghost didn’t actually need sleep, Vlad of course knew that, to a degree nor did he if he stayed in his ghost form. He had done so many times while studying the Ghost Zone on endless night trips. He found that as a ghost he could do a lot more with himself than being a human. That also includes eating, though ghosts did have their own form of eating. They fed off energy and raw forms of ectomatter. Out of curiosity Vlad had tried it and actually liked it, it did help him feel a lot more energized but he much rather preferred his home cooked meals that awaited him.

“Pray tell, would you be hungry by chance?” Vlad looked over his shoulder at Tayonna and the girl shook her head no. Vlad Hummed and continued out the office and towards the grand stairs. He led the way to the guest room Tayonna had been in and the girl became hesitant to go in. Vlad sighed and rubbed his temple and shook his head. “I’m not locking you in here, this is just where you will be staying for the time being. Unless you wish to go back to your little pond.”

“No!” Tayonna snapped back and lowered her head quickly before moving past Vlad and into the room. Vlad knew that everything around her seemed so weird. She was from the past and had no idea what the 21st century was like. She could be curious but he doubts she would go snooping around. Vlad let out a yawn and that seemed to be contagious as Tayonna did the same. The girl then rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple of times. Vlad felt his core grow hot for a moment then die down as he looked upon her. Tayonna walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, she felt the comforter and then the sheets and that seemed to surprise her. Guess she never thought she would ever sleep on silk.

“You are more than free to roam around the house if you don’t find yourself tired. Though I would advise you didn’t and stayed soundly in your room. Goodnight.” Vlad grabbed the door handle and began to close the door. However, he only got it half way as he felt the need to hear her say it back. He never allowed anyone to finish their farewells unless it was Dani or even Maddie. He would normally say his and be on his way like hell was hot on his heels. But holding the door handle and standing so still he almost longed to hear it from Tayonna.

When he realized she wasn’t going to say it he lifted his hand and left, leaving the door still half open. Once he made it to his room and slid through the giant doors. He ran his fingers through his hair knocking out his ponytail. His white locks fell to his shoulders and the few stands of black fell right in front of his eyes. He took hold of it and twirled it around before pushing it back and heading to the shower. At least tonight he hoped he wouldn’t have any more of those dreams or memories or whatever they have been. Vlad was certain he would rather dream of taking Maddie out on a lovely romantic date, than being dragged along for whatever Tayonna was doing.

Vladan held his breath as he watched Luther and Tayonna in the garden harvesting vegetables. The summer had finally begun and the crops his family grew were already growing with pride. So much so his father became worried it was too good to be true. Of course his mother assured him that he had bought a good patch of land and should be happy. Vladan however knew the truth. The truth was 5 feet tall and 6 inches long and never wore the shoes given to her even when she walked through the house. Vladan wanted to tell someone what he found out, or even confront his brother about allowing a witch into the house. Surely he was mad! Being from the German empire meant their parents were very religious and held the name of god in good faith. Unlike Vladan, Luther tended to do the same, haven’t reached the age of understanding his own faith in the world. Maybe this was his silent rebellion?

“He has grown close to her,” the gentle voice of his mother pulled Vladan away from the window hastily. He dropped the curtain and the woman only giggled before pulling it back and tying it to the wall. She looked out and glazed upon her youngest and the servant then hummed. “But it is best if he doesn’t become too attached to her, that is not acceptable neither here or at home.” Vladan looked back through the window trying to see what his mother saw but all he could focus on was Tayonna.

“How did she end up here?” Vladan asked. Tayonna told him but he preferred to hear it from someone else. Maybe the girl had been lying and used her magic to trick them.

“We were passing through the town square when we noticed an auction. Your father told us to ignore it as he was almost done and we would be heading back home. But your brother, as sick as he was, snuck off and got closer to the platform and held up his hand to bid. I tried to stop him but he had this look in his eyes that told me to trust him. We already have two servants at home I told him but he shook his head and said we needed another. Within a few minutes, your brother pointed out towards that girl and bought her. Luckily she already knew English so there was no trouble in getting her along and she came with a name.” Vladan’s mother wrapped her shawl around herself tighter with a worried expression.

“I thought we do not fair in that business like the English?” Vladan whispered beside his mother as he continued to watch the girl outside hard at work. She would occasionally hand Luther her basket and the boy would hurry off to empty it. Vladan finally broke away from the window and looked down at his mother. Over the years he wasn’t sure if he had gotten taller or she had become smaller.

“We don’t, Luther knows that but still, he insisted he buy her. Your father was confused but allowed it. I will say having her around almost feels magical, she is very obedient and polite. And my garden is always in full bloom even after a storm.” Vladan’s mother smiled as she continued to speak about her flowers and how much she loved them. Vladan drowned her out as he turned back towards the window and continued looking at Tayonna. Just then the girl straightened her back and held her basket in hand and her bright green eyes stared right back at him. He felt his breath slip away once more.

Vlad wasn’t too sure if allowing a ghost to stay at his home while he was gone was a good idea. Let alone a ghost he couldn’t be too sure would even want to stay. Sipping his coffee he hadn’t the slightest idea where she was. When he went to the guest room she wasn’t there, he checked around elsewhere but still no sign of her. Before long Vlad found himself in the kitchen. He should have been on high alert considering she could be breaking something. But oddly enough he was calm and told himself after he had his coffee he would call for her. As his cup started to run low he lowered his eyes and hummed, it was rather quiet with Dani being away.

He was ready to hear some outrageous comment about how impatient she was for the summer to get here or about some crazy dream she had. Or he could have asked her why she missed her 4th period class yesterday as he was informed with a phone call. Vlad smirked and thought of all the excuses she could come up with within five seconds. His thoughts came to a close as he peered up to the clock to check the time and saw he only had 20 minutes to spare before having to hustle out the door.

He supposed now was a good time to go look for Tayonna and give her the rundown he still wasn’t too sure about. He could call Skulker to come to watch her but Vlad knew the way the tech ghost ran off from the lip would cause a fight. Vlad was about to walk out of the kitchen until something caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He turned around to look out the bay windows and that's where he found Tayonna sitting in his garden.

She had her knees pulled up to her chest as she held a few flowers in her hand. She still wore that sad expression on her face that seemed to never go away. Vlad walked over to the window and tapped it and signalled for her to come in. Next to the windows were sliding doors which must have been the way she got out. Vlad opened the door as she got closer and moved out the way when she stepped inside. He looked down and saw that her feet weren’t dirty.

“Miss Tayonna I have to go out for a while and as much as I wouldn’t like to leave you here, I have to. I would prefer if you stayed in your room until then but if you wish to venture outside you can keep yourself busy. Or if you wish you may go to the Ghost Zone.” Vlad fixed his bowtie and straightened out his shirt as he spoke making sure he looked ready to conquer the day.

“I can’t go back there,” Tayonna said and looked down at her hands as if they were still something so abnormal to her. “I’ll stay here.” Tayonna then reached a hand up to her neck towards the collar and huffed as she was reminded of its existence.

“Very well, but please refrain from being too curious while I’m gone. When I return we shall work on whatever it is that keeps you restless.” Vlad nodded his head towards her then began to walk out of the kitchen. He grabbed his suit jacket and double checked himself in the full length mirror before grabbing his keys and ghosting out the door. This time there was no goodbye or see you later. Tayonna slowly walked out the kitchen and stared at the door.

Vlad had no idea that she already tried to leave during the night while he slept. But the pain in her core felt like it started to burn every time she walked further away from the house. She then noticed when the moon was high in the sky above her, her skin started to crack and break away like ashes. In a panic she stumbled back to the mansion. She had managed to make it back to his property before the moon fell back behind the horizon and the sun began to wake. She fainted in the garden and when she finally woke up she was laying in a bed of roses.

Tayonna felt completely at the mercy of a man who shared the face of someone long ago. If this damn collar wasn’t around her neck she would feel a bit safer. But for now all she could do was whatever he asked for and hope another tragedy didn’t await her. Tayonna started towards the stairs to go back to the room given to her. As she climbed the stairs she felt a hand touch her back and it scared her. She turned around and stumbled up the stairs as she saw the red mist and a hand reaching for her again. Without her powers she was completely helpless and that made the pit in her stomach fill with terror. The mist started to swirl into itself then shape into a person. Tayonna’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

“Get away from me! Go away!” Tayonna yelled through tears and stumbled up the stairs a bit more before finally finding her footing and making it the rest of the way. She finally found the hallway and ran inside the room. She pulled back the blankets on the bed and dove under them.

“Go away....please go away...stop touching me.” She cried and hoped the mist didn’t follow her. She felt like a child while hiding but there was something comforting about being completely hidden. She wouldn’t dare stick her head out to see if the mist was above her or if she got away from it. For now, she would stay here the whole time. A few blocks away Vlad sat at a red light and felt the tug on his core that something was wrong. He passed it off as heartburn as the light turned green and drove to work.

#📖Ghost Stories👻#vlad masters #Danny Phantom #dp fanfic #self ship community #Secrets of The Lake

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cerastes · 5 years

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BTW what is your opinion about S3 of Castillos Vania? I'm very interested in your thoughts

ALRIGHT, SO, LET’S ADDRESS THE DULLAHAN IN THE ROOM. It goes without saying this post contains Castlevania Season 3 spoilers.

So, Season 3. The weakest, really. By far. I still overall and barely enjoyed watching it, but it is easily the weakest. Now, in the greater scheme of things, maybe this was just a bold move, maybe when Season 4 comes out, we’ll only look back at it for what it is: A transitory set of episodes leading somewhere. Right now, in the present? We can be far less generous.

It felt, quite simple, very weird and aimless. I think the only thing worthy of note here, in the present, is, hilariously enough, Isaac’s arc. Isaac, of all people. Now, I love Netflix!Isaac, and I love what we’re exploring with him. But, I think we should’ve been able to see more with the protagonists simultaneously, you see? It’s not like we had any shortage of screen time, but… What everyone else did felt pretty aimless and meaningless.

Now, as I said, Isaac’s arc is really good. I love how it’s progressing, I love his experiences, I love him. I’d say he’s a really good change in every way from his PS2 incarnation.

Trevor and Sypha’s arc felt… Disjointed. It felt very slow for what could’ve ended in two-three episodes. It just feels a bit unnatural, if you ask me, to have Mister and Miss Beatdown patiently scope out actual satanists instead of just barging in and absolutely beating the shit out of them. I’m glad we saw Saint Germain! Probably the highlight of that arc. I just think that otherwise it was a very drawn out nothing otherwise. You can present to the viewer that the land is still fucked up without spending the entire season slowburning like that, especially when it feels out of character.

Hector’s arc, ooph, ok, I have thoughts here, so bear with me: I’m hopeful it will turn into something great down the road. I WANT to believe this is all groundwork for when eventually Hector has his big “I’ve Had ENOUGH” scene and just absolutely fucking wilds out. Unlike “Kickboxing God And Walking Arsenal” PS2 Hector, however, Twink Hector is a weak baby who doesn’t know how to fight directly… But he still has the signature Hector willpower. He’s a weak baby by himself, but he still tried to attack and threaten Lenore. Sure, all it got him was yet another brutal asswhooping, but that’s who Hector is: The One That Gets In Fistfights With Supernatural Creatures (ever think about how Hector wields a sword in exactly one cutscene in Curse of Darkness, and in the rest of the game’s cutscenes, he’s not only wielding no weapon, but also shown to be using hand to hand combat techniques? Including when he beats Isaac? Implying his canon weapon is deadass fist weapons? I think about this a lot). I want to be hopeful that this is all groundwork for the moment in which Hector finally sees Lady Luck’s smile and aaaaaabsolutely 70 Million Power Muscle Sparks Carmilla, Lenore, maybe Isaac, and all who dare stand in his demon-fueled path of anger and revenge. Probably by summoning some really badass demon army who does all that for him, but still. I want to be hopeful, and so, I will wait to see what happens with his arc in the future. I am an optimist, after all… But not a hopeless one: If I see that the future seasons fail to deliver any sort of satisfactory development or conclusion to Hector’s tale, I will be the first to denounce it and dunk on Netflixvania, mark my words.

Aaaaaaaand…

sigh

And… Alucard’s arc.

What the fuck was that.

Aimless. Pointless. Went quite literally nowhere. I was super on board with it right until they put the bracelet on him. It felt so forced, suddenly, these two have deep seated complexes about betrayal? That never once came up before? Not even a hint? Ok, the closest thing to a hint was Taka being like “He’s hiding stuff from us, I KNOW it”, but… In the context of the scene? It could’ve meant a number of other things as well. And, I mean, it’s not like Alucard was not teaching them ANYTHING. Yes, he was taking his time, but we are even shown he’s teaching them really valuable things like “use and master a long weapon, because being close to a vampire is exactly where you don’t wanna be” and, you know, access to the Entire Wikipedia Of Monster Killing AKA Leon Belmont’s Wet And Wild Repository. Where the fuck did that come from, then? Suddenly they hate Alucard? And then we get the obligatory shot suggesting Alucard will become Bad Vlad 2: Revenge Of The Impaler? Look, I’m fine with creative liberties even when I disagree with them (such as cutting out Grant Danasty entirely), because sometimes they bring good stuff to the table (such as this version of Hector), but you cannot possibly begin to tell me they are going to really, really miss the point of Alucard as a whole this hard. If they go down this route for real, yeah, I lose all respect. Alucard is not exactly a complicated character to understand, and again, creative liberties are good, but also, you do have a responsibility to properly understand what makes the character, the character.

And those would be my thoughts. Isaac arc good. TrevorSypha arc weird. Hector arc hopefully groundwork to something good. Alucard arc horrible. End Ted Talk.

#redwhitebreeze #the final two episodes were hard to watch

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ihaveneverbeengivenflowers · 5 years

Text

Girl crush: Integra Hellsing

Or perhaps should I say

*cof cof* *deep baritone voice* *japanese accent*

INTEGRA FAIRBROOK WINGATES HELLSING

From: Hellsing Author: Kouta Hirano

Warning: spoilers about both the manga and anime versions all the way down from here!

Basic plot: At the age of 12, Integra loses her father and inherits the command of the Royal Order of Protestant Knights, a centenary monster-hunter organization leaded by the Hellsing family to protect England and the Anglican Church against supernatural threats. However, her uncle has always wanted to control the organization, so he plots to murder her right after his brother’s death. Attempting to escape, she finds herself in the basement of the manor, where some kind of legacy from her ancestors is supposed to protect her. When she gets shot by her persecuters, the shedered blood awakes a ridiculously powerful vampire tamed to serve her family. While Alucard performs a carnage with her uncle’s men, she kills him and actually assumes the command of the Organization. Plus, she's recognized by Count Dracula, no other than Vlad III The Impaler himself as his new master.

Now let me tell you why she’s my favorite female manga/anime character ever, and let’s consider her 3 versions (the manga and both anime adaptations):

The “original” Integra (I mean, manga and Ultimate anime versions) is my personal definition of a badass girl, and getting to know her was groundbreaking for the standards of my 16 year old self. Somehow she represents my ideal of strength, proud and self-assurance, in the best “I ain’t gonna take no shit from no fucking one” style I so admire and wished I had to myself... if my anxiety disorder didn’t screw me up.

In parallel to her strong temper, there’s a delightful tendency of hers to show a warped sense of humour with sarcastic teasing and taunting jokes - much more like Alucard, for example. In my opinion, Gonzoverse (ie, the first anime adaptation) depicted her too prone to anger and hard to please - like his antithesis, while I rather think of them and their psychological bond as different sides of the same hell broken loose.

By the way, I really think of her and Hellsing in general as thick with sexual tension, and not just because the prequel of the story was supposed to be a hentai. It’s not hard at all to think of BDSM, you just need to take a closer look: she cuts or bites herself and allows the vampires to feed on the blood dripping from her fingers, watching them from above with a wicked smirk. Gonzoverse also made its way on picturing her as a temptress, especially on the final minutes of the last episode, when Alucard breaks the glass in his hand and asks her one more time to drink his blood. The gaze she gaves him, omfg... I don’t care whether I’m straight, but pray tell me, am I the only one who gets turned on with that shit?

I’ve talked before about Oscar from Rose of Versailles, one of my other favorite female characters, and I can’t help comparing them two because Oscar also represents strength, but from a completely different perspective. Somehow, I think it’s like Oscar was raised by her father as a man, but Integra finished raising herself as one due to the circumstances (please note I don’t literally mean it, there’s no identity conflict related to her biological sex or gender). Maybe we’ll take it as given that she’s a natural leader because of her tenacity, but I think that’s more related to the events that required the young girl to grow up as a tough woman, otherwise she’d be deposed from her post, disrespected by a bunch of older men or eaten up (literally or not... take it as you wish, hahaha) by the family’s vampire servant.

That leads me to the next topic: no matter how fucked up is the situation, she still has the guts to do whatever she must do. Clearly this kind of behaviour is not reasonable 100% of the times, but she’s just too stubborn to give in. She lost her father, almost got killed by the uncle that sweared to look after her, shot him dead right after whitnessing a carnage, was betrayed by the butler that probably raised her like a daughter, took a great responsability at a very young age (and 22 is still a very young age to deal with all of that vampire nazi shit, in my opinion), got shot again and lost an eye and Jesus fucking Christ, she didn’t shed a fucking tear. Just for the record, I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with crying, it wouldn’t make less of her. But I can’t convince myself that Gonzoverse didn’t fuck this up this trait of hers (I wish that was all I think they fucked up, but... yeah, you know).

Taking the opportunity to dwell a little bit more on this subject: again, in comparison to Rose of Versailles, I once read somewhere that the anime was a reinterpretation of the feminine through men’s eyes. Guess we can’t say that of Hellsing, because well, it’s a seinen (ie, mainly marketed to adult men) and the author himself is a man. But to make sure that the tv series would be appelative enough to this particular audience, it might seemed to be a good idea to rebalance her relationships with male characters. To cite a few examples: 1) she relies much more on Alucard and/or Walter than she does in the original storyline, 2) she's easily subdued by Incognito without being able to offer resistance and 3) even the surgeon who sweated a bucket to successfully operate her was a man. On the other hand, she’d rather stab herself and almost bleed to death than having her blood tainted by a vampire, and this may have been their attempt to keep her nerve somehow.

Moving on, but still considering the masculinity thing: at the original storyline, we’re first introduced to the younger Integra, and then there’s a 10 years gap. The (not so) older Integra surely has been through a lot and earned the deserved respect. And I find this change (I’d rather call it “process” if we could have followed her during this considerable period of time, because it certainly didn’t happen overnight) of hers very meaningful, and very graphic in both anime adaptations. Not just because she wears trousers instead of skirts, but also because of the color tones (brighter in the past, darker in the present), body language (wider gestures x closed posture) and interactions (physical contact x distance to other characters).

By the way, if you think she dresses like a man, please read this excelent analysis and realize you got it wrong. As the author very well explains, the canon storyline develops in the late 90′s, and she dresses like a businesswoman of her time. Besides, Kouta Hirano is not exactly a reference when it comes to fashion sense. Let me emphasize that there’s no sex/gender misconceptions at all in this character. Her feminility is recognized by other characters in the story, and we can take for instance the way they adress her: except for Sir (an honorific granted because of her position at the Round Table) and sama (which is gender neutral), female pronouns are used to refer to her - lady, fräulein, ojousama... The symbols of masculinity, I think, are employed to refer to the concepts of strenght, power and defiance. Plus omg, are you people fucking blind? Am I the only one who thinks she’s breathtaking?

Well, last but not least at all: that must be something if the No Life King, an overpower as fuck vampire who’s like 500 years old bends a knee in front of her. Alucard has been surely under her control because of the restrains her family has over his powers, but I’d bet my ass he simply allows her to hold and pull his leash, and that he somehow enjoys it as much as his freak terminator job... and she seems to enjoy it as well.

Search and destroy, motherfuckers.

#hellsing #hellsing ultimate #gonzoverse #integra hellsing #anime #manga

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