#it’s just so insanely clever and in depth

[frankie-idk]

i think as a society we need to talk more about the brilliance that is the hunger games series

[luneariann]

DTIYS RESULTS!

Honestly this was super hard to decide 😭😭 I ended up adding more honorable mentions slots and I’m still tempted to add more cuz you all did rly rly amazing! I wanna thank all of you for participating this was a super fun experience, now, with that said...

In first place we have @carrotkicks with their absolutely stunning piece! :)

I fell head over heels for the composition its really really unique and it works wonderfully! Their colors were gorgeous and very well balanced, they rly took the prompt and made it their own and it worked wonders :)!

In second place we have @j11nko with this absolute banger of an art piece!

OOO where do i even start, the lighting i think takes the cake here, completely made it look like they were bathed in gold, made the ambiance of it rly rly stand out, Cins coloring style has a way to make things rly look more vibrant and it showed especially clearly here :)!

In third place we have @afraid-of-the-deep-sea with this piece that had me staring for a solid ten minutes straight

His use of texture and the symbolism was SPECTACULAR are you SEEING THIS IM SICKKK, once again a VERY unique piece that rly took ownership of the prompt, absolutely stunning, the colors were wonderfully vibrant and the whole thing has a way of sticking to you, amazing job

In fourth place we have @maractius with this beautiful piece right here

ARE YOU SEEING THAT USE OF COLORS OUGHH, the coloring and rendering is insanely good, and their expressions are soso strong, literally obsessed w this, the way theres not a single stretch of canvas that isn't occupied in some way without making it look cluttered is rly rly interesting and well done, and the subtle shift in perspective is just the final detail that makes this an insanely good piece

And finally in fifth place we have @candiedfright ! With this absolutely lovely piece

Ouuu this is so pretty 😭😭 the way they arranged the piece gave it a rly strong sense of depth, which in turn makes this piece feel like something ripped straight out of a movie, the way they handled shading only adding to it, SUCH a gorgeous job they did amazing

Now! Onto Honorable Mentions! :)

In honorable mentions we have @tedlebred s stunning piece

Are you seeing that RENDERING OMIFHE obsessed, i love the way they implemented the flower details in their hair and their decision on the change of the setting, turning the prompt into a photograph and making the text into part of that new setting was a super clever choice that rly made their piece stand out :)

We also have @spiderbends with this rly wonderfully soft piece!

The change in pose was so fun and so well done, that coupled with the change in expressions to ones much softer completely changes the vibe of the prompt and turns into something you could almost call playful! Taking the text from something confrontational to something teasing, rly rly lovely job!

Up next we have @seukorei with this lovely piece!

Once again we have a change in pose that works beautifully to change the tone of the prompt, the shading and the colors chosen give this piece an almost melancholic atmosphere that manages to also be incredibly soft, truly wonderful job once again :)

And for our final honorable mention we have @lotus-pear ! With this pretty number

THE POSEE, ouuu you guys r killing me w these pose changes! The new closeness of the two characters gives it a much more intimate vibe, coupled w their expressions it does a lovely job at emitting a sense of trust and comfortability between them thats just rly beautiful to see! Rly love job

Aaaand that abt wraps things up! I wanted to add more honorable mentions but i already added more than i was intending to 💔💔 choosing at all was rly rly hard

I wanna thank everyone once again for participating this was truly a rly nice experience and you guys did an amazing job! :)!!

[dollietes]

໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა mimi’s fic recs !

in summary these are my fav fics that i’ve read recently and are living within the depths of my brain. this is just a way for my to show appreciation for the writers who had written them <3 please support their blogs and check out their other works as well!

please minors dni with the smut works. respect writers and their boundaries!!

f :: fluff / a :: angst / s :: smut

pretty girls make graves by @ijtaimes f

OBSESSED with this series!! the blend of the summer camp setting, the love triangle story, and the clever incorporation of horror elements?@)2)2) and the interactive storytelling it has with the outfit choices and other general choices?? ivy, cousin i love you and your sexy brain. i can’t get enough of it actually!

two peculiar swans by @astralnymphh f / s

WHEN I TELL YOU ALL I RAN LIKE THREE LAPS AND SAT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I SAW IT WAS POSTED. the writinggg!! so top tier! the dialogue, inner monologue how the story just flows so seamlessly?? i’m so excited for the rest of this series bro like aestra ate😋 HYPE IT UP YALL!!

loser!abby by @abbyscherry s

when i tell you all i profusely **** and ***** while reading both of the loser!abby works. like if i speak I would be deemed as insane, a mad woman it’s crazy. read them like bedtime stories before bed😭

cowboy!ellie + this by @catfern s

SAVE A HORSE RIDE A COWGIRL! COWBOY!ELLIE NATION RISEEEEE. these hcs had me foaming t the mouth like i need someone to hold me back before I ramble about how much I love these hcs and eat them up and will continue to eat up anything cowboy!ellie 😋

in for it by @brackishkittie s

ONE WORD. DIVINE. DELICIOUS. SCRUMPTIOUS. i could not stop smiling like a school girl while reading this it’s embarrassing actually. also vivian’s smau’s >>>> got me into the fandom actually

rockstar!ellie + this by @phantombriide s

i could write a thesis about how much i love this and rockstar!ellie works. like this is what i breathe, i eat, i consume everyday. it is the mantra i read to start my days. my daily reading to begin the day. god bless.

academic rival!abby by @beforeimdeceased f / s

ACADEMIC RIVALS CLENCHES FISTS. RAHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE ITTTTT. every bit of this series had me craving for more oml. like i need academic!rival abby in my bed immediately!

being pregnant with wife!abby by @bayasdulce f

baby fever has hit me once again what can i say?😞 I need wife!abby to take care of me so bad it’s getting sad at this point. I just this broke me down and worsened my baby fever (had me making a pinterest board and everything goodbye😞😞)

neighbour!ellie + this by @loaksky s / f

NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE MY FAV FAV FAV! i remember the influx of them on my dash and trust i was eating good 🍽️ both parts had me folding, giggling, smiling, swinging my feet everything and everything.

try it on by @moncherellie s

another work that got me into the fandom!! I remember reading this for the first time and hiding my face and giggling into my pillow and the audios lord i felt so giddy that night lmao😭

doctor!abby texts by @eightstarr f

doctor!abby has me in a chokehold like that’s my wife and mother of our three children everyone can leave pls and thanks😁 and i mean that with my whole chest. those texts are actual REAL evidence of what our convos look like you all can move (im joking pls don’t take what I’m saying seriously😭) I just am in love with everything zoe puts out because it’s so good and so dear and special to me

cutty love by @totheblood f

anything star puts out tbh >>>>> absolutely in love with cutty love actually! I am a whore for any fluff and PINNING (GIVE IT TEW ME). this is just so soft and sweet and it’s everything I need like uggggh. the audios too just chefs kiss love everything about it!

streamer!ellie hcs by @inf3ct3dd f

SIERRA’S HCS 🔛🔝 SO GOOD EATS EVERYTIME YALL like gen they all have made their home in my brain and I can’t go to bed without at least reading one of them before i hit the hay.

knight!ellie by @heavenbloom f

FIRSTLY written so beautifully?&* i love everything about this and i tend to go back to this work when I’m in need of a fluff fix! I absolutely adore how everything is written yes I’m reiterating my point because ‘green eyes thirsty for the well that was your beauty.’ LIKE WORLD STOP. ARE YOU SEEING THIS?? ‘she was utterly dedicated to you, body and soul, and she would be by your side until her very last breath. it was a fierceness, this love that consumed her, and it was all yours.’ LIKE WTF

partition by @whore4abby s

reserving my *clears throat* thoughts for now but just know * **** **** *** *** ***** **** * **** ***** *********!!! 😁😁😁 everyone should read this ASAP!

sun don’t set by @hier--soir f

another heavenly piece omg!! so in love with the writing in here oh my god. it’s so soft and sweet and it just felt like a warm hug on a cold winters day i just. please read this!!

you love it when i play with you by @ourautumn86 s

i think i like passed out and had three nosebleeds because of this. i think about this more than i should. I think about in the morning, throughout the day and night. my daily read at this point like it’s just sooooo😋😋😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

my love mine all mine by @doepretty f

this one is special to me too like. for one the writing is so beautiful and it made me shed a tear and secondly I melted into a puddle like i want Abby so bad I’m going to be sick.

[d0llcuries]

𝓕𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝓮𝗋𝗏𝗌!!!

so like, what's actually going on with you people? the neteyam x reader hashtag used to be a place full of creativity and heartfelt writing—a space where fans could explore soft, beautiful moments with one of the most beloved characters in pandora’s world. before it was overtaken by a wave of inappropriate, distasteful content, it was the go-to for intricate one-shots, vivid imagery, and elegant prose that painted neteyam in the light he deserves. we had stunning stories, cute thumbnails, and a community that cared about the integrity of the character.

but now? well, it’s js turned into something unsettling, and honestly, we need to talk about it. let’s get one thing straight: neteyam is fifteen years old. he’s a kid. a literal child. writing explicit content about him, or “aging him up” to justify it, is not only wrong—it’s flat-out disturbing. the excuse of “aging him up” doesn’t hold water and quite frankly, it's just a sick loophole to avoid addressing what’s really going on. there’s nothing creative, tasteful, or beautiful about that kind of content. if you’re writing or requesting sm*t about a minor, you are stepping into extremely problematic territory. and yes, we see you, and yes, it’s gross.

we need to revamp this hashtag. bring it back to what it used to be when predominantly teens like myself wrote fics for it. neteyam deserves more than to be reduced to uncomfortable, inappropriate stories. he’s a complex, deeply compassionate character, and that’s where the focus should be. his bond with the reader can be tender, full of laughter, exploration, and affection, without crossing the line into something that never should’ve been there in the first place.

i’m going to start writing fics for neteyam, and you can rest assured they’ll be strictly fluff—nothing suggestive, no innuendo, nada. this is going to be about restoring a corner of the fandom that’s been tarnished. let’s bring back oneshots that are cute, clever, and creative. no more ai-generated eyesores as thumbnails (they're ugly asl i'm sorry), no more crossing lines that should never have been crossed. if you wany you can send me your requests—fluff only. let’s return to the neteyam x reader content that reflects the beauty and depth of the character, not this bizarre and deeply uncomfortable trend that’s somehow taken over.

also all the p0rn bots are insane like?? maybe when this hashtag stops being associated with immoral smvt then the bot's will stop flashing you as you scroll :3

[not-a-snowman]

I’m so ill about Order of the Stick right now. I saw some art of it on my dash a bit ago and what was an untouched-for-years obsession has crashed back into my brain with all the grace of a derailed train. A part of me is frustrated at myself for having ANOTHER niche interest which I cannot share with the average person without looking insane, but a larger part of me is thrilled to return to the series with a better understanding of storytelling so I can truly understand just how damn clever this series is. Like genuinely, this comic started in 2003 and feels more unique and funny in its parody than half the Dnd parody stuff I see today. I don’t even play 3.5 edition! It’s just that solid!!!

I want to write a more in depth analysis but I’m not full caught up yet and my brain is still recovering from remembering that Redcloak is a character who exists and I love him he’s such a good villain holy crap he sucks so bad but also I think he could use a win. Jury’s out on whether he deserves that win considering it’s probably bad for everyone else but also I hope he gets it.

I forget if his people lose control of the city later on but I kind of hope they don’t. Sorry Azure City characters I genuinely love you but also I think the goblins should keep their city and everyone else can just suck it actually

[mischas]

your most recent gifset sent me into a seth&marissa tailspin lolol. them (+kirsten) are the characters i believe were shafted the most in terms of character development (marissa moreso obviously). mischa and adam had such a natural chemistry that made seth and marissa work so well onscreen and i genuinely believe the show would’ve lasted a least a little longer had they known how to mine this dynamic. they had the same interests and they loved the same people! they even dated the same girl! there was just so much friendship potential there that got squandered away all bc js&so were too busy putting marissa through the ringer + making seth an asshole w no emotional depth.

I love Marissa/Seth with my whole heart so that makes me happy! My indie loser besties! You're right. They have the same background. They're neighbors. Their parents have a weird history/chemistry. They have the same musical tastes. They have the same favorite book. They're obsessed with the same people. They've dated the same person. They're both depressed. How the show didn't do much of anything with this beyond 102 is insane. What I love so much about 203 is how Seth's able to just exist with Marissa in silence on that bench. He's always so verbose and ridiculous (I say 75% affectionately) but at the end of 203 he and Marissa can just... exist. The two loneliest people in Newport!!!! I love that Mischa/Adam don't have romantic chemistry. I love that it's awkward. I love that you can tell Mischa loved Adam in early show press before things got weird and complicated in their group. It's the cutest thing in the world. We deserved more! *insert Mark Ruffalo we love america gif here*

I will forever mourn us not really getting emotional/melancholic Seth with just a side of clever quips. There was so much to mine with him as a character. They set it up in those first few episodes and then just... well, anyway. Shoutout to AB in 127/201/224 though.

I was just having a similar conversation with a friend the other day about how Adam/Kelly are duped by like s2 and strung along by the shit writing for the rest. And how they're such mirrors for the other in ways. Their show-best work is done in 224. It's also the end of their work having any (to me) emotional resonance. And that's a goddamn shame. Both actors also don't tow the show-line about the final year being a party and say things were lowkey Bad by s2. Adam straight up saying his effort/attitude would've been up to par if his scripts were as good as s1 is just....... crazy, lol. But I'm obsessed with his honesty. We need more of it from everyone else.

Kelly deserved SO much more, my goodness. Of all the adults. She absolutely kills her late s2 storyline only for the later Charlotte storyline to mostly benefit Melinda. Ridiculous. They get rid of Jimmy/Hailey/Caleb in the same season and Kelly no longer has anything meaningful to do. I just...... yikes. God forbid Marissa ever have an adult (or anyone) step in and give a shit about her suffering. Especially the one adult on the show that also has addiction problems. But no. Another massive shame since the first half of s1 sets Marissa/Kirsten up as generational parallels. In this essay I will

[mistywitcher]

oh sweet lord that last episode has rendered me deceased. i am dead. i cannot FUNCTION

what a show. and what a way to end the first season! as a hardcore insane percy jackson stan till i die, here’s my thoughts if you would like them:

FIRST OF ALL. the whole show: loved it. very little to critique in my opinion! i know not everyone is happy with everything, but personally i think it’s one of the best adaptations i’ve ever seen. it’s mostly faithful to the books, and the changes that were made i think were improvements and made a lot of sense.

rick wrote the first percy jackson book so long ago, this show felt like his way of being able to go back and change bits and edit the story to something that’s even better. that’s how i see the show!

LETS TALK CAST: it was fuckin perfection okay, i will fight anyone on this point. walker as percy has changed my fuckin life. his little emotional eyes in every single scene, showing so much depth to all of the dialogue, and giving the best vibes. the humour, the desperation, the self sacrifice. he is PERCY and i am so incredibly in love.

as for annabeth and grover, PERFECTION ALSO. leah slayed annabeth so hard, the little eye brow quirks, the way she was able to portray annabeth as extremely smart and logical, but not heartless, and certainly not cold. she brought such a warmth to the character and i am obsessed.

aryan as grover is just chefs kiss. from the satyr walk, to the one liners, to the uneasiness and resilience grover has, aryan has it down. i just loved him and I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE HIM FLOURISH IN THE (hopeful) NEXT SEASON!

the whole cast was amazing. i loved all the choices. it all just felt so right. from the cast, to the set, to the fights, to the cgi. i’m just in love okay.

LUKE AT THE END HAD ME BAWLING. the tears in his eyes, the way he begged percy to join the cause, the hurt when he sees annabeth. FUCK ME I NEED A MOMENT OKAY.

the parallels that are being set up throughout the show for luke and percy are wonderful, i cannot wait to see how it continues. i thought it was just so cohesive and the characters feel so real.

i love how they have set it up for the next season! it’s like it’s ready to go, it’s RIGHT THERE and i want it it so bad so LETS GET MANIFESTING FOR ALL 5 SEASONS FRIENDS ITS TIME!!!

and i have to mention my love of percy/annabeth or percabeth. it’s not the whole point of the story i know, but it is something that is very special to me. i love my little sea boy and clever girlie together, and this show has set them up so beautifully. it’s given them time to have a friendship, to build trust, but also the little looks they give eachother, the pining that we can see will eventually build. IT MAKES MY FUCKIN HEART SING OKAY walker and leah slayed too hard on that front. they understood the assignment.

i could go on about this show and percy jackson in general forever. but i shall end this here because i feel like i need to go cry for a few hours lol.

in conclusion, and this will sound dramatic but i mean every word of this. this show fucking saved me right now. percy jackson is so incredibly important to me, it’s my biggest special interest, it’s shaped me for a decade, it’s my comfort, it’s my everything. i’m currently dealing with a tumour in my head at 22, and my mental health and life is crumbling around me, but this show and percy jackson and rick riordan has kept me here for the last 7 weeks and previously years before that. i owe my life to rick riordan. i will never be able to express my love for this enough.

okay okay, i’m done. see you later once i’ve rewatched the series 4374 times and have memorised every fucking word.

[oneknightstand-if]

I just discovered this IF out of context through your chapter update post and just jumped in blindly cuz I saw fencing and went "!!!! fencing !!!!" (Even tho I ended up going the polo route for the first playthru cuz POLO!!!!!!!! I havent heard/seen polo mentioned in over a decade this was like an oasis for me (side side note; love that u included Midsummer holding his breath to loosen the girth. When I read he was an "antics" horse i figured thats something he'd do lol. Vindication. Its such an often overlooked detail)) and going into this blind was wild BUT HOLY COW THIS IS SO COOL? You weaved together the seemingly dispirate parts of the premise together so well! I love how much of a nerd MC can be! The wikipedia links are such a clever touch! And as a game dev student OH MY GODS THE VARIABLES. THERE'S SO MUCH FLAVOUR TEXT. IM IN AWE OF UR PATIENCE AND ABILITY TO WRANGLE THOSE! The writing is great as well, I love all the details you weave in and I love what sus bastards (affectionate) both Adrian and Merlin are and the breadth and depth of research that has gone into this is insane. The lore and mystery aspects are so engaging I love love love this so far and can't wait to see how the story further unfolds. Best of luck to you!!!

Thanks for the compliments! Yeah, all the various flavor text variations depending upon the MC's personality and their previous decisions is how the game ended up with a 60k route out of 600k text. The behemoth that eats people's brains.

And it's great to see that someone actually picked up on what was going on with Midsummer Knight's Dream (and also Knight Rider) when it came to their saddling. F in the chat for all the MCs who didn't realize and fell off their horse when the saddle slipped.

[sophieswundergarten]

There's something so wonderful about how Reynie is considered "average". Especially to an outside viewer, he's "the normal one". He doesn't have an eidetic memory, or impressive physical capabilities, or psychic powers. He's just Reynie.

He's bad at jokes and he panics a little when he's put on the spot and he likes cheesecake (for some reason) and he relies on his friends and he makes hard decisions but he doesn't trust himself.

Anyone looking at him for the cursory five seconds would see a "normal" child. A boring one. The singular fluke in Mr. Benedict's quartet of extraordinarily gifted children.

And, he is.

Not in the way that the imaginary observer would assume, but Reynie certainly is all of those things. He isn't especially strong, or academically talented, or uniquely stubborn. He is who he is, and that's part of why he's such a good character. Because he is the mediator, the one who does his best to stay levelheaded when his friends need him, and because he needs them. He is the point of view character, and so we know exactly how much he depends on his family.

But the absolutely wild thing about Reynie, the insane, extraordinary thing, is that he's all that and so much more. He's brave and he's clever and he is a skilled leader and he loves his friends. It's like looking into a piece of crystal; deceptively calm, flat, and just reflecting what's around him. But, on closer inspection, he is full of facets and depth and inclusions that have been imparted to him from those he loves. He contains multitudes, and while some of that is definitely what people see on the surface, someone who stops at that couldn't be more wrong

[captain-ozone]

MY VERY SPOILERY THOUGHTS ON THE LITTLE MERMAID

I’m going absolutely feral after seeing The Little Mermaid. My inner child has been FED, and I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT YET so here I am to spew my thoughts. Spoilers below:

1. Halle was perfect. I will accept no criticism on this point. The only thing I cared about when this live-action movie was announced was that our new Ariel would have a voice to match Jodi Benson’s, and Halle did more than deliver. She epitomized the spirit of Ariel in every way. She was playful, she was inquisitive, she was joyful and bright and fun, she was so good at tugging the heartstrings (even without dialogue!!!) and appealing to our innate wanderlust and desire to discover and experience,  and she was so so EARNEST in her portrayal I can’t even. 

2. THE DEPTH THEY ADDED TO PRINCE ERIC’S CHARACTER OKAY!?!?! LIKE?!?!?! Okay, I will NOT GET OVER THIS. It was SO CLEVER of them to mirror Ariel’s journey with his desire to break free of his position’s restrictions. It worked incredibly well and did not once detract from our heroine’s spotlight. Rather, it ENHANCED their connection and sold me on their three-day love story in a deeper and more meaningful way than the original did (more on that below). ALSO ALSO ALSO SO COOL of them not to kill off his ADOPTIVE mother. ADOPTIVE. Marvelous choice! Truly. His mother’s fear of the sea gods offered a parallel to Triton’s fear of the surface world, and *CHEFS KISS*

3. Melissa McCarthy’s Pour Unfortunate Souls was a FUN TIME. 

4. Awkwafina as Scuttle? Inspired. 

5. MAX WAS ADORABLE AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW EVERY TIME HE WAS ON SCREEN. BEST BOY.

6. Wherever they filmed? The castle? Fucking gorgeous.

7. JODI BENSON CAMEOOOOOOO 

8. Grimsby is the GOAT. Enough said.

9. NEW SONGS

I may get some hate for this, but I’m not the biggest fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Idk how to put this. He has an insane amount of talent, but for...untraditional musicals. I wouldn’t say he’d be my first choice to write new songs that fit the more traditional Broadway-like musical vibes that characterized so much of the Disney Renaissance. 

That being said, The Scuttlebutt was the strongest of the bunch, I think. It was very much a Miranda song, and in most instances, I’d be a little irritated by how they included a song that has a style so different from the rest of the lyrical music we know and love from the original animated movie. But it worked here, likely because it was delivered by Awkwafina’s Scuttle and FIT the character.

Honorable mention to Wild Uncharted Waters, only because WOW Jonah Hauer-King went OFF on that performance. This boy said “I get one musical number and I’m going to KILL IT” and he did.

Also very much liked the Part of Your World (Reprise II)! It tied everything together really nicely.

10. THE OTHER NOTABLE CHANGES I NEED TO SCREAM ABOUT

I LOVE THAT ARIEL HESITATED BEFORE CHOOSING TO GO THROUGH WITH THE SPELL.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS FORCED TO FORGET SHE NEEDED A KISS FROM ERIC. --> THIS. THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING. I can’t even express how much more I felt for Ariel and Eric’s love story. How much more real it felt. How much more believable and true. I don’t buy in to one-day (or few-day) love stories very easily, especially when physical intimacy/attraction is a driving force. My little aroace ass dug the fact that kissing Eric literally was the last thing on Ariel’s mind. She got to be herself, explore this new world, AND do it with someone who appreciated her curiosity and found joy in how much joy she was experiencing, who could have just as much fun as she could. God. Goals. 

I LOVE THAT ERIC KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT WITH VANESSA, EVEN IF HE COULDN’T PUT HIS FINGER ON IT. Very reminiscent of Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller (a YA AU retelling told from Prince Eric’s POV. It’s a fun, easy read, if you’re curious).

I LOVE THAT ARIEL ACTIVELY TACKLED VANESSA AND BROKE THE SHELL NECKLACE HERSELF.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS THE ONE TO STAB URSULA. I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. WE LOVE A BADASS HEROINE WHO DON’T NEED NO MAN TO SAVE HER.

All of these changes were important and mean a lot to me. I think it challenges a lot of the issues people have with the original animated movie, in that, here in the 2023 version, no one can argue that Ariel made her choices because she was lusting after a man. Or that she’s a damsel in distress. Very good stuff there.

11. My critiques

Some of the cinematography was weird. The transition between acting scenes and singing scenes didn’t always flow right. They felt abrupt and awkward. I definitely worried a bit about the CGI too, and it wasn’t too terrible imo. 

And my biggest complaint: idk what it was about the ending, but it didn’t *quite* hit right. In the original animated movie, one of the last bits of dialogue comes from Triton, when he says, “...how much I’m going to miss her.” The finale of the animated movie is then a spectacle of swelling music and a heartfelt case of “show” rather than “tell.” The hug between Ariel and Triton on the wedding barge is perfect. The way in which the mer-people come to witness the wedding and send off Eric and Ariel is perfect. 

The live-action ending felt...a little too somber. It became too much about Triton letting go and not enough about Ariel and Eric setting off on adventure together or about their worlds colliding in peace. I wouldn’t say that the last conversation between Triton and Ariel in the 2023 movie cheapens the line “...how much I’m going to miss her” and the bittersweetness with which he gifts her back her human legs, but it came close. I would have MUCH rather had a little more from Eric and Ariel than from Triton. LIKE HELLO??? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT RING GRIMSBY KICKED AWAY!??? THERE WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE USED RIGHT THERE. Or better yet: if they wanted to do something super touching, they could have had Eric’s mother and Triton do a short aside by themselves, or perhaps even have a sort of moment where they acknowledge each other with respect/compassion/understanding before we all refocused on Ariel and Eric for the grand finale. But nah, they did what they did, and I’ll be a bit salty about it forever.

But anyway. Overall, I was very pleased. My disappointment with the lack of emotional impact from the ending does not supersede my enjoyment of everything else.

If you made it this far, please share your thoughts! I’m eager to talk to people, because all my friends aren’t like me and didn’t go see it opening night, lol.

[zephyr-rat]

Green Giant Saga: Twitch Character Insights

"My subjects will be like the books of the humans and the sumps, but the tale of Twitch would be even greater. No humans of course, and even in those heroic tales, there were always twists and turns. There were always traitors. Twitch knows better. The sumps taught me so. This bronze brace of mine always reminds. Everyone’s out for themselves down here. But there’s a way for better subjects than those! Creation. Sentience. Life!"

-- Twitch from The Sentient Potion

(You can also read this as "what I do if I have control of Twitch's LoL lore”) (Based off of how I write the characters for The Green Giant Saga)

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It’s hard to find a place to start with Twitch because, currently, Twitch has no lore. Unfortunately, Riot did not give the poor rat an updated bio when the big Piltover-Zaun update came at the beginning of 2017, and ever since then, he’s been sitting with a pathetic two sentence placeholder  bio that says essentially nothing about the character. That being said, to advertise for Twitch’s release in Wild Rift on April 20th, 2023, Riot did release a series of shorts called Twitch Chat: Sewer Tour in which Twitch gives a poor human victim a tour of his collection before presumably shooting him to death. The shorts characterize him as arrogant via his self-proclaimed superiority in taste and cruel as he goes off to test his poisons on an unsuspecting scuttle crab. He comes off as a Looney Toons punching bag. A stupid villain with very easy flaws to exploit for a clever Bugs Bunny type character (probably Ekko or Zeri) to outsmart and make a fool out of. 

While this is a valid direction to go with Twitch (more valid than what the new lore did with Zac), I think it flattens him into this two-dimensional obstacle for better characters to overcome. It also throws away a lot of the motivations, depth, and predefined relationships hinted at the old lore. In the old lore, he joined the League of Legends with the goal of recreating his sentience, making more mutated plague rats like himself, but by joining the League and collaborating with Zaun, he’s now under the possible exploitation and control of the Zaunite government. You could say that he’s one of Zaun’s weapons in the old lore. However, the League of Legends is gone and, with Twitch’s updated voiceover for his visual update, paranoia becomes a huge part of his character, to the point where I just don’t buy Twitch working with filthy topsiding humans anymore. Where does this leave us?

Well, I wanted to explore one particular line found in the old lore: the idea that one of the biggest challenges for him recreating his sentience is “his own insanity”. Where did such insanity come from as someone mutated from the sewers of Piltover-Zaun and how does one overcome such a great challenge? I wanted to lean towards the paranoia of the character and explore how such a mentality formed without contradicting his funny pompous arrogance. In fact, I found a way in which both aspects reinforce each other.

(Art by Martina Matteucci)

Green Giant Saga Twitch:

In my series, Twitch shares the same character base as his VU version in the League of Legends game: a maniacal mutated rat who believes everything in the world should be his, murdering anyone that would get in his way. He’s paranoid of everyone, thinking that they’re aiming to exterminate him and take his stash away from him, and, by all accounts, he’s not entirely wrong.

Twitch is, both figuratively and literally, a product of his environment. He was mutated in the Sumps, the lowest level of Piltover-Zaun, a level that’s so polluted that Zaunites have considered it utterly inhabitable without proper equipment. Down in the Sumps, resources like food and water are extremely limited, forcing the mutated animals to become territorial and aggressive as they fight to find resources just to sustain themselves. Twitch is no exception.

(Art by Cryspan)

One of the most recurring symbols of the entire series is Twitch’s homemade rusty arm brace. In Twitch’s character design, it’s the main component contributing to Twitch’s asymmetry. Usually with a character like Twitch, asymmetry can represent how a character can be off-kilter and uneven. In the context of the story, Twitch sustained this injury after fighting a monster after he asked for food. It was a violent battle, leading to a broken shoulder, but out of that, he gained not only the food he wanted but a corpse to feed on and make poisons with. His stash got way bigger than if he just shared parts of the monster’s food like he asked, and, therefore, he can live longer from the new resources gained than if he did the other option.

The brace is a reminder of what the sumps taught him and he took it to heart. He became one of the fiercest monsters in the Sumps, obtaining a stash that could, in Twitch’s words, rival that of kings. He’s proud of this arm brace as a warrior is proud of their scar after a war. He was the one that killed the monster that day. He was the one that created the cast himself when no one would help him. He earned that monster’s corpse and his food, just like how he earned everyone else’s goods and belongings when he killed them. 

However, the brace wasn’t made well. It might as well be made with shoestring and duct-tape. If he ever made the wrong move, it can be easily ripped off and the arm can be undone. When he gets nervous, he turns the bolts on his brace, tightening it ever so slightly in the hopes that it will stay on, but it will never be enough. No amount of resources can make Twitch feel truly safe.

As time went on, he started to get more interesting loot. Books of fantasy and romance enraptured him. He envied the kings of those pages. Sure he might have everything the sumps could offer with his gigantic collection, but those kings had something he never had: loyal subjects and friends that would follow their leaders anywhere, but this fantasy is contrasted with the cruel reality Twitch lives in. What do we do when the stories we hope for are so different from the life we really live? You make them happen. With hope, you try to make them fit. If he can’t recruit existing subjects down here, he, like in the old lore, would have to make them himself.

(Art by OrlandoFox)

And he successfully did with Zac! (kinda, not really. Read The Sentient Potion for the story) However, he’s not the devoted subject he wanted, and he can’t replace him. After so many failed attempts and dead rats, Twitch has to make this worth it. As the story goes on, the tension between what he was “promised” by the fantasy books he reads and the reality of what he has grows more and more. It reinforces the themes of fantasy versus the reality we have to work with that’s present with Zac’s story. His relationship with Zac challenges his ideas of loyalty, kinship, and what makes a great king. Does he want true friendship with Zac or does he want complete ownership and control of him like the Chem-Barons of Zaun? 

In the Zac character insights, I mention a lot about the idea of individualistic beliefs in the face of systemic problems. In his mind, Twitch thoroughly believes he earned his lot as the sump king of Zaun. He fought through all the monsters and earned his stash fair and square, yet that learned cruelty, greed, and bravado won’t get him what he really wants with Zac. Zac can try to help Twitch be “better” through actions and kindness, but that won’t change the fact that he’s always surrounded by evidence that he has to be the way that he is to not only survive, but thrive. Twitch is ultimately a product of his setting, one that was unintentionally made by the Chem-Barons and Pilties through utter neglect and careless profiteering. To him, this is the only option in the Sumps. He can say that he’s a special king all he wants, but he’s really just another mutated sump creature. 

Twitch’s story is ultimately about how an environment creates us and whether or not we can break away from that environment to grow and change. It’s a story of the ways friendship can enrich lives, but only if one allows it to, and it can be hard to allow it to. After all, who can say no to being the sewer king.

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If any of this is of interest to you, you can read the story here

[petruchio]

i was lowkey tumblr stalking asks you’ve answered before (i apologize i just love how in depth u answer) and now i wanna know your tierlist (A/B/C/D/F) for the songs on GUTS. include deluxe pls bc imo the deluxe tracks are better than many main album tracks hehe

well first off you can ALWAYS stalk me and never apologize for it, i love answering stuff and i love that people actually read it HAHA! so please <3 stalk away <3 i love it

i LOVE this question. i was going to make one of those images like the youtubers do for tier lists but then i realized i would have to explain myself anyway so im just going to give each song a letter grade and a little blurb about why i think this... so here goes 🤓

i actually have to put this under a cut because it got so long that i am not going to clog up people's dash with my long and way too detailed thoughts on GUTS but please read this if it is of interest bc i would love to continue discussing haha

so first i'm going to say to me overall guts is like a solid A-/A for a sophomore album. i don't think it's perfect but i think as far as showing growth from the first album, expanding on themes and sounds that were explored in sour, and just maturing while still feeling like a natural progression -- i think it does all of that really nicely while also managing to carve out a unique niche for olivia in the industry. so like. YES! great. (i have been saying that while i see olivia compared to taylor swift a lot, i think it's actually a much better comparison to compare her to avril lavigne in the early 2000s -- avril was originally "discovered" via performing with shania twain (which in some ways we could argue for being a taylor/olivia situation but in the 90s) and a lot of her early work and songwriting is influenced by the country music scene, but, just like olivia, her first album smashed onto the scene and captured the teenage zeitgeist in a really unique and special that was really of the moment it was released and dug into rock inspired hooks and sounds that resonated with the audience of young teens. if "driver's license" is olivia's "complicated," i think we can easily argue that "good 4 u" is her sk8r boi. (and deja vu is her i'm with you, the best single and best song in both of their discographies I SAID WHAT I SAID!) anyway all that is to say i think that GUTS and under my skin ALSO share a lot of parallels both in how they were marketed and the way they dive deeper into darker themes while expanding on a lot of what made the first album great, if perhaps not spawning the level of radio hits as the first album. anyway it's just something i think about that i don't see talked about all that much and i find it really interesting. i could keep going but i know that was an insane digression so let's get to the grades.)

all american bitch - B+ i think this song is a great opener and it has some really great lines in it -- the sarcasm makes it so fun and tongue in cheek and i actually like the scream, my reason for not being able to give it an A is just that i do feel like it's very much "putting on a persona" of being a rock punk chick, which is absolutely cool and is extremely well done, it just doesn't feel 100% authentic to me. like, i like the scream but it feels more like an acting performance than a genuine scream of anguish, but olivia is such an appealing actress that i'm like, yeah girl go off

bad idea right? - A+ this is the deja vu of the album for me. it is SUCH A GOOD SONG and it has the best video by far of any of the singles, it's so clever and creative and i actually really love her vocal delivery, it's bratty and obnoxious but for some reason it DOES feel authentic to me in a way AAB doesn't, i think it takes its influences and manages to reinterpret and transform them into something totally unique and personal to olivia and it's just GREAT. (i think a great example of how good this song is is honestly the kelly clarkson cover she did, it was a really fun cover but you could just tell that olivia's version works better, it's a song that feels like it could only be done by her and i love it for that.)

vampire - B i actually thought i'd rate this lower bc it is my least favorite song on the album but like, okay it's FINE. my issue with vampire is that 1) it feels like the label said "write another ballad that sounds like drivers license and we'll use that as the lead single" which i don't like, and 2) i've written before that my main issue with vampire is that it DOES NOT COMMIT to the genuinely cool metaphor that it attempts. i actually love the line "you only come out at night" because i think it's really clever and creative to extend the "sucking me dry" metaphor of a vampire. i think following that up with "i used to think i was smart but you made me look so naive" is such a let down and so cliche that it annoys me every time i hear the song. like, if the song instead was like "i should have known it was strange, you only come out at night/you said i tasted so sweet til nothing was left in my veins" or something i would think it was a great song. but instead we get that clunky cliche of a line and it irritates me. the song has potential but it just doesn't deliver.

lacy - A- (tw: ed) so i think that this song is about struggling with an ed and i think it is really amazing if you read it through that lens. i don't even really want to say that much more about it because when i saw someone say that on twitter and i listened to the song thinking about that, it hit me really hard and i think it's brilliantly done but it's intense. i think olivia said that it came out of a poem she wrote and i think that lacy is the personification of that really personal struggle and i think it's a beautiful and deeply sad metaphor and the song actually does it really well. i also really love her vocal delivery on the recording and i think it's beautifully produced, the layered vocals at the end are really gorgeous.

ballad of a homeschooled girl - A- honestly i have the same comments as i do about all american bitch except i just think this song is slightly better and feels a little more authentic. i think the lyrics on this one are really clever as well and i love the little production quirks like "how to flirt" and the outro is SO FUN and i love the sort of fourth wall break of "can't think of a third line" and the la la la that just kind of smashes into the end of the song, i think it works so well with the concept of the song so yeah. great.

making the bed - B+ this is a song where i'm like, there's nothing WRONG with it i just don't think it's particularly special, like it's a good song and it has some really great lyrics i just think it's a decent song that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. it's good. no real notes. my favorite lyric is "they tell me that they love me like i'm some tourist attraction" -- i love when the pop girls talk about the complexities of fame, and olivia seems strikingly self aware in a lot of her lyrics and that one is really a hard hitter. (it reminds me of billie's getting older song, "the things i once enjoyed just keep me employed now" and "another thing i ruined i used to do for fun" which are both lines that i feel like really do a nice job of exploring how it feels when your art and artistic expression becomes a job and a persona. i think billie and olivia are doing so much cool stuff and they both just seem like such cool and interesting girls. they just give the vibe that it would be so fun to get dinner with them and talk about their experience of teenage fame because they both seem to have some really interesting and complex insights about it.)

logical - B- tbh this song is kinda boring to me. it's fine but i just think it's a theme that is explored better in other songs. the one line i really like is "if rain don't pour and sun don't shine" because i like to imagine that it's a reference to taming of the shrew act iv scene v.

get him back! - A+ SO GOOD COME ON GET HIM BACK IS SO GOOD AHHHHHH i get mad thinking about the music video bc the iphone lens makes it so weird and i think this could've had an even better video without the iphone gimmick but holy cow this song is so good. it's so clever, it's so fun, it ROCKS. (though this is the point on the album where i start to get annoyed by all the production quirks, i think they are fun on a couple songs but we don't need the "is this the song with drums" thing, just play the song. there's only so much studio chatter that makes a song fun before it gets a little grating to listen to every time i want to play the song.) but this is a brilliant song. I WANNA MEET HIS MOM AND TELL HER HER SON SUCKS. has anyone ever more perfectly captured how it feels to be nineteen. ugh this song is so good.

love is embarrassing - A i actually really like this song and i think it's a really nice spiritual closer to sour. it does such a nice job of reflecting but in a funny, tongue-in-cheek, self aware way that i think is so appealing and cute. i love "you found a new version of me and i damn near started world war three" as a callback to "another actress i hate to think that i was just your type" and i LOOOVE the outro with "i'm planning out my wedding with some guy i'm never marrying" which i think is a fantastic line. i love the vocal delivery on the outro as well. (also this is an example for me of a song with no studio chatter or production gimmicks, and it's GOOD bc it's like, it doesn't need that! it's just a fun song! and i like it for that!!)

the grudge - A- honestly a beautiful song that captures a very specific feeling. i love the melody and the way she delivers "how could anybody do the things you did so easily?" the second verse is an absolute gut punch of what it feels like to come away from a toxic love. it has a couple clunkers (i'm not a fan of "trust that you betrayed, confusion that still lingers" which i think is just a bit awkward) but overall it's a lovely song and so raw.

pretty isn't pretty - A again just a really solid work. i love the guitar sound on it. and i think it does a really nice job of capturing another specific teenage emotion. one thing i love on GUTS is that it feels legitimately balanced between songs about heartbreak and songs about personal feelings and this song is one that i think does that second part very well. i really love the second prechorus line "it's in my phone it's in my head it's in the boys i bring to bed" and i think this song is really insightful and personal.

teenage dream - B my issue with this song is my same issue with hope ur ok which is that it just feels so aware of itself as AN ALBUM CLOSER and i find it a bit cloying. i think the theme is interesting and has potential but the song just annoys me because it feels kind of overdone. idk. i just don't love it. i get it and i get why it's there but i think there was a better way of closing the album in a more genuine way.

BONUS TRACKS RANKING LINK (i have to link a new post here since i hit the character limit on this post. geez lol)

[nnnnnnnothingtoseehere]

Currently crying rn (happy tears) because of a comment I got on my very first published fic.

Now, I get a decent amount of comments. I am also physically incapable of not writing, and now have 43 published works. I've been on AO3 for over a year at this point, and have ended up with so many lovely comments over that period of time.

But man, the ones on my first fic hit different, even now. I get them and BOOM I'm right back to when I first started this all.

The comment I'm currently crying over is hitting me harder than usual. The lovely person left a touchingly in-depth comment, detailing all the things they liked and complimenting my writing. I've been blessed enough to get comments like this, more than I deserve by far. But they're all, for the most part, on my more recent fics, the ones I've written in the last six months or so.

You know, when I actually started to figure out how to do this, kind of.

But this one is on my very first and I'm crying so hard because if little me had gotten this comment right when this fic was finished, she would have lost her mind. I can't help but read it that way, like I'm back in time. And it's insane because I know this fic is very near a train wreck. I don't reread it, and haven't for months because I'm not happy with the vast majority of it. I had little to no clue what I was doing, and just fucked around and found out.

But someone thought it's good, enough to leave a comment that has had me crying for the last 15 minutes, minimum.

Imagine a witty and clever ending here; I'm off to cry more.

[kathleenkatmary]

Screwball September: The Lady Eve (1941)

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda are one of the most underrated screwball pairings, and really just screen pairings, ever. It's a shame they only made three films together (and that one of them is the pretty lackluster You Belong to Me). Both The Lady Eve and The Mad Miss Manton are screwball classics, and so much of what makes both movies work is the insane chemistry between Stanwyck and Fonda, as well as how good they both are at screwball comedy.

The Lady Eve has one of the sexiest film scenes to be made during this era, when the Production Code was probably being the most strictly enforced. The scene with Stanwyck and Fonda in her room, when she's on the bed and he's on the floor next to her and she's just kind of got her arms wrapped around his neck. Compared to what we get today this set up probably seems wildly tame, but Preston Sturges, along with Fonda and particularly Stanwyck, create such an amazing atmosphere for the scene. So much of that does come from the chemistry between the actors, but Stanwyck's performance in this scene is essential to just how sexy it manages to be. Add to that the way Sturges lit and framed the scenes, and it all comes across as being so intimate and sensual. But thanks to Fonda's performance, it's still perfectly screwball.

While The Lady Eve does dig into topics with some depth to them, particularly ideas of perception and how our pre-conceived notions of what's 'good' or 'respectable' can lead us to treat people in ways they don't deserve, the way it does that is so much fun. Stanwyck just feels like she was having such a good time. She and Fonda make such a good pair in this movie because they each bring something to the comedy. Stanwyck brings her incredible line delivery, her ability to make the character very much the cunning criminal she is while also having an unmistakable classiness to her, even when she's not posing as a member of the British aristocracy. Really, it's the fact that you can feel that class coming from her even in the beginning that makes her imitation of a British lady being so convincing so, well, convincing. The whip smart, clever wit of the screwball comedy comes from her, while Fonda brings a really impressive skill for physical comedy. And it's not just the bigger bits of physical comedy, like the pratfalls. It's his entire physicality. So much of Fonda's performance here IS physical. You can feel every bit of his nervousness, his anxiety, in the way he holds his body. It adds so much to the comedy of the movie.

It really is interesting to look at the things they each bring to this movie as a pairing, because when you look at their other stellar screwball comedy The Mad Miss Manton, their dynamic is extremely different and they bring very different things to those roles than they do here. It just makes it even more of a bummer that they made so few films together because clearly their chemistry was ridiculously versatile and adaptable.

This is simply one of the best romantic comedies and screwball comedies of all time. If you haven't see in it, you must.

[babyspacebatclone]

Ok, just back from the live action The Little Mermaid.

And may I confidently say?

Best live-action Disney adaptation yet.

True, a low bar to clear, but this honestly felt like a movie and a love story, and not just a cash grab.

Every single changed scene had me smiling. Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) was amazing, and Halle Bailey truly is Ariel, I want her version to become the defacto in the Disney Princesses line because she feels sweet and clever and brave above and beyond the animated version.

(No offense to Jodi Benson, I love her, but the animated version is what it was and the new Ariel is just given more room to breathe.)

I think, comparing, my child self would love the animated spectacle more…

But my adult self loves the tighter, more in depth story of the live action more.

It feels like the best kind of fan fiction, one where someone who loves the characters asks “How were they feeling here? How can I expand this?”

And gives us those glimpses.

Not perfect, but definitely enough for me to fan girl.

Speaking of which… Spoilers below the cut.

Right from the opening scene, you see this movie is taking itself and the responsibility of the story seriously. I love the development of Eric, his camaraderie with the sailors while also being a good mix of level headed (don’t just harpoon mermaids) with reckless insanity (dude, you’re a prince, please don’t laugh while dangling by one arm over open water. ah, well, i love you anyway).

I can feel how much the film pulls back the special effects budget, especially making the introduction of Triton’s daughters basically a business meeting instead of the grand performance, but the filmmakers were smart enough to make the change work. I like the idea of each daughter being “manager” of a specific sea under daddy’s “CEO,” and it was a great excuse to give diversity to each sister.

Plus, I loved their banter/interaction while cleaning the shipwreck, they felt natural and I wish we could have had more time with them.

Speaking of natural!

As a writer I was listening to the exposition, and in my opinion it was exceptionally well done, especially for the amount they crammed into the beginning. Some of it was on-the-nose, but that was restricted to Grimsby, Sebastian, and Ursula, and felt character appropriate in each context.

There was an eye for why the character is saying something - “Am I supposed to tell the Queen her son died, and on his birthday?”; “A shipwreck brought you to us, and now a shipwreck almost took you away, I can’t stand this anymore!”

I didn’t fee like making Eric an adopted orphan of the royal family was necessary, but I loved both Jonah’s and Noma Dumezweni’s performances enough that I accept the filmmakers wanting to justify things and they do tie it in to Eric’s expanded character.

And that is 👌👌👌 he’s so sweet and adorkable and they manage to make his longing to see the world beyond his island mesh with Ariel’s longing for the surface world without it feeling forced.

You see them shyly come together over their shared feelings of isolation and longing for something they’ve only been able to glimpse, not experience.

Turning the ideas that Ursula is King Triton’s sister and Ariel’s mother was killed by humans into not just canon, but pertinent plot points, was excellent.

I wish we could have known more about her mother, but can I say I’m glad it was never revealed Ursula was actually responsible? I suspected that when it was clear Ursula had been banished around the time of the death, but it works so much better than it really was just one human that traumatized King Triton, and him having to overcome his hatred of humanity as a whole despite his lose.

Ursula pulling out the “I’m your Aunt, ‘Daddy’ has hurt me so much by refusing to understand me, too” was genius.

It especially helped with the fact that Ariel was going to refuse to sacrifice her entire life (realism!!) only to give in because of her anger in a moment of spite towards her father (realism!!!), especially with seeing their relationship and knowing that Ariel’s fear of being enclosed under her father’s constant watch was probably accurate.

As a song, “For the First Time” isn’t particularly special.

Including Ariel actively doubting her decision to come to land? Brilliant.

The entire day out and “Kiss the Girl” sequence is perfection, fight me.

Grimsby being an active shipper on deck?? 😍

I personally prefer Eric being the one to steer the ship in the climatic fight, but the detail of Ariel steering it because she’d witnessed him trying to save the ship in the beginning was nice symmetry.

The animal companions were done very well in my opinion: Scuttle was better handled than in the animation to me, Sebastian was perfect and they did a great job humanizing his design with his eyes compared to previous outings, and Flounder was - there. With Max.

Almost feel you could have cut the last two out and lost nothing except babbling to Triton at the beginning, Eric coulda saved the shipboy at the beginning…

(And yes Flounder’s “realistic” design does not improve in context, fortunately he’s on screen less than the animated characters with charisma)

I love the expansion of the prejudices on both sides; I wish it had been better explored at the end, but Queen Selina’s speech to her son about how his feelings for Ariel despite her being a “sea creature” (her initial fearful reaction) was beautiful.

Brain’s trickling down, it was an early showing, but you get the point.

It’s well worth watching the movie, and I’m up for rambling if anyone else is! 😊

[sweetlyhell]

Make-Believe Lies

Soft trinkling water dripping on her forehead. A groan left her mouth at the sensation as she opened her umbrella. The sight of the wet mud under her shoes were annoying to her in every way there was, not to mention the smell.

In front of her laid the site where the said body laid. A poorly drawn figure on the same ground, nearing a steeply made cliff onto the river of Yenisey. Her eyes fell on the depths of the fall, but the victim hadn't fell. Or so, it isn't believed to.

"Comissioner Korolyzova?" The voice made her to turn her attention away from the deserted crime scene to the trace of the new presence. Not a familiar face, nor familiar voice.

Her eyes fell on a man. Her age it seemed, dirty brown hair... and misty blue eyes that looked mysterious to her.

The gruffy and low voice seemed to belong to this man. Her gaze on him lingered a little longer before speaking once, "Do I know you?"

He chuckled at her tone. It was hard to tell whether it was directed at him or the rain ruining her investigation .

"You don't know me, but.. I think something will remind you who I am, Miss Sofia."

Her eyes widen at that. How did he know her first name without her even telling most people? Barely anyone knew her as Sofia. Everyone called her Comissioner Korolyzova.

She swallowed at the mention but kept her expression hard. Like hell she'd let him see through her. She can’t let him know how nervous she can actually get when she’s throughly overwhelmed by something.

Deep breathes, Sof.

Sofia raised an eyebrow at him, giving a half-assed smile, or smirk. "My, you certainly are clever. May I know yours then?"

Despite the view of his face, he wore a black sanitary mask. Unusual, for anyone seen. The pandemic was long forgotton and there hadn’t been any outbreaks of any smaller infections in the area. He chuckled quietly as he replied calmly, "Grayson, detective. Grayson."

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Stephanie scoffed at the idea, punching Sofia's shoulder with a light hit. "Grayson? Sounds pathetic." Sofia clicked her off and rolled her eyes while her eyes remained on her desk. Stephanie stood in front of her, arms crossed and a big frown stamped on her face.

"Just research on it," Sofia urged the girl as she racked a pile of papers in the cabinet under the drawers of her desk. Stephenie's disgust could be heard from her silence. Not even a scoff just implied how horrified she was.

"Fine. I want a free shift Friday though."

"Find this man’s identify first and I’ll think of it."

The audible stomping of a displeased Stephenie echoed the room before the door was slammed shut and left in silence. A distant mumble and groan could be heard from the same girl as she made her way to her own room.

Sofia sighed at the childish behaviour of her younger sister. The girl was still a police in training but hated covering for her sister in any way at all. Being a stubborn girl growing up, Sofia wouldn’t let Stephanie off so easily.

Sofia, on the other hand, was more of a reserved woman who preferred to work in silence but the silence she was in was not the one she normally craved. This silence was all the things she hated. It  carried her negetativity, and a feeling of insecurity.

This silence was driving her insane, slowly and steadily.

Clicking of Sofia’s nails could be heard on the bed frame of her bed which was beside her desk. That was the only noise available after the noise of her silence.

The desk was a little cleaner than usual so her feet laid in the open and clean area of it as she thought of the impossibility of finding the culprit of her current case.

Sofia was still lightheaded from the encounter but Stephanie took the idea of him being a murderer quite lightly. Too lightly, in fact. A new debate arose in her. Should she ask why Stephanie took the news so lightly?

Ignoring her thoughts, she shook her head and pulled out her phone to realise she was sweating horredenously. She picked upp her handkercheif to wipe it as it dropped a file from her desk.

Sodia raised a brow at the file. She dind’t remember keeping one with a white case, since most of her cases were either yellow or orange. She made sure to inspect it a little before putting on her gloves and carefully picking it up.

“What?!” Sofia’s eyes widen as she opened the file and saw the name and picture on the first page…