#as if mulan wasn't enough

[davinaclare]

hey disney people? here's an idea. how about instead of taking old and beloved movies and change them completely to fit into the "new sensibilities" of today... how about you make something new? for example? if those old movies aren't fit for girls nowadays, make other movies that are. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[seyaryminamoto]

My latest completed commission may have been a bit ambitious... because I went wild with it. But I certainly relished in doing so :') Combining my favorite ship with my favorite-ever Disney movie is, uh... a dangerous concoction :'D

The commissioner specifically requested for Azula as Mulan, Sokka as Shang, and Xin Long (my OC dragon from Gladiator) as Mushu. The rest of the cast was up to me to choose, and I pretty much went wild rewatching this movie and picking out some of my favorite moments to recreate them in my style, with these characters. I came up with a lot of correlating characters between both ATLA and 1998's Mulan, but I couldn't hope to draw EVERYTHING, unfortunately. Still, if you want my reasoning for the cast correlation... check out the Read More! Beyond that, feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to commission me, or if you want to join my Patreon!

The Herbalist as Mulan's grandmother might feel arbitrary but she honestly felt like the ATLA elderly lady with the most similar personality to Grandma Fa. Fickle, with a unique connection with a seemingly perfectly ordinary animal, old and sassy? Figured it fit! So for once, the Herbalist is Azula's grandma! xD strange notion, I know, Azulon/Herbalist is not a ship I ever thought I'd accidentally put out in the world but there have been wilder ships than that in this fandom...

Momo became Cri-Kee, I wasn't 100% sold on it but when I considered that Avatar features soooo many hybrid animals... I figured he could be a hybrid cricket-lemur. Weird, I know, but eh? Better than nothing xD

Aang as Chien-Po was a no-brainer. He's the only character I settled on instantly, never even considered anyone else for the role. Their personalities line up really well, and Chien-Po's tendency to be OP and resolve things that are outside of other people's reach sounded like he was prime Avatar material! So, while their dietary preferences are an obvious difference between them, I decided to go for it nonetheless considering all their other similarities!

Kino (another Gladiator OC) is Ling, and he actually did give me a ton of trouble to choose. I considered many characters for the role right up until I realized that Kino's personality actually lines up fairly well with Ling's, down to being a class clown type (who ABSOLUTELY would have cut gym class!) and breaking out in song about the hypothetical woman he'd like to fight for? Yeeeeah that's right up his alley xD but there's another reason why I picked Kino...

... And that is my likely unexpected choice for Yao:

ZUKO.

ZUKO IS YAO.

YES.

I'M NOT EVEN SORRY.

(For the uninitiated, Aang, Zuko and Kino are best friends in Gladiator, very often together, and they make a really good team, so that's the extra reason why Kino became the obvious choice for Ling aside from having really similar personalities, definitely closer personalities than, say, Jet, for instance.)

People have likened Zuko to Shang a LOT since ATLA aired. This is the main reason why I'm even making this huge note! I suspect it's primarily because of the aesthetic, let's be real here, and because he becomes Aang's teacher, but people have exaggerated Zuko's alleged similarities with Shang, or taken them out of proportion, in many ways. I actually remember an AMV ages ago with "Be a Man" and it was Zuko "training the Gaang"?? It... didn't feel right to me. Obviously, someone might rebuff with "well, how does Sokka make MORE sense than that, though?" And believe it or not, I have arguments for that... (when do I not...?)

Not only is this what the commissioner specifically requested (and it obviously lines up with the ship we love!), but let's examine the actual reasons why Sokka as Shang adds up:

Sokka actually had to train a bunch of toddlers who weren't paying any attention to him. You know. Kind of how Shang had to train the unruly soldiers who weren't getting anything right. Sokka has a positive relationship with his dad (Zuko, ofc, does not). Shang also has a positive relationship with his dad! And not only this, but there's a military component to both relationships, specifically with Shang wanting to follow on his father's footsteps and aid him in the war... so much like someone else I know, who jumped at every opportunity to rejoin his father in the war, even wishing to join him as a child until Hakoda tasked him with protecting their Tribe instead (kinda like Shang is tasked with training soldiers rather than joining a battlefield).

And the final cherry-on-top that I'd loooove to hear Zuko fans try to argue against... is sexism :') didn't Sokka get characterized as a sexist guy for four episodes, which made people decide that this was his main character trait even if it went away that quickly? Um, yes, that happened. Shang literally sings the memorable song that's a crazy ode to masculinity, including the rather sexist line of "did they send me daughters when I asked for sons". Shang outright abandons Mulan once they discover that she was a woman all along (while, admittedly, choosing to abandon her rather than KILL HER, which as we saw from Chi-Fu, he was NOT supposed to spare her!)...

So, is this REALLY what Zuko fans, who willfully believe their boy is a feminist king (... why? beats me...) are trying to compare their unproblematic blorbo to? :'D Me? I have no problem linking Sokka with Shang due to Sokka's beginnings and due to the fact that both Shang and Sokka have similar growth when it comes to accepting femininity is as valid as masculinity, and as they both learn to respect women as fighters and potential heroes! (I simply do not believe Sokka's ENTIRE tenure in ATLA was about that, though, and that's what I continue to clash with the fandom over...) So... all this is why I've reasoned that Sokka is a VERY solid choice for Shang, in fact, better than Zuko could hope to be.

... but this isn't all.

Maybe some might accept my arguments for Sokka-Shang. And then, they might ask:

WHY ZUKO AS YAO, THO??

... And the truth is it took me long to see it, myself, but HOLY SHIT, DOES IT FIT!

What is the primary thing we remember about Yao in Mulan? This guy is constantly itching for a fight, to prove himself, surely riddled with insecurities that he exteriorizes through overcompensation of masculinity. He's funny as fuck, but he's taking himself 100% seriously as a manly man all the time, and he's always ready for violence. But there's one more thing...

He treats Mulan as his RIVAL.

And more often than not? SHE SCREWS HIM OVER. Intentionally or not.

What does that sound like? Why, yes, it sounds a LOT like Azula and Zuko's sibling relationship!

The fact that Yao is a temperamental dude who lashes out easily at things (oh, something he has in common with Zuko!), that he specifically resents Mulan (in this case, Azula, just as Zuko does!) and is either constantly looking to defeat her and prove his superiority over her (... wait, just as Zuko with Azula??), that he has a black eye perpetually across the movie, and it's his LEFT EYE (just as Zuko's scar is on his left eye! :'D), that he's friends with a pacifist he has basically nothing in common with, personality-wise (just like Zuko and Aang!), and that he pretty much has a REDEMPTION ARC in which he goes from a bitter, asshole rival to Mulan to treating her as a friend and ally, to the point where he was disappointed to leave her behind and THEN joined her at once when she says she has a plan? :') I have always been critical of Zuko's redemption arc, goes without saying. But if ANY of these characters redeemed himself in any significant way, it certainly seems to be Yao to me, and with people gushing NON-STOP about Zuko's redemption? Why, he ought to be the character who goes from bitter rival to loyal friend, right?

So. I'm not even sorry. Zuko is Yao. And I'd dare say that he should be flattered by the comparison, even, because Yao ends up being cool as FUCK!

I don't really talk about this much nowadays, but Mulan was my favorite Disney movie growing up, it ABSOLUTELY had a formative influence on me as a little girl, and Mulan was my favorite female character for a looooong time. Thus, any excuse to rewatch this movie makes me happy as heck. With the wisdom of age I know, of course, that it's not perfect, it's not what China wants, it's not the most thoughtful depiction of Chinese culture or the most faithful adaptation of Mulan's poem (... but I'd also dare bring up that the 2009 Chinese adaptation ISN'T all that faithful either...), but it has a kind of magic in it, a solid storytelling flow, so many memorable moments one after the next, that I could hardly choose which scenes to depict... Disney has never again seen the storytelling heights it reached with Mulan in 1998. I don't even care if that's a controversial opinion in any way... this is their best animated feature for me, and nobody can change my mind.

So... depicting Azula, my beloved, in all these scenarios as this character I adored and idolized as a child, was so damn fulfilling for me. While some might think that, personality-wise, these two ladies don't have much in common, the fact that Mulan is sent to a matchmaker who basically tells her she looks good but is going to be the worst wife ever...? Our girl Azula, with all those insecurities about being unloveable and a monster, probably would relate big time to that.

Mulan is also an INTELLIGENT soldier rather than a brawny one, which is how she starts to make progress in the army, it's how she manages to overcome the huns with that avalanche... and Azula's primary difference with most other antagonists in ATLA is that she's smart as fuck. She is very strong, no doubt, but a LOT of that strength comes from her intelligence, from assessing situations in unique ways, from planning and strategizing. The way Mulan finds the most unexpected solutions that still pay off reminds me a lot of how Azula achieves unexpected feats through rather unorthodox means, capable of taking over a city with basically no bloodshed while her nation has spent 100 years trying and failing to do so through major army incursions and who knows how much senseless violence. Obviously, I'm not saying what Azula did is GOOD and it's kind of dumb that we always have to point that out... I'm merely comparing the magnitude of the feats, and the fact that they both come from ladies who use strategy and intelligence to achieve their goals rather than muscle and physical power.

And while anyone would rage at me for the comparison between Fa Zhou (her dad) and Ozai, the truth is the dynamic between them CAN be compared, if loosely: Mulan literally goes to war to keep her father safe. Azula goes to war under her father's orders. Hell, she makes herself BAIT in the Eclipse to make sure the Gaang won't get to her dad?? While it's very much possible to say that both characters have different personalities and attitudes in life... I'd also bring up that their contexts are evidently completely different. I wouldn't say for certain that Azula, had she been raised outside a Royal Family, would be EXACTLY like Mulan... but they might have more similar traits than one might expect. Ultimately, though... I love them both. And this opportunity to swap their places was pretty much a dream come true!

Alright, that was plenty of rambling xD ultimately, I had a blast doing this commission, as I'm sure is obvious by now. So! If anyone wants to commission me, feel free to check out my prices right here and hit me up if you're interested!

[masterhallmark]

Rant incoming

I feel like the problem with a lot of Disney's live action remakes (and arguably Wish) is they're trying to appeal to a crowd that no longer exists, namely the people who used to claim that the Disney Princesses were sexist.

All the interviews tend to include, "Well she's not chasing a MAN anymore" which...almost no one sees the princesses like that, anymore. Virtually NO ONE still believes the princesses are man-chasing sexist caricatures of women.

Cinderella is now hailed as an abuse victim who stayed strong long enough to get help to get out of her situation. Anyone who says she should have saved herself is basically regarded as a victim blamer. And it's very clear in the film she wasn't looking to marry the prince, she just wanted a night off. She was the only one who wasn't in line to meet him. She didn't find out she met the prince until he went looking for her!

Snow White is now hailed for her negotiation skills, ability to calm down after extreme stress (she had a moment of panic and had to cry for a bit, but who wouldn't after finding out The Queen hired someone to kill you?), and ability to take charge of a house of adult men. And again, she was an abuse victim, this time trying to escape ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS. While she dreamed of her prince, it was secondary to her main goal of SURVIVAL. There are also entire video essays about how Snow White gave hope to people during The Great Depression.

Everyone acknowledges that Ariel wanted to be human BEFORE meeting Eric. We all know she was a nerd hyperfixating on humans, and also standing up to her prejudiced father.

We understand Sleeping Beauty wasn't the main character, the Three Good Fairies were, AND PHILLIP WOULD NEVER HAVE BEATEN MALEFICENT WITHOUT THEM! He literally depended on them! WOMEN SAVED THE DAY! But even then, is it really such a sin for a girl to fantasize about romance and fall for someone with corny pickup lines?

We all understand Jasmine just wanted someone to treat her LIKE A PERSON. She rejected every Prince before Aladdin because they treated her like a prize. So why did they need her to want to be Sultan? How did that make her more feminist when she already wanted to be treated like an equal and have a say in her future? Is it only empowering if you want a career in politics?

We admire that Belle, despite living in a judgemental village, was kind to everyone (even though she found the village life dull), and her story teaches girls that the guy everyone else loves isn't always a good guy. What's sexist about teaching girls about red flags? And she didn't start being nice to The Beast until he started treating her with respect and kindness.

Do I really NEED to defend Mulan or Tiana? I think they speak for themselves.

Rapunzel was yet another abuse victim who just needed a little help to get out of her bad situation. In this case, she also needed to learn that she was an abuse victim, and that what Mother Gothel did WASN'T normal, much like many victims of gaslighting.

And don't get me started on the non-princess animals.

Perdita had a healthy relationship with Pongo to the point she was open to express her pregnancy fears to him, and was ready to TEAR APART Cruella's goons for daring to touch her puppies as well as adopting the other puppies. Like, she was so ferocious the goons mistook her for a hyena! She's basically that "I AM THAT GIRL'S MOTHER!" scene from SpyXFamily if Yor were a dog. She and her husband were a TEAM.....but they made a Cruella live action to turn her into a girlboss?! The literal animal abuser!? THAT'S the woman you wanted to put on a pedestal when Perdita was RIGHT THERE!?

Duchess kept her kittens calm after they had been catnapped and was classy as heck. Nice to everyone regardless of social class during a time period where that was uncommon.

Lady stood up to Tramp when she believed he had abandoned her and didn't really care about her. She found out he was a heartbreaker and was like, "Nuh uh. No. You are not doing that to me! You put me through enough."

Miss Bianca from The Rescuers was IN CHARGE the whole movie, and was willing to risk life and limb to save an innocent child. THAT TINY MOUSE TOOK ON ALLIGATORS! And she picked Bernard to accompany her because he was the only one who wasn't ogling her. And then in the sequel SHE DID IT ALL AGAIN! I wish I were as brave as her.

Like, the public haven't accused these ladies of being sexist caricatures since 2014 (Actresses and actors don't count, they're out of touch like the rest of Hollywood) yet Disney is operating under the assumption that the public still thinks that way, hence all the "sHe'S nOt AfTeR a MaN iN ThIs VeRsIOn" talk.

The live action remakes are trying to attract an audience that doesn't really exist much, anymore, and back when it did exist, was comprised mainly of people who didn't actually watch the films. The Disney princesses are no longer seen as sexist, and feminine qualities are no longer seen as weak or undesirable.

[iongsiyi]

mulan: the best disney character ever made

okay, i may be in a disney phase right now. but as a fellow asian, there is no way i'm going to talk about disney princesses without mentioning the best disney princess (character) disney has ever made - mulan.

originally a legendary chinese folk heroine from the northern dynasty era in chinese history. the disney adaptation of mulan is somewhat similar, only difference is that she had siblings in the original folklore, and she had to go to war because her brother was too young and her father was too old, and at the end, she revealed her identity only after returning home.

let's face it, the fact that a disney princess went to war made her stand out from the rest of the lineup. let's go over a few badass facts about her in the movie: 1. she wasn't going to give up because she did bad in training. her perseverance and determination led to her trying over and over, pulling herself up that pole that literally no other men in the army could do. she's unbending, not willing to give up without putting up a fight, and she not only proved to li shang and her peers that she's not weak, she proved to herself after all that self-doubt that she's just as capable as anyone else, more than anyone else if anything. 2. the fucking avalanche scene. the fact that she was smart enough, quick-witted enough to plot that within seconds with her enemy right in front of her, clearly using her brain for a good cause to save her entire army which consisted of about 50 people against thousands of huns. war is about tactics, and she demonstrated just that. she also ignored the pain of her wound to pull li shang up from the snow just shows her loyalty to her troops. 3. even after being thrown out of her army in the middle of the mountains full of snow, seeing the huns rising from the snow, she knew she gotta alert li shang that they were coming. despite li shang not believing her (or tried to ignore her), she tried her best to come up with ways in attempt to save her country from potentially being invaded. at that moment, she didn't care about the fact that she literally lost her dignity in front of everyone, she only cared about her country, her homeland, and that just shows how selfless she is.

4. the last scene was probably the most badass out of the entire movie. again, plotting a scheme within minutes in attempt to save the emperor, coming up with ways to get into the palace, get into the emperor's room, and revealing her identity as ping to shan yu to save li shang again. best part was, the only weapon she had in her hand was a fan, it not only symbolized her identity as a female, but also the fact that she was a female in the army. (fucking pulling the sword out of the fan was so badass i need to insert the gif here)

everything about that scene was perfect. it wasn't entirely serious, some ridiculous humor was implemented there and there, but also allowed for one final demonstration of how strong mulan is, not physically, but mentally.

5. actually, this last one might be the most badass. she didn't bring honor to her family (and herself) by marrying a man, starting a family like what the society expected her to, she earned a standing ovation, a collective bow from the entire country of china and the emperor with her own hands. best part? she didn't care about the honor, she didn't care about the fact that she was offered a position in the council as a female, she only cared about her family, her father. love was what made her strong. gracefulness, bravery, loyalty, and intelligence are just a few of her qualities. not only was the character full of great qualities, her imperfections were also shown, her stubbornness and clumsiness. it felt as though she was a real human because of her merits and faults, and her character development throughout the movie never ceases to amaze me.

again, i don't want to go on forever about this, but one thing will never change - mulan will always be my favorite fictional character ever created.

my little baby is all grown up and ... and savin' china

[livrere-green]

Here, dear @bryverros just make me think too much about this lmao

So... Is Zuko Disney Princess coded? Let's see.

He's canonically part of a royal family, so the title is there, no marriage needed.

He has superpowers (firebending) and a particular ability his really good at (swordfighting), you know like Elsa with ice and Mérida with archery.

Another thing he has in common with Mérida is the fact he doesn't agree with his father about stuff and he doesn't know how to shut up about it (:

He got the evil parent AND the evil sister (at least Cinderella was adopted)

He talks to animals (yk the frog thing), animals trust him too (Appa), and he got a magical pet (Ruk).

He had an incredible glow up.

Let's say that Iroh is his fairy godmother, gives him good advice, helps him prepare for his dates and always reminds him that he is a prince even at his lowest.

He is fighting for his honor (I mean, if you told the guy he would get back his honor going to the matchmaker, he would've been first in line, doing way better than Mulan with the tea thing)

He would cry looking at his reflection while this verse sounds in the background "If I wear a mask, I can fool the world, but I cannot fool my heart".

Being Lee for a month show him that he was meant to fulfil his role as a part of the royal family (customer service/domestic work does that to people)

He got a love interest that fell for him with zero knowledge about who he was: his title or his past or real identity, so if you want to eat up the classic Disney princess romance. There you go.

He goes through the tantrums, emotional rollercoasters and "the world hates me" moments like a pro.

The change of heart moment happens to him as it happens to most disney princess, and it defines his destiny. So point checked.

He went into a life changing adventure with the first cute and friendly guy that stood in front of him (I'm not even explaining more about this).

He gets the throne at the end of the show (in this point we only got Elsa, and I'm sure Zuko also considered moving to the forest after being Fire Lord for a year, but his sister wasn't as reliable as Anna).

His canon love interest is a childhood love that ended up saving his life and that's so princess coded that there's no need to give an example, it just makes sense.

I think there are things I'm not addressing, but for now this is enough to conclude that... yeah, he is sooo princess coded.

[madwomansapologist]

living as shan yu's prisioner/bride would include

Masterlist | Rules | Taglist | Library | More Shan Yu | AO3

synopsis: After the initial fear and distrust, you undertood that you only had one choice: adapt. And, going against everything you knew about yourself and the world, you discovered that it weren't that hard. That Shan Yu wasn't that horrible.

warnings: female!reader. shan yu (that's my wife. yeah, i decided that 30 seconds after meeting her. she's my soulmate, idiot) x reader (slow down, big boy, i have standarts. oh. you gave me a horse. you're kinda of reaching them). mentruation because i'm a whore for domesticity in moments of vulnerability. violence. not that dark. it's kinda about the first steps of falling in love when your logic says you're not supossed to. in this house we hate the misogynist version of Shan Yu in Mulan (2020).

note: that happened right before the end of this. hope y'all like it!

• You felt guilty. So dirty. How could you feel that way about it? But it didn't matter how many times you told yourself that you shouldn't feel that way, you did it anyway. A heart feels whatever it wants. And yours feel free.

• That's something special about feeling the air against your body, the speed of your horse, the world moving on with you. Not despise you, not without, but with you. And it felt so good. Like it was supossed to be that way.

• When Shan Yu gave you a sorrel, he knew you wouldn't try to run away. Quickly after meeting him you knew you couldn't. It would be impossible for you to escape the Huns. And even if you did: then what would you do? Who would be able to help you? You knew that you couldn't, but Shan Yu also didn't gave you a reason to try.

• Yes, he kidnapped you. That is reason enough for you to at least try. But Shan Yu said he would make you his Empress. Endless times. He talked about how you'll reign beside him. You have classes about war, history, economy. The other Huns treat you like you had spend your lifetime with them. He'll make you his Empress. If he win the war, of course. And he promissed that you'll see your family again after the war.

• Shan Yu made clear that he wants your heart. He won't touch you, not without your consent first, but you're his bride. He made sure everyone knew that. You're his. His bride, his future wife, his mate. You don't know how anyone could fall in love that quickly. You believe him, Shan Yu have no reason to lie, you just don't get it. It may be that easy to him, but it isn't for you.

• You would never chose to be close to him if things were normal. The leader of the Hun army, an enemy of the Emperor, his fame precedes him. But things aren't normal, are they? You don't love Shan Yu, but you certainly don't hate him. And sometimes you think that he would be nice as a friend. Someone that would be easy to be around.

You were freaking out. You woke up in pain, and it took you a second to figure out what was that warm feeling in between your tights. Tears were rolling down your face when Shan Yu suddenly moved on his bed.

"Are you hurt?" You don't know how he did it that quickly, but when you looked at him Shan Yu had his sword on his hand. That man was ready to kill someone. The moonlit made it easy for you to see him, which means he could also see you. That made you feel so embarrassed. "Why are you crying?"

"Look away!" You shouted. Shan Yu almost did as you demanded, but he couldn't just ignore your tears. You tried to grab the bed sheets, but your sleep weaked your movements. "Just go back to your bed and leave me alone."

Shan Yu approached, and then he understood. He's experienced in the battlefield. Shan Yu would be able to recognized blood even if blind. "I will prepare a bath for you. It will help cease the pain."

"Stop", you could feel your body getting so warm. "Just leave me alone. I'm embarrassed enough."

Shan Yu sighed. "Embarrassed of what?" You pointed to the sheets. "Do you think that's the first time I see blood? Are you afraid I will faint?"

That made you chuckle. "No."

"I will prepare a bath for you." Shan Yu walked towards the bathroom. "Just sit down and wait."

That's what you did.

• Shan Yu isn't violent. Not to you. You fought his men, screamed at him, called him a liar: he never reacted. And he can be somehow kind when he wants to. You can sense that he's always checking if everything is okay with you. And he can be fun. In a weird, little bit off, kinda of way.

• Like how Shan Yu knows when he's better than someone and just let them dig their own graves. It isn't him being patient, coward or anything else: this is Shan Yu having fun. He likes the chase. You heard countless people calling him a monster, but you disagree. He's a predator.

• Fun. In a way that you don't really understand. And you would never say this out loud, not even under torture, but you feel that life would be easier with him. Or at least it wouldn't be the worst thing ever to stay beside him.

• Shan Yu isn't violent, has a good sense of humor, somehow respects you. Money would never be a problem. Even during a war, Shan Yu gave you clothes to fill countless wardrobes. And with him you're safe. You knew his fame, and now you know it fits him.

• It's nice to not worry about marriage. There is no family talking about how you should've already married to someone. There is no such a thing as spending sleepless nights thinking about what would happen to you if your father die before you can find someone. You don't worry about this anymore.

• So, yeah, somehow you enjoy that situation. Not love, and you certainly didn't dream with having that type of life, but you found yourself enjoying your time with the Huns. Your time with Shan Yu.

"You know that you don't need to run everytime, do you?" Shan Yu asked, scaring you. You didn't expect him to be behind you. You didn't even heard him approaching. Before looking at his direction, you could see that constant smirk on his face. "Horses are able to trot."

As usual, when you got the chance you ran with your sorrel, you did it. Feeling the air against you, a type of freedom you never experienced before. Exhausted, you waited for them to reach you.

For him to reach you.

Shan Yu grabbed your sorrel's rein, guiding him. You let him do it. Your body was already tired. Unlike him, you're not accustomed to ride for so long. And you could go to your carriage, Shan Yu wouldn't said no to you, but you know why he gave you that sorrel.

Before his gift, he led the army mounted on his horse while you stayed inside the carriage. Now, you can ride with him if you want to.

"Maybe I'm trying to runaway," if you know him well enough to understand the way his humor works, then he better understand yours. "Smarten up, big boy."

But you think there is another reason for that present. A thing that you noticed a while ago. The way he lighten up when someone mentions that you can fight. Or when you share your opinion, regardless if it's what he wants to hear. Shan Yu likes to see you fearless. He likes when you talk back. When you make sure everyone heard what you have to say.

"It's a joke," you told him. "I'm not planning on running away."

"Why?" Shan Yu said so calmly, but you could hear it was a honest doubt.

You also thought about it before. Why didn't you run away? Okay, using your logic you understood it wouldn't work out, but somethings aren't about logic. Humans don't usually do things only because of logic. Why your emotions didn't made you try everything you could? Why didn't you at least tried to runaway from him?

"I hope to never see a matchmaker again."

That made Shan Tu buffaw. "Alright," he nodded with his head. "It's a promise: you'll never see a matchmaker again in your life."

"Watch out," you smiled at him. "I may fall for your pretty promises."

"I'm counting on it."

• Things weren't perfect. Of course they weren't. But that feast was the last straw. There are some lines Shan Yu can't cross without you reacting. There are things that not even your logic can ignore. Things that made your heart decide to act. And of course it included him being violent. You should've know.

• All night long, you could feel his eyes on you. Those yellow eyes, following your steps like if you were a prey, would never go unnotice by you. Not even the loud music of the feast, the amounts of alcohol you drank, the way your feet were already aching because you danced for so long: you could feel Shan Yu watching you.

• You know he wants to join you. To dance with you, to hold you, to have you. You know that. But Shan Yu promised he would only touch you after you decided that you want him to do it. And you didn't say anything. You didn't try anything. You did not gave him permission, so he only watchs.

• At some moment, when it was already midnight, you fell. It wasn't anything important. It didn't hurt you. It was more embarrassing than anything else, but you were drunk enough to not care about it.

• Someone helped you getting on your feet again. Just a kind hand for you to hold on until you were sure you wouldn't fall again. For a second, you forgot about his eyes on you. You just hugged whoever helped you in a way to show your drunkness gratitude. And that was when Shan Yu made sure everyone knew he was still there.

• Shan Yu is quickly. Your mind, lacking sobriety, almost didn't record him moving towards you. You just noticed what was happening when Shan Yu hold the man by his throat, pulling him away from the floor. You knew he was scary, dangerous, cruel. You knew that. But you never saw it. You never saw how his eyes can burn others. You knew who Shan Yu was, but you never saw it.

• The poor man were turning blue on his head, barely able to struggle against the strong hold on his neck, trying to say something. Trying to say he was sorry. You were frozen in place, almost convincing yourself that it was all a nightmare, until Shan Yu dropped the man on the floor. He coughed, trying to breath again while thanking Shan Yu.

Shan Yu looked at every single person on the feast. Every single one. "No one touch what's mine."

Shan Yu wasn't only punishing him, but teaching everyone around him a lesson. And you can't deny, he was a great teacher. Everyone seem to understand. Everyone seem scared enough to never go against him.

But when Shan Yu looked at you, he didn't saw your usual challeging gaze. He didn't saw joy, or tiredness, or surprise. He didn't saw fear. When Shan Yu looked into your eyes, all he saw was disgust.

Your gaze alone made something itch inside him. But your words cut his soul in places he didn't even knew existed.

"You will never touch me," you whispered, only for him to hear. "I will never love you back. Hurt whoever you want, hurt me if you desire, you will never have me."

You told Shan Yu to smarten up. At the time it was only a joke. But now, after seeing how cruel he can be and hearing what he had to say, you changed your mind. Your heart feel smaller. You won't stay here for long.

Without giving him a chance to reply, you turned your back on him and walked towards your carriage. You stood there until you were sure no one had followed you. You put on your boots, grabbed a bag with food and water, and went to the stable.

You were lucky. Everyone was at the feast, which means no one was there to see you riding your sorrel. Which means no one was there to see you running away. Which means your carriage was empty when Shan Yu went there looking for you.

You knew the path you need to follow. Your could hear the river, you saw the birds flying north, all you need to do was to be faster than the Huns. And you're almost sure that they're all drunk.

At some point, maybe twenty minutes after you exit the stable, you heard another horse. You couldn't see it, but you knew it was Shan Yu. That scared you, made you shiver, but you didn't stop. You just went faster and faster.

Shan Yu is strong, but he's too strong. His horse wouldn't be able to compete with your sorrel. He can try, but you know for sure that your sorrel needs to worry about less weight.

He was close. But not close enough.

You don't know for how long you tried to make him struggle, but at some point it started raining. It was harder to see the path, you were shivering, and the ground turned muddy. You tried, you really tried, but nothing can control a horse's response to thunders.

You almost fell when he jumped, your hands burned holding the rein. You weren't so lucky the next time. When you collapsed on the floor, you felt like all the air in your lungs had imploded. You tried to move, the rain falling on your face kept you awake, but you couldn't stand. It burned.

And that gave Shan Yu exactly what he needed: time.

When another thunder came, you rolled to the side so your sorrel wouldn't step on you. You crawled on the ground, holding your head as if it would fall from your neck, and struggle to stand up. It hurts, it burns, but you're stronger. It felt like it was impossible, but you stand where once you fell.

It was hard to control your tears, and even harder to deal with the pain on your chest. You tried to hold your sorrel by its head, but he was so scared. You didn't stop trying to calm him down, but then you heard.

Shan Yu reached you. There he is, so close and yet so far away. Riding his own scared horse, rain dripping on his skin and marking his clothes. He wasn't wearing his usual fur. No. Shan Yu was still using the clothes for the feast.

That made you think less of him. You prepared. You have food, water, maps. And he just took a horse and went to search for you? Why would he act so unprepared?

With thunders ecchoing on your ears and pain spreading along your chest, the right answer didn't even passes through your head. Why Shan Yu was unprepared to the cold, to the rain, to the chase: because he was scared. He was scared that one second he wasted not looking for you would be the second that would separe you both forever. Because Shan Yu was scared. So scared.

"I won't stop trying," you shouted at him. It was so dificult to find strenght to say things, but you did it anyway. Screw it. Don't matter what he does, you will keep trying to flee away from him.

"Don't be stupid." Shan Yu jumped from the horse. You could hear the tiredness on his voice. He also sttrugled with his breath. "Are you trying to kill yourself? What would you do? Keep riding in the rain, waiting until the cold took your body?"

"I would rather die than live as your object!" You tried to mount your horse again, but he keep moving away from you. He was so scared. You caressed his fur, trying to make him stop. "For once, be honest with yourself. Face the truth. You don't love me. You won't have a happily ever after with me like in a old fairytail. I'm just someone you saw naked once. I'm not a person for you. I'm something that only you can consume."

Shan Yu walked towards you, but you moved away. He was trying so hard to be calm. All he wanted to do was took you on his arms, put you on his shoulder and walk you home. Home. There you could scream for how long you wanted. You could speak, he would hear, and things will change. He sighed. "That's not the truth and you know that."

"Do I? Because that is all I know. You saw me naked and now you do anything you can to make me let you fuck me. A person touch me and you almost killed him! Why won't you get over it? Find someone else!"

Then Shan Yu realized that no, you didn't know. You really didn't understand? How could you? He said to you so many times. Shan Yu made sure that you would see it, but you didn't. "I love you," Shan Yu didn't know what else could make you understand that. "I won't find someone else, because you are the one. We are meant to be. This isn't about your body. This isn't about your touch. All I do is to make you see it. To make you want to be mine."

You just glared at him, trying to understand what your mind wanted. Trying to understand him. "But why? Why do you feel this way about me?"

"Because you're like me."

"No. I'm not," you didn't move this time when he stepped closer. "I'm nothing like you."

"You want more of life," Shan Yu stood right in front of you. "You don't want to go back to a dead village, to go through the same day again and again, to no be remembered. I know you want more. You want to see the world. You want to feel free. It's your time to be honest with yourself. Face the truth. You want more."

Shan Yu wanted you to agree. He wanted you to say he was right, that you want more, that you want him. But he thought you would scream at him, push him away, declare your hate for him. He didn't imagined you would cry.

"I don't," Shan Yu stopped. He didn't knew what to say. He didn't want you to cry. He didn't want you to react this way. "Please, don't cry. Everything will be alright."

"I'm tired," you whispered. "Im in pain, I'm scared, and I don't know what I want. I don't know what to do."

"You're hurt?"

You nodded. "I fell."

Shan Yu sighed. How he wanted to just touch you. Hold you in his arms. Clean the trace of tears on your face. See where you hurted yourself. "We will come back to our carriage, we'll eat and rest. And when you're fine, you can decide If you go back home."

It was so dumb. So stupid. You could help but laugh, almost forgeting the tears. "And you would let me go if I want to?"

"I want to feel your love, not to see your disgust." Shan Yu sighed. "If you want to go, you can. But when i defeat the Emperor, when China became mine, I'll come back to you. And then I'll ask you once more if you want to be mine."

"You promise?" You didn't knew what to think about this.

"I do," Shan Yu answered. "Sadly, I do."

• That was the first night of a thunderstorm that lasted days. That was the first night of a thunderstorm that would make Shan Yu fall. That was the first night of a thunderstorm that would change your mind.

Next Part!

GENERAL TAGLIST: @suakemi @notanalienindisguiseblink

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

[aysathenotsogreat]

hbomberguy posted a video and i have opinions about it

i never made the active choice to stop watching James Somerton's content but when i stopped having a job that'd let me listen to videos for hours straight, I slowly became interested in other creators. i remember finding a couple of his videos contradictory in their analysis and do remember being annoyed by the "white women/teenager girls" comments a lot. oh yeah and that TELOS PICTURES ALWAYS REEKED OF A SCAM. Hearing James describe himself as a business major first in the pitch video weirded me the hell out. I feel like not enough people are talking about this particular part of the story but the man crowdfunded $60k USD and has produced nothing but stock image posters in return after years.

this man saw his community as nothing but to steal from and profit off of and clearly sees himself above those voices he robs. the point in the video that broke me was right in the beginning in the james half was the Mulan section. the tactic of erasing Jes Tom's words and passing it off as a personal observation of the community instantly reminded me of all the times James has confidently talked on the experiences of trans, nb and all queer people of color throughout his career and the fucking similarity of the language. that moment made me pause and scream. it instantly put into scale that this wasn't just one of the first video essays he'd ever made, it was EVERYTHING.

I want to pretend the queer media I see is made from a place of genuine care of the community, all of us do. but we as a collective need to stop catering to the consumption of content sludge. we need to be more critical and more aware. any time james mispronounced a character or place's name, i would always brush it off as a bad voice take kept in because of the videos' length that wasn't fixed in production. no, that was because james didn't care enough to learn the principle facts of the topics he was covering. (him spelling "shonan" in that AoT script made lose it). he wanted our ad revenue and your patreon money and by stealing the work of actually talented queer people, he basically won.

hbomberguy, lovely chaos bisexual, did a service to our community by making sure millenial and zoomer queers will never let this mf try to grift his way into the entertainment industry again. i have more to say about this video, especially illuminaughii bc she's an especially abusive and toxic person who i also watched a fuck ton at my old job. i certainly need be a bit better about where i get my info from, especially if i'm going to be repeating it to someone else. in the age of tiktok and the speed of misinfo there being insane, i just beg us young queers to think a bit more critically before we post.

[petr1kov]

i was asking myself how many movies does disney even have left that can be turned into nostalgia bait live-action remakes, at this point. i think they have exhausted all of their biggest hits already. this trend as we know it now pretty much started with tim burton's alice in wonderland, then maleficent, cinderella, and the jungle book. they have also already done or are doing nearly all of their 90s renaissance era movies, arguably their most beloved, like the little mermaid, beauty and the beast, aladdin, the lion king, mulan, and the upcoming hercules movie. they have also made earlier classics like pinocchio, dumbo, lady and the tramp, peter pan, and the upcoming snow white, bambi, aristocats, and robin hood movies. they are even doing movies of this century now, with lilo & stitch and moana remakes being in the works.

they honestly don't even seem to care if the movie is a well-regarded classic or not, anymore. in one front, they are going from their a-list to their b-list and are now scraping the bottom of the c-list of their catalog to see if anything sticks, while on the other front they are trying to make us nostalgic for movies that are barely a decade old (and considering how scarce their recent offerings of new animated classics have been, this well will dry up even sooner). so considering all of this, here are the only movies they have left to work with:

the sword in the stone (kind of obscure but could pass as nostalgic)

complete cgi animal extravaganza: the rescuers & rescuers down under, the fox and the hound, the great mouse detective, oliver & company (considering how they're doing robin hood and the aristocats, very likely to happen)

the black cauldron (will they dare to touch this flop again?)

the hunchback of notre dame (bad idea)

pocahontas (TERRIBLE idea)

tarzan (no phil collins soundtrack)

the emperor's new groove (impossible)

atlantis & treasure planet (probably a last resort for them imo)

brother bear (no phil collins soundtrack)

home on the range (home on the range)

bolt (why)

the princess and the frog (old enough to be nostalgic)

tangled (of course)

frozen (can't believe they haven't done it yet)

then there's the maybe pile, which is:

101 dalmatians (they did the 90s glenn close movies already so it's hard to sell it again, AND they also recently made the cruella movie, but they might make a remake-ception if they feel it's worth it. who knows)

sleeping beauty (they did maleficent, but that wasn't a true adaptation, was it? they might pull this excuse to make another movie)

i don't believe they'll dare to make another chicken little. even as a joke.

zootopia (if things go well with the robin hood remake)

big hero 6 (unlikely)

encanto (if they're feeling particularly desperate)

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

(Mulan AU)

*after many wars in the Kingdom of Eden which resulted in the deaths of most of the male population, the kingdom decided that it is now up to the women to fight for their kingdom with the few remaining male officers to lead the armies since the few men were needed to keep the population of Eden strong, it was then that a wrathful warlord named Satan decided to strike at Eden, in the Kingdom of Eden a noblewoman named Sera heard once again that her son Adam hadn’t picked a bride*

Sera: Adam, I had thought that you would have liked being married to Eve. You two are friends.

Adam: Yeah, that is what we are friends and nothing more.

*Adam was practicing with Emily’s sword, though Emily was meant to one day take up the mantle of warrior, she was too gentle of a soul to be a fighter and that fit Adam better though it was illegal for him now, Sera beckoned for him to sit by her*

Sera: My Starlight, if fate had been fair you would have been one of the greatest warriors around.

Adam: But I was born in a time where it was illegal for me to do it.

*she hugged her son understanding his frustration, just then they heard a call to the town square where it was decreed that all families with a woman of fighting must join the army to fight against Satan’s army, when the Kadmon family was called, a frightened Emily stepped forward to get her draft papers, but Adam stepped between them*

Adam: My sister is too young to fight.

Recruitment Officer: She looks to be only a year under fighting age, with how desperately we need soldiers we can make an exception.

Emily: Adam please.

*Emily grabbed the draft papers, but she looked like she was on the verge of tears*

Sera: Adam, you can’t go make a scene like that.

*Adam was walking home with his mother and sister wishing there was something he could do to keep Emily from fighting*

(I would place Adam at about 20 years old and Lucifer at 30 years old, so there is a little bit of an age gap but not too crazy, I am also thinking of having Eve, Lute, and Vaggie be the three soldiers that Mulan befriends and in this AU they will know Adam’s secret and are willing to help him keep it. Emily would be 17 when the fighting age is 18)

((Yeah Eve would recognize him after she got a good enough look at him. Poor Emily so frightened.))

Sera: It's going to be okay Emily sweetheart. You're a strong capable young woman.

Emily: I don't want to fight mum.

Sera: I know, but there is nothing that can be done.

Adam hated this, he didn't want his sister to die in war. He didn't want to stay back and make a bunch of babies with some woman he didn't love. He didn't have the heart to tell his mother that he preferred men.

That night, Adam laid awake when an idea came to him. What if he was the oldest Kadmon daughter?

He snuck into his sister's room while she slept. Adam took her draft letter, lucky it didn't have her first name on it just the family name. He then took a wig she owned, long brown and wavy, some basic makeup and a couple bras.

He wasn't sure how to feel that they were the same cup size.

Adam dressed up as a woman and even dawned the armor that Emily would need. He shaved his facial hair, arm pits and legs just in case. Adam used a protective cup to conceal his manhood.

Adam in his best female voice practiced in the mirror: Hello, my name is Adaline Kadmon. I'm the eldest daughter of the Kadmon family.

He said it over and over until it sounded just right.

Adam wrote a small note for his mother and sister for when they would wake up. It said that he was sorry, he loved them, but he had to do this and promised to be careful.

Adam: No turning back now.

When morning came, Adam left on their family horse to meet with the recruiting officer, all of his things packed.

Adam approached the officer, his heart pounding. He looked at the name tag it read Michael.

Michael: Name and paper please.

Adam handed him the draft paper: My name is Adaline Kadmon, eldest daughter of the Kadmon family.

[youunravelme]

“What do you want to watch?” tatgylb. i imagine mat getting home from a game after mama bear puts ella to bed. mama bear sitting on the couch not doing much and when mat gets home they decide to watch a tv series (right after she moves in)

perfect! i loved this request (i love writing scenes for tatgylb, especially when i'm procrastinating on part 6 lol). and what a soft moment i never ever thought about! thank you for your creativity!!

here it is!

it had been a long day. ella didn't sleep well during the night, and was cranky all day until her afternoon nap (she hardly slept during her morning nap too). when she woke up, she was an angel, but by that point you were dead on your feet.

so you sat her down in her play pin while got her dinner ready. things moved pretty quickly after that, with ella eating dinner and then taking a bath before you put her down to sleep.

you immediately fell into the couch and turned on mat's game while the sound of ella's sound machine reverberated through the baby monitor on the coffee table.

truth be told, you weren't super into hockey before you met mat. you picked up a few things from just the amount of highlight videos you've watched to get a feel for what's impressive and what's not allowed.

but you were still kinda lost without mat there to explain things. you supposed you could text sydney, but she was probably at the game.

so google was your only option. you found yourself googling calls the refs were making at different points in the game.

it wasn't long before the third period ended with the isles losing 4-2.

you were scrolling on your phone when mat came home. he dropped his stuff down at the entry way and mumbled a hello to you before heading back to his room. you thought that was the end of it until he came out in basketball shorts and a seattle thunderbirds tee shirt.

"what're we watching?"

you shrugged, too exhausted to have an opinion. "what do you wanna watch?" you held the remote out towards him and he took it albeit hesitantly.

"anything but espn, i don't think i can take another highlight reel or analytics of my shitty performance tonight." he scrolled through the channels before exiting out and going to disney plus.

he stopped over the animated movies and hesitated. "what's your favorite disney movie? and don't say the lion king, i can't take more sadness."

you shrugged. "maybe you should pick tonight, after all it seems like you've had a shitty day."

"you're slouching and you look dead inside, i think it's safe to say you also didn't have a great day today either."

"we could watch mulan?" mat nodded and pressed play on the movie.

when the music of the intro started playing, you could see him look at your from the corner of your eye.

you hesitated but looked at him anyway. "are you okay?"

he nodded. "in case i don't say it enough, thanks for helping with ella. it means the world to me."

you smiled back, a genuine one that almost hurt your cheeks. "it means the world to me too, mat."

[chronicbeans]

Y'all Ready for my Hazbin Hotel Hot Take?

I have like 3 different hot takes for the Hazbin/Helluva series, but I haven't seen anyone mention this one, yet. You ready?

Hazbin Hotel is a poorly written, but still enjoyable series (so far).

I liked watching the show, don't get me wrong. That's why I said the show is still enjoyable. Just because I think something is poorly written doesn't mean I dislike it. In fact, far from it! I've watched a lot of movies I've thought (or even the majority of the people who watched it thought) was really badly written, but still absolutely LOVED it! So, even if something is not written well, it doesn't mean you should suddenly stop enjoying it altogether. So, I'll go into the reasons why I think it wasn't necessarily written well but still enjoyable to explain what I mean. It starts out with the criticism, then ends with me explaining why I still enjoy it and a small concept.

TW: Abuse, Mental Health, Criticism of Hazbin Hotel (I know very well some of you can go crazy about it), Talking about Valentino

I mainly just think, outside of the rushed pacing, the first season had a lot of serious topics that weren't treated with the proper care needed. Such as Angel's abuse at the hands of Valentino or the Exterminations at the hands of the angels. The story tells us "this is bad", but a lot of audiences will hear that and simply not process HOW BAD it really is supposed to be, a bit like being desensitized without actually being desensitized to the topic. This is why I think the term "show don't tell" is often used when describing this show's flaws. A lot of people don't actually feel the weight of what's happening if just told. As a writer, I can understand how difficult it is to get that balance of showing enough to convey the full impact, but not showing too much as to make the story uncomfortable to read, and I'd imagine it's a lot more complicated in animation where you are actually showing what is happening. It's just that the audience feels it better when showed. While I'm not saying things like Val's abuse towards Angel or a massive group of demons getting annihilated should be shown, there are ways to show things to convey the message that these events are horrible things.

An example I like to use is the original Mulan, where the scene starts as a musical then everything goes quiet when they see the destroyed village. You see the absolute tragedy that happened, know what it implies, and nobody has to say "wow this is bad". We see it on our character's faces, hear it in the silence, and the physical darkening of the area compared to the song just before makes it hit harder. While I understand that Hazbin is a musical, I feel like it doesn't understand that there's a place and a time for a song to say and not show, as well as a place and a time for it to ENHANCE the show don't tell.

I feel this is especially important to know how to balance that with heavy topics like abuse, war, death, etc. because of the aforementioned fact that people don't understand how bad the topic is if they're just told. They feel a detachment towards the subject unless they are one of the people who have been affected by it, and if it's done wrong it can come off as offensive or even mislead people on those topics. In order to get those who don't have those experiences you need to show it in a way that isn't too intense but isn't glossing over it. It's just that Hazbin doesn't do that. While I'm glad that they try, in my opinion, it just doesn't hit it correctly, especially with Angel Dust's abuse.

However, I do love a lot of things about the show. A few of the jokes got me to laugh (this isn't meant to be a backhanded compliment, btw, it's generally hard to get me to laugh even if I find something funny so it's actually a compliment). The art is very pretty, even if I think there's too much red due to my shade blindness. Many of the characters are fun, and even the ones I despise are at least tolerable. Especially Adam! He's an asshole, but he's a fun asshole, in my honest opinion. A character you love to hate. The only real character I kind of think isn't written that well (at least for the role that he plays and the writing surrounding him) is, ironically, Valentino. Aka probably the most hated character of the series so far.

Considering Val's actions being EXTREMELY deplorable, I don't understand why there's these times where they try to make him funny or seem more lighthearted. I did enjoy that time when Niffty tore off his fluff and ran off because it served as a refresher after the intense scene of Angel confronting him, but the other times are odd to me. He seems like a threat only when the writers want him to be a threat, when really, he should be a constant threat considering one of our main characters is constantly in danger of his abuse.

He wouldn't even need much of a personality change, either. His over reactionary personality and slightly erratic behavior can be TERRIFYING if the show treated it that way. Instead, while I was watching it seemed like it was treated as more of a joke. While being over reactive isn't something that makes you a bad person, being a bad person that is over reactive can be terrifying. As someone who has met a person like that, it feels like walking on eggshells and not knowing what you should say, what you should do to calm them down, and even if you should calm them or leave them be to calm on their own. Imagine if they had that scene where Vox checks on Val, but instead of Vox being extremely calm and composed, he's visibly trying to stay calm but is internally worried. It'd show that, while the other two Vees are condoning his actions and letting them stay, even they aren't sure if they're safe from his violent temper. It'd help imply just how bad his abusive actions are towards his workers and Angel if even his two colleagues - his EQUALS - don't feel completely safe.

Anyways, that was my rant/hot take. The show doesn't have to be exactly how I want it for me to like it. Hell, I LOVE it for what it's trying to do. I just have my own critiques on how some things are handled, and the hope that it'll keep striving to attempt to handle those topics better.

[synergysilhouette]

Another 10 Disney hot takes/probably unpopular opinions

Not a fan of Meg and Hercules as a couple. I ADORE them having an innocent male lead and a jaded female love interest, but Meg's situation with Hades makes it feel very toxic. The movie is kinda confusing on whether or not she can refuse Hades; one minute he uses incentive to get her to do what she wants (which is bad enough; her freedom for Hercules' death), and then when she tells him the deal's off, he reminds her that she has no say in the matter. Following this, she rejects his deal and he forces her into being exposed so Hercules will make a deal. She does sacrifice herself for him in the end, but it still feels very iffy for me, particularly since the backbone of her resisting him isn't even "I can't let this guy get killed" but instead "I don't wanna fall in love after getting my heart broken and having sold my soul" (which is EXTREMELY valid, but so is the other point). Had Meg been a normal human and made a deal with Hades to save Hercules or help him earlier on during his training, it'd be so much better.

2. Disney needs needs to stop making sequels just because of financial success and actually work to craft a narrative that requires a sequel or two. It's risky (considering the first film could have negative critical or commercial success, as well as take time and resources away from other films at the studio), but would have a better payoff, imo. I enjoyed "Frozen 2" despite it's flaws, but the fact that it felt independent of the first film did make it feel like we could've used an entirely different cast and made the same story.

3. I need more musicals with a male lead--The last one we had was "Tarzan"--or "Hercules," depending on your criteria. The revival era has had female leads for all their musicals, with a male playing as a co-lead or a deuteragonist. I know the girls are MUCH more valuable at Disney due to the Disney princess line and musicals with a male lead may be harder to market (well, not really; "Aladdin" and "The Lion King" were the highest-grossing animated films at one point, and their remakes grossed over $1 billion).

4. "Moana" needed a bigger (main) roster--Something I love is a nice-sized amount of main characters in a movie. "Moana" only had Moana and Maui for most of the movie, and thus it wasn't as enjoyable for me in that respect. "Moana 2" is introducing new characters, so I hope they can hold my interest.

5. Involve the Anderson-Lopez team in more musicals outside of the "Frozen" franchise--they almost got to do this with "Gigantic," but it fell through. Their music has been great, so I really hope to see them in more musicals for Disney outside of Disney's "Frozen."

6. NEVER return to hybrid animation for a feature film--It's too disorienting for me personally, and while the animation for "Wish" wasn't bad, it definitely didn't have the storybook vibe it was going for except with backgrounds. It would look fine if it was a video game, though.

7. "Gigantic" should've been Disney's anniversary film instead of "Wish"-- I already did a post on this, so I'll just leave it at that.

8. Raya is one of the best Disney leads in a while--Granted, her movie could've been much better and I wish the color of her clothes reflected her culture instead of going for neutral colors, but Raya is the blueprint for a great protagonist. It's been mentioned before how she's a feminist icon without having to really show it in ways others have in films, by being a confident warrior with no discussion of marriage or gender inequality brought up in the film. She's also deliciously sassy and quick on her feet. I may have preferred her OG concept of being stoic, but her swagger makes her one of the more engaging Disney leads, particularly as the adorkable trait started to show up. Speaking of...

9. Ariel and Mulan are the best adorkable leads for a Disney protagonist--While I don't have much issue with Anna and Mirabel and don't really find Rapunzel or Moana that adorkable, Ariel and Mulan were the blueprints for a funny female lead, and they felt less forced than later leads.

10. Aladdin is one of the worst Disney princes--DON'T KILL ME! He used to be my favorite Disney prince, until I watched a "therapists react" video to Disney couples and they brought up the fact that Aladdin had lied to Jasmine several times over the course of the movie. Him being insecure is a great character trait (a common one with Disney leads since the 90s, really), but it's poor writing to make his romance with Jasmine be based on a lie. I'd rather he just kept tight-lipped about his identity when Jasmine caught him the first time rather than covering up with another lie.

[holdmytesseract]

moodboard by @chennqingg <3

Rules To Break

Jotun!Prince!Loki Laufeyson x fem!Æsir!Princess!Reader

Summary: Prince Loki of Jotunheim - son of King Laufey and heir to the throne is assigned to train a bunch of Asgardian men, in order to turn them into warriors. What happens when Odin's daughter, Princess Y/N crosses his paths in ways he would've never expected? While the Prince is completely unaware, the Princess struggles to keep up her several masquerades...

Warnings for this Chapter: thirst, Mulan vibes? warrior training, weapons, swear words, Loki being a bit of a smug, arrogant - but sexy asshole, nudity?

Word Count: 2,5k

a/n: Here's the second chapter, guys! Enjoy! 😁 I wanted to post this today for @lokisgoodgirl . I had the feeling you might need this today. ☺️ Hope you like it, my lovely friend! 💚

Divider by the lovely @fictive-sl0th ! 💚

Tagging: @lulubelle814 @km-ffluv @lokisgoodgirl @eleniblue @muddyorbs @loz-3 @vbecker10 @jennyggggrrr @lokisninerealms @mochie85 @chantsdemarins @peaches1958 @multifandom-worlds @fictive-sl0th @loki-laufeyson-1054 @theaudacitytowrite @lovingchoices14 @simping-for-marvel @stupidthoughtsinwriting @vanilla-daydreaming @lou12346789 @kimanne723 @linaax @lady-rose-moon @coldnique @evelyn-kingsley @the-princess-of-loki @acefeather2002 @aagn360 @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @kikster606 @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @somewiseguy @huntress-artemiss @lunarnights95 @fire-treasure-iii @zippythewondersquirrel @alexakeyloveloki @goblingirlsarah

Ice Flower AU Masterlist ❄ Masterlist

This whole story is kinda inspired by this song, but I feel like this is the first chapter the song really fits to. ☺️

Chapter One / Chapter Three

Chapter Two

"My prince! Every man has arrived. They are ready to start." A guard appeared in Loki's tent, bearing him the news. Loki stood up, taking a deep breath and reached for his beautifully crafted sword, sliding it in its sheath. "Let's go to work then." Loki wasn't entirely happy about the task he had been assigned with, but his father and the Allfather relied on him. It was important - so he took it very seriously. "Yes, your highness." The guard took a bow, before he followed Loki out of the big tent and to the meeting place, where every assigned man stood, waiting for their mentor to arrive.

You and every other man had been called outside; ordered to wait on the meeting place for the prince to arrive. This was it, you thought. It is about to happen. A lot of thoughts were running through your mind. Were you truly ready for this? Were you good enough? Could you maintain your cover?

The sound of a fanfare ripped you out of your thoughts and signalling the arrival of prince Loki of Jotunheim - your mentor for the next weeks. Just like everyone around you, you went down on one knee, bowing for the member of the Jotun royalty. "I introduce to you: The crown prince of Jotunheim, Loki Laufeyson," one of the guards announced. "Arise!" You did what the guard told you; gaze falling on Loki for the first time in years - decades.

You had expected a lot. Really. But certainly not that Loki was - just like Estrid told you - so stunningly handsome. You would've never thought that he had grown into such an attractive man. Never. His curly hair was still as black as coal. It was longer now and fell in waves over his broad shoulders. His face was literally carved by the gods themselves, with razor-sharp cheekbones and a defined jawline. Breath-taking ruby eyes were scanning the crowd. When your eyes travelled lower, you almost felt your breath hitch. He was shirtless. Loki's torso was muscular and well-trained. From his arms, to his pecs and abs. A fine line of dark, coarse hair ran from his navel down his pubic region and disappeared in the dark green combination of some kind of loincloth and tassets he wore; inspired by ancient armour. His skin was smooth, dipped in a beautiful cerulean blue and covered with unique marks and ridges. Loki's underarms were covered with dark green wrist armour. His boots were the same dark green and almost reached up to the beginning of his thick, muscular thighs. You swallowed hard; fighting against your legs, which threatened to give in. Shit. You ate your words. That could be a problem.

"I suppose I don't have to tell you exactly who I am." The prince started to speak in a deep, dangerously sexy voice, causing your heart to race even faster. "You know me. You know my father." He took a few steps to the right, making a short pause. "I was chosen by your king, the Allfather, to train you and turn you into warriors. I will not lie. It is not going to be easy. You will shed sweat, blood and maybe even tears. Your muscles are going to burn and your bones are going to ache." Another few steps. This time to the left. "But I promise you... Once we're finished here, you all are going to be whole new men... Warriors. Ready to defend the kingdom - if necessary." The crowd around you cheered, while you still had just eyes for him. It was like a trance. You weren't able to avert your eyes. "Let's get down to business!"

The first three days of training were horrible to say the least. Loki's expectations hadn't been very high; but even that was still too high. The men they send him to train were a lost cause. All of them. They were clumsy, lacking in stamina and power. Hand-to-hand fighting? A disaster. Aiming skills? Non-existent. By the Norns, they didn't even know how to hold a sword! It was a chaotic mess - and so slowly, Loki's patience faltered. A week in and nothing had changed, causing him to finally loose it...

This evening's task had been to climb a very high tree and retrieve the flag of the kingdom Loki had placed high up in the treetop. The tree trunk was wide and thick, and there were no real branches to hold on to. One man after the other failed, causing you to swallow hard. If these 'strong' men couldn't make it... How in all the nine realms could you make it? Before you were able to think further about this, Loki's voice cut through the air. "You. Next." The words were clearly directed towards you. You felt how your heartbeat increased; the muscle hammering against your ribcage. It wasn't a secret that you all pretty much sucked. Neither that Loki's patience was wearing thin. He got more impatient and angrier every day - and you could understand it. Nevertheless, he didn't need to be so harsh with everybody. Not everyone was born a perfect soldier like he was. "Hey, you! Didn't you hear me?!" His rough, demanding voice urged to your ears again, causing a shiver to run down your spin. You cleared your throat and stepped forward. "Apologies, Sir." You spoke in your deepest voice, nearing the tree. Loki's ruby eyes followed you. "Stay focused. Lose it and you'll die in battle." Internally, you rolled your eyes. As if you didn't know that. "Oh you don't say..." You mumbled under your breath and went to climb the tree. "What was that, soldier?" He said in a mocking tone, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Nothing, Sir." Prick. Maybe Estrid was right... He may be the most handsome man you had ever laid eyes upon, but seemingly he was an asshole. "Go on then. Retrieve the flag."

You tried. You really tried, but you quickly discovered that the technique you opted for was draining your strength. You made it not even halfway, when you felt your energy dwindle; deflagrate into nothing. Your arms weren't able to hold you up anymore, just like your legs and so you slid back down again, "Oh shit." landing on your bum. Defeated, you stood up, earning a disappointed sigh from the prince. Your only solace was, that every man after you failed as well, causing Loki to entirely lose his temper.

Shaking his head, he stepped in front of you and the forty-nine other man, visibly pissed. "One week..." Loki started in a low voice. Low, but clear to hear for everybody. "One entire week... and you all can't even climb a damn tree!" He quickly raised his voice, shouting at you and all the men. "You're the saddest bunch I ever met - without a doubt. A spineless pale pathetic lot." Loki literally spat out. "What are you, hm? Men... or wimps?! For Odin's sake, man up! Train harder! Or do I have to make you?!" His eyes sparkled dangerously, and you could tell that even the strongest men around trembled with fear. "But I promise you... You can bet before we're through, I'll make real men out of you. All of you." With those words the Frost Giant turned on his heels. "Think about it! And tomorrow, I want to see you perform!" He shouted over his shoulder and walked away. You swallowed hard. The message was clear. Everybody was quite stunned, just like you. Silent whispers echoed through the crowd, as everybody made their way back into their tents. With a sigh, you sat down on your cot, recalling the events that happened today. Yes, you needed a break. Your muscles were aching and sore, so you decided to make a trip to the little lake you had discovered a few days ago. It was almost dark. Nobody was going to be there anyway. Grabbing a towel and fresh clothes, you left your tent and sneaked out of the camp and into the woods.

Reaching the lake, you placed your things on a stone and quickly stripped off your clothes and everything that caused you to look more manly. It was a warm summer evening, with a gentle breeze rustling the trees around you. Crickets chirped and fireflies were everywhere. With the full moon shining down on the little lake, it was almost romantic. It had definitely something magical.

Carefully, you dipped one toe inside the water. It was pleasantly warm. A smile graced your lips. You took a run-up and jumped headfirst into the lake. As soon as your skin touched the water, you instantly felt refreshed. Emerging again, you stroked your soaking wet hair out of your face, as suddenly a voice sounded from behind you. "Now what do we have here?" You immediately froze on the spot; all your facial features derailing. You knew that voice. Very well. It was prince Loki. Shit, shit, shit, you cursed internally. What is he doing here?! Spinning around, only covered by the water, you faced him. He was standing on the shore. Your eyes widened. With only a fluffy, white towel slung around his hips. Nothing else. No shirt, no boots, no armour. "Seems like somebody had the same idea..." He spoke further; a charming smile creeping up his face. You, though, were literally speechless. "It'll be very pleasant to have some… company." The prince stated - and dropped his towel, causing you to almost have a heart attack. Quickly, you averted your eyes; feeling how the blood rushed into your cheeks. The sound of splashing water informed you, that Loki had joined you in the lake now. Well... You were fucked. You could only hope and pray, that he didn't somehow recognise you - or well... Your face.

You watched him swim a few rounds, before he leaned casually against a tree trunk, which laid on the edge of the lake; ruby eyes travelling to meet your eyes again. He smiled. "What does a beautiful lady like you do on the outskirts of the city in an abandoned lake?" You huffed. "Well, what does it look like?" You were still quite a bit mad at him for how he treated you this past week and how he just interrupted you here. A low chuckle rumbled through Loki's muscular chest, before he returned to his smile again. "Feisty. I like that." You were about to shoot another comment his way, when he continued to talk. "Well, perhaps this is my fault. After all, I just invaded your privacy, didn't I?" Loki cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm prince Loki of Jotunheim. Son of Laufey and heir to the throne." You said nothing, just stared at him. Why does he have to be such an arrogant prick, but also so damn charming and good looking at the same time? His raven curls were soaking wet and glistening in the moonlight - just like his blue skin. Water droplets ran down his bare shoulders, chest and abdomen, before they disappeared in the water. "Hm... That's a first. I must confess, I never had that reaction before. Usually, when ladies see me and get to know who I am, they either blush madly or faint." Yes… What a charming, arrogant, handsome asshole. You still said nothing, way too overwhelmed in that very moment. "And who are you, my dear? Oh, and even more importantly... What are you doing out here now? All by yourself? You still didn't answer this question." Loki literally purred, but it didn't help. He still didn't receive an answer. "

Alright," the handsome asshole sighed, "I'll go first." before he continued to speak. "I'm currently on royal duty here on Asgard; assigned by the Allfather to transform a bunch of losers into warriors. The camp is, like you might know, just a few minutes away." You were like frozen; your mouth seemingly unlearnt how to talk. The prince sighed again. "It's very stressful, you know... Having to work with men who don't even know how to hold a sword. Hence, they can't even climb a tree!" He was referring, of course, to today's events. "It's so... strenuous and tiring." You frowned, now suddenly intrigued by his words. "If this all seems to annoy you so much... Why did you take the job in the first place?" Loki's eyebrows lifted, before he started to smirk again. "Ohh, you are able to talk!" You decided to ignore his snarky comment and opted to give him a death glare instead. "Beg you pardon." Loki apologised immediately. "Why did I take this 'job'? Well... Because my father and your king are allies and friends. I don't dare to say best friends, but good friends. If I would've rejected the favour..." He shook his head. "Wouldn't have been a good thing to do. The problem is just... There is so much pressure. Such a heavy burden I have to carry... When I'm failing to turn these men into warriors... I don't know what happens. I'm desperate. There's absolutely no improvement. I don't know what to tell Odin anymore." This caught you by surprise. The so tough and hard prince suddenly so... soft and vulnerable? He had just poured out his heart to you. To a 'stranger'. Maybe he needed this. Maybe this burden was too heavy to carry. Your expression shifted, turned into compassion. You understood him. You really did now, after what you heard. You knew how your father could be. It was no secret. "My apologies, prince Loki. This sounds not like an easy task. Have you tried to motivate the men you have to train?" "Several times. I delivered quite a speech today. I hope it helps." You nodded. "I'm sure it will. Perhaps they just need a bit more time." "That may be true, but time is exactly what I don't have." The man sighed, running a hand through his raven locks. "Well, we'll see. Thank you for listening, milady, but I should go back now; have a good night's rest." Loki spoke and moved towards the shore, giving you once again one of those charming smiles. "Is there any chance I am meeting you tomorrow night here again?" You heart fluttered at his words. "If you'd like to..." Loki stepped out of the water, causing you to get a glimpse of his perfectly rounded ass, before he slung the white towel back around his hips. You blushed - again. "I'd love to." "Well, then you'll meet me here tomorrow." He turned to face you. "Are you going to tell me your name, too?" You thought for a moment. Should you tell him? Or not? Biting the inside of your lip, your mouth twitched into a soft smile. "Y/N." Loki smiled. "Y/N?" The way he rolled your name off his tongue caused your knees to get utterly weak. "Like the princess?" Uh.Oh. You tried to stay cool and played it off. "Named after her." He believed you. Why shouldn't he? After all, he hadn't seen you in decades. "I see… A beautiful name. Until tomorrow, Y/N." With those words he walked away, disappearing in the woods. A deep breath left your lips, as you closed your eyes. Why was your heart beating so fast? You couldn't deny, that the tough, yet charming prince enchanted you quite a bit.

[noforkingclue]

New brain rot-Mulan happenings because you know what I deserve it. *we* deserve it

Someone who works for the Peaky blinders-a damn good shot, maybe, or a damn good informant-someone proper, but not someone Tommy pays all too much attention too. He didn't seem to have gone to war, and frankly he might resent him a little for that.

But he knows him-knows of him, really-and he does good work. Tommy doesn't ask too many questions, and neither does he-just gets the man paid, and he seems loyal enough.

He seems young-Tommy's never seen him with scruff-but he doesn't act young, and frankly Tommy only fears the smallest amount of worry when he wonders how old the man is, if that's why he wasn't in France, dying too.

So when one day he needs some assistance as he travels to London, he selects him-never had an issue, and he wants the family at home, keeping an eye on things.

And it's a little strange, at first, just spending time with this man-this man that seems so guarded, but who is Tommy to judge-but he finds himself enjoying his company, oddly enough. Asks him why he's a Peaky blinder, one day, and can appreciate the answer of protecting family.

But it's when he comes back early to the hotel room, from a night out (not far, just to the hotel bar for a drink, he's no fool) that he finds himself frozen and it's like the whole world clicks into focus as he stared.

He's a she. She's been doing man's work-well enough she fooled his men, fooled him-but was loyal and didn't ask questions. A woman who took a fucking bullet for him, a scar or two more than once, who he sent to danger more than once, on his command-

She intrigued him. She intrigued him greatly.

Note: requests are currently closed

Title: Hidden Secrets

Peaky Blinders tag list: @stylesofloki, @ohshititsfenharel, @lenaskyler02, @elenavampire21, @swordofawriter, @zablife, @cillmequick, @polishcrazyone, @nataliewalker93

Thomas Shelby tag list: @alreadybroken-ts, @darlingdevil, @lyrxbz, @watercolorskyy, @notyour-valentine

Everything tag list: @greenrevolutionary, @byebyebreezywrites, @spngingerbread21, @layazul, @lov3vivian, @simonsbluee

In hindsight it was obvious.

The hotel door swung shut behind Tommy and he lit a cigarette. The click of the lighter was the only sound in the room and Tommy’s eyes never left you. You had just got a lot more interesting.

At first you were just another Peaky Blinder. You seemed younger than the rest, Tommy had never even seen you with facial hair or the same deep lines that marked the faces of most of the other men in his employ. Clearly you had never seen the horrors of war, your age had spared you from that fate and yet you willingly threw yourself into his world. You allowed your hands to be soaked in blood.

You were a good shot, reliable and loyal, all three things that were surprisingly hard to come by if you weren’t family. Once he finally talked to you (one late night in the Garrison with too much whiskey) he found you surprisingly pleasant to talk to. You still had your guard up, cautious about the drinks Tommy were giving you but you still let some information slip. How you were doing this for your family, how you needed to look after your parents now that your oldest brother had died in the war. Tommy noted the glint in your eye, the love and pride you held for your family. If your brother hadn’t died you never would’ve joined the Blinders and you never would’ve come into his life.

He never should’ve gotten so close to you. It wasn’t appropriate to be so close to someone… to someone… to someone like you but he couldn’t help it. He’d seen the slightly concerned looks that his brothers gave him and the not so subtle warnings the Polly dropped. It wasn’t anything like that he just liked you and knew that knew that he could rely on you. Which was why he picked you for this London job instead of Arthur or John. He needed them back home. He could rely on them to run the business and he could rely on you to do exactly what he told you to do.

Being so close to you was a lot harder than Tommy expected which was how he found himself in the hotel bar downing whiskeys. It certainly wasn’t to distract himself (definitely not) it was just a stressful time and a drink always helped. Still, he did have business tomorrow so he couldn’t spend all night drinking and eventually he’d have to go back up to you.

Tommy was expecting you to be in bed when he got back and clearly, from the look of horror and shock on your face you had expecting him to be back later. You grabbed your shirt and pulled in up against your bound chest. You took several steps back before stumbling back and falling to the ground. You swallowed thickly and opened and closed you mouth several times. Tommy smirked at you and walked over to you. He stood over you and your gazes locked. He reached down and paused when you flinched away. He gave you a brief smile before offering you his cigarette. You took it was shaking hands and he savoured the moment your fingers brushed against his.

“Well then,” he said, “this is an interesting development. Now what am I going to do with you?”

[asexual-fandom-queen]

Look, am I probably going to get myself in trouble making this post? Sure, but I accept that, because I actually do have to say it. Tommy breaking up with Buck is not homophobic what the fuck are you guys talking about??? You know part of asking for queer representation and queer storylines is that you get representation and storylines right??? Queer characters have as much right to be complex and flawed as straight characters. Not to mention that this energy is nowhere to be found for the female love interests of Buck's who haven't worked out. Tommy Kinard is getting fucked over by a prejudiced narrative but Taylor Kelly wasn't? But Abby Clark wasn't????

Tommy broke up with Buck when things got serious for reasons that are beautifully in character, especially when you consider that we don't actually know Tommy that well. He is not a main character. He's not even a supporting character. Still, what we do get to know about him completely supports the behavior we see. We know that his relationship with his father was strained growing up, that he spent his young adult years as a closeted (maybe even to himself) gay man in a homophobic work environment, that all these formative experiences were traumatic enough to push him into a relationship with a woman that was serious enough to lead to getting engaged. Which means it's only been what, seven or eight years, since Tommy's come into himself enough to live his truth? That's just not enough time to be over it.

Tommy Kinard, and the broader purpose his character serves, is to be a mirror to Abby and for his and Buck's relationship to mirror Abby and Buck's relationship, and the 9-1-1 writers are executing that perfectly. Because let's not forget, Tommy is not a real person. Every week, the writers have 43 minutes to tell their stories, and that just does not allow for every character to be at the center of their own narrative. Tommy's character is a tool to explore Buck's character. This is not a unique phenomenon. Karen is a tool to explore Hen's character. Michael was a tool to explore Athena's character.

And it happens to straight characters, too. You think Marisol No Last Name was a character that existed outside of her relationship with Eddie? Did Doug exist outside Maddie? Does Sue exist outside the walls of 9-1-1 dispatch? I mean, in fandom they can. The thing about the transformative power of fandom is that we take the underdeveloped and we expand on it. We pull at threads the writers, in 43 minutes, just can't. And because they can't, they also don't always - or even often - intend to.

We are making more of this than it is. It's in our heads. And that's not wrong. But my god, we cannot be holding the narrative responsible for a thing it's just not doing. Your attachment to this fanon version of Tommy you've created, and to the fanon version of Buck and Tommy's relationship, is on you. And you're allowed to be sad that canon isn't playing out the way you would have chosen if you were the one telling the story. What you don't get to do is call it homophobic because it's just not.

And the thing is, I know this is the trauma talking. To borrow Josh's analogy, this is a question of pre-Glee fans watching a post-Glee story. We remember Sterek, and we remember Destiel, and we remember McDanno, and we remember Rizzisles.

But the reality is, for every queerbaited ship that didn't go canon, the trauma runs deeper. Because we also remember Caroline Forbes' gay father deciding he'd rather die than "be a vampire." We remember Mulan walking away from Aurora and letting her have her prince. We remember Tara dying in Willow's arms, and we remember Lexa dying in Clarke's. So it's hard to watch a queer romance, especially one involving a character that we've spent seven seasons headcanoning as queer before his coming out, end.

The thing is, this is a queer relationship ending on a beautifully queer show. They aren't shoving their gay under the rug. This isn't a brief queer chapter in the book they opened purely to pander and that is now slamming shut. Hen and Karen are right there. Buck is still there. Michael may no longer be on our screens, but while he was, he and David were also treated with care and grace.

Just because we remember how it used to be doesn't mean that's what's happening now. Tommy is a plot device exploring Buck's first queer relationship, but not because it's a queer relationship. Tommy is a character whose purpose is to move Buck's arc forward because sometimes that's all a character has the capacity to be in the confines of a story that gets to be told for 43 minutes 18 times a television season.

And having Tommy be Abby's ex, as a narrative device, is brilliant. Having him walk away from Buck the same way Abby did is brilliant. Seeing those parallels and highlighting them, from a writing standpoint, is brilliant.

Buck's relationship with Abby allowed him to become Buck 2.0. She was a partner who shaped him and helped him grow in a deeply profound way. And just because she left him in a way that was hurtful and driven by her own trauma doesn't negate that. It also doesn't make her a cartoon villain.

For the same reason, Tommy walking away from Buck in a way that's hurtful and driven by his own trauma doesn't make him a cartoon villain. But it is clever writing. It bookends Buck's transformation into Ready For A Relationship Buck with his transformation into Bringing His Whole Self Into A Relationship Buck. And linking Abby and Tommy with a history of their own affirms for the audience that that's what this narrative arc was always about.

And who knows, maybe Buck and Tommy will get their romcom arc. Maybe Tommy does come back. Maybe he grows past his trauma and the defenses he's put up to survive in a world that raised him to hate himself. If he does, I won't be unhappy about it. But I also won't consider it the righting of some profound wrong. Because nothing about Tommy's arc, or the arc of the Bucktommy relationship, has been wrong.

[xuexishijian]

The Ballad of Mulan: 木兰诗 mù lán shī

I was curious about what the original story was like, so I looked up (a version of) the original text. It was really interesting and eye-opening because (unsurprisingly?) it's nothing like the Disney movie(s). The only real similarity is the premise: a young woman with no older brother takes her elderly father's place in the war draft. Apart from that, about every other detail is different:

Mulan has siblings: an older sister and a younger brother.

The ruler of this kingdom is referred to as the Khan/Khagan (可汗) and as the Son of Heaven (天子), titles used together for the emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏 386–535 CE).

Mulan is never discovered to be a woman during her time in the army, spending 12 years there.

The enemy is never specified explicitly, though historically this may have been the Rouran (柔然) in present-day Inner Mongolia (内蒙古). Places that Mulan passes include the Yellow River (黄河), the Black Mountain (黑山, thought to be southeast of Huhhot 呼和浩特, Inner Mongolia), and the Yan Mountain (燕山, referring to either the 阴山 Yīn mountains of Inner Mongolia or the 燕然山 Yānrán mountains of Mongolia 蒙古).

The description of her journey is much longer and more colorful than anything about the war itself, providing imagery and parallel structure that differs from the rest of the poem.

On the soldiers' return, the emperor offers Mulan a government position (尚书郎), which she turns down, asking only for a 明驼 to return her home across the 万里 that separated her from her family. I wasn't sure if this "camel" was to be taken literally; translations I found differed on whether this was a camel, a horse, or some magical version of these which traveled at incredible speed.

The soldiers only discover that Mulan is a woman when she returns home, changing back into her old clothing (旧时裳), pulling her hair back into a feminine style, and applying makeup. I found it curious just how quickly she readjusted to her old life.

The last lines of the poem were also really beautiful and spoke to me in a queer way. It says that when you see a pair of rabbits, male and female, running together, side by side, how can you tell them apart?

雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离，双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？

These lines include a chengyu, 扑朔迷离, meaning "complicated, confusing," which originally comes from this passage, referring to the difficulty in telling apart the male and female rabbits. "The male's foot is twitching, the female's eyes are squinted, blurry," but these small differences aren't noticeable from afar or when the rabbits are in motion. Though you might eventually be able to pick out some small details regarding the sexes of the rabbits, in the end it doesn't really matter. To the hunter, for instance, these are both simply targets; their sex is inconsequential.

For Mulan, in her role in the army, it didn't matter that she wasn't a man; she completed her tasks regardless. (And not only did she complete them, she earned recognition from the emperor for her work.)

Transphobes online may waste hours picking apart the details of people's bodies that they deem gender variant, but in the end, in many cases, people simply don't care whether the rabbit has twitchy feet or squinted eyes or whatever else. A rabbit is a rabbit, and our genders are rarely, if ever, consequential enough to the task at hand to merit such scrutiny.

安能辩我是雄雌？你到底为什么要知道？