#old concept art of frollo

[princesssofi1990]

Why is he so ahh in old concept arts bruh 🫩🫩🥀🥀💔💔💔

(Hear me out on his old concept here tho)

[hiswrlds]

She's all I'm thinking about all day so here you have it, characters & stuff inspiring Sonic's owl mom now I'll be yapping abt everything here, keep in mind I'm talking game-verse things

1. I think many will recognize the white owl from the Ga'hoole series, Nyra, she's particularly important ; vain & vile self-proclaimed mother, of a hidden gain with a calculating prideful nature, what strikes most about her is her desire to serve the Pure Ones as their queen, everything she does is in their advantage and favor, she truly believes in their brutal cause and would put herself in the meat grinder if it's for them . Longclaw's loyalty to the Giant Owls is of similar fashion . Also, if i had a nickel every time a hyper-realistic 3D owl mother figure was racist, I'd have two nickels .

2. Continuing with the Ga'hoole inspiration ( the warrior owls on the right ) I def think the Giant Owls were just as brutal, war and violence was their legacy, they even weaponized fire like the song from the Knuckles series mentioned, but their technology was much more advanced .

3. Labyrinth Zone from Sonic 1 !!! This is what apparently inspired the Giant Owls lore for the movies, I like that it has a bit of a greek vibe to it, with how greek goddess of wisdom & war Athena is often linked to owls in mythology . Plz think of bby sonic going thru this stage while pissed tf off at his mother and all the stupid water .

4. Longclaw with cloak of leaves is from movie concept art ! I love that for a look, it's a lot more unnerving . All in all I like how Longclaw looks in concept art/old official things, she looks menacing and hostile, but not so much that it wouldn't be covered by a warm smile or reassuring words .

5. Gothel ( & her dynamic with Rapunzel ) this one is pretty self-explanatory ! Thought less of the self-centered personal gain Gothel has, again, Longclaw & clan believe they're serving a bigger cause . For a movie verse I'd also say she also has Frollo vibes but that's for an entire different blog .

6. And finally the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena herself but from Epic: the musical !! And if we're being even more specific, Wolfy's version of Athena in " My Goodbye " animatic . I know this is extremely specific but I'm not crazy guys I swear . Athena, again, is often represented in owls . I can't express how everything in this animatic is Sonic & Longclaw to me, the way Athena is so tall and condescending, her owly mannerisms, Odysseus being backed by electric guitar, the lyrics the EMOTION the barely contained rage in " I don't know where I went wrong ! " I can't explain this guys you Have to watch it .

[fm-towns]

(probably) The last things I'll say about The Frollo Show are these:

I really appreciate the consistency that's maintained throughout the series.

It's a charm point that almost definitely doubled as a time-saving technique. If the series evolved at the same rate chincherrinas's (the series creator) skill improved, I believe he would have gotten burnout and dropped it before like, episode 15. A skilled creator purposefully holding themselves back is easily the one thing that resonates the strongest with me. That's why my favorite Gmod video (I'd argue that it should be referred to as a single video despite being uploaded as two separate videos) is Product Man eventually retrieves his soda. It was purposefully split into two episodes to mimic the old 15 minute restriction YouTube used to have for videos, it follows the outdated "Freak Fortress" concept for crafting characters in older Gmod videos, and all animation is done frame-by-frame inside of vanilla Gmod, with no additional assistance on visuals using outside addons or editing software. The audio sources are purposefully of inconsistent quality and are purposefully dated, presenting itself as a linear improvement on a notably dated style of creating art, rather than an evolution that grew with it's peers. It successfully shows the appeal that style of video had with creators and viewers all those years ago, referencing the creator's earlier work inside that same format back in that same time period, but it also updates the formula just enough to maintain relevance with the newer generation. And because I started a numbered list all the way up there,

2. I love how chincherrinas uses a mix of popular YTP sources, common internet jokes, and very, and I mean VERY, niche sources for the series.

Like as an example, it's The FROLLO Show, it uses Frollo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, as the two main characters. But later in the series, it uses a sports caster? news anchor? from Brazil or whatever as an enemy the gang needs to defeat. It's a literal who moment, but it's presented with such confidence that you have to accept that the guy is a serious threat in the story.

3. I just love how sloppy it looks!

True art doesn't need to look detailed. Effort placed into art can never be discerned just by looking at it. Just because something doesn't "look good" doesn't mean it's bad. Even back in the "YTP" era of The Frollo Show, where the creator had random edits with no bearing on the plot whatsoever, there were still certain themes and jokes that kept repeating across episodes in this smaller "arc", ones which are still referenced in the later episodes of the series (the latest entry in the series was uploaded less than a year ago btw!).

Even if the series started without having a concrete point behind it all, Chincherrinas made a point from their own existing work. It became a remix of itself through an art form based solely on the concept of remixing existing media, and became one of the best of it's kind. And even if newer YTP's are technically more impressive with what they do, they don't catch the essence of what makes truly makes YouTube Poops into art.

All art should have a story that froms from previous experiences, either through previous entries in a series, like a story formed from the knowledge of the creator's past, their present, the creator's projectes future, or maybe just knowledge about the creator's preferences for the subject matter of their art.

A story can also form from the viewer's own knowledge and previous life experiences, filling in the "before's" and "after's", and even the "present's" of an art piece. I personally believe that at the truly fundemental level, the concept of a "story" is what justifies art to exist. All art has a baseline story through it's creation (even dudebro grifter AI art), but the interest I personally have is the complexity behind this nebulous concept of a "story."

One creator I have a deep respect for their skill, but I can never appreciate their YTP's, is Geibuchan. They are EXTREMELY talented, and I know enough about their story to appreciate the abstract concept of their art, but unfortunately their works don't resonate with me. Instead of feeling like "a linear improvement on an outdated, remix-heavy format," it comes off to me more like "a linear REGRESSION attempting to mimic the concept of a late 00's, early 10's remix-heavy format."

I know this is an EXTREMELY subjective opinion (and so reductive that it's undefendable), but Geibuchan's YTP's don't feel like a new story to me. They feel more just like "Azumanga Daioh, but slightly to the right" or whatever. I find it difficult to appreciate the story that forms when I struggle to even see that story. All I can feel is the same exact stories from the source material, just shifted to the side, obfuscated behind flashing lights and rapidly spinning images, hidden behind repetitious audio.

Anyhow, do you think it's obvious that I finally got my Adderall refilled? I even got put on a higher dose!

My three favorite YTP series are, in no particular order:

The Frollo Show

DELIVER US

Fesh Pince of Blair

[non-sequitura]

Non-sequitura Disney in-depth analysis (after making a tier list)

Warning: SUPER longform. If you don’t know a movie well, you should skip the summary. I tried to be light on spoilers, but they’re there.

I went chronologically from favorite to least favorite. So S tier is, in order from fave to least fave, The Incredibles, WALL-E, then Zootopia.

S tier (Something I consider high quality AND a movie I greatly enjoy. I would love more Disney movies be like this.)

The Incredibles - one of my favorite movies of all time, possibly THE favorite. Rockin social commentary, epic action scenes, memorable characters, not a minute of screentime wasted, great take on the Fantastic Four, hilarious parts for both adults and children, an interesting villain, etc. 

WALL-E - I love how social commentary was done here. Also skies above, what a beautiful love story. Really blazed a trail in non-verbal storytelling (especially given it was an animated kids film!) Robot animations are particularly delightful. 

Zootopia - another social message delivered excellently and entertainingly. I love Judy and her persistence, I love the expressiveness of the faces and the epic city setting. I love Judy and Nick's banter. This movie deserves to be remembered longer than it has been so far. Admittedly, not one of my fave villains, which makes it my least favorite of the Ss. 

A tier (either super high quality or something I greatly enjoy and deem of at least reasonably good quality)

Mulan - this movie did everything right. Truly feminist protagonist, an icon for strong Asian women, fairly culturally accurate (tho Mushu confuses me), GORGEOUS and iconic music. Lets a relatively natural romance develop. I frickin love the action scenes, I love the emporer. Sadly, this movie just didn't lodge its way in my heart as well as Pixar did. Pixar just has some magic, yo. 

Cinderella - my gosh what an underrated protagonist. Her family straight-up abuses her and she never loses sight of her goals for a better life. Iconic visuals helped bring Disney out of bankruptcy. A gorgeous alto singing voice. 

Wreck-it Ralph - alright alright ppl don’t crucify me for this. I honestly can’t think of much wrong with this movie. Vanellope and Ralph’s vitriolic best buds relationship is adorable, her forgiveness of him is heartwarming and (relatively) deserved, rockin’ Owl City song, epic visuals that mix together bc of all the different games. ALSO ONE OF THE BEST DISNEY VILLAINS NO CAP. One of the only twist villains I like. And we stan the romantic pairing. 

Tangled - I’ve talked about this a lot, but Rapunzel deserved the whole world after what she’s gone through. That being said, Gothel is not some shallow monster she needs to escape from, but an intelligent, well-defined monster with backstory. I could totally see this story happening if the world of Tangled existed. Epic love story, hilarious dialogue. Music is… good but much of it is less memorable to me. Visuals are good but not quite at the level/creativity of many other disney films. 

The Lion King - they really put Hamlet in Africa and pulled it off lol. But in all seriousness, no one took the premise of this film seriously at the time and it became sooo iconic. I love Scar and his eventual downfall, I love how Simba grows emotionally, I love the sad moments that don’t overpower the overall feeling of light goofiness. And music so memorable it was one of the first Disney musicals. 

Coco - not a super unique story premise. But an incredible culture to explore with such creativity and sensitivity. I love the themes of death not being the worst and music being so central to the story. Twist/twist villain was memorable and not expected. And yeah, it did make me cry, so props there. 

Ratatouille - the most recently watched of these films for me. This movie is soooo unique! Back when Pixar was truly super out there with their concepts. Super Parisian visuals and soundtrack. It somehow starts goofy (THE OLD LADY TRIES TO KILL REMY WITH A SHOTGUN WHILE WEARING A GAS MASK) but really drives home the message that you can truly do what you want regardless of who you are. Colette can get it. And the monologue by Ego at the end is one of my favorites in film. 

Frozen - Anna is one of my favorite Disney protagonists. She’s so resilient and loyal. Elsa ain’t bad either but she experiences… less character development. The film is a tad too pleased with its own self-awareness for my taste, but there’s no denying how iconic the music and visuals were. 

Inside Out - Alright, this movie hits home for me bc I tried to run away after moving. A super thoughtful, heartfelt depiction of (potentially depression? imo) with great moments of humor. Riley’s inner world is so creative and lovely. Also realistic depictions of Minnesota/California culture. 

Tarzan - Jane! is! smart! and! adorable! Her scientific curiosity makes her very endearing. it’s so cute to see her and Tarzan learn from each other. Also Tarzan’s “found mother” is epic. Solid score. Solid film all around. To quote Lily Orchard, “This film is what Pocahontas tried to be.” 

B tier (one of my favorites but has a few significant flaws that bring it down (or not quite as memorable to me, but consider good quality))

Peter Pan - Haven’t seen it in a hot sec, but I remember being super charmed by this as a kid. Just going out, having incredible adventures, and returning to a warm home at the end of the day. Tinker Bell is hilarious and beautifully drawn. Gets major negative points for the depiction of Native Americans tho. 

Big Hero 6 - I was super charmed by the protagonist, his family/friends, and the setting. The plot/villain’s motivations are a bit of a mess, though. 

Princess and the Frog - This movie has so much flavor to it! The visuals/music are lovely and unique. Tiana is incredible but it’s kinda annoying how EVERYONE keeps trying to shoehorn her into romance. The thing is, her goals are entirely reasonable. Focus on her restaurant, then look to settle down. But they’re like “nooo you’re ignoring the important things in life” smh. Also, epic villain, woohoo! The movie dragged significantly for me when they were in the bayou. Charlotte is delightful. 

Winnie the Pooh - don’t remember it super well, but I think it was charming and occasionally dark, which is an addictive concoction. 

The Little Mermaid - MAN ppl roast Ariel way more than she deserves. Visually, it was… fine. idk. This movie is good. I don’t have much else to say about it. 

Snow White - the one that started it all. Visually, super impressive. Musically, lovely. I find the romance a bit… off. Well, more than a bit. What is it with Disney and kissing sleeping people? 

Alice in Wonderland - a nerdy acid trip. Right up my alley! I also like films where ppl go on incredible adventures and return to the status quo, but THEY changed bc of it. Epic. SUUUUPER creative visual interpretation of Carroll’s book. Brave - gosh I loooove films where a parent and child learn to understand each other. Never got why ppl hated this movie so much. The Scottish flavor is present and fun. Merida made one mistake and made it up. The arrow scene is iconic. 

Cars - a fun ride! (hahaha puns.) We love seeing Paul Newman as a car. 

B-minus tier? (same as B, but problematic, or weaker story-wise.)

Hunchback - man… settings-wise, this film might be my favorite. I also love Esmeralda and Quasimodo as characters and as a duo (though the sexualized depiction of Romani ppl is not epic.) I also don’t find the discrimination against Esmeralda/Quasimodo jarring bc it matches the time period. Frollo is super interesting as a villain. The gargoyles are… def not necessary. Basically, this film doesn’t know what it’s doing with tone. 

Sleeping Beauty - Aurora was my favorite when I was younger because I thought she was the prettiest, and that still defines how i feel about this, basically. Visually lovely - everything is kind of elongated and gothic. Maleficent is spiteful and epic. I have no issue with the fluffier parts of the movie, like the music or the fairies. RIP for lack of consent being a plot point, though. 

Hercules - Megara is incredible. one of the only Disney “princesses” who acts like an adult and has cynicism as a major part of her personality. I love her and Herc’s progression where she learns to trust him (yes, he is genuinely that sincere, it’s not a front.) Muses are unique, whoever came up with them was high on something and I’m living for it. I just think the plot itself was somewhat unrealistic/ weirdly-paced. There are some memorable songs, some less-than-memorable songs. Art style is cool but I’m personally not a fan. EXTREMELY inaccurate depictions of the original Greek gods. 

C tier (entertaining, but I don't consider it a great movie)

Bolt - I watched this like 11 years ago. It was fun! A cool concept about those put on a pedestal learning their worth even without celebrity boosting them up. Animation was… fine I think. not super memorable to me. 

Frozen 2 - They really took any scrap of character development Elsa had in the first movie, threw it in the garbage and set it on fire. Anna deserved so much better. Songs are bombastic and impressive, have the occasional interesting lyric, but are really weirdly placed and none are quite as iconic as the first movie’s (except Aurora, she does great work here. Also the song Anna sings after she thinks Elsa died.) 

Not a big fan of the vaguely homeopathic theme. Not a big fan of Olaf’s WEIRD character development. Not a big fan of the suuuuuper awkward dialogue and the animations that imply not only that Kristoff is into his reindeer but that Elsa and Anna are into each other (if you’re questioning if they did that, yes, they did, I can find screenshots of some really weird expressions/moments. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO PANDER TO YOUR WEIRD FANS, DISNEY.) 

The voice actors did great work, the animators did great work (look at the details on their clothes! Look at how Elsa’s posture changes to be more confident! look at how they're animated while they're singing!) Some weird costume/makeup choices that make Elsa look like an aging starlet, but she also has some gorgeous moments so eh. It’s a wash for me. 

They really did not know what to do with Kristoff this movie, huh. The only thing that happened to him was singing a cheesy 90s ballad and marrying Anna, both of which were admittedly epic. Also, the trolls got 0 appearances despite being literally psychic. Probably could have helped with a lot. I'm not a huge fan of lore/worldbuilding, and thee was a lot of it here. Overall neutral on it. 

Also a big theme in this movie I don’t love - **** TANGIBLE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR ACTIONS!!! The danger is Elsa’s death, the elements, colonialism, and Arendelle literally being destroyed. None of those end up playing out, so I was left at the end going “this film had literally no stakes.” 

Monsters U - same as above - entertaining at the time! Not super memorable. The ppl we were supposed to dislike kept switching. Doesn’t really match the canon of Monsters Inc (I thought they were supposed to have known each other since childhood so why did they meet in college?) 

Cars 3 - so apparently, everyone HATED this movie! Fun! I never watched Cars 2 (yes watched Cars 1 if you haven’t been paying attention to this list), but I didn’t think this movie was bad at all. Well-acted, some fun chase scenes, the scene where Lightning fails at driving in the simulation is genuinely hilarious, and some interesting perspectives on teachers getting the spotlight for their skills for once. 

Incredibles 2 - I liked this film at first, but then it was… just okay in retrospect. I love me some good family dynamics. The plot here makes not a lot of sense. THEY BUILT UP THE UNDERMINER FOR NOTHING AND THEN FORGOT ABOUT HIM. I was surprised by the villain swap, but it happened so last minute I never really understood their motivations even after they explained them. Tried to tackle waaaay too many messages. 

D tier (I didn't enjoy these or consider them mediocre)

Finding Dory - Maybe I should have put this higher? Like C tier at least. Ah well. Wasn’t a huge fan of the body/physical comedy (not my thing), but it was entertaining and awww finding family is heartwarming. 

Finding Nemo - I remember nothing about this movie. 

E tier (this film has significant problems)

Beauty and the Beast - *sigh*… I want to love this movie. The score is gorgeous. Visually, they could have made it more distinctly Rococo-era France but didn’t (why?) The voice actors did good work and I think Paige O’Hara is SUPER underrated here. 

The Beast is emotionally manipulative with an awful temper that (for MOST of the movie. He doesn’t change.) That’s the main reason this is in E tier. This movie shaped so many generations of people thinking they can change the behavior of someone who treats them badly through the power of love. But you can’t. She learns to “love” the beast under coercion. It’s not Stockholm syndrome - it’s a trashy romance novel. Big fan of Gaston as a villain. He’s an archetype ppl can recognize and it’s so satisfying to hate him.

F tier (I think this film actively harms the industry and would rather it not have been made. Both the one in E tier could be considered harmful to the industry, but I think they had significant enough artistic accomplishments to scrape above that. I'm also generally a fan of "lack of censorship bc it's better to teach what not to do.")

Pocahontas - this movie took real historical events and romanticized them AND sexualized one of the only Native princesses they’ve had. Boo. Nothing wrong with animation!Pocahontas as a character, it’s just people put her in a story that doesn’t represent history well at all (and these historical events, unlike those in say, 14th-century Germany, had super relevant effects on people alive today.) And they portrayed the Native Americans and colonial settlers as equally in the wrong. (though I like Governor Radcliffe as a potential villain and love the line “see how I glitter.” I can’t NOT laugh when I hear it.) Lovely music, though. Nice animation, but the colors are weirdly… muted? 

Bad Garbage (I don't wish this film had never been made, but I wish I never had to see it.)

Planes - this movie was ridiculous. I remember not much about it except that I kinda hated it and that it was super cheesy with tension one could see right through that immediately resolved itself via one twist or another. 

Haven’t seen tier: Recess, A Bug’s Life, A Goofy Movie, DuckTakes Movie, Lilo and Stitch, Pinocchio (actually i have seen this but I remember nothing about it), The Nightmare before Christmas, Toy Stories 1, 2, and 3, Up, 101 Dalmatians, The Great Mouse Detective, Cars 2, Moana, The Good Dinosaur, Pete’s Dragon, Fantasia, Peter Pan Return to Neverland, Fantasia 2000, The Black Cauldron (read the book, though!), Bambi (or I did and remember nothing about it), The Rescuersm, The Rescuers Down Under, Planes Fire and Rescue, Bambi 2, The Fox & the Found, Oliver and Company, Atlantis, Treasure Planet (I want to, though), Piglet’s Big Movie, The Jungle Book, the Emporer’s New Groove, The Jungle Book 2, Chicken Little, Brother Bear, The Three Caballeros, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, Dumbo, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Aladdin (seen parts but never the whole thing), Strange Magic, The Sword in the Stone, James and the Giant Peach, Frankenweenie, Lady and the Tramp, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Doug’s 1st Movie, Monsters Inc. (want to, though), Meet the Robinsons, Dinosaur, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Tigger Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that pooh movie at the end without the title on it

-11/21/20

[house-of-crows]

This will kill That: historical preservation, Victor Hugo, and Notre Dame Cathedral

Early in the novel Notre Dame De Paris by Victor Hugo, Claude Frollo utters this line in seeming agonized frustration, terrifying in its meaning. He directs the eyes of two visitors from a book on his desk to the massive silhouette of Notre Dame cathedral beyond his door, then announces: "This will kill that."

“This” is the book. The arrival of printing, mass produced information and the dissemination of it to the populace, “That” is the cathedral, and all that goes along with it. "Small things overcome great ones," Frollo laments, "the book will kill the building."

For Hugo, the language of mankind to that point has and had been architecture. While the language of the scholar and the educated elite was Latin, the language of the common people was architecture. The grandeur of the cathedral pointed eyes to the glory of heaven, the humbleness of their common dwelling, to the state of man in the sight of his deity. 

That language reaches a sort of climax in the Gothic Cathedral and, indeed, the grandeur of Notre Dame. Hugo asserts; in a sort of righteous fervor; that priests had controlled even that language for centuries. From the reflected dogmatic oppression of the squared, Romanesque cathedral, to the flying Gothic architecture that lifts men’s souls, giving wings to poetic liberation with flying buttresses, large stained glass windows, and the awe-inspiring flight of high towers and distant bells. 

It is fitting then, that this behemoth of man’s invention and vision should fall to the singular smallness of something so common as movable type. A post-enlightenment sort of David and Goliath. It is fairly easy to see then if we interrogate the style and concepts of this book that Hugo felt architects had nothing left to say. All was neo-this and neo-that, and a sort of re-imagination of the past. 

“This” would kill “That.” 

And yet, Notre Dame De Paris includes a sort of plea within its pages to acknowledge everything the then-crumbling building represents and to save it from the future ravages of time. By Hugo’s time and the beginning of the research done for the novel, the Cathedral was over 500 years old and had become something of a ruin. 

Broken and desecrated after changing governments, lack of repair, and perhaps most notably ravaged by the Huguenots for being idolatrous, AND THEN all the beheading of all the kings of Israel for supposedly being “French Aristocrats and Royalty” during the Revolution, Notre Dame was quite a mess. And, unfortunately, would remain a mess until Hugo could finish the novel; there’s some fun gossip and shade there if you look into the writing-of; and other people began to take interest. This has also been credited as beginning the concept of Historical Preservation, which really only began to take hold in America and the UK post-WW2. (Some people also blame Robert Moses. It sort of depends on your point of view.)

The general theme of the novel is that Notre Dame will and has outlived countless lives of humanity, and all their ineptitude, terrible decisions, and flaws, will pale in comparison to the edifice and it’s lifespan.... should we care to preserve it.

The grand irony, however, is that the book itself became a NEW “This” and was destroyed itself by a new “That” : the advent of movies and hollywood. The story changed, sometimes drastically, cutting and adding characters and changing their motivations, throughout each successor to the story that came before. Frollo became something other than a priest. Esmeralda went from a white girl stolen by g*psies, to a g*psy herself. Quasimodo went from deformed man to movie monster to anti hero to protagonist and back again. Phoebus went from soldier to revolutionary and through some convoluted developments. Gringoire is left out of most productions post-1930s. Fleur De Lys often doesn’t feature....

The film has killed the book. This, has killed That. And time marches on.

From Lindsay Ellis: The Case for Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame

From Bartleby:

It was a premonition that human thought, in changing its outward form, was also about to change its outward mode of expression; that the dominant idea of each generation would, in future, be embodied in a new material, a new fashion; that the book of stone, so solid and so enduring, was to give way to the book of paper, more solid and more enduring still. In this respect the vague formula of the Archdeacon had a second meaning—that one Art would dethrone another Art: Printing will destroy Architecture.   4  In effect, from the very beginning of things down to the fifteenth century of the Christian era inclusive, architecture is the great book of the human race, man’s chief means of expressing the various stages of his development, whether physical or mental.   5  When the memory of the primitive races began to be surcharged, when the load of tradition carried about by the human family grew so heavy and disordered that the word, naked and fleeting, ran danger of being lost by the way, they transcribed it on the ground by the most visible, the most lasting, and at the same time most natural means. They enclosed each tradition in a monument.   6  The first monuments were simply squares of rock “which had not been touched by iron,” as says Moses. Architecture began like all writing. It was first an alphabet. A stone was planted upright and it was a letter, and each letter was a hieroglyph, and on every hieroglyph rested a group of ideas, like the capital on the column. Thus did the primitive races act at the same moment over the entire face of the globe. One finds the “upright stone” of the Celts in Asiatic Siberia and on the pampas of America.   7

Presently they constructed words. Stone was laid upon stone, these granite syllables were coupled together, the word essayed some combinations. The Celtic dolmen and cromlech, the Etruscan tumulus, the Hebrew galgal, are words—some of them, the tumulus in particular, are proper names. Occasionally, when there were many stones and a vast expanse of ground, they wrote a sentence. The immense mass of stones at Karnac is already a complete formula.   8 Last of all they made books. Traditions had ended by bringing forth symbols, under which they disappeared like the trunk of a tree under its foliage. These symbols, in which all humanity believed, continued to grow and multiply, becoming more and more complex; the primitive monuments—themselves scarcely expressing the original traditions, and, like them, simple, rough-hewn, and planted in the soil—no longer sufficed to contain them; they overflowed at every point. Of necessity the symbol must expand into the edifice. Architecture followed the development of human thought; it became a giant with a thousand heads, a thousand arms, and caught and concentrated in one eternal, visible, tangible form all this floating symbolism. While Dædalus, who is strength, was measuring; while Orpheus, who is intelligence, was singing—the pillar, which is a letter; the arch, which is a syllable; the pyramid, which is a word, set in motion at once by a law of geometry and a law of poetry, began to group themselves together, to combine, to blend, to sink, to rise, stood side by side on the ground, piled themselves up into the sky, till, to the dictation of the prevailing idea of the epoch, they had written these marvelous books which are equally marvellous edifices: the Pagoda of Eklinga, the Pyramids of Egypt, and the Temple of Solomon.   9

The parent idea, the Word, was not only contained in the foundation of these edifices, but in their structure. Solomon’s Temple, for example, was not simply the cover of the sacred book, it was the sacred book itself. On each of its concentric enclosures the priest might read the Word translated and made manifest to the eye, might follow its transformations from sanctuary to sanctuary, till at last he could lay hold upon it in its final tabernacle, under its most concrete form, which yet was architecture—the Ark. Thus the Word was enclosed in the edifice, but its image was visible on its outer covering, like the human figure depicted on the coffin of a mummy.  10

 Again, not only the structure of the edifice but its situation revealed the idea it embodied. According as the thought to be expressed was gracious or sombre, Greece crowned her mountains with temples harmonious to the eye; India disembowelled herself to hew out those massive subterranean pagodas which are supported by rows of gigantic granite elephants.  11  Thus, during the first six thousand years of the world—from the most immemorial temple of Hindustan to the Cathedral at Cologne—architecture has been the great manuscript of the human race. And this is true to such a degree, that not only every religious symbol, but every human thought, has its page and its memorial in that vast book.  12

 Every civilization begins with theocracy and ends with democracy.

[vaellv]

Find the list here to understand what i’m rambling about

Everything looks so complex but honestly it's just because the fashion dialect loves obscur terms. Anyway I made some inspiration moodboards and I will explain briefly each theme of the challenge, if you have a few minutes to read them! (only in english because i’m tired sorry ;-;)

1. I pay a tribute to the traditional and modern Chinese style of fashion when in

2. I explore the impact of Chinese aesthetics (art, pattern, porcelaine, calligraphy, movies, architecture etc etc.) on Western fashion.

3. well you know, cubism. Geometrical stuffs, Indeterminate forms, collage, that dude Picasso

4. think of a fashionable Android, high tech stuff, Metahuman, cyberfashion and new materials

5. I stick to the theme a bit more, it's like, what if I can embroider leds on a dress (think of claire danes sparkly dress at the gala in 2016) or making lace with carbon fiber, 3D print mesh clothes idk idk 

6.I'll take this one very literally, because the exhibition was about “diverse clothes, mostly non-European, folded and draped on the human body rather than cut and seamed”

(This is a tribute to McQueen but you don't have to do outfits “a la McQueen” since the real subject is “Savage Beauty”. Find some inspiration here, the other galleries explored the romantic mind, the romantic nationalism, and romantic exoticism in Mcqueen works.) 

7. so yeah Victorian Gothic, let's go for the inhumane and curious and also strange and ethereal)

8.(not a big fan of the term primitivism but I didn't create the names in the exhibit.... Think of wild stuffs, prehistoric fashion rebellious and raw, bestial, royal and noble, the untamed state of nature that kind of aesthetic) 

9.(this one is a bit tricky since in the exhibition it's was about natural inspiration meet technology, so idk, my take is strange alien fashion, high tech organic, extraterrestrial stuff, untouched by the man, glorious and scary )

10. Poiret: art nouveau to art déco, no more corsets, a lot of draped fabric, new forms of clothing and also Orientalism sorry

11. the fashion's take on the costume, equipment and/or superpowers of superheroes and superheroines. Mine for day 11 is“Batman but make it fashion.” 

12. The Mutant Body was one topic of the exhibition, it may be a bit redundant with some other theme of this month, maybe the other ones will inspire you (link) 

13. hmm, well, the spirit of Mme. Merteuil possess a richly crafted baroque rococo chair and

14. A lot of white and beige and folded and draped fabric and translucide mousselines, some neoclassical art, influenced by colorless marble sculptures

15. Now it's your time to draw the actual reincarnation of an important Greek goddess (with more color than white and beige) with a focus on the symbolic objects associated with the deity (you can guess that I chose Hera)

16. A nice transition with the previous theme, it's a tribute to the exuberant brand, the vivid colors and patterns that is its signature

(Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between. this theme looks complicated but it is not. I think? It's just...abstract themes lmao, pick two contradictory notions like she did (link), and “breaks down the imaginary walls between these dualisms, exposing their artificiality and arbitrariness“. Be free.

17.I choose then/now because it's can be a journey between "old self" and "new self". The impermanent state of the self. birth, live, and death that kind of thing.

18. For Self/other it can be an introspection/outrospection, cultural differences, being stuck between tradition and modern world, if this help to understand. 

19. I don't know yet for clothes/not clothes. Don't ask me. Don't forget to be exuberant! It's fashion but it must be MoMA worthy

20. This one is easy I guess. The irony of a democratic, do it yourself and anti-establishment way of life seeing through the fashion industry

21.Glam and sparkles and diamonds, an hommage to the icons of the 40's-50's Hollywood, fur, feathers and velvet dress, beautiful women and handsome men! and vice versa

22. retro Hollywood x retro Bollywood, Hollywood glamor and Indian elegance in a shiny shimmering opulent rendezvous

23. melancholic red flower on a black background, very severe, very spanish but nostalgic, somewhere between the og Cristobal Balenciaga and the actual ugly shoes Balenciaga 

(Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination i know this is the theme that everyone's waiting! Or not. You don't need help to understand these concept thank to the heavily presence of Christianity everywhere but anyway)

24. The Mom of Jesus and other blessed women 

25. Fashion inspired by colorful glass and gothic architecture

26. Fashion inspired by religious objects also mosaics

27. a break ! Bakst and Diaghilev influences, Theatrical and exuberant dance costumes, art nouveau to art déco and also Orientalism but this time with a more, Russian and Balkan influence in the design and patterns

28. Angels and demons (a classic dualism you can also do just one of them)

29. A bit of a catch-all term, can focus on the very pious people or their struggle with the lost of faith and all the temptation in this lost world *hellfire by Frollo starts playing*

30. a chill and irreverent member of the clergy, who likes opulence. It’s like Jude Law in that show, the young pope (i didn’t watch it but he looks cool)

31. It's almost over! The art of Fashion illustration, engraving and photography, reinvent the ancient French fashion reviews, channel the spirit of Poiret, Erté, Gruau, Brissaud and more, it’s a stylistic exercise so you can take one of your previous creation and do it in the style of a fashion illustrator.

[otnesse]

I wouldn't even call him a failed rapist, any more than Gaston was. Want an actual failed rapist? try that art studies guy in one episode of SWAT, the guy who put a roofie in Hondo's sister's drink and only narrowly ended up avoiding getting raped due to her calling Hondo and his getting to her in the nick of time. He at worst did a marry me or die thing, which is what Gaston did. Also Jafar can qualify as a failed rapist, who BTW DID attempt to wish for Jasmine to fall in love with him to the genie (that translates to trying to outright ROB her of her free will, meaning she LITERALLY doesn't have "no" as an option for her). Jafar came far closer to "failed rapist" than Frollo ever did, precisely because had that Genie rule not come under effect, Jafar would have literally robbed her of her free will and left her literally incapable of saying no or even thinking it. Also Brody Mitchum from Heroes, specifically his actions towards Claire Bennett (and it's only a "failed rape" because he accidentally killed her before he could get to the actual raping, and she was far from the first instance of Brody raping anyone. As a side note, I'm a bit disturbed that Brody's actor is the same guy who voiced Anakin Skywalker in the 3D Clone Wars series.). I guess Maleficent in the 1959 film could qualify via rape by proxy, especially considering what she intended to do with Prince Phillip and Aurora (and was a rather shocking reference to Talia, the Sun, and the Moon, the prototype to Sleeping Beauty).

And no, what you described is not rape, under the classical definition. Rape does not allow for any choice at all (not even marry me or die kind of choices). Literally none. In fact, a rapist generally doesn't even TRY to marry people either, just have their way with them before tossing them aside. In order for Frollo to truly qualify as a genuine rapist, he'd have his way with her even when she said no. To use an example, look at what Josey's Social Studies teacher did to her. He'd need to be like that teacher before he can truly qualify. My Dad grew up during the 1950s, and he'll tell you that, while distasteful, Frollo's actions to Esmerelda did not fall under rape as defined during his era. Ironically, Frollo in the original book came FAR closer to actually committing rape.

Also, Frollo made sure to teach Quasimodo the concept of forgiveness, which IS a key part of Christianity, more than just the fundamentals.

And in any case, I wouldn't underestimate gypsy curses. Curses do exist, after all, as does the supernatural. Now, that being said, I find the concept of God being incapable of removing them to be stupid and ridiculous.

As far as my comment of pagans, anyone who doesn't adhere to Christianity or Judaism is by definition a pagan, by God's own definition. Doesn't matter what I myself think, what matters is what GOD himself thinks, and he repeatedly made that much clear in the Old Testament and even in the New Testament.

“OMG, Hans is the most violent Disney villain! He was about to go Game of Thrones on Elsa!”

Ahem…. let me bring your attention to Judge Claude Frollo

And this is AFTER he:

killed Quasimodo’s mother by violently kicking her down the stairs after she ran away to protect her child

mercilessly hunted down and executed every Romani he could find.

burned down all of Paris to look for one woman because he had a creepy, predatory obsession with her

ordered a family to be burned alive inside their home

tried to burn Esmeralda at the stake (because she would not sleep with him)

Other things Hans did:

left Anna for dead (not cool bro)

gave out blankets and warm food to cold citizens

Both are great movies, but let’s be real here.

[edream93]

Do you have headcanons for any of the new Isle kids in We'll Light the Fuse?

Hermie Bing, daughter of the Ringmaster

Hermie is actually super shy and hates being the center of attention. If Auradon Prep had a theatre club, she would probably be one of the lighting or crew members. She much prefers setting the stage up for someone else than being the center of it.

Hermie probably joins some sort of animal rights club that works to make sure that any animal in captivity is either well taken care of and happy or is placed back in the wild.

She hates peanuts, popcorn, cotton candy… basically anything that would be sold at a circus.

Eddie Balthazar, son of Edgar Belthazar 

Hates cats. But not because of the cats that got his father sent to the Isle but because he’s actually pretty allergic to them. 

Has a slight crush on Hermie but he’ll never confess.

Loves old timey music.

Little Sammy Smee, son of Mr. Smee

Grew up with Harriet, Harry, and CJ since often times his father, Mr. Smee, had to pick up the slack and make sure that Hook’s kids didn’t die (because we all know that Smee was the real MVP on Hook’s ship).

Recently, you can’t even really call him “Little” since he’s actually had quite a growth spurt.

He doesn’t really want to be a pirate or anything really to do with a ship. Since coming to Auradon he wants to be a kindergarten teacher.  

Big Murph, son of one of Captain Hook’s pirates

Big Murph is a guy of little words. He doesn’t say much but his feelings always managed to get conveyed.

Has a crush on Claudine Frollo and has told her but she said she couldn’t return his feelings. He was obviously sad about it but was overall cool.

Really into art and is actually good at sculpting and carving.

Claudine Frollo, daughter of Judge Frollo

Probably the closest thing Diego has to a best friend in Auradon.

Spiritual but not very religious.

Actually hated ringing the school bells on the Isle but did faithfully every morning as an “Eff you” to her father who started hating the sound due to her foster brother.

Actually would like to meet her foster brother.

Joins all the feminist clubs at Auradon Prep because she actually agrees with it but as another “eff you” to her dad.

Since both of their parents taught them French, sometimes she and Gil will unintentionally slip into a cross between French and English before just completely speaking French. (This always annoys Harry because Gil usually forgets that he’s still speaking French afterwards and will only respond in French for an hour before he remembers to switch back to English.)

Harry and Jace Badun, cousins and the sons of Cruella’s minions, Horace and Jasper

They joined theatre crew with Hermie and are actually pretty good with set building.

Haven’t really found they’re place in Auaradon but they’re totally happy with bouncing from club to club helping with whatever big activity is going on.

Carlos apologized for treating them like crap on the Isle but they got it (Cruella was not someone they would wish on even their worst enemies) and now and again will bring random spare parts they find to Carlos to help with his inventions. (Carlos really doesn’t have the heart to tell them that the parts they find are complete crap. It’s the thought that counts.) 

Diego de Vil, nephew of Cruella and Carlo’s cousin 

…I feel like I’ve already come up with enough non-”We’ll Light the Fuse” spoiler hc for him.

You can read them here and here

Hadie, son of Hades

Despite being considerably younger than the two and often considered a loner, Hadie is usually hanging out with Diego and/or Claudine.

Really hates spicy food or food that is hot temperature wise.

After arriving in Auradon, he started identifying himself as a panromantic demisexual. (It wasn’t that no one knew or that the concept of it wasn’t unheard of on the Isle but it was nice to actually have a term for it.) When he told Diego and Claudine that, they both individually and together researched it to better understand their friend more before buying him a shirt that said “I’m pan-tastic”. Though it’s kind of hard to tell with his usual bored features, he really did appreciate his friends support and wore the shirt to bed every night.  

 Likes to plant. A lot. Diego, his roommate practically has to make a map to get from their door to his bed because Hadie’s has essentially turned their room into a jungle/green house.

Was actually one of the few kids on the Isle whose parent didn’t treat them like complete shit. 

Yzla, daughter of Yzma

Evie’s biggest competition in Chemistry. (Technically Uma is actually really good at it too but she does just enough to pass the class.)

Don’t mention her brother. Ever. He’s an idiot and she’s embarrassed to be related to him. (Also they both had a crush on CJ and it just really drove a wedge in their already no existent relationship.)

Yzla is actually pretty small. Her mother had her and her brother at a much older age so there were definitely some difficulties with the birthing process. However, despite the fact that even someone as short as Uma can easily pick her up, she is definitely not someone you want to mess with. 

Joined Squirrel Scouts to be ironic and make fun of it but she actually kind of likes it.

Is usually the one forcing Hermie to get out of her comfort zone.

Well that’s all I got!

[princesssofi1990]

Did few drawings of Frollo’s old concept, + a WIP drawing (Shan-yu x Frollo ✌️)

[ruffoverthinksthings]

I've thoroughly enjoyed the Claudine/Frollo headcannons, do you have any in mind for Esmeralda/Phoebus? If the sequel movies are wiped from this universe, that means their son doesn't exist (or not yet). Also, do you have another headcannon for onesided fresme on frollo's part? How would he handle being unable to obtain her in this universe?

Ilike to believe the sequels and spin-offs are valid, as the bookseries (which is, as of the Rise of the Isle of the Lost, is canon…to a certain extent) makes reference to characters that could onlyexist outside of the original movies, such as:

Diegode Vil, presumably the child of Ivy de Vil from the 101 DalmatiansTV series, or a descendant from the rest of the extended de Vilfamily, and

Jade,Jay’s cousin and presumably the daughter of Nasira, Jafar’ssister from the Aladdin video game series

There’sa level of personal bias, with the amount of work I’ve already putinto expanding the world with my own ideas, but I think we can allagree that the Isle and Auradon would be a whole lot less interestingif we didn’t have the likes of:

Mozenrath(Aladdin animated series) acting as Maleficent’s longsuffering middle manager, and personal chew toy as an “inferiormagical being,”

LadyWaltham (Tarzan animated series) adding an element of sympathyto the Isle of the Lost with her regretting her brother Clayton andher nephew are still on there and unable to return, and

LadyCaine (Tangled: Before Ever After), who adds a deliciouselement of grayness and a MASSIVE stain on the otherwise pristinereputation all sympathetic Disney monarchs have.

Ontothe headcanons:

Phoebusbecomes one of the new Captains of the Guard in France once theoriginal forces are merged with, or completely replaced by the newlyestablished Auradon Royal Guard. Though the actual administrative andexecutive power lies much higher up the ranks (such as theCommander-In-Chief, Beast), he himself is an incredibly influentialmember, well-known and well-loved by the citizenship and the fellowsoldiers he patrols the streets with.

Auradonhad to rely heavily on translators, human and machine, or translatingmagic during its tumultuous first years, as everyone struggled tofind one common language for every state to use as the internationalstandard (it’s English still). A LOT of things get lost intranslation or don’t translate too good into another language, orsomeone gets VERY offended when someone who is fluent in both Frenchand Chinese tells you exactly what they meant, and howunflattering it is.

Andthis isn’t even going into all the numerous cultural clashes andfaux paus, such as one unfortunate Louisiana chef realizing you’renot supposed to serve pork to most Agrahbans until he was alreadyuncovering the dish...

Phoebusbridges the gap through his calm, professional demeanor, alwaysshowing politeness and civility to everyone whoever they may be, andof course, his sense of humour, given “a real workout” when hehas to figure out how to make someone laugh with universallyunderstood comedy (someone falling face first into a pile of horsedung), non-verbal humour (wearing a silly, pink, fuzzy bunny earswhilst on duty), and using simple plays on word that foreigners caneasily get, or are tailored specifically to their language.

“Inever quite realized eggs could be such a huge source of humour,”he muses when he has to speak to Spanish speaking citizens.

However,his usefulness quickly dwindled as the culture clashes settled down,people started learning English, and of course, the already olderPhoebus found himself growing ever older and unable to keep up withthe rapid pace of advancement and pop culture references in Auradon,not to mention his disadvantage of “not being gifted a smartphonefor my first birthday.”

Hehas an incredibly cushy administrative position that pays well,commands respect from his soldiers still, and gives him great hoursto spend with his family and other pursuits, but as he’s no longergoing out (or being allowed) on patrols and interacting personallywith the people in his jurisdiction, he can’t help but wonder ifhe’s just being eased into the idea of retirement, and Auradon issimply too nice to boot him for the much feared “chainsaw HR” ofsome corporations from BGU London.

(Forthose not familiar with the term, “chainsaw HR” is when entiredivisions, and numbers into the hundreds are suddenly, and oftentimeswithout proper recompense or retirement packages, fired or forcedinto early retirement.

It’sa play on the term “axed” for being suddenly fired, and chainsawsbeing a modern, much more efficient tool for the same job as aliteral ax.)

It’ssafe to say that at the age of 55 or so, and having already lived oneillustrious career then a brief revival, he’s having a midlifecrisis, not helped by the fact that many other Auradonians about hisage are feeling as obsolete as last year’s ayGem.

(“Butit came out just a year ago!”

“Yeah,but they updated to a new, much better firmware and hardwarearchitecture, all the hot new apps don’t even bother with legacyupdates.”)

Esmerelda has fared much better.

Shehas become an activist in this world, using the power of theinternet, the normalization of the “other,” and the erasure ofthe national and ethnic boundaries that once separated communities tohelp her fellow Romani people (I won’t use “gypsies,” as that’san offensive term to them), and other marginalized, and forgottengroups, such as much of the Wild Fae population.

Shealso owns and teaches at a dance studio, using them to train the nextgeneration of performers (“Be they for the street, the stage, orthe screen”), and waging a subtle campaign to remove the stigma forblatant and shameless use of sexuality.

I’vealways known Auradon is a conservative wet dream in many respects,and the fact that ripping a tiny tear in your skirt is considered“scandalous” by teenagers says a lot.

Beforeyou ask, YES, Esmerelda is still as desired and lusted afternow as she was BGU—probably even more so, now that we have thecombined populations of all the states, and she is a very popular andcommon presence on the internet.

Beforeyou also ask, Phoebus has long gotten over it and considers it “partof the package.”

Sheis one of the most knowledgeable and well-versed with moderntechnology out of the “Travellers” (Auradonians who were adultsor close to it Before Great Uniting), seeing as her troupe ofperformers have always been highly adaptable and all to ready to dowhatever it takes to survive, fit in with the locale they have foundthemselves in, and afterwards, thrive.

Thatthey have generally relied on being couriers and brokers ofinformation, and the internet basically being a giant free market ofinformation has helped GREATLY.

Withher religion, she still isn’t 100% on the existence of God, onlyever praying to Him during times of crisis or as a show of good faithwith the religious institutions of Auradon, but the Greek Pantheonhas given her hope that Supreme Beings like Him do exist.

“Atthe very least, He’s been very light on throwing down lightningbolts from up on high.”

(Thoughmuch less murderous and many other negative traits than the original,Disney Zeus is still INCREDIBLY fond of “warning shots.”)

Andonce more, before you ask, I can seriously see her making a cameo inthe canon as a guest dance instructor for the Descendants, if sheisn’t already a full-time staff member of Auradon Prep, and yes,she would definitely mentor Evie by showing her much healthier waysof expressing her sexuality and femininity without feeling like she’sdegrading herself, or turning herself into a “slab of meat in thebutcher’s window.”

Zephyrwas born BGU, and if my idea that the states had been communicatingfor a few years before the idea of fusing is canon, has a veryunique perspective of being a “Traveler Tot,” living with theideas and concepts imported over through the portals andcommunication crystals, before he got to live it in Auradon when thetechnology and materials could be more easily accessed and produced.

Heis still hyperactive and excitable as ever, though most of that wasbeing channeled into a combination of soldier training and becoming acircus performer like his parents; in his mind, there really isn’tmuch difference between the two, as they both require incrediblephysical skill and endurance, a sharp and creative mind, andrelentless, dedicated training, day-in, day-out.

“Itall really comes down to what you mean when you say you ‘slayedthem,’” he says.

Thisquickly changes in Auradon when he finds himself addicted to HeroRising, the video game that Carlos was seen playing during hisfirst night in Auradon. While initially Phoebus sees it as a good wayfor him to blow off all his excess energy and get some physicaltraining done, and Esmerelda tolerates it as he’s not going offstealing and rearranging stop signs, it evolves into something muchmore for him in time.

Atfirst, he’s the best player on the block, then in theneighbourhood, then the school, then the city, then the state, andfinally, one of the Hall of Famers in Auradon. As he grows older, hejust barely passes his high school subjects as a conditional for hissponsors support and working with the Hero Rising developersas a PR person, community idol AKA a “Paragon,” and beta tester.The height of his fame and success comes when the latest release,Hero Rising: The Lost Legion, features a new playablecharacter based off of him, and his unique dance-like fighting style:

“Twister.”

Trueto the name, his life is sent into a spin cycle after that.

Afew years pass, a new Hero Rising is released, and everyone isgushing over the new characters, and Twister gives up his place onthe cover art alongside the series “cornerstones” to give them achance to shine.

NewParagons are brought in as the old guard goes off to college, retiresfrom the business into different, less-demanding pursuits, or isquietly given a send-off as they simply aren’t as salable nor asgood as they were a few years ago.

Zephyrquickly realizes that while he’s still got it, these new kids areinsane, and have so many advantages he didn’t, like muchbetter nutrition, a much more generous school schedule, and havingthe infrastructure, the audience, and the sponsors for Hero RisingParagons already there, rather than helping spearhead them.

Hecontinues on, making less and less public appearances, awkwardlybeing one of the only adult Paragons in crowds increasingly filledwith little kids and teenagers, and new characters based off the newParagons get the spotlight.

“Everyonealready knows Twister, and played him to death in all the specialinstance maps, the players want someone new!”

Thedeath-knell of his career and the cold, hard slap from Reality comeswhen Twister is removed from the roster due to development costs, andthe fact that Zephyr’s fees and royalties were considered too highfor the relatively lower cost of a new, fresh face who the fans aremuch more eager to see digitized.

Heand Phoebus both find themselves facing obsolescence, being leftbehind by a world that has simply moved too fast for them and leftthem in its dust, as they were only ever good at one thing each:fighting, either real bad guys or fictional ones.

Andso, with Esmerelda’s love and support, the two go off to reeducatethemselves and train in the new industries and careers Auradondemands, incidentally becoming the inspiration for the blockbusterfeel good movie of eight years from this time of writing:

“WithHonours”

Thestory of how a father and son went back to college, forced to startfrom scratch in a brand new world, learning new tricks, makingstrange friends, and doing a whole lot of growing up they didn’tknow they still needed to do.

Nowonto Frollo:

Helaments his permanent loss of Esmerelda (unlike the other Villains,he harbours no fantasies of Claudine getting him off the Isle—notwhen there’s still so much Good Work to be done here in this landof Sinners and Nonbelievers), and takes the disastrous results of hisobsession and lusting after her as a cautionary tale, the catastrophethat befalls those who turn away from God and the Right Path, and howthey take the whole world down with them.

Publicly,he is “that” preacher yelling about modesty, the sanctity ofmarriage and sexuality, and how pretty much everyone on theIsle is damned for engaging in such scandalous, salacious acts likepremarital sex, sexual intercourse without the intention ofprocreation, and of course, homosexuality.

Privately,he seeks a form of redemption by raising a good, Christian child inClaudine, the child he would have born with Esmerelda and raised ifcircumstances had been different (yeee-eep), and is looking for awoman with whom he can have a much healthier relationship with, toshow someone from this Isle what marriage and the word “love”truly means than the perversion the Islanders have turned it into.

Asboth Claudine and Not Esmerelda will attest to, he’s failedmiserably on both counts, but as usual, is blissfully unaware ofeither.

[ruffoverthinksthings]

When/If Claudine meets Quasimodo, her foster brother, how would their relationship grow and how would they bond/ differ? And would meeting Esmeralda face-to-face and understanding that she was her father's "downfall" cause her to feel some form of spite, even if she knows it to be petty? Would she feel empathic towards her instead? Both? What would Esmeralda and Claudine's relationship become if this were ever possible?

God Help TheOutcasts (Part 1): The Enchantress

Esmeralda First.Quasimodo in a separate post Soon™.

Claudinepositively despises Esmeralda, not helped by the fact that shewill likely first meet Esmeralda as her and the other VKs dance classinstructor.*

Aside from all ofFrollo’s erratic mix of swooning and longing after her or damningher “as the worst thing to ever happen to humanity since Eve at theGarden of Eden,” she hates that Esmeralda far outclasses herin everything she’s good at, that she prides herself on, and relieson to get by:

Esmeralda isprettier. She’s smarter. She’s wittier. “She’s basicallyevery thing I am, only better and more popular,” Claudine says.

In spite of themassive age difference (and to Claudine’s chagrin, many timesbecause of it), Esmeralda  unintentionally renders Claudine’sMO of distracting and manipulating people with her body, her face,and her seduction tactics inert because they’re too busy droolingover and hanging on to every single one of Esmeralda’s words, nothers.

And what makes iteven worse is that she’s so unabashedly nice to her–”noteven, ‘Oh, I’ll get fired if I so much as suggest this kid mightbe a full-on retard without the getting screwed over by the genelottery part!’”

Like all the VKs,Claudine has learned to look at every act of kindness, generosity,and offers of friendship with suspicion, especially when they seemhand-tailored to you. On the Isle, it’s a really big, obvious signthat someone is trying to manipulate you into getting something theywant that’s not you, an accomplice they won’t have to pay firstto convince to go with their latest evil scheme, or practice fortheir future tempting of rich and influential royals and otherfigures.

She constantlyinsults Esmeralda to her face, spreads catty rumours about her (notas effective here as on the Isle, to her chagrin), and refuses toparticipate in any of her dance classes, even if that means failingand possibly getting deported, because she will not let herself betaught by the “headliner to the 2nd Circle of Hellherself.”

This all changeswhen Claudine’s attempts to continuie her lifestyle of recklesspartying, drinking, and casual sex, and she ends arrested on numerouscharges after attempting to start a drunken teenage orgy in aProtestant church. (She wanted it to be Christian, but it wascloser.)

I should notethat the key word here is “attempted”: “Turns out God watchesover His house with the help of security cameras everywhere.”

The AKs are allbailed out in short order by concerned parents, friends, andguardians, while Claudine and the rest of the VKs are left to simmerin the prison cells, watching their fellow partygoers get warm hugsand kisses of familial affection, before having their ears pulled andtalked off at the same time.

Ben doesn’tbail any of the VKs out this time, as he feels they need to know whatit feels like to have your entire Friday night plans kiboshed byoutside forces beyond your control, and the rest of it spent in aRoyal Guard Garrison till sunrise on Saturday.

So imagine hersurprise when one of the guards walks up, opens the cell, and says,“Frollo, Claudine: you’re out on bail. I suggest you get yourthank yous and your promises to not get in trouble again, younglady.”

Claudine publiclysticks her tongue out at her fellow VKs, before she privately wonderswho in the Hell would help her out.

So imagine hersurprise and her gut-churning disgust when she sees Esmeraldaprofusely thanking a clearly flustered and lovestruck Royal Guardsitting behind the front desk.

Esmeraldanotices, and smiles at her. “Need a ride home?” she asks, holdingup her car keys with one finger, a little plush doll of Djali, hergoat, hanging from it.

Claudine glaresat her, before she resolutely marches past her in her bare-feet—herhigh heels had broken beyond repair earlier that night. “No thanks,I’ll walk,” she mutters.

“Are you sure?”Esmeralda asks. “It’s really cold out tonight, and I can tell youfrom personal experience, it’s not a good idea to walk the streetsof Auradon City with bare feet.”

“I’lllive!” Claudine yells back as she reaches the doors. “I livedon the Isle all my life, for God’s sake!”

She steps out ofthe nice hardwood floors of the Garrison’s heated and insulatedlobby, and onto the concrete steps and sidewalks in the still nice,but unheated and exposed streets of Auradon City. She shivers andyelps as she feels the chill and the light stabbing from hundreds oflittle tiny cracks, fractures, and litter that hadn’t been swept upyet.

Still, she doesas she always does, and keeps on going like it doesn’t hurt; she’dmastered the art back when she still considered herself a Christian,and she hasn’t lost her edge since renouncing her faith.

The passersbylook strangely and warily at her, this teenage girl in a risque,ratty, and well-worn school uniform of an institution that isn’teven remotely near Auradon City. Claudine doesn’t bother tobat her eyelashes, meet their eyes, or try to catch someone oglingher, however, as all that is on her mind is to get back to her dormroom in Auradon Prep.

As Esmeraldasaid, it was cold out that night, and it’s colder still now thatshe’s lost her coat, lost somewhere in the misadventure earlier,and she curses the fact that there are no boys to steal one from, nosympathetic faces here willing to lend her theirs.

“Figures,”Claudine thinks to herself, scowling. “They preach and pridethemselves on goodness and kindness, but when it’s actually time toshow it to someone who could actually need it, they take a pass.”

She scowls evenharder when a purple mini-van rolls up beside her, colourful patternsand designs lovingly air-brushed on its sides, the window rolled downso she could see Esmeralda looking at her. Claudine ignores her,Esmeralda slows down to match her pace.

“Shouldn’tyou keep your eyes on the road?!” Claudine snaps when she’sfinally had enough.

“Unless a snailhappens to be crossing the street right now, I doubt I’ll behitting anyone or anything,” Esmeralda replies.

Silence for a fewmore moments.

“You dorealize this looks like you’re totally stalking me and waiting forthe perfect opportunity to jump out and kidnap me in your giantpurple party van, right?”

“The peoplehere know me and this van, I’m good,” Esmeralda replied.

Eventually,Claudine and Esmeralda hit a stoplight at a somewhat busyintersection, so they wait at the edge of the curb, watching andlistening to the cars and the odd magical carpet puttering by, allunder the speed limit.

“My offer togive you a ride home is still standing, in case that wasn’tobvious,” Esmeralda said.

Claudine groanedand threw her arms up. “What do you want from me?! Is itvengeance for my dad almost killing you and all your gypsy friendsbecause he’s a delusional, dirty old creep? Because if so,I’m telling you right now, I can help you get Alighieri on his ass!

“Hell, I’lleven take all the blame, I’d be happy to say I finally putthat old fart back where he belongs!”

“I’ll tellyou if you get in my car, how’s that sound?” Esmeralda asked.

The stoplightturns green, as does the sign for the crosswalk. This being Auradon,and people being aware of who Esmeralda and Claudine are, they don’thonk and take turns overtaking the van and slipping past it.

Claudine looks atthe vast expanse of freshly driven over pavement before her, at theleather and wool-cozy covered interior of Esmeralda’s van, andgroans. Esmeralda calmly opens the lock as Claudine grabs thepassenger side door and flings it open, slamming it shut after sheclimbs in.

“There, nowwill you tell me?” she asks Esmeralda as she rolls up the windowand keeps the heat in.

“Please putyour seat-belt on, and yes, I will,” she replies as she crosses thestreet and gets traffic moving again.

Claudine doesso—the concept of safety measures in general is alien to her, butit’s easy enough to understand. “Well, I’m buckled and up andsafe, what’s the big answer to my big question?”

“I want to helpyou,” Esmeralda replied.

Claudine raisedan eyebrow. “And…?”

“That’s it.”

Claudine groansand throws her hands up. “Jesus Christ, will you drop thesaintly act already?! I know there’s more to it than this.”

“I realize youwere raised on the Isle all your life, but you also definitelyknow you’re not in that prison anymore; is it really sodifficult to accept that someone may be helping you purely out of thegoodness of their heart?”

“Yes,”Claudine replied. “I’m not really much for that, by the way; thelast time I tried it, CJ set fire to my house while I was still init.”

“So I heard,”Esmeralda said. “I’m really to sorry to hear thathappened.”

“No you’renot,” Claudine spat. “Because if any of you Auradonianswere really sorry about us kids living in a hell where it barelymakes the day’s gossip that someone left me to burn alive to savetheir own skin, you would have lifted us all off the Isle enmasse, than two-by-fucking-twolike Noah!

“Even he gotthat done before a big flood, and you’re taking months, andhad to wait for a king with his head screwed on right to do it,either!”

“The Arc ofJustice is slow, but it gets there eventually,” Esmeralda replied.“I’m not a fan of the Isle myself, believe me, but even I canaccept that setting things right is going to be a slow process withplenty of setbacks.”

Claudine crossesher arms over her chest. “Easy for you to say, when you lived overhere in Auradon.”

They reachedanother stoplight.

“I didn’talways live in Auradon, you know,” Esmeralda said. “When I wasyour age, I was part of a roaming band of entertainers and fortunetellers, making people laugh by day, and trying not to get chased outof their cities or robbed and killed in our tents by night.”

“Hmph, yeah,but at least you got a pretty even mix of ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’people, all we had were the people with one-way tickets on theDamnation Express, or who just got back.”

“Fair point.”

Silence for a fewmoments but for the rumble of engines idling.

“So why areyou helping me, anyway?” Claudine asked. “And don’t give meany of that ‘I just want to help people in general’ bullcrap, weboth know that if you wanted to do a whole lot of good in the world,you can just rip open your shirt in dance class and make all thestraight boys and the gay girls sing ‘Hallelujah.’”

Esmeraldachuckled. “It’ll be considered tempting them to sin though,considering I’m married and with a son.”

“Like thatwas ever a problem for you…” Claudine huffed.

Esmeraldasmirked. “I’m assuming your father told you a lot about me?”

“Oh, tons!”Claudine said. “When he isn’t crying himself to sleep at nightabout how he can’t have you, he’s damning you to Hell and warningpeople about ‘the evil enchantress with her wicked ways and sinfulacts,’ and sometimes he talks for hours tome specifically about how our lives would have been sodifferent if you just chose him instead of getting burnt at thestake, and you were my mom instead of Not Esmeralda.”

Silence.Esmeralda is given pause, to put it lightly.

“Ye-eep.”Claudine said.

The light turnsgreen, Esmeralda recovers and starts driving again. “So you assumeall of that is true?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Claudine parrotswhat her younger self said, except sarcastically and dripping withbile: “Because Father told me so.”

“And you neverthought of questioning that?”

“Oh, I didn’t,at first, then I almost fucking died in a fire because ofeverything he told me, and I realized it’s all bullshit.”

“So if it’sall bullshit, why do you still think I’m ‘the evil enchantresswith her wicked ways and her sinful acts’…?”

Silence. NowClaudine is given pause.

“Is this thatthing where you use your words to make me look stupid like thepharisees tried with JC…?” Claudine asks. “Because I fuckinghate that, too.”

“I’m nottrying to trap you, I’m trying to help you.”

“You haven’tfucking answered that question yet, by the way!”

“I did.”

“Oh, and tellme again, because I seem to have missed that.”

“As I saidearlier, the reason I’m helping you is because I want to help you.”

Claudine slamsher hands on the dashboard. “Bull. Shit.”

“And why isit bullshit to you? Because honestly, I can’t see why you woulddoubt me, and I was trained extensively in the arts of manipulation,persuasion, and lying.”

“It’sbullshit because you don’t have any good reason to help me!”Claudine said as she threw her hands up. “I’m the daughter ofClaude Frollo, the guy who almost killed you, killedplenty of you gypsies and innocent folk, then set fire to anentire fucking city because he couldn’t put out the fire in hispants!

“Why wouldyou want to help me?!”she asked, the bite fading fromher voice.

Esmeraldapulls over to the curb, the engine idling as she looks Claudine rightin her eyes.

“Has it ever occurred to you that I might think of you as a victimof your father’s cruelty, pride, and delusion as I was?”Esmeralda asked. “That I am in a unique position to undo all thedamage he’s done to you, show you that the ‘evil enchantress’he’s been scaring you with and warning you about with all your lifeis actually a whole lot nicer and kinder, if not exactly a saint?

“That I see in you the little girl I was when I was your age—bornin a cruel, unforgiving world, with a body changing too fast and toodrastically for her liking, bringing her all kinds of problems whenthat attracted the wrong kind of attention from people?”

Claudine slowly lowers her hands, and crosses them over her chest.She huddles up, even though the heat is keeping the car at “toasty”levels of warmth.

Esmeralda pulls out of the curb, and the rest of the trip is spent insilence.

Esmeralda pulls up to the driveway of Auradon Prep, the common roomthat is the focal point between the dorms and the classrooms.“Remedial Goodness” has taught Claudine that this should be whenshe should thank Esmeralda for giving her a ride, but she justunbuckles her seat-belt, climbs out, and slams the door behind her asshe walks back inside.

“Claudine!” Esmeralda calls out as she rolls down the window.

Claudine flinches, and turns around. “What?”

“Come back here, please,” Esmeralda says. “I need to talk toyou about something.”

What Claudine wants is to get back inside the nice hardwood floorsand the heating pouring in from inside, but she reluctantly stepsback to the open passenger side window.

“What?” Claudine snaps.

“You’re going to have to start taking special, remedial danceclasses with me on the weekend, since you’ve been absent so much,and missing out on lessons and practical tests even when you’represent. Unless you want to fail and put your stay here in Auradon injeopardy, I suggest you keep all your Saturday morning’s free, from8 AM up until 10.”

Claudine groans. “Fine. Anything else?”

Esmeralda reaches into the glove compartment, and pulls out a shawland a pair of slippers, roughly in Claudine’s size. “You can keepthem,” she says as she hands them over.

Claudine takes them and holds them to her chest, confused and morethan a little wary.

“Good night, Claudine, I hope to see you in class tomorrow,”Esmeralda says as she rolls up the window, before driving away.

Claudine watches her go, before a cool breeze makes her shiver. Shewraps the shawl around herself, puts on the slippers.

No longer feeling cold and stepping on hard, unforgiving ground withher bare feet, she makes her way inside and back to the dorms,enjoying the warmth and the fuzziness.

* She has a passion for and plenty of experience working withoppressed minority groups, people who like to walk on the “Gray”side of morality, and was a VK in a sense for all of her life, too.