#murder on black swan lake

[lakecountylibrary]

I have been enjoying A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales. I love a good murder mystery but have surprisingly enjoyed the setting of Regency-era Britain. Would you be able to provide any recommendations for other novels similar to this?

Certainly! We too love a good historical murder mystery, so several of us have recs for you.

Brenna: The Wrexford & Sloane series by Andrea Penrose takes place in Regency London and is murder mystery on a more cozy-ish scale. Audiobook narrator is excellent! I've listened to them all.

Start with Murder on Black Swan Lake

Sarah: There is Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James, which is a sort of sequel to Pride and Prejudice. It was well-received enough to get its own adaptation on BBC.

Chris (who literally just checked out the audiobook for A Most Agreeable Murder): I would suggest the Dianne Freeman series "Countess of Harleigh Mysteries", starting with A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder.

Happy reading!

[theaceofarrows]

What I think Jason's ringtones for everyone would be⬇

Bruce - the Imperial March from Star Wars

Alfred - Beethoven

Dick - Afro Circus from Madagascar 3

Barbara - the Mission Impossible theme

Tim - a recording of him humming the Red Robin jingle

Stephanie - Cherry Bomb by The Runaways

Cass - the Swan Lake theme

Damian - a recording of Damian screaming bloody murder at him for 30 seconds straight

Duke - Whoomp! (There It Is) by Tag Team

Kate - Back In Black by AC/DC

Roy - The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy

Kory - Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid

Rose - Partners In Crime by Set It Off

Artemis - Unstoppable by Sia

John Constantine - Hellfire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame

[juliaprecourt]

Perfect Blue, Black Swan, and Birdman

It is common knowledge that Perfect Blue and Black Swan have cinematic and thematic similarities. I'd like to argue Birdman (2014) shares just as much with these other two films. Outlined below are some of the most notable commonalities. 

The Art Imitates Their Real Life: 

This is the major narrative device shared by all three films. The protagonists are all artists playing a role in a performance; Mima: a TV actor, Nina: a ballerina, and Riggan: a thespian. They are unaware of how closely the plight of their characters mirrors their own struggles. While pushing themselves to perform better, the line between their reality and the story they are performing starts to blur.

-Perfect Blue: 

The Reality: 

Mima is trying to make the leap from pop idol to actor. She has a “bit part” at first in the TV show Double Bind, but her manager Mr. Tadokoro campaigns for her to have more screen time. The producers agree, but it involves taking on a role that exploits her sexually. Mima's conflict with her old self and new self tear her apart. Those working on the show around her start getting murdered. 

Notable moment: This scene especially highlights the overlap:

Mima is sitting in a chair with the doctor, it appears they are shooting a scene in Double Bind.

Doctor: Can you tell me your name?

Mima: Me? I'm Mima Kirigoe.

Doctor: Okay. And what do you do?

Mima: I'm a pop idol... no, an actress.

Doctor: That must be hard work.

Mima: It's hard, but it's what I chose to do.

We pull back to see detectives watching through a double-sided mirror. 

Detective: She thinks she's a new young actress named Mima Kirigoe. 

The doctor comes out and joins the detectives.

Doctor: Dissociative Identity Disorder. In other words, "multiple personality syndrome." All those crimes took place when she was some other persona. 

Detective: So where's the persona of the original Yoko?

Doctor: Yoko Takakura, the original persona.....is nothing more than a character in a drama for her. Being a "normal" girl... how she was raped in a strip club. Everything happened as part of her drama series. By doing so, she salvaged her heart.

Mima presses her face into the mirror. 

Mima: That's right. I'm an actress.

Director: Cut!

The footage rewinds. Mima is sitting in a chair with the doctor, it appears they are shooting a scene in Double Bind.

Doctor: Can you tell me your name?

Mima: Me? I'm Rika Takakura.

The doctor comes out and joins the detectives.

Doctor: The original persona, Yoko Takakura, no longer exists. By killing, and later becoming, her sister the top model, she salvaged her heart.

Mima presses her face into the mirror. 

Mima: That's right. I'm a model.

-Black Swan: 

The Story:

Thomas: We all know the story: virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan (Odette). She desires freedom, but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is granted in the form of a prince (Sigfried). But before he can declare his love, her lustful twin, the Black Swan (Odile) tricks and seduces him. Devastated, the White Swan leaps off a cliff, killing herself. But, in death, finds freedom.” 

The Reality: Nina is auditioning for the lead role in Swan Lake, a dual performance as White Swan and Black Swan. In an out-of-character moment, she wins over the director Thomas, and lands the role. A fellow ballerina, Lily, visually similar but a dancer in every way Nina is not, catches the eye of Thomas and to a lesser extent, the man playing the actual prince. Nina isn’t interested in the prince, but it’s still a blow to her ego. At the end of opening night she likely dies of a self-inflicted wound. 

Notable moments: 

1) In the ballet (but not featured in the film’s adaptation), there is a ball for the prince with all the eligible bachelorettes in the kingdom. At this point, the prince has already met Odette at the magic lake, but before she can arrive, Rothbart's (Evil Sorcerer, the reason Odette is a swan) daughter Odile appears disguised as Odette and tricks him into falling in love with her. 

In the film, this is recreated by Lily stepping in for Nina when she oversleeps one morning. She plays Nina’s role beautifully, and Thomas finds himself moved by her performance. When Nina arrives and takes back performing her role, she sees Thomas’s eyes stray from watching her to look at Lily. 

2) Thomas shouts this to Nina as she rehearses the finale: 

Thomas: The Final Act. Your Final Dance. You’ve tasted your dream. Touched it. Only to have it crushed. Your heart is broken, wounded. Your lifeforce fading. The blood drips. The Black Swan has stolen your love. There's only one way to end the pain. You're not at all fearful. Filled with acceptance. You look down at Rothbart, and then at the Prince, and, yes, up at the audience...And jump!” 

This is foreshadowing the finale of the ballet and the events of the film. Nina, in full delusion, thinks she’s tussled with and killed Lily in her dressing room, but has actually stabbed herself with glass. With the shard deep in her own belly, Nina performs the finale, gracefully gesturing to her prince, Rothbart, and her mother, every line Thomas shouted to her all the more true. Then she jumps.

-Birdman

The Reality: Riggan confuses adoration with love, but in many ways so do his fellow actors, all craving a similar validation through acting. Off the stage, their lives are messy, especially their romantic ones. Most off-stage conversations are often philosophical ones. 

Riggan's is the least obvious because the source material is lesser known and less developed to the audience, but the story he's performing as a whole doesn't matter so much. Mike even comments in a fit during their first preview about how Riggan's adapted the work. (Riggan is the writer, producer, and star) 

Mike: This is Carver, man! The guy lost a piece of liver every time he wrote a page! If I’m supposed to drink gin then bring me fuckin gin! I mean, you fucked the time period! You took all the good lines for yourself!"

The scenes chosen for us to see demonstrate the clear overlap between “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" and Riggan's life.

Notable examples:

1) Riggan’s girlfriend and fellow performer Laura’s character has a monologue in the play:

Laura: In the days before Nick’s depression really started to eat away at him, he had no idea I was pregnant. And I never intended on telling him. I guess we make choices in life, and we choose to live with them. Or not. I didn’t want that baby... Not because I didn’t love Nick. And not because I didn’t love the-- The idea of it. But because I just wasn’t ready to love myself.

Before we see her perform this the first time, Laura tells Riggan she might be pregnant. The second time is after she confirms she is not. Laura wants a baby, but based on Riggan’s reaction he isn’t into it. 

2) Riggan (as Ed) barges in on Lesley (as Terri) and Mike (as Mel) in a hotel room. Terri left Ed for Mel and Ed has hunted them down to confront his ex.

Riggan: What's wrong with me? Why do I end up having to beg people to love me? 

Lesley: Ed. Eddie. Please... Give me the gun. Just look at me. I was drowning. I was not capable of-- You deserve to be loved. You do. 

Riggan: I just wanted to be what you wanted. Now I spend every fucking minute praying to be someone else. Someone I'm not. Anyone…

This scene from the play is portrayed as the finale, and we see it performed three times. Riggan is desperate in his quest for love and validation, unaware that he is searching for it in the wrong places, like chasing after an old lover. It's relevant that Mike is his ex's new lover (in the play). Riggan is envious of him, his acting ability, and the respect and notoriety he has in the industry. Also, how he can quickly connect with his daughter (who Riggan is somewhat estranged from).

In the play, Ed at first wants to kill his wife's lover Mel, and maybe his ex-wife, but in the end he turns the gun on himself. On opening night Riggan uses a real gun and shoots himself in the head.

The Shadow Self:

-Perfect Blue:  A pop Idol was something Mima strived to be, but her group CHAM is stagnant. Mima, with the encouragement of one of her managers, decides to change careers to be an actress. It’s unclear how much of it was Mima’s idea, but she commits. Mima privately struggles through this change, and the chorus of upset fans and doubtful industry folks don't help. This triggers Mima’s "old self” AKA "Pop Idol Mima" to start appearing, often during moments when Mima struggles with the sexual aspects of her new career. Pop Idol Mima is forever in her frilly pink get-up from the opening number of the film, frozen in time, perfect and pure. Pop Idol Mima resists and criticizes Mimi’s changes. 

It isn’t revealed until the end of the film that Mima’s “shadow” is one of her agents, Rumi. This is in regards to the “Mima” that is communicating to her stalker and controlling the content of the website “Mima’s room.” Together they post intimate details and thoughts from “Mima” herself. The apparition of Pop Idol Mima she sees following her is only Rumi some of the time and mostly is Mima hallucinating in moments of emotional distress.

-Black Swan: It’s not a coincidence that Nina, dressed in pastels and a white feathery scarf, spies a woman on the train who looks just like her, but in black, on her way to the first day of the new ballet season. We are actually seeing Lily (Mia Kunis, a fellow dancer) for the first time on the train, but this is also the moment when Nina sees her first glimpse of "Black Swan Nina", the part of herself that she is not in touch with.  

Nina is challenged to find her inner black swan, because as the lead she must play both the white and black swan characters. As she pushes herself, she sees Black Swan Nina inflicting self-harm, on the faces of other dancers or Lily. The lines between Lily and Black Swan Nina are often blurred, but there is doubt as to whether she's even seeing Lily during Black Swan Nina moments.

 -Birdman: Right away we hear the gravelly voice of Birdman talking to Riggan, but we don’t know who it is yet. Birdman is the superhero character he is most famous for playing. Birdman berates him over his choice to leave the role behind throughout the film, enticing him to get some plastic surgery, work out, and get back into the suit to start making real money again. Birdman openly acknowledges that he is a voice in Riggan’s head, only physically appearing twice in the movie in moments where Riggan is most in his delusions and imagining he can fly.

The Rival / The Double: 

-Perfect Blue: Mima’s rival is mostly her shadow self, Pop Idol Mima. In the acting world, she has no one she is directly competing with. Her former bandmates are doing better since Mima left, and that wounds her, but she is trying to leave that life behind. As mentioned, Pop Idol Mima is sometimes Rumi, who is competing with Mima. Rumi is envious Mima got more famous than she ever did as a pop idol, and links Mima's success with her own, so when Mima decides to leave being a pop idol, Rumi takes it as a very personal betrayal. 

-Black Swan: It’s a new season and Lily, a dancer in the ballet who possesses similar physical attributes to Nina but embodies the effortless freedom Nina lacks, joins the troop. Nina has struggled for everything she has achieved. We see how regimented her life is, how micro-managed her eating is, and the physical toll ballet takes on her body. Whereas Lily comes in late and doesn’t need to warm up, even after a night of partying. She climbs up the ranks quickly with her magnetic ease. 

Lily becomes all the more a threat when she is made Nina’s understudy. When Nina is late, she steps in and performs both parts in a way Nina could only dream of. Lily catches the eye of the director Thomas and the man playing the part of the Swan prince. Nina is more upset about Thomas, but she is frustrated because she has no chemistry with her prince whereas Lily does. 

-Birdman: After Riggan’s co-star gets hit in the head with a stage light (maybe on purpose), Mike, (Edward Norton) is brought onto the project, injecting excitement into the crew and prospective audience. Mike is renowned in the business for eating, sleeping, and breathing “the stage.” Life is a stage to Mike, and he may just be full of shit, but he is what Riggan wants to be seen as. 

Mike gets more interested in the project and even helps Riggan punch up the script, but it quickly becomes clear Mike is in it for himself. In the first preview Mike throws a drunken tantrum when Riggan takes away his real booze on stage. During the next performance Mike tries to have actual sex on stage with his girlfriend and has a very real boner for all to see in the last scene. He even steals Riggan's tale of why he's doing this play (a childhood encounter with Carver) and tells it in an interview.

The Antagonist: 

Who is pushing our protagonist, and who doubts them? 

-Perfect Blue: Mr. Mi-Mania is Mima’s biggest fan. When Mima makes the career change, he does not accept it and is encouraged by the “true Mima”(Pop Idol Mima) to save her from the industry folks pushing her on the new career path and tarnishing her image. He does this by murdering some of the people working around Mima.

-Black Swan: Thomas, the director, would have chosen Nina to be the star if she was only playing the white swan. Nina does sway Thomas to give her the role, but he relentlessly pushes Nina on and off the stage to give him the unrestrained performance he wants for the black swan. 

-Birdman: The critic Tabitha Dickinson is the word in theater, with her opinion making or breaking a play. She loathes Riggan for thinking he can just waltz onto Broadway from playing a superhero in order to write, produce, and star in his own production. She vows to write a bad review regardless of what she sees opening night. 

The Old You: 

Perfect Blue and Birdman are more obviously similar because their “old self” was a very different public persona. Mima was a pop idol, and Riggan was a blockbuster superhero. They were so well known for these roles and the image associated with them that they struggled for their professional peers and fans to see them in a more serious light. 

Nina is staying within her profession, but she is trying to make the move from being a girl in the chorus to playing the lead. And this year the lead ballerina must play two characters who are in stark contrast with each other. Nina is perfect for the innocent White Swan, but she must also embody the seductive Black Swan. Her colleagues are doubtful she can play the Black Swan, a temptress who steals the prince away. Her mother also wants to keep her in "White Swan Mode" as a completely codependent child, lamenting "What happened to my sweet girl?" at one point as Nina begins to rebel, exploring independence and sexuality.

-Perfect Blue: Pop Idol to actress.

-Black Swan: Chorus to star / White Swan to Black Swan. 

-Birdman: Action movie star to stage actor.

The Death Bow:

-Perfect Blue: Rumi, in full Pop Idol Mima delusion, hunts Mima down to kill her because there can only be one "Mima." After a brutal struggle in an alley, Rumi is stabbed in the stomach by a glass shard while retrieving her wig. Rumi then staggers into the streets and puts her wig back on. An oncoming truck's lights deceive Rumi into thinking she's in the spotlight with all her fans cheering. Envisioning herself as Mima, she joyfully soaks it in, before the real Mima pushes her out of the way to safety. 

-Black Swan: Opening night, Nina performs the finale perfectly, but we see in the climactic moment before she dives off stage that the wound she inflicted on herself is very real and all the more fatal because of her strenuous final performance. After she dives onto the mattress everyone rushes to her side to congratulate her. The crowd cheers, and her colleagues come to congratulate her. They notice her injury and are distressed. Nina doesn’t care, she looks up into the stage lights, blissed out, everything goes white. Perhaps she is starting to pass out or die. The cheering continues.

-Birdman: Riggan’s character Ed is in utter despair after breaking into his ex-wife's hotel room and finding her with another man. She says she doesn't love him anymore. Throughout rehearsals, Mike has pressed Riggan for realness, complaining about everything from the booze to the gun on the set being fake. On opening night Riggan has a real gun. Ed is supposed to turn the gun on himself, but Riggan hasn’t made up his mind on who to shoot yet. He feints shooting Mike, then the audience, but he settles on himself. The audience at first is blown away by his performance, giving him a standing ovation only to realize it's very real.       

Mortal Wound:

All three protagonists are severely wounded. Nina and Riggan's "mortal wound" leads to their “death bow”, but in Perfect Blue it is Mima's “double/shadow-self” manager Rumi who is deluded in that final moment. 

-Perfect Blue: Rumi tries to kill Mima, and stabs her in the side with an umbrella. Mima is only saved after tearing off Rumi's wig. Distressed, Rumi bends over broken glass to retrieve it, stabbing herself in the stomach. 

-Black Swan: Nina tussles with Lily in her dressing room, thinking Lily is trying to take over the lead role. They shatter a mirror, and Nina stabs Lily in the guts with a big shard. However, it was all a hallucination: Nina stabbed herself. The show must go on, so Nina finishes the performance brilliantly. We don't know what happens to Nina afterward.

-Birdman: Riggan is supposed to pretend to shoot himself in the play, but on opening night he intentionally uses a real gun. This doesn't kill him, but in the hospital Riggan likely commits suicide by jumping out a window.

Hollowness Of Fame:

-Perfect Blue: The world of pop idols was just as critical of a woman's appearance and behavior as it is for actresses. The constant feedback from the public's expectations of who she is and should be almost causes Mima to completely lose her sense of self.

-Black Swan: All the girls in the troop want to be the prima ballerina and once Nina has this part she sees the dark and fleeting side of this coveted role through the character Beth. The audience wants someone new and fresh and when they are tired of you or you're considered too old, you are quickly cast aside.

-Birdman: Riggan is desperate for public recognition. How he wants to receive it has changed. It used to be through his blockbuster movies, but now he wants to be seen as a stage actor. He values fame over his relationships. In a scene where his ex-wife comes to talk to him about their daughter, Riggan gets sidetracked telling this story: RIGGAN: The last time I flew here from LA, George Clooney was sitting two seats in front of me. With those cufflinks, and that... chin. We ended up flying through this really bad storm. The plane started to rattle and shake, and everyone on board was crying... and praying. And I just sat there-- Sat there thinking that when Sam opened that paper it was going to be Clooney's face on the front page. Not mine.

What Do You Really Want?: 

The three protagonists are trying to achieve "greatness" in their career field, but what deeper need is this success trying to fill? What does the character actually want? 

-Perfect Blue:  Mima wants to find herself. 

Mima doesn't start the film wanting this, but when she starts to lose her identity she realizes how important it is to her. The finale scene of the movie catches up with Mima sometime in the future. Her hair is longer and her clothes more fashionable and mature. She has just finished visiting Rumi, who rarely returns to that personality. Two nurses whisper that the person they see looks like the actress Mima Kirigoe, but that she has to be a look-a-like. Mima gets into her car, looks into the mirror, sees her reflection, and to the audience says, "No, I'm real!"

This is a hard-earned moment because Mima lost her sense of self. It was only until her final struggle with Rumi that she realized:

Rumi: We don't need two Mimas!

Mima: I AM MIMA! 

Rumi: That's funny! Mima is a pop idol! You're just a dirty old impostor!

Mima: LIKE I CARE! I AM WHO I AM!!

Mima in this moment finally stops attaching her sense of self to her career.

-Black Swan:  Nina wants to be perfect. 

Nina starts the movie and ends the movie with this desire. When Nina finally ”kills" the part of her holding herself back and finds the black swan, she dances uninhibited and free as both the black and white swan, a performance unmatched. She takes her final leap as the white swan. This may be Nina's last performance because she has severely wounded herself. “It was perfect” is the last thing she mutters. Nina learns, tragically, what it takes to be "perfect."

-Birdman: Riggan thinks he wants fame and adoration, but it’s actually love.

Riggan is addicted to these two things. They are his biggest temptations to play Birdman again. Birdman is constantly pointing out which celebrities are doing superhero movies and how much money they are making. But Riggan resists, hoping to get the fame and adoration he craves through the theater instead, an art much more highly regarded. Before Riggan's opening night, his ex-wife points out that he confuses adoration with love. At the end of the film, in the hospital where Riggan is recovering from shooting himself on stage, he at last has the fame and adoration he was desperate to gain. However, it doesn't heal him because it’s not actual love. 

Delusions: 

Along with “seeing” their shadow self, each protagonist has another destructive delusion.  

-Perfect Blue: The lines between the murders occurring in the show Double Bind and the actual deaths of those involved in the production get very murky. Is Nina dreaming she's killing people or is she actually the culprit?

-Black Swan: Nina’s coping mechanism for the emotional and physical stress she endures is picking and scratching at her skin. As she loses control more and more, her picking becomes more intense and the reality of what's going on with her body gets murky. What starts as a little picking at a hangnail turns into Nina pulling the skin off down her finger. The itchy skin on her back turns into budding feathers. Is she turning into the black swan?

-Birdman: The opening shot of the film has Riggan sitting cross-legged in his underwear meditatively floating. Throughout the film Riggan imagines he has telekinesis, bringing objects closer to him and possibly making a light fall and injure the costar he wanted to get rid of. In one scene he runs off a rooftop and flies away, landing outside the theater. An angry cab driver yells at him to pay his fare.

My Music: 

Our three protagonists have and are aware of their leitmotifs.

-Perfect Blue: Mima is going to make a special appearance with CHAM, but before the event she has a shoot with a photographer who presses her into a much more revealing session. This causes Mima a lot of distress, so Pop Idol Mima appears and says she’ll take over. She joins CHAM dressed in her frilly outfit and does the choreography and lip sync for "Angel of Love" (The CHAM song the movie opens with) instead of performing the actual song being played.

It’s a little different from the other two films, but Mima is synonymous with"Angel of Love." It’s also blasted on a boombox when the writer for Double Bind is murdered.

-Black Swan: Nina oversleeps for rehearsal and her mother doesn’t wake her up. When she arrives, she hears the white swan's music playing, commenting to herself “My music?” and is startled to see Lily has stepped in to perform her part. It wounds Nina to see another girl dancing to her music.

-Birdman: After Riggan spends a drunken night on the street he wakes the next morning to Birdman pumping him up. Riggan imagines he’s in a Birdman movie and blockbuster explosions and a giant bird robot appear in the background. He makes it to a rooftop and he cues the music by muttering “Music.” As his overture starts to play, Riggan, lost in his delusions, “flies” off the building.

Who You Could Become: 

Should the character fail or lose their way, there is a reminder or warning of what their possible future could look like.  

-Perfect Blue: Rumi, a bitter ex-pop idol turned agent who never got over her “failure” to make it to the top. Rumi projects herself on Mima, seeing her as everything Rumi had hoped to be. Rumi takes Mima's career change as a personal betrayal. 

-Black Swan: Beth, the former Prima Ballerina whom Nina looks up to. She was Thomas's star, his "Little Princess," but the industry is cruel and women age out of "star" material quickly. Heartbroken by the forced ending of her career and loss of Thomas’ affection, Beth self-destructs. 

Nina's mother is another glimpse at her possible fate. Her career was cut short because she got pregnant, but we don't know if she was ever on track to being a star. Nina's mother put all her energy and hope into her daughter's career as a ballerina, but also resents her successes. 

-Riggan: There is not a specific character in Birdman who represents the fate that could befall him, but the threat of failure is just as present as in the other two films. Riggan’s play could flop, no one could take him seriously as a stage actor, he could lose all the money he invested, his daughter could lose even more respect for him, and he could become more of a has-been than ever.

A Sapphic Element: 

Take this one lightly, but all three have it! Black Swan explores this in much more depth, whereas Perfect Blue’s and Birdman’s have it just kinda tossed in.

-Perfect Blue: During the initial scene discussion of Mima’s career change it starts with a clip of Mima acting. She is in bed, another woman in lingerie crawls towards her, and Mima then anguishes "I can’t do this!”

-Black Swan: Nina has been kept a child by her mother. As she dances the Black Swan more and more, she starts exploring her sexuality. While she is attracted to Thomas, she is also drawn to Lily. Does Nina want to be Lily or be with Lily? Nina even has a wet dream about the other girl.

Birdman: Laura, Riggan’s girlfriend and fellow actor, comments that their co-star Lesley has a perfect ass. After Mike tries to have sex with Lesley onstage, a distressed Lesly is comforted by Laura, who makes a pass at her which isn’t rebuffed.

Some Birdman and Black Swan only:

Birds: 

A bit obvious, but Birdman and Blackswan both reference birds in their titles and stories. 

-Black Swan: Nina is performing the story of Swan Lake, which is about a pure maiden who is transformed into a swan. Nina can easily play this part; her transformation is in embodying the black swan. Nina begins to have hallucinations that she is physically becoming the black swan throughout the film: pulling feathers out of her back, her legs bending wrong, and her neck growing into the shape of a bird's. When she finally finds the character in her performance, Nina envisions herself growing black wings, the transformation complete. 

The narrative embraces the symbol of flight and freedom associated with birds. In one scene Riggen looks to be attempting suicide from the roof of a building, and we see him run off and fly away. He lives in the moment, soaring over the city and touching down in front of the theater. At the end of the film, Riggan does jump from his hospital window, but his daughter looks up to the sky and smiles as if he truly took flight. Also noteworthy: after Riggan shoots himself in the face, blowing his nose off, his face cast looks similar to his Birdman mask.

The Protagonist Catches Their Double Coping A Feel Backstage: 

It’s their big night, but the double is having all the fun.

-Black Swan: It’s opening night. Nina and her Prince do an elegant performance together but as soon as they reach backstage the Prince immediately distances himself from her. There is no affection between them. While Nina waits for her next moment on stage she sees the Prince with Lily, and Lily cops a feel of his package.

-Birdman: Riggan is preparing to go on stage. He spies Mike coming to the back of the stage, Riggan’s daughter Sam in his arms. They are happy and at ease in each other’s arms, and they kiss. 

Hope you enjoyed my little comparison! Let me know what ya'll think!

Thank you Cal for editing!

-Julia

[mamirhodessxox]

Too Sweet (Part 3)

Stalker Professor!Cody x Ballerina Fem!Oc

Desc- Zoe is a 23 year old enrolled into University who is well known across campus fr participating in Ballet & even auditioning for one of the most important roles of the year, but she seems to be quite infatuated with her professor without realizing he is 100x more infatuated and obsessed with her, the two grow a bond and soon realize they would do whatever it takes just to be happily together forever.

Contents- Fluff, Angst, Smut in some chapters, Use of Alcohol & Marijuana, Arguments, Soft/hard Dom x Brat like pairing, Mutual Stalking, Murder, Violence, Gore Details, Kidnapping, inspired of off the show ‘You’ & ‘Black Swan’

🏷️ list: @alyyaanna @ginswife @coolpastelartshoe @greatkoalawizard @cokolin044 @kotoriarlert @alicerosejensen @bunnybot55 @adollonyourshelf @mini-rhodes @southerngirl41 @harmshake @femdisa @kabloswrld @claymoresofinfamy23 @cococodysleevlesshoodie

{~I'm very serious with you guys interacting with my writing!!!! it would make me so happy & excited, the more comments & reposts the more inspiration i have to write :) likes and comments are strongly appreciated so please COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMEENNTTT the more comments the more content <3!!!~}

The night the football game quite literally caught on fire everyone had been in a state of shock. A week surpassed and Zoe still refused to speak with Cody once she saw him with another woman, he’d try to speak to her and make some sort of interaction in class but she didn’t budge one bit.

It was 5 nights before her swan lake performance & Zoe spent most of her nights at the dance studio practicing her moves even during after hours. The lights were dim, she assumed she was alone but once she had heard a door shut loudly she stopped her every move & turned her head in the direction she heard the slam “Hello?” Zoe called out and stood still but heard nothing, “Keith is that you?” She tried peaking through as carefully as she could before walking closer towards the sound

“Keith this isn’t funny you’re being an asshole.” Zoe frowned before switching on the lights and looking down the hall and seeing absolutely nothing, the entire studio felt eerie at that moment, just as she sighed and was moving back towards the room she originally sat in until she felt a tap behind her “I don’t like being ignored Zoe.” Cody announced while watching as Zoe turned to face him and glared “You’re not allowed here.” He quirked up an eyebrow “Well I don’t seem to give a singular fuck now do I?” She frowned at his words and turned back into the practice room and grabbed her things “Is this what you do? When a girl says she doesn’t want to have sex you bring another woman with you somewhere you knew I’d be and shove it in my face?” She questioned but Cody had a confused expression but soon sighed approaching her even closer “Is that what this is seriously about? Doll that was my co worker from that meeting before the game, she wanted to tag along that’s it. Nothing more.”

She stood still for a moment & lowered her head “Oh..” silence filled the room while Cody lowered himself and sat on the floor next to her “I’m sorry I made you worry off your pretty head like that love’ it won’t happen again” she looked at him and felt a small smile grow across her cheeks & kissed him before pulling away and messing with her hair “You’d look good with blonde hair” Cody chuckled while staring at her admiring all of the features that were scattered on her beautiful face “Yea? Well you never know what happens when I’m bored.”

She smiled and sat on his lap while they both sat in the middle of the dance studio in silence before he tangled his fingers within her hair and ghosted his lips against her neck and jawline while his hands ran up and down her back as his lips mumbled against her neck “You’re so stunning Zoe” she smiled before pressing a soft kiss against his head before slightly gripping at his hair before she pulled away from him and got up leaving him confused “Everything okay doll?” She smiled and grabbed her bag before Cody stood up & started following her around like a lost dog, “Sweetheart what’s the matter?” Zoe smiled once more before turning around to look at him once they made it out of the studio “If you do as much as look at another woman I’ll fucking kill her.” He stood in shock for a solid minute before smiling a little bit & grabbing her face kissing her roughly but she had shoved him off & glared “You don’t get to touch me, I’m still upset with you.” Cody frowned and grabbed at her hands but she retaliated and snatched them away from him “Get that woman to back off of you and then we’ll talk. It’s that easy.” She eyed him up and down before walking off.

Meanwhile Cody stood there after realizing it was as if Zoe had put some sort of bewitching spell upon him as he was completely willing to do anything she wanted just for a grasp of her attention, he liked her possessiveness & her attitude. But it’s something he would definitely get clowned on if one of his friends saw.

“This girl is your student?” His friend questioned as they sat in a bar late at night, Cody held his head in the palm of his hands sighing “She’s 23, really pretty, classy, she does fucking ballet” his friend snickered at his situation & pat Cody’s back “I don’t know what to do Seth. She’s like a fucking siren man” Seth furrowed his eyebrows and leaned back in his stool “Did you fuck her?” Cody raised his head & looked at his friend “She’s cockblocking me right now. She’s pissed so she’s giving me blue balls.” Seth laughed out at his best friend’s words “I went to the college football game with my female co worker a night after I had a ‘moment’ with Zoe & I guess she saw and was pretty mad.” Seth sighed before running his hand through his own hair “I guess you gotta figure it out then huh?”

The next day Zoe sat in the practice room with Nina & ignored her presence as she continued stretching “Your fucking him aren’t you?” Zoe lifted her head up and glared at Nina “What are you even talking about?” The red head smirked and shrugged her shoulders “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about. Mr Rhodes. It’s so obvious you’re screwing him, I see the way you glare anytime he interacts with other girls in our lesson. It’s pathetic honestly.” She glared even more before crossing her arms “I’m not sleeping with our profe-“ “not yet at least.” Zoe furrowed her expression and continued ignoring her. “I’m not judging you, I get it. He’s hot, it’s the hair isn’t it? Perhaps his voice? Or maybe just the fact he gives you any kind of attention”

“SHUT UP!” Zoe shouted out before staring down Nina and slamming down her performance shoes “You’re just mad because you didn’t get the role as swan queen so now your patronizing and bullying me over it because your not that fucking talented like you think you are, but your a grown fucking woman so get the fuck OVER IT!” she spat out before standing up & getting in Nina’s face “Let me guess you had to fuck our director for that role too?” Nina taunted before Zoe finally snapped and grabbed her by the throat causing the two to fight around the entire room, Thank god there weren’t any cameras, Zoe was slammed on the wall “You’re such a fucking skank!” Nina shouted before Zoe kicked her off directly in the stomach, Nina grabbed her arms and slammed the both of them both against the mirror covered wall causing Zoe to scream out once the glass made contact with her skin “SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!” She screamed before grabbing the shards of glass and hovering over the weakened and bloodied girl who was fighting back to get her to stop but ultimately Zoe wouldn’t budge and slit her throat with the sharp glass piece & breathed out as blood dripped from her arms & cheek, she laid next to the lifeless body as she took a moment to process what happened before crawling towards her bag & grabbing her phone & calling Cody, “Hello?” She breathed out in relief once he picked up “I-I need help at the studio..It’s bad.. bring a first aid kit if you can please..”

Cody furrowed his eyebrows as he held the phone against his ear “Are you oka-“ she hung up on him and sat as she watched the blood roll out from Nina’s throat, For some reason she didn’t feel scared or guilty, she felt excited, adrenaline ran through her veins and that moment, blood started drying against her skin, she had no idea what to so until she heard a sigh from behind her followed with a “Fuck.” She turned around and saw Cody. She stood up and rushed over to him “She kept f-fucking taunting me about you & she wouldn’t s-stop so we got in a fight and she slammed us both in the mirror & I didn’t know what to do so I panicked and- you can clearly see how that went..” he nodded before looking down at Zoe before running a hand down her face despite the blood “Let’s clean the room up and get rid of her & figure out what to do then alright?” She nodded at his words before he grabbed gloves from the first aid kit he had brought and carried Nina carefully to his car & immediately stuffed her in the trunk & rushing back inside of the studio & found the utilities closet & grabbed cleaning products & began to clean up the bloody mess while Zoe got rid of any glass shards and quickly came up with an excuse as to why the large mirror was broken incase anybody asked her tomorrow. Once they were done cleaning Cody approached Zoe & held her face in the palm of his hand

“I’m gonna drop you off at your dorm with the first aid & you’re gonna take a shower, wash your clothes & if you need to, stitch yourself up alright?” She nodded before pressing a soft kiss against his lips “Why aren’t you scared?” She muttered before running her lips down his neck “Because I have no room to be scared.” She tilted her head in a confused manner but brushed it off before they left the now clean studio with her belongings.

Cody dropped her off before he drove out of town and handled the body & cleaned the back of his car before driving back into town and checking up on Zoe until she texted him instructions to not come over due to her friends being at the dorm after she took her shower.

“I’m still in shock after that fire incident, wasn’t a body found that night too?” Alice spoke as everyone sat in the room while Zoe laid in her bed as if nothing happened earlier “man I don’t know. This university is filled with a bunch of crazy ass bitches, remember my ex Nina?” Keith blurted out while taking a hit off of his freshly rolled blunt Mae laughed out as she filed her nails “Of course we do, isn’t Nina in your psychology class Zo?” The brunette turned her head and thought for a moment “Yeah she’s in my ballet group too, Keith can confirm he volunteers help every Friday” Zoe mumbled before sitting up from her bed “She’s off the chain nuts, she sprained my ankle when I got the swan queen role & not her” Alice scoffed and continued braiding her own hair “She’s just mad that she’s talentless, You’ve been in the ballet game for almost your entire life, she’s been in it since fucking senior year of high school.” Zoe’s phone pinged & she quickly checked it only to see Cody had texted her to come outside, “I’ll be right back I think I dropped something outside.”

Cody sat in his car in the parking lot as he watched her scamper towards him & got in the car “Are you feeling alright doll? Any sort of panic?” She shook her head with a smile dancing on her face “It’s as if it never happened.” He chuckled and leaned across the arm rest so he could kiss her more easily “Why don’t you spend the night with me tonight? It’s sunday, you having nothing else going on today” she smiled at the offer & nodded before her face dropped a little bit “Are we gonna get in trouble?” He shrugged as he started driving the car “Not unless you say something or act suspicious.” Zoe raised a brow while turning her head towards him “How are you not internally freaking out? You disposed a goddamn body that I murdered.” He grinned and looked at her for a split second “And a body that I handled sweetheart. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“What do you mean?” He stopped at a red light and smiled at her before holding onto her hand “You didn’t know?” She tilted her head “I set the guy you were making out with at the game on fire.” Zoe’s heart dropped and sat still for a moment as he said it like it meant absolutely nothing, “Are we murderers?” Cody laughed lightly as he gripped the steering wheel “Not if people find or sweetheart. As long as nobody knows we’re innocent.” He wasn’t joking. Zoe didn’t fee guilty, quite honestly she hoped that Nina’s final day would hit. “So other than today, how has practice been for you?” She heard Cody’s voice ring through her ears and noticed they were at another stop light, her thighs tightened against each other the more he spoke. “Zoe?” Her head snapped towards him as she smiled & pushed her hair away “Uhm- it’s good, I’m really focused on this performance..I’ve grown quite passionate honestly.” He hummed as he pulled into his driveway and looked at her

“You know I would do anything for you right?” Zoe smiled at his words when they both stepped out of the car “like kill someone for me?” He grinned and pressed her against the front day “Already did that but I’ll do it again if you ask” he teased before pressing his lips against hers & slipped his tongue past her lips while pressing her closer and closer against his body, she held the side of his face before ripping herself away from his body once she had realized something.

He wasn’t joking about killing for her and neither was she. They were both sick in the fucking head that they are convinced they’re innocent no matter what because to them. It’s normal. That’s what love is right?

Having the confidence to murder someone else for the love of another?

Manirhodessxox’s Masterlist

[p3arlsandcoff3]

BLACK SWAN - THE UNREWARDING CHASE AFTER PERFECTION

Tw: bulimia, self-harm, sexual assault, body horror

''Black swan'', directed by Darren Aronofsky, is a 2010 film. It deals with our main character, Nina, a ballerina which gets picked for the role of both The white swan and The black swan in a production of "Swan lake", but as she is urged by her artistic director to 'lose herself' her sanity crumbles before her. In this post I'd like to address the themes, motifs, character development, and what black swan made me feel, because I find art is about emotions.

★ SWAN LAKE ANALOGY

The story of "Swan lake" is a direct analogy most readers can pick up on during their watch of Black swan and I'd like to highlight some thoughts of mine on the parallels between the two.

" virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped

in the body of a swan. She desires

freedom, but only true love can

break the spell. Her wish was

granted in the form of a prince.

But before he can declare his love,

her lustful twin, the Black Swan,

tricks and seduces him.

Devastated, the White Swan leaps

off a cliff, killing herself. But,

in death, finds freedom. " - Leroy

This recounting of "Swan lake" is a basic synopsis of the movie Black swan. Nina is perfect, and she finds this need for perfection a prison. We see her eat half a fruit for breakfast, spend all her time in the company, and put mountains of effort into every step she takes. This is exactly Nina's downfall - if Leroy was right about one thing it's that perfection is inherently imperfect. It's messy and dirty and full of mistakes, because perfect is expected.

Nina believes her 'freedom' will come in the form of Leroy, that he can cultivate her into the girl she was destined to be, and sees Lily as her doppelganger - an evil xerox who wishes to steal her only answer away from her. Nina is mistaken, and actually her mistake falls perfectly into the plot of Swan lake - she mixes up the roles. Lily is much closer to the prince in the sense she allows Nina to be herself. She genuinely desires to see Nina succeed and yet doesn't believe that Nina should torture herself to perfection. Although it's difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion during the film, when the credits roll, I think we all know who's the twin, who's the swan, and who's the prince.

★ THE THEORY OF ART

Nietzche (😒...) Coined the terms 'dyonisian' and 'apollonian' in his book, Birth Of Tragedy. The Dyonisian is the tendency for freedom - pleasure, lack of thinking, impulse. The Apollonian is the tendency for structure - order, planning, perfecting. Nietzche claims that good art is the balance between the two, you can't be overly obsessive over detail nor carelessly creating.

Nina is Apollonian. She is so invested in being the perfect dancer she loses what made her good in the first place - her love for the profession, her daintiness, her emotional connection to pieces. Throughout the movie, we see how obsessive Nina becomes with perfection as her bulimia gets worse, she grows suspicious of her peers, and eventually resorts (does she...?) to murder for her sake. Truly, Nina couldn't balance art because she couldn't let herself go, and only when she did her performance was perfect.

Black swan made me unnerved. As an artist, it's truly an enthralling experience seeing a young woman shred herself to bits trying to be perfect. I almost cried when Nina forced herself to puke the nothing she ate, because it's an amazing metaphor; trying to use up something that is not there. I think about black swan from time to time, and I realize that Nina isn't perfect - she was. She was her best when she loved dance. When she lived living . When she loved herself.

Stay yourself, stay curious

[jamesbracket]

The matchups have arrived!

This tournament includes 96 characters named James, Jim, Jimmy, and Jay (with some others too), and they will all be competing in 6 brackets of 16, and the winners of those will be participating in two semifinals, and the winners of the semifinals will fight each other in the final finals! (Basically, it’s just how I did it on @blue-character-brawl, but with the amount of participants cut in half.)

Here are the matchups:

Bracket 1

Jim Hopper (Stranger Things) VS. Jim Halpert (The Office)

James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Marvel) VS. James “Bucky” Barnes (Marvel)

James Bonde (Moriarty the Patriot) VS. James Blond (Super Mario Brothers Super Show)

Jim Rockford (The Rockford Files) VS. James Bond (James Bond)

Jimmy Carter (Real Life) VS. James Madison (Hamilton)

James Byrd (@byrdsfly) VS. James Byrd (Spyro the Dragon)

JayMoji (Real Life) VS. James Phryllas (Real Life)

Jimmy Z (Wild Kratts) VS. Jimmy T (WarioWare)

Bracket 2

James Baxter (Adventure Time) VS. James (Adventure Time)

Jamestown, Virginia (Real Life) VS. James Webb Telescope (Real Life)

Jim Henson (Real Life) VS. Jim Davis (Real Life)

Jimmy Olsen (DC Comics) VS. Jim Gordon (DC Comics)

Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby) VS. James Henry Trotter (James and the Giant Peach)

Jimmy Neutron (Jimmy Neutron) VS. Shimmy Jimmy (Phineas and Ferb)

James McCloud (Star Fox) VS. Jay Elbird (Ace Attorney)

James (Wii Sports) VS. James (Papa Louie)

Bracket 3

Captain James Hook (Peter Pan) VS. James Norrington (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Jim Hawkins (Treasure Island) VS. Jimmy Hopkins (Bully)

Jamie Waring (Black Swan) VS. James Flint (Black Sails)

Jamie McCrimmon (Doctor Who) VS. King James IV (Doctor Who)

Dr. James Possible (Kim Possible) VS. Jimmy Pesto Jr. (Bob’s Burgers)

Prince James (Once Upon a Time) VS. James (Princess and the Frog)

jim teacher (This TikTok) VS. Nagasaki James (Noonbit Man)

James March (American Horror Story) VS. James Vane (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Bracket 4

James (Pokémon) VS. James T. Kirk (Star Trek)

James the Red Engine (Thomas and Friends) VS. James P. Sullivan (Monsters, Inc.)

Jamie Fraser (Outlander) VS. James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)

James Ironwood (RWBY) VS. Private Jimmy (Red vs Blue)

James Rallison (Real Life) VS. James Huckle (The Search for Santa Paws)

Jay Walker (Ninjago) VS. Jimmy McGill (Better Call Saul)

Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones) VS. Jimmy Novak (Supernatural)

Jem Carstairs (The Infernal Devices) VS. James Herondale (The Last Hours)

Bracket 5

James Wilson (House MD) VS. Jamie Tartt (Ted Lasso)

Jim Lake Jr. (Trollhunters) VS. James Hunter (Animal Ark)

James (The Walking Dead) VS. Jimmy (Scott Pilgrim)

James-Roman Grilfalinas (@artificialkids-2k23-official) VS. Jimmy Lightning (Peggle)

Jamie Wellerstein (The Last Five Years) VS. Jamie Winter (Midsomer Murders)

James Holden (The Expanse) VS. James Ford (Lost)

James Garrett (Zoey 101) VS. James Amber (Life is Strange)

Jay Merrick (Marble Hornets) VS. Meanie Jim (Junie B. Jones)

Bracket 6

Jim Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes) VS. James Maguire (Derry Girls)

James Black (Detective Conan) VS. James Gunn (Real Life)

James the Cat (James the Cat) VS. Jimmy the Robot (The Aquabats)

Jimmy King (Emmerdale) VS. Jim Johnman (Monster Factory)

Jame Palrose (Terror Island) VS. Jimmy (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac)

James Diamond (Big Time Rush) VS. James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small)

James West (The Wild Wild West) VS. James Maxwell (We Happy Few)

Jimmy Campbell (Bandstand) VS. James E. Negatus (Yonderland)

Round 1 of Brackets 1 and 2 will be going up on Saturday, May 20!

[unreadpoppy]

Swan Song

Read on AO3

a Raphael Swan Lake rewrite AU I guess?

Summary: Odille has always lived in her sister's Odette shadow. When both of them are turned into swans by the devil Raphael, she couldn't be more livid, especially as her sister falls in love with the handsome Wyll Ravengard. When Raphael makes the proposition of a lifetime, Odille's wicked nature will come to the surface.

A/N: This is an wild ass AU that has been living in my head rent free for some time. No canon is followed here, this is way more of a Swan Lake rewrite, but there's still some Raphael stuff (it's not necessarily romantic but honestly, take it as you want it). Also, tw for murder.

This is a tale of two sisters. 

Odette, the oldest, was the pride and joy of the family. With bright, blond hair, eyes as blue as sapphire and white skin, to her father, she was beauty incarnate. She was a kind hearted girl, as graceful as a swan when she danced around in the living room, and with a charming smile that could melt even the hardest of hearts. 

All in all, Odette was perfect. As her father would often say, it was as if she had been blessed by the gods themselves upon her birth.

Her sister, Odille, however, was not as fortunate. 

Being the daughter of a second wife, Odille looked nothing like her sister. Her hair was pitch black, her eyes were of a swamp green color and her skin was pale from the lack of sunlight. 

Odille didn’t sing or dance, her smile didn’t shine as bright as the sun, and people didn’t pay attention to her. In fact, even her father often forgot about her. 

While Odette was free to do as she pleased, Odille had to keep the house clean and take care of their parents - that being the reason she rarely left the house. 

Their parents had died a few years earlier, due to a terrible sickness, leaving the two girls on their own. Odille thought she would finally be free, but her dying mother’s last words had doomed her.

‘Promise me you’ll take care of Odette. Promise me.’ And so she did, finding work to sustain the both of them, while Odette remained the carefree girl she had always been. 

Odille lived in her sister's shadow, and for that, she hated Odette. She hated how all the men in the village showered her with gifts and pretty words, how their father, when still alive, would embrace her and kiss her forehead; She hated how beautiful her sister was, how perfect at anything she was, how she had a heart of gold. Odille believed her heart to be a black mass of hatred, a twisted shape of vines and thorns, grown with years of resentment. 

So when the news that poor, beautiful Odette had been transformed into a swan, Odille cried tears of joy. 

With her sister gone, everyone would pay attention to her. No longer would she be the invisible little girl, always inside her home but the one all eyes were turned to. She would find a handsome man to marry and all would be well.

That’s what she believed at first, but the reality had been completely different. 

Once the news spread of Odette’s misfortune, all the men in the village ran to the forest, crying at the loss of such beauty. When night fell, the swan turned back into the girl and she was able to explain her situation. 

“I had come to the forest to pick flowers, when a handsome man came up to me.” She began her tale. “He said he had never seen someone as fair as me, and asked for my hand. I refused him, and then he offered riches. When I refused him again, he offered land. And when I refused him for the third time, he revealed himself to be a terrible fiend by the name of Raphael. He put a curse on me - by day, a swan and by night, a woman again.” 

The crowd cried, feeling for poor Odette. Her sister had stood aside, far away from most people, the blood in her veins beginning to boil. Even in this situation, her sister still attracted the attention of everyone.

“But do not weep for me, as I can still be saved. I have been told by one of the druid’s who guards these woods that there is a way to break the curse. If a man, who has never loved before, proclaims his love for me before the season’s change, I shall return to my true form.”

“And what happens if that doesn’t happen?” A young man asked. 

“Then Odette will stay a swan, forever more.” A grave voice had answered, seemingly coming from the wind itself. Then, near where the girl stood, a great fire rose and from it, a devil appeared. 

Gasps and protests were heard all around as Odette pointed at him. “It was him - he is Raphael, the one who cursed me!” She shouted. 

Red skin, head crowned with horns, a long tail and wings, the fiend wore long, black garments. People began to shout and curse at him, one person in particular throwing a rock at him. With a snap of his fingers, the boy turned to ash.

“Enough of this noise, all of you.” His voice boomed. “Odette’s fate is sealed, and I fear there is nothing to be done. Try to oppose me and you will live very short lives.” The crowd went silent at the threat. “Now, all of you, leave right this instant, lest you share in his fate.” 

At the command, all but Odille left. She decided to stay hidden behind a tree, listening as Raphael turned his attention to her sister. 

“How could you be so cruel?” The girl cried. 

“Ah, my dear swan, there are men much crueler than me in the world.” He said, his fingers caressing her face, and she quickly turned from him in disgust. Deep down, Odille felt envious, wishing her to be the one receiving that touch. “Now, I can end your torment right this instant. Accept me, and be human again.” 

“No.” 

From where she stood, Odille could see Raphael’s face turn into a scowl. “Very well. It seems I’ll have to punish you.” 

“There is nothing you can do to hurt me anymore.” Odette defied him. 

“Isn’t there?” He asked in a mocking tone. He looked around, humming in thought. “You know, these woods can get quite lonely. What if I give you a friend?” 

“What-what do you mean?” 

“Well, it seems your dear sister didn’t listen when I told all to leave.” Raphael spoke and with a snap of his fingers, Odille was in front of them, wide eyed. 

“Do not hurt her!” Odette cried, but he raised a hand, stopping her from walking closer. 

“You think too lowly of me. I would never hurt you or your sister.” He smirked. “No, as I said, I shall give you something to keep you company.” 

He waved his hand and Odille was engulfed by flames. 

She was overwhelmed by the heat and the sound of her sister’s scream, and when the world came back to normal, everything seemed much bigger - or maybe she was smaller.

“NO!” Odette screamed horrified. 

Odille tumbled near the pond, catching her reflection in the water. Instead of a woman, she saw a black swan staring back at her. 

“Do not worry. When morning comes, she will turn back into a human.” He told Odette. 

“But-but, when the sun rises, I’ll be a swan.” 

“Yes. If I were you, I’d cherish these few more precious hours until dawn arrives.” Raphael made a motion to leave. ‘Now, if I were you, I’d hush about the solution to your little curse, lest you want a true taste of my ire.” And with the sound of a snap, he was gone. 

…

Even as a swan, Odille lived in her sister’s shadow. 

At day, she was forced to watch as various men from the village proclaimed their love to Odette, only for nothing to happen. At night, she saw her sister dancing sadly along the pond, the other forest animals joining her.

No men came to profess their love for Odille. No one had even seemed to notice she had shared in her sister’s fate. Her hatred for Odette only grew more and more. If it wasn’t for her, Odille could have been far away now, free from her, but no, Odette had to reject the devil, she had to defy him, and now Odille was still trapped with her. 

A month had passed in this predicament, when something changed. One day, a few hours before sundown, an arrow flew across the pond, almost hitting Odette. 

Odille, who was sat upon a large tree, watched as a young, handsome man ran towards the swan, raising his arrow, ready to strike. She saw the swan flying away, narrowly missing the arrows again and again, and Odille silently wished that one arrow would pierce her sister’s chest. 

But, to her dismay, night arrived, and the sisters positions were changed, the man watching in awe as the swan became a beautiful woman. Odille was quick to fly down from the tree and into the pond, listening to their conversation. 

“I apologize, my lady.” He bowed his head. “I am Wyll Ravengard.I was out hunting when I saw the most beautiful of swans. Had I known of your true self, I would have stopped sooner.” 

“You had no way of knowing.” Odette smiled at him. 

“But tell me, how could this be? Are you some sort of druid?”

She shook her head. “No, I am not. I was cursed by a terrible devil to turn into a swan during the day. My sister-” She pointed at the black swan “was cursed as well.” 

Wyll scowled. “These devils…they fool around with the lives of innocent people.” His gaze softened. “I am sorry that this has happened to you. The both of you.” 

“Thank you.” She took a step closer to him. “Please, keep me company before I turn back to that form.” 

He nodded and Odille watched in contempt as they spent the night talking and dancing. The little relief she got was that, whenever the two would get too close, she’d begin singing that terrible swan song, distracting the two. 

But for one month, that was how her night’s would play out. Odille would swim around while her sister smiled and blushed at Wyll. During the day, Odille would think about all the ways she could wrap her hands around Odette’s neck and snap it. 

How, if it wasn’t for the fear that the curse would persist, she would have ended Odette long ago. 

But Odille would not have to wait long until an opportunity arrived. 

…

The night before, Wyll had told Odette how he had captured her heart. He told her that he was the son of a duke, and that his father commanded a ball to be held in his name, where Wyll should find one woman to claim as his wife. 

He wanted Odette to attend and to declare in front of all his love for her. She blushed at the thought and kissed him, telling Wyll that she would go. Then, she proceeded to spend the rest of her time telling Odille how excited she was at the prospect of being free. 

If her swan face allowed it, Odille would have scowled. 

When morning came, the dark haired girl walked to the edge of the forest, as far away from the pond as she could. During her walk, she couldn’t help but murmur. 

“Perfect Odette, who gets a handsome son of a duke to fall for her. Odette, who’s so kind, sweet and who everyone loves. Perfect, perfect, perfect.” Odille walked in circles as she spoke to herself. “‘Oh, look at me, I’m Odette, I can do no wrong.’ Ugh, how I wish I could make her stop talking.” 

“If I had known you held this much hatred for your sister, I would have approached you much sooner.” Raphael’s voice snapped her back into reality. 

He appeared to her just as he had that first day. Odille huffed and walked past him, but he held onto her arm. “Ah, ah, ah, not so fast, little swan.” 

“Let me go.” She said, twisting her arm to try and get out of this grip, but he was stronger than her. 

“And why would I do that, when you have just become essential to my plans?” At that, she stopped struggling and looked at him suspiciously. 

“I don’t want anything to do with you, devil.” She spat. 

“Oh but you will.” His eyes darkened as he smirked. “What if I could give you the means to be free, for once and all? To end the curse.” 

Odille's eyes widened. Could he truly be offering such a thing? 

“What are you trying to get at?”

At this point, Raphael had let go of her arm, and she stood there, listening intently to every word he had to say.

“Let me tell you a story.” He began. “Long ago, all of this land belonged to me, given to me by my father, Mephistopheles. I ruled with a strict but fair hand, this forest being a haven for those in need.” Raphael walked around, moving his arms as he told his tale, almost as if he was an actor in a play. 

“That was until I was struck down by the forces of the Blade of Frontiers, Wyll Ravengard. He sought to rid the realm of any devilish influence and so, my reign was over. For years, I have been harnessing my power back and finally, a good opportunity to take the boy down has arrived.” 

“And how do I fit in all of this?”

“Patience, dear.” He raised a hand to calm her. “Ravengard has fallen madly in love with your sister, and if he proclaims his love for her, her curse will end, but with your help, I can take down two birds with one stone.” 

She raised a brow, urging him to continue. 

“Tonight, instead of your sister, it will be you who will go to the ball. With a simple charm, you will look like her. Stay there long enough for the boy to choose you as wife and then strike him down with this.”

Raphael reached a hand forwards and a dark blade appeared in his hands. 

Odille gulped. “Why do you need my help for this? Can’t you do it yourself?”

“Ravengard, foolish as he is, is not dumb. He has put a spell on his home, which prevents my entrance. Once he is gone, however, I’ll be able to take over.”

She took a step closer to him, her hand hovering above the weapon. “And what of my sister?”

“The heartbreak of Wyll’s betrayal will be too grand for her to take. I have no doubt she would not be long for this world after his demise.” With the dagger in his hand, Raphael walked behind Odille, his larger body looming over hers as he whispered in her ear. “I’ve been watching you, Odille. I know how you feel, the anger, the hurt, the envy. I could fix it all like that.” He snapped his fingers, a small flame appearing. “No more sister to bother you, no more living in the shadows. You would be the center of attention and all would talk about you for years to come. Do we have a deal?”

Odille thought for a moment. She had fantasized about this situation for so long, it didn’t seem possible but here it was. A quite literal devil on her shoulder, whispering to her all the things she had longed to hear. 

She always knew it was wrong to think of killing her sister, but this way, she wouldn’t have to get her hands dirty with Odette’s blood. This way, she would get what she always wanted. 

Without a word, Odille grabbed the blade. 

…

Wyll had been none the wiser. When he saw Odille - disguised as her sister - he walked towards her, pulling the girl into a dance. 

Odille noticed the way he looked at her, eyes full of love and a kind smile. She almost felt bad for what she was to do. 

Almost. When she remembered all she had seen and endured because of her sister, the weight of the blade felt lighter. 

As the night reached its end, Wyll finished the dance, holding her hand and telling everyone in the room. 

“Ladies, gentlemen, friends, hear! I have found the one I shall wed. The one who has captured my heart, the one whom I shall share the rest of my life with!” He got down on one knee, holding her hands. “I love you, like I have loved no other. You, and only you, shall be the one I love.” 

Odille smiled, placing a hand on his face. But soon, her smile turned more wicked and vile. 

“Oh, Wyll. Love truly makes us fools, doesn’t it?” She said. Wyll frowned in confusion, looking around when a loud noise hit one of the windows. 

He turned his head, just in time to see the swan he had grown to love flying near the glass and then falling, having just heard his confession. He turned back to Odille, his face falling. 

“No…” Wyll got up and ran towards the window, looking down the balcony to see the swan, now turned back to Odette’s body, laying bloody on the ground. “ODETTE! NO!” 

In his confusion and despair, he didn’t notice how Odille had silently approached him. It was only when the dagger pierced his back that he understood what happened. 

…

People screamed, running around in a panic. Odille stood there, looking at the body of her sister, dead on the floor. 

She should feel sad, but instead, Odille felt happy. 

Wyll was laying next to her feet, his blood dirtying the balcony. The smell of sulfur filled the air, and from a circle of fire on the ground, Raphael appeared in all his glory. 

Clapping his hands, he walked to where Odille was. “My, my, what a beautiful display that was.” He crouched down, removing the blade from Wyll’s body, wiping it with a handkerchief. “You were marvelous, my dear. Are you satisfied?” 

“Quite so.” She sneaked one last glance to her sister, before turning her full attention to the devil. “Now, for your part of the deal.” 

“Of course.” Raphael waved a hand and Odille was once again engulfed by flames, feeling her body change. Black feathers grew from various parts of her body, covering her arms, legs, torso and neck. Her feet elongated, becoming talons and from her back, a pair of giant wings appeared. 

Odille was confused. She was supposed to become human again and not…this. 

“What have you done to me?” 

“I have changed you, of course! I never said you’d go back to what you were, dear.” He could see the panic begin rising in her and he smirked, stepping forwards, and giving her back the dagger. “You look marvelous, my black swan.” 

Taking it, Odille saw her reflection, how her body had changed and for some reason, she liked what she saw. In this form, she would be free to fly wherever she wanted, and all head would turn when she walked. She was no longer bound by familial bonds, free to do as she wished. 

“Now come, there is much work to be done, and I believe you and I will be grand partners.” Raphael offered her a hand, and with a wicked grin, Odille took it. 

The end. 

[hunterexamcheatsheet]

My most favourite English movies (non-animated) so far...

The images are blurred. Tap on them to see the photos in clearer view. 

Why I like each of these movies.

The Great Gatsby: I love the Roaring 20s setting, and due to the themes of materialism and "what could have been" tragedy. The book was great as well, one of the best literature books written in my opinion. It was also great seeing Leo and Tobey together in one film. This helped me a lot in terms of writing Neon Nostrade as a character because I reference Daisy from the Great Gatsby a lot.

The Godfather trilogy: Probably the movie that started all the mafia movies. I like the story of Michael Corleone's rise and downfall. It inspired me whenever I want to write Kuraneon fanfics, I also made it the point of reference because Kuraneon fics centres around the mafia.

The Devil Wears Prada: This was so relateable to me when I was still working as a corporate girlie. The fast-paced work, the anxiety and the struggles of having a horrible boss hits close to home. It was also inspiring and helped me cope while working in such a demanding job (I resigned recently). Of course, the fashion industry in this movie made it more interesting.

Inception: I will never forget how mind-blown I was in this movie. I don't usually like Sci-fi movies, but this was really good. Dreams vs Reality themes often fascinate me, so Inception was a treat for me.

Fight Club: When I first watched this movie, I was weirded out (but in a good way). I have not seen a plot quite like this before. This movie grew on me actually, and it was the first movie I watched with my significant other. He also liked the themes in the movie. I have to stop here because I am breaking the first two rules of fight club.

The Silence of the Lambs: I am a sucker for dark murder mystery movies and psychological horror. This hits the nail for me, and I like the dynamic between Clarice and Hannibal. I actually read the book Hannibal because I was curious how it would turn out.

The Dark Knight: I have to thank Nolan for this one. When it first came out, I was still a kid who didn't quite understand Batman or his popularity. As I grew up, I was beginning to like The Dark Knight (2008) and that is actually what got me interested in Batman. He’s now my favourite comic book superhero. 

The Wolf of Wall Street: Martin Scorsese is actually my favourite director at the moment. I have seen several of his movies and I often see a pattern of a theme of greed, corruption, moral decay and downfall. I often like these kind of movies (probably why I like The Great Gatsby and mafia movies). I am also excited for his upcoming movie this year “Killers of the Flower Moon”. When I first watched The Wolf of Wall Street, I was shocked by the whole R-ratedness of the movie. It did not hold back. It was chaotic and excessive, which represented the movie really well. But I definitely liked the themes again, and while it does feature moral corruption and greed, it also hits me the reality that it is expensive to be poor. 

Black Swan: I started liking this film when I was still a teen, but it made me interested in psychological horror. Given that I had watched Barbie Swan Lake as a kid and took up ballet, this was definitely an interesting twist in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. I could also relate to the difficult tag between “The Madonna and the Whore” duality that people tries so hard to balance, and also the dedication and search for perfectionism (and its dangers). 

Compiling all of these, I think there is a pattern in what type of movies that I like. I am open to movie suggestions. 

[chinchillasinunison]

So I have a Project: Eden's Garden victim and killer speculation.

I saw another post about how likely it is that Jett's suit will be used in a murder case, likely his own. And one of the ideas the post threw out there was the killer wearing it to escape the Class Trial on a technicality, the class thinking it was a different victim all together (kinda like V3 Chapter 5). And if we're splitting hairs here, with padding a lot of characters could pull that off (in fact whatever material used would probably be a good piece of evidence in such a case), but I was thinking... what character has a similar enough body type to Jett that they could possibly pull it off without much aid?

And I thought, oh yeah, Eloise.

And it makes sense to me for several reasons. Firstly, Eloise is a fencer, so she's used to moving around in a bulky suit with a helmet with limited visibility, so in terms of pure physicality "Jett" would not seem much different. It's a fun way to incorporate her talent into a murder without her literally wielding a sword. Second, it's in line with Eloise's timid personality to try to completely disappear after doing something as horrible as murder. Third, they're characters with cool contrast (boisterous man who hides his face vs meek woman who doesn't) so I think it would be neat, especially if hiding her face gives Eloise a twisted sort of confidence. Fourth, let's talk about Eloise's associated animal: the swan. The swan has mostly positive connotations, but in the context of this theory it makes me think of Swan Lake. Particularly, Odile the Black Swan. A double in black, there to trick others into making the wrong choice that will doom them. Sweet Eloise wears a white uniform, connecting her to the pure princess Odette, trapped in a terrible situation unless a very specific set of circumstances are met. In this imagined scenario, when Eloise dons Jett's mostly black suit, she becomes Odile. It's worth noting that coyotes (Jett's associated animal) are also commonly tricksters in folklore, so I think this would be a cool way to play with that.

Do I think this would happen? Probably not. But I do think it's a cool idea for a trial.

[morgana-ren]

Are there any songs you associate with your ocs?Like, something that fits them?

Oh yeah, we both have a small list. Sea shanties work for any one of them, so I haven't put many of those on here. Obviously there's many more than this, but these are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. Some of them are very circumstantial in a 'you had to be there' kind of way, but a lot of them are vague as well. Yeah, some of them are the stereotypical ones you see on lists like this, but hey, I've been hanging around for too long not to have some of those.

Here's a small list of my songs for each idiot:

Corvus

Mare of my Night - Týr

Bloodstains on the captain's log - Carach Angren

Pretty when you cry - Vast

I'm your nightmare - The Brains

Sweeter than wine - The Brains

Sweet Things - The Pretty Reckless

Novelty Crosses - The Black Dahlia Murder

Whisper - Burn the Ballroom

In this world or the one below - Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag

Mother Russia/Dominion - Sisters of Mercy

Pain - Boy Harsher

The Bondage Song (Unchained Mix) - London After Midnight (Slight flash warning)

Love you to death - London After Midnight

Keelhauled - Alestorm

Lorely - Blackmore's Night

One winged angel - Aurora Australis Music

Smells Blood - Kensuke Ushio

Fear and Delight - The Correspondents

The scorpion and the frog - Marc Senter

Cry little sister - The Anix

Scream - Avenged Sevenfold

Luci - Zand

He's a pirate - Falkkone

Ilya

Lingering in an imprint haunting - Carach Angren

Katyusha - Megaraptor

Бабушка - ПНЕВМОСЛОН

Yuve Yuve Yu - The Hu

Black Thunder - The Hu

Wolf Totem - The Hu

This is Mongol - The Hu

Kiss - London After Midnight

Lacrymosa - Kalafina

Swan Lake - The Agonist

Where good girls go to die - London After Midnight

Russian Girl - Женя Любич

ПЕСНЬ 1 - БАТЮШКА

Batse tsyku - Бетал Иванов

Грустная Сука - IC3PEAK

Dead but Pretty - IC3SPEAK

Это пройдёт - Pornofilmy

Дядя Володя - Pornofilmy

She's in Parties - Bauhaus

Bind, Torture, Kill - Suicide Commando

Alone again, or - The Damned

History of Artemisia - Junkie XL

I, Caligvla - Ex Deo

Doce Doce - Fred Bongusto

Astarion

The Masochisn Tango - Ringlefinch

Kiss me you animal - Burn the Ballroom

Villainous Thing - Shayfer James

Hades OST... but it's funky - Alex Moukala Music

Bruises and Bitemarks - Good with Grenades

Danger! High Voltage - Electric Six

She dominates - Blitzkid

La Bomba- Lord of the Lost

Hit me like a man - The Pretty Reckless

After Dark - Tito y Tarantula

Jolly Sailor Bold - Ashley Serena

Choke - Royal and the Serpent

Hatefuck - The Bravery

Sex Hat Keine Macht - Oomph!

Tongues and Teeth - The Crane Wives

Lovesong - Snake River Conspiracy

Before I'm Dead - Kidneythieves

Metal Woman - 3 Inches of Blood

I'm Charming - Black Dahlia Murder

White Wedding - Billy Idol

You are a pirate - Alestorm

Bad Voodoo - Kreeps

Dead Girls are Easy - The 69 Eyes

Ex Mortis - Ice Nine Kills

Paradise - Satanicpornocultshop

Fuck Me - Vernon Jane

You belong to me - Cat Pierce

Reaver

Laisse tomber les filles - April March

Sisters - Pain of Salvation

Stand and Deliver - Adam & the Ants

The pain looks good on you - London After Midnight

Esmeralda - Burn the Ballroom

Love me, love me, love me - Kikuo

Who is she - I Monster

Gunslingers Glory - The Dead South

Gett off - Prince

Bloodsport - KMFDM Vs Skold

Gintleman's Club - The Dreadnoughts

Sleep is for the weak - The Dreadnoughts

Stupid Girl - Cold

Platz Eins - LINDEMANN

G Spot Micheal - LINDEMANN

Skin City - Steven Tyler

Violent Pornography - System of a Down

Santiano - The Longest Johns ft. SKALD

Sex - Oomph!

Follow me down - The Pretty Reckless

Amore Fermati - Fred Bongusto

Pervert - The Descendents

Your heart is as black as night - Melody Gardot

Bück Dich - Rammstein

[astra-galaxie]

"A friend of our pestisor is a friend of ours." - Răzvan Negrescu

Biographical information

Full Name: Răzvan Negrescu

Alias(es):

Răz

Cigno (Swan in Italian)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Demisexual

Status: Alive

Age: 50 (season 4)

Birth: 1840

Race: Human

Nationality: Romanian

Origin: Transylvania, Romania

Residence:

Concordia, USA

Grimsborough, USA (formerly)

Canto del Mare, Italy (formerly)

Transylvania, Romania (formerly)

Profession(s):

Glass-Blower

Tailor

Family: Argo Acquafredda (godson)

Partner(s): Santiano Adriatico (boyfriend)

Profile

Height: 6'0"

Age: 50 (season 4)

Weight: 159lbs

Eyes: black

Blood: O+

Răzvan is a tall man with ebony skin, long black hair braided into dozens of tight sections tied to one side of his neck, and a short beard. He wears a black dress shirt with matching slacks and boots featuring gold details. Over the shirt is a deep yellow vest and a black trench coat with gold buttons. His most recognizable accessory is his gold collar-style necklace, which resembles two wings coming together with a gem in the middle.

Additionally, Răzvan carries a black cane with a golden handle and tip featuring starry engravings on the grip.

As per his suspect appearance in Curtain Kill, it is known that Răzvan plays a string instrument (he plays the double bass), knows La Traviata, and drinks wine.

History

To be revealed during Murders of The Past

Events of Criminal Case

Season 4

Răzvan made his debut during Curtin Kill. Mr. Alastor invited him to the mystery man's final party to thank him for making his glasses roses on such short notice. Răzvan brought Santiano along as his plus-one, and the two enjoyed the wine and food while waiting for Viviana to take the stage. And like Santiano, he was not surprised to see that someone chose to murder Viviana before her performance could even begin.

After Charlie had analyzed the glass rose Răzvan had made for Viviana's show and connected him to it, he became a suspect in her murder. He told Isaac and Maddie that he only knew Viviana through work and not on a personal level. However, they later discovered that Viviana had stolen Răzvan's necklace as "collateral" for him crafting her glass rose. And while he continued to maintain his innocence, Răzvan couldn't help but be hostile towards the detectives for how they spoke to Santiano.

Once the killer was arrested, Răzvan had hoped the party would come to a quick end. He loves a good party as much as the next person, but even he grows tired of socializing. Plus, he knows Santiano dislikes crowds of people staring at him, so he knew his partner was impatient to leave. So after helping Isaac and Maddie as best he could with their Alastor investigation, he and Santiano watched Argo's performance to close the party and reunite with their son.

Story Information

First appeared: Curtain Kill

Trivia

While not a Romanian ballet, part of Răzvan's design is inspired by "Swan Lake." Kudos to anyone who knows what adaptation of Swan Lake inspired the design of his necklace!

Before returning to Canto del Mare, Răzvan hadn't visited since Argo was a baby. Keeping in contact was difficult, so he didn't think anything of it when he hadn't heard from his godson's parents for a long time. It wasn't until an islander managed to send him a letter that Răzvan learned of Moana and Moray's fates, and he immediately made the journey to Canto del Mare to take care of Argo

He's a bit of a polyglot. He knows many common sayings and phrases in several languages, but when it comes to fluency, he's fluent in Romanian, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French and English

While his primary profession is glass blowing, Răzvan is also a skilled fashion designer and jewelry maker. He has been commissioned to make countless outfits for almost every occasion, from women's wedding dresses to stage outfits

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad) Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad) Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad) Murders of The Past (Ao3/Wattpad)

[galacticspaceguy]

I have this idea for more Hunters Guild lore, and this time it’s a smaller, rarer branch of the Guild:

It’s this small group of around 12 members. I based them off the swan lake ballerinas, because being a ballerina is kinda their whole theme. There are 11 ballerinas and 1 musician cause I want these hunters to rely on music for their forms- like their fighting moves depend on the music; it’s sound, beat, tempo, duration, style, etc

They present themselves as entertainment, always working on big fancy ships owned by fancy rich people. This makes it easier to get around and spot threats easier and protect their patrons- no one knows they’re actually a protection force so it keeps guests calm while the dancers do their actual job. They also distract unknowing patrons to keep every job as calm and as clean as possible to prevent anything getting out about an attempted murder.

They work more in protection rather than hunting, but they are acquired to kill on sight at any sign of danger.

All the dancers have white dresses- I’m thinking about giving a black dress to the main dancer but idk- all the dresses have these feathers that work as knives when they throw them because that’s cool.

I want all the dancers to be mostly identical woman to keep a kinda scary look or something? With identical masks and outfits. Like imagine getting beat up by a bunch of woman who look exactly the same.

For species I was kinda thinking swan, but then biblically accurate angels came to mind and I grew attached. I’d image their wings are hidden and are apart of their outfits. Wings aren’t used during a performance unless for very dire circumstances.

Also their wings have eyes.

I have some concepts of them in my sketchbook, and I plan on designing them digitally soon. I might make Ayah (Ezra’s sister) a musician for them after I create accident for the current one because Ayah is a musician and she still needs a plot.

[stylezxsilvermoon]

stylezxsilvermoon pinned post!!

includes: masterlist, general about me, likes/dislikes, what my blog will have/writing

hi darlings this is formerly louiscarrotsxoxo's blog! now stylezxsilvermoon! i mainly go by jamila/mila but yall can call me jam or moo boo if want!

about me so yall can know me better!

i'm seventeen as of before october, im bisexual (heavy male preference) i go by she/her/they/them, i am a black american 🫶🏾 and i am trying to be a positive force in the world, always here to emulate love, peace, and kindness and forgiveness in this dark and crooked world! i'm a music lover, my fav color is pink, and im going to college to be an NP (hopefully i'll make it <3) and i literally love blogging, shitposting, freaking tf out on feed, all of dat hehe.

likes and dislikes

likes:

generally: the color pink, books, writing, art & music, dancing, positive vibes, movies, periwinkle, chris sturniolo, harry styles (hehe)

likes: musicans: harry styles, louis tomlinson, liam payne, zayn malik, niall horan, 1D, lorde, olivia rodrigo, taylor swift, 5sos, katy perry, R5, little mix, fifth harmony, paramore, johnnie guilbert, sabrina carpenter, the neighborhood, noah finnce and so many more!

likes: tv: girl meets world, jessie, star vs the forces of evil, a lull in the sea, toradora, spongebob, TMNT 2012, strawberry shortcake, barbie, winx, ever after high

likes: movies: under the amalfi sun, under the riccione sun, barbie princess charm school, monster high thirteen wishes, barbie swan lake, bratz girls really rock, bratz kids sleepover

dislike: racism, homophobia, terfs, zionists (literally, fuck off), sexism, haters, bullies, people who bully people for the fun of it, negative people, manipulators, abusers, gaslighters, mean people in general, mood-ruiners, people who literally have nothing good to say

fics

gentle reminder that all of my fics are au's, they're not meant to represent the celebs/people irl or in reality whatsoever, think of them as a totally different realm of 'things that would never happen in the history of ever'

(update): I've joined more fandoms since I wrote this post, and I'm pretty much open to writing any fanfiction for any fandom (that I'm interested in writing for obviously) for now those are

- one direction (larry stylinson)

- sturniolo triplets (matt/chris)

- sam and colby (obviously just colby and sam)

i mainly write: long fics over 30K at the least, fantasy, romance (#1), friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fics with really super deep lore, fantastical things such as:

princes/royalty/magic/vampires/superpowers/supernatural

my fics!

also before i put them here, you should refer to my fanfiction masterlist on the pinned of my blog!

blue ice (friends to lovers, murder mystery, romance action/adventure, 30K+ , wip)

the secret charm (enemies to lovers, action/adventure, royalty, fantasy, lots of lore/background info)

where to find me + my writing/stuff i make!

ok i dont have any social medias bc i feel like i dont need them, but i am on some VERY obscure places where i write/interact

quotev @.stylez

wattpad @.stylezxsilvermoon

ao3 @.stylezxsilvermoon

side accounts!!

@newnostalgics

@lonleyheartsclub

Pinterest / Spotify !!

@/stylezxsilvermoon (pin)

@/stylezxsilvermoon's spotify(spotify)

[bookwyrmshoard]

My Favorite Books of 2023

I had very few 5-star books this year, but quite a few 4.5-star and 4-star books. I limited this list to books I read for the first time this year (with one exception—an audiobook which I had read in print, over 10 years ago.) I also decided not to base the list entirely on the number of stars I gave each book at the time I read it. Instead, the books on this list are the ones that shine brightest in my memory at the end of the year.

Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik) – 5 stars. Probably the best book I read all year. Not only did I love it, I was also blown away by her mastery of the writing craft.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries (Heather Fawcett; ARC) – 5 stars. Absolutely delightful! Emily Wilde is a grumpy academic who is brilliant at research but terrible with people. When she travels to a remote Scandinavian island to research the local fae, she is drawn in to the townspeople’s lives and troubles, as well as the machinations of the fae. And her charismatic and interfering colleague, Wendell Bambleby, is a complication she neither wants nor needs. Or does she? (reviewed here)

Without a Summer (Mary Robinette Kowal) – 4.5 stars. Third in a historical-fantasy series, and possibly the best yet. Kowal’s magic system (“glamour”) is unique and fascinating, and her use of actual historical events and trends is meticulously researched, but it’s the relationships, particularly between plain Jane and her handsome, highborn husband, that really make the book shine.

An Enchantment of Ravens (Margaret Rogerson) – 4.5 stars (though I may raise it to 5) Enchanting. The Fae are properly fae (unpredictable, tricky, and largely indifferent to human emotions), yet the author made the love story totally convincing.

Identity (Nora Roberts; ARC) – 4.5 stars. Well-written contemporary romantic suspense, but simultaneously a character-driven novel about a woman rebuilding her life after her best friend was murdered and her own identity stolen by a serial killer. All the characters are compelling, and there are strong family relationships on both the hero’s and heroine’s side.

Murder on Black Swan Lane (Andrea Penrose) – 4.5 stars. A strong start to a historical mystery series that became a highlight of my reading year. The Wrexford and Sloane mysteries are set during the Regency era, mostly in London, and involve both high society and the middle and lower classes. There’s a long, slow-burn romantic arc, strong friendships, and found family. I absolutely love them. I’m letting book #1 stand in for the entire series, though book #2 might actually be my favorite by a hair.

The Curse of Penryth Hall (Jess Armstrong; ARC) – 4.5 stars. I would have given this marvelous gothic mystery 5 stars, were it not for the frequent sentence fragments that sometimes threw me out of the story.

Role Playing (Cathy Yardley) – 4.5 stars. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this grumpy-sunshine romance between 50-ish online gamers. The author’s portrayal of both the bi demi hero and the Asian-American single mom heroine is sensitive and perceptive, and the ending is pure satisfaction.

Bound for Perdition (Celia Lake) – 4 stars. Celia Lake‘s historical-fantasy romances are my latest obsession (since 2022). She published 5 (!) novels or novellas in 2023, and Bound for Perdition was my favorite of this year’s releases that can stand on its own. (I should probably add that I reread her entire Albion oeuvre once this year, and reread about 2/3 of the books twice. Something about her characters, setting, and style really appeals to me.)

Hounded (Kevin Hearne; audiobook) – 5 stars. This is the exception to the “new-to-me” books. I read Hounded in paperback about 11 years ago, but listening to it on audiobook was a different and better experience. And as with Andrea Penrose’s mysteries, I’m letting the first audiobook stand in for the rest of the series. (Well, most of them. I’m not quite to the end of the series yet, and book #3 really irritated me, but other than that, I loved them.) (reviewed here)

I am embarrassed at how few of these I actually reviewed. I’ll try to do better in 2024!

[sireniian]

independent & private roleplay blog for a fandomless oc by the name of seraphina, the current human incarnation of a murdered mermaid. includes some magical girl genre influences as well as taking inspiration from the little mermaid & swan lake to an extent. incredibly dark subject matter is present within this blog, including but not limited to : blood, murder, imprisonment & abandonment.

an exploration of : a mermaid has no tears therefore, she suffers so much more. the lonely one. revenge in reincarnation. memories of the sea. corruption by heartbreak. her feet do not bleed. the little mermaid is now the black swan.

story | verses | dossier.

GUIDELINES && NOTES .

♦️ I suffer from a few health conditions which, oftentimes, leave me fatigued, anxious or in pain; please be patient with me and expect there to be times where I may seem completely absent. I am also quite the busy person. If I'm active and I have seemingly forgotten our thread, just give me a little nudge, okay? ( I also run other rp blogs && my muse may fluctuate ) .

♦️ OCs && crossovers are always welcome! verses will soon be available for many a fandom !

♦️ I often get overwhelmed sometimes && may disappear for a long time to focus on myself and those who are immediate in my life. I do apologize if I seem distant or don't answer messages. I'm terrible at keeping up with others but trust me, I like you very much.

♦️ i am always excited for a ship, though i do prefer chemistry first & foremost. any & all adult interactions must be discussed prior & for muns & muses over the ages of eighteen !!! if you have any ideas for a pre-established dynamic, then by all means let me know ! 

♦️do not steal any of my headcanons, lore, icons or edits. I work hard on them & I don’t tolerate that sort of thing.

♦️ i do practice formatting but please let me know if anything I write is too difficult to read.

♦️ common sense and courtesy is expected here, thank you. and unless there is a user who is considered a danger to others and minors, I will not be participating in callout culture. i'm not here for interpersonal drama.

♦️ thank you for your time! i really look forward to writing and making friends with you and your muse! cheers!

promo credit

[deepdarkdelights]

I finished reading Black Swan right now and my gosh it was so good. Once again, your writing is just so descriptive and beautiful. The scene at the engagement party gave me chills. The way you wrote that part was insane. Also I read this while having the Swan Lake ballet music playing in the background and it made it much better. When Jimin’s transformation scene came up Act 1 Scene 2 started playing. The way it transitioned from gentle slow mystical music to the beat speeding up and getting stronger and powerful when Jimin started clawing at his skin made reading that scene an experience.

Ahhhh thank you so much! You can't see me but I am giggling and spinning in my desk chair right now 😂 I also put on that piece just now so I can listen to it while I respond to you!

The ballroom massacre was not something I planned to write about! It kind of just came to me, I think I saw one of Jimin's Black Swan concept photos and I thought to myself "oh, I should have him perch menacingly on the balcony that would be so cool...but if he is a yandere I should go all the way right? Yeah...he's going to murder someone."

Here! I found the picture! I really love sharing my inspirations for my fics, it makes me so happy 😊💜

These were also very inspiring for the transformation scene:

I could talk about Black Swan Jimin for days 💜