#i will go add the tag to all other cloud kingdom posts later

[wannabemasterofwindintraining]

Wait do you have written out roles/ meanings on the Destiny Writer halos? :o I’m esp curious what a shepherd does!! (This may or may not be for my planning to make an oc…)

I did in fact write them down

N a shepherd is basically a farmer lol i just wanted to give them a cool sounding name

I have yet to decide on what crops they'd grow there but so far i decide on 2 animals living there who shepherds will probably be handling

Feel free to make up a meaning for the other halos or maybe even a whole new design

In fact make whatever lore u want about the cloud kingdom i welcome it

[melhekhelmurkun]

Long post ahead, babes, I’m sorry ab that! And a quick reminder beforehand: this blog is anti-Denethor. I do not like him. I think he was an abusive father and a very cold man. I would have put this under an anti-Denethor tag, but there isn’t one as far as I can tell. If you are a Denethor stan, I do not mind if you reblog and add your two cents to this, just please be respectful! While I love a good debate and I like to see the other side of people’s views, I am not going to be flat-out arguing with anyone about my opinion on this character, especially not trolls who attempt to bait me into anger. This post itself is not a bait at Denethor stans. I am, again, not trying to start a fight. This is just my opinion on him, and I am sort of playing devil’s advocate against myself anyways.

You know what? I will admit that Denethor was a brilliant Steward for most of the duration of the War of the Ring. I will admit that. Before he went psycho nuts and tried to burn himself and Faramir alive, I will admit that he was a pretty great leader. Dude was a fucking abysmal dad but he was a good Steward who led Gondor through a war - a war in which Gondor was fighting MORDOR! Mordor and Sauron! Nazgul probably featured in most battles in the late end of the War, when they weren’t ring-hunting. Hundreds of thousands of orcs, all on Gondor’s doorstep.

Minas Tirith was right there! It wasn’t further back in the White Mountains, it wasn’t closer to Dol Amroth, it was right fucking there facing Mordor and Minas Morgul directly. Everyday the people who lived there had to wake up and see their doom on the horizon. They had to see black mountains and unnatural storm clouds and flames in the sky. Everyday. But they didn’t panic (much) and they didn’t flee - some did, of course, but there were a lot of citizens still in Minas Tirith! They were all there because they believed their armies would protect them. They believed the walls of the fortress would protect them. They believed their Steward would protect them, that Denethor would protect them and lead them to victory and peace!

Boromir talked about his father’s rule failing, in Lothlorien. He talked about how Gondor was losing hope, losing faith, but this is well into the war at this point. Denethor became Steward in 2984, a year after Faramir was born and the same year of Ecthelion’s death. Then, in 3001, Bilbo leaves and gives the Ring to Frodo, who Gandalf tells to keep it safe while he tries to figure out what exactly it is. That’s 17 years as Steward, Sauron will soon have enough power to start seeking the Ring in earnest - but first he must go through Gondor.

Aragorn and Gandalf capture Gollum in 3009 and take him to Greenwood the Great (aka Mirkwood) so King Thranduil can have him imprisoned. This is more or less where the War begins, I assume. Saruman starts to weaken and ensnare Theoden in 3014, 5 years after the War started. That’s 5 years that Denethor has been leading Gondor against Mordor. Then 4 years later, the Nazgul are released to find the Ring + attack Osgiliath, which is a very important control point in this War.

As everyone should well remember, it was only after Osgiliath was fully lost to the orcs that the tide of the War turned entirely in Sauron’s favor, and it was only with Aragorn’s intervention with the Men of Dunharrow and the Rohirrim that Gondor survived. This means that for about 9 years, Denethor has been supporting and leading Gondor, making sure the spirits of the kingdom do not fall as the kingdom itself surely would if the people lost hope. Boromir has of course been doing most of the fighting as Captain-General, and Faramir has been doing a good bit of it as well as Captain of the Rangers, but the Steward is just as important as either of them in making sure that Gondor gets through this War.

The Council of Elrond is also in that same year the Nazgul are released (obviously) and that takes place in October. The Fellowship leave in December, making it to Moria and Gandalf’s death in 3019. That’s another year to add to Denethor’s rule during the War of the Ring. 10 years total fighting directly against Mordor, and it is only during the last year and a half of that fight that Denethor’s rule and sanity began to decline (I assume). However much I hate to say it, he’s very strong. You have to be of strong will and strong mind to go up against such a terrifying foe, and even stronger to battle him in the sense of the mind - which he did, with the Palantir.

Denethor regularly used the Palantir to get an edge over Mordor, and though Sauron likely manipulated what he was seeing and even directly spoke to him through the seeing stones, the Steward did not give in to him. He is an incredibly strong individual. Jealous and cold, stubborn to the point of malevolence at times, abusive and downright cruel when it comes to Faramir, but strong. I can respect his ability to lead, even if I fucking hate him with all of my being. I know I definitely would not have been able to lead a kingdom like that for two weeks let alone 10 years.

Anyways, just my thoughts on this. Sorry for the long post, doubly sorry if I got some of the timeline wrong (my favorite timeline website for tolkien was taken down, so I had to rely on the fandom wiki instead, meaning I got none of the explanations and half of the important dates)

[meepmorpperaltiago]

Change

Since I’ve been boring everyone with my Frozen obsession ever since I saw the movie and since I’ve literally been through the entire Kristanna tag on ao3 with a distinct lack of post Frozen 2 content, I decided to be the change I want to see in the world! Full credit to @397bartonstreet for the part where Kristoff and Anna kiss too early 

“How do I look?”, Anna mutters quietly, smoothing out the creases in her burgundy gown before going to touch her delicately crafted updo.

“Beautiful, just like always”, Kristoff responds, coming up behind to softly take her hands from her head, before wrapping his arms around her.

“You got this” he says, kissing her cheek. She smiles slightly in response, before turning around as Elsa enters the room. Seeing how regally her sister carries herself even in private makes Anna’s stomach drop even further. 

Where her sister has always glided, she’s never been able to do anything more than clumsily stumble through life. How can she ever come close to her?

Kristoff steps aside as Anna and Elsa hug and as they embrace, Elsa whispers in her ear “you’ll be fine”. A look of understanding passes between them, a look that reminds Anna of the fear present on Elsa’s face at her own coronation and it puts her back on solid ground slightly.

As she turns around later, now the Queen of Arendelle, she looks at both the people who’ve gotten her through everything and she knows that she’ll be ok.

-

After her coronation, as she’s also settling in to her new role as Queen, she can finally put time into planning another only slightly less nerve wracking but just as important ceremony. Most times when her and Kristoff have been able to spare a moment alone since they returned from the forest, wedding plans have frequently taken up their discussions. Whenever the pressures of her new role have weighed down heavily, she’s often felt for the orange ring resting on her finger and he beams whenever he sees her looking at it.

And now that her coronation is out of the way, those often-discussed plans can finally be put into action.

Invitations with gold edges are sent to every corner of the surrounding kingdoms, cakes are tasted (they choose chocolate of course), flowers are chosen and even the rehearsals for their first dance don’t go too horribly (they only step on each other’s feet 5 times.)

On one of her frequent visits, Elsa takes Anna aside with a sparkle in her eye, only saying that she has a surprise to show Anna, an early wedding gift. Before Anna can even question how she’s had time to plan a surprise when she hasn’t even been in Arendelle for a week, she’s stood in front of a white wardrobe, in a tower that she hasn’t visited in years. At Elsa’s signal, she slowly opens the wooden doors, to see an elegant white ballgown, with swathes of fabric in the puffed-up skirt, a shimmering bodice and flowers all along the puffy sleeves.

Their mothers dress.

“I put it away for you years ago”, Elsa explains, as Anna tentatively touches the dress, her eyes filling with tears. She can only hug her sister in response.

-

6 months after her coronation, Anna finds herself nervously staring into the same mirror again. She hears a distinctive knock on the door and knows instantly who it is.

“You look beautiful”, Elsa says slightly tearily. “But there is one more thing to add”, she then says, before adding ice accents and a long train to the dress.

Anna looks herself up and down one last time, before taking Elsa’s arm and walking towards the palace chapel.

As soon as she steps onto the aisle, as soon as she sees Kristoff beaming at her with the loving gaze she’s come to know so well in the last 3 and a half years, everything else falls away. She has to make a conscious effort to not start running towards him and if she’s being honest, it’s only Elsa’s arm in hers that stops her.

Clearly Kristoff is also floating on the same cloud, because as soon as she makes it to the altar he kisses her and only a pointed cough from the priest stops them.

After the rumble of laughter at their eagerness dies down, the ceremony begins. In Anna’s excitement, she can barley focus on the words being said as she gazes at her almost husband. Something about being gathered to join them in matrimony? The usual wedding stuff she guesses.

She does manage to pay attention when a ring is put in her hand and she’s asked if she takes Kristoff to be her husband. After they’ve both said “I do”, the priest quips that now they can kiss and she practically leaps into his arms.

For the rest of the day, through the dinner and the first dance (where they manage to get through the dance in one piece and not crush each others’ feet, which Anna considers a win) and the speeches and the cake cutting, the newly married couple are practically glued together, stealing kisses wherever they can and barely paying attention to anyone but each other.

As they quietly slip away from the ball much much later into the night, Anna’s never been happier.

[hyper-archives]

Aladdin(2019) Review

I had so much fun watching the Aladdin remake that I was inspired to write a review, comparing and contrasting it with the original! It’s under the cut so I don’t clutter dashes and tags:

Recently I watched the Aladdin reboot in theaters. I might not have given it a chance if a friend of mine hadn’t insisted to take us to the movies for a fun time. Usually I’m highly against Disney remakes, and I still am, but this one actually surprised me, again, for a Disney remake. There were some aspects that fell flat with me, yet some I actually liked better than the original. I was inspired to write a review for this, comparing and contrasting the two to see how they stand up against one another. Also, this contains spoilers! STORY: More often than not, when a Disney remake tries to “fix” plot holes and nitpicks of the original, as so beautifully demonstrated by the remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, they end up making their nitpicks even more prevalent and even worse. I was surprised to see that, with this movie, they added in aspects that I actually liked better than the original, which I honestly didn’t think was possible. Unfortunately, it gave off the impression that they felt like they had to speed through many of the original iconic scenes in order to get to those plot lines. Instead of the original’s beginning, starting with Arabian Nights and continuing with the merchant, very subtly being the Genie in disguise, this starts out with a character, very obviously played by Will Smith, beginning to tell a couple of children the story of Aladdin, followed by him singing the song. Though I didn’t like the the twist of the Genie actually being the narrator being so obvious this time around, as a lot of other aspects were far less subtle as well, the anticipation and slight build up to the Arabian nights song was rather exciting, and the song was extended as they took us on a tour of Agrabah. However, as I was talking about previously, the first Cave of Wonders scene is sandwiched in-between this introduction scene. This is where things take a different turn. A turn that I’m not all too crazy for. This time around, the One Jump Ahead sequence shares a scene with Aladdin and Jasmine’s escape from the guards, with the scene where she rejects the suitor playing after she returns to the palace from Aladdin's home, without the escort of the guards this time. She’s never told that Aladdin is to be executed. There’s no reason why they had to switch around these scenes, as, in the previous movie, the rejection of the suitor and the talk with her father was a better introduction to Jasmine’s character. However I’m wondering if they did this in order to feature more interaction between the two. In this movie, after Jasmine has to return to the palace, she asks where her bracelet is, believing Aladdin stole it, when it was actually Abu. Aladdin sneaks into the palace to return it to her, after which he’s captured and that’s where taken to the cave of wonders this time. Though I understand why they made this change, the flow of it is a little questionable. Nevertheless, the escape scene was fun to watch, and Jasmine’s reluctance to jump across the rooftops felt more realistic than a sheltered girl just suddenly getting the hang of doing so. Thankfully, the talk between Jasmine and her father feels a lot more meaningful. Instead of simply talking about wanting to be free and marrying for love, she wants the best for her kingdom, and expresses her sorrow for how poorly some of the peasants were living. I really like this addition, as it gives more compassion and responsibility to Jasmine without ruining her character. I also like the mention of their interaction with other kingdoms, as it feels less like Agrabah is a post-apocalyptic kingdom in the middle of nowhere. The Cave of Wonders scene is pretty underwhelming. Instead of disguising as a grizzly prisoner, Jafar is very direct with Aladdin, playing on the fact that he too was a peasant. I question what the change for this was others than the film doing something different, or perhaps it was the fact that the actor for Jafar wasn’t versatile enough to do that. The cave itself doesn’t come from a golden scarab, nor does it materialize from the sand, which is honestly greatly disappointing. The journey through the cave, the attempted escape, as well as Jafar’s immense devastation at the loss of the lamp, were all very mediocre. Thankfully, things pick up from here, quite obviously, with the Genie. His introduction, I’ll admit, is a little jarring at first, because this is where we really start to see the computer graphics at work, but regardless, it was well acted, lots of fun, and it’s clear to see that the crew did the best with the graphics they had. One little nitpick that I like that they fixed here is that they removed the scene of him attempting to kiss that exotic dancer, because, after he hit it off with Jasmine so well, I’m not sure why he’d do that if he’d want her as much as to make himself a prince entirely for her. After this, the humor really starts showing in the scene where Aladdin and the Genie get to know one another, and Aladdin reveals his feelings for Jasmine. What they don’t do with cartoonish gags, they make up for with witty dialogue and the actors’ execution of it. Then, comes perhaps my absolute favorite part, the Prince Ali scene. Again, they’re not able to pull off as many cartoon gags, so they compensate by spilling out as much color and character as a Disneyland parade. This scene is without a doubt on par with the original. The parade is followed by a scene that wasn’t in the movie, but I’m glad they added in. In this movie, the Genie is now disguised as a human accompanying him as what I’m assuming is his advisor as he aids in introducing Aladdin to Jasmine. Aladdin’s introduction is, to say the least, awkward. Hilariously awkward. Honestly, my insides were hurting from laughter. I suppose this is a good time to mention the addition of a new character, Dahlia, Jasmine’s handmaiden. She serves to ease a bit of the tension, as well as be a good friend of Jasmine’s, because honestly, one gripe I have with a lot of the original Disney movies is the lead characters’ saddening lack of companions. She accompanies Jasmine to a party, as the Genie accompanies Aladdin. With Aladdin and Jasmine wanting to be with each other, and their friends of the same gender as Aladdin and Jasmine respectively accompanying them, you can probably pick up on a romantic subplot by now. Anyway, the Genie’s attempt to make Aladdin look cool in front of the princess only turns her away more, so the Genie creates a diversion, wooing the handmaiden, so Aladdin can sneak in and give way to the A Whole New World sequence. I thought I’d be disappointed, but considering they couldn’t make it shine with the beauty of 2D animation, I thought it was rather beautiful for what they had to work with. Admittedly, I do miss them swirling through the clouds and interacting with birds and horses. They still keep in the kiss after this number, only it’s not really as passionate as the original one, which I suppose I understand, since it is their first kiss. Instead of being captured right afterwards, Aladdin is given time to reflect on his experience alongside the Genie. I like what they did here, jumping back and forth between Aladdin’s conversation with the Genie, and Jasmine’s conversation with Dahlia. Jafar and his guards waste no time capturing Aladdin the next morning, where he personally pushes him into the water, in a scene which is very awkwardly slowed down. I’m not sure how I feel about this change, but it adds an actual threat to this bland adaption of Jafar, who I’ll rip into after I’m done covering the story. The Genie saves Aladdin as usual, though the scene where Aladdin thanks him is actually a little more emotional here. You can really see where they’re starting to befriend one another. Aladdin later rats out Jafar as usual, only this time, Jafar escapes AFTER he’s sent to prison, which was a very underwhelming scene for an already underwhelming villain. It’s Iago who aids him in his escape this time, because I guess you had to make the bird useful? Though, he could have made him a useful character by involving him in the stealing of the lamp like the original, which I’ll get to. Meanwhile, Aladdin and the Genie begin having a dispute like they did in the ‘92 version. Instead of mentioning his wish to be free, the Genie is more concerned with Aladdin not telling the truth, being seduced by riches and power, like every other master he’s had. Again, it gets a little more emotional with the line “I’ve never called a master ‘friend’”. Conflicted, Aladdin goes back to his original home, and sings yet another reprise of One Jump Ahead. I do like the emotion and glimpse into an inner battle within Aladdin, but I don’t exactly see why he had to go all the way back to his home to do so. Jafar steals the lamp from him while he’s wandering through the streets instead of Iago sneaking it from him, which there really wasn’t any reason why they had to change that. Now that Jafar has the lamp, he wishes to be sultan. His rise to power is unfortunately much less climactic, removing the Prince Ali reprise alltogether. I suppose you could say that it’s replaced by new song “Speechless”, sung by Jasmine. As beautiful as it is, I’m not sure it has much  a place, as she appears to be singing this in her imagination. This pep talk she gives to herself empowers her to speak against Jafar and plead that her father’s most trusted guard side with her instead of Jafar. I like this bold moment for Jasmine, but the addition of the guard’s backstory feels like they’re trying to develop a character at the last minute. This doesn’t stop Jafar, as he wishes, finally, to become the most powerful sorcerer, casting Aladdin to the arctic. Instead of Jafar keeping Jasmine as a slave, he begins to marry her, which I’m honestly glad they changed, as marriage is slightly less uncomfortable of an outcome to watch than marriage to a character who’s supposed to be under 18. Aladdin saves her very directly instead of sneaking around, and I’m assuming the fight with a giant sorcerer snake is replaced by a mad scramble to keep the lamp from a giant Iago. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed at the lack of giant limbless reptiles. When Aladdin tricks Jafar into wishing to becoming a genie, the Genie seems to be in on the idea instead of oblivious like the original. I think the Genie believing that that was a bad idea in the ‘92 version added to the suspense though. Things end happily, but also pretty differently. Firstly, instead of Aladdin wishing to abolish the marriage law, he wishes the Genie free, which turns him HUMAN! I’m not exactly sure why they did this, but it doesn’t really bum me out, as it probably rules out the possibility of a sequel, thank goodness. He and Dahlia immediately decide to be together. Instead of the Sultan getting rid of the marriage law, he simply gives the throne to Jasmine so she can abolish it herself. I really like this change for Jasmine, after having expressed her desire to help her kingdom. One might argue that it’s historically inaccurate, but it’s a fairytale ending along the lines of a peasant marrying royalty. Aladdin is prepared to return home when Jasmine catches up to him, where they express their love for one another and deliver...another bland kiss. Eh, I guess that’s a small nitpick. After the ending, the credits play out on top of a scene where the cast starts dancing to an instrumental of Friend Like Me. Say what you will about this trope, but I love when the characters start dancing at the end of a movie. It does seem like a lazy way to end a movie, but when done right, it’s a lot of fun. And, all things considered, this movie was just that. CHARACTERS: Aladdin: If anything was perfectly recreated from the original, it was the casting of the actor for Aladdin. Not only did he look the part, but he sounded like both the talking and speaking voice from the original. He acted more unsure and awkward in his newfound Prince Ali role, but it felt more endearing and believable than him getting used to it right away. Abu: Not much changed from this version, though I find him cuter, as he looks like a real monkey. But get this, both he and the Cave of wonders keep their original voice actor, being Frank Welker! Jasmine: In this day and age, the media has been more focused on creating stronger female protagonists. Sometimes they come out genuinely lovable and responsible, like Moana, but their execution can be easily botched by making them come off as entitled and uncaring, valuing only outward strength. I was incredibly pleased at this version of Jasmine, because she rose to strength and confidence through the kindness of her heart. She was more believable too, being a little more sweet and naive, as I'd believe from a girl who's spent her whole life in a castle. Her romance with Aladdin felt more like innocent young love, which I rather enjoyed. However, it sometimes felt like she was stealing the spotlight from Aladdin just a bit. The movie still is about him, after all. The Genie: I'll admit, when I first heard Will Smith was being cast as the Genie, I thought this movie was instantly doomed. Boy was I wrong. I actually never cared for Will Smith or any of his roles in the past, but for me he actually succeeded in what Robin Williams did in driving the movie forward. Granted(pardon the pun) nobody will ever really match up with the rapid-fire entertainment of Williams' Genie, but I'm glad that Smith did his own thing. He and Aladdin had great chemistry, bouncing off one another, making for hilarious moments, and I was surprised to find that he was also able to deliver an emotional performance where it was needed. Dahlia: I was always rather sad at the fact that Jasmine had, perhaps less people to talk to than Belle did in her little town, so I'm glad they added in at least a handmaiden to keep her company. A character like this can easily be done wrong(take Darcy in Thor: the Dark World), but she turned out pretty hilarious. Her romance with the Genie might have felt shoehorned in if it wasn't as adorably executed as it was. It might have been a little fast for the both of them, but to me that just means that they were careful not to let it overpower the main romance. Jafar: Oh boy. If there's any main complaint I have with the movie, anything that would ultimately banish it from having any competition with the original, it would be this Flat-Sprite-Emmet Brickowski-bland "portrayal" of Jafar. Disney clearly had their priorities set on casting someone attractive, like they did for Maleficent, rather than someone who actually fit the part. He delivered everything with the finesse of a paper towel, and when he showed his more insane side, it simply looked like the domestic, meddling next door neighbor kind of insane. Okay, I'm sure many people will be hating on the actor for this, but honestly I'm not sure it's his fault. He'd probably be much better suited for a different kind of role. His lackluster performance only has me questioning Disney's creative decisions. Iago: Though I missed the grumpy, abrasive Iago, this new one, portrayed by Disney's new golden boy, Alan Tudyk, was amusing in his own way, with more subtle, in-the-background kind of humor. With so much going on already, a more vocal Iago might have complicated things. The Sultan: In all honesty, I like this new sultan drastically better than the old one. The '92 version being an easily manipulated childish little man got tiresome after a while, as well as him seeming aloof to what Jasmine really needed. In this movie, he's still bound by tradition but now with an immense love for his daughter, and it shows. I'm also happy with the mention of their late mother. It was a kind acknowledgement without looking overly sentimental in the way that previous remakes did. SONGS: Since I already talked about their sequences, I'm mostly going to be talking about the songs themselves. I'd just like to say right off the bat that Alan Menken once again outdid his past self with this score. I'm in love with the more ethnic feel of this score, as it makes the tale much more immersive. Arabian Nights: Though I wonder why they changed the lyrics as much as they did, this version of the song is actually better than the original. It's longer, more intense, and Will Smith performs this, along with his other songs, better than I thought he would. One Jump Ahead: From the beginning, it started out to sound like it'd be a more ethnic, yet as energized as the first, but something about this version didn't hit it off with me. This song in particular felt like they were all too aware of the fact that they were recreating a popular Disney song in a movie that wasn't a cartoon. One Jump Ahead(Reprise): Nothing much really changes from this one, but now you really get to hear how well Mena Massoud sounds as Aladdin. Friend Like Me: Considering that this is the first impression we get of the remake of the Disney character with one of the biggest pair of shoes to fill, they did pretty spectacular. Again, I'm very surprised with how much character Will Smith gave to this performance with his own flavor. That being said, it sounds like a great, classic song with a modern spin. Prince Ali: The scene was spectacular. The song was spectacular. I can't rave about this one enough. It's everything I could ask for in a remake of my favorite song in Aladdin. It has a modern spin, with newly added Middle-Eastern instruments, with as much energy as the original version. When prevented with both versions of the song, I'd honestly have a hard time deciding which one I'd listen to first! A Whole New World: I have mixed feelings about this one. It does have a beautiful build up, the singers carry it beautifully, but it doesn't flow as well to me as the original. One Jump Ahead(Reprise 2): Even though I still question the destination of this scene, I do really like this addition. Speechless(parts 1 and 2): I suppose I was always sort of disappointed that Jasmine was one of the only princesses without her own individual song, despite the movie not starring her. It's a beautiful song with a beautiful melody, but after a while I feel like Naomi Scott is overselling it a tad. I kind of like the album version better, where it's a key lower. But that's not the first time I liked it when a Disney princess power ballad was taken a key lower. MISC ASPECTS I'd mostly like to talk about the execution here. The original far outweighs the remake here. It's not just that it's hard to stand up against Disney 2D animation of the 90s, but the editing of this movie was just bad. And by bad I mean overkill. The Friend Like Me scene was particularly off-putting for me, as the realistic, dramatic lighting only made it look like the mood was set for a horror movie. Aladdin falling into the ocean is inexplicably slowed down. The scene where Jafar steals the lamp from Aladdin looks more like a perfume commercial. Sometimes it felt like a character couldn't drop a handkerchief without getting a 360-degree spin of the camera, and other times it felt like an over-dramatic commercial for a Disney park.....oh. The final aspect I'd like to get past really quick is the humor. As I mentioned before, a live action movie isn't able to carry on the same kind of humor as a cartoon, so they substituted that for more witty dialogue and clever acting, and honestly, I like it just as much as the cartoonish humor of the first. With all things said and done, and certainly, after all this praise, I bet you're wondering which one I liked better. It's a bit of a toss up actually. On terms of overall execution, theatrics, and especially villain, I prefer the original, but on terms of story and character development(excluding Jafar), I think I actually prefer this one. This probably means that the original is still better, as I expected, but this movie was a refreshing surprise of a Disney remake. I honestly didn't expect to have so much fun that my face would hurt from smiling. As fun as it is though, if asked if these remakes would never happen in favor of more original ideas, I'd still have to take that deal. Still, that doesn't take away that I had quite an enjoyable experience at the movies.

[purplepatton]

heading straight for the castle - one

summary: logan sanders is a prince who wants nothing to do with the responsibilities the throne gives him. roman prince is a civilian who would give anything to be royalty. when an odd twist of fate leads them to meet, the pair realize something remarkable: they look exactly alike. from there they decide to switch places, wanting to see how the other lives. but a simple switch quickly becomes something more as things spiral out of control in the kingdom 

trigger warnings: none for this chapter, but if you need something tagged let me know!

artist: the stellar @keuwibird (find her amazing art here if you haven’t seen it yet,,, trust me it’s amazing)

beta: the amazing @logically-sided!! i want a give her a big shoutout because she helped me so much with this fic,, without her this fic would be shoved somewhere in the back of my wip folder lol. she was such a big help with everything, from fixing my grammer and giving me suggestions when i got stuck. she’s the real mvp,,, thank you again liz!!!

notes: so this is my big bang fic! i know i’m a little late posting (sorry about that) but better late than never! i’ve decided that instead of posting the story all at once, i’m just going to post a chapter every day (or every couple of days) because with school starting and work i don’t have much time to sit down and format everything properly lol (plus this gives me more time to make sure everything is ok lol) but, yeah! hope you enjoy it, because i had so much fun writing this story :))))

If there is one thing that Logan hates more than anything in the world, it would have to be sitting in on the council meetings.

Maybe it’s the way the members drone in pompous tones about issues that rarely hold value. Maybe it’s the way the members take ages to decide the proper course of action, when in reality it should only take them a few days. Or maybe it’s just because the meetings always seemed to happen when Logan was doing something he enjoyed, therefore taking away the precious moments he had to himself, which were few and far between these days.

Whatever the reason, Logan can feel his attention slipping as two of the council members begin an argument about taxes and the possibilities of raising them. It’s been the same argument all week; although this time the two decided to add insulting each other into the mix.

Logan can feel the disgust curling up in his stomach. He clenches his fist, and tries his best not to scowl outwardly because these people are supposed to be professionals. Yet here they are arguing like children. No wonder nothing ever gets done around here; everyone is too busy focusing on their own petty differences to make any significant changes.

Pushing himself to his feet, Logan storms out of the room and leaves the council to argue among themselves. Once he’s outside the doors, he leans against the wall and tries to bring his emotions under control. He needs to think clearly, and his emotions are only clouding his thoughts. He breathes out slowly and forces himself to relax.

“Wow.” A voice next to him says, sounding amused. “You lasted forty minutes in there. That’s got to be a new record or something.”

Logan has long gotten used to Joan’s habit of popping up out of nowhere, so this new appearance does little to phase him. Instead he turns towards his aide standing beside him and raises an eyebrow. “Only forty? I could have sworn it was longer.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Joan says, falling into step alongside of Logan. They head down the hall and away from the muffled voices of the council room. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Logan snorts, catching the sarcasm in their voice. Joan grins widely at Logan’s slip in composure, and Logan has to resist the urge to blame the council for his lapse in control. Instead, he rolls his shoulders back and asks, “Where to now?”  Because even he can’t keep his schedule straight in his head; not when there is so much to do and so much is changed at least five times a day.

“It’s one in the afternoon.” Joan says in reply, not answering Logan’s question at all.

That means that whatever is on Logan’s schedule next is something he should remember, and is probably something he’s been looking forward to. He furrows his brow and tries to think.

It hits him a few moments later, as they’re walking down the hall that eventually makes its way to the back of the castle. “Oh!” He says a bit too loudly, drawing the attention of a maid who happens to be hurrying past. He flashes her his smile usually reserved for the reporters before lowering his voice and addressing Joan. “I nearly forgot. I guess I really do need a break.”

“The great Logan forgetting something? Looks like it’s the beginning of the end.” Joan says with a faux expression of pity. “Best get your affairs in order because it’s all downhill from here.”

This time Logan manages to school his expression into something more neutral, although his lip twitches and betrays his amusement.

The pair follows the hallway until they stop in front of a rather plain door. It’s nothing special, just wood with a simple design carved into it. It’s rather out of the way from the other places in the castle, in a region that’s only really used by servants. Which makes it the ideal location for Logan and Joan.

Logan knocks on the door while Joan keeps an eye out for anybody who might happen to walk by. There is a slight pause before the door is swung open by a women with long brown hair and sparkling eyes.

She’s happy to see them, if not impatient. “It’s about time!” She huffs, dragging both Logan and Joan into the room and closing the door firmly behind them. “I was beginning to think the two of you would never show up!”

It is quite possible that Valerie Torres is an actual goddess.

She had worked in the palace as the head seamstress for many years, and had been with Logan for a good number of them. She was kind, hardworking and a rather good listener. Logan had spent so much time with her - what with all the suits and fittings he needed for the meetings and parties and interviews he needed to attend - that she quickly became one of the few people Logan actually trusted.

And when Logan had approached her with a half formed plan to gain some freedom, she had immediately offered her help.

Now she shoves a bundle of clothes into Logan’s arms and instructs him to change into them. He takes them and dutifully walks to the small corner of the room that’s sectioned off by a hanging sheet to change. He quickly swaps out his lavish clothes for the more ordinary polo shirt and jeans. He finishes adjusting his tie around his neck (an accessory he insisted on despite of Valerie's protests, because he is a serious person and serious people wear neckties) and steps back into the main section of the room where Joan and Valerie are waiting.

He stretches out his arms. “Well?” He asks. “How do I look?”

“Completely ordinary.” Joan drawls from where they are lounging on a chair.

Valerie frowns, walks over and musses up his hair out of it’s carefully styled position into a more casual and relaxed style. It’s not a complete change, but Logan knows from past experience that it’s enough of a change that people will need a second look to identify him. And the time it takes them to take a second look is just the amount of time he needs to slip away.

“There you go.” Valerie says, content with her work. She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want Joan come? I’d feel a lot better if they were with you.”

Logan rolls his eyes. Every time he goes out of the castle it’s the same song and dance. He’s had this exact conversation with Valerie many times, and each time it goes the same way. He doesn’t understand why Valerie expects his answer to change.

“I just want an hour to myself.” He says, frustration creeping into his voice. “I understand your concerns, but I’ve been doing this for so long now that the odds of something going wrong are infinitesimal.”

Valerie frowns because it’s not the answer she wants to hear, but there’s really nothing she can do to stop him. “Fine. Be careful.”

“You know me.” Logan says with another one of his faked smiles. “I’m always careful.”

The afternoon rush was in full swing, but Logan doesn’t mind the way people are swarming around him and pushing to get to where they want to go. He lets the flow of traffic push him along with the crowd,  not caring where he ends up.

It’s a nice sort of feeling, just wandering around and not worrying about where he has to be.

He’s visited this part of the city so many times that he could probably walk it blindfolded. As he rounds a corner in the crowd, he spies a small bookshop that’s a favorite of his. It looks rather empty, but Logan can’t remember a time when it had actually been full. It’s always half empty like this, which Logan likes because it means the store is quiet enough for him to focus on whatever he happens to be reading.

With his eyes locked onto the store’s sign Logan starts towards the store, not paying attention to where he’s actually walking.

Logan immediately regrets this decision as he proceeds to run headfirst into someone. It’s a painful collision, and Logan falls back onto the ground with a grunt. His glasses had fallen off in the process, and the world around him has melted into a blur of color and movement. He reaches around him, trying to find his glasses so he could see what was going on.

Someone is standing over him, and even though Logan can’t see a foot in front of his face, he assumes that this is the person he ran into because a steady stream of apologies is being directed at him.

“-wasn’t looking where I was going, are you okay?” A hand grabs his and hauls Logan to his feet. Logan was not ready for the sudden change of position and he wobbles slightly before regaining his balance.  

Logan tries to assure the person that he’s fine, but he can’t get a word in edgewise as the person babbles on. “You don’t look hurt, that’s good. I swear I didn’t mean to run into you, I was just in a hurry and you just sort of appeared and I-”

The voice cuts off for a reason Logan isn’t exactly sure of and he takes the opportunity to say, “I’m fine, thank you. I just need my glasses. You wouldn’t happen to see them lying around, would you? I’m afraid I can’t see anything.”

His glasses are shoved into his hand rather roughly and he pushes them onto his nose, feeling the tension that had been building up in his shoulders relax as soon as he was able to see. He looks at the person in front of him and the first thing he notices is the person’s expression.

He’s looking at Logan in shock and alarm. For a moment Logan doesn’t understand what could possibly be so worrying to this boy (who on a second glance looked around Logan’s age). Then he sees what the boy sees and his jaw drops.

The boy looks exactly like him.

Taglist (let me know if you want to be added/taken off): @basilstorm@artistfromthestars@storytellerofuntoldlegends@romananalogicality@verymuchanidiot @istolelittleredshoodie @dont-cry-croft @speechless-angel@thefamouszombiebouquet @wolfwalker100 @datonerougecookeh@virgilient @virgil-is-verge@impatentpending@zaisling@trixie85592 @sillysandersides @hamster-corn @adventurousplatypus @unring-this-bell @mymiddlenameisunderscore

[angelrunners]

Update from Lilac.

Because i know people were concerned. Yes im doing better now 🤍🤍🤍🤍

But hot damn im mad this post ever needed to exist. Im mad i have to keep making these posts every few W E E K S HHHHHHHH!!!!!

And as promised. -clears throat- le homestuck mode. BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS. I was literally against a good chunk of canon ships. I literally got pissed over others ships but even my dumbass self would block people. You should see my old fb block lists. Even my roleplay account has a block list the size of a skyscraper. I used to take it so seriously. Do i now? I just go with the flow. I like what i like and that's ok. Hell ive actually mellowed so much that when i left the fandom, i appreciated all the shit i made for homestuck. And that makes me happy. Granted i only left because i lost interest. Though i do hop in and out. So i guess i never left, i just aint active. But regardless. Take it from ye old homestucker.

Shut the actual fuck up over your gatekeeping. Shut the fuck up over your headcanons. Shut up over cookie pronouns and genders.

Because at the end of the day. Its about a mobile game. And im gonna be that guy. Should a cookie have a dick to show its a dude? No like seriously with all the pronoun threats ive got. Are you implying something? Yes im joking but still. Dude if you go on my Timekeeper blog, i do her as a female. Look at the concept art, there is official art of her in a dress. Which just makes me really happy. Fuck gender specific shit but come on. Lemme have my own headcanons. Because yinz gatekeepers are why people hate us. Hell when i get friends into cookie run, i try so hard to keep them out of the fandom. Because i know how trash the gatekeeping gets. And just the fact everyone calls out tumblr.

Boi. What a wake up call.

Also if you reblog, you have my permission to add onto the post and not just tags :>

Just as long as it aint no gatekeeper comin to bitch. Because yinz gon get blocked.

Also to the gatekeepers who threaten me over timekeeper pronouns. Do you not see my blog for her? Do you not bother to look at it? It has followers too. So that shows that people like it. And i guarantee its for the story and interactions i do. Not because i made tk a female. I love her with all my heart and soul. And im not gonna make simp jokes. I genuinely love her. Shes like a lil butterscotch and i love her. So why the fuck you comin to my main screaming? Shocked nobody has asked my blogs about pronouns. Because ill answer in character and put you on blast. Because what's funny is only i could delete your asks. Is that why you wont ask? Because your scared it'll be there for all to see? Your too chicken shit to be blasted yet you can come after the rest of us for simply existing? Dude i left tumblr yeaarssss ago. Then came back and felt ancient from the changes. It can be welcoming as well as gatekeeping.

Every blog i run is anti gatekeeping. My gates are wide open and made of fluffy clouds anyone can jump onto. Because its not fair to gatekeep. Hell look at the creators of shows who gatekeep. Their careers are over faster then they started. They ruin their reputation. So please do yourselves a favor and enjoy cookie run. Cookie kingdom is apparently coming later this month so let's all swoon over it. Make theories and if you don't like someone. Block them. It is a game at the end of the day. And i aint trying to be a saint. I just wanna call it out as soon as it happens to me. Because shit happens more then youd think.

Anyhoo. Back to our normal posts!!

Also i may or maynot still do art answers for my sideblogs. Ive got such a sour taste in my mouth that im not in the mood to share any art ive made for cookie run for a hot minute.

- Lilac

STOP FUCKING GATEKEEPING FANDOMS

This is my fucking mood when people bitch and threaten me over cookie pronouns. The cookies do not care. It is a game for all ages. And this will be my last ramble. But lemme give yinz a fucking wake up to how cr haters see us.

Video i found awhile ago and hated that i can agree with on some of it.

Ive had good experiences and bad ones with the fandom. But hot damn the fact this person calls the tumblr part of us out should be a wake up call. I originally saw this video and got upset. But after ive got death threats over cookie pronouns. YEAH I AGREE MORE WITH THIS GAL. Like holy fuck. I love the fandom and not everyone gatekeeps. But good lord. What the fucking shit is wrong with you? Let people enjoy things that arent hurting anyone.

Calling someone out for aging up characters to draw porn is deserved. Sending threats and harassing people over the fact they aint using the pronouns you headcanon for x cookie, THAT'S FUCKING TOXIC. I dont wanna hear it.

I do my damned best to keep my ask blogs as sfw as possible. As well as keep my main safe too. Granted on main i do reblog gore on occassion.

I honestly think some of yinz need to fucking chill out. I was in homestuck back in 2011 - 2017. Maybe 2010 i can't remember. But we all were fucking batshit shippers. We all had opinions on what could be what ship. But ya know what? At the end of the day. Hussie was like "all ships are canon" and that was that. I will literally go full homestuck to prove a point here. I know damned well how i used to act. Heck even in roleplay on ye olden sites i can't remember. We all were civil. If you didnt like someone then you ignore them. You know how many people i blocked because i hated the ships they liked to share? A fucking lot that's what. Hell me and a friend back then disagreed on so many ships but we fucking shut up and just mellowed out. We did full on roleplays for the middle ground stuff. Which is fucking badass.

So it begs the question. Why can't cookie run chill? Why can't the gatekeepers just go block the people they disagree with over fighting? Because you aint gonna get anywhere. Now if you ask me politely and we're friends, sure I'll do it in pm. But i aint gonna bend over. I don't even do that shit for my best friends i know in person. Hell when i went to a con in fursuit years ago. My bff called me the wrong pronouns and i dealt with that the whole con. And that's something i care about. But yet when its fucking fake characters, nobody can have nice things.

Tell me how this is ok? Gatekeeping makes people see that first. Then they make judgments off that as "everyone must be that way since these dummies stick out." Same shit happens with any fandom. But hot fuck. The dumpster fire these things turn into.

Sending me death threats via pm is fucking disgusting. And its happened for M O N T H S. Yeah i don't give a fuck about your shitty gatekeeping. Go fuck yourself. Because that is literally proving my point as well as why people hate the cr fandom as a whole. They see that shit that's innocent then have to rip everyone apart.

Its a game for all ages. Its literally got an E rating in the Google play shop. You think kids who play this give shit over genders?? Its a g a m e.

So either block and move on. Or shut the fuck up and don't gatekeep.

Yo newsflash. This is the internet. Everyone sees what you say and nothing can truly be deleted.

- Lilac