#basically a Peter Pan and the lost boys retelling

[furubaycrossing]

just a lil book chat under the cut for anyone interested (I’m gonna be ranting a lil bit)

ok first off for anyone that has previously seen any of my posts regarding books I do enjoy a good smutty read from time to time and this summer I downloaded a bunch of books for my vacation (rip z library) and one of them happened to be The Never King by Nikki St-Crowe. The whole idea of it being a Peter Pan and the Lost Boys retelling really piqued my interest

Since then I’ve read all three books that have been released so far in the series: The Never King, The Dark One, and i literally just finished reading the third one, Their Vicious Darling

typically I like a good smut with plot and fantasy and I’m not usually one to turn my nose up at some “dark romance/themes” as long as the plot can support it and it’s done well

overall the writing was ok, there were a lot of plot holes that bothered me and I didn’t mind the whole reverse harem aspect of the plot line involving the main character, who is a descendant of Wendy Darling, Peter Pan, two Fae Princes and the “dark one” (I feel like there aren’t enough reverse harems out there as it is tbh 🤷🏼‍♀️)

And I was really intrigued by the plot overall however I do feel like the books could’ve been longer and better hashed out. Each novel was incredibly short to the point of frustration and it felt like there was a lot missing. I also feel like the entire series could’ve been handled and written a lot better. I get when it usually comes to smutty books and literotica in general, most often than not we’re dealing with straight up porn with plot but I just feel like the plot was kind of glazed over. So much could’ve been done with it without cutting out the raunchy bits and it just… wasn’t and it kind of fell flat for me but I’m not the type to stop reading a series mid way through. I was still interested in how it would all play out so I stuck through it

now aside from all that, my biggest gripe and issue with the whole series (and anyone who has read it and felt the same way will most likely agree) was the age of the main character. Although the main character is eighteen, she just turned eighteen at the start of the series and here she is having all this really crazy wacky raunchy sex with these immortal characters which are described to be young men but still. The consent is there and she’s a-okay with everything going on and she’s all about female empowerment and she enjoys sex which is great!!! we love that! But why did she have to be so young?????? I’m assuming the target audience for this series is a bit older, early to mid-twenties and up so why eighteen????? why couldn’t she have been made to be older? I get that the whole point of the plot is that she gets stolen away by Peter Pan on her eighteenth birthday like all the Darling’s before her but i truly believed her age could’ve been handled differently and I honestly think it would’ve only made the plot more interesting. Why not twenty-something or even just twenty??? she was already written as supposedly “different” from all the other Darling’s and her mom did all sorts of awful things to her to keep her hidden from Pan (as written by the author), why couldn’t the author work with that a bit more and use it to her advantage??? maybe they could’ve managed to evade Pan for a few more years and then she finally got caught and then we could’ve proceeded with the canon storyline??? that would’ve been so much more interesting story-wise. but anyway it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I get that it’s fiction but regardless she didn’t have to be so young. I just pretended she was older as I read the series tbh. It was the only way I could digest it

also Peter Pan is meant to be a child who never wants to grow up???? why is he a sex crazed animal now???

ok that’s it !

#also this is regarding some quote unquote literotica #so if smutty books aren’t your thing u can ignore this #I just need to get it off my chest #but if anyone is curious and if it’ll make or break wanting to read my mini rant #the book/book series is by Nikki st-Crowe #and it’s the vicious lost boys series #basically a Peter Pan and the lost boys retelling

[liketwoswansinbalance]

A Fall Theory on Neverland and Youth

There is potential in the entertaining possibility of contrasting the brothers’ “dotage” and apparent age and appearances with the Lost Boys’ youth. We already know Rafal gets tired of the youth and life around him. We’ve already seen him feel at ease in an old body, and compare himself to the reclusive Rabid Bear Rex.

Rafal: These Id-driven freaks!

Rhian: [sigh] Be polite, Rafal. You were a child once.

Now, briefly onto a concept of Freudian childhood since I find it relevant. Not all children are cherubic. Some are Id-driven little freaks! Through no real fault of their own. They just haven’t been taught societies’ standards. It is parents and society that form a child’s Superego after all. The Id is the only structure we’re born with, and has no need to develop.

Next, it’s a common-enough refrain that children are cruel, merciless, and demanding. (If you’ve ever read the impactful short story “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury, that’s a good point of reference.) They exhibit unsociable behavior. There’s even such a thing called Peter Pan Syndrome. Thus, I would think everything is a game in Neverland, or so treated as a game by its inhabitants. If anything, I think Neverland politics are probably some ludicrous version of Never politics but burlesque and childish. It was said to be founded by Nevers. Probably, it’d be a wild mix of obvious egocentrism, greed, all about gain and profit (the pirate element to it), deception, living in the moment, probably involving some measure of hedonism, impulsivity, incivility, actual antisocial behavior, and zero trust among all parties. So basically, children exploit each other, and have no loyalties, except to themselves. Children are fundamentally unreliable. Driven entirely by instinct, consumed by it. The Pan is probably an amoral being.

And, Soman has such vivid characterization always. It must be in his nature to be edgy. It would be nice, nay, immensely satisfying, to see "child" characters that aren't paragons of purity and innocence but in fact, something of the opposite. This is a fascinating idea, partly derived and interpreted from the retelling of Peter Pan from Beasts and Beauty or something I heard about a particular view on children, being bloodthirsty, backstabbing, demanding retribution, being uncivilized and wild without any parental or societal influence to form their morals in a vast, isolated wilderness, in a world that isn’t ruled by the tyranny of adulthood. Although, this idea may actually belong to J. M. Barrie. Soman probably draws from it. I've never read the original Peter Pan, so I wouldn't know.

#school for good and evil #rise of the school for good and evil #rafal #rafal mistral #sge #sfgae #the school for good and evil #tsfgae #rotsge #rotsfgae #rhian #rhian mistral #psychology #freud #sigmund freud #freudian psychology #freudian #neverland #peter pan #the pan #j. m. barrie #my post #my predictions #my theories #my analysis #dialogue

[bleachification]

any book recs?

SO MANY OMG ill try to recommend some non-booktok/not mainstream series and books.

ill go by genres:

first my favourite book series in the world and forever my favourite book series is the percy jackson series <333 idc thay its for kids it’s so fun and emotional and entertaining i love it. has my all time favourite fictional couple and fictional character (percy and percabeth)

fantasy:

the cruel prince series (holly black; YA), the political intrigue and character development in this series is so good! also has one of my favourite protagonists and book couple :)

falling kingdoms series (morgan rhodes; YA), again more political intrigue and it is a bit slow at first but the plot picks up. also this has multiple povs!!

lost boy (christina henry; YA/NA?), MADE ME CRY AND IDEK WHY. retelling of peter pan but in captain hooks pov (he used to be one of peters lost boys). finished it in one night

storm and fury (jennifer l. armentrout; YA), probably the only series from her ill read. really like the main character and romance :) did not read the last book tho if im being honest LMAO

poison study series (maria v. snyder; YA ish? leaning towards NA high fantasy), i ADORED the premise of this book and rlly enjoyed the characters, world building and plot. the romance is subtle but is there and it’s all around a really interesting and immersive read.

dystopian:

all these monsters duology (amy tintera; YA), i rlly adore the main characters and the romantic subplot🫶🫶

angelfall series (susan ee), ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED AND FUN DYSTOPIANS !! love the female mc + love the male lead + made me cry + angels = perfect. the romance in this was also so cute

mystery:

malice (keigo higashino; adult) so SO clever and hands down my favourite mystery book. if you like smart, nuanced mysteries that leave you guessing at every turn then this is the one!

the 7 deaths of evelyn hardcastle (stuart turton; adult). this book is my favourite stand-alone of all time and it is so unique, SOOO clever, and so fun. it’s basically a time-loop, clue-style, body-swapping murder mystery that i guarantee you won’t be able to guess the plot twist of.

the word is murder (anthony horowitz; adult), super cool concept that is executed well (in my opinion), enjoyed the narration and the actual mystery! unlikeable deuteragonist tho

the inmate (frieda mcfadden; adult), had me stressed out the entire book🧍🏻‍♀️ also had another plot twist i did NOT see coming at the very very end.

basically anything agatha christie, queen of mystery novels, but mostly: and then there was none, and any hercule poirot novel

contemporary romance:

y’all i don’t rlly like contemporary romance but kulti, the wall of winnipeg is me, wait for it, and lukov with love (all by mariana zapata) are very good!! they are slowburn romances and HEALTHY (!!!!!!!!) relationships.

historical fiction:

veronica speedwell series (deanna raybourn; YA), a badass lepidopterist, a hot grumpy taxidermist, a setting in victorian london, murder mysteries, and BANTER !!!! what else do you need?

stalking jack the ripper series (kerri maniscalco; YA). basically all that above except forensic scientists^^^ this series also has one of my favourite book couples ever and is overall incredibly entertaining and clever.

classics:

the iliad and the odyssey🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶 (homer LMAO)

ANYWAY this was a lot but i hope i helped :) i love romance but mostly as a subplot because i enjoy plot-driven novels more (especially fantasy and mystery). some of these do center a bit on romance tho so if that’s what ur looking for then please feel free to check them out!

#jess talks #ask box #book rec asks #book rec list #book recs

[burninlovebutler]

11, 14, and 22! 💋🖤✨️

ask me q's -> here

thank u steph!! ilysm 💖

14 - Favorite book you read this year?

LOL im gonna go w 2 completely different directions here

1 - Ishmael, I am only half way through this book but it has already changed me. This book is kinda hard to explain and sounds ridiculous so im just gonna give u the google description lol

"The novel examines the hidden cultural biases driving modern civilization and explores themes of ethics, sustainability, and global catastrophe."

these topics are discussed by a human student and an extremely intelligent gorilla teacher that can communicate. The gorilla basically has a 3rd party perspective of human civilization and so he helps the student think outside of societal norms. Extremely eye opening

ON THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE END LOL

2 - The Never King - this is an ADULT retelling of Peter Pan & the lost boys. It is basically a reverse harem and is so spicy and made me fall in love with cruel and vicious versions of peter pan and the lost boys ??? which was NOT on my bingo card for the year lmfao

(lmao in the book peter pan has black hair so the entire time i was reading i was picturing this:

🫠🫠🫠

22 - Favorite place you visited this year?

im gonna answer this with 11 but i went on an anniversary vaca w my bf to St. Petersburg, FL - I completely fell in love with this city. It's so progressive, pride flags everywhere, water and food readily available for homeless people, even water bowls for dogs. The food was AMAZING and the vibes were top tier ELITE

11 - Something you want to do again next year?

that being said i'd love to go back next year, me and my bf are even thinking about moving there we loved it that much 🥰

#this was also unnecessarily long lol #im so sorry #the gemini is really poppin out today #mel's asks #thank u steph! #bestie steph #cute ask games

[mellifiedfemme]

i never mentioned in here that a couple month ago i briefly picked up "the never king" which is a dirty retelling of peter pan (no, none of the character are children) and i did so bc i had seen ppl call it like the nastiest or horniest book/retelling theyve evre read and i got curious and then quickly disapointed. maybe it was my impatience, cus i only got to like chapter 10 bc i was bored or i was waiting too much but like it was kinda lame. which is a shame, since a peter pan retelling, a story quite literally about growing up and the transition of childhood to adulthood as a toxic dark erotica could get sooo interesting, not necesarily bc of the erotica btw. also, peter and the lost boys felt like so much lost potential, like they introduce peter as this eldrich being who existence is intrinsecally tied to neverland itself and is implied to be older than time itself and i thougth that this concept paired with the idea of eternal childhood would mix in a character thats like rlly uncanny, like it looks human but theres something wrong with it and also absolutly unhinged and childish almost bordering on cruel and instead hes the most basic ass mafia boss type character and with all due respect i cant take that seriously in this particular context, especially considering that the lost boys are described like deviant art oc. idk man maybe i'll pick it up again if im bored one of these days but like not even gonna lie i enjoyed more reading the first descendants book, and i didnt finish that one either

#i had high hopes bc i also read the spider mate trilogy bc i thought it was odd and i loved it #the spiders mate reads like a fanfic in the sense that you feel the passion from the author #the never king reads like a fanfic in the way that its like a 12yo wrote it and there are no paragraphs just. sentences #im talking to myself lol #if i ever pick it up i migth do a review on it but idk

[dark-ink-drinker]

Though the original Peter Pan was never a big book for me personally, I seem to have a fondness for a good retelling.

I saw this book via booktok. The premise interested me-- Peter Pan as the villain, all darkness and shadows; Darling women disappearing for generations, always coming back but never the same.

I should have read more about it before I decided to read. I expected sex and a little love-hate... maybe a little dubious consent. But im not sure I fully understood what the book would be about.

I'm not one for fetish shaming, certainly not any morality police and I'm all for whatever works for you as long as everyone is consenting adults. And if the scenes in this work for the reader, then more power to them. I wouldn't judge, but it is not for me.

Winnie Darling is turning 18. Her mother's crazy ramblings made her feel more like she was imprisoned than kept safe. She never fully believed her mother's warnings until she came face to face with the dark tattooed original lost boy, Peter Pan. Now she's been kidnapped away to Neverland with a whole brood of dangerous boys nothing like those in fairytales..fairytale... all demanding things from her she doesn't know how to give them.

But Winnie is fiercely independent and she learned at an early age how to manipulate men. She tries (and succeeds) to seduce a couple of the lost boys while waiting for her fate. She finds herself turned on by the taboo of sleeping with her captives...finds herself fascinated and attracted to their danger.

In one scene, Peter attacks after she seduces one too many. He has sex with her then let's some of the others have their way with her as well.

She 'likes' it so the brutality and degradation of the scene is supposed to be sexy? But it was all too much for me.

As far as the writing itself, i personally found the character development lacking to say the least. I found the writing unnecessarily crude and a bit basic... but I've always been a suckered for flowery words and poetic description. I suppose this just wasn't that kind of book.

More than anything, it reminded me why I stay away from those smutty, romance novels some are always raving about.

Zero to ⭐️ star

#book review #fiction #book recs 2022 #angst #peter pan #fairytale retellings #neverland #nikki st crowe #not for me #0 out of 10 would not recommend #sorry #sorry not sorry #badboys #hate to love #dark romance

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

hot book summer

I remade the post because 1.) I kept adding more books to this list and it was getting disorganized and 2.) the original hot book summer post had a typo that was cruelly pointed out by @dykerory so that shit CLEARLY HAD TO GO.

anyway, by some coincidence June is filled with new releases I'm very excited about (... and a few from May), so I've decided to do something I never do and spend a solid month or so reading mainly brand new books. PEEP THIS LIST:

Sorrowland (Rivers Solomon) - dropped May 4

Solomon is the author of a gorgeous book called The Deep, a story about queer post-apocalyptic mermaids and also about intergenerational trauma and community healing. faer new novel, Sorrowland, follows a pregnant woman feeling from a cult to raise her children in a deep forest where she’s haunted and hunted - I don’t know by what, exactly, but I’m seeing it described as both fantasy and horror, so I have to assume there’s something juicy going on.

edit: I'm reading it now and lordy lordy, it's even better than I anticipated. Rivers is a tremendous talent, y'all.

The First Ten Years: Two Sides of the Same Love Story (Joseph Fink and Meg Bashwiner) - dropped May 11

“Makenzie doesn’t this break your rule about not reading any books by men this year” actually NO, because Joseph Fink co-wrote this with his wife and that doesn’t count. plus I just think it’s nice that they’ve been together for ten years and love each other a lot and wanted to write a book about it, and I think that’s a simply delightful way to write a memoir. I just love love, you guys. plus, you know, spicy behind the scenes Night Vale info maybe.

The Chosen and the Beautiful (Nghi Vo) - dropping June 1

Vo has absolutely become one of my authors to watch thanks to her novellas The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, so you bet your ass I’m going to be there for her first novel. The Chosen and the Beautiful is by the far the most exciting of the Gatsby retelling rushing forth now that it’s in the public domain: it reimagines the supporting socialite Jordan Baker as the queer, adopted Asian daughter of a wealthy family. also - she has magic powers! fuck yeah!

¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons (John Paul Brammer) - dropping June 8

if y'all aren’t reading John Paul Brammer’s advice column, ¡Hola Papi!, what are you doing??? Brammer offers excellent compassion and insight while unfailingly being the funniest bitch on the internet; I guarantee you’ve shared a screenshot of at least one of his tweets on this hellsite without realizing it. go give him a follow if you’re also shackled to twitter in addition to this hellsite, and kindly join me in getting hype to have so much of his messy wisdom in one place.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir (Akwaeke Emezi)

so far I've eagerly read everything Emezi has published (their two adult novels are phenomenal, their YA novel an impressive abolitionist fairytale), and I'll continue feasting since their upcoming books include this memoir, a book of poetry, and a romance inspired by a Florence + the Machine song. Akwaeke Emezi, I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to feast in your brilliance this way.

The Jasmine Throne (Tasha Suri) - dropping June 10

a f/f romance/fantasy epic set in a world inspired by historical India, which is basically the coolest shit I can imagine. our protagonists are imprisoned princess and an undercover priestess masquerading as a maidservant, out to topple the princess’ tyrannical brother and his entire empire. plus it’s the first in a series, and I have a POWERFUL hunger for doorstopper fantasy series right now.

Star Eater (Kerstin Hall) - dropping June 22

friends, I will level with you: I don’t know a TON about this book except that I keep seeing it described as “lesbian cannibal high priestess fantasy,” but honestly? that’s all it takes to capture my attention. the synopsis gives me some major Traitor Baru Cormorant vibes - scheming, espionage, fighting complicated sinister power structures from within - and I read the shit out of that.

Darling (K. Ancrum) - also June 22

the upcoming YA read of the summer! a Peter Pan retelling that casts Wendy Darling as a sheltered girl in contemporary Chicago, who gets whisked away for a night on the run by a wild-eyed delinquent Peter Pan. the Lost Boys are a gang of unhoused youth, Captain Hook is a dirty cop, and Tinkerbell is the bicon we deserve - what more could you want?

also: Ancrum has since revealed this GORGEOUS art for the characters, which you should definitely check out.

#bookblr #hot book summer

[sapphicsecrecy]

sapphicsecrecy's favorite books!

hi! today I thought I'd give a quick summary of my favorite books as a way for you to get to know me better and maybe find something of interest. let me know how you felt about any of these! I'd love to talk about them.

1. the secret history by donna tartt

yep, no surprise here. richard papen, in a twist of fate, is thrust into an elite group of college students who find themselves spiraling into a dionysian madness of sorts. complete with relentless male gaze, drunk shenanigans, and a bacchanal gone awry. engaging, gorgeous writing, with a fascinating cast of characters.

2. coraline by neil gaiman

for me, this is a childhood favorite, both in film and book form. young coraline jones stumbles upon a small door in her family's new flat, which leads to an identical flat, except everything seems better. that is, until it's not. charming, unsettling in the best way possible, and one of my favorite fictional worlds.

3. alice in wonderland by lewis carroll

okay, okay, another childhood favorite. curious alice, chasing a peculiar white rabbit, stumbles down a rabbit hole headfirst into a world of absolute madness. alice in wonderland has my favorite imagery of any franchise (playing cards, flowers with heads, tea time, living chess pieces, etc). classic and whimsical.

4. house of leaves by mark z. danielewski

to avoid giving too much away, the basic premise of the story is that a young family moves into their new home on ash street, and find that the house is bigger on the inside than on the outside. a semiotician's dream, and a book that genuinely navigates like a labyrinth.

5. vicious by v.e. schwab

different from my standard tastes, but a bit of a staple in the dark academia community. vicious is about victor and eli, two brilliant former friends seeking revenge against one another for the follies of their youth, and the events that secured their extraordinary powers. an abundance of moral ambiguity and existential crisis wrapped in an adult fantasy. also an adorable found family.

6. lost boy: the true story of captain hook by christina henry

a retelling of the classic tale of peter pan, in which jamie, our main character, becomes peter's best friend, and eventually his greatest enemy. there's a delightful cast of characters here, with just enough of the macabre to stand out against other retellings. peter is the chilling villain in this part "lord of the flies" and part coming-of-age story. engaging and appropriately brutal.

7. the wasp factory by iain banks

I was careful not to label the list as recommendations, and this book was the main reason why. meet 16-year-old frank, a troubled and likely sociopathic boy who spends his days wreaking brutal havoc on local wildlife, receiving frightening calls from his older brother who has broken out of a psychiatric hospital, and falling into obsessive, meticulous patterns to cope with it all. not for the light of heart, but wry, sardonic, and frustratingly endearing in its tone.

8. the song of achilles by madeline miller

another retelling, this time centered around the lives of patroclus and achilles up until the trojan war. the writing in this book is dazzling, with a great mlm relationship. in classic homer fashion, it is a tragic and moving depiction of two iconic greek figures. I cried like,, four times while reading this. also a dark academia must.

#books #favorite books #book recommendations #but not really #id reccomend any of these except the wasp factory honestly #dark academia #dark academia recs #dark academic #song of achilles #alice in wonderland #the wasp factory #house of leaves #the secret history #vicious #lost boy: the true story of captain hook #coraline #bookblr #bibliophile

[proseandpinotnoir]

LOST IN THE NEVER WOODS by Aiden Thomas

4🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pub date: 3/23/21

Lost in the Never Woods isn’t a retelling of Peter Pan (thank God) - rather, Thomas takes the most charismatic and enchanting elements of Peter Pan mythos and weaves them into a moving modern tale of innocence and loss.

The usually-crime-free coastal town of Astoria, OR is unwell when 11-year-old Wendy Darling and her younger brothers, Michael and John, vanish into the woods without a trace. Six months later, Wendy turns up with her brothers’ blood caked underneath her fingernails, unable to recall a single detail. At 18, Wendy struggles daily with the grief and guilt and trauma of her losing her baby brothers so horrifically, without a hint of closure.

Driving home one night, something hits Wendy’s car, and she, in turn, almost hits a boy. The night gets even weirder when the boy tells her his name is Peter Pan. And weirder yet: he needs Wendy’s help because he’s missing his shadow which, according to him, she has sewn on before.

Though Wendy is certain she’s never seen this strange, mesmerizing boy before, something about him feels familiar and warm and safe. She is quickly forced to conclude Peter is who he says he is: THE Peter Pan, the flying, pirate-fighting, never-grows-up boy Wendy used to make up stories about to tell her brothers.

Peter’s arrival isn’t coincidental. Children have started to disappear in the woods, and Peter believes his missing shadow - a manifestation of dark thoughts and fear - is responsible. Wendy and Peter team up to basically fight the forces of evil while exploring their undeniable chemistry in a very YA and wholesome way.

This book so bittersweet. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Peter has a purpose in Lost in the Never Woods that is so much more fulfilling and poignant than the original tale. He is, to quote SJM, extremely easy to like and even easier to love. I ended up crying at 1 AM because the whole endgame of Peter Pan is very snap-your-heart-in-two.

Taylor says it best: I knew you tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy💔

Thank you to Netgalley and Swoon Reads for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

#book quotes #books #fort lauderdale #reading #book blog #book review #bookish #booklr #bookstagram #booknerd #Taylor swift #Peter pan #lost in the never woods #ya romance #ya fantasy #peter losing wendy #Wendy darling #bookstagrammer #proseandpinotnoir #Aiden thomas #cemetery boys #arc #swoon reads #netgalley

[gravecinema]

Why The Lost Boys Made Us Want to be Vampires - 05/16/2020

The Lost Boys is one of the most classic and well-known vampire movies ever made. It is also what I feel to be the first representation of the modern vampire. The tagline of the movie says everything you need to know about these vampires: “Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.”

These aren’t your classic vampires that you’ve seen in movies from years before. More than anything, The Lost Boys shows just how cool it is to be a vampire. You go where you want. Do what you want. Wear what you want and take what you want. Not to mention, you get to ride motorcycles with a pack of friends right off the beach boardwalk. If you were a teenager watching this movie for the first time, there were no cooler vampires than the Lost Boys.

Released in July of 1987 and directed by Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys tells the tale of two brothers and their newly divorced mom moving in with their grandpa near the fictional beach town of Santa Carla, California; the so called “Murder Capital of the World.” The older brother Michael, played by Jason Patric, soon becomes smitten with the beautiful Star, played by Jami Gertz. Star just so happens to be a part of the local boardwalk motorcycle gang lead by David, played by Keifer Sutherland, and Michael soon finds himself embroiled with the antics of the boys as they make plans to initiate him into their club. Unknown to Michael, it just so happens to be a club of vampires.

Meanwhile, Michael’s younger brother Sam, played by Corey Haim, befriends two local comic book geeks named the Frog Brothers, played by Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander, who try to warn him about the vampires, and that his brother is in danger of becoming one of them. Michael and Sam’s mom, played by Dianne Wiest, also starts a relationship with the mysterious Max, played by Edward Herrmann, who may have a history with the gang of vampires.

While Sam and the Frog Brothers hunting of the vampires drive the plot forward through most of the final act, it is our first interactions with the Lost Boys that really make the film memorable, and the classic that it has become. When a security guard kicks them off the merry-go-round at the start of the movie, the vampires retaliate by attacking and feasting on him later when he’s alone. The motorcycle ride on the beach with Michael shows the joy that the vampires express by doing whatever they want. They show their complete fearlessness and carefree attitude by hanging off a train bridge as a train goes by, all while trying to entice Michael to join them.

The most iconic scene has to be when they first take Michael to their underground lair, where they offer Michael to join in on having some Chinese food. David then plays some vampire mind games with Michael by making him believe that he’s eating maggots instead of rice, and worms instead of noodles. This is actually a very nice setup that David is playing on Michael, since when he offers him a bottle filled with the blood of their master vampire to drink to start Michael’s transformation into becoming a vampire, Michael then scoffs at Star’s warning that the bottle is filled with blood, believing that it’s just another mind game like with the maggots and worms. He then drinks it thinking it’s probably only just some wine. This whole scene is absolutely great and gets referenced many other times in other media. Most notably recently in the 2014 vampire movie What We Do in the Shadows.

The design of the Lost Boys is also a great influence for future vampire characters and stories. The distinct monstrous brow over their eyes that they develop when they transform their faces right before they feed is a technique also used again most notably in the movie From Dusk ‘Till Dawn, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. The popular bleached-blonde trench-coat-wearing bad boy vampire Spike from the Buffy series is also quite clearly highly influenced by the character of David from The Lost Boys. Spike was created in the 90’s though, so that glorious mullet that David had was left back in the 80’s where it probably most belongs.

The Lost Boys also has one of the best movie soundtracks ever. The signature song of the movie titled Cry Little Sister has been covered by many different artists and sets the perfect mood for the entire movie, starting with the opening title, and then later with Michael and Star’s sexy love scene. The song Lost in the Shadows that plays during the bike ride on the beach is also another fantastic mood setting song that really makes you want to hop on a motorbike yourself and ride alongside them. Also, no mention of this movie’s soundtrack can go without the truly iconic 80’s performance on the beach of I Still Believe by Tim Capello, who will forever be known to fans as the shirtless greased up muscled sax guy. I got to see Tim Capello perform I Still Believe as well as other songs at a convention recently, and the man still puts on a fantastic show.

The film also offers the viewer a visual lens of becoming a vampire through two different character perspectives. The older brother Michael seeks acceptance with the new crowd and longs for a relationship with Star. The younger brother Sam, influenced by the Frog Brothers and his comic books, sees the vampires as an evil corrupting force against Michael, and sets out to destroy them and the master vampire who may be controlling them. This allows viewers of differing ages to also enjoy the movie in different ways. When I was younger, I viewed the movie through the lens of Sam and wanted him and the Frog Brothers to successfully hunt and slay the evil vampires. Once I reached high school age, I was definitely starting to view the movie through the lens of Michael, and I would want to become the cool and sexy vampire and get the beautiful girl. I also suspect that once I get to the age of the Grandpa, I’ll probably be viewing the movie through his eyes as well. These lenses do a lot to help the viewer enjoy the movie at any age and helped to make the movie the classic that it has become.

It’s interesting to view the movie this way, since the characters of Michael and the vampire gang were supposed to be younger than they were portrayed in the final film. The initial concept of the movie was for it to be a sort of retelling of Peter Pan, only with the twist being that Peter and the rest of the Lost Boys were vampires, which is why they never grow old. Hence the title of the movie. Coming off the success of the Goonies, producers wanted another movie adventure with kids around the same age. It was when Joel Schumacher got directing duties that the decision was then made to age up the vampires and one of the brothers in order to make the movie sexier and to sell better to teens. The reasoning being that vampires are supposed to be creatures and metaphors for sex, and those themes would not play well with preteen characters. This change worked for the movie, since we still have that younger kid adventure story going on with Sam and the Frog Brothers, but we also now get the sexy part of the story with the older brother Michael and the gang of vampire Lost Boys.

The older content provided by the aged-up characters also presents us with some pretty fun and creative vampire death scenes. The scene where the vampires show their fangs for the first time to Michael gives us an intense moment where the vampires feast on a group of punks, with the punks basically being torn apart. The vampire deaths also get graphic with the Frog Brothers taking one of the Lost Boys out with a tub full of holy water. The most iconic death though without a doubt is the “Death by stereo” sequence. It is a moment and line so iconic that it has even inspired a song written about it. The Lost Boys certainly provides the viewer with a great deal of vampire slayage in the final act.

The death of David hits the audience differently though, since he is a very likable and charismatic character. He doesn’t explode when he dies like other vampires, and we’re meant to sympathize with him more. The character was so popular, he was even magically brought back in a comic book sequel to the movie. There’s a reason why the character of Spike from the Buffy series drew a lot of influence from the character of David. David is the absolute essence of cool when it comes to the Lost Boys and being a vampire. He’s the one character who makes us most want to be a vampire, and his death signifies a metaphoric death of that dream of becoming just like one of the Lost Boys.

The Lost Boys would eventually go on to spawn two direct-to-video sequel releases featuring the Frog Brothers in the later 2000’s, about 20 years after the original movie. They’re not bad sequels to watch for fans of the original and can still be entertaining at certain points, but they still come nowhere near to competing with the quality of filmmaking that the original film produced. That original film from the 80’s has continued to stand to test of time as being one of the true classics of the vampire genre. Many other great vampire films have been made since then and will continue to be made, but I doubt that any will quite make us want to become a vampire just as much as that motorcycle gang taking joyrides off a California boardwalk from 1987.

#the lost boys #lost boys #grave cinema #review #video essay #vampire #vampires

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

Hi!!! How's college going so far? Hope you had a great day!!!

For the fanfiction asks, could you do 6 and 16?

Thanks!!!

Hi!!!!

College is great so far but I'm buried in work already and it's only the first day (rip me)

6. What’s the last thing you read that made you laugh?

Uhh...A fanfic or fiction??? If it's fiction, I just finished The Wicked King and I guess I laughed in disbelief at some point cause wow I wasn't expecting that much God is a good book pls read it

16. Describe your WIP that currently has the highest word count.

Oh boy I need to check becuase I actually don't know which WIP it is (probably Marble and Magic...But I don't really want to talk about it again so...Let's pretend it's not ok?)

Now my unnamed Peter Pan Retelling you helped me plot (thanks!!!!!) makes Neverland and everyone there with a dark twist...Basically Wendy and her brothers are orphans and they are in Neverland but Peter never took them there...Hook did.

Now Hook is dead, Wendy wants revenge and Peter is just tired of being...Well, Peter.

Fairies and mermaids can't be trusted and the Lost Kids are just kids who were meant to fight.

I think that's a good explanation??? If it's not I'm sorry I suck at doing everything xD

Thanks for asking!! How's college going for you??

#unnamed peter pan retelling #asks #ask game #neliakey

[batboyblog]

Gay fantasy books recommendation?

Yes I surely do!

The Lightening-Struck Heart: it is piss yourself funny, there’s a hornless gay unicorn name Garry, a half-Giant named Tiggy, and very horny dragon named Kevin who speaks with a Scottish accent in the audiobook, and if these things don’t sound amazing we’re not friends.

The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Straight: A little Urban fantasy realness your standard “you’re a wizard Harry” kid finds out he’s magic and also GAY! 

Peter Darling: A really sweet, some times sad (with a happy ending) gay/trans retelling of Peter Pan, very well written.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue: More of a period piece about two upper crust 1720s young British boys on their grand tour of Europe getting into trouble and having to break through booze and British reserve to figure out how to say “I love you” but there is a side order of magic 

Half Bad: Basically imagine if all the terrible shit that happens to YA savior characters happened to a real person who wasn’t magically PTSD proof and what it would do to them? yeah this one will make you cry and kill you softly 

Wonders of the Invisible World: It’s got a very dreamy otherworldly feel to it, running into a friend you haven’t seen in years and realizing they have a big secret about you, that you don’t even remember, that you knew who you were and lost it. 

Haffling: So your life totally sucks, your mom is off her meds again and you have to figure out how to dodge social services so they don’t take your little sister because thats not happening (again) when you find out maybe mom wasn’t crazy when she talked about Fairies and oh yeah the hottest guy in school knows who you are. 

Carry On: Think fan fiction, meets Harry Potter (but like 100% more British) meets a side order of realism and good writing, there’s a magic school, a chosen one, an evil pure blood Adams family like class mate, who maybe looks hot in jeans 

Last Bus to Everland: Intensely Scottish, a lad from Edinburgh who loves Peter Pan and named his cat Tinker bell, who gets bullied meets a boy from Spain who’s wearing wings and shows him a door into another world, can Brody pick the real world over Everland and the boy of his dreams?

The Song of Achilles: Mostly realistic it is however set in the Greek myths. An epic love and war story, it’s a tragedy but it’ll make you cry in the good way 

#gay books #carry on #the song of achilles

[fairydust-stuff]

Wendy Darling Embodiment of Motherhood

Here’s the thing ,I have never been a big fan of Wendy Darling from JM Barrie’s classic novel Peter Pan. Not only is she a cocktail of every bad stereotype about Victorian women casually thrown into a blender to make the ultimate Grimm’s fairy tale heroines are more bad ass then you smoothie. But Wendy is just straight up the most boring character in Peter Pan. That being said she does play a very important role in Peter Pan. Also it’s gotten the point where I’m a bit tired of seeing this idea that the Never land ladies have nothing to offer. If we don’t change everything about them or let’s just leave them out entirely trend via Hollywood. Seriously when is the last time Tink got more than a cameo and I’m not talking about the sugary princess clone Disney created from her mutilated body. Anyway I want to take a look Wendy Darling how she works, how she doesn’t work what she embodies and how she’s been portrayed in various adaptations.

First let’s take a look at some themes. Peter pan is at its core a coming of age story about accepting the inevitability of growing up. However Wendy as a point of view character is kind of an odd choice for this theme. In the original novel Wendy brings a flower to her mother who declares “Why can’t you stay like this” Then the narrator proceeds to talk about how Wendy knew she must grow up. So we already have a character who accepts the fact she must grow up on page one. In fact Wendy doesn’t run away to Never land as much as take a holiday, and to be fair John and Michel suffer from the same problem. Honestly I think the closest thing we get to a character arch in the novel is George Darling who is a seriously underrated character in my opinion. So Wendy just never struggles with growing up. However another theme of Peter Pan is motherhood and oh boy does Wendy fit into that.

“She used to come to me in my and I’d say pretty mother, now she has come and I’ve shot her” Tootles laments after thinking he shot and killed Wendy. Even Hook want to take Wendy to be the mothers of himself and his crew in typical pirate fashion coveting what Peter Pan and the lost boys have Wendy becomes a treasure for them to steal. Smee when carrying Wendy even promises “I’ll save you if you promise to only be my Mother” Every boy and man child in Never land craves a mother and want Wendy to fill the position. Wendy taking on the role turns her into a kind of ideal in the eyes of everyone in Never land even her own brothers get in on the treating her as the perfect mom.

In fact Wendy only gets to be a little girl in the narrative when Hook offers his hand to her and she takes it and only because the narrative felt the need to defend her submission to her own capture. But looking back that may very well be the point when you look at Wendy and Peter’s relationship without the shipping googles it’s actually quite interesting. You’ve got two pre teen’s on two different wave lengths. Wendy states in the novel “Peter what are true feelings towards me?” and is displeased with Peter’s answer “That of a devoted son” this seems up their relationship perfectly. Wendy uses the role of mother to try to basically become Peter’s wife something which he is deeply uncomfortable with needing constant reassurance that playing an adult couple is “ Only make believe” now whether or not Peter is flat out not interested or scared of his own feelings is up for debate. I personally lean toward the former because Peter is constantly surrounded by busty topless mermaids who like to flirt with him. So if he hasn’t had his sexual awakening yet it’s not happening ever, but the point is Peter uses the reaffirmation of Wendy as Mother to keep her at a distance. When Wendy returns home Miss Darlings offers to adopt Peter which he refuses. This highlights the fact when given the chance to have an actual mother he doesn’t want one.

Wendy is a reflection of Peter’s warped relationship with motherhood. He confesses to Wendy that he did at one point did return to his mother only to find the window barred and “There was another little boy sleeping in my bed!”  It could be argued Peter’s desire to stay a little boy forever actually steam from the fear of abandonment and being replaced. This shapes Peter’s relationship with Wendy in sense he wants a mother he can actually control. One who never makes him feels too grown up or who challenges him or his choices in a meaningful way. This shows that motherhood is important and that without a proper mom boys will never truly grow into men.

Wendy plays a similar role to the lost boys only she actually ends up helping them. While the lost boys clearly already have mommy craving’s Wendy gives them a taste of what having a mom is actually like or at least what an ideal mom from a Victorian upper middle class family structure would be like. So when Wendy wants to go home the lost boys who getting a taste of what their missing decides to go with her. Where they get adopted into the Darling Family and grow into respectable members of society who all get boring office jobs in the prolog which completely contrast their colorful energetic personalities, moving on. Wendy acts as kind of encouraging benevolent guide for the lost boys and Peter her inevitable goal being to encourage to move beyond the superficial trappings of childhood and take a step forward into adulthood. Peter is the failure, deficient as the novel itself states but the lost boys are a triumph of the power of proper maternal nurturing.

Wendy Darling has appeared in various adaptations and Spin offs though I’m mostly going to focus on Movies and TV because most of the Peter Pan book retellings where Wendy plays a key role just do not fill me with any positive feelings. And I want to mostly focus on the good today with some casual snark thrown in.

So let’s start with Wendy from the 2003 Peter Pan Live Action adaptation. I love this version it makes changes from the novel while still paying homage by using actual lines from the book. Though I have very mixed feelings about 2003 Wendy.

The movie heavily leans into the annoying I’m not like other girls trope. Here Victorian lady Wendy turns fairy tales into gore fests, and has an interest in sword play and pirates. I’m not saying girls from that era can’t have those interests but it just feels like their Wendy is the product of listening to too many focus groups not to mention she learns to be an expert sword fighter who can go toe to toe with adults after five seconds with Peter. And what is with the sudden unexplained blood thirst? Where did that come from?

Though I do like how the film unlike the novel actually gave Wendy an arch. Wendy’s aunt is mortified at her niece’s interest in becoming a novelist who travels the world.  She insists Wendy’s parents separate Wendy from her brothers and allow her to tutor, Wendy to teach her how to be a proper lady.   They also have a school teacher shame Wendy for drawing a picture of Peter flying above her bed. This seems to be subtext for the Victorian shaming of sexual expression from girls as dirty and shameful. This actually makes Wendy feel like her life is changing way too fast and it scares her. Since she is twelve and her family is already talking about marriage prospects.  While the scene where Peter and her meet is pretty much played like in the novel. There’s the added moment of Peter whispering in Wendy’s ear “ Forget them Wendy Forget them all come with me and we’ll never ever have to think about grown up things again” which unlike the novel frames Wendy as running away from growing up.

Then she develops a crush on Peter Pan and this being Hollywood they go with the scared of his own feeling interpretation. I guess her whining and screaming his name for a day was just too sexy to resist.  Wendy contemplates joining Hook’s crew because when your crush rejects you validation by pirate man children is good salve for your wounds. But then realizes she can’t remember her mother and much like the novel becomes scared that her and her brothers have forgotten their parents. Then they all get kidnapped by the pirates and Hook and Peter have a show down which is way better than the novel because here Hook attacks Peter’s abandonment issues and actually brings him to his knees. But then Wendy kisses Peter and he gains the strength to defeat Hook. Basically the implication is Wendy realizes growing up is ok because romantic love is a thing. Hey, I didn’t say it was a great arch but it’s more than the novel gave her or anyone.  I’m not a huge fan of this Wendy depiction but I’ve got to take my hat off to the writers for at least giving Wendy a coming of age narrative.

Disney’s classic Peter Pan pulled a similar move taking the focus from Peter and putting it entirely on Wendy. The implications at the end imply that Wendy’s adventure was all a dream and that Tinker bell and Tiger Lilly were reflections of her own manifesting sexuality. Peter Pan her desire not to grow up and Hook I’m going to guess that he was her daddy issues.

I actually think Walt did Wendy a solid in her characterization. This is one of the few Wendy’s were her concern for her brothers and the lost boys don’t feel tacked on. Since most adaptations do very little to build Wendy’s dynamic with the other kids. Here it’s in every face wipe and tearful good bye and every “Do be careful” thrown over Wendy’s shoulder.

Also the Disney movie does a one eighty from everyone in Neverland worshiping her to Neverland treating her rather badly. It takes Wendy’s annoyance from called her squaw from the Novel and has the Indians bully her into fetching firewood instead of joining the celebrations. Also the mermaids not only try to drown her but Peter thinks is all a big joke. Disney’s Wendy constantly stands up for herself but often gets brushed off or forced to walk the plank. In this version you can one hundred percent understand why Wendy is so done with this place and ready to grow up. Here the reality of what it’s like to experience everyone acting like a self-centered child is here on full display.

Also Disney’s Wendy is not perfect she gets angry and loses her temper attacking mermaids or yelling at Indians. She gets jealous of Tiger Lilly being all over Peter and is sour towards him.  Wendy is dreamy eyed, and polite but this version of her also doesn’t take anyone’s crap and will let you know if you’ve crossed a line or if you’re flat out awful.   But she’s still pleads with Peter on her attempted murder’s behalf. Wendy also reminds Peter that Tiger Lilly is drowning when he gets caught up in celebrating his cleverness. She still makes sure she can say goodbye to her brothers and the lost boys before Hook kills her. Even on her worst day Disney’s Wendy is a kind person even when those around her are less so.

But my favorite portrayal of Wendy has got to be from the 90’s classic “Peter Pan and the Pirates” TV series which aired on Fox was about one season then got cancelled.  While it doesn’t really focus on Wendy a whole lot since its more concerned with the relationship between Peter Pan his lost boys and Hook’s crew. 

She still has a pretty important role.  Wendy often serves as a voice of reason to the group which doesn’t go against her original role in the novel since she takes a cake that’s been left out all night away from the lost boys. Which does present her as the one with the most common sense but the show lets Wendy tell Peter this is a bad idea way more often than the book and blow up at him after he does the stupid thing every one told him not to do. Also Wendy gets to be more of a moral center lecturing Peter for stealing the picture of Hook’s mother in the episode “Hooks mother” and encouraging him to return it and even getting Peter to take care of Hook after he’s injured. This is in a positive change in my opinion because it actually expands on Wendy’s role as a guide to adult hood. Here Wendy Darling encourages a kind of good behavior she helps build moral character in her boys. Wendy has strong ideals and this adaptation actually has her stand by her principals for better or worse. This not only gives her more of a central role in the story but also gives her more chances to be active. Yay character agency!

Also this version of Wendy was the first to have a bit of an interesting relationship with Hook. (Who is voiced by Tim curry and does an excellent job.)  While the writers got rid of the almost pedophilic undertones of Hook wanting to keep Wendy from the novel and the “My beauty” pet name.  Thank god for that even in the novel i thought it was too much.     There’s still a bit of a dynamic even if its way more innocent.

In the episode  In Peter on Trial Wendy not only lands on the ship unharmed but reminds Hook executing Peter without a trial would not be proper form at all. She then hits Hook in the ego by declaring “Surely you don’t doubt your powers of debate against that of a mere girl” And not only gets a trial but manages to win even when the trial is rigged against them. Hook even congratulates her before proceeding to find his own loophole and kill Peter Pan anyway. The point is this suggests this Wendy has a bit of an insight into Hook maybe more so then Peter. She knows he’s obsessed with good form and has an ego that prides its self on being the smartest person in the room.

This cuts both ways while Wendy is capable of manipulating Hook, he also consistently manipulates Wendy by offering his word as a gentlemen when he intends to break it as a pirate. This dynamic highlights Wendy’s flaw of trusting dangerous people and allowing them to hurt her friends. Hook has picked up that she trusts or wants to trust him. In this version Hook actually treats Wendy as opponent vs the usual she belongs to Peter and I want to steal her like in most adaptations. Also despite Hook being terrifying Wendy has no problem being all “There’s no need to get cranky Captain” and I kind of love how comfortable she is with the guy despite him being an enemy.

This proves Wendy doesn’t have to be a sword wielding “Who are you to call me girlie” action girl to be a good character. She can be flawed but still remain a good person and giving her a spine is always appreciated.

Wendy Darling is at her core a guide into adulthood with a strong moral character and a voice of reason who is used to shine a light on how important motherhood is since the result of mothers abandoning or neglecting their children shape the Peter’s of the world.  This makes her important to the overall story and themes of Peter Pan.

#wendy darling #wendy darling appreciation #peter pan disney #Peter Pan 2003 #Peter Pan and the Pirates

[kimjoongs-main]

—forget me not ; hrj

➵ peter pan renjun au

➵ 2.6k words

➵ “i'm sorry that you grew up so soon.”

➵ warning(s): n/a

➵ dia’s note: *incoherent noises*

Something was off about you. Everyone started to notice. The way your eyebrows furrowed when you were asked to retell stories from your past, the way you bit your lip when a certain detail just didn’t come to you, the way you stuttered trying to piece words and phrases together.

No one knew what was going on, except for him.

Renjun watched worriedly as you tried to tell the others a story from your past, but were failing catastrophically. His eyes stayed glued to the way your fingers would occasionally clasp and unclasp, a sign which would not be obvious to anyone else, but he knew exactly what it meant.

You were faltering.

He figured something like this was going to happen.

Renjun tilted his head to the side as he continued to listen to your story. His friends, who he referred to endearingly as “The Lost Boys,” were all gathered around you, some sitting cross legged on the ground and some on the low branch of a nearby tree. You were perched on top of a smooth stump, hands properly folded on your lap. Chenle, the second youngest of the boys, was sitting closest to you, completely enraptured by your tale despite your occasional pauses. Whenever that happened, he would nod his head, gently encouraging you to take your time and pace yourself.

Renjun smiled at the interaction, but it was laced with a tint of sadness.You would not have had to go through that if it wasn’t for him. He should have never let you stay here, no matter how much you claimed you did not want to go back.

Despite Chenle’s attempts to get you to keep going, you could tell the others were getting restless. Jisung was fidgeting on the branch above you, incessantly tugging on the leaves and scrunching his nose whenever you stopped to think. Jeno was drawing patterns in the dirt, only half listening. Donghyuck had his legs pulled up to his chest, arms resting on his knees and his chin on his arms. Jaemin was leaning against him, his usually bright and loving eyes now plagued with fatigue. You paused again for the nth time, brows furrowed and lips downturned. An exasperated sigh left your lips and you clap your hands together, garnering the attention from the five boys in front of you.

“I think I’ll stop there for today. We can continue the story tomorrow,” you said.

Chenle whined and reached up, tugging gently on your pinky. “Aw, but you were just getting to the good part.”

You laughed softly, moving your hand to hold onto his. “Then that just means we’ll start from there tomorrow. Consider this a cliffhanger.”

You looked to the others, noticing Renjun standing close by. There was a gentle smile on his face as he looked at you, and you immediately diverted your attention elsewhere, hoping that no one else saw the scarlet gradient appear on your cheeks.

Your efforts to hide it were tarnished by Donghyuck’s teasing and Jaemin’s mischievous smirk. You shooed the devilish duo away with a flick of your wrist, and off they went with a laugh back to the hideout, dragging a confused Jeno along with them. Chenle, who was still pouting from your abrupt ending of the story, was clinging onto Jisung as the youngest of the boys tried—and failed—to carry his best friend.

“You guys go on ahead. I’ll follow in a bit,” you called out to them, receiving a wave from Jeno and a thumbs up from Donghyuck.

“See you at home, Y/N!”

Chenle peered over his shoulder. “Promise you’ll finish the story tomorrow?”

“I promise.” You waved him off with a gentle gaze and he, along with Jisung, trudged back into the shadows of the trees.

As soon as the others were out of sight, the smile on your face disappeared. You slumped against the boulder behind you, head tilted back and eyes closed. You heard the soft crunch of dead leaves as Renjun made his way over to you and sat down. Without even having to look you could tell he was waiting for you to say something, anything.

A few beats of silence followed before you mustered up the courage to speak.

“I’m not going to remember it tomorrow, am I?”

He didn’t say anything back. You sighed. Your head fell forward, eyes landing on the tiny droplets of water dripping from the edge of a leaf. It had rained earlier that evening, causing the seven of you to abruptly stop the game you were playing and seek cover. The other boys were considerably upset by that, and you couldn’t blame them. It was the first time in a few days that they had the chance to go outside and play to their heart’s content without having to worry about the pirates. However, thanks to your quick thinking you eased the tension by inviting them to crowd around you as you presented them with a story from your childhood. A story that was once ingrained deeply in your memories, but now you can hardly remember it. Blinking back tears, you sharply turned away from Renjun, refusing to meet his gaze. You knew that one look into his eyes would render you completely and utterly vulnerable. 

“Why are you putting yourself through this? You know you can always go back?”

You didn’t respond. Your body language told him what you wanted to say.

Renjun’s gaze softened and he placed his hand on your shoulder, smiling softly when you didn’t shove his hand away like you usually did. He knew he was basically beating a dead horse at this point, but he needed to be sure that this exactly what you wanted. He’s witnessed the others go through the same predicament, and he’ll be damned if he let you go through with this decision only to regret it later on. 

“Are you willing to sacrifice all those good memories you had?” he asked. Renjun felt you tense up under his hand. You whipped your head around to look at him, cheeks soaked with salty tears. A thin line of scarlet rimmed the edges of your eyes, outlining days of emotional baggage.

You’ve been in Neverland for two months. You didn’t think you could handle it anymore.

Maybe...he’s right, you thought. It might be better for me to go ba–

A loud splash and flurry of giggles interrupted your train of thought.. Peering over your shoulder, your eyes immediately spotted the flash of vibrant colors jumping in and out of the ocean. The mermaids had emerged from their cove and decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet now that the ships were nowhere to be seen. You silently marveled at their beauty, entranced with the way their tails seemed to sparkle under the setting star, shining more brightly than ever before. Their hair was let down in loose waves; strands of crimson, teal, periwinkle, and emerald bounced along gently in the sea. Some of them were perched on the rocks, basking in the warmth of the sun, and the others were submerged in the calm waves.

When you first arrived in Neverland, Renjun decided to bring you on a tour of the island. The first stop was Mermaid’s Lagoon. The lovely ladies of the sea were undoubtedly excited to see him, judging from the way they all swam eagerly to the rock the two of you had landed on. You didn’t blame them. At that point you had only known Renjun for a few days, but you were already charmed by his charismatic, yet humble personality. It was honestly impossible for anyone to have ill feelings towards the young boy.

However, upon seeing you taking refuge behind their beloved Renjun, the smiles on their faces instantly dropped and were replaced with scowls instead. You cowered even more. Sensing the obvious, growing tension, Renjun briefly wrapped up what he was saying then grabbed your wrist, tugging you so you were right next to him. He proceeded to wrap an arm around your waist and pushed himself off of the rock, flying up, over, and through the arches until he finally found his way back to the Hangman’s Tree.

For the next few days, you avoided going anywhere near the lagoon. Renjun had just laughed when you refused his invitation one day and took off with a shrug.

“Suit yourself, little lady!” he had called out.

However, that very same night, Renjun had returned with a pouch and dangled it in front of your face. You looked up at him in surprise and he responded with a goofy grin.

“What’s this?” you asked.

“An apology gift,” he replied, dropping the pouch on your lap.

You raised your eyebrows and picked up the brown lump, tipping it over and letting the object inside fall into your palm. You gasped. What came tumbling out was probably the most beautiful seashell you have ever seen in your entire life. It was a conch shell. The outside was a striking shade of orange, fading into a darker shade of scarlet and magenta further into the shell. Specks of gold and silver were scattered all over the conch, reflecting the rays of the sun. The shell was relatively large, almost as big as your palm.

You glanced over at Renjun who was already staring back at you with a fond smile on his face. The Lost Boys had surrounded you, each of them climbing over one another to get a look at the sparkly object in your hand. You paid them no mind.

“Who is this from?” you asked. Renjun’s smile widened and he pointed behind you. You followed his finger and your eyes widened when you saw where he was pointing.

“One of the mermaids felt bad about what happened the other day, and she wanted me to give you that as an apology,” Renjun said, hopping off of the trunk he was sitting on. He skipped over to you and clapped a hand on your shoulder.

“She hopes you can forgive her and her sisters’ behavior and wants you to come visit again sometime.”

Needless to say, you were quite speechless.

Of course you had forgiven them, and even accompanied Renjun the next time he visited. Since then you’ve grown quite fond of the ladies of the sea, going as far to call them your closest friends (Chenle had complained about that when you first expressed it to the others).

A pathetic laugh fell from your lips, and you reached up, wrapping your fingers around the shell hanging from your neck. You treasured that memory. It was the first time you felt like you truly belonged here.

At that moment, you knew what had to be done.

Wiping your tears from your face, you shot up, taking Renjun by surprise.

“Y/N?” he peered up at you curiously, eyebrows furrowed and lips set out in a pout. You offered him your hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” he asked, taking your hand and pulling himself up. You wasted no time and began dragging him across the damp sand. Renjun eyed you suspiciously but made no move to tug his hand out of your grasp. Instead he chose to carefully observe his surroundings, trying to see if he could find out where you were taking him. It only confused him more when his eyes caught sight of the familiar tree in the distance. There was no mistaking it.

Renjun saw the multiple engravings on the trunk of the tree, courtesy of himself and the Lost Boys. Jisung’s floppy has was dangling from one of the branches, and Jeno’s jacket was tied at the base. The closer the two of you got to the tree, the clearer Renjun could hear the whoops and whistles of the boys inside. He fought to stifle his laugh as he took notice of your exasperated expression upon hearing that the others haven’t gotten ready for bed yet. But instead of stomping into the hideout like you usually do, you stopped in your tracks, tugging Renjun forward. He stumbled.

“Here’s the answer to your question,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest. Renjun stood up, dusting the dirt off of his pants. His confused look was fixated solely on you.

“Huh?”

You sighed and pointed to the tree. Renjun was even more confused.

“Okay, just because you point to something doesn’t mean I’m going to understand what you mean, little lady.”

“You asked me earlier if I was willing to sacrifice the good memories I had. At first I didn’t know what to say. The question was overwhelming, and my response could have gone in many different directions.” Your looked down. “If I’m being honest, I actually considered leaving.”

Renjun’s breath hitched. Needless to say, he was quite surprised at your revelation.

Ever since he brought you to Neverland, away from your home, away from your old life, you vehemently refused his invitation to go back. He had warned you of the consequences, but nothing worked. Renjun knew little about your past life. The only knowledge that he obtained from you came in the form of tears and a plea for him to take you somewhere far away. Not one to refuse a genuine request, especially from a lady, Renjun complied. He brought you here. He thought that removing you from your situation would make you happy, but as the days passed and he saw your memories slip out of your mind, one by one, he began to regret his decision.

So he tried. He tried and tried to convince you to go back home. Every single time you refused.

“I thought that maybe you were right. I could easily go back and regain all of those memories I’ve lost,” you continued. “But then I realized something.”

You walked towards the tree and plucked Jisung’s hat from the branch. Your fingers gently grazed the brim, nails tapping against the soft fabric. Then, without missing a beat, you reached behind you, untying Jeno’s jacket with one fluid motion. You folded it neatly and draped it over your forearm whilst Jisung’s hat dangled from your index finger.

“Back where I used to live, my fos–...the man and woman I lived with would always say ‘Let’s go back to the house.’ I never really thought much about it, but then today, Hyuck said ‘See you at home, Y/N!’”

Renjun was staring at you intently. You turned back around to face him.

“Home. He called it home. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

You bit your bottom lip, silently praying for the tears not to fall.

“I was with them for two years. They never bothered to remember my name. I’ve only been in Neverland for two months, and yet you lot—you, the Lost Boys, the mermaids—were more like a family to me than they ever were.”

You turned away again and made your way over to one of the many secret entrances that led to the hideout—your home—and lifted the hatch. Before jumping in, you looked over your shoulder. Renjun was still sitting on the ground, overwhelmed by what you just said. It may not have seemed like very much to anyone else, but to him, you practically laid out your entire life story. He didn’t need to know all of the little details. What you said was enough, almost too much even.

A soft chuckle from you drew him out of his stupor. The two of you made eye contact and his heart clenched at the sad smile on your face.

“So to answer your question, yes. If sacrificing my good memories means that I get a family in return, then...so be it.”

You jumped in, shutting yourself away from the outside and quite possibly, shutting yourself away from your past entirely.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t keep your promise to Chenle because the very next day, the story you were telling slipped from your mind completely.

#nct #nct dream #nct scenarios #nct dream scenarios #nct au #renjun scenarios #renjun au

[harusha]

I just saw your post about PJ and I'm wondering, do you have any book recs?

On mythology specifically or overall? I’m gonna do both since I’m not sure. Also sorry for the relatively late reply, I had to think about this, and I just got back from dinner.

The Count of Monte Cristo- Fantastic page turner, and a genuinely good “revenge” tale. It’s actually one of the first of that kind (or at the very least, one of the most popular ones). It’s also a book that a lot of people cite as the one that changes their mind on classics as “boring.”

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Somewhat of a controversial pick (both because of its subject matter and because it’s often “required high school reading,” ie “boring” to a lot of people.)

Huck Finn is an exceedingly complex character, and his friendship with Jim is really good. Pay attention to what Huck Finn does and says; he’s an unreliable narrator due to how he was brought up, his age, and his illiteracy. There’s also a lot of symbolism and other literary devices at play in his character (ex. notice his fixation with death and how it colors how Twain writes him). It’s very much a book I recommend if you want to study the unreliable narrator as a trope, the  Naïf version of it.

As a side note, it’s very poignant because of how Huck learns to condemn his racism. One of the messages you can get from this book is “If this uneducated poor white boy can learn to overcome his prejudices, so too can someone who has been educated, has money, etc.” It is a brutal condemnation of racism (though you do have to consider the time period, the “lens” of which you have to view through.)

Lolita- Another controversial pick, and one I’ll upright say as a lot of trigger warnings attached (google the summary, and you’ll see what I mean).

Beautiful prose (some of my favorite in literature actually) and a monster of a protagonist. When you read this, remember how Humbert Humbert is framing it. He is telling his tale to a court; he is unreliable and will frame events to make himself appear sympathetic. One notable factor of the author’s skill is how often Humbert gains the readers’ sympathy despite the atrocious subject matter. I personally felt viscerally uncomfortable reading his thoughts, and this is one of the few books that has ever made me feel that way. I didn’t fall into the sympathy trap, but look at any discussion of the book, and you’ll see what I mean.

I also recommend this author’s (Vladimir Nabokov) other works.

Franz Kafka’s literary works- Kafka is one of my favorite authors because he really showcases the isolation (both due to WWI, technological advancement, and the “beginnings” of modern capitalism) of the beginning of the 1900s, and he’s one of modernism’s premier authors. His works often deal with the themes of isolation, judgement, and outcasts. 

In particular, I’m fond of “The Metamorphosis” (cliche pick I know) and “In the Penal Colony.” The former is a short story so quick read if you just wanna try his writing style + it’s very influential (See Part 1 of Tokyo Ghoul for one example).

Also know that Kafka had a very strained relationship with his father and a conflicted relationship with his religion. I recommend reading “Letter to his Father” first to get an understanding of Kafka’s psyche to truly get pass the “nonsensical” nature of his works. It, like the title says, is a letter he wrote to his father, but his mother never delivered it.

If you want even more info on Kafka to understand his works, I recommend Kafka: Judaism, Politics, and Literature which covers a lot more (and in more succinct words) than I can on his works and life. As a fun fact, Vladimir Nabokov also placed him as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. On Kafka himself, he thought he was a failure of a human being and writer, and now look at him. He’s up there in the Western Canon with Shakespeare.

Paradise Lost + Paradise Regained- If you’re interested in Lucifer (or Samael if you subscribe to that theory), this is a must-read. Beautiful, haunting, and with a very charismatic figure in Lucifer. Alongside the obvious Divine Comedy, this work has influenced the portrayal of Lucifer and Hell quite a bit imo. Namely, the “sympathetic” portrayal you find in works such as Supernatural. It’s also an epic poem so it’s best listened to imo rather than read.

No Longer Human- Osamu Dazai’s work if you’re into that one show. An incredibly depressing book that’s often thought to be semi-autobiographical. It’s a haunting book that I don’t recommend for prose, but for the mood it evokes. I don’t recommend this unless you’re in a decent state of mind.

The Catcher in the Rye- Mildly controversial pick in that you either hate Holden or love him. It’s a book where you have to be in the “right” state of mind to appreciate Holden. For example, the period of moving away from home for college  This work deals with societal isolation and human loneliness and features an unreliable narrator.

It’s just a very particular feeling you have to be experiencing to appreciate Holden. I think anyway.

The Epic of Gilgamesh- Not super fancy or a reinterpretation of whatever. Just the oldest known written work of mankind. I like it a lot, but I like Sumerian myth so YMMV. It’s still missing a few tablets last I checked, but still a good read.

Also the related Enuma Elish, you get the creation myth.

Vampire Chronicles- I recommend the first three or four so books honestly. Afterwards, Anne Rice just goes off the rails. Prose is pretty, and Lestat is a terrible person but fascinating to read about. I am partial to Armand though tbh.

Dracula- I think this is another page-turner. I certainly enjoyed it. I don’t think it’s as scary as it would be in its’ published time period, but it is a classic Gothic horror. The unabridged version may look intimidating, but like Monte Cristo, you’ll sweep through it rather quickly.

“A Rose for Emily”- One of William Faulkner’s short stories. I think it’s a lovely piece and showcases the Southern Gothic (crumbling house, decaying and failing tradition and the southern nobility, etc.) There’s a theme of decay and time passing throughout this work.

As a side note, I actually enjoy Faulkner a lot, but he’s a difficult author imo. It’s not as apparent in this work, but more so in Intruder in the Dust (the first racial thriller) and especially The Sound and The Fury.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof- A play that deals with repressed homosexuality (maybe, it depends on how you interpret Brick’s dialogue and actions), loss, and denial. I quite like it a lot, and Tennessee Williams actually was gay (was because he’s dead and all). I read it, but tbh I feel like it would be better watched if you can find a performance on Youtube.

The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde’s most well known work imo. I enjoy the prose and the themes of corruption and indulgence present throughout the novel. There’s also a lot of allusions to Faust in it if you’re interested in that.

Peter Darling-a more modern choice but it features a trans and gay protagonist. Part of what I enjoy is how it’s not browbeaten into you that the protagonist is trans. It’s interwoven into the character where it’s an important part of him, but to where it doesn’t overwhelm his entire character. However, this is a novel where I feel the beginning and ending are great, but the middle is so-so. It’s a retelling of Peter Pan.

The Tain- Focuses on Cu Cuchulain and his cycle.

Poetic Edda- A must read if you’re interested in exploring Norse myths outside of Marvel. It’s basically a collection of tales.

Arabian Nights- Scheherazade is one of my favorite female figures from literature. She’s daring, clever, and particularly resourceful. It’s a frame narrative sort of tale so you technically won’t be seeing her as much since she’s telling each story, but it’s a lovely piece and perfect for a bedtime read because of its collection of tales. A lot of them have been referenced in media and related as well.

The Book Thief- Classic YA novel rec. It’s set in WWII and one of the novels that really showcases what YA could be. Basically a classic gem in the rough pile.

John Keats- He’s a poet, but I love his poetry because of how haunting and dark it can get; he often deals with themes of mortality.. Ode to Nightingale is particularly good.

China’s Four Great Classical Novels (Journey to the West, Dreams of the Red Chamber, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms)- I decided to clump them here since this is already super long. Each one is incredibly well-known in Asia (and obviously China), and you can find allusions everywhere to these four novels. Each novel is rather long and expensive though (I paid like 40 USD for each set). Journey to the West follows Sun Wukong, unarguably one of the most well-known figures in literature (at least in the East; he’s super influential, but somewhat less so in the West; keyword somewhat). Dreams of the Red Chamber has some very pretty poems, but it’s often thought to be the semi autobiographical work of the author (it deals with the rise and fall of his family and the dynasty).

Daiyu’s flower poem is one of the most memorable for example.

The blossoms fade, the blossoms fly,  the blossoms fill the sky. Their crimson fades, their scent dies out,  and who is there to pity?  Drifting threads gently twist together  and float past the springtime lodge;  Falling willow floss lightly sticks  and strikes the lady’s window drapes.

Water Margin is a bit “bawdier” than the other ones imo, but it’s a good tale and has many notable figures and scenes. On Three Kingdoms, it’s the one I’d recommend to start with if you’re interested in military intrigue and battles.

I also have a Goodreads where I organize everything by shelf if you prefer to look at that. I do need to update it though tbh.

https://www.goodreads.com/Mahariel

#long post #books

[theonceoverthinker]

Why Pan Continues to Rock My Socks

Pan is my favorite OUAT villain and writing out why is something that has me so nervous.

...I hope I can PAN-dle it! XD

As I just said, Pan is my favorite OUAT villain, but more than that, I think he’s a master class on how to write a good villain overall. His framing, use of screen time, and the note he leaves out on are so good that I couldn’t just highlight it in the reviews I’ve been doing throughout my rewatch of the series. He frankly deserves better.

So I wanted to do that here!

Well, without any further adieu, let’s get rolling!

First, let’s talk about Pan and his dynamics. Good villains simply connect to other characters. This can be portrayed through a prior history or a thematic connection and Pan has the benefit of having at least one of these types of connections to almost every single main. Snow and Charming may be the sole exceptions to this (Though let’s be real, if Neverland was even one or two episodes longer, he would’ve gotten to them), but Pan’s understandings of the main characters, their shared history, and how diametrically opposed to them thematically he is is brought up in most every episode. Obviously, he’s Rumple’s father, had Killian working for him, and knew Bae for a long time as a lost boy. But that all just scratches the surface of what he brings to the table. He exploits the tropes that Henry’s selflessly used for two seasons now for his own selfish purposes, knowing that Henry will fly towards them like a bug to a zapper. Pan’s understanding of Killian’s past selfishness clashes with Killian’s growth into a more selfless person, and while it doesn’t...PAN out in the way he expects it to (These are the jokes, people), they leave a narrative tension. With Regina, Pan’s regret but not remorse over abandoning Rumple clashes with Regina’s remorse but not regret for all of her misdeeds. Emma’s hesitant jump into leadership is undermined by Pan every step of the way, making her eventual triumph all the more satisfying. And of course, the big dynamic is that between himself, Rumple, and Neal. Neal has the emotional strength to take down Pan, but not the magical and Rumple has the magical strength to take down Pan but not the emotional strength due to the distrust he’s accumulated and his cowardice. Pan knows this and exploits it like a video game hacker with a copy of Super Mario Bros. There’s a reason why I loved “Nasty Habits” so much. Like, Neal and Rumple actually take down Pan and get Henry. They actually almost win, but Pan knows their issues and just what buttons to press to make them vulnerable AND makes it so that they won’t have that chance of victory again by dividing the two of them physically and emotionally through retelling the prophecy to Neal AND Rumple. I emphasize “AND” because that distrust, as pointed out by several characters, awakens that self-preservation habit in Rumple. THIS is incredible character work, work that only a character like Rumple’s father with a physical power equal to Rumple’s could get and it’s what makes him so good!

Second, let’s talk about Pan’s performance. Robbie Kay gives such charisma to Pan’s character, bringing him to life. Pan  was a difficult role to take on. They needed someone relatively young to pull off being scary AND charming. It can be easy to pull off one of these, but both for the same character in such a natural way isn’t something you see everyday. Robbie portrays Pan as the kind of person a kid would want to follow and trust, a leader, a little shit, a menace, and a monster. There are big shifts between those types of roles, ranging from very big shifts to subtle ones and Robbie gets them all!

Before we get to point three, this is getting close to obnoxiously long, so if you’re liking this, join me below the cut!

Third, let’s talk about mythos. Part of OUAT’s bread and butter are their different takes on fairy tale characters. And for Peter Pan, this was arguably the biggest deviation they had for the time. I don’t know if it’s a better twist than Red being the wolf, but I will say it took BALLS to make Peter Pan, a symbol of Disney and the star of one of the parks’ longest running attractions, a villain. But they did it and I think that because of that risk, A&E were especially careful here to get it right. Not only was Pan and his backstory recreated, but also his dynamics to every single character in the Peter Pan mythos. I won’t list them out here, but everything was turned on its head, but appropriately so.

Fourth, let’s talk about his impact on our mains within themselves. Prior to Season 3, our heroes and villains were pretty firmly divided. Even though situations had been resolved together, often, everyone was working for a different cause and against each other. The biggest example is Regina acting against the Charmings. However, Pan changed this. Pan was such a threatening villain that for once, while not always in full agreement on how to defeat, everyone was on the same page over the fact that Pan DID need to be defeated. This is what makes season 3 so satisfying. With the exception of the entirety of “Into the Deep” and the end of “Queen of Hearts,” we’ve never had this before and even then, there were more characters incorporated here like Belle, Neal, and Killian. Every episode involved working together in some way and even the two episodes without straight-up plot progression never felt that way because of all of the character work that stemmed from a common stem: Defeating Pan.

Fifth, Pan is just a fucking villain by design. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have a villain make a shift in allegiances mid-show without much setup, I’ve always preferred an understanding of the abstract design of a character going in. It shows an understanding of who this character is and what the audience should expect out of them. With Pan, he was a irredeemable villain from the start. There’s never been an iota of hope for his redemption. Honestly, just like we’ll see with Cruella next season, it’s SO satisfying to have that simplicity. It allows for there to be more fun with what they can do and how they react to it. Pan’s not sympathetic: That’s why his backstory episode is from Rumple’s POV. BUT what he is is engaging. Pan is a villain we like to see. He’s like the animated Gaston. We love to hate him. I also want to point out that while an irredeemable villain, the writers never made Pan do anything that took him out of that zone of engagement. He never had an “Eloise Gardener” moment like Gothel did and that worked to his benefit. He still did and said horrible things, but they were never horrible in a way that took viewers out of the experience.

Finally, let’s talk about how he goes out. I’ll talk about this more when we hit 5B, but one of the worst mistakes OUAT ever made was bringing Pan back in the Underworld Arc in the way that they did. Pan died in such a big way that showed how powerful of a character he was. His death killed a major character in the process and left behind a curse that could only be reversed by separating Emma and Henry from their family forever. In the Underworld Arc...he’s just there...defeated by Rumple in a shameless manner that robs Pan of some of his intelligence and dignity. In Neverland, they were basically evenly matched and Rumple won for a reason relating to emotion and love, something Pan couldn’t sympathize with. In the Underworld...he was just sneaky, depriving the dynamic of so much (But not all) of its emotional resonance. Pan left 3A with a ten minute long emotional fireworks display and the effects of said fireworks display held on for nearly half a season longer.

There’s a reason why many say “Coming Home” could have been a series finale for so many people. Pan scared the series (And I say that in the best way possible) in a way that only what amounted to an effective reset (One that led to a polarized audience until the end of the series) could fix. His mark was a pinnacle in a lot of ways in terms of what the show (And villains) could do with character work, its blending of mythos between old and new counterparts of classic characters, and the effects that a single character -- even a one off -- can leave.

I hope I did a good job explaining myself on Pan. He ticks off every box in how to write an effective villain and his adoration and lasting impact on the series is well deserved. Thank you for reading this bonus review and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for giving me a reason to revisit this character! For all of the readers of my reviews, I’ll see you in 3B!

Operation Rewatch Archives

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #peter pan #ouat season 3 #ouat meta