#c. ariel and eric

[scopamitesoro]

@umbravitium: the 🍑 triangle

Cold nights meant hot baths, this time with company. This had been far from the first time the three of them had shared a washroom, but it was the first time Ariel remembered happening before they'd gotten themselves sweaty and sore enough to need a wash in the first place. She imagined that might happen eventually, but they could relax first.

The pleasant smell of steam filled her, and she stopped to enjoy the sensation, while her husband had already busied himself with slipping off his shirt. She could wait a moment and admire the view, couldn't she? She couldn't help it--as a mermaid, she'd had no idea of the views she was missing, but her husband had one to die for, especially his backside. Ariel glanced over and it seemed like Hans had the same idea.

"Eric stares at yours just like you're doing," Ariel leaned in to conspire, giggling a little. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"

Eric didn't even bother looking back as he held his cummerbund in his hand. "I heard that!"

[tretramonti]

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Waking up between two humans was warmer than Ariel expected, but pleasantly so while the breeze rolled through the tower windows. She looked over at her husband, who to her surprise was still curled up in blankets with no sign of waking yet.

She rolled over to face the other human in their bed, whispering, "He's almost never asleep when I wake up. You tired him out last night."

Over her shoulder Ariel heard her husband mumble under the blankets, "Don't encourage him."

Ariel could barely stifle a laugh. "Good morning to you, too, Eric."

She and Eric had spent enough time together to know each other's quirks and habits, and Ariel had been more than happy to give Eric the space to enjoy his reunion and connection with his old friend. She would never let Eric sacrifice his happiness over a tradition that was only human. Merfolk had no such reservations and welcomed however many partners they chose.

Still, Ariel had let Eric and Hans find their rhythm together first, and though she was as naked in bed as her husband, she was still getting to know Hans and how he fit in with both of them.

She smiled over at Hans, her hair splayed out over the pillows. "Do you like good morning kisses?"

[umbravirtus]

@tretramonti said from ( x ): kiss me. kiss me as if it were the last time. -from Eric to Hans

The man did not have to be told twice.

Hands grabbed a fistful of shirt to bring the dark-haired man closer, lips crashing together. Hungry. Desperate.

With each passing moment that kiss became deeper, more urgent, his hands left their post at his shirt to embrace him, to put him flush against himself, to feel Eric as close as humanly possible.

The kiss broke only when the air was necessary and upon parting he bit his lower lip. "How's that?" he challenged with a playful smirk.

Then, he proposes a bit of fun "Run." There is a mischievousness on his face that is familiar to Eric by now.

"You better hope to be fast enough to make it to a private place before I catch you."

[crocodilerockingx]

A little out of words she stared at the male she had saved from drowning a couple days ago. He had been so beautiful from afar but now that she was so close to him, she could see how beautiful and shiny his eyes actually were. Never had she spoken to a human and now it happened to be him. The one she had already lost her heart to. “Ariel... My name is Ariel.” she said slowly.

@itsonlyhxman​

[tretramonti]

Ariel's touch somehow proved to Eric that he wasn't dreaming, and that she was here with him of her own volition. He would never deny her comfort, though he hated that she needed it, and that only drove deeper his instincts to protect her.

He was about to nuzzle her face when she asked about the castle, which every day sank more and more into the sea. Every storm and even every tide threatened it more and more. They were dry in the towers and most of the main halls for now, but that wouldn't always be the case.

Eric whined a little, his ears drawing back. "The--"

What could he tell her?

"The ravine...a boat could cross by then."

By the time the castle sank fully and the water flooded over the shoreline, the rocks that made the path so treacherous would be beneath the waves anyway.

"You don't have to worry about anything. Not the storm and not anything else. I'd never let you drown."

x || @tretramonti

Fingers slipped through his dark fur as she curled close as another wack of thunder rumbled throughout the darkness just outside the castle walls. Somewhere she went from frightened of this beast to seeking him out for comfort. Something had changed within her heart for him. Did she love him?

He wasn't human -- not anymore, at least. That was a strange thing to know. He was once human. There was a man beneath the beastly visage. He was so, so kind.

"The castle won't fall into the sea, will it," Ariel asked, hearing the creaking of the old structure with every blast of wind against the walls. She was frightened. Body tensed up as lightning struck close to the castle. The crack of hitting the ground sent a shiver of fear through her small frame.

"I hate storms like this."

[bloomoonv]

What if Ariel was the mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean and the keeper of the orange pearl?🧡

I think they have many things in common. First of all, they would give everything for the one they love.

Ariel sacrifices her voice and tail to be with Prince Eric, showing her willingness to give up a significant part of herself for love. Similarly, Sara makes sacrifices in her life, driven by her deep emotions and connections with others. Ariel and Sara are both known for their singing. Ariel's voice is central to her character, and Sara, as a mermaid princess, uses her singing to protect and communicate.

Let me know what do you think c:

My instagram for more: https://www.instagram.com/blum.oons?igsh=enJzb24xbXM2ZXZx&utm_source=qr

[crystcllise]

cursed child broadway year 5 scorbus

the other day i had the absolute pleasure of watching cursed child on broadway!! i sat front row so i was super close to the action and it was incredible!!!

i got to see the amazing joel meyers and erik c. peterson as albus and scorpius and i just wanted to say that their scorbus is SO. BEAUTIFUL.

their dynamic is the absolute cutest and i could not stop smiling when watching them! i posted a small thread on twitter about this and wanted to share my notes i took during intermission and after the show based on what i watched between these two!

i’ll put the points under a ‘more’ button so it doesn’t spoil anything for anyone but tap below if you want to read about joel and erik’s scorbus from my show the other night!

i also got to meet erik after the show but besides the point ENJOY MY NOTES

their first meet was so cute!!! both so shy with each other and honestly very careful but you can tell both of them know they’re making the right decision speaking to each other (side note maya as rose is so funny i love her)

“YOU CAN STAND NEXT TO ME!!!” was SO passionate on erik’s part which contrasted to his scorpius in the train scene which was SO CUTE

joelbus placing a hand on scorik’s shoulder after finding out about astoria and giving him a side hug as they walked off stage ☹️

joelbus looked so hurt and in disbelief when harry yelled at him in the bedroom it hurt me so much

when joelbus hugs scorik for the first time on the train, it’s such a squeezy hug and scorik is very calm and collected whilst panicked at the same time i giggled

THE SLOW MOTION ON THE TRAIN both joelbus and scorik were holding onto each other and joelbus began to fall backwards and it basically looked like scorik was dipping him romantically it was sooooo not straight of them

scorik tried to climb the suitcases onto the top of the train but started to panic saying “albus i can’t!!” so joelbus started to tell him to get down and basically picked him up by the waist and put him back on the floor SO DOMESTIC OF THEM (picture that one dance scene from the little mermaid cartoon where eric picks ariel up if you can’t picture it)

when in the forest with delphi, scorik is SO JEALOUS and when watching from afar he looks so hurt seeing albus and delphi and gives her the biggest glare when he approaches them

scorik was very certain in the edge of the forest scene when he said albus was better. he KNEW how amazing he was and wasn’t afraid to say it and joelbus looked so warmed by his comment

staircase ballet!!! they both just stared at each other for a very long time at the top of the stairs and at the end when their staircases parted, scorik reached out to joelbus :(

the library scene was SO WELL DONE THERES SO MUCH TO SAY!!! scorik’s “TRY MY LIFE!!!” was so painful i genuinely teared up you could see the absolute pain in his eyes and all the bottled up emotions just spilling out he deserved the biggest hug

when joelbus said he wasn’t a loser before he met scorpius, scorik looked absolutely destroyed omg and when scorik said albus was the most terrible friend and didn’t make his life better, joelbus looked so regretful and upset with what he’d done

joelbus’ apology to scorpius was so beautiful!! the gentle voice and the pauses between every line!! when he said scorpius was a light in the darkness it was so sweet!!! when scorik interrupted him with a ‘thank you’ after albus apologised about astoria, it was so :(((

after the apology, they were both so giggly and soft with each other with the most gentle smiles it was so cute!!! and when joelbus pulled scorik into the hug, they really sat into it and when they broke apart, it genuinely looked like they’d been caught doing something wrong

scorik in the dark world needed to be protected omg the poor boy looked so scared all the time

LAKE SCENE OH MY GOD when joelbus emerged from the lake, scorik swam over to him and grabbed his face and caressed it whilst saying the “it’s really you!” line IT WAS ADORABLE HE WAS SO RELIEVED AND HAPPY

special mention to scorik’s screaming fest after jumping out of the lake (“ITS HARRYYYYY!”) it was SO FUNNY he was shaking his body around so violently and was on his hands and knees screaming at the top of his lungs PLS the applause afterwards was deserved

in mcgonagall’s office, as she’s telling them both off, you could see scorik reaching his hand backwards trying to find joelbus and joelbus looked down at his hand and his fingers did move close to his hand but they pulled apart before they could touch !!!!!

the entire beginning of the owlery scene (which is the dialogue from slytherin dorms in the one parter) was so cute!!! they both did not break eye contact and joelbus was so shocked when scorik confessed he changed everything back because of him and thought of him

as delphi was torturing scorik, joelbus’ screams were SO SAD he was tearing his throat apart screaming scorpius’ name and pleading delphi to stop it broke my heart :(((

delphi did the mocking ‘friend’ line delivery and when she said ‘love’ as albus’ weakness and pointed at scorpius, both joelbus and scorik’ locked eyes with absolute shock and fear on their faces and refused to break it until delphi pulled them away

very touchy with each other in the train station scene! scorik held onto joelbus’ arm and touched his chest when talking to him!! and after his little “hello mr station man” bit, joelbus absolutely glared at him LMAO

GODRICS HOLLOW OH MY GODDDD they were always reaching for each other and joelbus even took scorik’s hands in one part when they were panicking

when they hid from lily and james behind the door, scorik stood in joelbus’ arms (one on scorik’s shoulder and the other around his chest) and then scorik turned in his arms to face him and placed a hand on the arm that was over his chest and the other on joelbus’ chest !!!! they stood very close together in that part and looked so comforted in each other’s embrace it was so cute :’)

scorik shoved joelbus after the ‘no offence’ line and they giggled ☹️

when the battle with delphi ended, scorik came over to joelbus and placed a hand on his arm (and i couldn’t tell from the angle i was sitting on bc joel blocked the view but i’m pretty certain they were holding hands as well)

STAIRCASE SCENE when joelbus said the palace line, he delivered it so slowly and he carefully placed his hand on scorik’s shoulder whilst glancing between his lips and eyes and when scorik said “isn’t it?” he reached out to joelbus and they were both leaning in !!!!

scorik began to leave but then stopped, looked back at joelbus, pondered for a second and then ran to hug him and joelbus absolutely melted into it and they embraced each other so tightly and intimately and delivered the lines whilst hugging until “i wasn’t sure” 😭😭😭😭😭

and finally, once joelbus told harry that scorpius was the most important person in his life and harry said it was a good thing, he looked so happy and relieved and began to cry ☹️

another small detail throughout the show i loved was the breathing exercises they’d do together!!! whenever scorik got over excited or worried, joelbus would guide him through a short breathing exercise to ground him it was so lovely

overall, i am so glad i got to see these two as scorbus!!! their interpretation of their relationship is so cute and made my heart melt completely <3

[vy-writes-for-you]

can I maybe get Ursula and a fem ready who REALLY love to gossip and have like a set tea time and everything

Hey Anon! Of course you can! Please enjoy!

"Tea Time"

Pairing(s): Ursula x F! Mermaid! Reader

Summary: You and your wife talk about your week, as is your long-standing tradition.

Rating: PG

Warnings: None, Fluff, reader referred to as "darling" and "love", slight OOC Ursula

W/C: 335

---------------------------------------------------

"Sorry I'm late," you practically yelled, racing through the cave entrance. "One of your little creatures grabbed me and wouldn't let go until I gave it practically half of the shrimp."

"Don't stress yourself, darling," your wife called out from the little table on the opposite wall. "I just finished setting the table."

"Wonderful," you smiled. You and Ursula had been having these sort-of 'tea times' since before you were even dating. They'd started as a fun way to tell each other about how your week had been going, and eventually, they became a more official drama spilling time once a week.

You made your way over to the table, setting out your fresh-caught shrimp on a shiny silver platter you found in a shipwreck a few years back. "Now, what's up with you?"

"Not much this week." Ursula remarked. "Oh! Morgana sent news from wherever she's been hiding. She sends her regards."

"Nice to hear. I, on the other hand, had a rather interesting week." you responded.

"Oh, do tell. I'm sure one hears all sorts of things when not confined to a secluded cave," your wife said, clearly intrigued.

"Well, for starters, one of your nieces got married on Tuesday. Adella, I think."

"How... touching."

"Yes, very." you deadpanned. "And, my favorite shrimp stand guy is moving to the Pacific, so I have to find a new one. In top of that, Triton has been acting weird lately. I think it has something to do with Ariel and Eric's new brat."

"Sounds like you had an eventful week." Ursula sounded more than a little bitter. "Why do you even stay here when there's so... much happening in the kingdom?"

"Because, my love," you moved around the table to plant a kiss on her cheek. "You're here. Where you are, I am. Where you go, I follow."

"In that case..." Ursula said teasingly, "We shall travel the seven seas together, if you wish to come."

You beamed at your wife. "Of course I will!"

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A little rushed, but still pretty good, I think!

[teevitando]

                       𓏲        ֺ       you’ve worn a  𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌  for so  𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨                               that you’ve  𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 [ w h o ] you were                                                          𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩  it. ヽ

          ❛  𝑾𝑬𝑳𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑽𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑬𝑳.  ⸻   filha de ariel e eric, sua insubordinação é facilmente explicada, e evita não faz questão alguma de esconder sua insatisfação com o novo sistema. fadada a tornar-se rúb, a gananciosa, não está nada feliz com o futuro que lhe é reservado, e se esforçará para revertê-lo. com seus vinte e seis anos, está atualmente no terceiro módulo dos vilões e cursa aulas na torre das nuvens, mas está mais interessada em usar seu tempo para buscar aliados para reerguer seu reino e modificar o sistema, enquanto tenta não socar cada filho de vilão que cruza seu caminho.

         ❛ ₍  𓂃 ₎  …   𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏. ❜      ���࣪◜𝑵𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 — pinned post ◞      ヽ  dossier.  &  connections.

𓏲        ֺ  PODER

suppressor: através de um contato direto com a pele de seu alvo, evita é capaz de inibir os poderes da outra pessoa, sendo o efeito hoje de um par de horas. mas é imaginado que, com o treinamento adequado, ela se torne capaz de remover completamente os poderes de um indivíduo. será mesmo?

𓏲        ֺ  DAEMON

denominado argyros após uma breve análise das escamas do dragão macho, em tom que remete a prata pura, e por vezes refletem como um espelho, o daemon de evita é a perfeita tradução do que a lady está fadada a se tornar: vaidoso, arrogante, altivo, crítico e orgulhoso. as membranas de suas asas parecem transparentes à primeira vista, mas engana-se quem acredita serem frágeis por conta disso. argyros possui altura o suficiente para ser montado, sendo capaz também de sustentar evita no ar por horas; também apresenta a habilidade de reduzir seu tamanho o suficiente para aconchegar-se no ombro da strand sem incomodá-la. suas garras lembram o metal que traduz seu nome: a prata; assim como os pequenos chifres que adornam sua cabeça e cauda. quando em estatura mediana, assumida para acompanhar evita em caminhada, o andar de argyros é altivo e arrogante, demonstrando uma indiferença por qualquer outro ser além da garota e também uma superioridade ímpar, como se fosse um privilégio aos demais estarem em sua companhia. protetor com a filha de ariel, se torna agressivo quando dela se aproximam de forma ofensiva, mostrando suas garras e posicionando-se para defendê-la. ainda que sejam incapazes de se comunicar, o daemon tornou-se um refúgio para as angústias da garota, que tem ciência de que já se apegou demais.

𓏲        ֺ  CONEXÕES

#MUSE A aka @amarailoviu​ ✧ a verdade é que muse faria qualquer coisa por evita, assim como ela faria por el@. se conhecem há muitos anos e há barreiras morais que ultrapassaram há muito tempo um pelo outro, e todos sabem que se mexem com um, consequentemente mexeram com o outro. em outras palavras, são melhores amigos.

#MUSE B aka @calitheas​ ✧ provavelmente começaram com o pé esquerdo, algo que houve entre os muses os fizeram desgostar um do outro no mesmo instante. a troca de farpas é óbvia e notável, mas há algum vínculo entre eles que os faz vacilar na pseudo-inimizade e por momentos um se vê ajudando ao outro, mas com aquele gosto amargo na boca. 

#MUSE C aka @kasparzinho​ ✧ a má influência de evita, que tenta persuadi-la a abraçar seu futuro agora, incitando-a para o mal.

#MUSE D aka @bcstboy​​ ✧ é mais velhx e age de maneira protetora em relação a evita, a enxergando como uma irmã mais nova. seu relacionamento com muse proporciona a ela a oportunidade de viver algo próximo de ter uma família novamente. 

#MUSE E aka @ptecomermlr​ ✧ evita não é a pessoa mais fácil do mundo, mas muse desperta realmente o pior dela, tornando-a quase uma adolescente petulante. os olhos sempre reviram, e ela é incapaz de ignorar as provocações, mas mais do que isso, ela tem certeza de que pode acabar dando uns socos em muse qualquer dia.

#MUSE F ✧ o relacionamento dos dois é puramente físico. há alguma coisa muito especial em como seus corpos se conectam e não é uma relação que qualquer um dos dois esteja pronto para deixar de lado. evita e muse deixaram muito claro que não tem a intenção de ter algo a mais e isso está ótimo como está.

#MUSE G aka @kaiunomeupapin​ ✧ mesmo o amor sendo proibido e qualquer sinal de felicidade pisoteado, muse se tornou mais do que um crush para evita. contudo, o fato dos anos estarem passando e a promessa de que os dois se esquecerão do outro em breve está abalando o namoro.

#MUSE H aka @lonelyberen ✧ muse é a pessoa que trás o altruísmo de evita à superfície, e por isso ela adota uma postura extremamente protetiva em relação ao outro. independente de onde vem, é capaz de arriscar alto para defender essa pessoa de tudo.

#MUSE I aka ​ ✧ evita e muse flagraram um ao outro em situações, no mínimo, intrigantes, acabando por descobrir algum segredo que o outro guardava. isso pode ficar ainda mais desastroso por nenhum dos dois ceder, fazendo com que vivam uma guerra fria. tanto evita quanto muse não se importam em usar isso contra o outro para seus próprios benefícios, sempre mantendo uma ameaça velada, aquela coisa meio tensa, e explorando as vantagens que o outro tem.

#MUSE J aka @bolladonnas​​ ✧ [filhos de vilões] muse tem conhecimento do desejo de evita em mudar o sistema atual, o que o deixa completamente enfurecid@, já que acredita que qualquer mocinho ou descendente dessa linhagem tem que ficar caladinho pelo tanto que fizeram vilões sofrerem. por isso, muse está disposto a fazer qualquer coisa para atrapalhá-la e pode se tornar um verdadeiro empecilho para ela.

#MUSE K aka @sssade​​ ✧ [filhos de vilões] muse entre todas as pessoas da escola, é o aliado menos provável que evita pensou que encontraria, por ser filho de vilão. mas muse apresentou muita insatisfação com o sistema atual, e apesar de ser complicado confiarem um no outro, pode ser benéfico trabalharem juntos.

#MUSE L aka @sevbitch​ ✧ a amizade de evita e muse começou exclusivamente aos benefícios que um poderia obter do outro. da parte da strand, tem relação com os interesses que ela tem pelo mar, mais especificamente por onde sua mãe tem nadado. mas veio se tornando algo à mais, principalmente após reconhecerem objetivos e gostos semelhantes.

#MUSE M aka @cheiadastoria​​ ✧ ela não sabe que tipo de vantagem pode oferecer para muse, mas definitivamente sabe como se beneficiar dessa pessoa, e é por isso que se aproximaram, e evita usa as habilidades de astoria para gerar simpatia em pessoas que possam apoiar sua causa com arhus.

𓏲        ֺ  HISTÓRIA

sempre existiram futricos sobre o filho de styliani strand ser um vagabundo que não apreciava o título de príncipe herdeiro, gostando apenas dos benefícios provindos da coroa, como o dinheiro e a impunidade. velejando os mares como verdadeiro explorador, em busca não só de aventuras mas também para pôr em prática os aprendizados de negociação que havia adquirido ao longo dos anos, eric não se incomodava em desmentir aqueles boatos. às vezes, é claro, quando em terra firme, fazia questão de tocar no assunto em tom humorado, apenas para trazer desconforto aos nobres que disseminavam aquelas fofocas e ao mesmo tempo pareciam querer lamber suas botas. ninguém gostaria realmente de cultivar uma inimizade com o futuro governante de arhus, de modo que eram condescendentes com seus deslizes e suposta vida boêmia. isso até casar-se com uma sereia, é claro. 

foram meses bastante conturbados no reino, com ameaças veladas de golpe e diversos pedidos de audiências com o rei. foi nesse cenário que styliani renunciou e eric foi coroado rei, com ariel assumindo o trono ao seu lado como rainha. não importava o quanto eric pedisse para que fossem tolerantes com ela, pequenos tumultos começaram a surgir, mas foi a própria sereia quem conseguiu acabar com eles. ariel demonstrou um carinho incondicional com o povo, que era seu agora, acolhendo mesmo quando era atacada, e foi por sua benevolência que foi aceita e amada. cientes do sacrifício que havia feito para se tornar humana, e tocados pelo amor que ela exalava, o seu povo não teve outra alternativa senão aceitá-la em retribuição, e exigir que fosse mais participativa em assuntos parlamentares. afinal, ainda que não entendessem porque a rainha servia salmoura, ninguém era capaz de dizer que ela era uma má governante. melhor do que eric inclusive, alguns arriscavam dizer.

foi nesse momento tranquilo da história de arhus que evita nasceu, rodeada por um ambiente de amor e encantamento, com sua chegada planejada e desejada não apenas por seus pais, mas por todos de sua nação. embora fosse cercada por luxo e riqueza desde o início de sua vida, a jovem princesa não apresentava indícios de ser uma criança mimada. havia sido educada com regras, e disciplina, por pais dedicados que se esforçaram para transmitir valores nobres e uma educação sólida. desde tenra idade aprendera que suas ações afetam não apenas ela, mas sua família como um todo, e sua personalidade havia sido polida com esse pressuposto. e tudo fluía bem, até meados de seus cinco anos, quando os futricos que evita ouvia sobre os vilões estarem se erguendo se tornarem realidade.

sua mãe foi amaldiçoada a retornar para a forma de sereia, e seu pai, tomado pelo desespero de viver sem ela, mobilizou uma grande tripulação para explorar os mares em busca de sua rainha. s situação, no entanto, deixou a pequena princesa isenta da presença protetora de seus progenitores. seu avô passou a contar histórias para ela, sobre o que os vilões haviam feito e como deveriam pagar sobre aquilo, doutrinando a mente frágil ainda que jamais fosse usar essa palavra. a experiência solitária e os incentivos do mais velho passaram a moldar a personalidade da garotinha com aspectos de rancor e raiva, até mesmo ganância e desejo por vingança. e foi movida por isso que a garota decidiu ela própria buscar uma solução, velejando em alto mar com a esperança de encontrar úrsula e ser mais esperta que a bruxa. antes que pudesse distanciar-se muito da costa, uma tempestade a alcançou, fazendo com que seu pequeno barco virasse e ela se afogasse, o que desencadeou um medo do mar. o explora ainda, é claro, desde que dentro de um navio seguro.

com o passar dos anos, o exílio da mãe pela maldição, a ausência do pai e o adoecimento do avô, responsável por despertar nela interesses políticos após compartilhar histórias sobre as conquistas de seus antepassados na política e na batalha, evita assumiu a gerência do reino. ou o que havia sobrado dele, já que a nova ordem dos vilões havia afetado a todos e a antes quente, rica e linda arhus havia se tornado tão quebrada quanto a família governante. evita ostentou com orgulho seu título de lady, e ainda que não houvesse nada para oferecer, esforçou-se para fazer aliados dispostos a ajudá-la na restauração de seu lar. tudo mudou, contudo, ao ir para tremerra, sua última esperança para dias melhores, e descobrir ao que estava fadada. embora o baque tenha sido grande, e tenha demorado um pouco para recuperar-se, a garota encontrou seu caminho de volta ao propósito inicial, e está ainda mais determinada a restaurar arhus agora que sabe que seu tempo é limitado.

[ithillyienseowyn]

See I've been thinking about this for quite a bit now in the midst of everyone trying to divide and conquer what version of The Little Mermaid is the 'best one' {TM} and then I think to just how linear and straight forward the animated actually is {not hating, far from it, and its something I definitely caught in the midst of my whole let me go prove my x y and z to everyone's a b c and d mentality}.

And I've been thinking about HOW and WHY the LA feels like such a gut wrench all consuming feeling, {mind you its all I've thought about for a whole half month}.

And I think its because they took care to expand so much of the story that wasn't just your standard animation and musical by pulling bits from the original HCA story, as well as pulling the whole bit of Ariel's mom dying from Ariel's Beginning and taking bits and pieces from Return to the Sea, add on to how AUTHENTIC the romance actually feels without being the straight forward linear beat for beat that the animated one is. Like they really took that and decided yeah no Ariel and Eric will still have that linear from the animated but we are going to really LEAN INTO the whole fact that they are actually strangers to acquaintances to friends to lovers. I'm kissing the ground for them making them friends in between literally everything but I think because that whole aspect rocked me so hard was because of how those two really just became besties on set as filming progressed. Which makes the whole bit with them saying goodnight even more insane because yeah dude realized he's in love but it had the whole vibe of {oh shit... I'm in love with my best friend?} and that's not even adding in the fact that you could actually FEEL everything Ariel and Eric were feeling as the relationship progressed... like this movie and Rob Marshall really said YOU THE AUDIENCE DONT JUST GET TO WATCH A SIMPLE DYNAMIC BETWEEN TWO YOUNGSTERS GROW YOU GET TO BE THE THIRD WHEEL TO THIS ROMANTIC JOURNEY NO NOTES. {Not to bring this up again but....the whole suddenness of how he grabs for her hand during the Kiss the Girl scene rocked me so hard the moment it happened that it literally nearly took me out.} That's why when they have the extra time separated after the battle with Ursula it just gets you in the most UNEXPECTED WAY and makes you see all the obstacles that are against them. In hindsight they could've made it so basic by not constantly throwing things at the both of them. But they deliberately chose not to so...

All that being said it really makes me think on just how much those two actually go through this whole entire movie because god the ending and them finally together and reunited feels so EARNED and DESERVED.

And I know it shouldn't shock me but I'm still thrown by the fact that out of all the disney live actions this movie is the longest out of all the live action runtimes.

I really don't want people thinking that I'm discrediting the classic when I say this but the difference to me is that yes I loved the animation as a kid but I also had a myriad of other Ren Era classics that I loved a tad bit more, it really depended on the day but sit me down with any of those era films and I will quote half of the movie {if not the whole thing} so this live action being one of my fave faves from the tip of the Ren Era is this weird euphoric feeling?

This movie is so special to me :') :')

[tretramonti]

There had been few ceremonies that Eric hadn't dreaded. The announcement of his engagement to Ariel, his wedding, and this one. Sometimes he thought he'd been too busy with preparations to worry much, though that hardly ever happened at any other event. Thankfully Ariel had been as patient as ever with him, and even now she smiled as he looked to her for reassurance. And when his new Admiral arrived, Eric could finally breathe.

At least for the amount of time it took for said admiral to pledge his loyalty on his knees. Eric desperately hoped no one saw the heat rise in his cheeks. Except Ariel, at least, because she saw everything, and she only smiled and made a mental note to remind her husband that she knew exactly what he was feeling and to keep it up--not only was it adorable, but her sailor and her new admiral could never stop making eyes at one another.

After the ceremony was a reception that lasted until just before sunset. And once most of the guests had filtered away, Ariel and Eric approached James again. Of course the offer for drinks after still stood, but they had a gift to offer him first.

It was Ariel who made that invitation, with Eric at her side. "We've got a carriage to take us to the harbor. There's something we'd like to show you."

Being a seaside kingdom, the main port was only a short carriage ride away, and though Ariel was beginning to feel the weight of her emerald gown heavier than ever, the destination would be worth it.

Eric's chest swelled with pride as he disembarked the carriage and led Ariel and James to the newest ship in the harbor, at the end of the now torchlit docks that illuminated the mighty and yet elegant frigate, with the name Trinità emblazoned on her stern. She shined, towering and strong, in the fading light.

"She came out of dry dock a couple of weeks ago," Eric beamed, having only seen her once since she was finished. "We had to keep you away because--well, she needed to be in the water for the last touches."

Ariel was busy looking at the surface and just below. Though it was difficult to see, she caught beneath the waves the radiant sliver of blue-green color that shimmered in a way no paint humans used ever could.

"There's a mural on the bottom of the ship. See?" She tugged James's arm for him to look. "The first one ever on a human ship decorated by merfolk. It might be easier to see when the ship is actually sailing, but underneath it's the most beautiful painting of a pod of whales swimming with merfolk towards the starry sky. We wanted a symbol of all of us coming together, and now everyone in the sea will know this is a kingdom that sees them, too."

Eric laid a hand on James's shoulder, about to say something, but before he could, Ariel took both of her new Admiral's hands in hers.

"It means so much that you and Eric will be sailing on this ship with me. Thank you."

And by the time Eric did speak, he hadn't let go of his Admiral's shoulder. "She's right--thank you. It's been wonderful to have you."

Eric caught Ariel's doe eyes after, too, when she added, "And you'll have us later for drinks tonight, won't you?"

As James prepared for the ceremony, he  was a bundle of excitement and nerves, while standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his uniform. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. This ceremony meant more to him than any before. It wasn’t just about assuming a new position; it was about standing alongside Eric and Ariel, the two individuals who had come to mean so much to him.

He meticulously smoothed out any creases in his jacket, fixing his cravat while reflecting on the journey that had led him here. The moments he had spent with Eric and Ariel, the conversations they had shared, and the subtle touches that had left him feeling both exhilarated and apprehensive.

They made him happy, undeniably so.  He had become increasingly drawn to Eric’s confidence and kindness, and Ariel’s vibrant spirit had captured his heart in ways he never thought possible.

But amidst his happiness, a hint of nervousness lingered. What did his feelings truly mean? Could he allow himself to hope for something more? James couldn’t deny the strong connection he felt with both Eric and Ariel, but he also couldn’t ignore the complexities and uncertainties that came with such emotions.

With a final adjustment to his uniform, James took a deep breath and stepped out of his quarters. The grand palace courtyard awaited him, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. The sound of the band playing filled the air, and anticipation thrummed through his veins.

The band played the triumphant fanfare then, alerting him that it was time, and his heart swelled with pride. He couldn’t believe that he, James Norrington, was  finally about to become an Admiral. It was an honor beyond words.

Keep reading

[birdies-aus]

Au Masterlist / Tagging Key

ok so half intro post half au list

My names Ru or Birdie and i make a lot of AU ideas in my silly little head and i lobe having attention so ill draw those ideas and occasionally ill post them on this account.

most of my aus will go off of the Young Justice (Cartoon) season 1 team dynamics simply because thats the first piece of DC content i consumed.

Though i will eventually try to branch more into comic characterizations of characters (kon) and team dynamics (nightwing being closer with titans than yjcartoon team)

#Birdie AU - Talon!Dick Grayson Au

my second au ever made ... honestly its my au that stretches at the bounderies of whats considered an au the most

most bc along with basically deaging to around tims age i deaged the YJcartoon team with him so i could give him some friends

character list:

- Birdie - Dick Grayson

he doesn't remember his past before the court. Hes spent the last several years either cryogenically frozen or being trained or following orders.

he sees Jason as an older brother. But also a younger brother after hes told that he is actually supposed to be older.

He has a lot of identity issues, unsure of who or what he is or how he should present himself.

its a lot of fun for me

endgame relationships

birdie/wally/artemis/zatanna | birdie&artemis | wally&zatanna || Timber || superbat

#TMAAU - The Magnus Archives Au

An AU placing the YJCartoon team into the Magnus Archives

TMA fans might be concerned bc of the canonical character dwath in the podcast but i am avoiding it bc i am a weak baby

character list:

-Jon - Connor

-Sasha - Kaldur

-Tim - Wally

-Martin - M'gann

-Michael - Dick

-Melanie - Tim

-Basira - Zatanna

-Daisy - Artemis

-Elias - Luthor

-Agnes - Bernard

-Gertrude - i wanna make her Slade for silly reasons

#Mermaid Wally AU - The Little Mermaid Au

Basically the plot of the little mermaid but its Birdflash bc im a simple birdflash fan

characters/roles:

Ariel - Wally

Eric - Dick

Grims - Alfred

Flounder - Artemis C

Sebastion - either Garth or Kaldur

Scuttle - either Mgann or Zatanna

Roy and Jason r in more made up roles that parallel scuttle and sebastion trying to help dick and wally get together. Jason is Dick little brother wants everyone to stop talking about when his older brother is going to get married AND he seems to he making Heart Eyes Around Wally so like win win and Roy is usually fine to let Dick do what he wants, best firend things. but descides to help dicks little brother in his antics

(disclaimer this au is Not Jayroy- jasons story mostly focuses on aroace jason hc)

I have no idea who ursula should be its so hard

#PKMN AU - Pokemon Trainer Au

really a simple au that gives me an excuse to imagine them as pkmn trainers and gives my friend excuses to create plmn teams for them

alsp mostly @mbirnsings-71 s au as she makes the teams tbh i might just occasionally draw things from it

#miracu au - Miraculous Ladybug Au

An au where i take dc characters and shove them into the miraculous ladybug universe !!

the character list would make this pinned post too long, so I'll link a miracu au info post in a little bit but ill add

that obvious its birdflash... im so predictable...

Marinette | ladybug - wally | junebug

TBC...

Adrien | Chat Noir - dick | acrocat

#xmen au - X-Men Au

basically so far ive jsut put thr batfam into the xmen school for mutants

mostly just birdflash content, but i am like trying to think of others in the context of the au! it mostly just started as a way for me to destress from doing zine work :)

there are more, but these are the ones I've posted so far, and im unsure if i should add the unposted ones to the list before i post them / make tags for them

[fourdiagnosesinatrenchcoat]

Do you have some queer book recommendations, then? Regarding the recent post?

OH BOY DO I!

I'm a professional bookseller and try to get paid for my opinions but let's be honest, when someone asks for queer book recs you are going to struggle to shut me up two hours later

Amateur by Thomas Page McBee

This transcendent memoir chronicles the author's experience training to fight in a charity boxing match as an absolute novice--and by extension his exploration of masculinity as a transgender man. Beautiful writing about what it means to be a man in 21st-century America.

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin et al

Bingo Love made me cry on an Amtrak train. It's a wonderful romance about two women who fall in love as teenagers, but are separated by their families, only to come into each other's lives again when they are grandmothers.

The Rules do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

Ariel Levy's blistering memoir is a beautiful piece of writing that centers around a time of her life that can only be described as devastating. Perhaps it is her journalistic training that keeps this story from feeling sentimental. I loved every word.

The Manor House Governess:A Novel by C A Castle

This is a modern queer take on Jane Eyre (which was never really my thing -- Heathcliff rules, Rochester drools) in which a gender queer young person takes a job as essentially a governess for the daughter of a wealthy British landholder. The household is full of mystery, including the girl's brooding older brother who our hero is undeniably drawn to.

Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson

I've read this book so many times.

The reader never learns the gender of the narrator of this love story--which would feel like a gimmick in the hands of a lesser writer. Winterson uses the premise to explore the nature of love and self.

The Magic Fish (A Graphic Novel) by Trung Le Nguyen

This is a gorgeous coming of age story, full of art nouveau-esque illustration, fairy tales, immigrant longing and struggles, and young queer hearts just pulsing with life.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

**read this one when you need the same feeling as you got from Red White and Royal Blue but with a little less sex**

This book charmed my pants off. Liz is a wonderful, memorable heroine, with a lot of obstacles in her way, but that doesn't stop her from finding her path forward. I laughed, I cried, I didn't want it to end.

Check, Please! Book 1 by Ngozi Ukazu

**read this when you need the same feeling you got from Heartstopper but with a little more sex**

You don't HAVE to love ice hockey to be totally charmed by Eric "Bitty" Bittle, the newest member of Samwell University's men's hockey team, and by Jack Zimmerman, the team's moody, stern, and totally gorgeous captain. Along with Book 2, presented here are Bitty's 4 years as a college hockey player, and the lessons he learns about life--and himself--in that time.

Outlawed by Anna North

A gender-bent, feminist, alternate universe Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid retelling, set in a world where the fledgling United States was decimated by a flu epidemic in the early 1800s. The remaining colonizer population is dedicated wholeheartedly to fertility and childbearing, so women (like Ada, our heroine) who cannot bear healthy babies are sent off to convents at best, or tried as witches at worst. She teams up with the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, and her adventures begin.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

High-brow science fiction that takes on issues of class (& related issues of race), corporate power, and personal identity.

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

A novel like none I've ever read before. Emezi drew from their own experiences for this narrative about self and power and sex, integrated with Nigerian folklore.

Mortal Follies: A Novel by Alexis Hall

A lesbian Regency romance narrated by Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream? Yes please! A sexy, fun, fantastical tale that's kicked off with the protagonist falling under a curse that promises ever increasing scandal and danger.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

A lush, thrilling sapphic fantasy set in an Indian inspired world full of dangerous magic and even more dangerous politics.

Mrs. S by K Patrick

Mrs S is gorgeous and casually devastating, a sexy slow burn obsessive forbidden queer love story. Every note is exactly right.

I'm stopping there cuz it's late and I've had a day but this is just pulling a fraction of the titles on my staff picks list.

[imagitory]

Review: The Little Mermaid (2023) [SPOILERS]

Hey, everyone! So I’ve finally seen the much-anticipated live action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, featuring Halle Bailey as our finned leading lady! (For my review of the original Little Mermaid I wrote a while back, you can click here!)

For those of you who wish to avoid spoilers, I will admit -- for someone who has never been a huge fan of these Disney LA remakes, this film is definitely one of the strongest I’ve seen thus far. There’s a lot I could see someone enjoying in this, and there were honestly changes made to the original film’s storyline and characters that I really, really liked. Even with those changes, though, there are a lot of things I don’t like about the finished product, which prevent me from calling this a great movie, most of which involve the characters surrounding our two romantic leads. I would definitely encourage you all to see this movie, because there obviously was a lot of hard work put into it and the two leads in particular deserve your support -- but if you are fans of the original Little Mermaid, it’s very possible that you will have very strong opinions about certain choices made, not all of them positive.

Without further ado...let’s dive right in!

The Good!

+Halle Bailey as Ariel. Although I would’ve preferred if she’d had a hotter temper the way Ariel in the original is depicted, she still has all of the curiosity, wonder, recklessness, courage, and conviction that our favorite little mermaid is supposed to have. You truly feel how much Ariel loves the human world and wants to be part of it, just like in the original. Any of those racists who crowed about Halle Bailey only being picked as part of some “woke” corporate decision are truly eating their words -- unlike Emma Watson, who was clearly cast as Belle for very surface-related reasons rather than for any vocal talent, Halle shines every time she’s on screen, and ESPECIALLY when she sings. Good friggin’ JESUS, does this girl have some amazing pipes!!

+ERIC!! OH MY GOD, ERIC!! As sad as I am to admit it, I’ve always found Eric to be rather bland, as Disney heroes go. Sure, he’s a nice enough guy who isn’t full of himself and likes dogs, but he’s still rather “genEric,” if you’ll excuse the pun. But here? Here, the story truly accents that he and Ariel are kindred spirits -- soulmates, in the truest sense! Eric feels just as trapped by his mother’s narrow world view as Ariel does by Triton’s -- he longs to explore new worlds and get to know new cultures just as much as she does -- he loves learning and discovering and breaking rules just as much as she does...he even has his own “grotto” where he keeps his treasures!! (I actually gasped out loud in delight when I saw that panning shot of Eric’s study! It’s just like the one of Ariel’s grotto, right down to the skylight!!) 

+Partially because of the heightened focus on Eric’s character, Eric and Ariel’s relationship was infinitely more interesting to me! I loved them connecting over learning new things in Eric’s study, even before going into town together -- it really highlights one of the best things about Ariel and Eric’s relationship in the original film, which is that even without her voice, Ariel is strong, passionate, charming, and likable enough that Eric can see her heart clearly and falls in love with her regardless. Even without her voice, Ariel’s agency shines through, and so do her feelings for Eric and the human world overall. Halle and Jonah’s interactions were overflowing with chemistry, and you got to really see Eric and Ariel falling in love in a convincing way, even despite the limited time frame. 

+Ariel clutching statue!Eric’s broken hand! Oh gosh, the symbolism of that, how I love it!! Like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, all Ariel really wants is “someone to understand” -- that, excuse me, human connection is a longing she can hardly put into words, and it’s just heart-wrenching. 

+Ariel and Eric stargazing and Ariel using the constellation Aries to tell Eric her name was such clever writing, as well as absolutely precious. It’s choices like this that really prove to me how much Eric and Ariel’s relationship really meant to the screenwriters and how sincere they wanted it to feel. 

+The colors were great! I was really worried from what I saw in the trailers that this film was going to be bland and unsaturated in its visuals, but I’m so glad they fixed them in time for the premiere, because they look so much better. The mermaids’ coloring in particular was really very pretty. 

+The costumes by Colleen Atwood were pretty good too, even though far more understated than a lot of her other work. I even enjoyed the cool “fishy” cape that King Triton wore in his first appearance, though he never used it again, which was kind of disappointing. 

+I’m honestly glad the film cut Les Poissons. The whole scene from the original was kind of uncomfortable and unnecessary, and its exclusion was a welcome change, even if it did result in Sebastian sounding much brattier when he complained to Ariel that she should appreciate “all that he’s done” for her. 

+Every time Halle sang was amazing, period, full stop. Even Jonah, Daveed, and Melissa did pretty well with their songs, though I’ll talk about issues I had with them later. 

+The effects for the merpeople and environments overall were quite well done! The storm scene was super suspenseful, even with prior knowledge of what was going to happen, and I really enjoyed the camera work that created this feeling of floating and weightlessness in the merpeople when they were underwater. 

+I thought the ending where Triton and the other merpeople came up in a show of solidarity for Ariel before her and Eric’s sea voyage was sweet. I liked it in the original when they came for Ariel and Eric’s wedding too, but I kind of liked Triton expressing vocal support for his youngest daughter and the rest of mer-kind appearing too, so that both worlds -- on land and under the sea -- came together as one to support their two royals as they embarked on this new adventure together to hopefully improve the lives of all of their subjects. 

+Max is a good dog. But hey, he’s always been a good dog. I especially love how he and Ariel are kind of buddies from the get-go. 

The Not-So-Good...

+Scuttle. Oh my GOD, was she insufferable. I was worried when I first heard Scuttle was going to be played by Awkwafina, who -- I’ll just be honest -- I don’t really care for as an actor and don’t find very funny or likable...but I had no idea they were actually going to make her SING, maybe aside from that one little bit Scuttle had in Kiss the Girl. But not only did Scuttle make a really uncomfortable pop culture reference when trying to serenade Eric and at one point obnoxiously go off-key in Kiss the Girl when I was actually somewhat enjoying the harmonies, but she then goes on to get her OWN number. Yeah, a WHOLE SONG where she can be completely obnoxious. I never thought I would detest a song the great��Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote, but Awkwafina sure managed to make The Scuttlebutt impossible to sit through. Not even Daveed Diggs could make it better for me when he jumped in halfway through. Couple this with a “realistic” design that can’t emote anything except “singing bass mounted on your wall” and it’s little wonder I feel nothing but revulsion toward this character. 

+Flounder! Not only did his “realistic” design make him much less colorful and cute, but his lack of expression completely counteracted Jacob Tremblay’s sadly only mediocre acting performance, making the entire character dull and lacking in pathos. This is supposed to be Ariel’s BEST FRIEND -- the one character who she trusts enough to confide in, even if he doesn’t understand her obsession with human things and is a total scaredy-cat, all because he loves her just the way she is -- and yet you feel nothing for either Flounder or his relationship with Ariel in this movie. Yes, perhaps it makes more sense for Ariel to find Eric’s statue and bring it back to her grotto herself than Flounder somehow smuggling into her grotto for her with no explanation...but the action showcased how much Flounder supports Ariel, even when he’s scared of humans himself and wishes Ariel wouldn’t break the rules all the time. Here, Flounder doesn’t show even half that amount of caring for Ariel’s feelings -- partly because his animation won’t let him, and partly because the screenwriters never let him express it.

+Sebastian. Now I’ll be fair -- Daveed Diggs does have a few good moments in this movie as Sebastian, mostly in the singing sphere, but he still has none of the dynamic personality the original Sebastian does. Part of this is because -- like Flounder and Scuttle -- his design doesn’t let him emote enough, but it’s also because the writers almost never let him express anything besides cynicism or dry humor. They even take away Sebastian’s love and passion for music by just making him Triton’s Major Domo, rather than the lead conductor of the royal orchestra! So yeah, Sebastian in this movie is pretty much just “under-the-sea Zazu.” The few times Sebastian tries to express sincere emotion in this movie, it falls flat, because of the poor direction Daveed’s been given. There’s a lovely exchange from the original that they try to recreate in this movie where Sebastian finally stops doing what Triton would want and agrees to help Ariel, but Daveed’s delivery is so stilted that it doesn’t have any of the impact it should. Another time, when Ariel is on the rocks despairing about Eric choosing Vanessa, Sebastian starts to show some sympathy, saying that he’s seen Ariel and Eric together and he’s convinced they’re supposed to be together...only for the monologue to get crashed into by Scuttle trying to move the plot along before we can let any emotion in the scene congeal! Sebastian is one of the characters that goes through the biggest evolution in this movie, and that arc falls completely flat in this film, thanks to a bad combination of unemotive CGI animation and poor writing and acting choices. 

+Triton. If Sebastian’s arc fell flat, Triton’s really didn’t work for me. Half of what makes Triton’s storyline and by extension Ariel’s so meaningful is that Triton starts off as an objectively pretty poor father to his youngest daughter, but he ends up learning the error of his ways and becomes a better man and a better father by accepting his daughter was right and learning to let her go. At the beginning of the story, Triton is furious because his youngest daughter misses a concert where all of his children were set to sing a song heralding him (“Oh, we are the daughters of Triton, great father who loves us and named us well”). Later he consistently shouts Ariel down when she tries to explain that humans aren’t all bad. He interrupts her more than once, actively refusing to listen, and his temper is violent enough that Ariel finally just has to swim off choking back tears, running to her treasures for some semblance of comfort. In this version, though? Triton never gets violent or aggressive in the beginning -- he acts a bit pompous, perhaps, when greeting his daughters, and he’s cross when Ariel’s not there...but when she arrives, he never yells at her. He never rages at her. He never even interrupts her! And yet he still acts all guilty when she leaves (”was I too hard on her?”) and Ariel acts like he’s being so unfair to her. And then, at the drop of a hat and while expressing nothing but raw hurt rather than volatile rage, Triton destroys Ariel’s treasures “for her own good.” Worse, unlike Triton in the original, he doesn’t even spare the slightest look back at Ariel or look the least bit sorry about seeing how much he’s hurt his daughter. That’s somehow even MORE cruel than the original version, even though earlier he’s depicted as so much more reasonable! Ariel expresses disappointment that Triton just “won’t listen,” a sentiment echoed later by Eric about his own mother -- but honestly, in both Triton’s and the Queen’s cases, they weren’t aggressive enough for the parallel to work or for Triton’s arc in accepting his daughter’s choices to have much of an impact. 

+Ursula. It wasn’t really that Melissa McCarthy was bad, persay -- she’s certainly better than most of the other LA remakes’ villains in overall presence and performance...but I’m sorry, she’s still just way less fun to hate than the original! For one, her constantly talking about her plan to herself and making it super obvious what she’s doing the entire time got old really fast -- Ursula in the original was perfectly willing to keep some of it under wraps until the end where it was necessary to make everything clear, and I think it made her come across as much more intelligent and crafty. There’s also a part toward the end where she just goes completely nuts looking for a potion ingredient for about thirty seconds that was utterly pointless. But the thing that saddens me most is what they cut out of Ursula’s character. The part of Poor Unfortunate Souls when Ursula tries to gaslight Ariel into thinking appearances are all that matter and “it’s she who holds her tongue who gets her man” may have been deleted in a misguided attempt to not promote that message (seriously, was anyone actually taking romantic advice from Ursula the Sea Witch??), but in truth, it showcased so much about Ursula’s character -- how, truthfully, she’s all about appearances, more than anything internal like one’s heart, morals, soul, or intelligence...and so she can’t fathom Ariel and Eric connecting over anything that isn’t superficial. Ursula being Triton’s sister is also, quite frankly, an idea I wish that was left discarded on the development floor. I don’t like the idea either here or in the musical, and here I dislike it even more, because at first it seemed like the filmmakers were going to reveal that the reason Ursula got exiled was related to what happened to Ariel’s mother or maybe even why Eric was found washed up on the shore by the King and Queen (since it’s said Ursula liked causing “trouble” between humans and merpeople), only to not deliver on it at all. Ariel also claims Ursula’s “nothing like how Triton described her” -- girl, HOW did he describe her, then, because she’s shady AF??

+Ariel using the sunken ship’s bow to kill Ursula instead of Eric. Look, Disney, I’m all for a strong female lead, but you already HAVE one, in Ariel. There’s nothing wrong with Ariel needing to be rescued too, now and again. In the original, Ariel and Eric trade saving each other’s lives, and it’s honestly kind of adorable -- in this film where they’re even more like peers, it would’ve been a great choice. And honestly, Eric saving Ariel would’ve meant so much more even in this film, and it all comes back to Triton’s arc again. After Triton is resurrected (I’m sorry, the film really did NOT make clear that that was even possible, so that felt like a major deus ex machina), Ariel tells her father than she “had help” in saving his life. How much more would that have been true if ERIC had been the one who stabbed Ursula, or that Eric and Ariel steered the ship together? Hell, how much more would it have proven that Triton’s world view was wrong? The whole reason he supposedly hates humans -- to the point that he’s made the seas so turbulent that Eric’s kingdom is pretty much isolated from the rest of the world -- is because a human killed his wife. Imagine how much the Sea King’s narrow world view would open, if a human killed his wife, and yet a different human saved his daughter as well as him. It would prove what Ariel told Triton earlier on -- merpeople aren’t all the same, so why would humans be? It would also foster good feelings between Eric and Ariel’s father, the way Eric’s mother accepted Ariel at the end! in the original, we see Eric bow to Triton and Triton inclining his head respectfully in return, but in the new version, Eric looks nervous when Triton appears. 

+The new music...and you know, it breaks my heart to say this. I love Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work, but none of the new songs he wrote for this movie were that memorable, to me. Even Eric’s new song, which is pretty much Evermore fused with Her Voice from the Little Mermaid musical, left me kind of cold, even with how happy I was to hear a Disney prince sing in a LA remake WITHOUT autotune for a change! Goddamn it, Mena Massoud and Dan Stevens!!. Even if you do end up liking them, though, I feel that -- like Speechless in the Aladdin remake -- these new songs don’t blend well with the rest of the songs from the original movie, nor does the score do a good job blending the two disparate styles together. Even though I like the opening scene for what it is, something was really lost in not using the score to communicate time period and location the way the original Little Mermaid score does. Fathoms Below does a better job introducing the sailing ship Eric is on and the culture of the humans on it than the opening scene does on its own -- even though the song is used later when Ariel goes up to the surface, the impact of it being used to set the stage is lost. It’s like having Vuelie first pop up in Frozen during Elsa’s coronation, or like having The Circle of Life first play in The Lion King when Mufasa is teaching Simba about kingship -- the song might be good wherever you first hear it, but its placement setting the stage for the story we’re about to hear is important in both leaving an emotional impact on your audience and in helping tell the story. And considering how much Lin-Manuel obviously loves The Little Mermaid, I’m a little surprised he or Alan Menken didn’t emphasize to the other filmmakers just how much power a strong opening number can have. 

+For all of the songs added, there were quite a few places I wish there’d be more! Even if you didn’t want to use Daughters of Triton, couldn’t we at least have some new song where Ariel’s sisters could shine? What about Triton himself? If Only is a beautiful quartet from the musical featuring Sebastian, Triton, Eric, and Ariel -- why not use that, or write something new in that vein? Why couldn’t we have that fun little reprise Vanessa sings in the original about Ursula’s plans, or maybe a variation, since she already crowed out her plan to the audience so early on? Why not have a reprise of that mediocre song of Eric’s when he decides to stop seeking out his mystery girl and tell Ariel how he feels? Where’s our grand musical finale where Ariel and Eric finally get their happily-ever-after?! The very last song in this movie, excluding Under the Sea being reprised in the credits, is Ariel’s second sad reprise after Eric chooses Vanessa!!

+There was also a shocking lack of ensemble singing, in this. Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl are supposed to be dynamic group numbers, largely because Sebastian’s showmanship bleeds out of his every pore and makes other sea creatures flock around him with little effort -- but in this, only Ariel sings along with Sebastian in the first one, while only Flounder and Scuttle sing along with Sebastian in the second. It makes both songs way less exciting than they should be. Add to this that in Under the Sea, the filmmakers almost never bother to show any of the fish discussed in the song on screen, and you’re left with a much smaller and less dynamic performance. 

+I wish Ariel’s sisters could’ve played more of a role! It seemed at several points the filmmakers wanted them to be more involved in the family dynamic, such as when they remind Ariel she was too young to remember their mother’s death, but they honestly don’t do very much or leave much of an impact personality-wise. 

+The Hans Christian Andersen quote at the beginning sadly ended up completely meaningless in the film, since Triton cries upon saying goodbye to Ariel at the end. You can’t even act like the film was trying to “prove the quote wrong” either, because Triton’s character arc was given so little focus in the story and was so lacking in power compared to the original. 

+Ursula’s little secret proviso about Ariel not remembering that she has to kiss Eric...honestly, I don’t think it added a damn thing! Ariel already knows just kissing Eric isn’t enough -- it has to be a Kiss of True Love. The filmmakers went out of their way with the changes to the lyrics of Kiss the Girl to make it clear that Eric should only kiss Ariel when it’d be consensual -- why can’t it be the same way here? Ariel doesn’t want to kiss Eric when he wouldn’t want it either! Even better, why not have Ariel overhear Eric talking about his mystery girl to Grimsley, to the point that Ariel is left wondering if Ursula was right, that the only reason he’s even obsessed with her is her voice, and he didn’t even get the core of what she was singing to him? Not her wanting to connect with him, not her longing to be part of his world? It would give her all the more reason to worry when Vanessa shows up that Eric never truly cared at all and NOT suspect that something’s amiss!

+On the note of Ariel’s voice, there’s special focus put on Ariel supposedly “saving Eric with her song,” but...how?? She saved him by helping him choke up that water and then sang to him as he was waking up! If her voice is supposed to be magical, good, but the filmmakers really should’ve explained that better, because it would definitely give further justification for why Ursula wanted Ariel’s voice and for why she thought Ariel couldn’t charm Eric without it. Perhaps Triton could’ve blown up at Ariel about it, if Sebastian told him everything -- maybe he’d rage that humans never forget a siren’s song, that they’re too simple-minded to fight against them -- that Eric would hunt her down like an animal obsessively or some nonsense? Maybe we could even then have Eric resisting Vanessa’s influence the entire time too, so as to prove this idea wrong -- however strong and magical Ariel’s voice is, Eric’s heart is pure, and his connection with Ariel is strong enough that learning she’s disappeared wakes him up enough to try to fight back against Vanessa’s spell. Maybe even Scuttle could’ve realized that Eric was under a spell by seeing it first-hand -- seeing Eric resist Vanessa’s stolen voice, only to get overpowered temporarily with enough singing! All Vanessa needs is a few hours, after all -- if she can stay right by Eric until the sun sets, she wins. 

Overall, the film was kind of a rollercoaster for me. There were parts I was cheering and smiling at, and others I was cringing and frowning at. There were some real high notes, especially regarding our two main leads -- but there were also quite a few sour ones as well. Ariel’s relationship with Eric was developed beautifully, to the point I ship them even more than in the original film...but as a consequence, all of Ariel’s other relationships seemed to suffer. Her friendships with Flounder and Scuttle -- her relationship with Sebastian -- her strained relationship with her father -- even her hero-villain dynamic with Ursula -- all of them are considerably weaker and less engaging and emotional than in the original film, both from a writing and performance standpoint. And yeah, I’m not going to lie, that really hurts the finished product for me. I understand wanting to make likable heroes and romantic couples, but without just as likable of a supporting cast framing them, a movie, show, or even story is just not going to be as likable. I definitely think this live-action adaptation is better than a lot of other ones I’ve seen, and as I said, I strongly recommend seeing this and making your own conclusions...but personally, I can only really celebrate certain aspects of this film, and the original Little Mermaid will always remain my personal preference. I wish Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King the best in everything they do and I can’t wait to see how their careers progress...but sorry, I don’t think the seaweed is greener in this movie’s lake. However fun some of this film’s twists were, I’m happier swimming in more animated waters. 

Overall Grade: C+

[mai-komagata]

Thought for modern day mermaid fic

I saw these pictures of Rhys in his merman costume being wheeled around in a wheelchair to be put in the water tank... now I want a fic in modern times where mermaids are real, and they don't need magic witches to live among us, they just get wheelchairs or other assistive tech. They could fight for accessibility rights or something, and argue against a medical model of disability b/c there is nothing wrong with them. They are just fish people. Ariel could go visit her family in the weekends and live with Eric the rest of the time if they just had had better ramps.