#Jack and the cuckoo clock heart 2013

[cherrygummycandy]

Fragile Porcelain Person

Fandom: Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart.

Yandere!Joe x Porcelain!Reader, Platonic!Jack and Acacia x Porcelain!Reader

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(AN: So, for those who don't know, Jack and The Cuckoo Clock Heart is a film about a (14?) something french boy born with a frozen heart, so it is replaced by his adoptive mother with a clock. He isn't allowed to fall in love, as it will be too much for his heart, but he does anyway, and loves a singer. There's another plot with this rival for the singer's love, but that is the jist. It's spoilers from here on out in this AN, so go watch it on Bibibli if you haven't seen it. For the sake of this fic, I have changed Joe and Acacia's relationship to one of a brother and sister relationship, in which he wanted to protect her from mingling to closely with anyone due to her parents migrant status, and his fear of her getting deported. As for Jack and Madeline, I'm writing them as living at the end of the film, where this fic takes place. Sorry for the long explanation, just wanted to clarify some things!)

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Tick-tock, Tick-tock, Brrr-ing Brrr-ing! The lively ticks and rings of gears, clocks, bells and chimes sound out across the workshop of the notably eclectic Mademoiselle Madeline, who is currently busying herself at her work station. She hums to herself, placing a small gear against a winding mechanism, and stepping back to watch a small wooden bird pop out of the top window of a clock, perfectly tweeting in rhythm with the now-turning gear. A sound not entirely foreign to her makes her turn round, the sound of a soft groan comes from a fragile form laid atop her operating table, as she had taken to calling it. Placing down her tools, she approaches her guest.

A lantern's light disturbs you from a deep slumber. As you awaken, you notice your body feels freer than it has in quite some time. Or at least, you remember not exactly feeling top-shelf, in the before. But, you suppose then this isn't the before, but rather the now.

"Awakened from our beauty-sleep, I see..." A pale-skinned woman, sporting a dress covered in oil stains and minor cuts stands to your left, observing you with a calm curiosity. You try and sit up to get a better look at your host and surroundings, and though you're a little dizzy, you can gather that you seem to be in some sort of workshop, laid on an operating table. "And How are you feeling, mon petit ami?" She asks. You remain silent, but wiggle your arm, legs, and other joints. Everything seems to be in working order, though a few pieces of your ball-joints seem to be needing some sort of grease or oil. "I- Well, I think I'm quite alright, but..." You look at the woman. "How did I get here, and who are you?"

"I," The woman bows her head slightly in greeting, "am Mademoiselle Madeline, and you, mon ami, are in my workshop." She gestures to the cluttered workspace behind her. "Now, as for how you got here, only you can answer a part of that mystery." Madeline steps back to her desk, and rifles through a series of tools and parts while she continues her tale. "I found you while I was out on a stroll in the historic district, the demolished old Kimbrough house to be exact. You were quite the sight, y'know. Pieces of you were all over the place. Took me quite a bit to find all of you and transport you back here. I haven't ever worked with your material before." She says, turning to back to face you for a moment. "Porcelain, are you?" You nod. "Hmm, I thought as much." She picks up a small cloth, and a jar filled with a thick, white paste. "If you don't mind holding still, I'd like to patch up a few minor chips." You hesitate, but allow her to continue. Using a small trowel, Mademoiselle Madeline spreads the paste onto a few small cracks surrounding your ball-joints, specifically the ones that let your knees function. Once the paste is applied, she pulls out a small pouch, and produces from it a few chips of porcelain. She places the back into the damaged areas with an artisans precision.

"There, just be sure to let that set for a while, no sudden, rough leg movements, alright?" She says, returning the materials to her desk. "Now, here's where I'd like to ask you to help me. Who are you?" She asks. You open your mouth to respond, but find no words come from your mouth, and no thoughts come to your mind. "I don't know, I can't seem to remember. It feels... It feels like a piece of me may be missing." You explain, brows furrowed in frustration. Mademoiselle Madeline pushes you no further, and only nods in pity. "I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. When I found you in that demolished property, it looked as if that old house had practically toppled down onto you. It's a miracle I found all your outer pieces. It's entirely possible that a few important inner elements may be missing." She says, looking you over for a few moments, as if taking you in. "You're an incredible piece of art, I must admit. I wasn't one-hundred percent sure you'd actually work, even with my tampering, much less be capable of thought. Then again, stranger things have happened." Her brief mentioning of how odd you are gives you pause.

"Miss?" You ask, and she hums in acknowledgement. "I'm not normal, am I?" She chuckles softly. "Well, to most, probably not, but to me?" She laughs. "You're just another patient." You tilt your head. "Patient?" You ask. "So you've treated people like me before?" You ask. She shakes her hand in a so-so manner. "Yes, with prosthetics and such, though I admit I've never dealt with someone entirely mechanical." You nod, looking at your now-repaired knees. "Sorry to cause you so much trouble." You apologize, but she quickly shakes her head. "Not at all. Most of your mechanisms only needed minor repair, I'd actually say the hardest part was working with those porcelain fingers of yours." She grabs your wrist and holds it up before her face, manipulating your fingers with hers. "I might have accidentally swapped the fingers into the wrong spots a few times, but I think I've sorted it out. Let me know if they give you any trouble." She muses, letting your hand fall back onto your lap. "Am I alive, truly?" You ask. She shrugs. "I don't know, I think it depends on your definition of 'alive'. Your whole body runs on gears and pulleys, but you seem to think and feel like any other person." Madeline picks up a picture, surrounded in a frame of copper. "You know, you actually remind me a bit of my son, Jack." She presents you with the photo.

A boy, around your age is sat in front of Mademoiselle Madeline, with pale skin and oddly-styled brown hair. Your eyes travel downwards, and you notice a peculiar feature of the boy, a clock lays prominent on his chest. "A time-piece?" You ask. "A cuckoo-clock, actually. Jack was born with a frozen heart, and I needed something to keep him ticking, for turn of phrase. Let me ask you something." You look at her. "Without his clock heart, Jack would die. His hands of time keep him ticking and tocking all the day long. Now let me ask you, does that make this human boy any less alive." You furrow your brows in thought, biting your frigid lip. You shake your head no, and she smiles. "Then I think you have the answer to your question."

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The rest of the afternoon, Mademoiselle Madeline treats you to tea (though you quickly find out that it tea is't the best idea when your stomach mechanics rust). In an attempt to clean the rust, you both stumbled upon a hatch in your chest and stomach, allowing for an easier clean up. It also gave Mademoiselle Madeline a better way to poke around in your inner-workings. You're grateful she always remained gentle. Eventually, you find yourself sitting in her kitchen, warming your cold porcelain over the flame of a candle. Madeline toils with a watch over at her desk. As you sit quietly, you hear footsteps approaching from outside.

The wooden door of the home swings open, and a flurry of snow and cold air sweeps into the home, prompting you to pull the candle closer to your chest. "I'm telling you, they look fine!" "You know I don't like them though, besides, I'm not afraid of bumping into things." A boy and a girl enter, clearly engaged in a debate. In the girls hand there is a pair of white-and-red dotted glasses. "Jack, while I would prefer Acacia to wear her glasses, she isn't as fragile as you." Madeline says, turning to face the boy. He sighs in defeat, prompting the girl to grin and shove her glasses back into his hands with a "Hmph!" of satisfaction. "No kiss?" Madeline asks, and Jack shakes his head and places a kiss on his mothers cheek. "Hello, Madeline." He greets. She nods in sanctification and exchanges a greeting with Jack's young love, Acacia. You watch the encounter from your place in the kitchen.

"Jack, I made an interesting new friend today..." She says, turning to face the boy. As the pair of teens remove their shoes, Jack nods to his mother. "Really? Someone in need of work?" He asks, tilting his head up to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "Mhmm, sort of." His face falls to confusion, and he turns to face Acacia, only to be met with a shrug. Madeline speaks no further, only motioning to the kitchen with a hand while returning to her work. Jack and Acacia follow her hand, a gasp leaving the boy as he sees you. The girl seems to have no reaction to your appearance, but you quickly realize she may not be able to see you. . Your eyes dart from them back down to the candle in front of you, unsure how to introduce yourself. Acacia is the first to approach you, while Jack simply stays back, examining you from a distance.

"Hello..." She greets softly, eyes squinting as she attempts to look at you. Jack smiles and sighs, before walking up behind the girl, reaching over her head and placing her glasses on her nose. She grumbles as she adjusts, blinking a few times as you come into focus. "Oh!" She lets out a surprised gasp, a smile spreading across her face as she looks back and forth between you and her lover. "Jack, they're mechanical, just like you!" She exclaims. You can't help but feel your nervousness fade away at how enthused the two seem. Jack quickly extends a hand to you, and you accept. He holds on, turning your hand over a few times to get a look at your delicate fingers.

"You're made of porcelain?" He asks. "So I've been told." You joke. "So, you're not human at all are you?" You wince at these words, and Jack feels a familiar ache in his clock-work heart when he sees your face fall. "I didn't mean... Well, I meant human in a 'flesh-and-bones' sense, not a 'feelings-and-senses' sense." "I sense your saying 'sense' a bit too much Jack, ease off." Acacia whispers. He blushes, embarrassed. You sigh, and say "No, I understand what you mean. And no, I don't have any skin. I'm all cogs and gears." You laugh. "Can't say I have much of a mind either, I can't really remember anything before now..." You muse, eyes trailing down absentmindedly. You feel a hand on your shoulder, and look up to see Jack has pulled the fabric of his coat to the side, revealing the cuckoo-clock from the photo. "Well, as it were, I understand what it's like being made out of 'gears and cogs'." He assures you. It feels nice.

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"Will you be staying with us?" Jack asks. It's later into the evening now, and the hissing of meat against a pan comes from behind, as Madeline cooks a meal for herself and the pair of teens in front of you, intent on learning all about you. You freeze, unsure how to respond. You would hate to over-step and ask to stay here, but you're not sure where else you could go. You're not even sure you know how to maintain your fragile mechanical form beyond basics like avoiding rain. Before you can respond, Mademoiselle Madeline responds, having somehow sensed your anxiety. "They will be, I'm sure you and Acacia will be more than accommodating." She shoots Jack a playful warning look, and he nods. "Of course, but I hope you don't mind if I ask to see some of your inner-workings. I don't even fully know how my heart functions, much less your whole body." Acacia nods in agreement. "I don't see why not, just don't break anything please. I'd rather like to keep my limbs in working condition. The three of you laugh, and Mademoiselle Madeline begins to set the table. A meal of cooked pork and bean stew sits in a bowl before you, the steam rising from it. You feel an ache in your heart, though you wish the ache was that of hunger instead. How you wish you could eat or drink.

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That night, Jack and Acacia tuck into their separate beds (at Mademoiselle Madeline's insistence). A small resting place has been set up for you on the nearby love-seat, and as you lay down you can't help but wonder if you need sleep, or are even capable of it. You shrug the thought off, supposing you will find out. Soft sighing sounds come from the leftmost bed, Acacia is asleep. A quiet ticking is present in the room, prompting Jack to cough awkwardly. "Apologies, I can't really control the sound." He says, and you sit up to look at him. "No, it's fine. I'm not bothered at all." He nods in response, and sits up to meet your gaze. "How come you don't make any ticking sounds?" He asks. You pause, pondering this. "Maybe my porcelain keeps the sounds inside? I don't actually know." You shift your position, pressing your knees up under your chin as Jack asks another question.

"You never mentioned your name?" He pushes. Once again, he feels awkward when your face falls. "I don't have one. Not one that I can remember, at least." You admit. Jack lets out a hum of understanding, and furrows his brows if in thought. "Well, maybe I could help you pick one?" He suggests. Jack reaches under his mattress and feels around, before pulling back and producing a journal. "These are some old scripts and notes from a friend. I've got a friend, he's a film maker actually." "What's a film?" "Long story. But he's also an excellent storyteller. Maybe we can find a name that suits you in here. For the next few hours, you and Jack traverse the pages of his old friends journal, with Jack explaining various inside jokes and references written within the pages. After some time, Jack points to a name mentioned briefly in the first stanza of a scribbled out poem. "Y/N? What about that? I think it suits you." You nod. "Y/N sounds nice. I'd like to be Y/N." Jack nods, and stuffs the journal back under his mattress. "Hmm. This is actually rather nice, Y/N. I've never had a sibling before." You tilt your head in confusion. "A sibling?" "Like a brother or sister. I mean. if you want to be siblings, that is. Don't feel obligated to agree." He trails off awkwardly. You relish for a moment in the feeling of having a family. "I would like that, Jack." He smiles.

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The next morning, Mademoiselle Madeline sends you, Jack, and Acacia off to school after reviewing Jack's rules three, (though after some minor adjustments to his heart there are only a two rules now.) "Remember Jack, if you need me to go down to the school and speak to the headmaster about-" "No thank you, Madeline. I can handle him myself, I promise. I'll be sure to keep my temper under control." You had overheard this conversation between Jack and his mother this morning as you put on the new uniform Madeline had given you. It felt quite odd, though the woolen school outfit did well to keep your porcelain warm. Now, as you trudged a few feet behind Jack and Acacia, you couldn't help but want to ask about this mysterious tormentor. Your questions do not go unanswered, as you soon find out.

You arrive at the school, staying close to Jack as he assists Acacia through the school gates, holding her hand to guide her up the stairs leading into the courtyard. "Ever the gentleman, Jack." She coos, and he grins. "Isn't that why you fell in love with me?" He teases. She pretends to think for a moment. "Hmm, can't say I did, on account of I couldn't really see you!" The pair laugh, and you can't help but grin at your new brother and his girlfriend. This sweet scene is cut short however, as a boy yells from across the playground. "Oi! Clock-boy, didn't we teach you enough of a lesson yesterday?" A scruffy looking red-headed boy approaches with a cruel grin. Jack's face falls, and Acacia's grows angry. She steps in-between Jack and the blurry form of the boy. "Leave him alone, he hasn't done anything to you!" She yells, stomping her foot down. The boy rolls his eyes. "This isn't your fight Acacia, move." The boy growls. Acacia's stance only grows more firm, and a feeling of worry settles inside you, where on a normal person would be a stomach.

"Please, Acacia, let me handle this." "But Jack-" Jack ignores her insistent remarks, and steps in front of her, bravely facing the boy. As of late, Jack had stopped hiding his heart within the confines of his school jacket, altering the uniform to display his abnormality. He figured that everyone at school had known about it, why should he hide what makes him proud simply to cater to the discomfort of the few who already hate him. Unfortunately, this did make him significantly more vulnerable, as the hands of his heart were now much easier to pull and pluck, and gears could be easily manipulated or removed. Jack and Acacia had initially believed that the bullying may have lessened due to the incident in which a boy lost his eye to the cuckoo-bird living in the clock, but this was not true. If nothing, this only increased feelings of anger and fear surrounding the eclectic boy and his already unpopular mother. "Just let us be, please. You've no reason to harass us." Jack looks the boy dead in the eyes with a firm stare, and for a moment, the cocky facade of the bully falters, fear replacing the jest in his eyes. As the children surrounding you and the group watch the boy with bated breath, he feels unable to back down, and escalates. Clenching his hand, he lets out a cold laugh as he launches a first towards Jack's heart, clearly with intent to harm the boy. You gasp in terror, and can practically feel the world slow around you. You've only known Jack a short while, but his mother made you well aware of how fragile his heart is. In a moment of adrenaline and stupidity, you thrust yourself forward.

As the boy's fist collides with your hard cheek, he yelps in pain, recoiling as you go tumbling onto the ground. You feel odd, and as the boy cradles his bruised fist, you feel as though your head is unbalanced. You quickly realize that your cheek is missing a large chunk of porcelain, which now lays chipped on the ground in front of you. As you grab the shard quickly and hold it to your chest, you look up, causing the crowd to gasp. "What is it?" "Some sort of doll?" "It's terrifying!" "Can it hear us?" "I bet Clock-boys witch mother made it."

You tremble before the crowd of onlookers, their words harming you more than the punch to your face. Acacia quickly kneels beside you, shielding your face from the crowd as he examines the damage. "Does it hurt?" She asks. You shake your head. "No, It doesn't really feel like anything." As Jack begins to yell in retaliation at the injured boy, Acacia attempts to fit the piece of porcelain back into your cheek. "It looks like a very small shard is missing." Acacia says, having matched up most of the shard to your face. As the crowd switches between jeering at you and taunting Jack in his anger, a shadow stretches across the playground, causing a hush to fall over the crowd.

Acacia and Jack freeze, as a tall figure emerges from behind where she is kneeled on the pavement. The courtyard is completely silent, save for the ticking of Jack's heart, which has become more erratic due to the stress of the current situation. Clicking heels approach, and Acacia moves up a little, shielding you and your face from the approaching stranger. "Acacia?" The odd male voice questions. She stands promptly, shuffling in front of you as she faces the boy. Though you can't see much, you can tell the figure towers over Acacia, maybe even Jack. The boy has dark hair, and what appears to be an eye-patch covering his right eye. "Joe, hello." Acacia greets, bowing slightly. Jack looks at her, and she only widens her eyes for a moment, telling him to just remain quiet. "What is the meaning of this disruption?" Joe spits, turning to the cowering red-haired boy. The boy points a finger quickly at Jack. "That freak started it!" "He did not!" Acacia yells, but Joe simply puts his hand up, silencing them both. "And is the freak the reason you're bleeding?" He asks, grabbing the boy's wrist and making him grunt in pain. "N-no. I tried to knock that stupid time-piece out of his chest, but I hit that thing instead!" Joe's visible eye flares with anger, and he raises his free hand. "You dare to hit Miss Acacia?" He exclaims, clearly about to face the boy with his full fury. "W-what! No! I didn't hit her, I hit that other freak. Please, Joe, believe me!" Joe's open palm stops mere inches from the boy's face. "'The other freak'?" Joe questions, a brow raised. The boy uses his uninjured hand to point behind Acacia, and Joe steps to the side to peer around her. He sees not much more than a crumpled female form, so he drops the boy's wrist and steps closer. A huff of air leaves his nose in surprise as he moves closer, seeing your chipped face.

"What is it?" He sneers, looking past Acacia and glancing at Jack. "Surely you must know, Clock-boy." Jack sneers back at him. "There not an 'it', it's my sibling." He exclaims, stepping forward to stand beside Acacia. "Their name is Y/N." Acacia says. Joe seems to respect the girl's opinion more, and he calms himself a bit, taking a deep breath. "And it's your friend?" He asks. "THEY are." She corrects him. He goes silent, glancing down at you from your spot on the ground with a cold look. Suddenly, he reaches down and grips your wrist harshly, pulling you quickly to your feet. You stumble a bit, and Acacia places her hand on the small of your back to steady you. "Be careful, they're fragile!" Joe scoffs. "Clearly, look at them. What's wrong with their face?" His free hand roughly grazes around the edge of your cracked facial porcelain. "He was going to hurt Jack, they got in the middle." Joe glances back at the bully from earlier, who seems to be once more in shock.

"Ugh! I think some of it's face is stuck in me!" He yells, panicked. Sure enough, the missing scrap of porcelain that Acacia said was missing is lodged into the boys wrist, having drawn a light pool of blood around it. Joe drops your wrist and returns to look at the injury. "See, look what it did to me- AH!" Joe quickly yanks the shard out of the boys wrist, and drops of scarlet blood begin to drip from the piece. "What was that for?" The boy cries. Joe rolls his eyes and scoffs at the boy's pathetic nature. "It's no more than a paper cut. Besides, the weak of body are weaker of mind." He begins to return to you and Acacia. "Toughen up." He calls over his shoulder. With a glance to the side and a wave of his hand, Joe disperses the crowd of students, who scatter at his command. Joe roughly grabs your chin, placing the small piece against your cheek. He hums in satisfaction when he sees where it fits in, and turns to hand it to Acacia. "I believe this will help out your friend." He says, bowing as he begins to take his leave. He knocks Jack's shoulder as he walks by, and pauses. "See, Jack? I'm capable of doing no harm. Maybe you should learn from me." He coos, before continuing his walk back into the school as the bell rings. As kids file into the school, the three of you hang back to recover.

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"Do you need to go home? I'm sure I can take you..." Acacia offers, gently rubbing your shoulder. You shake your head, attempting to swallow down your fear. "N-no, I'm fine. Really." She nods. "Alright, Jack are you okay?" He brushes off his shirt, and after adjusting his hair and flicking his clock, he's ready to go. Acacia heads off to her first class, but you grab your brother's sleeve for a moment to ask him to stop. "Jack?" "Hmm?" You bite your lip, wondering if you should ask what you're wondering. Before you can decide, Jack sighs and senses what you want to know. "The boy in black? That was Joe." He looks away. "He's been, tormenting me ever since' I set foot in this school." You feel a wave of pity wash over you, as Jack seems absolutely manic as he recounts the things Joe has done to him. "He's hit me, cut me, and he let his goons rip open my heart!" He yells. He pauses when he sees the fear in your eyes, and tries to calm himself. "I'm sorry, I... I'd just ask you to avoid him. Please." He urges, and you nod. "It doesn't seem like he harbors any resentment towards Acacia. Do you know why?" You ask. He nods. "Yes. Joe latched onto Acacia when she first moved here. His family is single-handedly funding Acacias stay in Edinborough. She's not a citizen, and he seems to think he owns her because of that." He chuckles. "I suppose they're a bit like us. Siblings, I mean. He's very protective of her." Jack explains. You nod, following your brother into the school. As the click of your heels and the ticking of Jack's heart echo through the room, one more question comes to mind. "Why did Joe say you could learn from him?" You ask. Jack looks confused, then clicks his tongue as he realizes what you're referring to. "I'll tell you, but... promise that you won't be scared, okay?" Your expression turns to one of worry.

"Well, now I am a little scared!" You joke, trying to laugh off the nerves. Jack moves his hand to his chest, and he pokes at the little door atop his cuckoo-clock, from which the bird emerges every hour. He taps it, and the little metal bird pops out, squawking thrice before retreating into its home once more. "One day, Joe was tormenting me, as usual. But, I didn't notice the time, and the more he hit me, the closer he got to my heart. He leaned in to grab it out, and well..." He pauses. Shock grips you coldly as you realize that Jack's little Cuckoo bird is the reason for Joe's eye-patch. Jack nods as he recognizes you have understood his words. "I hope you do not think lesser of me..." He says. You shake your head quickly, wanting to remove any thoughts of doubt from his mind. "No. I couldn't think lesser of you. If it had been intentional, I would say it was self-defense, but you didn't even want to harm Joe. You reacted better than most would have, brother." you place your hand on his shoulder comfortingly. He smiles back at you. As the two of you leave the main hall and enter the classroom, you feel a chill run down your spine, but ignore it. What you don't see is the dark, one-eyed figure looming just around the corner.

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From where Joe watches, he finds the sneer he wore when looking at your brother falling, as gazes lands on you. Jack holds the door open for you, and as peers from around the corner of the man hall as he hears your melodic voice thanking him. His fist clenches. In his heart, 'a real heart', as he so often mentioned to Jack, a battle of emotions rages. His hatred of Jack and his mother's freakish nature, his annoyance at Acacia's newfound love for the boy, and newest of all, a foreign feeling. A warm pulsing feeling spreads in his heart, strange to the icy boy who's lived his whole life in an even colder town. He feels anger at his inability to understand this feeling, but more anger at the desires this feeling brings. He wants your attention, though he doesn't understand why. He wants your strange, 'freakish', face turned towards him at all times, rather than your bastard clockwork brother. He wants your melodic voice to call out for him, rather than in fear of the boy who smashed in your face in the school courtyard. In this moment, he comes to a decision. His tormenting of your brother will continue, possibly even worsen. In this way, your attention will be on him. He can show you that he is in charge of this school. You will see the fear that he is regarded with, and surely your brother and Miss Acacia will tell you tales of his reputation. Surely, your brother is in no position to defend you, he has more enemies at this school than he has friends in the whole village. You'll no doubt face hardship, given your closeness to that freak and your odd features. You'll need someone to protect you, and Acacia won't always be there. Once you are well aware of his power, surely you will turn to him in your time of need, beg him to help you and to stop hurting your brother. He will, of course, for a price. Just like Acacia, he will have you under his thumb, under his protection. His fist clenches as he begins his walk into the classroom, mumbling to himself.

"A precious piece of porcelain needs a caretaker, no?"

[movies-to-add-to-your-tbw]

Title: Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

Rating: PG

Director: Stéphane Berla, Mathias Malzieu

Cast: Mathias Malzieu, Olivia Ruiz, Grand Corps Malade, Jean Rochefort, Emily Loizeau, Rossy de Palma, Babet, Marie Vincent, Dani, Arthur H, Alain Bashung, Cali, Chloé Renaud, Moon Dailly

Release year: 2013

Genres: fantasy, drama, romance, adventure

Blurb: Jack was born on the coldest day ever. Because of the extreme cold, his heart stopped beating. The responsible midwife in Edinburgh found a way to save him by replacing his heart with a clock, so he lives and remains under the midwife’s protective care...but he must not get angry or excited, because that endangers his life by causing his clock to stop working. Worse than that, when he grows up, he has to face the fact that he cannot fall in love, because that, too, could stop his delicate heart.

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[yuikomorihotline]

ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔇𝔩 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔣𝔞𝔳𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔰

*Descriptions from Letterboxt and quotes from IMDb

Yui: Phantom of the Opera (2004)

The waiting is over...let the fantasy begin.

Deformed since birth, a bitter man known only as the Phantom lives in the sewers underneath the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with the obscure chorus singer Christine, and privately tutors her while terrorizing the rest of the opera house and demanding Christine be given lead roles. Things get worse when Christine meets back up with her childhood acquaintance Raoul and the two fall in love.

Shuu: Goldfinger (1964)

Do you expect me to talk?

No, I expect you to die!

Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to raid Fort Knox – and obliterate the world’s economy.

Reiji: The Seventh Seal (1957)

My body is ready, but I am not.

When disillusioned Swedish knight, Antonius Block, returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

Laito: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Well, Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming?

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Kanato: Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart (2013)

The torment of love can transform people into wretched monsters.

In Scotland 1874, Jack is born on the coldest day ever. Because of the extreme cold, his heart stops beating. The responsible midwife in Edinburgh finds a way to save him by replacing his heart with a clock. So he lives and remains under the midwife’s protective care. But he must not get angry or excited because that endangers his life by causing his clock to stop working. Worse than that, when he grows up, he has to face the fact he cannot fall in love because that too could stop his delicate heart.

Ayato: Pulp Fiction (1994)

You won't know the facts until you've seen the fiction.

A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster’s moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.

Subaru: The Crow (1994)

And I say, "I'm dead," and I move.

Exactly one year after young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals, Draven – watched over by a hypnotic crow – returns from the grave to exact revenge.

Ruki: Eyes Without a Face (1960)

A new face, a new identity.

Dr. Génessier is riddled with guilt after an accident that he caused disfigures the face of his daughter, the once beautiful Christiane, who outsiders believe is dead. Dr. Génessier, along with accomplice and laboratory assistant Louise, kidnaps young women and brings them to the Génessier mansion. After rendering his victims unconscious, Dr. Génessier removes their faces and attempts to graft them on to Christiane’s.

Yuuma: Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Tell you what, we coulda had a good life together!

Two modern-day cowboys meet on a shepherding job in the summer of ’63, the two share a raw and powerful summer together that turns into a lifelong relationship conflicting with the lives they are supposed to live.

Kou: The Menu (2022)

You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve.

A couple travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

Azusa: Parasite (2019)

You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all.

All unemployed, Ki-taek’s family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.

[aetheriis]

Girl Blogger Questions ♡

Last song you listened to: Enjoy the silence - Depeche Mode

Favourite song: I will - Mitski

Last movie you watched: Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart (2013) (the best gloomiest, romance movie ever)

Favourite movie: Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart ☺

Places you want to visit: Paris, Rome, South Korea, Japan

Hobbies: crocheting, reading, singing, listening to music, (crying)

Anything you love: jojifuku, morute, 60s, pastel goth, goth, alternative, trashy y2k fashion, sappy, romance movies/shows, sad, depressing movies/shows, scary movies/shows, kdramas/jdramas, old vintage movies, vintage crt TVs, Japanese flip phones, cute gadgets, old fashioned pink cars, cats, bunnies, deer (basically all animals), mlp, mh, cameras. (ik this is a lot, srry ♡)

@stephaniesblogxx thx for tagging me!! (sorry I took too long)

[writing-fanics]

how is it the 10 year anniversary for Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart!!

seriously came out Nov 17 at film festival and Dec 20 in the US 2013

[lordfreg]

what fandoms can you take doodle requests for?

hey there!

I take them for any/all as long as there's a picture

Here are the fandoms I'm in, if you're in those also

ROTTMNT/TMNT

LEGO Monkie Kid

LEGO City Adventures

Tales of Arcadia

Invader Zim

Total Drama

6Teen

Bones (2005)

Hawaii Five-0 (2013)

Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja

The Boys (Amazon Prime)

Kid Cosmic

Big Nate (Show and Book)

Sonic the Hedgehog

Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart

A Monster in Paris

Mutant Busters

Demon Slayer

LEGO Ninjago

(Of course this list will be on my master post as well, I'm working on it 👍)

[cursed-iris]

I've seen your Jack and Miss Acacia fanart (the one inspired in a 1923 paint), and now I'm interested on the extended lore of the 2005 album.

Thanks in advance, and have a nice day.

so sorry it took me so long to answer, but thank you so much for this ask! :DD

so, i answered a similar question a while back that also incorporated some of the book lore to make it make more sense, so you can find that post here.

but otherwise, i'm going to talk more about the actual album because i don't think i did the best job explaining it before. cut because it's kind of a long explanation and it does contain some book spoilers from the original post.

so basically, dionysos released the album "monsters in love" in 2005 about 4 years before mathias malzieu (lead singer and writer for the band) published the book in 2009, and 8 years before the movie was released (cerca. 2013 but the release dates were different internationally). this technically makes everything that came after the album, the book and the movie, a prequel.

so that's important because that means the lore in the album (and even to some extent the book and movie) is drastically different from the rest of the source material. however, the book is much closer to tying the narrative of the album together. "monsters in love" is pretty much the first time the character of jack or miss acacia appears.

the album begins with a track called "giant jack,"

this is jack several years after the events of the book take place, and he's like massive.

i don't think we ever discover how exactly he became a giant (it's mentioned at the end of the book), but he's returned to edinburgh and is terrorizing the town. the song isn't sung from jack's perspective, which is interesting because jack is basically a mathias malzieu self insert. but anyway, it's sung from either mathias' perspective or the "broken bird's" (that's another track in the album) perspective because there is a mention of the speaker having wings.

it's hard to decipher some dionysos lyrics because they're super metaphorical and i don't think they're supposed to make that much sense. but from what i read of the lyrics, giant jack strikes a deal to protect the speaker.

in the animated mv for another monsters in love song, "tes lacets sont des fées," we see jack again along with miss acacia. he's wandering the streets of edinburgh at night and sees her (and the broken bird, who at this time, i believe was also a mathias malzieu self-insert character) performing in an orchestra hall. and then... some other... weird stuff... happens... that i'm not going to fully get into. but you can find the music video (cw nudity) here.

so how does any of this tie in with the rest of jack and the cuckoo clock heart? the answer is, it really doesn't for the movie. in the movie, jack dies. he is dead. full stop. but as we know, the movie is based on the book which is based of the album, so the book ending where he doesn't die and returns after a coma actually segues into the beginning of the "monsters in love" album.

this is a direct quote from the last chapter: "As for our 'hero,' he grew taller and taller. But he never got over the loss of Miss Acacia. he went out every night, only at night, to roam the outskirts of the Extraordinarium, in the shadow of its fairground attractions. But the half-ghost that he had become never crossed its threshold. Then he retraced his own boyish steps all the way back to Edinburgh. The city was exactly as he remembered it; time seemed to have stood still there."

Anyway, he returns to his childhood home in the last chapter, only to be told by arthur (and i think anna and luna), that he never even needed the cuckoo clock heart for that long in the first place. it was supposed to be temporary. madélèine could've removed it at any time, but specifically chose not to so he wouldn't go off and leave her, which is pretty messed up actually (wtf madélèine?). my theory, if the book really is a true precursor to the album, as in everything that happens in the album is canon to the jatcch storyline, is that jack starts terrorizing edinburgh after hearing that news. because the clock heart ruined his life and he didn't even need it.

i hope that answered your question. 😭 thank you for the ask!

[faustiandevil]

First drawing of the year and it’s a shitpost lol

Anyway I saw this meme going around on Twitter and wanted to give it a go. I did want to limit a certain someone’s movies, because contrary to popular belief I do know about other movies. I DO! STOP BULLYING ME!

I will be leaving the list below under the cut along with the blank meme.

The Comedy of Terrors (1964) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2013) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Ed Wood (1994) American Psycho (2000) Liza, a Rókatündér/Liza the Fox Fairy (2015) Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Love Crazy (1941) The House (2022) Death Takes a Holiday (1934) The Black Cat (1934) The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) The Night of the Hunter (1955) Обыкновенное чудо / An Ordinary Miracle (1978) Sunset Boulevard (1950)

[cherrygummycandy]

Usually, I am unsure if I will write something when I mention it on the blog. Not this time. Expect an incoming Jack and The Cuckoo clock heart fic with a marionette!reader

[ultimaid]

TEA ASKS: earl grey, white tea, chamomile, ginger, bubble tea, mug, & chai!

earl grey: how do you take your tea?

answered in a previous ask!

white tea: occupation/career aspirations?

i would love to write creatively in the future; not necessarily fiction (though i would love that), but just with some kind of control and agency over what i write and how i write it. i don’t mind being a copy editor (which is what i do now), but it’s very repetitive and you don’t really get the chance to be creative with it.

my big dream job would be to write film criticism for a newspaper or magazine. that would make me incredibly happy. i love film, i love analyzing film, i love writing about films i’ve seen… plus, roger ebert is one of my writing idols. we don’t always agree on films (i did a big project in college which argued against his review of deliverance), but i really respect his writing skills as well as his methods and ideas as a critic. i’d give anything to be able to talk and think about movies the way he did.

chamomile: comfort movie?

i have two big ones!

jack and the cuckoo-clock heart (2013) — animated musical from france that’s been a comfort movie since i was 15 years old. the music is wonderful, the visuals are fun and quirky, the story is sweet yet heartbreaking… it’s not a perfect film, but it means a lot to me.

my own private idaho (1991) — the first time i saw this movie, i didn’t think much of it. then i realized weeks later that i had been thinking about it nonstop since i had watched it, and one rewatch later it became one of my favorite films of all time. the story is beautiful, the acting is phenomenal, the production design is flawless, and you get to see keanu reeves’s tits.

ginger: favorite color(s)?

answered in a previous ask!

bubble tea: what ride would you pick at an amusement park?

i love big roller coasters!! i am a huge thrill seeker when it comes to amusement parks. i consider myself a coaster enthusiast and i’d love to someday be able to travel to all the world’s biggest and best parks to try lots of different coasters! i went to carowinds recently and absolutely LOVED riding the fury.

chai: what do you order at starbucks?

funnily enough, i answered this in a previous ask for the “coffee” question! i do also get pastries in conjunction with my usual drink, though; i love the petite vanilla bean scone. if i’m feeling really spicy, i adore the iced lemon pound cake.

[petitincendie]

[heavy sigh] https://archiveofourown.org/works/58835926/chapters/149948671

[cartoonus-maximus]

A Look Back on the Media I Consumed in 2023

(complete with graphics and bingo charts!)

♻️ = a re-read or a re-watch

According to Goodreads, I read 35-ish books in 2023. Let's break those down a little more.

📚 Books I Read:

"Bedtime Stories for the Criminally Insane" by Shawn Bailey

"Circe" by Madeline Miller

"FNAF Fazbear Frights: Felix the Shark" by Scott Cawthon et al

"FNAF: the Freddy Files Updated Edition" by Scott Cawthon

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Demigod Files" by Rick Riordan

"Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie ♻️

"Rhinoceros and Other Plays" by Eugene Ionesco

"the Shadow Queen" by C.J. Redwine

"Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere" by Maria Bamford

"To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini

"the Wish Granter" by C.J. Redwine

📚 (Comic)Books I Read:

"the Amazing Spider-Man: 2099 Companion" by Nick Spencer, et al

"the Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows vol 1" by Dan Slott, et al

"Archie's Holiday Magic Special" by Mike Northrup, et al

"Cryptid Club" by Sarah Andersen

"Fantastic Four, vols 1-6" by Jonathan Hickman, et al ♻️

"FF, vols 1-4" by Jonathan Hickman, et al ♻️

"Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man vol 1" by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

"Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Team-Up vol 1" by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, et al

"the New Fantastic Four: Hell in a Handbasket" by Peter David, et al

"Sabrina the Teenage Witch Holiday Special" by Kelly Thompson, et al

"Scooby Apocalypse vol 2" by Keith Giffen, et al

"Spider-Man and Venom: Double Trouble" by Mariko Tamaki

"Wolf Walkers the graphic novel" by Tomm Moore

That gives us this year's reading bingo chart! Two full bingos and almost a third, so that's pretty good.

My favorite book this year was "Circe." I've been away from the classical Greek period for several years now, and Miller's book scratched a particular itch.

📺 Shows I Finished:

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo (best revision of the franchise ever tyvm)

Good Omens (finished season 2… honestly didn't like it as much as the first season)

Grimm (finally finished watching this damn series... I'm glad I did, but I don't think it was worth the time, tbh)

the Horror of Dolores Roach (we support women's rights and women's wrongs)

I'm A Virgo (the irony of watching it on Amazon Prime was not lost on me)

the Legend of Vox Machina (finished Season 1)

📺 Shows I'm Currently Watching:

The Adventures of Batman and Robin (1968, Filmation)

Being Human (American version, partway through Season 1)

the Feed

Frasier ♻️

the Legend of Vox Machina (partway through Season 2 rn)

Psych (partway through Season 2 rn) ♻️

Tokyo Vampire Hotel

🎬 Movies I Watched:

I may not have produced a lot of art or written much fic this year, but boy howdy did I watch movies!

the Addams Family 2 (2021, MGM)

the Aristocats (1970, Disney) ♻️

the Batman (2022, Warner Bros.)

the Birdcage (1996, MGM)

Black Panther (2018, Marvel)

the Black Phone (2021, Blumhouse)

Bros (2022, Universal)

Doctor Strange (2016, Marvel)

Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (2022, Marvel)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022, AGBO)

Hellboy: Sword of Storms (2006, Starz Media)

Invincible: Atom Eve (2023, Amazon)

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2013, EuropaCorp)

Judy (2019, LD Entertainment)

M3gan (2022, Blumhouse)

Mama (2013, Universal)

the Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021, Amazon)

Merry Little Batman (2023, Amazon)

Morbius (2022, Sony)

Nope (2022, Monkeypaw Productions)

Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, Disney) ♻️

Renfield (2023, Universal)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, Rankin Bass) ♻️

Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019, Warner Bros.)

Scrooged (1988, Paramount)

Secret Window (2004, Sony)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023, Sony)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, Sony) ♻️

Totally Killer (2023, Blumhouse)

Uzumaki (2000, Omega Micott)

Violent Night (2022, 87North Productions)

Wonder Woman (2017, Warner Bros.)

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020, LD Entertainment)

And this year's movie watching bingo chart is... completely covered.

I have achieved ultimate bingo.

I'm not sure what my favorite movie of the bunch was, but "Nope," "Across the Spider-Verse," "the Black Phone," "Totally Killer," "Words on Bathroom Walls," and "the Batman" are all pretty up there.

I tried to watch a movie every Saturday of this year. I didn't hit them all, but I did manage to watch a whopping 33 movies, exposing myself to stories and genres that I normally wouldn't, and I'm very happy to have gotten that far.

I probably won't watch anywhere near that amount of movies in 2024 (I have other plans for the year that are going to be fairly time consuming), but this was a fun experience.

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Watching

JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART [JACK ET LA MÉCANIQUE DU COEUR] Stéphane Berla and Mathias Malzieu Belgium-France, 2013

[anxious-black-hottie]