#Ariel and Eric’s romance had more depth

[agirlking]

I feel both the live action Aladdin and The Little Mermaid are better versions, I’m gonna be honest. (I still love the animated movies.)

[furiouswritingbiologykid]

I just saw the little mermaid and holy fuck, holy shit, oh my fucking God it was so fucking good!!!! Minor spoilers I guess.

The performances were amazing!!!! Halle Bailey especially! The emotion in those songs!!

They made Eric much more likable. And the romance felt much more naturally developed, I love the parallels of their collections and interests!

The designs of the mermaids were so cool, I loved how their "cloths" were really just part of their natural scales! I also like how the mermaids were cleaning up the reef after the shipwreck. King Triton's crown was shark teeth, his armor was shells! I also noticed his tail went side to side instead of up and down sometimes, which I thought was a cool detail, no one else seemed to do that though.

The ocean, oh the ocean was beautiful, stunning, enthralling, awe inspiring, magnificent. I could talk about the details all day, yet I'm sure I could spot new ones each time. There were brittle stars for heavens sake, they had mouths, she was sitting on brain coral, the sea weed, and the particles in the water, and the depth, one of Sebastian's claws was bigger than the other. I expect very few people actually noticed these details but they mean so much to me. It's clear that the vfx team cared so much and it shows! I saw! I saw it! I could tell! I started crying during that first underwater scene, because I have dreamed of the sea as much as Ariel has dreamed of land and they brought me there! I was there!

The diversity and setting was also amazing, I loved the scene in the town.

I also loved the last scene with all the mer people and humans saw them off together.

So...yeah. I loved it, I want all the sequels and prequels and everything. Go watch it. I would see it in 3D if you can it's so beautiful.

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Little Mermaid (2023): Review

I rewatched this movie today, and it's amazing how it still holds up.

First, my hottest take: Even if the original animation didn't exist, this would still be able to stand on its own.

It recreates all plot points of the original, yet they still work perfectly. And contrary to most Disney live action remakes, the few new things that it adds don't ruin the overall story. On contrary, they help give more context and depth to the story.

Halle Bailey IS Ariel. Not only she has a beautiful singing voice, she captures perfectly all of Ariel's curious innocence. There were moments that she even had the same facial expressions. She was born for this role.

I love how Prince Eric was written here. Jonah Hauer-King nails the role. He and Bailey had so much chemistry together. I feel like their romance has more depth here than it had in the original. Eric in this version is basically a male version of Ariel, and their relationship is entirely based on their infinite curiosity and their mutual support over it.

I first watched this in cinemas, and I although I really liked the CGI in the underwater scenes, I thought they would age badly, especially in smaller screens. But rewatching it made me realize that they are very well made and are really colorful.

I will fight anyone who says that the underwater scenes are lifeless.

My only big criticisms are with Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy. Bardem is too lifeless as Triton, and although McCarthy is doing her best, I would bring a different actress for the role. She doesn't have the same creepy, threatening campiness of the original Ursula.

[courtneysmovieblog]

The live action “Little Mermaid” is great, get over it

If there’s one thing all the backlash of The Little Mermaid has proven, it’s that the Disney fandom has gotten pretty toxic. And I’m not just talking about all the racist tantrums over Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel.

Are the live-action version of cherished animated films necessary? Of course not. Are the CGI versions of characters we know and love weird-looking? Yes. Are some of the story changes dumb? Yes.

But do not treat the people that actually enjoy them like they’re any less of Disney fans as anyone else. People are allowed to like whatever they like without being accused of somehow betraying the original films.

That being said, while I have enjoyed most of the live action movies, warts and all (with the exception of Pinocchio and Lady and the Tramp because they sucked), I can honestly say that the new Little Mermaid is probably the best one to date. Say what you want about Rob Marshall, the man knows how to do a musical.

From the very second we heard Halle Bailey sing “Part of Your World” in the trailer, we knew she was going to be awesome. And she’s more than just that beautiful voice, she plays Ariel with all the passion and fearlessness that made us fall in love with her back in 1989. It’s ironic that critics are quick to dismiss her version of Ariel as “too feminist” when the character has been unfairly derided as antifeminist for so long.

Also in her favor is her amazing chemistry with Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric. As much as we loved the animated version, it was a necessary change to flesh out their romance more than just love at first sight. Hauer-King, for his part, gives Eric more depth than he had in the original, and the scenes with them interacting are what really make the movie great.

Melissa McCarthy--I never doubted her for a second. For once, Disney didn’t screw up their classic villain. This Ursula is even more evil than before, and fabulously so. She doesn’t just chew the scenery, she eats it up and leaves no crumbs to be found.

Regarding Flounder and Sebastian and Scuttle: just ignore the CGI. Daveed Diggs is a delightful Sebastian--his version of “Under the Sea” is a blast. Jacob Tremblay is a perfect Flounder. And love or hate Awkwafina, she made me laugh as Scuttle. You’re going to have to come to your own conclusions about her solo song though.

The lighting is nowhere near as dark as some people were complaining--or perhaps it just looks better on the movie screen. And while the underwater scenes may not be realistic, it’s lovely to see all the bright and colorful sea creatures.

The Little Mermaid shouldn’t be dismissed as a pale shadow of the animated movie. It’s a fun movie on its own, and it was obviously made by people who love everything we love about Disney classics. Don’t let the racists, nitpickers, and overall killjoys stop you from from enjoying it.

But if nothing else, this is definitely Halle Bailey’s breakthrough role. And if there’s any justice in the world, she’ll be swimming in more casting offers very soon.

8 out of 10

[idiosyncraticrednebula]

My personal ranking of official Disney Princess couples ✨

Note: I’m only including the couples that have appeared in the official Disney Princess films, and that means the first films only.

10. The Prince/Prince Florian (allegedly) and Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)

All these two ever did was look at and barely, and I mean BARELY interact with each other. Their relationship is only ideal in how it looks like, but they have zero substance and no real depth. However, I can’t get too mad about that considering that most fairytale couples were never meant to have a lot of depth to them. 

9. Prince Charming/Prince Henry (allegedly) and Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)

Cinderella and Prince Charming are another classic example of the fairytale couple that serves more as a plot device needed for the story than a substancial element on its own. They had slightly more development and chemistry on the direct-to-video sequels, which is the only reason they are one spot above Snow White and the Prince, but I still can’t get quite engaged with these two.

8. John Smith and Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995)

Their relationship had far more development and importance in the story than the previous two couples, yet I still can’t get into them. It’s probably due to John Smith being my least favorite Disney prince and me being bitter about Pocahontas not going for Kocoum. They aren’t bad, but they are not that great either. Sorry not sorry.

7. Prince Phillip and Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)

I think Phillip and Aurora looked pretty cute and charming together, which is why I prefer them over their predecessors and John Smith and Pocahontas, still, I can’t say their relationship has some of the best development and substance I’ve ever seen in a Disney film. They at least interact for more than 1 minute as opposed to just starring at each other and its very fairytale-like, which I do appreciate, though, it’s also the same reason they are this low because of the fact that they don’t go beyond that. They are lovely for the most part, but others are just better.

6. Prince Eric and Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989)

Listen, I love these two as much as the next girl and think they looked incredibly charming and beautiful together. However, I can’t say they had the best relationship out of all the Disney couples. The film didn’t give us enough interactions between them, which is a shame because it holds them back from being the best Disney couple. They sure have more development and substance than their predecessors, and it’s not too fairytale-ish, though, they don’t go much beyond being a great-looking couple. I love their relationship and believe they had potential to be even better, unfortunately, none of the writers that have dealt with these two have bothered to make their relationship more interesting and fun and that's kind of disappointing. I would’ve preferred The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea to have focused on their relationship and even the issues that rose with Ariel dealing with being a human rather than the film being a lackluster rip-off of the original film. It would’ve been a more interesting and perhaps even more memorable sequel than the disaster that was TLM 2. Still, I love them very much even with some of the grievances I have with their relationship.

5. Li Shang and Fa Mulan (Mulan, 1998)

Mulan and Shang were definitely cute together and had a lot of chemistry with each other. Of course, they are not THE Disney couple, but their interactions with one another, even with Mulan disguising herself as Ping, were all great and interesting enough. Even though the sequel is far from being a great film, I can appreciate the fact that they gave their relationship more depth and substance, although some people didn’t like that because it “moved the focus away” from Mulan’s “badassery”, ‘cuz y’know, God forbid a female character that has her romance with a man as the central part of her story in today’s progressive society. Overall, they are pretty nice together, but others are just better.

4. The Beast/Prince Adam and Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)

I’m not gonna get into the (in)famous “Belle was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome” discourse because it’s a waste of time to entertain that whole theory that people have been using against this film for Lord knows how long. Having said that, it’s worth noting that the Beast (or Adam, since that’s his real name) was the first Disney prince to have a role of equal significance to his princess counterpart, and they sure had some of the best chemistry, substance and development in such a short amount of time. Were they a bit rushed? Perhaps, but their love story is memorable for a good reason. Many interpret their love story as a “woman changing a bad man to a good man”, but I see it more as a literal representation of the metaphor woman taming the “beast” in a man, not necessarily meaning that he’s a bad man, but that she’s the only one that can take that layer out and see his vulnerable side. This trope is as old as time and many women have always been attracted to that kind of fantasy because of the emotional aspect of it. I really like that aspect of their relationship because it makes it very interesting and deep, as well as even beautiful. Were they the healthiest? Of course not, but as soon as Beast began to change his ways when Belle decided to help him, he never behaved like that with her for the rest of the time nor treated her like some object that was to be shelved. 

3. Aladdin and Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992)

Yes, I know, I know, Aladdin lied to and deceived Jasmine about him being this grand prince from a kingdom far away. I know that people have constantly criticized this aspect of their relationship, with some even thinking that Jasmine should have never gone for Aladdin because of that fact. People miss the point that Aladdin wasn’t proud of who he was and believed himself to not be worthy of a gorgeous, wonderful girl like Jasmine, but she proved to him that she didn’t care about his social status at all and loved him for who he was, not for what he was. Jasmine understood why he did what he did and he felt bad for having lied to her, but in the end he was forgiven because he did indeed prove his worth to her by being himself, a kind, selfless and brave human being, which was enough for Jasmine to choose him as those were probably the qualities that drove her to like him, aside from the fact that he, unlike the previous princes, didn’t treat nor regard her as just some object. Their relationship was a great one and both had an incredible amount of chemistry, even in the short amount of time it was depicted. People give Aladdin too much flack for that like these people have never lied once in their entire lives to someone close to them LOL. We are all human beings and we make mistakes, so stop being so fixated on what these characters supposedly “romanticize” as good or bad behavior (the movie itself never romanticized it and called him out on it several times). They also just looked so good and charming together, it’s impossible to think they didn’t make a great couple.

2. Prince Naveen and Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)

The relationship between Tiana and Naveen is one of the more developed and substancial ones in Disney Princess canon, and I can’t sit here and say that I don’t adore the chemistry and interactions between these two because I absolutely do. They began as two typical bickering potential love intererests whose bond later blossomed into a beautiful and powerful one. I dislike that trope as much as the next person, however, it was well-developed and used with the two that I don’t mind it at all. I love that both learnt something from each other: Naveen learnt from Tiana that hard work was important and that you do need to do things for yourself as it’s a very important of human life (since if we don’t have no one else do it for us, then we need to learn how to at least be self-sufficient in some way), and Tiana learnt from Naveen that although working hard is an important part of life, you also need to learn to enjoy life and have fun. It can be quite a heavy burden to work so hard all the time and never be relaxed enough to enjoy any part of life, and if Tiana had continued to go her workaholic route, things would have probably not ended as good for her and probably wouldn’t have even gotten her restaurant. I think the lessons both taught each other are signifcant to everybody, and I think that’s makes their relationship special to me. Also, it’s this high in my list because of my attachment to it due to how frequently I used to watch when I was a little girl, and Tiana was a fav Disney princess of mine. It’s worth mentioning that both looked fantastic together and I can’t wait to see more of them together in the upcoming Tiana series (I’mma pirate it, though, so Disney doesn’t get a penny from me, and I’m afraid that they will inject it with identity politics, but all we can do for now is wait and see).

1. Flynn Ryder/Eugene Fitzherbert/Prince Horace and Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010)

Of course Flynn and Rapunzel had to be number one in this list. They have the most chemistry and development of any Disney Princess couple and have by far the most compelling and substantial love story because of how integral it is to the film itself. I know that their relationship developed even more in the 2017 animated series, which makes them even better. Their interactions are very memorable and what glued this film perfectly tight. I love them so much. They are just so great together, and I love the fact that they still have that fairytale touch to them without being too old-fashioned and with some comtemporary touch to them that didn’t mess too much with the setting of the film nor their relationship. There’s a reason Rapunzel and Flynn are usually depicted together quite often since they complement each other very well, and they are so integral to each other that they are nothing with the other. They look fantastic together and would absolutely love to see them being parents (fingers crossed that that becomes canon!). They are great and the 2010 film would have not been the same without their bond.

[dat-town]

wish upon the sea

Characters: prince!Brian (Young K) & siren!You

Setting: a bit darker, twisted Little Mermaid au

Genre: romance, action, fantasy

Warnings: mentions of blood, death

Words: 5.7k

Author’s notes: I use the name Brian since Young K in this story is supposed to be the son of Prince Eric and Ariel, so a Korean name would have been weird, hopefully you won’t mind.

Dedicated: happy birthday, my dearest @restlessmaknae! ♥♥♥ I cannot put into words the happiness that feels me becausee of the close bond we share and that we can live through so many wonderful experience together. Thank you for letting me be not just a big sister but a best friend as well. Wish you all the best and welcome to the club among the girls in their 20s! Love ya! ♥

Once upon a time there was a prince who fell in love with a mermaid.

It was a truly heart-fluttering love story, everyone in the kingdom found Ariel lovely and kind-hearted despite her clumsiness and Prince Eric was often jokingly called a lucky bastard to have her by his side.

In a few years the couple had a child, a boy with charms like his dad’s and hair as red as the brightest coral in the sea just like his mom’s. The boy grew up to be a fine swordsman, a chevalier with the softness of the waves of seas on calm spring days. He was a good man, people said, everyone loved their handsome and kind prince and so many daughters wished to be the lucky one to have that golden heart of his. However, the prince's heart was already taken, swimming in fondness for the endless blues as he fell in love with the sea.

Ever since he was a little boy, Prince Brian and the sea were inseparable. As the castle was built on a shore not too far from the water, growing up he had spent a lot of time there playing in the sand, swimming, searching for pearls underwater. He liked the calmness and rhythmical waves coming to stroke his ankle as his feet sank into the mud, he liked the wildness of it when storms were raging over in the open fields and he liked that it had its borders but seemed to sweep through everywhere reaching every part of the world. There was something – something unexplainable and mysterious – about this giant of a sassy lady that attracted him and never let him go. He was under its spell and couldn't escape even if he wanted to.

No wonder he decided to join the royal marines as soon as he finished his training at the Academy. Being a sailor himself, his father (being the king by that time) was proud of him and supported his choice even if it meant the prince being away, on the open waters under the sparkling stars most of the time. But from time to time he came home, just like the tide always returned. He found his way back to the place where he fell for the depth and beauty of the sea.

He often found himself on the sandy beach by the water, watching it change various colours under the sunset. Sometimes he just watched it from the castle and certain times he wasn't even alone.

"Do you miss it?" he asked staring ahead at the endless sea as he stood next to his mother on the balcony. Her long red hair was decorated with jewellery made from sea shells and her locks swirled in the gentle night breeze behind her back. She had that kind of longing in her eyes that the prince couldn't understand until he didn't experience homesickness during his travels. There was no regret in those eyes, just a soft kind of sadness of losing something precious to gain another.

"It's hard not to when the sea calls for me constantly," Queen Ariel said in a gentle voice, almost like a sigh and her son couldn't even imagine the loss she felt. When she had given up on her tail to get legs, it hadn’t been the only thing she willingly let go off.

The sea's rules were strict. You couldn't turn your back on it without paying a price and every merbeing knew what it meant to leave their home behind: they could never go back.

So the prince was curious and he had matured a lot during his overseas training. Hence, he dared to ask the question he never asked out loud before.

"Do you regret it?" he whispered with eyes trained on the azure waves he loved so much.

He had been travelling throughout the Seven Seas for years now but he hadn't had the chance to stumble upon any merbeing like the ones told in his mother's tales. But her family, as she called the tribe, had always been a careful one, avoiding being in the centre of attention until Ursula's short but deadly rule. By now there was peace over the waters again.

"Choosing your father over being a mermaid? No. It's not regret. I only wish there would have been another way," the Queen shook her head staring ahead. Her honey voice was filled with nostalgia and melancholy. "But the sea is a selfish creature, a jealous lover. You can never win against it."

The prince hummed, knowing. This was a lesson he had been taught ever since he was young. He was warned to be always wary of the sea as what it gave, it could take it away just as easily. And yet, there was something out there that attracted him like flame enchanted the butterflies, he had always found his way back to it.

"Will you leave again, son?" Ariel turned her back on the stormy waves and stroke a smooth hand over the young man's face. The red locks he had got after her created a great contrast against the dark night even under the white moonlight. He was as bright as fire in the darkness.

"As soon as the maps are ready," he nodded firmly, worry evident in his eyes as he looked over the horizon. "There are more and more pirate ships around the border. We need to show them they can't hang around here. They should leave."

Politics had been a mess but the ongoing, endless wars against the Pirate Nation had been even worse. There was nothing they could negotiate with. The pirates lived for spilling blood, they weren't satisfied with anything, they always wanted more and more. More money, more freedom, more blood in the oceans. But Brian wasn't just going to let them win.

"Be careful," the Queen patted his cheek with the softest smile only mothers could make because no matter how old her son was, he was still her giggling little boy who had played with crabs and little fish in the ankle-high water by the beach.

"As always, mom," Brian promised, leaning his head into the motherly touch.

Cold breeze passed between them, bringing the forecasting of something bad coming from the sea but neither of them listened. Humans never did.

The sea wasn't a graveyard just for wrecked ships and poor souls but for broken promises and lost loves too. It had buried more than human recollection could hold onto.

And soon, you were going to join the ruins under, you were sure of it.

Handcuffed to the mast out in the open pirate ship, close but still so far away from your precious sea, you already felt like dying. Your human legs had become awfully dry due to the lack of water and every movement hurt as the blood in your veins got warmer than normal. Fever did no good to you as you leaned your sweaty forehead against the wood. Closing your eyes you imagined swimming home without a care. You really didn't want to think of all the possibilities of being sold or that they would scrap the scales off of your tail. Pirates didn't treat you as a woman even if only one huge man shirt was thrown over your bare, lithe body. In their eyes, you were an animal, being half-fish, half-human. They had big mouth, spits and swear words but their eyes couldn't lie. You saw it in their eyes, the fear and the attraction humans had towards mermaids, your unearthly beauty. But without your power, without your song, you were nothing but a tied up barely girl, useless and harmless. You hated being so weak.

"Ship on the horizon!" someone hollered in terrible dialect from the ship's bow and it was enough to stir up the waters around. Pirates all around you got their lazy asses up and with weapons in hands they rushed to prepare the ship for an attack.

"'Capt’ it's the Royal Marines," another one cried out as the three ships became more distinguishable in far-sight.

"Of course, they are," the wood-legged man snorted in disgust but the grin on his ugly face only showed satisfaction. This was just what he wanted, that was why they came here in the first place: to demolish the King's navy. Or at least his precious son and only heir. Victory could never taste as sweet as a revenge upon those who took everything from him.

Being so tired and weak, you were barely able to realize what was going on until someone splashed water into your face and shrieking you awakened from your half-lulled dream.

"The show must begin, little songbird. Are you ready to sing?" the Captain grinned at you, yellow teeth on full display as he was panting so close to your face. Disgusted, you turned your head away.

Or at least, you would have turned it but then suddenly you were yanked onto your wobbly feet by your chains and you almost fell onto your knees being ever so weak in your human legs you never really learned how to use.

"Now listen to me, doll," the pirate continued on, as he grabbed your chin and forced you to look him in the eyes, dark as the deepest pits of the sea. "Don't even think about escaping, I will kill you before you could leave the 100 meter radius of this ship. You just need to awake a storm and sing a pretty song to the sailors coming at us, okay? If you do a good job, then maybe I will reward you or if I'm feeling generous I might even let you go. What about that?"

"I- I cannot sing..." you croaked out, voice hoarse from being kept like a dog for days now. Without water you barely survived, how could he think you were still able to do what he wanted you to?

"Oh, silly girl, you think I don't know that?" the man huffed out and tossed you a huge canne of water. You were like a lunatic on verge of dying because of thirst based on the way you caught on that. You gulped down the oh so sweet, salty sea water and you felt your blood buzzing in excitement. Power, finally.

"Now sing!" the captain ordered once all his men put something into their ears to dull your enchanting voice. This way it couldn't affect. You grimaced at the smart move and when you were dragged to the side of the ship, you opened your mouth to sing.

Whenever you let that lulling melody fall from the tip of your tongue, you felt powerful, almost invincible. But now, you could barely hit the right tones. You thought you wouldn’t be able to summon anything at this rate but the sea, taking pity on you, started stirring up around the ship, clouds darkening above and the first drops of rain felt like a miracle on your dry skin. You closed your eyes for a moment, letting out a deep breath before starting that song again, the one that allured so many sailors into the loving arms of death.

The three ships of navy got closer in the meantime and the first roar of cannon made you tremble. The second made you fall as the pirate holding on your chains lost his balance and pulled you with him. Out of breath, you collapsed onto the wood board. You couldn't keep up. That much of water after being dried under the Sun didn't even give you enough strength to transform back into your full form. You could barely answer to the pull of the sea by finding your voice and that sweet melody.

You stopped singing, pushing him away as his hands grabbed on your shirt to stop you from escaping. Not like you could go far away with those metals around your ankle and the ties around your wrists but at least you wouldn’t be a puppet on string in a useless fight. You couldn’t wait for the ship to sink anyway.

“Why did you stop singing, little birdie?” The pirate clicked his tongue, following you to the mast where you tried to get the chain off in vain. He grabbed on your waist hauling you up.

“I’m not your songbird,” you gritted your teeth, angry, feeling the power of sea so close. You knew it had your back. You were so so mad, you could have killed this pirate with bare hands, only if you’d had your powers!

Everybody was running around on the ship, cannons fire shots, the ship tilted to one side and then the other as it got closer and closer to the maelstrom created closeby. You knew the power of the sea, a vortex like this could drag down whole armadas. A few pirate ships and three navy ones were like a children play.

You hung onto the mast as the navy ship got next to the one you were on in the next circle it took down the spiral. You kicked and hit until the pirate had to put you down and when he tried to lay his dirty hands on you again, you bit into his finger and just as he screamed in pain, you wrapped your own ties around his neck and squeezed it as long as you heard him breathe. Just another dead body as a sacrifice to the sea, you have seen them fall one by one anyway. The marines obviously overpowered them but you didn’t care about the gunshots and the screams and the blood spilling all around. You tried to get rid of your chains with trembling hands.

"There's a girl here! Help, they kept a girl as a hostage!" Someone hovered over you out of the blue. With a knife in one hand, he made a quick job with the rope tie around your hands, getting those off of your bruised wrists but you couldn’t help but flinch when the cold metal touched your skin and for a moment you thought he was going to dig it deep into your still heart. However, he hadn’t touch you like this, his eyes quickly skimmed through your body until he find the metal cage around your bare ankle. Only when he finished getting rid of the chain, you looked up at the stranger.

Marks of the battle were evident on his features in red split lines but his hands were warm and gentle as he covered you with his own jacket probably thinking you were cold in that thin shirt thrown upon you. He put a hand over the small of your back, pulling you up by the elbow with the other. He treated you as if you were fragile, harmless... human.

As if he was a mere fever dream you could only blink at him in awe, at his hair shining like the ardent, burning-hot colour of the sunset, so different from your own ink-like locks. And his eyes, those brown orbs, even with the fighter spirit in them, were so warm even your cold, cold heart felt the tremble as your gazes met.

"You're safe now," he said oh so softly but how a naive soul he was! The battle wasn't over yet and if it were, it wouldn't have been you who had to be afraid. He had no idea what you were capable of, how many hearts you had taken already. He held you as you stared at him, the first one to help you in order to save you from a possible unfair death on a pirate ship and then another cannon ball slammed into the wooden body of the ship.

"Lieutenant, get out of there!" Someone from the other ship brushing so close to this yelled but it was too late.

The fire of the fiery shot had already reached the gunpowder under the deck and it exploded like magical fireworks in the sky. The whole ship shook with the power of it, the wooden floor collapsed beneath you and the two of you fell into the water amongst the ruins of the pirate ship.

As soon as your skin made contact with the salty sea water, it felt like rebirth. Life was breathed into your burning lungs and you finally arrived home. You felt the scars heal, the bleeding stop and in the dark water lit by the orange of fire, you transformed: human legs got colour, covered by turquoise scales. Golden dots tainted tail and breast covered by finlike pattern, you got rid of the shirt and jacket to take a deep breath from the oxygen-filled water.

There were so many different feelings in you that wanted to break out. Anger, happiness and sadness all alike. You wanted to avenge what these pirates did to you but they were doomed to die anyway, the sea, the Mighty, was just as angry as you were. On the other hand you were finally free, you could have just swimmed away, away from this madness not looking back. But as you made the first movement to leave, you saw him, the soldier, the lieutenant who helped you, his body slowly sunk under as his muscles were on the verge of fighting against his lungs screaming for oxygen. He didn't deserve to die, that much was sure. He was caring and understanding even if he didn't know you. He was the first to treat you like a human being and as you watched him close his eyes, hands reaching for the surface, you couldn't just let him die. Not like that.

In a span of a moment, you decided against your life instincts. It wasn't usual for your kind to be kind to humans, much less saving them. But he deserved so much more than being another dead body in the sea among those ruthless pirates. You swam up to him until your bodies collided, flesh against flesh. He looked vulnerable and fragile now with his eyes clothes, body heavy as the sea pulled him down. You filled your lungs with oxygen and pressed your mouth against his, forcing his lips open so you could exhale the sweet air into his screaming lungs.

A kiss of the Sea.

When Prince Brian awakened he didn’t know where he was and how he got there.

Prying his eyes open he could see sand and palm trees, faintly he heard the murmurs of the sea. It didn’t take too much time to figure out that he was washed up to a beach after he fell into the water. With that realization, memories came back to him about the storm, the pirates, the fight and… the girl! He certainly remembered a pure-looking girl with hair like the darkest night and eyes like coal that heat up the castle back home. He wondered what her came to be, whether she survived the shipwreck and he wished to know where the rest of his crew was. He remembered falling into the sea after the explosion but if he had survived, they had to be alive as well, right? They were probably out looking for him.

He sat up, head hurting from the sudden movement but as he looked up at the shore he immediately knew where he was.

Home.

Up there he saw the castle and away a bit there was their bay. He somehow got to the beach he used to play at as a child when he was miles and miles away fighting pirates. Just how long he had been out? How long the sea had carried him on its back? How was this even possible? He wondered but thanked every deity that he had gotten home safely, so he could keep his promise made to his mother.

A moment later a dark shadow moved behind a huge rock by the beach and the prince immediately sprang to his feet.

“Hey, wait! Yes, you, please...” he yelled at the stranger, voice pleading because he had this gut feeling that there was something very important there. When the shadow didn’t move, neither closer, nor farther away, he took tentative steps by the seaside to approach the rock. Just as he passed by the rock, he noticed a girl in the water, the same from the pirate ship with her warm eyes and dark locks, but there was something different about her. At first, his eyes fell upon the naked shoulders of her, her long hair spreading all around her on the surface of the water, then he realized that the most outstanding of it all was the blue of her skin, the gill opening on her neck and the scattered golden scales along her body.

“You… you are a mermaid,” he whispered in awe suddenly remembering all the tales his mother had told him. His miraculous appearance here also made more sense because of it.

“I just wanted to make sure you are alive,” she said in a dulcet voice as if it was natural. He was actually glad she stayed and not just because she was the first mermaid (apart from his own mother of course) he had the chance to meet. He was indeed grateful.

“Did you bring me all the way here?” he asked and she simply nodded, watching him curiously. Brian wondered whether she found him just as interesting as he found her. It wasn’t because she wasn’t human but because she acted like one. Even his mother told him that her kind was brought up by the ruthless sea itself, so they believed in kill or to be killed. Befriending and saving humans was something that went against their own ethical codex. In some tribes it even meant betrayal, yet she took the risk for him, so he felt immense gratitude.

“Thank you,” he told her, words genuine even though he wasn’t sure she understood what it meant for him and why he wanted to know more about her. “Do you oft–”

He wanted to know if she visited this shore regularly, whether they had a chance to meet again, whether she would be up for a talk but life had got in-between.

“Your Highness!” a royal guard hollered and the mermaid swam away with the sound of quick flacks on the sea’s surface following her.

The prince looked after her, at the wavy sea, yearning for something even his heart couldn’t name.

You tried your best to forget him, to not miss him but all in vain. Once you were back with your tribe, you told them about your capture, the fight and how you escaped. It was hard not to tell them about the handsome prince who was there too but it would have been a stupid move on your part telling them that you blessed him with the gift of Sea. Not all of them would have been so understanding.

It was a silly thing, wasn't it? Being so enamoured with someone despite barely knowing anything about them. All you knew was that he was kind-hearted and not disgusted by your type. From a human, it was more than enough.

So you caught yourself hanging around the beach more, his beach to be more precise. He liked to take early morning jogs there - you definitely did not stare - and late night walks. Most of the times he was alone, sometimes he was with a beautiful, elder lady, hair similar to his. You were sure she was his mother but the most surprising thing was that it felt as if she was the part of the ocean too. It was a fading feeling but it was there and for a moment you couldn't believe but could it been? That the legends about the mermaid who became human were true? It would have explained why he behaved so naturally around her and why his crew was prepared enough to not get affected by her song. Everything made much more sense like this and it only added to your growing fascination with him.

You wondered whether the Sea adored or cursed at him? The child of one that got away, one that turned away from the depth? He seemed to be fine on water, he seemed rather fond of it, spending so much time around it, so you were pretty certain he also felt that pull that bind you to your home. It was just another symptom of homesickness.

After a week or so, you saw the prince getting abroad again, proud as the Lieutenant on a new ship heading towards South. You followed them from a certain distant and watched him. You told yourself it was because you didn't want him to stumble upon your tribe but actually your heart yearned for something even you couldn't explain. Maybe you wanted those soft eyes on you again, his gentle touch and kind words. You really weren't sure.

But it seemed like the Sea listened to your untold prayers when a storm came, a powerful one as you felt it in your fibers, the waves crashing to every rock with a power so harsh you trembled. It gave you an excuse to step out of the shadows under the moonlight, when almost everyone was sleeping on the ship. You had seen the prince walk back and forth every night alone on the deck, so that day you waited for him.

You psted at him trying to get his attention when he indeed walked out from his cabin with a simple white shirt hanging from his wide-shouldered figure. He looked around confused then you let out a whisper again and he ran to the side of the ship looking down at the water, seeing you above the service.

"Oh so I was right about being followed!" He muttered but there was nothing negative in his voice only wonder. You didn't even expect him to but then he climbed over the fence after throwing down a rope ladder and he climbed down until his boots touched the surface of water.

"I didn't get your name last time," was the first thing he said and it's ridiculous.

"That's not what's important now," you argued as you held onto the ladder too to keep it up easier against the wild current. "There's a huge storm coming. You need to turn more West to not run into it."

That's it, that's what you wanted to tell him, it's time to go, you reminded yourself and let go off the rope but at his voice you turned back.

"Hey! Don't go," he whisper-yelled after you and he sounded desperate. You had never heard anyone talk to you like that. As if the mere thought of you leaving again had been painful for him. "Why are you helping us?"

"You helped me last time," you reasoned but the prince seemed both a bit doubtful and a bit hopeful.

"Is that it? Just this?"

His voice wasn't accusing but curious and it felt like as if he wanted it to be more. It made you smile.

"What else would be there?" You raised a brow playful and something similar reflected in his eyes too as he leaned closer, letting go of the rope with one hand. What a daring, reckless man he was!

"Don't you feel this pull?"

Oh the one like waves? The one that followed the moon? The gravity? That strange power that attracted you to him? Your smile was like a secret love song whispered to the Sea, yet he caught sight of it as you blushed under the milk honey coloured light.

"To the West. Don't forget, my Prince," you reminded him and swam away with your ever still heart beating crazily against your ribcage.

Of course, Brian listened to you. He had nothing to lose. The journey was a bit longer with that detour which meant a more cranky crew because of they ran out of food and rum sooner than expected. But at least everyone survived. Even like this, the ship was tossed around in the water by the waves that came from the darkened part on the ocean. He knew that if it hadn’t been for you, they would have gone straight to the danger zone. So he was grateful but also even more curious than before. You were more playful than he thought at first, but then again, you met on the rim of death, of course you weren't joking with him back then.

He still didn't know your name and he who had found so many treasures, who had fought so many pirates and enemies, he was determined to change that. So he lost more and more sleep in order to meet you. Because yes, he had caught sight of you some nights when the Moon was high in the sky and your tail shone in all colours of the rainbow. Then at some point, you stopped being shy and only watch the ship from afar, you swam closer and closer until he spent half of his nights sitting on that rope ladder talking to you.

Those midnight rendezvous became your favourite part of the days. Just to listen to him talk about his duties as the prince and lieutenant, his worries about his country, his dreams, places he wants to see. In exchange you told him about your life underwater, your sisters in the tribe and how peaceful the waters had been around here until the pirates came. It turned out you had a common enemy in those dirty men. Both of you wanted to get rid of them, so you offered your help. It was a pretty cool deal, though both of you knew it was just an excuse. The only setback was the danger itself but you had never been one to give into fear so easily. You wouldn't have been alone anyway. Spending time with the prince wasn't too bad either.

"So tomorrow?" you looked up at him one night knowing that the next day you would reach the Triangle of Cages, the bay of pirates where you were told not to be able to leave once you're inside. But you had the element of surprise with you and with your skills you could help the crew.

"Yeah. Tomorrow," the Prince sighed, looking up at the Moon. He had some kind of melancholy in his eyes and you could easily tell that he was worried. Nobody knew how many pirates would be there and he only had a little armada of three ships with around hundred of people. Pirates might have been uneducated and untrained but they were rough, had grown up on the Sea, so they were an enemy nobody should have underestimate.

"It's going to be okay," you told him even though you always hated these kind of cheap promises. It was a simple lie, because how could you know for sure what was going to happen? It was all in the hands of the Sea.

"But if it's not... I wanna give you something," he said, warmth swimming in his dark eyes as he took something out of his pocket. It was a bracelet made of little pearls, it was pretty. "My mother said it once belonged to the Sea. I want to return it," he said as he handed the accessory out for you.

"You want to give it to me?" you blinked at him surprised. You didn't expect him to be so sentimental.

"You're part of the Sea, aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow at you almost challengingly. You had a hard time suppressing a smile but in the meantime it was a situation so much more serious.

"You own a bit of it as well," just like from my heart.

The prince smiled down at you almost as if he knew what exactly you meant and he was gentle as he put the bracelet around your wrist, fingers drawing soft pattern onto the back of your hand as his fingers slipped off you. You immediately missed his warmth.

"I still don't know your name," he whispered which made you giggle. You pulled yourself upwards by the rope on his side and beckoned him closer with your index fingers. You looked him straight in the eyes as he leant closer, breath fanning over your lips as you whispered your name like a secret into the seam of his mouth.

At first he seemed a bit taken aback by your closeness but before you could have pulled back, playfully winking at him, he sneaked a hand behind your neck to keep you there. To hold you when his mouth slid over yours, chapped rum-flavoured lips tasting your salty ones. Your breath hitched before kissing him back, fingers slipping into his burgundy locks. You only pulled back when he almost lost his balance on the rope ladder and fell into the water with you. Both of your chuckles echoed in the night sky as the sea welcomed you back with wide arms, calm waves pulling you under. You waved before you swam under, hiding your blushed cheeks in the water.

By now, you were sure the Sea was just as enamoured with him as you were, you didn't worry about tomorrow.

Twice upon a time, a prince fell in love with a mermaid.

He never lost any more battles on the sea but he always yearned to be out there, under the stars, in her arms. He walked along the line marked with sea-washed wishes in the sand under his feet, never straying far. For once, you didn't have to take his heart because he offered willingly. He loved you more than the Sun and the Moon and all the stars, coming back to you whenever he could. So when this time his mother asked him: do you miss it? He didn't have to think of an answer, it was as sure as his heartbeat, deeply integrated in his system.

"I miss her as I would miss the air, constantly and solidly, always." He smiled but his smile was hopeful because you both knew that no matter how harsh the Sea was, it wasn't only a graveyard, it was also a cradle of your love. Of another love story of which word got around not just in the Kingdom but every wave of the ocean.

[alababwa]

breakdown of walt disney world’s magic kingdom’s new nighttime firework show “happily ever after”: 

-- very long post under the cut. pic above is a screenshot from the DIS on youtube’s recording of its opening night performance on may 12, 2017

i tried to break it down by segments with character appearances and different music changes. i didn’t go too into detail about all the fireworks as most of the focus was on the castle projections. also mentioned where new animations were. i apologize if i missed anything, please feel free to send me corrections.

Prelude instrumental music

Narrator voiceover: “And they all lived happily ever after. Each of us has a dream. It calls to us and when we’re brave enough to listen and bold enough to pursue, that dream will lead us to a journey to discovery who we were meant to be. All we have to do is look inside our hearts and unlock the magic within.”

Intro of “Happily Ever After” by Jordan Fisher & Angie Keilhauer

The castle facade changes different orate designs and colors with fireworks going off to music

Castle facade transitions to the castle with large windows to show a starry sky -- firework shoots across sky in the back of the castle in an arch like the old Disney logo

Balcony below clock shows pink, Tiana in her blue dress appears in the balcony singing about the Evening Star “Down in New Orleans (Prologue)” (New animation from Mark Henn)

Music of When You Wish Upon a Star builds as it transitions to Part of Your World then back to When You Wish Upon a Star

facade looks like an ocean scene as Ariel swims past then up the tallest tower, 

facade transitions to a view above Paris where you can see Chef Gusteau’s and the Eiffle Tower. 

Facade transitions to a share the look of Rapunzel’s tower, where she’s leaning out of from the castle’s tallest spire.

“Out There” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame

facade transitions to the big stain glass of Notre Dame with a silhouette then showing his face of Quasimodo singing and jumping around the castle to the song

Quasi climbs the tallest tower and pulls the bells to the song

"Touch the Sky” from Brave

Facade changes to forest-y scene and the crests of the Dunbroch are dropped down as well

Merida, riding in on Angus: “Your destiny lies within you. You just have to brave enough to see it. Then your journey begins.”

Merida aims bow to shoot a arrow skyward toward the top of the castle, to which a firework goes off  as if it’s the arrow shooting off into the sky

Dandelion seeds rain down facade to transition to a waterfall; Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez (for Cars 3 promo) look to audience from a bridge then drive off

Carl Frederickson’s house floats up with the numerous balloons from behind the front part of the facade

Bottom half of castle changes to under the ocean, where Marlin, Dory, and Crush swim by

“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana

Facade changes to a more fiery background with torches and the structure mimics tapa and the housing of the village of Motunui, showing Moana discovering the canoes

Scrolls of tapa designs & Maui’s tattoo of Moana shows as clips from the movie play. Part of the castle has Moana’s sail as well.

At the climax of the song, Tala as a manta ray swims up from the bottom of the castle toward the sky

Friendship Segment

Castle facade looks like it’s made of toy parts, but is darkend to spotlight a giant Genie lamp sitting on the balcony

Aladdin: “Trust me, having a best friend by your side opens up a whole new world of possibilities!”

Castle brightens and looks to be a moving toy with lots of moving gears as instrumentals of Never Had a Friend Like Me plays

Music transitions to Trashing the Camp, characters, mostly the gorillas, from Tarzan make appearances all over the castle

Bugs crawl over the castle as music transitions to Hakuna Matata, where Timon dances and Pumbaa and young Simba appear

Facade changes to a much more toy-like version of what it was as “You Got a Friend In Me” plays, Woody and Buzzlightyear interact on the balcony; other toys like Jessie, Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead, Slinkydog, Rex, etc appear in various places around the castle

Toy castle crumbles as music changes to “Bare Necessities”, the castle is more green as Baloo, Mowgli, the baby elephant, and other monkeys dance to the song

Castle changes to a more candy like appearance as Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope on his shoulders appear on the balcony

Baymax and Hiro appear as facade changes to the first toy-life facade on the bottom of the tallest tower with music transitioning back to “You’ve Got a Friend In Me”

Facade shows seal of the ZPD as the Big Donut bounces by

Facade changes to the headquarters of Riley’s Mind where you can see Sadness and Joy before memories orbs start falling from the tallest spire

Choir singing “That’s What Friends Are For” from the Jungle Book”: “And when you're outside, looking in Who's there to open the door? That's what friends are for!”

Sully and Mike show up on balcony with many doors fro Monsters Inc

Giant Door opens as “open the door” is sung

Toy balcony facade returns, balcony comes to life to sing in a spotlight “That’s what friends are for” in a solo low deep voice

Choir starts singing “Never Had a Friend Like Me” while facade changes to a more neon and lights appearance like the movie’s scene, with various girls from the same scene dance around the castle as Genie performs; voices transition to Genie’s instead of Choir

On finishing big note, tallest tower rockets off into the sky

Family segment

Facade looks more like a castle with big open windows again, Olaf appears on a snow-covered balcony

Olaf: “Some people are worth melting for” with a sigh

Slow acoustic cover of “Love is an Open Door” plays, a big moon rises across facade

Wall-E and Eve fly across facade

Music transitions to an Instrumental version of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”

 Facade looks pink, covered in flowers, and waterfalls as Simba and Nala nuzzle

Music transitions to a cover of “You’ll Be In My heart”; family scenes flash across facade

Kala hugs baby Tarzan

Riely and her parents are playing around

Baby Dory is hugged by her parents

Russel runs into Carl’s arms for a hug

Dumbo gives his mother many kisses

Judy hugs her parents

The Parr family shares a group hug

Romance Segment

Facade changes blue and purple, silhouettes of Disney couples appear across the castle 

Ariel & Eric

Tiana & frog!Naveen (WHY IS HE A FROG IN THE ROMANCE SCENE???)

Cinderella & Prince Charming

Belle & Beast

Aurora & Phillp

Snow White & her Prince

Jasmine & Aladdin

Rapunzel & Eugene

Aladdin (as Prince Ali) and Jasmine fly across facade on the Magic Carpet as instrumental version of “A Whole New World” plays briefly before transition to “I See the Light”

Lanterns from Tangled start to appear, floating up the castle, it darkens toward the end

Silhouette of Rapunzel and Eugene at the bottom of the castle, glowing before they let go of two last lanters that fly up to illuminate a couple of the couple sihouettes once more

Small instrumental of “A Whole New World” finishes the song

Villains Segment

Facade transitions to the Emperor of China’s palace

Emperor appears on balcony: “A that flower blooms in adversity is the more rare and beautiful of all.”

Shan Yu appears in the tallest tower before Mulan as Ping appears in the balcony fires off a rocket, which launches off the castle and flies off as a firework

Syndrome appears at the tower and shoots a bolt of lightning at an Omnidroid, which starts destroying the castle’s facade and blowing holes in it, the Parr family appears in those holes

Ocean rises up from the bottom of the castle before a giant Ursula wearing Triton’s crown and wielding his trident rises up from it, her tentacles wrapping around the castle spires (New animation from Eric Goldberg) Prince Eric is standing the balcony before he jumps into the waters as Ursula shoots lighting at him from the trident; she returns under the depths as a bolt of lighting cracks and the water recedes

Orange smoke rises from the bottom of the castle, revealing Pride Rock in flames as Simba and Scar duel and silhouettes of hyenas and lionesses watch; giant shadow of them fighting is in the background as well

Orange smoke plumes quickly up to reveal Jafar as a giant snake. Aladdin drops down from one of the mid-level spires with a sword. Jafar lunges at him with fangs bared as he jumps to the next spire and swings around it before jumping down to swing his sword at him. He jumps down once more off to the bottom of the castle where Jafar follows (New animation from Randy Haycock)

Facade quickly changes green as black thorny vines wrap around it, Maleficent appears, cackling in a blast of green fire as the castle is shocked with lightning. Prince Phillip on Samson rides across the bottom of the castle. In purple smoke, she changes to her dragon form and blows green fire at Prince Phillip’s shield in the balcony

Fire changes orange as music (which had been playing their respective instrumental soundtracks to the fight scenes) transitions to the Pirates of the Carribbean theme. Castle is on fire and you see a silhouette of Jack Sparrow and another pirate (i’m not quite sure who it is) swordfighting, various silhouettes of known characters that fight flash across the facade like 

Eric at the wheel of his ship(?)

Aladdin with a sword 

Merida with her bow

Mulan with a staff from I’ll Make a Man Out of You

the Parr Family

Phillip throws his sword into the heart of dragon!Maleficent

Facade darkens to a rainy scene with a dying fire at its base as sparks fly up

Hero segment

Face of Mufasa appears in the dying flames at the mid-level of the castle as the music of “I Can Go the Distance” starts building up

Mufasa: “Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are” the “remember” fadingly echoes twice

Castle facade darkends as cover vocals of “I Can Go the Distance starts”

Aladdin appears at the bottom of the castle, looking sullen for a moment then stands proudly looking in the distance (New animation from Randy Haycock) - he fades away

Tarzan appears opposite of him, standing up like he finished fighting Saboor then fades

Mulan appears in the bottom of the tallest tower holding the village girl’s doll and kneeling down to place it before fading

A glowing, newly-annointed-god Hercules appears in the balcony holding Megara in his arms as he rescues her from the underworld

Interstumentals build as flash of triumphant scenes show like 

Moana cheering

Snow White being embraced by her Prince after waking with the dwarfs cheering

Ariel in her silver dress being spun in Eric’s arms 

Cinderella waving from her wedding carriage 

Vanellope receiving a trophy

Aladdin sealing Jafar and Genie ruffling his hair

Elsa and Anna hugging

Tiana and Naveen running down the aisle after getting married

Facade turns gilded as slowly the windows start being covered by stain glass featuring with Choir singing “I Can Go the Distance” ending chorus:

Cinderella with her glass slipper

Aladdin

Tarzan

Woody

Merida

Elsa & Anna

Mulan

Peter Pan

Alice

Snow White

Pinocchio

Moana

Tiana in her green dress, holding frog!Naveen

Aurora

Beast

Belle

(and a few more I think; youtube videos make it hard to see those tiny details)

Narrator: “And so our journey comes to an end but yours continues on. Grab hold of your dreams and makes them come true for you are the key to unlock your own magic. Now go; let your dreams guide you. Reach out and find your happily every after.”

“Happily Ever After” starts playing as fireworks go off, the stain glass facade changes to the ornate castle.

A Brief transition in the song changes to “You Can Fly” as Tinker Bell flies out of the tallest tower across the sky and the song goes back to “Happily Every After”

The ornate design of the castle keeps changes colors in bursts with accompanying fireworks until finale