#central wizard oz..........

[flovverworks]

thought a second too long about the first ch of pt2. "the wizards turn up as kids to the inspection cuz they dont like vincent" god

[lesbianshadowheart]

utterly obsessed with L. F. Baum writing in his little foreword how fairytales don’t really need to have lessons in them anymore and this one is just pure entertainment for the kiddos and then proceeding to produce a thesis on self- and societal perception. THEN the 1940 movie retaining that theme while refusing to examine it more closely, but ALSO expanding upon it with gusto by equating goodness with beauty and making it a whole thing AND making the Wicked Witch green. if i was Gregory Maguire id go crazy about it too damn

[mhyk-archive]

Fourth anniversary event - Central Wizards.

Featured characters are oz, arthur, cain and riquet.

[gaelsstuffiehome]

Duffy and ShellieMay decided Gael needed a day out, so while everyone else went to a hockey game, they took her for a fun breakfast!

Gael put together a perfect plate at the buffet, and she was only too happy to share with everyone!

After breakfast, it was time to see the movie Wicked! Gael asked very nicely if we would buy her a special popcorn tin, and we just couldn't say no.

Obviously, Gael, Duffy, and ShellieMay had an absolutely wonderful time. Everyone enjoyed the movie, and some of us may have even cried a little bit. But we wont say who!

[timeskip]

My FICTIONAL BOYFRIEND (Cain Knightley) is on TV now (Mahoyaku has an anime and episode 1 came out the other day. it's kind of mid in terms of being an adaptation but it's the FIRST OFFICIALLY TRANSLATED MAHOYAKU THING EVER SO WE WIN) and you can watch him be really really charming and earnest and a little dumb and also he should hold my hand. No time for him to have homoerotic moments with the man who stole his eye. He needs to hold MY hand. Mine. My hand. The yume fanservice with him having to touch people's hands for Reasons that will appear in several episodes further into the anime was for ME.

[collectorcookie]

Need u to know the yumetron2000 tweet has become a new hit term among me and oomf who recently got into mhyk and is a rutile fan

am i wrong tho

[aria0fgold]

You never realize just what's deeply wrong with Cain Knightley until you're greeted with a translation of his birthday greeting to Arthur with the very first line being "I will bare my neck to an enemy's sword," Like my guy... That's one WILD opening to greet someone a happy birthday.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Tip: The Central Dramatic Question of Your Story

The central dramatic question is the story engine driving your narrative, a question that should always be at the forefront of your viewers’ or readers’ minds. 

Each act of your story should try to answer this question, but it shouldn’t be easy—once the dramatic question of your premise is answered, the story is essentially over.

The dramatic question has to do with the central conflict involving your protagonist.

It is usually introduced in the first act of your novel or screenplay, either at the inciting incident of your story or shortly thereafter.

Readers want an answer to the dramatic question, and it’s the writer’s job to ensure the solution isn’t simple.

The dramatic story question often takes the entire book to answer, and each plot point or turning point that occurs must be in service to answering that same question while holding the audience’s attention.

How to Find the Dramatic Question of Your Story

Every good story has a major dramatic question to answer. To find out what that is, you must figure out what the single driving force behind your narrative is.

What is the central character’s objective, and will they succeed at achieving it?

The answers to these questions inform the structural spine of your whole narrative, propelling your characters towards their main goals—which are usually external goals, something tangible that can be outwardly obtained by the protagonist and seen by the audience.

Will the main characters end up together? Will the superhero stop the bad guy?

The key to finding the dramatic question to your story is knowing your protagonist’s concrete goal and if they’re going to achieve it.

Examples of Dramatic Questions

Some famous examples of dramatic questions posed in plays, novels, and film:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1595): Will Romeo and Juliet overcome their family’s rivalry to live happily ever after?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900): Will Dorothy ever leave the magical land of Oz and make it back home to her small town in Kansas?

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936): Will Scarlett O'Hara win Ashley Wilkes?

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988): Will Clarice Starling be able to stop serial killer Buffalo Bill?

The focus of a dramatic question can vary depending on the genre you’re writing.

For instance, if you’re writing romance, the question centers around whether or not the love interests will end up together.

If you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi, the question is usually about whether the protagonist will be able to save the world and its people.

Source ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[moistvonlipwig]

🔥

kara danvers :)

ok well you and i have discussed this at length so this will not be new to you but imco (in my correct opinion) kara danvers [as portrayed by the cw's supergirl, not necessarily in other versions] is actually pretty lazy, and i would argue this is one of her most central and consistent character traits. and i don't just mean physically lazy, although i should note that per 3.17 "trinity" she canonically Hates Walking and doesn't understand why humans exercise. i mostly mean on an intellectual & moral level.

kara wants to be a reporter, but when she figures this out (because......a pretty lady told her she should do it? ig?), she does not apply to journalism school, or take online classes. instead she is handed a reporter job by her boss (who scrawled 'reporter' on her hilariously terrible resume when they met for reasons known only to her) and from then on proceeds to basically just do whatever she wants and get offended when more seasoned reporters who have gone to journalism school ask her to do basic functions of the job like Acquire Sources and Report On The Facts And Not Just Your Personal Opinions. at no point do we really see her ask her colleagues, even friendly ones like james, for advice or help; instead, advice is something that's imposed upon her by the wicked snapper, who dares to be unimpressed by her uneducated slay. throughout the show, on multiple occasions, the idea of actually Doing Her Job seems to offend her -- lena even calls her out for this explicitly in 3.02 "triggers," but she continues to display this behavior with andrea in s5 & s6. in the finale, when she is promoted to editor-in-chief in an act of blatant cronyism that truthfully should prompt the entire catco staff to quit in protest, it is not on her initiative, nor due to her efforts, nor is it because anything about the position has piqued her interest; it is, again, simply handed to her, and she just accepts.

additionally, we rarely see her express meaningful curiosity about, well, any subject, really -- we know she learned calculus young, but her interest in math and science seems nil; she is deeply naive about the u.s. justice system in s6 in a way that suggests she has never looked into it, though her own mother was a judge on krypton; and a lot of her interests seem very Basic (pizza, potstickers [? why girl.], nsync, the wizard of oz, harry potter), which to be clear is not inherently a sign of intellectual laziness or incuriosity, but it also does nothing to suggest that she is someone with a wide knowledge of food, literature, music, or film.

she also demonstrates what i would argue is a kind of moral laziness, though you could call it an offshoot of her intellectual laziness, in her general lack of real self-reflection about, like, any of her actions. although some of the other characters sometimes bring up how messed-up the DEO is (e.g. james in s1 with the gitmo comparison -- which, CRAZY line to put in your show and then never address, btw), kara herself does not question it (until the Wrong People take over, of course). her rhetoric in early s2 about daxamites suggests that she is quite comfortable believing sweeping generalizations she was taught as a child and has never really sat down to interrogate them, but while mon-el being.....pretty bad but i guess not as bad as his mom? yay? inspires her to stop being bigoted against daxamites specifically, we will later still hear her say that certain species tend to be peaceful or aggressive, etc., with no self-reflection. in 3.05 "damage," when morgan edge tries to make it seem like lena's lead dispersal device that kara activated poisoned children, kara does not take the opportunity to self-reflect on the choice she made and whether it was worth it; instead, her arc for the episode is reacting emotionally to her best buddy feeling guilty (about the thing kara also did. i cannot emphasize that part enough).

i would argue the conclusion she draws in 5.13, too, smacks of this moral laziness; she spends the episode looking for a magic shortcut to not having to feel bad anymore, and when she can't find one, she decides that actually, meh, there was never a perfect way for things to go down, so all that lying wasn't such a big deal and lena should just get over it. kara is dripping with a lot of guilt in 5A, but throughout both 5A and 5B there's very little actual, thoughtful self-reflection on what she did wrong and why, and that carries over into S6 when, after like ten episodes of lena (and also william ig) repeatedly trying to tell her not to play god, she decides in the very penultimate episode to solve her problems by eating the sun, and then when she decides against it partway through doing it, there's again very little self-reflection on her part of why the hell she thought that was a good thing to do. kara's morality, on the whole, seems largely based on (a) alex and (b) vibes, and not so much on any actual thought she's dedicated to the moral questions at hand.

and similarly to when kara is asked to Do Her Damn Job at her place of work -- when kara is challenged on her morality (like when lena challenges her on the kryptonite in s3, or on myriad in 5.17), she acts annoyed at the very idea of having to do the hard work of thinking about the morals she espouses as a superhero. and it doesn't read as someone who has thought very hard about her moral choices and is offended because she believes so strongly that she's right, because we never actually see her thinking hard about these moral choices she makes at all. it reads as someone who hasn't thought about it beyond a very cursory level and is frustrated that she's being asked to. because, again, she's just fundamentally kind of lazy.

and the thing is this might sound like i am dunking on her but actually i think this is a trait that is incredibly funny. my favorite portrayal of supergirl/kara danvers is the one from the children's cartoon dc super hero girls 2019, whose version of kara is ALSO lazy, on top of being an aggressive, quick-to-anger, rude, irresponsible, selfish brat. and she's hilarious in that show, she's one of my favorite characters. another favorite character of mine, also a children's cartoon character, is anne boonchuy from amphibia, whose entire character journey is about learning not to be physically, intellectually, or morally lazy and learning to [school principal voice] Apply Herself instead. it can be incredibly fun to watch characters be lazy and incurious and self-centered, whether they change for the better or not. but it is a bit strange that some people act like kara is this super disciplined person who loves working out and loves learning and reads widely and is curious about everything and self-reflects on her own decisions and how she affects others to the point of obsession. i wonder if part of it is 'femslash same-character syndrome,' where people slap other characters' traits from other popular femslash ships onto each other. because the character i just described is adora from she-ra. who a lot of people think is similar to kara. except no. she's not at all. as evidenced by this whole write-up ☝️ lol. they're just both blonde and for some reason (#blondephobia?) femslash fandoms wanna act like all blonde girlies are the same. but they are not. #wakeupamerica.....

[sakurabraches]

I think sometimes people go into a media with a set opinion/moral or they see something along the way that they can attach that moral to, and then they get really attached to that interpretation, only to find themselves disappointed when later events reveal the media/writers have their own moral in mind. And then they take it out on the media (bad writing/inconsistent/etc.) or on other fans (my way is the only way type thinking) rather than admit that their interpretation differs from the writer’s intent or that they originally misinterpreted something. Or just that there are multiple ways to interpret something or that some plot points are complex.

And I think this can especially happen with Wicked when somebody watches Part 1 and gets really attached to Elphaba’s plotline, awaiting the moment when she overthrows the government and makes everything better, only to realize at the end that Wicked had different themes in mind, which Glinda is very central to and not just in a, “she does everything wrong” way.

omg totally agree! some additional thoughts, though:

wicked is a tragedy, and both elphaba and glinda's ending show the tragedy of extremist and institutional politics respectively

elphaba's decides to defy the wizard because she cannot tolerate injustice and is extremely principled. and i think this is good. we should all strive to be more like elphaba, to stand up against injustice, to put ourselves at risk for the good of others

unfortunately, all of the things that make elphaba a good person are also the things that lead to her downfall. she's admirable for not being willing to negotiate with the wizard, the wizard is horrible, but this also means she sacrifices all of her social capital. elphaba does good things as the wicked witch, and she frees a lot of animals. but ultimately, the system of oppression is so much bigger than what she can fix. she's left exiled from oz, the glorious revolution she imagined kinda a failure

glinda chooses to stay in large part because she is selfish, and willing to tolerate/ignore some level of injustice for her own benefit. there is a limit to how much glinda is willing to exploit others for her own good, but she's objectively more selfish than elphaba. a lot of the good she does it superficial. she's the ultimate liberal, i fear

and selfishness is what causes her to lose elphie and fiyero at the end of the musical. but because she's played the game, she's the only one left with any real political power. she's the one who ultimately overthrows the wizard and morrible, and she's the one who's able to do good

so wicked speaks to a fundamental contradiction in unjust power structures. gaining political power means you have to be selfish enough to ignore the suffering of others. standing against the system may be the morally correct thing to do, but it means giving up social capital within the system

wicked resolves this tension by arguing that you need elphaba and glinda, together, to bring about effective change. glinda ultimately tries to rule oz how elphaba would've wanted her to and in the name of fulfilling elphaba's dreams and honoring her. their love for each other is ultimately what changes them (and oz) for the better. they balance each other out, make up for each other's shortcomings

elphaba is what changes glinda and motivates her to stand against injustice, but they can only make effective change by utilizing the social capital she's accumulated, which is why elphie insists glinda doesnt clear her name

and honestly i think a lot of ppl are just hella disillusioned with institutional politics (which i mean can you blame them look at the state of america dawg) and see the only way forward irl as elphaba-esque revolution. and if you think that good on ya god speed but like that's not the message of wicked lol its just not. and i think a lot of glinda hate just comes down to not agreeing with wicked's message and contorting plot points in the musical to align with a certain worldview

[silentmagi]

alright weird premise but mainly because I want to see my mom's interest and mine combine into one somehow Murder Drones X Wizard of Oz AU

After Episode 8 and some loose ends are finished up, Khan as a leader gets a signal from another planet

Emerald-27

and when they visit via a provided spaceship, they meet quite the most interesting of drones in both design and functions

Yeah, I've never considered this, but there's something here… I can work with this. Please feel free to share it with your mom too if you like.

Series: Murder Drones x Wizard of Oz AU Criteria: Somewhere over the rainbow nebulae, there's a land heard of once in a boot cycle… AU title (optional): Uzi is a Bad (W)itch

So after the Solver is dealt with, and some semblence of normalcy returns to Copper 9, Khan gets a signal from colony planetoid that was under Copper 9's jurisdiction, the planetoid Emerald-27 is curiously barely a footnote in a nearby system.

They are coming to visit, and would love to establish trade relations. As part of their tradition, they ask for a delegation to take their rocket to return to Emerald-27

When the house shaped rocket lands, Uzi, N, V, J, Lizzy, and Thad are picked to go back with loads of materials Copper 9 was trading for the goods that Emerald-27 were sending. Curiously, Uzi is taller than the Emerald drones.

Upon arrival to the central Operational Zone, they are brought before a most curious huge head hologram, who says he's a great and powerful human Wizard and… Yeah, the sensors on the DD units find the little drone running the con, and Uzi shows off some Solver powers, earning the title of Witch. Yes, she assumes they are calling her something else.

Another "Witch" of the planet, A Good Witch by name of Glynda, senses the multiple voices in Uzi's head, and… Takes Uzi off alone to talk about them, and possible solutions. She senses one with great sorrow, and offers to help her bring her out. Figuring it was Tessa, she thought it'd be interesting to see… however the voice that comes out of the small drone was one she'd heard before, but also completely different. "Head tilt. Why did big sister Uzi bring me back?" Do you know how hard I'm picturing Solver's expression at Cyn being brought back? No, double that.

[flovverworks]

ummmmm.........why was there no akira cameo in the northern wizard pv. did u upload the wrong version. show me akira

anyway

moe........

[thesagesjournal]

[Birthday] Oz (April 27th, 2025)

Twitter thread | Bluesky thread

...It's you. Worry not, you didn't wake me. I was just thinking about you. I expected you to come and congratulate me first thing in the morning, so I decided to wait for your arrival. ...I have come to know you better, if only this much.

Birthday Morning

Oz: Sage, why are you out of breath? Happy… birthday? Ah, I see.

Oz: …You came running to wish me a happy birthday first thing in the morning even though I, myself, have forgotten?

Oz: I must thank you, Akira.

Voicelines

Oz: Am I excited for my birthday? Not particularly. I have lived a long life. Even if another year passes by, I will remain the same. …However, I cannot overlook your efforts in preparing a celebration for me. Thank you, Sage.

Arthur: Master Oz! This sash is for you. It’s apparently a tradition in the Master Sage’s world to don one that says “Birthday Boy” for your special day, so I had Chloe show me how to make one. I know birthdays aren’t a big deal to you, but would you be willing to wear it for me?

Cain: Happy birthday, Oz! …Whoa, you're giving me these chestnuts, caramels, and canelé​ as thanks? It's okay, I'll pass. …No, really! H-Hey, Arthur? Does Oz seem weird to you? …He had too much to drink, but you gave him water, so he’ll be good in 30 minutes? Alright then...

Riquet: I made a kusudama for you just like the ones the Master Sage told me about! Hmm, I think we’re supposed to cheer when it bursts open so… Hip-hip-hooray! Happy birthday, Oz!

Snow: Sage, have you seen our dear Oz? We’re planning a grand celebration for him, but our birthday boy is nowhere to be found. Hmm… Did he figure us out and go into hiding? If so, we might have to pivot from a birthday party to a manhunt…

White: Would you like to join our grand birthday surprise for Oz? ...Oh, we’re simply planning to shower him with flowers as soon as he steps into the lounge. However, we can’t hide there since he’ll sense us, so the plan is to make a mad dash for it as soon as he comes in sight!

Mithra: Oz, let’s have a fight to the death. Wouldn’t it be an incredible story to say I defeated you on your birthday? …Huh? We can’t fight because there’s a party happening? How could that possibly be more important than me?

Owen: Oz often comes to break up our fights, but recently, he’s begun giving us candy too. I don’t know what he's scheming, but I don’t need his charity. Today’s his birthday, isn’t it? Well then, he can suck on his paltry stash of penny sweets alone.

Bradley: It’s Oz’s birthday, ain’t it? Whaddaya say we sneak into his castle and give it some festive flair? I can getcha there, but after that we can just do our own thing. …Heh, like I’d tell ya what I’m plannin’. It’s called “surprise” for a reason, ya know?

Faust: Happy birthday, Oz. Do you remember our last joint lesson? Shino took quite well to your more hands-on style of teaching. Since then, I’ve occasionally incorporated some of that into my own lesson plans. Let’s keep doing our best, from one teacher to another.

Shino: Happy birthday, Oz. After your party with the Central wizards is over, you should come to Shylock’s bar. I’m gathering all the members of “Jet Black Dawn” to make a toast for you. It’s fun to reunite every now and then, right?

Heathcliff: Arthur asked all the younger wizards to help him plan a birthday surprise for Lord Oz, but I’m worried he won’t like or appreciate it. Now that we’re this far into the plan though, I think we’ll just have to go through with it. Alright, you can do this, Heathcliff!

Nero: The Central kiddos have been buzzin’ around all day ‘cause of Oz’s birthday. …Whoa, did Cain just slap Oz on his back? And Riquet keeps tuggin’ on him, too. …They’re braver than me, for sure… But, I guess that’s just how much they trust each other.

Shylock: I have plenty of your favourite alcohol in stock today, so please, feel free to indulge to your heart’s content, Oz. …It doesn’t stop there, though. Once we get to the bar, I plan to show off my skills as the owner. I hope to keep you entertained all night long.

Murr: Ahaha, I look like a bagworm, right? I was hidin’ in Oz’s room to surprise him for his birthday, but he caught me right away! It’s kinda fun danglin’ around all tied up like this, though! Do you wanna give it a try, Master Sage?

Chloe: Ha~ppy bir~thday, Lord Oz~! …Wait, Lord Oz!? Did you hear that!? Rustica suggested I make a song for your birthday since you like music so much, so I've been practicing for it. ...You want to hear more? Well, if you say so! Here I go! This is “Oz’s Birthday Song”!

Rustica: Lord Oz, you put such care into each and every one of your conversations. Every word you utter is full of sincerity, beauty, and strength. And there is no better proof of that than the joy on Chloe’s face when you praised him. Thus, I wish you a very happy birthday.

Figaro: Y’know Oz, I really do enjoy our chats together. …I’m the only one who ever does any talking? Ahaha, you’re not wrong about that. But you always listen so attentively that I always have a good time regardless. Speaking of, why don’t we have a little meet-up tonight?

Rutile: Happy birthday, Lord Oz. …Oh, are these roasted chestnuts for me? Why, thank you. That’s so kind of you, even though it’s your birthday today. …Children need to eat? Oh, I get these caramels and canelé​, too? Wait, are you dru— No, it couldn’t be. Well, thank you again!

Lennox: Happy birthday, Lord Oz. Thank you for taking care of the sheep that wandered into your room the other day. Since then, they’ve been trying to go back… I think they enjoy the warmth of the fireplace and the comfort of your peaceful presence.

Mitile: Oww! I pricked myself again… Oh, Lord Oz! I gathered all these chestnuts for you, but removing the burrs is harder than I thought it would be… Wow! You finished the rest of them in an instant!

[moonsceptre]

Alchemy & Dreams in Beetlejuice Part 2

As mentioned in the last post, red represents Lydia: the material realm & sulphur. The item which falls next to Astrid's cracked photograph is a molecular structure with a red atom and a green atom. It's already common knowledge that Betelgeuse is green-coded, but I have further proof to support the atom theory.

Alchemists viewed the human body (microcosm) as a reflection of the universe (macrocosm). This suggested that atoms could give insights about human nature. Within this context, consider Rosenkreutz illustration of the Chymical Wedding, where the married couple are holding onto the structure. They're supposed to represent two atoms of the same trigonal planar molecule, because they are of the same element, thus sharing a chemical bond.

Alchemy consists of a mix of chemistry, philosophy, semiotics, and metaphysics, with much of the symbolism used to convey alchemical themes in Beetlejuice.

Before I come back to this, let's talk about...

Otho

Throughout the first movie, Otho is typically associated with black and red. He's often wearing black with either a red tie, red buttons, or red shoes (which mysteriously disappear in a couple scenes only to be replaced by different colour shoes).

Red shoes have long been used in media to represent a metaphorical journey (The Red Shoes (1948), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), and Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes are a few examples). Need I remind you of one of Tim Burton's favourite movies, The Wizard of Oz?

Otho is the only character other than Lydia who piques interest in the dead. Despite his willingness to exploit them, he is ready to believe in their existence and study the handbook. These visual cues are conveying the character's motives.

Part of the alchemical process are the stages "Rubedo" and "Nigredo". Rubedo is Latin for "redness", the stage of understanding where two opposites have joined and created harmony. Nigredo is Latin for "blackness", the stage of putrefaction or decomposition, thus symbolising the dead. In layman's terms, red and black represent the character's willingness to connect with the dead. The only other character really associated with black and red is Lydia, and that speaks for itself.

Otho is a character who inspired the creation of Rory in the second movie. Within Lydia's psyche, Rory has been manifested from guilt. In the first film, Lydia is almost complicit in helping Otho to exorcise the Maitlands after he makes it clear that he wants to capitalise on the dead. In the second film, Lydia is under Rory's management to capitalise on the dead, and she is trying to make peace with that guilt by trying to help people through exorcisms.

Guilt in dreams is often seen as a manifestation of the unconscious mind's attempt to communicate unresolved internal conflicts. This is where the shadow becomes a central concept in Jungian psychology, referring to the parts of the Self that the conscious mind rejects or ignores. Lydia rejects the traits that Otho and Rory embody, and that is why her reconciliation with Astrid is a manifestation of her own forgiveness.

More on The Chemical Wedding

We talked about the purpose of the Chemical Wedding before, but why is it so relevant to the plot of Beetlejuice? Other than the fact Betelgeuse has fallen in love with Lydia, there is an allegorical reason for why the wedding must take place between these two, and no one else but these two.

A Chemical Wedding is the marriage between the sun and the moon. In alchemical texts they are often depicted as the white queen and the red king, though this has nothing to do with literal gender roles, for we see Lydia herself portrayed as the red king in her parallel with Astrid. It is related to the Anima (the female self) and the Animus (the male self). This is also the marriage between mercury and sulfur, spirit and matter, the dead and the living.

One of the most famous works on the subject of a Chemical Wedding is a Rosicrucian allegory published in 1616 by Christian Rosenkreutz. It describes a mystical journey where the main character must attend a wedding at a mysterious castle. The journey is a symbol of the alchemical process, while the wedding itself represents the final transformative stage.

The story is filled with strange and dreamlike imagery, with many claiming it as a source of German dark romanticism.

Rosenkreuz's allegory actually represents inner transformation of the individual, with marriage being used as a metaphor, insofar as the masculine and feminine halves must be merged together in matrimony to achieve completion within oneself.

"Death and the Maiden" trope is a motif that depicts a woman being taken by Death, as he desires to marry her. It is dire for death to marry his living bride, for he wishes to venture the living world and the underworld with her.

Betelgeuse is the perfect complementary opposite to Lydia, each crafted to embody the other's symbolic missing half. Betelgeuse is the animus; he's loud, provocative, and dead; Lydia is the anima; she's quiet, thoughtful, and alive. The contrast is straightforward and uncomplicated. You could easily spend hours analysing their differences, and you'd still be right—because they are deliberately written as foils to one another.

Looking back at how Otho/Rory represents the shadow of Lydia, we should take into account who guided her through this dream sequence. Our psyche creates these thought-images in our unconscious minds as a means to roleplay scenarios where we have internal conflict. It gives us a chance to psychoanalyse ourselves and try to understand the core of our trauma.

Betelgeuse, within Lydia's dream, is acting as a guide (remember his guide outfit in the first film?). He's constantly appearing to her, influencing her and urging her to face her fears. While he's causing chaos in the way he knows best, he's also showing Lydia the bare truth, and this is especially apparent when it comes to Rory: he tells Lydia she's an enabling codependent and forces Rory to tell the truth about his intentions. Betelgeuse is what Jung would refer to as the Trickster archetype. The Trickster is often seen as a figure that disrupts the status quo and challenges the Ego through chaotic and karmic actions, serving as a profound guide in the process of one's personal development. Think of "Jester's privilege", or The Fool in tarot.

In mythological symbolism, there comes the legend of a scorpion that stung Orion to death (the giant red star "Betelgeuse" sits on Orion's belt). The scorpion was delivered as to snub Orion's pride and teach him a lesson by way of death, because the scorpion is a symbol of death and rebirth. This is the Trickster archetype again, teaching a lesson in a very karmic way. Betelgeuse does the same throughout both movies. Otho, the Deetz, and the Deans are all punished by him in the first film for acting as antagonists against the ghosts of Winter River. Despite this, he also acts as an antagonist himself by punishing the Maitlands, two loving parental figures for Lydia, for getting in the way of his plan to marry her.

"They therefore represent a supreme pair of opposites, not hopelessly divided by logical contradiction but, because of the mutual attraction between them, giving promise of union and actually making it possible. The coniunctio oppositorum engaged the speculations of the alchemists in the form of the ‘Chymical Wedding," — Carl Jung, Psychology & Alchemy

In alchemical tradition, Saturn is associated with the metal lead, which symbolises the starting point of the alchemical work—the Nigredo phase. Alchemy is mostly known as the quest to turn lead into gold, but the allegorical meaning is to refine the Self. Saturn is equated with Cronos in mythology, the father of time, who was portrayed as an old man with a scythe/sickle, similar to the grim reaper, who is associated with the end of one's time. Betelgeuse has time-warping powers and wears time-keeping devices on his wrist, all a microcosm for how we measure eternity.

The whole Alchemical Opus works through THREE stages:

Nigredo (Black Stage): Betelgeuse represents lead and Saturn. Putrefaction.

Albedo (White Stage): Before Lydia summons Betelgeuse and agrees to the marriage, he is wearing a black and white suit. White is added to the mix. Purification.

Rubedo (Red Stage): Lydia is manifested a red wedding dress to finish the ceremony. They completed the alchemical process. Lead is turned into Gold.

In the movie's original wedding scene, found here, at 9:11 on the clock the afterlife creature who marries Lydia and Betelgeuse dissipates into fire, and then the scene ends. 911 in numerology is the number of completion, and is used in occultism to symbolise new beginnings and rebirth.

For this reason, it has been theorised that the wedding vows went through, and the Chemical Wedding was completed.

[midnightparsley]

Stage Play "Promise of Wizard" Etude Series Part 1

ad lib crosstalk between Bradley, Arthur, Shylock, Owen, and Mithra ft. Chloe during the Jun 23rd, matinée show

Bradley: "Damn, this stuff is good!"

Shylock: "That was a drink that Rutile recently helped conceptualize."

Bradley: "Huh... What sort of drink is it?"

Shylock: "A soju by the name of..."

ping~

Bradley: "Fuck, don't scare me like that!"

Shylock: "Come again?"

Bradley: "Huh? Just now there was a weird sound."

Shylock: "Ah, that is a sound that I commissioned that has gained quite the following around here recently."

Bradley: "Huh? You put it there?"

Shylock: "I certainly did."

Bradley: "Huh... Weird hobbies you've got there."

Shylock: "Oh my, but the numbers of reservations I've received since implementing it has increased."

Bradley: "You do advanced reservations?"

Shylock: "I certainly do."

Bradley: "Is'at so... weird customers you got then." "Man, I've even lost interest in knowing the name of the damn drink. I mean its delicious so whatever..."

bell ringing

Arthur: "Good evening!"

Bradley: "If it isn't the central prince himself."

Shylock: "It is quite rare to see you at my establishment, Arthur-sama. Please, take any seat that you would like."

Arthur: "Thank you. So this is Shylock's bar..."

Bradley: "...A'right, looks like Oz ain't around..."

Arthur: "If you have business with Oz-sama, I believe he is resting in his quarters at this hour. If you have need of him, allow me to go summon him!"

Bradley: "Oi! Hold up, hold up, hold the fuck up you idiot! Over my dead body! The hell would I have anything to do with that dude?!"

Shylock: "Arthur-sama, what would you like to drink tonight?"

Arthur: "Let's see... something that can calm the nerves, please."

Shylock: "Understood."

Bradley: "What, so even princes got their princely worries, huh." "Did you get bullied at the castle or something? If you ever feel like burying 'em six feet under, I wouldn't mind lending a hand or two."

Arthur: "Not at all, I'm being treated quite kindly by those at the castle."

Bradley: "Is that so... then whats with the glum face?"

Arthur: "The Eastern Wizards will be departing on their first mission shortly to a budding riot, one that has a high possibility of boiling over."

Bradley: "So that's why you're worried? What a load of crock."

Shylock: "Here you are."

Arthur: "Thank you."

Bradley: "Listen up, princeling. Easties are a dismal, gloomy, and cowardly lot. Troublesome jobs like taking care of a riot are right up their alley. So just kick back and take it easy would ya."

Arthur: "Is that so... I see! Bradley, you must have quite a lot of faith in the Eastern wizards in that case!"

Bradley: "Did you even hear a word that came out of my mouth? When the fuck did I ever say that?!"

Mithra: "So that is how it is, I see."

Owen: "As expected of the ever kind boss of a bandit gang. What a joke."

Bradley: "When did you bastards show up?!"

Arthur: "It very well may be that by worrying about them, I must have gravely insulted them in the process. Thank you for assuaging my worries, Bradley!" "I should also extend my thanks to you, Shylock. The tea was wonderfully delicious."

Shylock: "I am glad it is to your taste." "And what will you two like to drink tonight?"

Mithra: "Then I will be having..."

ping~

Mithra: "Cassi-Ore" [1]

Bradley: "The fuck was that?! Don't you pose like you're about to cast your spell, damn it! Did you make a reservation or some shit?"

Mithra: "Hm."

Bradley: "The hell is with that smug face?"

Mithra: "Hah..."

Bradley: "Don't you 'Hah" me."

Shylock: "And what about you, Owen? What would you like to drink?"

Owen: "I'll take..."

ping~

Owen: "Kahlua Milk" [2]

Bradley: "You cut that shit out!" "Stop it with the ping! Don't you bring that out too! Cut it out!"

Shylock: "Why not? Isn't it fine?"

Bradley: "It isn't."

Shylock: "But I like it."

Bradley: "Who cares."

Shylock: "Arthur-sama, what would you like to drink?"

Arthur: "Very well, then I shall be having..."

ping~

Arthur: "Some tea."

Bradley: "Tea?! Some tea?!?!" "Now hold on just a sec. 'Arthim' turning into 'Cassi-Ore' I can get. 'Quare Mori' yeah? It kind of translates to 'Kahlua Milk.' But where the hell did your 'Pernoctant Nixzo' go? The syllables are way off!"

Arthur: "I see."

Bradley: "Yeah."

Arthur: "Is that bad?"

Bradley: "That's not what I'm saying, damn it." "But you know, it's not that shabby, that ping thing. Alright then, let me take a crack at it."

...

Bradley: "Ring it, damn it! Why am I the only one it doesn't go off for?! Come on, ring it for me!"

Shylock: "You wish for it to ring?"

Bradley: "I sure do! I just saw 'em do it too!"

Shylock: "I see, very well then. Bradley, what would you like to drink?"

Bradley: "Alright then, I'll be getting myself..."

meeeh~

Bradley: "Fuuuuccccckkkkkkkk Yooouuuuuuuu!!!!" "The fuck is wrong with you!!!!!! When you ping for him, him, and him, you should also ping for me, damn it! Don't you fucking meeeh me!" "Oi where did you go, oi!"

Owen: "What happened..."

Bradley: "Oi, what's wrong with you."

Shylock: "Apologies, the glasses simply..."

Bradley: "Oh so its the glass, huh."

Shylock: "They were in need of some re-organizing."

Bradley: "You're a weird one... Oi, the hell are all of you looking in that direction for?!"

Arthur: "Apologies"

Bradley: "This is all wrong, at least do it properly until the end, man!"

Shylock: "So? In the end, what will you two have to drink tonight?"

Owen: "I'll go for that chocolate one I had last time."

Mithra: "Then I will have the priciest item on the menu."

Shylock: "Are you sure about that?"

Mithra: "Of course. After all..."

Mithra & Owen: "It will be Bradley's treat."

Bradley: "Hah?! You've tired me out so much, why do I have to pick up the fucking tab too?"

Arthur: "The Northern Wizards truly do get along very well!"

Bradley: "Shut the fuck up."

-

Chloe: "I pray that the Eastern Wizards will safely complete their first mission!"

ping~ [3]

Chloe: "Suispicibo Voitengok!"

[1] Short for Cassis Orange, a sweet fruit based cocktail, recommended for first time drinkers [2] As the name suggests, its a cocktail made by mixing 1 part Kahlua (a rum and coffee liqueur) and 2 parts milk [3] Yes, the ping for the joke drinks and the spell casting are the same sound effect www the meeh sound is from Lennox's sheep

[tomose]

[The Demon King’s Death Heart Omelet]

Oz - A Sonatina of Intoxicating Hospitality and Deviance R Card TL Featuring: Oz and Akira (Arthur and Riquet mentioned)

Confident Condiment Craft - Episode 1

AKIRA: Hey, uh, Oz? I need your help here…

OZ: What is it?

AKIRA: Do you think you could use this tomato sauce to doodle on this omelet? See that customer waving their hand? It’s actually a request from them.

OZ: Doodle… Why me?

AKIRA: Well, to quote their fervent plea: "That sophisticated gentleman put me under a spell the minute I saw him! Please, you have to do me a favor!”

OZ: Spell…

AKIRA: They were kind enough to dine at this cafe, so I’d like to accommodate their request. Could you do this for me? No pressure, of course.

OZ: I don’t mind. Just tell me what to draw.

AKIRA: Anything works!

AKIRA: I know you and the Central Wizards would sometimes draw on pancakes with honey. Maybe something along those lines.

OZ: All right. Hand me the sauce. *silence*

AKIRA: Is that…a winking bunny?! Wow, you’re so good at this!

OZ: I can draw bears, too, if you'd like.

AKIRA: Really?! Ooh, you know what might make the customer happier? If there's a bear next to the bunny!

OZ: Very well. *silence* AKIRA: Hnng, cute stuff…

OZ: …I’ve seen that same look on Arthur’s and Riquet’s faces.

AKIRA: Huh?

OZ: Riquet would complain that my drawings looked nothing like a real bear, so he made me practice and practice… Seeing your reaction, I suppose children do love this sort of thing.

AKIRA: (Oh, Oz… At the two’s request, his art must have improved after much practice.) I’m sure even adults would find this a delight! Let me show this to the customer right away!

OZ: All right.