Mel's Inktober 16 - Wary of the Windwillows

Reid's relationship with the Windwillows is a very interesting and complex one, much more so than how it started out.

Fauns and humans may get along considerably better than they used to, but for the most part, a barrier still lingers. While most of them may not try to harm each other, sticking to their own kind remains an unspoken rule.

That's why it was such a big deal when Malachi became the first faun High Priest, and that's what feeds the conflict for my overall story. It is possible and ultimately vital to overcome prejudice, but it's a complicated process and even those who make it through don't get there overnight.

It even took Jonathan quite a few years to really warm up to humans, more so due to his beloved father's horrifying brush with death at the hands of humans. And then when Jonathan got to the point where he started to embrace a human as legitimate family, his parents raised a surprising protest...which didn't sit well with him or Reid, to say the least.

You could say Reid's need to be loved is one of his weaknesses. He can be a bit too clingy for his own good, but he doesn't force anyone to like him or act entitled in any way. Let's just say he trusts the Windwillows a little too much at first, and then they learn a hard lesson in taking such trust for granted. So, neither side is all right or all wrong, and lessons on both sides are learned the hard way.

As irony would have it, fauns are big on loyalty and don't take kindly to betrayal. Then the Windwillows, who know as well as anyone what it's like to be on the receiving end, find themselves doing the exact same thing to someone else.

For all the pain Reid goes through, this is among the worst. He can sort of expect everything else to happen to him, he can almost count on other people hurting him...but having the very people he was so sure he could trust stab him in the back is something else. He's like an affectionate dog who gets struck out of the blue by the same hand that used to pet him, and now he cowers in the corner with his tail between his legs.

This is heavily based on Sulley scaring Boo in Monsters, Inc. Man, I'm choking myself up already.

BMM 4 - Bring Him Home

God on High,
Hear my prayer
In my need,
You have always been there 

He is young
He's afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed 

Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home

He's like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son
The summers die
One by one
How soon they fly
On and on
And I am old
And will be gone

Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy

You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live 

If I die,
Let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home... 

From Wikipedia: "Bring Him Home" is an emotional ballad sung by Jean Valjean about Marius at the barricade. Valjean begs God to save and return Marius to Cosette, even if he must sacrifice his own life for Marius's safety.

In a documentary on the Blu-ray of the film adaptation, Claude-Michel Schönberg revealed that the song was written specifically for Colm Wilkinson.

My own thoughts: I love this song, and the version sung by Susan Boyle is my most favorite.

This song is the best fit for Beowulf and Reid. Beowulf has always had a soft spot for children, enough to where he wouldn't hurt them if he didn't have to. He used to dream of becoming a father, a dream that was destroyed forever after he became a werewolf and the rest of his family perished. Werewolves can't produce offspring and Beowulf would never do it even if it were possible.

Even so, he's always kept a special eye on children, looking out for them, defending them when necessary, he's less inclined to show mercy to a victim who would harm a child, and the death of a child breaks his heart the most.

When Reid came along, he heard plenty of scary stories about Beowulf, and he was plenty scared when he actually met the old werewolf face to face. The first few times, he ran away in terror, and then one night, he got lost in the woods (thanks to one of Tyrell's many mean-spirited pranks) and it was none other than Beowulf who found him.

It was just the two of them in the moonlit woods, Beowulf had the perfect opportunity to do whatever he liked, but he consciously refrained from hurting the boy (though he did scold him a little) and brought him safely back to the castle. When it looked like Tyrell would get off scot-free for what he did to his little brother, Beowulf took it upon himself to give Tyrell a good scare, and then he kept watch over Reid (who was sleeping peacefully) for the rest of the night.

Even at his young age, Reid realized Beowulf couldn't be all bad and maybe, just maybe, he needed a friend, too. So, he started visiting Beowulf's cave, offering to play with him and bringing him nice things to eat. He was very cautious, of course, and Beowulf was like a well-seasoned guard dog that had almost forgotten how good it felt to be patted on the head, scratched behind the ears, fed treats, and talked to in a pleasant voice.

Realizing that Reid was genuinely afraid of him while refusing to run away from him like all the others, something inside the ancient beast began to soften.

It wasn't until a few years later that their bond was set in stone.

Tyrell was ready to beat Reid up in the garden, since everyone else was occupied with one of the many royal parties, so there was no way Reid could call for help and no one would have been able to reach him in time.

As it turned out, the two princes weren't entirely alone. Beowulf himself emerged from the shadows and became the one to threaten Tyrell. "Take your hands off that boy this instant. Get away from him and stay away if you know what's good for you."

Beowulf then took it a step further by threatening to hurt Tyrell twice as much as Tyrell hurt Reid in the future. "For every bruise he gets from you, you'll get a scar from me. I'll maim you to the point where your own mother won't recognize you, no girl will come anywhere near you, and all who look upon you will immediately run away screaming. Try me if you think I'm bluffing, boy."

Tyrell, being the dirty coward that he was, didn't hesitate to run away like a terrified rabbit.

Then Beowulf made doubly sure Reid was all right and reassured him that his brother would have gotten no more than a few mild scratches. For the most part, the old beast just wanted to scare Tyrell, and Tyrell always could dish out heaps more than he could take. Besides, everyone knew that Beowulf usually had excellent reason for going after someone and that he often granted fair warning first. Most of his victims were those that pushed their luck with him a little too far.

After that, Reid and Beowulf could officially say they liked each other, even loved each other. They visited each other whenever they could, they shared many lengthy heart-to-heart talks, Beowulf could tell Reid anything he wanted to know about his family and kingdom's history, and Reid could confide in Beowulf about the things that he couldn't confide quite as well in anyone else, including his aunt and uncle and the Windwillows. Beowulf was always a fantastic listener and usually had a sound piece of advice; even if the situation was far from resolved, Reid at least felt better for getting it off his chest, for having someone who truly understood and cared.

Sometimes they swam together, if the weather was nice enough for Reid to take an outdoor dip. Reid even started to give Beowulf simple but heartfelt gifts at Christmas and other holidays, while Beowulf started using "my boy" and "son" on a regular basis.

When Reid had a few children of his own, Beowulf was as overjoyed as anyone else would be about a grandchild or great-grandchild.

Sadly, Beowulf's old age finally caught up with him and he passed away, although it was no accident that Reid was the last person he spoke to as well as the one in his final thoughts. For all the hell Beowulf went through, Reid made his final years that much sweeter. Reid was that small but meaningful light in a world of solid darkness, and knowing his surrogate son would be all right gave Beowulf the motivation to let go at long last.

So, yeah, this song is an impeccable fit.

BMM 3 - Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

There's a grief that can't be spoken
There's a pain goes on and on
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends are dead and gone 

Here they talked of revolution
Here it was they lit the flame
Here they sang about tomorrow,
And tomorrow never came 

From the table in the corner,
They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing
And I can hear them now!
The very words that they had sung
Became their last communion
On this lonely barricade
At dawn 

Oh my friends, my friends, forgive me
That I live and you are gone
There's a grief that can't be spoken
There's a pain goes on and on 

Phantom faces at the window
Phantom shadows on the floor
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more

Oh my friends, my friends,
Don't ask me what your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will sing no more 

From Wikipedia: "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is Marius's solo after the battle. Sitting alone at the café, knowing he's the only one to survive, other than Jean Valjean, he regrets and reminisces the loss of his friends.

The song uses similar tunes from "Prologue: Valjean Arrested" and "Valjean Forgiven." In the 1991 Parisian Revival Version, the song is titled "Seul devant ces tables vides," which means "Alone in Front of These Empty Tables."

My own thoughts: Either this song or "I Dreamed a Dream" is the first to spring to mind whenever someone mentions the musical. Many people cite it as their most favorite song of all, and I think it's safe to say it's my favorite, too. I especially love the version sung by Michael Ball, and Cormac Thompson sang a most incredible version when he was just 13 years old.

This song would fit perfectly in several of my own stories. Not only would it fit Reid and Terence, since they both deal with war and deep personal loss, but it would also fit Beowulf to a tee, especially after he first becomes a werewolf. 

BMM 2 - I Dreamed a Dream

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

 I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving 

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted 

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame 

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream
I dreamed 

From Wikipedia: "I Dreamed a Dream" is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg with orchestrations by John Cameron. The English lyrics are by Herbert Kretzmer, based on the original French libretto by Alain Boubli and Jean-Marc Natel from the original French production.

The song is a lament, sung by the anguished Fantine, who has just been fired from her job at the factory and thrown onto the streets. She thinks back to happier days and wonders at all that has gone wrong in her life.

My own thoughts: This song was my first official introduction to Les Misérables, and the version by Susan Boyle was the first one I heard.

Opinions on Anne Hathaway's performance in the 2012 movie vary, but I like it, and so did my dad. Dad called Anne Hathaway's crying the most realistic crying he'd ever heard, and he admired how she was able to sing and cry at the same time. That took real talent, he said, and I couldn't agree more.

To this day, my heart truly aches for Fantine. She's a poor, innocent girl who was woefully taken advantage of, and the man who impregnated her gets off scot-free. Chances are he has no idea what happened to her after he'd had his fun with her, and he most likely couldn't care less. She, on the other hand, thought he loved her for real, and in my opinion, that's the absolute worst thing you can do to a person.

Now she's the one who must suffer the consequences, with everybody treating her like scum just because she dared to have a child out of wedlock, and the people who are supposed to help her take care of her daughter are taking advantage of her in all the wrong ways as well. At least Jean Valjean understands and cares, so he becomes a worthy paternal substitute, the kind of man Fantine deserved all along.

Man, Victor Hugo sprinkles no sugar whatsoever in his story. Rumor had it that he personally rescued a prostitute who was being mistreated and on the brink of getting arrested for pure self-defense, and it only worked because he was already a renowned public figure himself. In any case, he had a lot to say about the conditions of the poor and the horrific social injustices they dealt with, and there's excellent reason why the overall title is Les Misérables, which literally translates to "The Miserable Ones."

As depressing as the story is, it's a rather enlightening depression, just like Black Beauty and The Great Gatsby, among many others. I've yet to read the novel but I think the musical did a great job. Like I mentioned earlier, it was one of the few three-hour movies in which I didn't get too restless, and I still like to play a song here and there. 

My Inktober 2022 - 10 - Beowulf Alone

That's the thing about Beowulf: people can't fully make up their minds what to think of him. He's no more a saint than he is a monster, and anyone who accuses him to his face of being "evil," they have no answer when he challenges them, "You try living the way I do and see how long you last." 

Most people in Beowulf's situation would be a total wreck within just a few months, if not a few days, or even hours. 

Beowulf is the first to admit when he's guilty, but then again, it's plain enough how much worse he can be and yet he chooses of his own accord to not go there. That requires no small amount of self-control.

He can't decide whether it's worse to be hunted down or left entirely alone. He's well accustomed to being alone...but he still doesn't like it. 

For all his marvelous and terrifying adventures, he goes for many years without a family or a place to call "home." He's like a leaf blowing in the wind, or a drifting ship without an anchor or any trace of shore in sight.

The anime Ringing Bell makes me think of him. For those of you who don't know, it's about a young lamb who loses his mother and learns to be more like a wolf...with the very wolf who killed his mother as his tutor. Quite complicated, to say the least. 

I won't spoil the ending, but there's an utterly heart-wrenching line that fits Beowulf perfectly, especially when he's first transformed and his whole family is killed off: "But I'm still alive! Where do I go now?" 

Be forewarned if you watch the anime: it's as depressing as all heck. 

(Images property of their respective owners.)

At least Beowulf's story is a bit more uplifting than that, given how he meets Terence and becomes his most devoted ally, and how Reid wins him over many years later. If not for Terence, Beowulf would have become a complete villain, sooner or later. He would have been okay if he hadn't met Reid, but Reid sure made those last days all the warmer, far more pleasant and far less lonely. 

Loving the Lactantiuses (and receiving their love in exchange) was truly his saving grace. 

Inktober 2018 - Day 15

Had to do that special birthday post for my mom first. Now I can present my "Inktober" drawings for day 15! Holy smokes; we're halfway there already!

Day 15: Weak. The prompt made me think of my character Romulus, who's not weak by any means, but is, unfortunately, forced to bear more than he has the strength. And he's not Superman.

Day 15 for Disney: Pixar's Up. While everyone raves about the first 10 minutes of the movie (which are exquisite, don't get me wrong), I get hit especially hard in the feels when Carl Fredricksen is browsing through his late wife's old album and sees what she put in the album after "Stuff I'm Going to Do." She considered her marriage to him an adventure; is it any wonder he gets so teary-eyed as he turns page after page? I've yet to cry at this scene but it sure gives me the warm fuzzies.

And Fantasytober 15: Gryphon. I like this one a lot better than my last entry with the goblin. Like dragons, gryphons are known to hoard treasure; in this gryphon's case, that treasure turns out to be candy. Lots and lots of yummy sweet treats!