One Of The Weirdest Feelings There Is Is Posting A Fanart On A Server And Being Told That There Is Exactly

man idk sometimes you just have such an emotional attachment to a character that thinking about anything bad that has ever happened to them makes you incredibly sad for no reason. sometimes just even the thought of them being happy is enough to make you smile and sometimes its devastating that they aren’t real.

WOAH WOAH *intense eyes emoji* Did I miss something? What's this Tangled adventure AU? I saw the art for it and I already adore it even if I don't know what's going on.

Ahaha! You mean the art by @gueswho? They’re really talented <3

So the idea for the AU just came to me whilst on Discord (headsup the Scar Varian Server is fantastic). But the AU idea I had was similar to/inspired by the premise of Kung Fu Panda in a way, with several changes…For now I’m calling it the Un-Chosen One AU…

So essentially, the normal events that set off the beginning of Tangled happened, but just as the sundrop is gone, the black rocks start growing rapidly and scaring/endangering the townsfolk. Everyone turns to Frederic for help and, seeing as he can’t very well ignore the problem, he calls on Quirin to bring that scroll he had used to warn him. All of the nobles, researchers, scientists, “magic experts” and general townsfolk gather to try and guide out a solution. They quickly realize that now that the sundrop flower was gone and so was the girl who was possibly born with its magic (she would have been killed, they think), and her mother does not have any remnant of it, they fear they are doomed.  They look at Demanitus’ notes at the bottom of the scroll.

The notes talk a bit about the celestial powers, and warn of the powers falling into the wrong hands or being possessed, and then that leads people to wonder…if the sundrop could be embodied, could the moonstone?  (It was also weird to them that Demanitus talked about the sundrop like a person, attributing it with many human qualities that were exaggerated or limitless beyond mortal imagination). They reason that whoever it was who had taken the sundrop (they presume it’s Zhan Tiri because she was well-known in legend as Demanitus’ primary foe, and they don’t know much about Gothel or the other disciples) was also maybe going to head for the moonstone…and try to take over the world…but if the sundrop was the balance to the moonstone, as Demanitus said, and if said sundrop was gone, could it be that someone who didn’t necessarily have the sundrop’s exact magic but was “pure of heart,” good, strong, and intelligent enough…could maybe counteract that darkness and save them all? The moonstone needed to be protected and…maybe…if someone were to become strong enough, or close enough to embodying/wielding the ideal, hypothetical traits of one with the sundrop (strength, purity of heart, intelligence, etc), they could be saved after all.

So essentially, like many real people, these fictional characters read about three lines of ambiguous text, ascribe meaning to mystery, and conjure up this idea that Demanitus left a “prophecy”, the foretelling of a chosen one who could either defend of even destroy the moonstone in the sundrop’s stead.

A select group of Coronans, including Quirin with his family and Captain with Cass, decide to head over to the Dark Kingdom…Quirin because he wanted to warn his brethren/Edmund that the sundrop did indeed exist, had been stolen, and whoever had come for it was probably also heading their way, and the others because they heard from Quirin that there was a specific kingdom that trained warriors from the beginning and practically revolved around the moonstone. Frederic and Arianna stay behind in Corona, with any remaining subjects-they are knee-deep in grief for their kidnapped daughter and guilt for the chain of events Frederic caused.

(I hadn’t thought much of Eugene-either one can assume Edmund never sent him away and instead raised him, or that he did send him away and Eugene is living the life as an orphan/rogue right now. I had thought that even if Edmund had raised Eugene, he might have run away to get away from that kind of life, and thus stumbled upon Rapunzel’s tower. Thus commencing the normal sequence for most of the Tangled movie.)

So this group settles in the DK, and every able-bodied child is recruited and trained from the beginning, to be capable of having the “honor” of being selected as the chosen one. You know how they find out that they are? They go through different rounds/levels in the ranks until they’ve completed all their mentors/king/knights have told them they needed to, “specialized” in any of their strengths…and they have to be able to grab the moonstone. (many older kids had died in this very last part of the process). Before many of them can actually make a choice, all of the kids are subsumed into this web of magic and danger and prophecies-kids who fail to move up ranks are seen as burdens or given lesser work. Kids who are good but don’t quite make it to the top are just assigned with being the kingdom’s next mentors and league of guards. And the kids who are fantastic and do actually try to see if they’re the chosen ones…die…because obviously the moonstone doesn’t really care, it just doesn’t want to be touched. Instead of making the kids hopeless or questioning, however, this spikes their competitiveness, especially with the encouragements of their parents, who all want their children to be important/get near to the level of being a “chosen one”. The actual chosen one. Not the kind who died like all of them.

They’d be trained in almost everything-from physical combat, to a few of the relevant sciences (Varian’s alchemy is initially welcomed because even if it’s new, it looked useful), to certain kinds of acquired magic too.  They’re allowed to “specialize” in an “important” field related to their mission but only if they’ve fulfilled the basics physically.Varian is quickly turned down when they realize that alchemy isn’t exactly a “relevant science”…nor is it exactly a magic that will bring him closer to doing the thing everyone expects him to do. Quirin even tries to talk Varian out of alchemy because it seemed like a “waste of time”, asking him why he didn’t instead focus on the “useful” sciences that were more relevant to their “mission”. 

Cass’ father is very proud of her and Cass is deadset that she is gonna be the chosen one. No one seems more clever, cunning, or stronger than her in the battlefield. At least, not all at once. 

Varian isn’t the best physically, but he excels at strategy and tact too. Nothing seems enough for Quirin, however, who is constantly either leaving his son to worry about even involving him, or berating/criticizing him for not doing/being enough, or constantly ignoring him when Varian starts to doubt the validity of this prophecy and his actual place there.

Quirin does care about Varian, but the father is also…worried and confused. He’s not even that worried about Varian not being the chosen one…he’s just worried that Varian will fall short and get hurt. These were tough times they were living in, and as much as he wanted for his son to be himself and do whatever he wanted, he simply couldn’t…without questioning himself and a lot of things he believed in.

One fateful day,  news comes from Corona -the long lost princess has returned. At first, no one in the DK cares…until they learn that she apparently still has the magic of the sundrop and had been the “chosen one” all along.

The people who had worked so hard and broken their backs believing that they could fix this huge problem that had plagued their generation now have to escort the princess from Corona to the DK so that she can do the real work…which actually doesn’t take training…or so much experience…And apparently she was the only one who could “neutralize” the moonstone, rather than needing to destroy it as they had believed they could do.

Most people are relieved because that means the life-threatening chaos would be over, but the trainees/students are shocked and betrayed (and in Varian’s case, fascinated). It feels worse when some of their parents don’t even acknowledge that they’re betrayed. Cap is angry on Cass’ behalf, but Quirin seems relieved, which hurts Varian-did Dad not believe he could ever be special?

So in this story either Varian can be the antagonist who can’t accept that his efforts were for nothing and Cass accepts herself not being the chosen one, or it could be the other way around-cass can be the antagonist who can’t accept that she’s not the chosen one and Varian can accept that he’s not the chosen one. (it turns out that there is no actual chosen one…the prophecy was something people had conjured when they misinterpreted Demanitus’ research and tried to ascribe meaning to mystery. Rapunzel happens to have some remnant of the sundrop’s magic but it wasn’t meant to be embodied so there is no actual thing other than that which holds her above the others).

I do think this conflict would have played out great with Captain and Cass…especially the whole “you raised me on this idea of a destiny and did nothing as it was given to someone else” idea…if there had been a legitimate, misleading idea of prophecy, and some kind of mission Cass believed was owed to her because the captain was so proud of her that he believed she could get it, and in trying to prove that she was worthy of it, she happened to prove that she wasn’t worthy of it…not because of a game of chance, and not because she wasn’t born with magic…but because she was vengeful and proud and such power/heroism shouldn’t be ascribed to someone with those traits, despite how much of a skilled or passionate warrior they were.

This was a similar issue with Cap that Tai Lun had with Master Shifu in Kung Fu Panda….Tai Lun was trained all his life to become the esteemed/legendary Dragon Warrior or “chosen one” who would protect the valley, only to be denied that “destiny”, but in trying to show that he was worthy of the scroll (given to the dragon warrior), Tai Lung instead showed why/how he wasn’t worthy because he was corrupt and not pure of heart. He was vengeful, and greedy and arrogant, despite being a skilled and passionate warrior. When Tai Lung asked if all his hard work had actually made Shifu proud, Shifu even apologized to him, saying that-“I was so proud, it blinded me to see what you were become…what you had become.”

On the journey from Corona to the DK, Varian and others could possibly partner with Rapunzel because she has much to learn and they have to find out parts of themselves along the way that matter more than just being warriors/possible knights . Thus each of them have to go through struggles that prove they’re all still worthy and even possibly “pure of heart” even if they’re not specifically the “chosen ones”.

Cass, as the antagonist, could have been pretending to support/escort Rapunzel, and then stolen the moonstone when it was vulnerable and ready for Rapunzel to neutralize it, like in the series.

And the others can still “prove” themselves/have an active role in the story/find something that makes them happy by showing they don’t have to be the “chosen one” to be worthy or valuable-in Varian’s example, he would eventually happy knowing that he wasn’t the chosen one, and he would settle still for being this really skilled warrior who knew alchemy instead. Just because he didn’t end up getting the thing that everyone told him to want or that he wanted himself for whatever reason didn’t mean that all he was or everything else he had become was invalid.

If there is to be a redemption for Cass, one could have Cass gradually learning to accept that she couldn’t have that position of the “chosen one” and settle for some other position befitting her better…proving she didn’t have to be a “chosen one” to be valuable or have her efforts be worth it.

And finally, for all of the characters to realize there was no “chosen one” to begin with. Rapunzel happening to have magical hair had been a miracle…an accident…but there was no prophecy, no foretold destiny, no chosen one. They had all played a part in this story-different parts, but parts that fit their needs or their characters, and fulfilled their arcs.

And when Raps finally loses her hair, she’d be afraid of being “ordinary” but then she realizes that no one and nothing is actually ‘ordinary" in the strict sense of the word, and if the people she had met could be so “special” and spectacular without born magic abilities, then so could she.

Yooo this is stunning !! I’m glad you’re back, can’t wait to see more amazing art !

Well I’m all caught up on Owl House

Just learned that my school year will probably NOT be taken on account, which at this point wouldn't make me sad if it weren't for my teachers doing everything in their power to help with the situation I'm already in.

Oh well, I guess we all tried for nothing. At least I'll have time to finish writing my fic now

NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE ANALYSIS PART I

I just think that song is so brilliant because it’s so unique. Like how often do you get to have a duet between two characters who both turned on the same person and both became villains, but one has reformed and the other has only recently become a villain? I just LOVE how the song uses the same phrase for both characters but it has an entirely different meaning depending on their points of view.

I’m gonna break this analysis into multiple parts since there is SO much to talk about this song. (I MIGHT do a lyric analysis as well)

Special thanks to @whaleiumsharkspeare for helping me with this post. She has done an analysis of the song

Read the analysis here

Let’s Dew-this…

VARIAN’S POV:

Honestly, I find Varian to be the most interesting part of the song because he is reflecting on how his corrupt views and methods of the past and is now reaching out to someone who he sees is following the same destructive behavior, not wanting to see his former friend make the same mistakes he did.

In season 1 he took it too far, he crossed lines, used people, lied to himself that he was right. Now he’s seeing cass do the same thing and tries to stop her. He doesn’t want her to go down the same path of destruction he did. Also not to mention that she drugged him with a truth serum, that means that everything he’s singing in his verse is the truth. He reaches out to her (both figuratively AND literally). I mean…

Look at that. Even when he’s trapped in a cage he still reaches out to her. This boy is determined to reach out to Cass and nothing is gonna stop him NOTHING. I love how they are using Varian as an example for Cass to try to come to her senses. It makes sense if you really think about it, with Varian not only coming from that same dark path but also he used to look up to her and still wants to help her despite everything she’s done with him.

Varian also seems to be one of the first people to try and relate to Cassandra. He isn’t forcing this relatability on to her but rather, warning her. He isn’t saying “what you’re feeling is wrong” or “this isn’t who you are” he is instead trying to say, “I get it. You’re hurting and you think destruction is helping. It feels good, doesn’t it? It’s okay to change your mind, there’s always hope and a way back. It’s not gonna be easy but just try it. I will even help you” Also, it was revealed that Cass gave him the truth serum which means everything he is singing is true.

He doesn’t try to force their relatively situations on to her, he is saying it as a warning like you’ll regret this in the future and will eat you up in side like how he behaved I’m Rapunzel’s Return or Be Very Afraid. He knows/acknowledges that her feelings are real and that the struggle is real. Sometimes people hurting need somebody to just be in there with them in their suffering, listen AND understand the struggle.

While Varian does state that Cass is being irrational, and even stands up to her, he’s also trying to help her rationalize her feelings to help herself, to help begin the healing process.

I think that’s why his reaching out to her (both figuratively and literally) is so powerful. Even though he didn’t succeed in talking her out of the path of distraction he did show he cared for her.

Even though this is Cassandra’s verse, look at Varian’s expressions here…

He isn’t scared of HER he’s scared of what she’s BECOME. He doesn’t want her to go down the same dark path he did but, not he can see that she’s no longer in control, she’s crossed the line and is what he was afraid of her becoming.

Varian is looking at her in shock at how powerful Cass has become but also how much she is lost, it’s I’m a mix of shock and horror but, not of her but of what she has become. She has became what he was trying to prevent, he couldn’t talk her outta her destructive ways and now she has lost control. The one thing that he was trying to prevent and failed, especially in the bottom photo. Varian not only looks shocked but also sad in a way. He probably blames himself for not getting through to Cassandra.

Varian has failed in the past in the whole series (restoring the king/queen’s memories, the Quirinion everything). The scroll was his responsibility, if he found all 4 incantations he’d succeed but then Cass come. It just Cass and him, if he can get through to her then he’d be a success, if he can stop her then in turn he’ll also stop her destructive ways, If he gets through to to her then he’ll have his former crush/friend back. But he can’t, Varian knows Cassandra is dangerous, he knows she’s a threat he knows she has betrayed Rapunzel yet, he still sees her (in the song at least) as a friend who is hurting and lost.

CASSANDRA’S POV:

Cassandra doesn’t listen to Varian’s warning and she thinks since she already ruined her past relationships there is no point, even if she does change her mind. She’s not losing anything and has everything to gain and yet, she’s not truly confident because everything she shines is DEFENSIVE.

Her facial expressions change look at the following…

We see Cassandra looking at her self in the sword. On the left though, it’s almost as if she doesn’t know what she’s doing but, on the right, when Varian sings “Don’t you see, this path you’re on leaves a permanent mark, it feels good at first then it slowly turns dark” it changes to not mad more like serious. Almost as if she’s trying to not only convince herself but also, Varian that she is right. He’s singing at her teeing her that she’s wrong and doesn’t wanna hear it.

I think this moment when Cassandra points the sword at him it’s not actually Cass, I think it’s more like telling the viewers that Varian is right and that it’s not actually “Cass” how points the sword at him. This is also mere moments before she decides to get up and walk away from him and of course he follows her and runs after her. She’s in denial and tries to ignore him but she can’t, Varian is probably the 1st person Cass has heard “arguing” with her to stop. In many ways Varian acts like her moral compass in the song, she is obviously conflicted here.

Okay okay okay you know what ? Fallen Angel AU everyone, get in

This may get kind of long, so TLDR will be at the end.

On one hand there are Angels, led by King Frederick and his family; on the other hand there are Demons, led by King Edmund and his family (Eugene and his mother are by his side). The two Kingdoms are separated by a physical barrier called the Black Rocks, that can almost never be moved or broken.

Why almost ? Because the leaders of the Kingdoms have the Moonstone and the Sundrop, and can use them to control the rocks. In this AU, Rapunzel has the Sundrop while King Edmund has a Moonstone staff. (I'll come back to this later).

Where is the drama ?

Well first, Rapunzel and Eugene have met a few times already (when their parents would meet each other for political business) and fallen in love, but their relationship is made impossible by the fact that they can't really see each other (no way to communicate) and because relationships between Angels and Demons are forbidden.

Second drama : said relationships are forbidden for a reason. Unlike King Frederick who does everything himself, King Edmund has separated the work between the members of the Brotherhood : Quirin, being the wisest, was the one in charge of meeting with the Angels (and thus given the Moonstone staff). However, the knight fell in love with one of the Angels accompanying the King, and they had a child. A child named Varian, whom his mother had to hide from the authorities and who was born with broken wings because of the incompatibility between Angels and demons. The two kings were the only ones to know, and so the day King Edmund put Quirin in charge of Eugene's education instead (because he was still loyal and caring), King Frederick started to track Varian's mother down.

Frederick ultimately succeeded and Varian's mother was sent to jail (which are not among the Angels but among the Demons instead), which led to Varian wanting revenge because of course he would. So Varian befriends Rapunzel in order to manipulate her and force her to use the Sundrop to get rid of the Black Rocks, which would allow him to reunite with his family while also threatening to annihilate both of the Kingdoms. Varian is stopped and put under arrest, sent into jail as well.

That's where our real story begins. King Edmund, who knows Eugene should soon replace him as King, decides to test his son's skills as a leader. In order to do that, he asks him to go visit Varian in jail (without saying anything about him) with the mission to have to tell him after a few days what he thinks would be best to do with him.

Eugene does so, and is shocked to see a kid, and above all one that seems to be neither an Angel nor a Demon. Is that why his Dad sent him ? Because he didn't know how to judge this particular person ? Because he felt sorry for the kid ? Or because he just saw him as an opportunity ?

Eugene doesn't want to see him as any of these things. He wants to understand the kid, who he is and what his point of view is, not just what he has done. It is difficult to do so however, because Varian is very hostile, so Eugene tries all kind of ways to get the kid to open up, which eventually leads to them being friends.

Bonus angst ? Bonus angst.

Edmund has forced Eugene to come with a bodyguard, which are the members of the Brotherhood : so yes, Varian and Quirin did meet, although none of them recognized each other because Varian has no idea what his Dad looks like and Quirin has no idea he has a son (Frederick and Edmund kept this "accident" a secret).

There are many jails among King Edmund's Kingdom, but only one is made for "criminals seen as a threat". Which means that Varian is in the same HUGE prison as his mother is in, and many other familiar faces as well. And yes, Andrew is Varian's cellmate, and he does try to make him join him in his plan to 1) break free and 2) steal the Moonstone's staff.

Eugene loves Rapunzel but Varian sure doesn't. When they come to that subject, Eugene is less than pleased to learn that Varian has hurt Rapunzel to get his way, and Varian is really not happy to learn that Eugene (who he finally thought he could trust) is on Rapunzel's side.

TLDR; Varian, born from a forbidden love between an Angel and a Demon, goes to jail after he has attacked Princess of the Angels Rapunzel. In jail, he meets Prince of the Demons Eugene, who was sent by his father to learn more about that Fallen Angel who is unique in many ways. Friendship and redemption follows, though it is not easy with Varian's hatred for everyone and his cellmate Andrew trying to further manipulate him.

1) These are so so so good, I’m in love with this art style !! 2) I had never thought about it but I now need it so bad, the comedic potential is outstanding !

Thinking about a vat7k heist episode.........more on this tomorrow I need to sleep

Finally in summer holidays, I’m gonna make the most of these two months

an animation practice from a bit ago that I never posted 

Happy New Year to everyone !

2020 has not been easy, but I'm proud of you for surviving it and thankful for everyone who helped me or you in making this year easier ❤

Let's hope 2021 will be better !