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rachelbethhines · 4 years

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Tangled Salt Marathon - King Pascal

This is, in my opinion, the worst episode of season two and I’ll get into why under the cut.

Summary: The group is stranded on an island after a storm. The tiny islanders, the Lorbs, mistake Pascal for their mystical ruler; the chameleon loves the adulation, until he’s expected to protect his people from a vicious monster.

Since When Did You Learn How to Sail, Rapunzel?

So they hit the storm and Rapunzel starts doling out orders like she always does, but like, she logically shouldn’t know what to do here. She’s only been out of the tower for a little over a year and sailing takes time to learn. There’s been nothing to establish beforehand that she’s learned this stuff. If anything Eugene and Lance should be the one giving the orders here as their backgrounds could feasibly included sailing as they’re world travelers.

Here lies part of the problem with Rapunzel’s characterization, and I’ve already touched upon it back in The Alchemist Returns, but Rapunzel can’t and shouldn’t be magically good at everything. She can be incredibly skilled in some areas, like acrobatics and the arts, but she also should have lapses in knowellage just due to a lack of experience and expertise.

A female character isn’t ‘weak’ just because they have to sometimes rely on other characters. They shouldn’t be written to be magically better than the male characters just because they got boobs. That’s not empowering; that’s condescending. Women are people, and real people have varied skill sets and weaknesses that match their interests and backgrounds.

So Why Is the Island Tropical?

According to what few maps we see in the show (and yes, they are inconsistent, but bare with me), Corona is somewhere in Northern Europe near an ocean or sea. According to dialogue at the end Forest of No Return, they’ve been traveling east, and according to the map in Rapunzel’s Return, the Dark Kingdom is north east of Corona specifically. Meaning that they must be somewhere in the northern Baltic Sea right now, which is not tropical at all.

This is part of the problem with Tangled’s ‘throw it all into a blender’ style of approach to worldbuilding. If traveling the world is going to be a major plot point for a season then we kind of need to know where things are in relation to each other. Climate should help determine such things, but if you’re all willy nilly about culture, which climate affects, than nothing is going to make sense.

My only guess is that the island is suppose to be magical so it has a different climate to the surrounding environment, but that’s just a headcanon and not actually stated by anything in the show itself. I shouldn’t have to be doing the work of the writers for them.

So Why are We Separating the Guys Again?

Back in Freebird the writers needed to get Cass and Raps alone in order for them to have their bonding time and a heart to heart, but here, it’s just lazy writing. This is a Pascal focus episode and it requires that Rapunzel interact with lots of other characters, so splitting the group up doesn’t benefit the story in any way.

The writers just didn’t want to fool with writing for eight characters at one time (I’m not counting Fidella or Owl, though logically they should be considered characters in their own right and not just props for the story, but oh well); which begs the question of why they wrote in so many characters to begin with.

It’s also an excuse to make the girls seem more competent than the boys, which, as I explained above, is not real ‘girl power’; just bad writing.

Let’s Talk About the Outfit Changes and How Marketing Affects the Story

The entire point of this episode and indeed this whole island arc, is just because of marketing stipulations. Every season is required to have one Pascal focused episode and one Max focused episode, because Disney marketing wanted to sell cute animal toys. Another requirement of the story was outfit changes for the mains so that once again marketing could sell dolls and variants and such. It’s why Rapunzel, Cass, and Eugene get so many alternate costumes, while Lance doesn’t despite being with them on this journey too.

Which is understandable to a point. American television animation has always been about selling toys and merchandise. It’s how these shows make most of their money back. If there’s a show that you enjoy and you want to support it being on the air, you need to buy the toys. Priating doesn’t do jack to the bottom line, it does not affect ratings as most people don't own a nielsen rating box. (an increasingly outdated method to calculate popularity anyways) But whether or not the toys sell is the make it or break it point of every show.

However, there are better ways to implement these stipulations then how Tangled goes about it. You want to give Max and Pascal focus? Then actually give them focus that relates to the overall plot and not just meaningless filler. You want to the characters switch up outfits and have that tie into the story? Then make sure it fits all of the characters and don’t drag it out more than it needs to be, because this island arc it too damn long.

And you want to know what the biggest kick in the teeth is? There’s barely any merchandise for this outfit. There’s like one paper doll set and that’s it. The toys for Tangled the Series did not sell and they stopped merchandising the show after season one. Now add in the rating plummet during seasons two and three, and we’re incredibly lucky the show didn’t get canceled outright because it’s by all accounts a financial flop.

I suspect there was an upfront contract that guaranteed them three seasons no matter what, and that’s the only reason it managed to escape the chopping block and why Chris and Ben weren’t let go sooner from the project. Because Chris at least no longer works for Disney. He left as soon as production ended on the show.

The False God Trope is Over Played

I can find examples of this trope dating all the way back to the early 60s, and arguably even sooner than that. However around the 80s, after Return of the Jedi hit theaters, the trope was inescapable in children's media. Every cartoon since has had this same plot shoved in somewhere. It also became paired with the ‘liar revealed’ trope (the bane of my existence) more often.

And that’s what this is; an incredibly stale take on an incredibly by the numbers story. I kept waiting all episode for the other shoe to drop, for some sort of twist on the usual cliche, but it never came.

This episode is boring, aggravatingly so. It’s the main reason why it’s in my bottom five. Because while you could argue that really little kids wouldn’t be as over exposed to the trope like an adult such as myself, the writers themselves desperately tried to distance themselves from that targeted audience. They’re the ones that yell ‘it’s not a kid show’, while feeding us crap like this, and I just have to roll my eyes.

Tangled doesn’t know who it’s audience is. It should be pre-teen girls, but the creators want shoot for an older audience, teens, while marketing wants this to be a preschool show. So the series careens wildly all over the place in terms of tone and winds up satisfying no one. Older audiences are frustrated by childish filler such as this, while younger audiences are exposed to themes and messages that they probably shouldn’t be. I know several parents who have stopped their kids from watching the series because they don’t approve of the toxic values the show prometes in its incompetence.

It bungles so many of its attempts to be mature because it won’t actually explore the complexities of the plot. Either cause it’s wasting too much time on filler, it can’t explore it’s more disturbing elements to their natural conclusions due to the audience, or it just mistakes ‘shocking’ as deep.

King Pascal isn’t mature or deep. It’s pointless guff that adds nothing while actively taking away from more interesting storylines. I say skip this dreck and go watch Doctor Who’s The Aztecs instead if you want to see this trope done right with maturity while still being all audience friendly.

It’s also has the added bonus of featuring two well developed strong female characters who hold their own with the equally capable guys while actually developing all of those characters simultaneously, and was co-produced by an actual woman. If they could pull that off in the early sixties than Disney and Chris have no excuse today.

This Is the Same ‘Lesson’ As Pascal’s Story

In addition to being boring and unoriginal, this episode is also redundant. Rapunzel already learned to show appreciation to Pascal back in season one. Why are we having her relearn this lesson instead of giving Pascal a new arc?

It’s not even consistent as Rapunzel only acts this way towards him in his focus episodes. It’s also not a lesson in behaving condescendingly in general because Rapunzel goes on to be condensing to everyone anyways.

So Did We Really Need This Episode Just to Introduce the Island and the Firefly?

Yes both of these things come into play later, but not in any significant way. We’re here on this island for four whole episodes and it only comes back for one in season three, and only to further a side character’s story; not the main plot. Also the Firefly will help resolve the plot in five episodes time, but it’s just given a reintroduction there anyways. Why couldn’t this information have been condensed down and repackaged into another episode entirely?

That’s what I mean by poor pacing. Tangled is not efficient in its storytelling. It drags things out only to give us rushed endings or no resolutions at all. Stop drop feeding info in the backgrounds of filler episodes where it’s not relevant and actually give us stories that focus on the plot, dang it.

Once Again, Rapunzel is a Hypocrite

Just like in Pascal’s Story during season one, Rapunzel is quick to show consideration for her oldest friend but can’t be bothered to admit fault to a teenager that she abused. One that she knows is currently facing horrendous and inhumane treatment inside of a jail cell right now and still does not give a damn.

You can’t claim Rapunzel is a kind and compassionate person so long as Varian and his story exists.You just can’t. Because no matter how you slice it, being a minor means that there is a power imbalance in how adults and the government treats them. A power imbalance that is constantly being exploited by the mains.

Conclusion

You won’t miss anything other than the shipwreck itself if you skipped the episode. Which is aggravating because it means it’s technically necessary to the on going story without actually adding anything substantial to it. It’s like the series opener all over again, only made worse by how boring and redundant it all is. Worst episode of season two; and now I just want to go watch Doctor Who instead.

#tangled #anti-tangled #anti-rapunzel #pascal #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure

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rosethornewrites · 4 years

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Fic: The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste, ch. 7

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Lila Rossi, Jagged Stone, Plagg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine, Penny Rolling, Anarka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire, Chloé Bourgeois, Wayhem, Nadja Chamack, Nathalie Sancoeur, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Tikki, Fang, Principal Damocles, Caline Bustier, Ms. Mendeleiev, original minor character, Alec Cataldi, Lila Rossi’s Mother, Sabrina Raincomprix, Roger Raincomprix, Mylène Haprèle, Le Gorille | Adrien Agreste’s Bodyguard, Nino Lahiffe, Nooroo

Tags: Lila Rossi salt, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Teenage Rebellion, Swearing, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Crack Treated Seriously, Lila Rossi’s Lies Are Exposed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Luka Couffaine Needs a Hug, Paparazzi, Parentification, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Gabriel Agreste Needs an Aneurism, Uncle Jagged Stone, we’re all queer here, the spirit of punk is sometimes just being allowed to be yourself, Kagami Finds Her Groove, punk rock fashion, Savage Kagami, Marinette protection squad, Good Parent Sabine Cheng, Good Parent Tom Dupain, Protective Kagami Tsurugi, Protective Luka Couffaine, Bisexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pansexual Luka Couffaine, Sharing a Bed, Pet Names, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Instagram, Bullying, Social Media, Anxiety, Makeover, Hugs, will cure your acne, Face Punching, Bad Ass Juleka Couffaine, Rumors, Protective Juleka Couffaine, Protective Adrien Agreste, Lawyers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Holding Hands, accountability, mental health, Jagged Stone’s well-paid pet shark, How to Make the Evening News, Sexy eyeliner for days, one fish two fish Lila is a screwed fish, How to have fun and piss Gabriel off, Fuckery, sweet litigious karma, Alya sugar, lawyer shark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Schadenfreude, Bad Ass Alya Césaire, Gaslighting, abuse denormalization, Jagged likes his lawyers like he likes his pets: toothy af, Blood in the Water, Everything you didn’t know you wanted and some things you did, Gabriel Agreste is shark bait, Denial, Consequences, Principal Damocles salt, caline bustier salt, the impotence of Gabriel Agreste, snarky Nooroo, lies and the lying liars who tell them, Lila’s brain is a narcissistic hellscape, Lila’s mind is built like an Escher piece, Alec Cataldi salt, Adrien Sugar, wholesome salt, Fu Salt, Kwami Shenanigans, Nooroo is a little shit

Summary: The Pet Name Game

Notes: Hawkdaddy’s pissed. @norakwami and @cheshiremadd helped by chatting concept.

AO3 link

Chapters 1-2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

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The pet names discussion had wound up getting extremely silly. They’d all gone back to relaxing together and kind of cuddling on the big sofa. At first the only one Adrien could come up with was “Blue,” to which Luka had responded, “If you call me Blue, I’m calling you Green.” The girls had vetoed both.

Adrien had joked about Maestro, which Marinette had argued was almost as bad as Magic Fingers.

Interestingly, it was Marinette who had, with the help of her phone, come up with the winning one.

“You know, the name Luka means ‘light.’ Any ideas based on that?”

After some discussion, Adrien had come up with the poetic idea of “Firefly,” like Luka was his light in the dark. Kagami had deemed that adorable, and Luka had turned red.

Luka’s suggestions for Adrien’s nickname largely had to do with music, and while Adrien had been fond of Allegro for a cheerful beat, both girls disagreed, saying they were too niche.

“Alya’s nickname for him is Sunshine,” Marinette finally commented.

Luka smiled. “My Star, then?”

Kagami and Marinette exchanged a look as Adrien’s face heated, then said together, “Perfect.”

“I think we can still do the blue and green joke sometimes,” Adrien murmured, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Can I call you MF as a joke?” Luka asked.

Adrien grinned. “Only if I can call you Maestro.”

Marinette groaned. “This is going to be ridiculous.”

“It’ll upset my father,” Adrien pointed out. “Which is the point.”

“Honestly, if they have more than one nickname for each other, it lends credence to the idea that they’ve been secretly dating for a bit. We should specify how long it’s been, of course,” Kagami added.

“I mentioned to Mari that I don’t want to eventually say it was fake, if that’s okay. If anything, we weren’t sure and decided to try dating.” He glanced at Luka.

“I can understand that. I identify as pansexual, though I rarely discuss it,” Luka said with a nod. “So I wouldn’t mind being thought to have been in a relationship with you. We can say we met when we did, on the boat, and you joined Kitty Section. And maybe we decided to go for it a couple weeks ago?”

“I have enabled the two of you to be together after fencing practice several times, then,” Kagami offered. “You have gone for juice?”

“You’ve gotten soul mate ice cream from André!” Marinette crowed. “We can make up a flavor combination.”

Luka grinned. “Green and blue, obviously.”

“Perhaps instead we should go find André once the dye is done,” Kagami commented. “It wouldn’t do to make up a fake flavor combination when we could find out for sure.”

“And you can eat it in the limo, so you’re not out in public too long,” Penny interjected. While Jagged had retired to the other room for a nap with Fang, she’d stayed with them to, as she had put it, ‘chaperone.’ “We’d rather not garner too much attention from M. Agreste this soon.”

“It’ll be another picture for social media.” Adrien hoped Luka wouldn’t get the kind of negative reaction from fans that Marinette had when fans had assumed she was his girlfriend. “I should probably check the comments on those, actually…”

“Not using your phone,” Kagami reminded him.

Marinette pulled out hers, and they all scooted closer to look.

alya.ladyblogger: @adrienagrestebrand wtf when did this happen, Sunshine? #NinoNeedsAnInstagram

alya.ladyblogger: @adrienagrestebrand why is your phone off omgggg

theofficialchloebourgeois: Adrikins, your social media has obv been hacked.

alya.ladyblogger: @theofficialchloebourgeois why do you think it’s been hacked? That’s Sunshine’s smile, for sure.

theofficialchloebourgeois: because there’s no way! He’d tell me!

Aside from those, there were fan reactions ranging from excited congratulations to rather ugly homophobic remarks that made him feel a bit ill to look at—especially now that he knew Mari was bi and Luka was pan.

The official Gabriel Instagram account hadn’t addressed it at all, so Adrien assumed his father was still having a temper tantrum.

A knock on the door sent them scrambling to the kitchenette, but it was the spa staff ready to rinse the dye.

When he was getting his hair blow-dried, Marinette handed him her phone again so he could see what she’d just replied.

marinettedesigned: You look so happy with him! I’m glad you two decided to go public!

He glanced at her with a frown. “Are you sure you want to imply you knew?”

“Yeah. Kagami’s going to, and I’m going to, too.” Then she got a wicked grin. “It’ll drive Lila batty.”

“Honestly, I don’t see her being able to hold back, regardless. But that will certainly make her angrier. I just hope it doesn’t make her go after you more than she has.” Adrien looked at her reproachfully. “I wish you’d told me she’d threatened you, Mari. I never would’ve given you that awful advice.”

Marinette turned red, and Kagami scowled.

“This girl threatened Marinette?” When both Adrien and Luka nodded, the girl clenched her fists. “That is unacceptable.”

“I’m okay,” Marinette whispered.

Luka settled a hand on her shoulder. “She’s hurt you, made you more anxious. I can’t help you, since I don’t go to school with you. But Adrien can.”

“Perhaps during the hour and a half that our schools allow for lunch, Luka and I can join you and Adrien,” Kagami added, placing her hand on Marinette’s other shoulder. “We can present a united front.”

“Usually I’m expected home for lunch, but as I’m engaging in teenager rebellion, staying at school to eat lunch with my boyfriend is a nice way to do that.”

“Then it’s settled,” Kagami said decisively. “We shall eat lunch together either at Collège Françoise Dupont or at a café or restaurant in the surrounding area from now on.”

The relieved smile that graced Marinette’s face was almost heartbreaking, and Adrien realized exactly how much stress she’d been under, how much he’d failed her. He took her hand, squeezing it lightly in apology.

The stylist finished with his hair a few minutes later, and after they spent a few minutes admiring the results, Marinette pulled his hood up so they could all sneak down to the limo. They found André Glacier’s location via social media, and Penny had the driver take them as close as possible.

There wasn’t a line, so they rushed out of the limo and hurried to the cart. Luka and Adrien approached first.

André greeted them like old friends. “Ah, a lovely pair the two of you make. Blueberry for the gentle heart’s tranquility, a soothing sweetness. And, ah, for you… You’ve come into your own, young man! Passion fruit for the one shining bright as the sun!”

“Would you get some with me as well, Marinette?” Kagami asked. “I would not be able to finish an entire one on my own.”

André smiled at them. “I’ve just the treat for you. Orange for the fire that burns in her heart, blackberry for her night-dark hair. A dual sweetness, with a twist, for the two of you.”

They hurried back to the waiting limo, managing to escape notice—fortunately it was an odd hour. Once inside, they took advantage of the photo opportunity with Adrien and Luka, then passed around the treats, all four of them sharing in the flavors.

“I’m glad I got passion fruit,” Adrien commented. “It’s my favorite. And all the others go so well with it!”

Kagami’s phone buzzed. “Regrettably, I am expected to return home, or I would enjoy continuing to help.”

“We’ll drop you off before we return to the hotel,” Penny told her. “It’s always nice meeting Marinette’s friends, and I’m sure Jagged will be disappointed he didn’t get to say goodbye.”

They had dropped Kagami off and just returned to the hotel when Marinette’s phone went off.

But this time it was an Akuma alert.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanfiction #my fanfiction #The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste #lukadrien #luka couffaine #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #kagami tsurugi #penny rolling #andre glacier #lila salt #miraculous salt #lila 'the liar' rossi #lila rossi #alya cesaire #chloe bourgeois

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spin-twirl-and-stim-some-more · 4 years

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Ocellus from My Little Pony is autistic headcanon part one.

Warning: spoilers

Also, if some allistic comes up on their high horse to tell me I'm wrong because the series means so much to them, they will be destroyed by robots. (Also I've been watching this series since I was 5 and the generation 3 before that so fight me on who it means more to). Though genuine criticism is welcome and encouraged.

Avoids eye contact when she first meets the mane six (Listed for obvious reasons)

Was comforted by Fluttershy stroked her mane in pony form (Maybe a comforting stim)

The Most Studious Student (Maybe due to a special interest in school?)

Immediately jumps into pile of pillows when Sandbar brought them (Stim)

Whistles when nervous* (Stress stim)

Hugs pillow when scared in Iron Hoof's class (Stim)

Info dumps Smolder during the spellvenger hunt (Listed for obvious reasons)

Explained all of Twilight's instructions on how to celebrate Hearth Warming literally, {"Put up a tree" hung a tree upside down with rope, "Dive into some holiday punch" got a giant bowl of punch and used it as a pool, "Exchange presents before bed" she and her family sat in a circle and passed presents to each other, "Build a fire, light it up, and sing carols" built fire out of wood, held a jar of fireflies near it, and sung the word 'carols' multiple times}** (Listed hear for obvious reasons)

Thinks Gallus is joking when he asks what cousins are (was probably taken advantage of and/or made fun of for thinking others were being genuine when they weren't)***

Was one of the most accused out of the students for making a mess to keep the students from coming home (alot of the "signs of lying" are autistic traits and autistic people are often seen as liars even when they're being honest)

Happily claps her hooves together after being changed back from Queen Chrysalis (Stim)

Her meditation garden for remembering the Tree of Harmony had pillows and wind chimes (Maybe for good sensory feels)

Made small circles with her hooves on a round table at the Amity Ball (Stim)

Was either very quiet or very loud when in Cheer Squad (Poor volume control)

*Never actually seen, but mentioned briefly

**Twilight's explanations are paraphrased.

***I don't know if this is a common experience for autistic people or if it just happens to me

#my little pony #actually autistic #autism #mlp #mlp: fim #My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #autistic headcanon #autism headcanon #mlp headcanon #ocellus #special interest #info dump

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starwarmth · 4 years

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i imagine that we meet on the bench outside my house, only in my mind it’s a little ways off, in a meadow that doesn’t exist because there is no grass in arizona. i imagine that you’re sitting there and i come to sit next to you, heaving myself up on the bench because i’m small, i’ve always been smaller than you.

i imagine us looking at the world, trying to find shapes in the clouds even though it’s misty. i’m swinging my legs. your fists cut into the wood beneath you, gripping with a fear of something (life, death? who knows. i never did, and i don’t think you ever figured it out either).

after a while i say “i’m sorry i wasn’t very good at being good to you. i was very young for a very long time.”

“it’s okay,” you say in a mumble, in the corner of your mouth. you’re not looking at me but it ain’t because you’re mad at me. you don’t get mad at me. i don’t think you’ve ever been mad at me in your life.

people like to talk about my sweet temperament, about what a good girl i was, but boy, did i have the devil’s fire in me sometimes. you weren’t like that, not at all. you were a liar and a cheat and a stealer, but you weren’t angry with me. you were always good to me.

and even if you weren’t good to me, you did your best.

“i loved you best,” i whisper, leaning closer so i can peer into your face.

you still don’t look at me, but you smile. fireflies reflect your dark eyes. “i loved you best too.”

i sit down, content for a little while. i know that there’s much more to be said, how you were hurt in ways i couldn’t ever heal or listen to, because they were bad to you and i was just a child, i couldn’t protect you. but there is the knowledge that there, years ago, were two girls who were friends. and they existed in a bubble of space, away from all the evil adults who shouted and stole and hurt their children. and there were we, grinning at each other, hands over our eyes, loving each other best.

#original #to my childhood best friend

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rosenrot234 · 5 years

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explaining Preacher’s playlist

Putting this under a read more break because there’s a lot. I was bored so I finally tried to explain the reasons each song is there. Granted some only have a sentence or two. Not everything needs a giant essay response. Warning though, talks of abuse do take place.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT9aIxp8n042hnvTQMd7vOTVJp2utaZwp

1: Beim Ersten Mal Tuts Immer Weh / The First Time Always Hurts -Just one last time please be nice to me Come over here Just be nice to me and come and sit beside me here Just one last time please be nice to me Come over here One more time again Come on give me just a little bit now Come on let me have a final kiss now Come on give me just a little bit now Fool me please just one more time again -I wanted to start Preacher's playlist with something surprisingly dark rather than edge into the darker parts later on. So Preacher's trauma is right in the listeners face and how in a fucked up way he still misses someone that really fucked them over. -Especially with the last bit of the song "Why don't you want me no more?" Bishop would often ignore him as punishment and it would fuck with Preacher's head a lot and how he just wanted to be in his good graces again.

2: For Your Entertainment -I call this one of his "mask" songs. How Preacher often tries to appear to people. It also ties in a bit with how confident he felt in the past when Bishop was around. I wanted to counter the "wtf" start of the playlist with something boppy. Since once Preacher catches wind that someone is figuring out what happened to him, he's all lies and glamour to distract people from talking about it.

3: You Think You're a Man -I kinda wanted to include this song because the listener would have trouble figuring out "Okay is Preacher singing this or Bishop?"

4: Message in a Bottle -Catchy little song but it helps explain how even if Preacher made a bunch of new friends he still felt isolated due to having to hide a lot as a Tiefling. -Love can mend your life But love can break your heart

5: Mony Mony -I always pictured Preacher singing this with his friends. There's not a lot to say for every single song. I just wanted to get mood music for Preacher's gang of buddies.

6: Out There -More alluding to Preacher's lonliness and how Bishop also used that to have some sort of control over him. With all his friends, Bishops word really was the only word that had meaning / value to him.

7: Medicate -Yeah Preacher's coping mechanisms weren't the healthiest

8: A Penny for a Tale -Mocking the greedy? Say no more

9: Goo Goo Muck -Lore wise I always pictured Preacher making this song up on the spot to entertain his friends

10: Lost Boys -While this song is about vampires I just felt it fit still with Preacher and his buddies. His playlist early on covers a lot of that part of his life.

11: The Rocky Road to Dublin -Yet more "Just singing with friends"

12: Zydrate Anatomy -I mean lorewise he did deal in drugs both real and fake in his mid teens so I wasted no time getting this song onto the list.

13: Open Your Eyes -More mood music to his early teens. Trust me I'll have more to say with other songs

14: Back and Forth -This song screams Preacher when he's scamming people to me

15: Drinkin with Jesus -At first I picked this one because cmon. A Tiefling called Preacher , a song called Drinkin with Jesus seemed perfect. Then I realized "Oh shit the lyrics fit". A lot of the time Preacher had to be completely alone to show just how messed up he was back then even before his assault.

16: Feel Good Inc -A lovely mix of isolation, "The world is corporate bullshit" , and more. You damn right I'm putting this on the list.

17: The Cave -Timeline wise this is a bit of a jump into the future where Preacher is in another down mood and tries to recover from it. -But I will hold on hope And I won't let you choke On the noose around your neck And I'll find strength in pain And I will change my ways I'll know my name as it's called again -That last lyric always made me think of Preacher actually maybe someday going back to using his birth name. Berlyn. And just finding his own identity again. Away from Bishops shadow. This would be around the time he grows his trademark purple mustache. It's a small decision but it was still an important decision since Bishop used to even control how he looked.

18: Devils Dance Floor -CMON. DEVILS Dance Floor. Perfect Tiefling music. I also wanted something to pick the mood of the playlist back up a little after that dip.

19: A Touch of Evil -Aka the most metal "Gay pining" song I'm aware of. The playlist takes a turn of "But I want his attention so bad" and how he wanted to be in a proper relationship with Bishop. Teenage hormones are rough so I'd imagine they'd be double rough as a Tiefling.

20: Skills in Pills -More showing Preacher's distructive habits and drug selling. I wanted to avoid putting Rammstein on the list because it'd be predictable as fuck. So I settled with Lindemann.

21: Jigolo Har Megiddo -Preacher playing up the whole "I'm made from demons" thing for flirty singing.

22: Come Out and Play -And we jump back into more "street punk shenanigans"

23: You Look So Fine -More pining and angst. I really liked sudden dips in mood with this playlist. Like his outer walls are cracking and you're getting peeks at the sensitive stuff going on in his head.

24: I Wanna be Yours -Even more pining because I'm an asshole

25: Sleeping Powder -I wanted something comical to again lift up the mood of the playlist so this song was perfect. Just that "I'm back! Where are we going?" makes me think "Okay I'm done being sad, wait what are you guys doing today?" Also the faint "broken" from 2D in some parts of the song were fitting.

26: Sandmann -Preacher's super protective of kids so this was perfect

27: Deleted this one, moving on.

28: Breaking the Habit -One of the many times Preacher TRIES to get out of his self destructive habits and loops but its left unknown if he got out this time or not. This song fits in pretty much any part of his timeline with Bishop. Adding more to the "loop" of abuse that will be talked about near the end of the playlist.

29: Unzerstorbar ( Indestructable ) -I broke my "no german lyrics" rule with this song but I HAD to. It's such a "FUCK YEAH WE'RE YOUNG AND INVINCIBLE" song that ends on a more quiet note that always made me think "Deep down they know they're not" -As a child I was - I was ahead of all. As a child I was cold and I figured out how much time I have left anyways, because I am indestructible.

I was cool - I was hard and I knew what's goin' on. I was clever and smart and have considered long, Why am I made of steel? What is the meaning that I am indestructible?

This world is so small, so much lesser than I. Super Hero - all alone. Whether I like it or not. Meanwhile, I ask myself: is there someone like me here?

30: Sympathy for the Devil -Again. HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU NOT HAVE THIS SONG ON A TIEFLING PLAYLIST?

31: All I Want -I always pictured this song during a hectic chase either in the sky or on the ground. Preacher is a speedy boy so this was a good fit ( The fact that this song was in Crazy Taxi also makes me think of speed )

32: Action -I thought this fit the mood of Unzerstorbar and wanted to continue the vibe

33: Hit That -More chaotic city vibe music

34: Down the Rabbit Hole -I wanted to include Adam Lambert again since he's early in the playlist.

35: The Heart of the Riding Man -I blame Fennah for getting me into this song. The lyrics were just such a fun match. Preacher might be a Tiefling. But Bishop will always be the "Devil" in this song. -Oh the heart, the heart of a riding man Scarred and cut himself from the devil he ran Oh, from the devil he ran

36: Komm Zuruck / Come Back -DID YALL WANT MORE PINING? Well it's back and much more chaotic this time. -I've missed you long enough asked myself, where exactly you are and if you still bite your nails we planned everything perfectly with false papers and well covered and then suddenly you did it on your own account.

I've had enough, get me out of here don't give up on me now.

Wherever you are (wherever you are) oh, I'm with you Whoever you kiss (whoever you kiss) oh, I forgive you Make your way (make your way) and then release me come back, don't make me wait

37: Sick Boys -Imma be real with you. I'm a slut for Social Distortion so I had to include SOMETHING with them

38: God is a Popstar -One of the first songs I put to this character and it's still such a perfect fit with the religious stuff in Preacher's story. The video is even nice as a helper because you could imagine Preacher is in the place of Jesus here. All dolled up then thrown away.

39: Applause -More flashy "haha nothing is wrong I just want attention" songs since Preacher is a greedy mother fucker when it comes to attention.

40: Trust Me -This is getting to the important part of the playlist. His relationship with Bishop was toxic as fuck. Preacher also did lots of things he didn't want to but the reward was Bishops attention. So with the previous song and this it really shows the leftover effects Bishop had on him. Preacher is one hell of a good liar thanks to Bishop. So in a way. He does have the risk of becoming someone elses Scorpion. Those mental walls I mentioned earlier are breaking at this point.

41: Fireflies -The sad truth that Preacher still misses and thinks about Bishop. The lyrics here are meant to really tug at you as Preacher's barrier is crumbling at this point. -If all you ever get from the sonnet is the count of the fall of man Every call and cost made to your heart You were in the kind of game that put the force in me I was ever chasing fireflies -Sometimes I follow a firefly He takes me into the night Baby, I just survive I got drunk, I'm sorry Am I losing you? Sometimes I follow a firefly He takes me into the night Baby, I just survive I got drunk, I'm sorry Am I losing you?

42: Prison Sex -Probably the most important song in the playlist. I wanted that earlier darkness to come back full force now that the listener is at probably the most vulnerable part of Preacher's head. It's disgusting and that's the point. Preacher finally fully admits to himself about his rape. And the song implies he has a huge risk of continuing Bishops cycle of abuse. Both the abuser and the abused have lyrics in this song.

43: I'm Not Jesus -This is sort of like Preacher is finally saying "No FUCK THAT. I'm not like you." This song is also about abuse so I wanted to include it. He's angry at this point and finally fighting back in his head.

44: You're Gonna Go Far, Kid -In my head this is Preacher sort of mocking himself and his skills at lying

45: Lone Digger -I wanted another song to help "lift up" the mood again since this playlist has a lot of ups and downs.

46: Money -I thought the lyrics were fitting for this part of the playlist

47: I Don't Care -Mood gets a little somber but in a more beautiful way than flat out heartache or suffering. A little more of Preacher rebelling finally against Bishop

48: Creep -But in the end all his rebellion eventually leads to him being depressed. Bishop is gone from his life at this point. But he's clearly still lingering in his head. No matter how much he tries to ignore it.

49: Souk Eye -The finale where Preacher admits he'll always have Bishop in his thoughts even if he also knows damn well to never deal with him ever again. Even if sometimes it hurts like hell.

I wanted this playlist to be able to go on a loop and make sense. His moods are often on a cycle of "Fuck yeah I'm awesome! Fuck you Bishop!" to "Dammit we could have been so good for each other in another life wtf" It just repeats and repeats much like how people repeat their own cycles after trauma or abuse.

#Preacher #DnD #Tiefling

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littlegreypages-blog · 6 years

Photo

Dusty - Tribute by @lovelybrutal -

It's sunny-warm for November, and I'm sitting on my porch steps, making circles on the ground with the toe of one corduroy low-top, while my two young kids pull grass and chase bugs in the yard.

I want to do it. You know I want to, I Twitter DM yellowglue on my Galaxy S, the one where the keyboard slides out. I just don't want to mess anything up. I'm flattered to be asked, but I've never been a beta for a regularly updating story before, and this one promised to be big. Sex, drugs, innocence, debauchery, teenage rebellion, capital-A angst on a long timeline. True love, truly fucked up. My own personal brand of heroin. But can I keep up? Am I ready for this?

She reassures: You just 'get it' better than anyone else I can think of.

Summoning up all my courage, I type out three words that will literally change my life forever.

I. Am. In.

She replies: It's going to be a good thing.

Back in 2011, I don't think either of the authors, yellowglue and TeamSmella23, writing together under the name YellowBella, could have known just how good a thing Dusty was going to be.

Looking back six years later, it's hard to pick out what made Dusty so unforgettable. It worked on the same levels that most Twific does but went deeper into them. It explored the ache of the teenage years but started farther back, digging into issues of identity, friendship, and the bewildering magic of growing up. Stephenie Meyer's inspiration led many fic Edwards to desert Bella. Instead of once, Dusty does it to Bliss again and again, and we're never sure if he'll come back, or when, or in what state. We're never sure what he did while he was gone.

Canon Edwards are well-known for their brooding self-loathing, but Dusty's manifests into more than the standard guilt and self-denial we're used to. Blown pupils, paranoia, helpless fits of rage, and an apparent indifference to the destruction of his own life are the bitter fruits of addiction, a taste many of us know all too well. Plenty of fics bring in memorable OCs, but Dusty's had a twist. She wasn't actually a person. Cocaine was a character all her own, with lines between the lines. Blow was the side bitch we all loved to hate, whispering persuasion too sickly-sweet to ignore. Dusty's infidelities with actual girls paled in comparison to his betrayals with white powder.

Fandom clichés can be fun, but the authors had way more fun smashing them. Ally wouldn't go clothes shopping if you paid her, Esme was definitely not the perfect mom, babies couldn't have been farther from Rosalie's mind, and Renee was not only present, but deeply invested in her role as a parent. Edward traded in blazing green eyes for sky-beautiful blue, and Bella's chestnut waves were infamously strawberry blonde. These seemingly small details gave them extra latitude to be themselves, allowing Dusty and Bliss to become so much more than cookie-cutter characters to us, as well.

As captivating as their tear-jerking, heart-rending, boundary-pushing love is, the real star of Dusty could well be the friendships. Petey and Dusty were there for each other through everything, from baseball practice, to car crashes, to blackout after blackout after blackout. Whether smoking a joint in the '64 or taking care of the ones who should have taken care of them, these two boys can say more to each other in a look than they could with words. Bliss and Ally's relationship, similarly, was better than the best of friends. We watched them share everything, from banana popsicles to clothes and shoes, weekend-long sleepovers to dreams for their future. They spent more time together than apart, complemented each other's style, and knew all each other's secrets … mostly.

The seemingly simple contrast between Innocents and Delinquents, between sugar-sweet Bliss and reckless bad-boy Dusty, reverses as their story unfolds. Princess-baby is a liar too, and Trouble has the best heart. The Sluts weren't all bad, and the families weren't all good. This theme of duality, the double-sidedness in everything, was echoed in the readers' responses to it. The fandom was firmly in one camp or another: you either loved Dusty with wild devotion or you wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Many of us would fervently anticipate each update but then send out a breathless, flailing, all-caps string of tweets about being too scared to read it.

With details rich enough to revel in, Dusty's depth came in unexpected places. From black hoodie cotton to brand new dresses, from “Love is what we make it,” to “Lie. Lie. Lie.”, baseball cleats to snow boots, bonfires at the beach to busted headlights, from “Do you want me to get my mom for you?” to “Did you bring your fucking crayons?”, Dusty was more absorbing, more engaging, more real, because even while it dealt with big issues, it was the little details that added up to a world. Figure in the gorgeous visuals and banners contributed by so many talented friends, and the song lyrics that lit up each chapter like fireflies, and it's no wonder we needed a support group. The ending, highly anticipated as it was, was still tough to be ready for. We white-knuckled together through the fist-fight and held our breaths through heaving sobs on the lawn. Their tears were our tears, their broken hearts broke ours, and when “Hello” finally came, all of our lungs tightened in fear, hope, and uncertainty. We were all on Team Love.

Try as I might, there's no way to sum up the reasons why Dusty earned this Fandom Achievement Award. Swag and Sway have meant far too much to far too many of us to reduce their impact to just a few lines. Maybe it's because some of us had a Dusty. Maybe it's because some of us were Dusty. Maybe consuming, co-dependent love just captures our imagination like fireworks on a summer night. It has been a visceral, transformative experience to be so closely connected to their story, and I can never adequately express my gratitude to the authors for trusting me to beta their incredible work and to all of you for reading it and sharing in this amazing, emotional experience together. Fandoms change, relationships fall apart, but Dusty remains, at home on FFN in its original form, here for you when you need it, full of a love unashamed to be exactly what it is.

Fucked up, real, and beautiful.

Just like we all are.

#dusty #dusty and bliss #hey trouble #writers corner #twific #twifandom #love

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