#bal is the supportive but confused parent

[sadcatjae]

when you're nonbinary/genderfluid and you wake up a boy

[thetimelordbatgirl]

@epickiya722 (ask box is still bugged over here and tumblr isn't responding still to my email about it).

Honestly, same- I don't see Uma and Audrey as bad guys- and it pisses me off they either seen as that or just generally made to be like that when they our two dark-skinned girls in a cast of diverse characters versus the stories always focusing on Mal, one of the white characters- and honestly yeah, Uma needs some love for once as all shes gotten in these movies is shit talk and being made out to be the bad guy and most likely kissing Mal's feet in D3 and like the other VKs on the Isle- if Disney even recalls the first films message of not being born evil and being children- was most likely abused- again if Disney covers abuse finally in these movies instead of just implying it- though at least we got Harry Hook being us when it comes to Uma, aka worshipping her and adoring her.

As for Audrey, honestly it feels like Disney didn't like her from the start- in D1 shes dragged down by Mal to cheer up Evie, shes made out to be in the wrong for worrying about fashion and her liking pink seemed to be apart of it too and now in D3 shes looking to be the villain- as much as I think its going to be possession, im still uncomfortable with the idea of body possession, especially as again, one of our WOCs- like.....its like the movie makers cant be bothered with her and in order to make Mal look good, they make her into the bad guy and don't give her any love as a result.

Tbh I wouldn't mind insight on Jay and Carlos- ESPECIALLY JAY, seriously, outside of D1 do we know what hes even up to besides being with the VKs and sports?- also cause Carlos I feel could help with the Isle more then Mal, especially as he knows what those isle kids would be feeling like, being constantly hurt in the name of revenge on heroes- but as for Harry and Gil, so far D3 promotional is forgetting they exist as Uma got stuck onto Mal's crew- seriously that's giving me the hives, WHERES UMAS CREW- but Harry I hope we see more of him, especially with Uma- and give Gil more lines at least as he didn't have many in D3- and Dizzy, dear god, I pray shes off the Isle in D3 cause for some reason in Under the Sea, she was back on it despite leaving at the end of D2- also again, praying she has character outside of fashion and probably supporting Mal too- and of course, with our new VK, Celia- RIP Freddy- I pray she gets development and isn't just shoved in there cause Disney felt like adding more characters for no reason.

I'll get to Ben soon, but as for Chad, Jane, Doug and Lonnie? Yeah, they need a bit more for them at this point- so far Janes just had zero almost in D2 outside of romance, while Lonnie kinda got something- im still confused by the no-girls rule even existing when MULAN exists- but got paired off with Jay at random at the end cause Audrey wasn't in D2- but again, needs more development on her own turf- Doug needs 101% development already cause we're had stalker joke in D1 and him acting clingy in D2....just, at least make him and Evie stand out by the end of this- and Chad.....as much as I don't really care for him, I still feel like he got the worst of character development, hes either a joke or hes maybe implying he wants to be king and it goes nowhere- he still needs to develop or at least get a better hairstyle.

And now for Ben....dear god, he and his parents are plot points at this point- D1: brings the VKs over, gets love-spelled, turns out he likes Mal anyway cause screw Audrey apparently- still pissed about her treatment in this Bal BS- and then in D2, gets screwed over a lot as how dare he be pissed Mal is lying to him and trying to spell him and then dude in distress, spelled again- though I found it funny we meant to pity Mal here but not Audrey in D1, just, really 'funny'- and then splits up a fight between Uma and Mal....but given no credit as his dad says, "How about that son of ours" only for Belle to make it about Mal- come on at least give him his parents plot- and....that's it- feels like the plot was done with him the moment he got the VKs over- as hes not even in D3 promotional material yet while Mal, who note isn't even queen yet, has future queen material already while the actual king of auradon has nothing- just, it feels so wrong really- boy is nothing but Mal's plot point despite having hints at even going beast- let him please, PLEASE- and honestly, D3 so far is giving him nothing yet either despite being the founder of the VK program- just....I can go on about Ben for ages really, lmao.

So in the long run, Disney probably does forget they exist unless they can drag them out for the Mal plots, lmao- so guess press f to pay respects for any love they deserve or any character or plot they could have had.

[xonceinadream]

A Clean Slate | Bal One-Shot

The first date after Cotillion. { 2,394 words } | { ao3 | ff.net }

It's where they had their first date but this date feels even more important. Then Mal had known it would at least go well. Ben had been under a love spell and hopelessly devoted to her. Now there's no love spell, no more magic, and no more lies. Mal thinks back to that date, about wondering whether he would still love her when the magic was gone. True love or not, she knows he has every right not to want to be with her after everything.

Mal has her hands clasped behind her back to hide their shaking as Ben approaches her, looking as handsome as ever. She knows she's one of the only one who gets to see him this way. The top few buttons of his shirt are open, his hair is messy and he's grinning the way she associates with her. It's partly how she'd known something was wrong at Cotillion. The unfeeling look in his eyes and the straight line of his mouth had made her feel sick even before she'd seen Uma.

His eyes move appreciatively over her, taking in her loose purple dress, white lace-up sandals and loose waves falling around her shoulders. She wanted to look pretty but she hadn’t wanted him to know. This is supposed to be a casual date, with swimsuits just in case they want to go swimming. In case he still wants to be with her when she lays it all on the table, she thinks and winces. Then Ben's eyes move from her to the blanket laying at her feet and he throws his head back and laughs.

"Sorry I'm late," Ben says when he's done laughing, resting his hands gently on her upper arms and pulling her in for a sweet kiss that makes her hands shake all the more as she rests them against his chest. Ever since Mal's abandonment and Ben's capture and Cotillion they've barely stopped touching, wanting the assurance the other is there.

"Two minutes. I don't know how I'll survive," Mal teases, looking at him with her own smile, her breath catching before she clears her throat. "I made lunch."

Ben looks down again, his thumb rubbing slow circles on her bare skin. "I see. It looks wonderful, Mal."

Mal's eyes meet his and she knows he can see how vulnerable that she feels, how much she's hoping he's telling the truth. But he's always been able to see and he's always been open with her. In his eyes, she can see the truth, that he loves her, that he's proud of her. She can see he doesn't care that on the blanket is a white plate with a pile of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies that are slightly burned on the bottom.

"I have to be honest. Evie helped me with the cookies," she admits because she's told herself she's going to pretend she's under a truth spell today. Ben can see the real her but she needs to know that he loves all of it.

She's surprised when he kisses her again, his fingers tightening on her arms but it feels like a comfort. When Ben pulls back, he's flushed with happiness and he reaches up, cupping her cheek. "Thank you. I love you."

Those simple words make her happier than she ever thought was possible and it feels like it's threatening to bubble out of her. She has to tamp it down, at least for now. "I love you too. Now, come on. The cookies are still hot and I think dessert before lunch sounds perfect for today."

Ben follows her to sit down on the same side of the blanket as her, taking the cookie that she gives him with an ever polite thank you. She leans against one of the pillars, spreading her dress over her thighs and looking at the enchanted waters of the lake. "I can feel you thinking," Ben teases her.

She can hear it as the opening it is. She can also hear that he won't press her. He never has and for that she's grateful. It's been hard for her to open up, to understand that he's going to love her even when she messes up. She takes a bite of cookie, chewing to give her a few moments. "I dreamed about this place," she whispers finally, looking down and biting the inside of her lip. It's not the honesty that she'd wanted but it's a good conversation opener if she does say so. "When I was still on the Isle. I dreamed about this place. I dreamed of eating strawberries. I dreamed of you."

There's silence following her confession and she can hear his slow breathing. She's terrified of what he's going to say even though she knows that she shouldn't be. It's a memory that's precious to her and she's scared of him ruining it with a response that just isn't right.

"I dreamed about you too," Ben says and Mal 's eyes widen, wondering if he’s teasing her. Ben's smiling slightly, looking almost as confused as she feels. The confusion makes her think he’s being honest. "It was on the Isle, though. I fell and you helped me up. But I thought about you… about how beautiful you were. It's part of why I decided to bring you four to Auradon. Selfish, I know, but true."

"You never told me," Mal says and she's surprised by how much emotion that Ben's confession makes her feel.

"You never told me either," Ben responds gently and she has to nod because that's true. "I never really thought it was a good time. You were already so… unsure about everything in Auradon how was I to tell you that I'd dreamed about you? I know I didn't handle it well but I was trying. It makes sense now, knowing that we have a True Love."

Mal looks down, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress and Ben reaches out, tilting her chin up gently so that she has to look at him. He doesn't have to say anything but she can see his love for her in his eyes. She feels like she can see him saying she can tell him anything. "Did you and Uma really feel a connection?"

That's obviously not what Ben had expected and he blinks at her. "What? Mal, you know that was just a love spell. It was your spell. You know how it works."

"Yes but you're still yourself. You can still feel things that are your own. You… cared for me while you were under your spell," Mal says, knowing that the concept of a love potion itself is complicated. She doesn't want to go into the sciences of it, that's more Evie's department.

Ben nods and Mal can see that he understands. It scares her that he thinks about his answer. "I feel… sympathy for them. The same way that I feel for all of you. You grew up in bad situations and you've been forced to do difficult things because of it. I saw part of it when I was on the Isle but I know that I was sheltered from the worst of it, even by the pirate crew of all people. I got to know Uma when I was on the Isle, at least a little. So there's some sort of connection.

"I want to help them. I know that I could be friends with them, the same way that I'm friends with Jay, Carlos and Evie. But it's not the same," Ben says, cupping both of her cheeks this time, making sure that she's looking at him. As if she could look away. "Mal, I love you. No 'connection,' real or fake, will ever compare to that. I may want to help them but I want you by my side."

Ben's eyes swim with emotion and she feels a surge of love for him that nearly knocks her over. Cotillion, the art of being engaged to be engaged, had terrified her only a few days ago. Now, she knows that she wants that future too. She's young but she knows what she wants. Who can argue with love, with the feeling of safety and happiness and commitment, no matter how young they are?

Mal knows she needs to say something but she's afraid that if she opens her mouth she's going to cry. So Ben continues. "I'm sorry for our fight, I'm sorry for all of it."

"Me too," Mal says quickly and Ben smiles at her. "I was just scared."

"I know. And I know that I should've supported you instead of being so caught up in myself. I'm going to start making amends to everybody. But you need to know that we can fight and I'm still going to love you. No matter what happens, it's not going to change my feelings. You should hear how my mom and dad fight sometimes. But I know that it'll never change things between them."

Perhaps that's just what Mal needed to hear. It's similar on the Isle, of course. People fight and argue and they're still family. But that means something different there than it does here. Family there meant that you lived together and maybe provided for each other. Family here means something so much more magical.

Mal looks down, keeping her face emotionless until she swipes her finger across the side of one of the sandwiches and runs the glob of jelly down Ben's cheek. Then she laughs and he laughs with her and how is this what her life has become? "I thought that you'd want somebody like Audrey. When we were first together everybody talked about how we wouldn't last and about how you were making a mistake being with me."

"I don't want somebody like Audrey, Mal," Ben says, frustration seeping through his tone but they both know this is something she needs to hear. "I was with Audrey and she wasn't what I wanted. She's lovely and a great person when she wants to be but talking to her was like- like talking to a child. She was too perfect. She didn't argue with me or challenge me. She wouldn't tell me what I needed to hear. She'd never make a good queen. Not like-"

He cuts himself off, his jaw working and Mal barely realizes that she's clenching her dress in one fist, needing something to keep herself grounded. "Like what, Ben?"

"Like you, Mal. All my life I've been told that I'm going to be king. I was raised for it from the cradle and when I was old enough, my parents always told me that I should find love and be happy but also find somebody that I would trust Auradon with. And I know that I would trust you to be a queen for the people. I'm not asking you to marry me, Mal, but I want you to know that I'm serious about you. You're everything that I ever dreamed about as a kid."

Those words are heavy on Mal as she looks out at the lake. It's surprising to hear that Ben's imagined such a future between them when they haven't been together that long. But then, long courtships aren't typical, especially of royalty, even if it was something that his parents went through. She knows that Chad's parents for instance only knew each other a few hours before his father declared Cinderella the one he would marry.

Really, the idea of marrying Ben and being with him isn't the hard part. It's the idea of being queen. It's already been so hard for her and she knows that if the media knew that she was going to be queen then they would never leave her alone. But she's thought about what it would be like if she lost Ben. She's had months of worrying about it and why is she worrying now?

"I never thought to dream about you," Mal finally responds but she's smiling as she looks up at him. Ben looks relieved that she's not running scared and that's when it hits her that he's scared too. Why wouldn't he be? They're both young and she's given him reason to not trust her. She reaches out, taking his hand and holding onto him. "But I think if I knew something like this existed it would be my dream."

Mal loves the way that Ben looks at her, emotion-filled eyes and almost always with a smile. He looks at her likes he loves her and trusts her. Mal's starting to see that he does. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm going to be more understanding about you being in Auradon."

"Ben, no. That's my fault," Mal says, the words catching in her throat because admitting responsibility like that isn't something that she does easily. But she can't stand the thought of him feeling guilty over it. "I did everything that I could to make you think that I was fitting in easily. I used magic to fit in."

"Then let's both wipe the slate clean with everything that's gone wrong. We're going to fight but we can talk about it. If you're having trouble, or I am, then we can talk to each other about it."

Mal nods, figuring that's as good of a compromise as any. It won't be easy but she's willing to try. "That sounds fair."

"Did I ever thank you, by the way, for rescuing me?" Ben asks, picking up one of the sandwiches, obviously prepared to turn the conversation in a more casual direction as he takes a large bite.

And Mal is grateful for it, grateful for this and for sandwiches and lemonade and cookies. She's grateful for having wonderful friends, old and new. She's grateful that she had chosen good and she's grateful that she had felt safe and confident enough to do it. "I don't know. You can thank me for making you your favorite food though. I worked hard over this."

Ben's laugh is contagious and laughter evolves into kissing. By the time they stop kissing and eat, the cookies are cold, but Ben still tells her they're the best cookies that he's ever had. And Mal believes him.

[shimaeel]

Creative Critical Reflection 2.  

Bal De Promo begins by bringing the audiences in the story, as the camera moves around, showing them one of the character’s room, her dis/likes, what she does, etc. 

I tried to offer a personal image of what is happening, and get the audience engaged from the very first shot, thus the first person perspective, point of view shot tour. 

Throughout the film opening, there are also other, more technical aspects that keep the audience’s attention on the action presented. 

The various close ups are a subtle way of focusing on shots that might otherwise be too long. Using this editing technique, I was able to emphasize key moments of the story, indirectly telling the audience to pay attention to them, eg., the storyboard built by the character, the lists on the doors, etc. 

I tried to use a wide variety of shots, camera movements and angles, including pans and zooms. This helped in preventing the audience from becoming uninterested. However, I did not go all out in order to confuse the audience more than might be expected from a film of this hybrid genre. 

Overall, the shots, angles and cuts are short, direct and related to the storyline in one way or other. 

The sound editing is also a big part of the experience I created for the people that might want to watch Bal De Promo. The Indie Pop, R&B music differentiates my film from the others, especially those with an Upbeat, Pop song. One that compliments the bright colors of such movies. 

There is also another way my film tries to reach its audience, differentiating itself from others, and this is the way the audience relates to it. 

Mainly, the character presented is highly relatable to many young people around the world. The way her room is set up shows that she is a neat freak, one who likes to know what it going on at all times. The way she turns off her alarm might also speak to many people who watch the film. 

Moreover, Movies and TV series usually cast older actors, usually above the age of twenty, to play young teenagers. I tried to avoid this as much as possible, and assembled the cast as precisely to their character’s age that I could.

The way she dresses, and the things that she owns are also generic, mainly owned by the people in my target audience for the film.

There are various ways of relating the issues raised in my film –anxiety and depression faced by teenager, homophobia, mental and physical abuse, bullying, to name a few- to the audience and thus promoting it. 

Having an online site with quizzes, vlogs by the cast, special talks, and behind the scene footage would be fun and interactive for the viewers, On the other hand, I can have actual information from help centers for young people, written support and suggestions regarding how to get better from problems that the audience might be feeling. This can be extended to parenting advice and support as well. 

The film will also have official Tumblr, Instagram and Snapchat accounts, with regular cast takeovers. 

On the other hand, I would also like to rely on marketing strategies, like billboards, trailers and advertisements. This would ensure that the film reaches as many people as possible, all around the globe.

If I were to consider my film opening would be an actual full feature film, there are several things I would consider when distributing it. 

The most suitable way of sharing it would be in theater’s, with special offers like, “Buy 3 tickets, Get 1 free”. This would motivate groups of friends to come and see the film, together, 

The film could also be premiered in different countries, followed by meet and greets with the cast and crew, and Q&A sessions. 

Being a Netflix production, the film would be readily available for people all around the globe, or specifically more than 190+ countries, wherever Netflix is present, for the audience to watch at the comfort of their own home, allowing them to watch it with whomever they want, whenever they want. 

I do not intend to make a ton of profit from the film for myself or the producers, and it has never been my main goal, but only to educate our youth, reassuring them that whatever they are going through is valid, in merely an artistic way.

[littleragondin]

If I may bring more water to the “Ouyang Zizhen as Mr Bingley” mill, he also canonically has the highly judgmental family (ok it’s mostly his father but if we have to give him some sisters they may have taken more from Senior Ouyang than he did). And he has the easy going vibe that would counter balance Jin Ling/Darcy... everything...

Regarding Charlotte, I had actually thought about A-Qing? She is a lot more of a feral gremlin than Charlotte, but she has that “do what you must” kind of vibe that Charlotte has (also how devastatingly hilarious would her and Jingyi be commenting what happens at bals). Obviously tho there is NO WAY she ends up marrying Mr Collins.

Mr Collins always seemed to me as much older than the Benett girls (I may be biased by the 1995 version where his slimy self seems to be easily 15 years older than Jane and Lizzy). And Su She is such a great fit personality wise! Furthermore, yeah neither WWX nor LWJ would even IMAGINE letting him get close to their babies, but they may still accept having him visit (he is after all family. More or less.) And then yeah misunderstanding from the juniors + entitlement from Su She Collins (maybe he fully realizes that the parents don’t intend to give him a spouse BUT he plays on the young ones confusion because maybe it could work and it would do wonder for his status). THEN obviously they would have to kill him for trying to take advantage of their children. That’s only fair you know.

Yeah the moment you said “dashing but untrustworthy rogue cultivator” my brain screamed Xue Yang xD obviously no marrying any little Lan for this one! And ooooh I like this idea of Mo Xuanyu as the Georgiana stand in! That would explain it indeed. (And this is already pretty self indulgent I feel like this can support a little JL & MXY friendship). And probably some sheananigans happen where Xue Yang ends up maybe stealing a Lan sibling, cue panic and Jin Ling Darcy help ends up crucial to save them (and then XY dies because you don’t just steal a teen like that).

okay so i love a good lizzy!wwx and darcy!lwj p&p au as much as the next guy obviously, truly inspired, perfection itself, but let’s back up for a second. is there another direction we could take this? because idk about you guys, but every time i see wwx responding to one of lwj’s endearments with “take pity on my heart” or similar, i just think of this:

“hanguang-jun, how can you harass your own husband in such a way? you take delight in vexing me. you have no compassion on my poor heart.”

“you mistake me, my dear. i have a high respect for your heart. it is my old friend. i have heard you mention it with consideration these twenty years at least.”

idk maybe i just want snarky unruffled lan wangji, his melodramatic husband wei wuxian, and their five children going ribbon shopping in caiyi town with a dashing but untrustworthy young rogue cultivator and jin ling is also there being rich and pompous and secretly falling in love with idk lan jingyi probably because sizhui is too nice to be lizzy, you feel me?