#that one scene from the little mermaid at the end wedding

[stranger-theory]

i never did what i said i would💀

anyway here's an off the cuff joke fanfic for you guys🫶

The halls are quiet as Mike Hot Wheels and Bill Wyers walk to the gym, just collecting Luca the Fish Sinclair's jacket for him. As they open the doors and make their way to the bleachers, Troy Bolton and James hippity hop out from another door.

"Well, Well. Looks like the fairy's back with his boyfriend. >:)"

Bill Wyers hears the comment and remembers these shitheads so he's about to argue back, something like "Akshully☝️🤓 he's not my boyfriend" 'til he sees poor Mike Hot Wheels' distressed face. Just this once, Bill Wyers thinks he's not the main target of this attack.

"Well? Got anything to say to that, Bichael Queeler??" Troy Bolton says, expectantly. Mike Hot Wheels looks down, embarrassed, "He's not my boyfriend :/💔" he says. BILL WYERS GASPS AT THE REALIZATION:

THEY'RE CALLING MIKE GAY?!??$1?*?!?$@???

No, no, no, he's not having it. As troy bolton is about to make another home of fobik remark, Bill Wyers epicly places a hand on Mike Hot Wheels' shoulder and smirks. "Yk what, Troy Bolton? You suck. And tbh? It's kinda gay to be so obsessed with gay people yourself." He drops the mic, moonwalking out of the room.

Troy Bolton, Mike Hot Wheels, and James are left standing there, shaking in their boots. Troy cries like that one fucking blue crying emoji with the open mouth and runs off, James following behind. As Mike Hot Wheels is left alone in the silence of the gym, he quickly remembers the boy waiting behind the doors of the room.

MIKE HOT WHEELS RUNS UNTIL HE REACHES THE HANDLES.

Pulling them open, he sees Bill Wyers, Chad posing.

"Wussup, bbg." Slips from the mushroom's mouth. All their secrets were revealed: Mike was a gay ass bitch and so was Bill. There was no need to hide anymore.

Mike Hot Wheels and Bill Wyers skip off into the sunset, hand in hand, as a dramatic rainbow grows in the clouds above them.

- The End

Written Poorly by Frank Sinatra

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[untoldsoup]

Blog Master Post

Making a pinned post so it's easier to find comics on my blog and other frequently searched posts!

"Change" (Bowuigi Comic): Bowser finds himself frustrated at Mario and Peach's wedding. He strikes up a conversation with Luigi that leads them both down a path they were too stubborn to face before. ( notable tags: Human!Bowser, Miscommunication, enemies to lovers) Status- FINISHED

"Built to Burn" (sequel to "Change"): With a new life and a new future, Bowser ends his alliance with King Boo in favor of a life of peace with Luigi by his side. Enraged at the sudden loss of his only friend and ally, King Boo vows to make luigi suffer-and Bowser his forever. Status-In Progress

"Little Mermaid" AU: Sidlink one-shot comic. I redrew the Little Mermaid scene of Ariel's meeting with Ursula the Sea-Witch as a Sidlink AU. Link goes to Ursula to bargain to be with Sidon. Ursula makes a deal to turn him into a Zora in exchange for his voice. Status- FINISHED.

"Untouchable Things" tribute: Short Sidlink comic of a scene from the Fic of the same name, Untouchable Things. Status-FINISHED.

"Casual affair": Short story of Human!Bowser x Peach with several drawings included. Status- FINISHED

Commission info Located HERE

[annabtg]

Fic Year in Review 2024

Tagged by the wonderful @blitheringmcgonagall, thank you! ❤️❤️

I published much less fic this year than the previous ones - only 19,213 words, or 15 short oneshots. All new stuff, except about half of The Three-Minute Initiative which had been started in Jilytober 2023 (and still needed some rewriting).

There are two other major projects that I worked on during the year - my multichapter AU Revanche, currently at ~17k, and my long oneshot semi-crackfic Oh My God, She's Insane, currently at ~4k - so I have more than double of what I published, to be released hopefully in 2025!

It's been a year with ups and downs in my writing mood - mostly downs, it felt, but then I've also written some of my favourite works ever this year! I also branched out a bit, in style and content, which I think did me good. I got several Jily Awards - more than I ever dared to expect - and most importantly, I got a lot of love throughout the year from all of you! My stats might not have been significantly high for most of my fics, but your comments and support have been invaluable ❤️❤️❤️

Breakdown of my fics under the cut!

In chronological order:

Fixed Luck (1.3k, rated T): Canon compliant, Order era. Jily deal with addiction to Felix Felicis. Angsty af, no happy ending. One of my favourites of the year. Favourite Angst award.

The Three-Minute Initiative (2k, rated T): Written as a late entry for Jilytober 2023. Muggle AU, Lily goes to a speed dating event and gets to meet with all of the Marauders in turn. Flirty and fun.

Drunk With Power (746 words, rated G): James the insufferable Head Boy. Written as a fun way to celebrate my appointment as a @jilymicrofics Discord mod. Also flirty and fun and a favourite of mine.

The Roe Deer And The Knight (2.1k, rated G): Fairy tale style Jily for March 2024 @jilychallenge. I LOVED writing in this style and reworking Jily's story to fit the standard fairy tale tropes and format. Another favourite.

Iacta Alea Est (744 words, rated G): Julius Caesar AU in honour of the Ides of March. It fit surprisingly well! Slight crack and angst.

The Big Little Moments (2.5k, rated M): Jily's wedding afternoon - their first day in their new home. Super fluffy with light smut. A delight to write and a top-tier favourite. Favourite Fluff award.

Attention (300 words, rated G): SWM from James's POV, written for James's birthday.

so much blood. (268 words, rated T): The Sectumsempra scene from HBP, from Draco's POV. Written as an exercise in second person POV. It was unexpectedly fascinating to write!

Anemoia (748 words, rated G): Missing moment from the beginning of HBP. A hint of Hinny as Harry goes through the photo album with his parents' pictures.

Crush (712 words, rated G): Written for the Mystery May Microfic 2024 event. Canon compliant, Hogwarts era. Mary Macdonald wants to find out who is the mystery person her best friend Lily has a crush on. Fluffy and fun.

Verses Written In '74 (3.1k, rated E): Sirius/Lily, Sirius POV. Lily spends a night with Sirius - her ex-boyfriend, best friend and best man to her wedding, who will always be in love with her. Angsty, smutty, super atmospheric. A favourite in the most self-indulgent way.

The Lady Of Kini (963 words, rated G): Inspired by my holiday in Syros and the statue of the Mermaid Madonna - an AU where Lily is the mermaid patroness of the coast, and James is the sailor she's supposed to save from drowning. Poetic and atmospheric, a piece I've also shared with many of my offline friends. I love it.

crawl home (877 words, rated G): Written for the @jilytoberfest 2024 Masquerade event and based on Hozier's Work Song. James dies to protect Lily and Harry, and his death saves them - but no grave can hold his body down. Angst with a happy ending, very atmospheric in an eerie, creepy sort of way. Another top-tier favourite. Favourite Canon Divergent Short, Favourite Angst and Favourite Microfic awards.

The Professional (941 words, rated T): Written for Jilytoberfest 2024, prompt: “Maybe we can find out what the hell your problem is over dinner sometime”. I always thought a corporate Jily AU enemies to lovers would be the ideal setting for this quote!

All right, Potter? (1.8k, rated G): A very belated entry for Jilyweek 2024, prompt: Flip the Script. SWM but Lily is the bully and James is the prefect. It was a fun challenge to play with the inverted dynamics and still make it all fit the characters as we know them - it took some effort but I think it worked in the end!

My plans for 2025:

Finish Oh My God, She's Insane, and either also finish Revanche or make enough progress on it to start posting.

I have signed up for the @greenhouse-seven Be My Valentine Exchange and the Jilymicrofics Annual Fic Exchange and I'm eager to receive my assignments for them! So at least two fics to be expected in February.

I have also signed up for the January Jilychallenge, theme: Destiny. No pressure!

I have about 1.5k written on my November 2024 Jilychallenge fic (tentative title: Couples Therapy) but I've hit a block on it. Hopefully I'll finish it sometime during the year.

I definitely have plans to participate in this year's Mystery Microfic May as well!

Whatever else strikes my fancy! Whether an old WIP or a new idea.

Tagging @arliedraws, @neverenoughmarauders, @ksarasara, @harryissuchalittleshit!

[duchezss]

My favorite details/new moments from The Little Mermaid (2023)

Buckle in this is gonna get long cause i’m obsessedddd

EVERYTHING (jk...kinda) 

Ariel not being allowed to go up to the surface at all in the first place, so when she went up to Eric’s ship during his birthday party it felt that much more defiant from her

That they explained right away that Ariel’s mother was killed by a human, and that helps explain much of Triton’s hatred 

Humans hate/fear mermaids as much as mermaids fear humans, it really makes the divide between Eric and Ariel feel more tense

The fact that the daughters were all getting together for an annual meeting rather than a concert. I really did miss daughters of Triton, but I also really liked how they are portrayed as leaders of the ocean

How Ariel helped Max swim to the lifeboat 😭 😭 

How Eric’s compassion is shown right away, and that’s the main thing that intrigues Ariel, not just his looks

Eric’s mother forbidding him from sailing again after the shipwreck, it makes him feel cut off and mirrors Triton banning Ariel from land

Ariel’s not instantly in love with Eric, she’s taken by him, but her love of the human world is equally acknowledged

That Ursula talks directly to Ariel and it’s not her Eels speaking for her

Can I say the entire sequence of For The First Time? It was so cool to see Ariels inner dialogue and the whole buildup to Eric “meeting” Ariel for the first time was fantastic 

How much Eric’s Library mirrors Ariel’s Grotto, and how their love for their passions really connect them. I loved these scenes because it really felt like they were bonding

Ariel immediately smashing that stone, I felt that really set the stage for how Ariel would open Eric’s eyes to even the simplest of things

“My little mermaid” melts...

That the kingdom was based on Caribbean culture instead of European, I really nice touch that makes the remake have a vibe of it’s own

When Ariel stops and takes notice of how kind and compassionate Eric is, and when Eric stops and takes notice of how curious and lively Ariel is

Jodi Benson’s cameo 😭 😭 

Originally I didn’t like that Ariel couldn’t remember she had to kiss Eric, and thought it just made pointless conflict, but it was actually very cute. It caused both of their feelings to be entirely true, and even caused some cute moments of Eric chasing after Ariel. 

Ariel and Eric sneaking back into the castle and just being silly goofy guys

Eric’s hat had a lot of focus and I thought it was very cute ngl

The symbolism of Ariel’s dress and Eric’s mermaid statue to each other. Both were lost when one thought the other was gone, only for them to come back

How even under Vanessa’s spell Eric still longed for Ariel 

The party being for an engagement instead of a wedding, made it feel more realistic

The party being at the castle instead of on the ship, originally I wasn’t a fan, but I thought it made the scene where Ariel runs to the castle more tense than when she swam for the boat

Grimsby kicking away the ring, what a wingman

Ariel cat fighting with Vanessa for the necklace instead of her being more passive in the fight for the shell

Eric hugging Ariel when he finds out she’s a mermaid instead of standing there in shock, by far my favorite small detail from the movie I love them so much 😭 

Eric trying to stop Ursula when she was coming after Ariel

Ariel yelling for Eric when Ursula grabbed her versus Eric yelling for Ariel in the original

How when they surfaced both of them had to look for each other rather than finding one another right away

Every time they were deep in the water Ariel would grab Eric and help pull him up to the surface 

Ariel saving Eric at the end, I actually found myself liking the change

Even after both of them went back to their respective worlds, they both still longed for each other, I liked this small break rather that her turning back human right away

When they first see each other again, they hug and then kiss, not just go straight for the kiss, that was a slay

Their marriage signifying more of a union between humans and merfolk

THERE WAS JUST SO MANY CUTE THINGS I LOVE THIS MOVIE MWAH

[mermaidsirennikita]

Dear mermaid,

Could you please recommend some high heat, low angst books?

I am in a low mood and need something lighter but dirty to read

Thank you!

Sure! I'll preface by saying that generally I do personally prefer an angst book, so hopefully these won't be angsty still by the standards you're looking for, buuuuut just as a heads up!

A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare—Generally speaking, Tessa writes a really funny book, and while the angst varies from book to book, I think that this one is on the lighter side. Slightly angstier but still not overly heavy is When A Scot Ties the Knot.

Erin Sterling's Ex Hex books if you're up to something a little witchy! They're not like, SUUUUPER high heat, but they're definitely hot, with around 3 explicit scenes per book from what I recall. And they're hilarious and adorable and sweet. The Wedding Witch is my favorite installment, but I enjoy all three and find that they actually get better with each book.

Speeeeaking of, Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy's Christmas Notch books if you're up for Christmas-y feels. You have three full-length m/f novels, plus an m/m novella and an f/f novella. They're sexy, they're hilarious, they're emotional but not overly angsty. You get butt stuff with the hero receiving, which to me just adds a whole other dimension to an m/f book lol.

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. An oops baby book in which strangers hook up at a Halloween party, then move in together and decide to co-parent after she gets pregnant. (As I feel it's important: Abortion is offered by her doctor as an option, and she considers it but chooses to keep the baby for her own reasons. Abortion is portrayed as a solid option.) There's a lot of space between the first sex scene and the next one, but they're super hot and the sexual tension is RIDIC.

A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell. A historical romance in which a widow ends up on a long-distance bicycle race with a local former artist/rake, who happens to be a trans man. It's a delightful, steamy romcom, and there's so much like... acknowledgment of transphobia while embracing queer joy, and it's just SO good.

I would also recommend Alexis Hall's Something Fabulous books! Irreverent, sexy historical romcoms. The first one is m/m, the second nb/nb. Hot and HILARIOUS. The second especially does deal with some heavier stuff at one point (one of the leads is a castrato soprano—their gender identity is explored in a really interesting way, but obviously there is trauma to consider), but I would still call it overall a really frothy novel.

End of Story by Kylie Scott. A contemporary with a dash of magical realism; the heroine moves after breaking up with her boyfriend, only to find that his old friend is there to help her renovate her house. However, they find a mysterious document in the walls of the home—a divorce decree dated from the future with their names on it...

The Roommate by Rosie Danan. A woman loses her roommate when the guy she's crushing on flakes on her; she ends up rooming with an adult film star who teaches her a thing or two....

[80ssuperstar]

Hey guys this is Samantha again and I decided to do another story based on The Little mermaid and this is a gift for @eeveepalooza I decided to make the characters including Faith ( @eeveepalooza ) as Ariel and Mordecai from Regular Show as Prince Eric

The Little Eevee

Beginning:

Once upon a time, in a magical underwater kingdom, lived Faith the Eevee, a curious and adventurous young Eevee with a beautiful singing voice. She was the youngest daughter of King Triton, the powerful and protective ruler of the underwater kingdom. However, Faith was fascinated with the world above the sea and often collected human artifacts with her best friend Flounder.

Scene: Faith's Secret Grotto

Faith: singing "Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?"

Flounder: "Faith, you’re gonna get in trouble if your dad finds out about this place!"

Faith: "I just want to know more about them, Flounder. The humans seem so interesting."

One day, Faith notices a ship above the water and swims up to investigate. Onboard, she sees Prince Mordecai, a handsome and kind-hearted prince. Instantly, Faith falls in love with him. Suddenly, a violent storm hits, and Mordecai is thrown overboard. Faith saves him and brings him to shore.

Faith: "Please be safe, my prince. I wish I could be part of your world."

Middle:

Faith's longing to be with Mordecai grows stronger. She goes to see Ursula, the sea witch, who agrees to turn her into a human for three days in exchange for her voice. Faith accepts the deal and transforms into a human, with the condition that she must receive a "true love's kiss" from Mordecai to remain human forever. Otherwise, she will turn back into an Eevee and belong to Ursula.

Ursula: "Now sing, sing for your dear sea witch!"

Faith: silently "I can't believe I did this. I hope Mordecai will love me without my voice."

Faith, now on land, meets Mordecai, who is enchanted by her beauty but puzzled by her silence. Despite the communication barrier, they spend time together and begin to form a bond.

Mordecai: "There's something about you, Faith. I feel like I've met you before."

As the third day approaches, Ursula disguises herself as a beautiful human named Vanessa and uses Faith's voice to enchant Mordecai, making him forget about Faith and decide to marry Vanessa.

Mordecai: "I can't believe it, Vanessa is the girl who saved me!"

End:

Heartbroken, Faith is determined to stop the wedding. With the help of her friends, including Flounder and Sebastian, they manage to reveal Ursula's deception. The sea witch transforms back into her true form and tries to take Faith down to the ocean.

Sebastian: "Quickly, Faith! You must break the spell!"

In the ensuing battle, King Triton arrives and sacrifices himself to save Faith, becoming Ursula's prisoner. Seeing Faith's bravery and love for her father, Mordecai realizes that she is the one who saved him.

Mordecai: "Faith, I know it's you! I love you!"

He kisses Faith, breaking the spell. King Triton is freed, and in his rage, he destroys Ursula with his powerful trident.

King Triton: "You have shown great courage, Faith. You truly belong to both worlds."

King Triton, seeing his daughter's happiness, grants Faith her wish to be human permanently. Faith and Mordecai marry, uniting the two worlds.

Faith: "Thank you, Father. I will always cherish our underwater home."

Mordecai: "We'll visit often, I promise."

And so, Faith the Eevee and Prince Mordecai lived happily ever after, celebrating their love and the unity of land and sea.

THE END

@eeveepalooza I hope you love this

For: @fxe4596 , @nicomxm23 , @mordorigs , @jgquintelslut , @pinkcandycatmakesart , @anifaz , @isrrael120 , @notadumbdog , @martingeekermmd , @eeveepalooza , @apollothedeity , @sidoresca , @siinhorhy , @insomniacz , @rhyliethecaterfly , @yeetafry , @at-weeb96 , @kiwithekool11437 , @kiko2032 , @orchestralauthor , @untitled14360 , @loudlyhappycupcake

[murfeelee]

IWTV INSP - MerMay Pt2: Siren Nature

"Something was very wrong with Louis. No one else would have noticed but the three royal Pointe Du Lac children had been tuned to each other and Grace could read the tightness in Louis’s walk, the note of falseness in his smile and eyes, and the subtle press of his lips that meant that he was in pain. Louis’s new friend, Mr Lioncourt, had disappeared a few days ago and Louis had been like a ghost ever since. Paul had noticed too, knocking on her door last night, and his theory was that Mr Lioncourt had stolen away Louis’s soul. Grace didn’t believe that, but something was deeply wrong and Louis had rebuffed any gentle attempts to find out what.....  "But when Louis had been at family breakfast the other week, days before Mr Lioncourt’s disappearance, Louis had been scratching and Grace had caught his arm. A bronze scale had come off his skin and Louis hadn’t noticed. Grace had palmed the scale discreetly, so that no one else would see...."

-- Excerpts from Part of Your World, by @weather-mood

MY THOUGHTS & CC CREDITS

MY THOUGHTS

A [FREE SPACE] entry for @vamptember's MerMay VC event!

Just a heads up for those familiar with PoYW: for my gameplay, I've moved ALL of the siren scenes from the fic to Louis' official transformation at the end of the story, into Tidelines; so some of my next posts actually take place out of order from the fic itself.

What I really like about WeatherMood's PoYW fic is how clearly you can see the parallels between siren!Lestat's "deal" with Louis, and vampire!Lestat's "wedding vows" pitch. In PoYW, Les is the Sea Witch who makes a deal with the naive & lovestruck Little Mermaid--it's largely based on Hans Christian Anderson, but with a slight Disney twist. Louis knows Lestat is evil (he massacred Louis' whole ship crew), but Lou also has garbage taste in men. 🤦 But Lestat's deal throws Lou for a loop; it sounds too good to be true, cuz it is. Hans' Sea Witch is more forthcoming about their deal highly likely ending in utter doom; while Ursula deliberately withholds information (her plans to sabotage Ariel & keep her (& King Triton) as a polyp/slave).

Likewise, vampire!Lestat knew good & dang well that Lou had no idea what vampirism really was or entailed; going in blind as a bat into a damned eternity off of nothing but a few "tricks" he'd seen Lestat do (and ofc he compartmentalized seeing Les eat the priests). He turned Lou & babytrapped him so Lou would/could never leave him; just like siren!Lestat traps Louis in a bad deal he knows is anything but temporary/amphibious enough to let Lou to survive on land.

Lestat loves Louis, undoubtedly, but he's also a bonafide monster, ("Is my very nature that of the Devil?"). It's effed up, but Louis loves him, so what can you do. U_U At least Les isn't like Hans' Prince, who treated The Mermaid like trash & loved someone else entirely, only for The Mermaid to willingly die for him anyway, like GIRL. 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦 Take that knife & go crazy! 🔪

CC CREDITS

- Stained glass windows by @deniisu-sims & Abuk0

- Toe claws & eel tails in beta by me

- (If anyone's wondering, I put Loustat in scale-patterned swimming briefs cuz in the fic they don't actually wear clothes. But my blog's PG-17 goshdarnit! 😅)

[imagitory]

Okay -- so my visual aids for this post are very limited since Disney+ will not let me properly screenshot this and there are no good quality versions of this on Youtube anymore...but I need to talk about Disney's The Little Mermaid TV series for a second. Specifically, one episode very near and dear to my heart called Metal Fish, which features a human explorer going down in a fish-shaped submarine to the bottom of the ocean, getting stuck, and being found by Ariel and her friends.

Now honestly, watching the episode again, there's a lot I don't love about it. Sebastian's whole subplot with the crab scouts is really kind of annoying, and I skip every bit of it. But I love the character of Archimedes (even if he never appeared in the show again! Boo!), and -- more importantly to today -- there's this wonderful moment right toward the beginning of the third act of the episode where Ariel and our human explorer lay eyes on each other for the first time, and there's just this electric connection.

Something that bypasses words -- this sense of wonder, enchantment -- almost enlightenment. And is it surprising? No! Ariel is the spitting image of what the human explorer had in his mind, when he was dreamily sketching out what a mermaid could look like, back on land.

And of course, at the end of the episode, what else should the explorer end up being named, but Hans Christian Andersen? And what else would he do, after being rescued by a mermaid, but use it as inspiration for one of his most famous fairy tales?

Okay, yeah, admittedly Hans Christian Andersen was a much sadder and more dysfunctional brown-haired human being IRL (just watch this video for a nice deep-dive about this disaster gay/bi/honestly-maybe-even-romantic-ace)...not to mention he wasn't even half this dashing nor close to being vocally similar to the great Mark Hamill...but one thing I absolutely love about this episode, and the aspect I personally respond to most, is the choice the series' creators made to have their interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen and Ariel have a very striking visual similarity, as well as similar personalities.

Many theorize that the original little mermaid was a self-insert character for HCA, with his fairy tale being a fantastical lament about the one-sided love he felt for the son of his most significant patron, Edvard Collin, who -- like the mermaid's prince in the original -- fell in love with and chose to wed another. There's even preserved correspondence by HCA where he writes of his feelings for Edvard being "those of a woman." And although this is more likely about HCA struggling to express romantic feelings that felt out of place in the very religious, heteronormative world he was a part of than about HCA himself identifying as transgender, I still think it was such a sweet little gesture for this episode to highlight Ariel and HCA seeing themselves in each other.

And this is where I wish SO MUCH I had some good quality video so I could truly share this piece of the episode with all of you -- because the moment where Ariel and Hans see each other for the first time gives me such life.

When Hans first sees Ariel, he's lost for breath, and he sounds and looks almost bereft when she disappears from view. When Ariel first makes eye contact with Hans, she clutches her face and hair, almost as if seeing herself clearly for the first time. And the whole time, they're looking at each other not fully face-to-face, but through glass and water -- almost a reflection of each other. Because...they are.

I'm sorry, I fail to articulate how utterly beautiful this is. No love story could ever capture the emotion this short scene instills in me. A platonic connection so powerful that it transforms you and how you see yourself forever. Meeting another person and, in doing so, truly knowing yourself for the first time.

However much I might praise The Little Mermaid TV series primarily for its music, there are also moments like this that remind me how wonderful Disney's adaptation of Andersen's story really is.

[nessa007]

I saw someone mention "the shitty changes made to the plot" abt TLM and im honestly left wondering what changes they are talking about, because I did not catch a lot of changes and for the most part liked them, the only change i took to disliking was the reunion scene at the end. I also cant think of any changes that really changed the plot, so im just left confused.

i have to laugh at the few people who hate the changes that were made because i LOVE the changes! the little mermaid is my fave disney movie and the live action changes only made the story even better.

a few changes are: ursula making ariel forget that she has to get eric to fall in love/kiss her, ariel being found by a fisherman and brought to eric’s castle by the fisherman as he works there instead of skuttle knowing where eric lives and taking ariel there and eric finding her outside of his castle grounds, ariel being the one to kill ursula instead of eric, so it’s ariel who saves her father and eric. this change in particular is AMAZING because ariel should be the one to avenge her father after what ursula did to him and ursuls tried to take eric away from ariel and take over the entire ocean. i get people being sad we didn’t get eric’s “i lost her once, i’m not gonna lose her again” line but the fact that we got eric half shirtless coming out of the ocean crying desperately for them to send out ships to find ariel and then him tragically finding ariel’s blue dress in the water instead had my heart in pieces 😭😭😭😭 another change is the end where ariel and eric leave on a little boat off to explore the world instead of a grand ship on their wedding day. i love this change too because this eric doesn’t care about being a prince or royalty. he just cares about being with ariel and getting to explore the world with her.

i actually think the live action reunion is EVERYTHING! eric can’t believe ariel is real and standing in front of him. he looks like he’s about to cry as he rushes over to her. he hugs her like he will never let her go and she’s literally clutching onto his back and their kiss is so SOFT 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️

[ambrosia-ghostie]

i am so upset.

here are my real-time thoughts from tua series finale, i guess:

- is gun control not a thing in this timeline? jeez

- i don’t even know where i’d get a gun lmao

- this is giving MAGA… yikes

- i love meghan so much. national treasure. AND she can sing. EGOT, please.

- lila isn’t the only one hiding stuff from her husband 👀

- diego talking about lila with a new lease on life 🥺

- awh this is very “it’s a wonderful life”

- lila’s family is fab. the spinoff we need.

- i love how many actors get to perform as other actors performing another role on this show

- the whistle !!! call him out dr. jean !!!

- THAT WAS SO UNNECESSARY

- dr. jean deserved better !!! 😭

- i love the fast food lady (featured extra). she understood the assignment.

- “it smells so nice in here!” why are me and klaus the same person but completely different?

- call back to viktor drawing the umbrella tattoo as a kid !!!

- holy shit, ben is the fly

- body horror is so cool

- oh hey! they’re seeing each other and it’s neither a wedding nor a funeral

- klaus still eating because he deserves it - just give him all the nourishment, please

- why do they always wait to tell each other the most important thing ??? one brain cell - i stg

- “not during christmas” - oh, diego. for those of us with chaotic families, it’s always on christmas

- klaus scooping up five’s empty seat is such big family/sibling energy

- “i didn’t see that one coming!” klaus, luther, and allison look just as confused as i still am

- THIS IS SO WEIRD AND RANDOM

- LITTLE GRACE NOOOO

- time travel is wild. five was right in s1 - i am not smart enough for it.

- “do you love him?” 🥺

- cronenberg would love this. i wonder how much of the virus effect is practical vs. cgi

- klaus’s clothes make a lot more sense for the final showdown since he probably borrowed from one of lila’s relatives

- luther’s borrowed clothing is a bit too luther to be believably borrowed tho

- this is my favorite van 🚐 set piece since little miss sunshine

- allison pulling the emergency brake is the ultimate mom arm 💪

- i too, like five, always end up in the subway (as a new yorker)

- oh shit, i just realized that no one probably told klaus how ben really died - ugh

- but, you know what, allison probably didn’t want to overwhelm the poor guy with more trauma so i’ll let the lack of communication slide this time

- “i can fly now! oh it hurts”

- aim for the tanks… like jaws… the… 🦈 ?

- sigh, five and diego beef is just really not necessary - i’m annoyed

- “my hand is stuck in its ass” !!!

- FIVE AND DIEGO STOP THIS NONSENSE

- WHO CARES ??? this romance is not that important, dude. you’ve been trying to save your family for decades, my guy 😭

- oh damn - is five going to find the right subway station now?

- if they all forget everything like fucking dorothy in kansas, i’m going to be so mad

- holy shit - PET CEMETARY, but like PET SEMETERY !!! you can’t bring someone back, not really… that’s the show 😭

- netflix loves their stephen king

- this is also the lesson in 11/22/63… JFK… yeah

- i could write a thesis on this rn

- we got our coffee shop AU ?!?!

- can i be “cheesecake five”?

- oh… oh no

- THE COMMISSION! THE FOUNDER! AHHHH

- no no no

- don’t make my children not exist 😭

- THIS ISN’T WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR

- i’m sobbing… out of hurt and anger, tbh

- the children/family are on the lifeboats 💔

….

….

…

i’m not going to be ok for a while

klaus didn’t find out how ben died ???

wouldn’t ghost ben have been able to tell him ???

they really did borrow from stephen king because the alien reginald plot was pointless (i’m looking at you, under the dome)

all in all, i’m glad i got to spend time with these characters… we could have gotten even fewer seasons based on how netflix operates. but this ending could have been written/executed so much better.

i would have even smiled if the last scene was with everyone in the void. but no. we get the original ending of the little mermaid with the marigolds instead of sea foam 😫

there were parts of it i did like - especially the cleanse - but i feel like we all deserved better…

i dedicate this post to the memory of dave, sissy, ray, and every other beautiful character who ultimately became disposable. 💔

[cornflowershade]

okay watching my way through the gmmtv 2025, trailers lets gooo!

— dare you to death: this one actually looks like it could be fun! historically i'm not the biggest JoongDunk girl but they suit this sort of action genre well (seems they're escaping the uni bls between this and THK haha and I approve.) Imma keep my eye on it!! Feels like something I'd enjoy. Also side-note but i got all excited when i saw Pahn in the trailer. But is she the one who gets poisoned right off? I hope not, but I didn't notice her pop up again in the trailer after that intro sooo. anyway she was the actual highlight of My Love Mix-Up Th for me and I'd love to see more of her!

— head 2 head: initially i was like oh this looks like it's trying to do bad buddy vibes (less well lol) or smth but then it got a supernatural twist?? it ended up looking quite sweet, but i probably won't check this one out unless I see cute stuff from it all over my dash haha. I feel bad about that bc I LOVED Keen in 'Only Boo!' and he seems like a sweetheart here too. (i'd be interested to see him in a different pair sometime but the chances feel unlikely with the way gmmtv works lol)

—burnout syndrome: no real thoughts on this but that one character's art style is quite pretty? honestly i still have to finish Not Me (I loved it so far but never got past like ep 3 😭) and don't have many opinions regarding OffGun yet. Again, I'll see how my dash influences me or not. I will say there's a distinct underlying vibe to the trailer (which does feel reminiscent of Not Me) so I'll keep an open mind

—Whale Store xoxo: CUTE GL SIGN ME UP!! i hope to love this more than 23.5, MilkLove deserve that from me. Also eyy, not a high school show--nice!! And did you SEE the cute lil shots and the MONTAGE at the end and and and?? teeheehee. Going on the watchlist.

—Only Friends: Dream On: okay so Only Friends take 2 but different actors really did end up a reality, huh? Was feeling kinda meh but then Boston showed up ahah. Not sure how much he'll feature, though. And I have QUESTIONS. Why is he still out here helping ppl with final projects, did he not end up going to the U.S., and what about Mix walking into the end of s1? OH WAIT. sorry this sorted out in my head just now. I bet this takes places at the same time as S1. Boston probably knew both groups while in school, but was less in with these guys. (So like, imagine—when Mix enters the scene in s1, does that lead into a universe where BOTH of these messy groups end up merging into one giant flaming ultra-mess?) Anyway I'm still obsessed with the original OFTS but I don't necessarily expect to check this one out. Side-note: I do miss the more grungy aesthetic ngl, but I guess we owed a lot of that to Sand.

—That Summer: Neo!! sorry he showed up in the first few seconds and it made me happy. Prince Satang washed up on the beach. That shot is giving genderswap little mermaid hahaha. I'm not like super gripped by the trailer overall BUT it'll probably check it out for the actors? Congrats to them for getting main leads!! (Also Fawn if u see this YOU WERE RIGHT. Royalty SatangWinny was on your bingo card, you called it.)

—My Romance Scammer: Probably won't watch this series but heyyy, look at them using weddings as part of the plot! Also. MarkJunior! (They were the best part of Cherry Magic Th for me.)

—Melody of Secrets: Idk could be interesting? I mean there's murder and mysteries, so. Not at the top of my list tho. But: Jan!! She's been amazing in every series. If I check this out she will likely be the reason.

—Love you teacher: boy u don't sign up to be a teacher to follow your boyfriend and then learn to enjoy children along the way. YOU NEED TO CHOOSE THIS JOB BC U LIKE AND CARE ABOUT KIDS OR THAT ISN'T FAIR TO THEM OMG. yeah I work with children, this is personal haha. Okay sorry, paused the trailer to rant i'll be right back.

... okay that was a plot twist uh. i don't think this one is for me lol

—MU-TE-Luv: So like, overall I'm 'eh' on this but it has Jan and Keen and Jamie and Neo in drag?? I feel like there's too many plots to hold together, though. 7 pairs, that is a LOT. Might enjoy some of it through tumblr gifs haha

—Cat for Cash: Cackling at the voiceover "i'm a debt collector" as First rolls around with a pile of kitties LMAO. These silly vibes remind me that, OH YEAH, I love his comedy work. (This Shipper and his scenes in Wake Up Ladies??) Oh my GOD did that woman have special cat-whispering powers and then transferred them to First in death?? This could be fun wait. Comedy First + supernatural element, always good. Oh and here's Khao looking so pretty :) FK vibes are FK-ing... look at them pulling OFF this cute fluff piece! <3 *stamps emphatically* WATCHLIST (ok hits unpause) ... SATANG?? ooo 👀 Also sorry I know he's all sad but... laughing as Khao's character cries and starts his list of reasons for running off with "the cats here hate me" 😂 / first: THE CATS ALWays TELL ME HOW MUCH UR MOM LOVED U lmao this is so unserious i love it. Leave it to me to have the most exciting piece on the list be the FK one. And I also get a dose of Satang! (Good to know that even if I drop That Summer I'll still have him somewhere! <3) Anyway didn't expect to be as hyped for this title as I am but HERE WE ARE

—Girl Rules: pretty pretty pretty. THIS LOOKS FUN, I love the messy love triangle vibes hehe. I hope we actually get to see the mixed-up pairing moments too, like a real shot of the NamtanLove kiss etc 👀 it's giving slightly toned-down fem only friends. Let them kiss everybody pls pls. Regardless, I'm hyped for this one !!

—Boys in Love: oh, side couple has the guy who played Half in MLMU. He was good in that. Probably won't watch it but *shrug*

—My Magic Prophecy: Not many thoughts but this could be good? I'll keep my eye on it

—A Dog and A Plane: Unexpected but I might keep my eye on this too! Looks fun.

—Me and Thee: I mean it's PondPhuwin, of course I'll give this a go. Look like it could be entertaining :)

—Wu: They're really leaning into the fortune-teller aesthetics this year haha, this is like the 4th trailer featuring tarot cards i think?

—Mamoir of Rati: AouBoom leads WHEN?

—Ticket To Heaven: OOH we digging into the religious themes and guilt here huh. GemFourth IN DRAMA ROLES AGAIN, THEY HEARD ME!! YES!! YESSSEUGIHI. ugh Fourth acting his lil heart out. I am SEATED. Darn we ended on a high note here HUH. This might be one of my faves in the bunch actually

/

Obviously my dash might pull a couple things to the forefront for me—and I might check out but then ditch some things— but as of now these are my reactions! Gotta say it's a SHAME that there are only two GLs though. Cry. But overall I am HIGH KEY looking forward to some stuff xD

A recap for the benefit of my future self haha:

Dare you to Death - joongdunk Whale Store xoxo - milklove That Summer (?) - satangwinny Cat for Cash - fk Girl Rules - multi gl My Magic Prophecy (?) - jimmysea A Dog and A Plane (?) - taynew Me and Thee - pondphuwin Ticket To Heaven - gemfourth

Anddddd. Now we wait! 😂

[marie95disneygirl]

My ranking of the weddings from Walt Disney Animation studios

Ariel and Eric- the little mermaid

The perfect fairy tale wedding. Everything is right for this scene: Ariel’s dress is beautiful, Ariel and Eric are a cute couple, all her friends and family are there, Ariel has a nice goodbye scene with her father, and they sail off into the sunset at the end. I don’t think this could be done better and that scene at the end of the movie is so satisfying after everything Ariel endured in the movie. I just love this wedding, it’s perfect.

2. Robin Hood and Maid Marian- Robin Hood

Robin Hood and Maid Marian are such a cute couple, one of my favorite Disney couples and their wedding is wonderful. All the cute characters and children of the movie are there, and the fashion is beautiful. And I also just love how they got engaged during a fight earlier in the movie. And this wedding is the perfect ending to the movie.

3. Roger and Anita and Pongo and Perdi- 101 Dalmatians

This is a special case because it’s the only double wedding there is, and I love it for that. Also, Roger and Anita as well as Pongo and Perdi are two of the healthiest Disney couples there are and I love that this takes place early in the story and that we get to see the couples together after they are married, proving that you can still have adventures when you are married and have fun and pretty much live however you want, exactly as you did before but now have someone to love you at your side which is a great message.

4. Cinderella and Prince Charming- Cinderella

I didn’t expect this to be so high on this list, but there are not that many Disney weddings and this is still a magical fairy tale wedding. And besides, this ending is probably one of the most satisfying endings in Disney history after everything Cinderella went through.

5. Tiana and Naveen- The princess and the frog

This wedding has great fashion and it’s cute that they got to do it twice but I don’t like it that much. I’m just not that much of a fan of Tiana and Naveen as a couple and I think Tiana deserved someone better. But it’s still a great ending of the movie and I love that Tiana was allowed to get married at the end despite not knowing Naveen for years because it makes sense for their time.

6. Katrina and Brom Bones- the adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad

I don’t like this couple. It’s obvious in the movie that Katrina is just playing with Brom and all the other men and just wants someone who worships her all the time.

7. Calhoun and Felix- Wreck-it Ralph

I don’t like this couple or this movie, I’m sorry. Also, this just proves Disney’s hypocrisy because these two were allowed to be married at the end of the movie despite not having been dating for years and despite the fact that this takes place in a modern time when it was possible for couples to even be together for a long time before getting married while Rapunzel and Flynn weren’t despite their story taking place in a time were people had to  marry early.

8. Rapunzel and Flynn Rider- Tangled ever after

This is now the absolute worst wedding for me after watching that stupid, terrible TV show that completely destroyed their relationship! Now, all I can think about when I watch this is how Rapunzel rejected him for years and acted like marrying him would be some horrible trap or prison that would take away her freedom despite the fact that she was literally willing to go to prison for all eternity and give up her entire freedom just for him in the movie. How the hell does this make sense? It makes Rapunzel look like a terrible hypocrite and a stupid witch who doesn’t deserve this treasure of a man who once literally died for her! And it's so horrible how they send the message that marriage is a prison and it's so ridiculous how sacrificing yourself for someone you just met is considered all right but not marrying a person you love after months or even a whole year of being together. If someone genuinely views marriage as a prison, they’re either with the wrong person or not ready for a relationship at all—because deep down, they’re likely subconsciously considering breaking up or even cheating. And it really seems like the writer of this series would have also preferred to have her end up with Cassandra which just proves the theory that Rapunzel probably thought about cheating on him. True love means wanting to marry your partner, not rejecting them out of fear that marriage will somehow strip you of freedom. This attitude is a massive red flag and suggests Flynn isn’t the right person for Rapunzel, or worse, that she doesn’t fully love him. How could someone be truly happy with their partner if the very idea of marriage continues to scare them, even after more than a year? Portraying this dynamic as love is deeply misleading—it’s not love at all, and Flynn deserves so much better. Adding to this frustration is the glaring historical inaccuracy. Back then, people—especially princesses—married early because it was often the only way to be together, both socially and physically. In that context, marrying after a few months of knowing someone was perfectly normal and expected from society. It’s unfair to criticize the earlier Disney princesses for marrying quickly when it was true to their time and culture. What’s even more ridiculous is that the series contradicts this by dragging out Rapunzel and Flynn’s relationship for years while still having her reject his proposal. No one—historically or even today—should remain in a relationship after such a rejection. It’s a profound slap in the face and shows irreconcilable differences in values. If Rapunzel truly loved Flynn, she would have embraced marriage rather than seeing it as a trap.

This series has completely ruined the short film for me. Rapunzel does NOT deserve Flynn, and she certainly does NOT deserve to marry him after treating him—and their relationship—with such disregard. The fact that she stays in the relationship after rejecting his proposal only makes it worse. It keeps Flynn in a state of painful uncertainty, making it seem like Rapunzel just wants the benefits of a relationship without having to commit. This wedding should never have happened because the series destroyed the foundation of their relationship. Now, it only paints Rapunzel as selfish and hypocritical while Flynn comes across as someone with no self-respect. Flynn’s feelings do matter. He’s not just some side character who exists to revolve around Rapunzel; he’s a person with his own desires, needs, and dreams. It’s incredibly frustrating that the series downplays his perspective while elevating Rapunzel’s flawed reasoning as something admirable or progressive. It’s not progressive to dismiss a partner’s feelings in a relationship—it’s hurtful and unfair. Flynn’s feelings are important, and he deserves a partner who sees his love for what it is: a beautiful, selfless gift. It’s as if the series Rapunzel forgot what true love looks like and instead fell into self-absorption, valuing her abstract idea of “freedom” more than the tangible love and partnership she has with Flynn. If someone truly sees a life of love and partnership as a prison, it shows a lack of respect and appreciation for their partner’s feelings and needs. The logic is baffling, especially given that Flynn never once acted like someone who wanted to control her or restrict her freedom. He loved her for who she was and was willing to follow her wherever she wanted to go, even if it meant leaving behind his own dreams. And the series also portrays Flynn as a character who is constantly disrespected and belittled by others, especially Cassandra, while Rapunzel stands by silently. This dynamic makes their relationship feel one-sided and unfair, as Rapunzel often takes him for granted. She keeps secrets from him, allows others to disrespect him, and even goes so far as to draw his face on a punching bag to bond with Cassandra, without ever apologizing for these actions. The series also includes moments that feel deeply out of character for Rapunzel, such as using time travel to “fix” Flynn’s personality when he disagrees with her, showing no guilt or remorse afterward. These actions diminish the love and respect she showed for him in the movie, where she was willing to sacrifice everything for him.

If the series never happened, this wedding might have been my second or even first choice. And if they would have followed the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this would have undoubtedly been my first place because there is nothing more romantic than a couple exchanging vows, promising themselves to one another and considering themselves to be already married in spirit, despite not being able to marry legally in a church. That captures the true essence of marriage: a mutual promise to stay together and a declaration that the other person is their one and only. Unfortunately, the series delivers the opposite message. Rapunzel rejects the idea of being engaged or married, choosing an unclear idea of "freedom" over her love for Flynn. This takes away from the strong relationship they built in the movie, which was based on trust, sacrifice, and mutual support. By making marriage seem like something to fear, the series lessens the importance of the love they worked so hard to protect. Instead of showing how freedom and a loving partnership can go hand in hand—where both people grow and support each other—the series acts like independence and marriage can’t exist together. This misrepresents what a healthy relationship looks like and sends the wrong message about real commitment. Flynn’s deep love and support for Rapunzel are ignored, making him seem unimportant in their story. Marriage isn’t supposed to be a threat to freedom. It’s meant to be a partnership where both people thrive together. By failing to show this, the series misses the chance to give their story the meaningful ending it deserved. And it makes me more angry when I think about the fact, that they could have easily have them not be married already without ruining their love story if they would have just introduced the conflict that a princess and a thief would have not been allowed to marry in their time. This would have been a million times better and more romantic than having Rapunzel considering a life with him to be a prison and that would have also made the plot twist work that he was secretly a prince.

So, I’m very sorry but if I have to count this stupid series canon, then this is last place. I just wish they would have at least changed her name because she is not Rapunzel anymore. The real Rapunzel from the Brothers Grimm accepted her prince’s proposal the first time he asked and saw marriage as liberation—a chance to escape the witch’s control and find happiness with someone who truly loved her. For Disney to flip that into “marriage equals loss of freedom” is not just a strange take but also feels antithetical to the spirit of the story. Marriage in the original fairy tale was an act of rebellion against confinement, and it’s tragic that Disney turned it into something Rapunzel feared rather than embraced. What makes it even worse is that they retained the name "Rapunzel" while altering the message so drastically. It feels like a disservice to both the character and the timeless narrative she represents.

Additionally, there are glaring continuity issues. For example, why didn’t the four little girls from the movie age over three years? And why were the new characters from the series absent? The Royal Theatre in Disneyland still claims, “It wasn’t long until they got married,” which directly contradicts the series. This just makes it painfully obvious that the series was written in afterwards. If I have to accept the series as canon, my love for the original movie is ruined.

I’m sorry, but this series has turned what should have been a beautiful wedding into a deeply frustrating and disappointing one. Please respect my opinions.

[bilightningwhumper]

"Lost Voice"- Little Mermaid retelling Masterlist

TNEI Tumblr Masterlist

Rating:

Mature (with some Explicit scenes throughout)

Basic Premise:

M/M/F poly romance; trans male whumpee, various whumpers, various caretakers; nonhuman whump, institutional whump

Summary:

Sam was outed days before he planned to tell his parents. Very few people were told, but now everyone knew. His parents decided sent him to The New Eden Institution, where they promised to turn him into "a proper lady." Sacrificing his only chance at escape, all he can do now is design, his only refuge of freedom left. Especially when they force him into a new role for his "treatment."

Despite a broken soul-bond, Derrick got to marry his soulmate, Hannah. Even with the accident on their wedding night, he's been made an apprentice at his father's fashion company. But it's hard to compete against the elusive designer "Nymphet." And the new entertainment girl, Evelyn, from the Institution, pulls at the foggy memories of the stranger that saved him from drowning on that night.

When she lost her her best friend and soulmate, Sam, Hannah thought her shattered heart would never heal. But now she's married to Derrick and couldn't be happier, even if they can't seem to have pups. After a phone call from Sam’s sisters in combination with a girl with his deadname ending up at Derrick’s work, her world is turned upside down.

All main characters 18+ unless specified otherwise (ie, certain flashbacks)

Notes:

References to suicide, though Sam's death is faked, as may be evident by context in both this prologue and the story summary. But warning for it nonetheless, as it is mentioned of others later, as well as self harm. Whump heavy in assault of multiple natures (torture, sexual, etc), so caution moving forward. I do not condone Rape/Noncon irl. This is purely a way to vent and cope. Take care of yourselves!

Ao3 link

(* for mature/18+ posts)

Tumblr posts:

Prologue [under construction]

Five Years Later (in progress)

Excerpts (chronological order as of now):

You've only ever been a disappointment. (Mangst 2024- Day 11 / Spoilers)- [Flashback] After the public post was made outing Sam, his parents corner him after dinner to talk

You're not really here, are you? (Mangst 2024- Day 26 / Spoilers)- Derrick makes a discovery (with Hannah's help, of course)

Please, let me try to fix this. (Mangst 2024- Day 19 / Spoilers)- Derrick takes Sam into the scrap fabric room at work to give him a break from his "job"

It doesn't matter if they die; all that matters is you.* (Mangst 2024- Day 18 / Spoilers)- Vanessa takes Hannah home when she suddenly goes into a heat at Derrick's workplace

Don't you see? I never had a choice.* (Mangst 2024- Day 16 / Partial Spoilers)- Sam reunites with an old... friend at the Institution

Don't look, you shouldn't have to see this. (Mangst 2024- Day 4 / Partial Spoilers)- Hannah sees Sam's scars for the first time

Acorn, Chestnut, Pine Cone (Flufftober 2024- Day 5 / Spoilers)- Hannah finds one of Sam's designs made from a long forgotten memory

“This is spooky.” - “Really?” (Flufftober 2024- Day 12 / Spoilers)- Derrick has a realization about his partners

(one more Flufftober to come)

Old Versions:

Prologue V1

Prologue V2

[princesssarisa]

Sleeping Beauty Spring: "Sleeping Beauty" (1991 Golden Films animation)

In the '90s, Golden Films was one of the chief producers of direct-to-video animated "mockbusters" – knockoffs both of the latest hit films and of older classics by Disney and other studios. Well I remember seeing their films on video store shelves in my childhood: their versions of Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which notoriously changes Esmeralda's name to Melody and has Quasimodo lose his deformity in the end), and two versions each of Beauty and the Beast and Snow White. One of their films that I didn't discover until recently, however, is their version of Sleeping Beauty.

While the opening credits say "Adapted from a story by the Brothers Grimm," the plot of this Sleeping Beauty is really a cross between Perrault's version, the Grimms', and other adaptations. It opens like the Grimm's tale, with a frog assuring the Queen that she'll soon give birth to a daughter. But after the Princess is born, the story follows Perrault by inviting seven fairies (rather than twelve) to the castle. These fairies are tiny, giggly, slightly goofy winged creatures, four female and three male, who, like Disney's Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, serve as the main viewpoint characters throughout most of the story and provide comic relief. Their names are Hector, Wanda, Oscar, Jewel, Tinder, Cinder, and Lily. Meanwhile, the villainess is a flying sorceress (probably not a fairy, because she's human-sized) named Ursula, who, despite having a human flesh tone and wearing purple instead of black, looks and sounds like a screechy knockoff of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. She curses the Princess to prick her finger and die "someday, when you least expect it," but Lily softens the curse to a hundred-year sleep.

Although the King has all the kingdom's spinning wheels burned, the fairies still worry about Ursula and resolve to never let the Princess out of their sight. A comic montage follows, where the lively, playful Princess gives her fairy "babysitters" more trouble than they bargained for. But eventually, Lily makes the mistake of playing hide-and-seek with the Princess, and of course while looking for a hiding place, the Princess finds Ursula disguised as an old woman with a spinning wheel. After sadly laying their daughter to rest in her bed, the King and Queen are put to sleep in their own bed by the fairies, who go on to freeze the rest of the castle in place, sometimes in the middle of comical moments, a la the 1955 German film.

A hundred years pass, and during that time, thorn bushes – which grow naturally on the castle grounds, and which the King was shown complaining about in an early scene – grow into a forest of briars around the castle. Many princes try to fight their way in, but all fail. (Without dying, however – they're shown leaving afterwards). But eventually, the right Prince arrives. Ursula tries to stop him from reaching the castle, first by trying to drown him in a river, then by bringing trees to life to attack him, and then by blocking his way with walls of briars. But each time, the fairies thwart her with their magic. Then a chime of bells signify the end of the hundred years – at this point, Ursula has no more power to stop the Prince, and she vanishes in a rage. The Prince kisses the Princess, everyone awakens, and a royal wedding is celebrated, with the King and Queen remembering to invite Ursula this time.

As a whole, this is a reasonably charming Sleeping Beauty for young children – colorful and lighthearted, without the emotional depth or artistry of other versions, but not offensive either. The animation is far from sophisticated, but neither is it ugly. The same can be said for the musical score, which in classic "mockbuster" fashion, ends with a pop song, "Love Has Opened Your Eyes," over the closing credits. One interesting visual detail is that unlike in most versions, the Princess seems to age slightly in her sleep, as her appearance changes from childlike to more womanly. (Her dress also changes from pink to blue and yellow – did the fairies have a Disney-style color battle during the hundred years, I wonder?) The voice cast is uncredited, but from my knowledge of '90s cartoons, I'm almost certain that the tiniest fairy, Jewel, is voiced by Kath Soucie, and that Rob Paulsen voices Oscar, the chubby male fairy.

Not an essential Sleeping Beauty, but worth seeing.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex, @faintingheroine, @paexgo-rosa, @reds-revenge, @comma-after-dearest, @the-blue-fairie, @thatscarletflycatcher, @themousefromfantasyland

[espithewarlock]

Some end-of-2023 asks that didn't get asked but I'm answering them anyways! Some are from AO3 Wrapped and some are from the more general 2023 reblog.

How many works did you publish this year?

20! It's so much more than I thought I would post, let alone write!

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Bittersweet, That Glitter (aka, Dragon!Pierre) by a long shot. I love the fantasy & worldbuilding and it's some of my best stuff. (I also loved dropping it on Sol unexpectedly and having her start shouting at me within a minute of posting it. Seriously, AO3, you chose then to be speedy with email notifications??)

What work of yours has the most hits?

My Pierre/Charles/Max Soulmark AU. Probably because it's one of the few chaptered fics that I have and probably because it's lestappen tagged. Of my oneshots, Omega!Pierre just beats OnlyFans!Charles by a few hits.

What work was the quickest to write?

I started Take, Take Me Over at 6:30am, wrote 1.9k words, edited, and posted it by 8:30am. (Then I went to the gym and found the perfect song inspiration. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

What work took you the longest to write?

Another Deep Dive All The Way Down (aka, the Carlando Coffeeshop AU that's a companion to Mermaid!Charles) probably had the longest time start to finish because I kept procrastinating writing the ending.

What’s your shortest work of the year?

I wrote exactly 1,016 words for the short-fic prompt challenge, Trading Controllers, and I'm impressed at how much story I squeezed into just over a thousand words.

How many kudos in total did you get this year?

I'm sitting at 2,307 while I'm writing this and that is simply insane! I'm done posting Coffeeshop and I'm hoping to get a few more on that one since it's now 100% complete. Honestly, the fact that over two thousand people have liked my stuff enough to say they like my stuff is incredible!

Which work has the most comments?

By sheer number? Soulmark AU at 66 comment threads, but that averages to 3.9 per chapter. Mermaid!Charles has 4.1 per chapter, for comparison. Of my oneshots, Nymph!Pierre has 8 (including an ESSAY that makes me 🥰), Baker!Pierre has 7, and OnlyFans!Charles has 7.

What do you listen to while writing?

I actually usually listen to Twitch streams. The video game music + the commentary/content gives me something to flip back to while I'm thinking over story ideas and doesn't pull me out of the writing flow like listening to distinct songs.

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

It's so hard to pick just one! Here's some of my favorites: 1. The 'little squid' bit from Nymph!Pierre 2. The whole meet-cute scene from Baker!Pierre (+ Kimi's "But that did not go well") 3. The line from Dragon!Pierre after he leaves ("Now that he knew the warmth of Charles' hands, of his mouth, on his body, there was no way the sun could compare.") 4. The absolute heartbreak of Pierre saying goodbye to Mermaid!Charles 5. OnlyFans!Charles pointing to himself ("what a coincidence! I also like your shirt.")

Talk about a new friend you made this year

Literally everyone in the Calamar's Club, but especially Logan & Sol. Sol for being the sweetest person ever, letting me be insane about dragons, and inviting me to the server after seeing me shout into the void for friends. Logan for dragging me into the chaos, the constant encouragement of everyone, and for making me melt every time they react to anything I post.

How was your birthday this year?

Excellent! I visited my sister, went to her wedding dress fitting, and we saw the musical Six! It was my first time seeing it and it was AMAZING.

Favorite book(s) you read this year?

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune & The Near Witch by VE Schwab

What are you excited about for next year?

Posting my PWFE fic, meeting up with a local-ish fandom friend, and hopefully planning my first overseas trip!

If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

Read your fucking comments, Espi! You could have been making new friends and having fun conversations all year and you were too much of a coward to try that until ~September~. Most of them are lovely and you should ignore the ones that aren't!

Did you keep any New Year’s Resolutions?

Yep! I resolved to start lifting at the gym (instead of just doing cardio) and I've made pretty good progress! Going to continue into next year for sure!

[cjbolan]

Things The Little Mermaid (2023) Did Better and Worse

*WARNING: SPOILERS*

Ariel and Eric having more in common, which makes their romance more believable and satisfying. They’re curious about each other’s worlds, both have their own collections, have an overprotective parent, and a manservant sent by said parent to constantly watch over them.

A more mutual prejudice between humans and merpeople, which makes the stakes higher for Ariel. It also helps validate Triton’s fear of humans, making him seem slightly less like a jerk.

URSULA. She’s so much scarier and manipulative here, yet still has moments of humor. I like how she’s the one to talk to Ariel in her destroyed grotto instead of her eels. Also like the possibility that Ursula’s tentacles have a mind of her own. And GOOD GOSH can she sing (it’s a shame Poor Unfortunate Souls was just her sing-talking instead of singing the whole thing from beginning to end).

 Ariel killing Ursula with the ship. Shows how Ariel’s fascination with the human world paid off. Had she not been exploring shipwrecks, watching humans from afar, and learning about humans from Scuttle, she likely wouldn’t know how to use a steering wheel.

Open-ended ending. Instead of a wedding, it ends with Ariel and Eric going off to explore “uncharted waters”. Which I honestly prefer since Ariel is only 15-16, Eric looks about the same age.

Triton verbally apologizes to Ariel. Given how much less these two communicate this time, it was nice to see Triton finally open up to Ariel. For better and for worse (more on that later), this Triton is a lot less emotional, which makes this scene for me especially cathartic and satisfying.

Ariel’s amnesia. It makes Ariel act a lot less rape-y towards Eric, if she forgets that she needs to kiss Eric. Granted it might be better if Ursula just never told Ariel she needed a kiss.

“Vanessa’s Trick”. This song sounds way better than its counterpart in the cartoon.

Nods to the original fairy tale. It opens with a quote from the original story, and even Scuttle asks “Did [Ariel] kill the prince?” XD. Also a bit of gore, where Ariel violently rips a scale from her tail to give Ursula, leaving a bloody mark.

The ending. On top of Triton apologizing to Ariel, I like that Ariel and Eric don’t rush into a wedding. They are only 15-16 after all. I think it’s a more fitting ending for Ariel and Eric to go do what these two both love: explore other worlds. Also liked the implication that Ariel will return to the merfolk for their Coral Moon celebration, showing she doesn’t have to abandon everything/everyone she knows just for a man. Will she turn back into a mermaid? Will she have to celebrate with the merfolk as a human?

CONS:

Flounder and Triton’s Resting Bitch Faces. Like many people I hate the Flounder redesign. I don’t care these animal characters looking “realistic”, I care only about them being expressive. Flounder is incapable of showing any emotion whatsoever, neither in his face nor his body language.Triton is the 2nd worst offender... At first I liked Triton’s more subtle acting, to capture his estranged father-daughter relations but in a new way. It fits with his portrayal of him as a grieving widower. There’s a few moments where his eyes tear up, where he gives a slight smile, I wanted more of that. And I hoped this would be build-up to emotionally opening up more by the end. But no, Triton wears his Resting Bitch Face for the ENTIRE movie, even when he’s supposed to be happy/relieved (I think?). Even after Ariel just defeated Ursula and saved him afterwards, he doesn't even smile or offer her a hug. Thankfully he eventually does in the last scene.

Flounder’s “singing”. Say what you will about Awkafina’s singing in “Scuttlebutt”, but at least she’s trying. She sounded better once Sebastian chimed in with her. Flounder’s flat notes in “Kiss the Girl” were just painful to hear.

Eric’s backstory. In this version he was adopted as a baby by the King and Queen, when they found him washed ashore after a shipwreck. Thought this would lead to a reveal of who his real parents were (maybe in a sequel?). Were his parents sailors? Did Eric’s real parents kill Ariel’s mom? Did King Triton kill Eric’s parents in revenge? This was just a huge missed opportunity that went nowhere. Honestly, even if he wasn’t adopted Eric would still confined by his royal duties and want to explore the seas, given how overprotective his mother clearly is. Wouldn’t it be better if the Queen was instead Eric’s stepmother? That would help break Disney’s stereotype of evil stepmothers.

Overall pretty decent! I give it a 4/5. I feel it initially just goes through the motions, until after “Poor Unfortunate Souls” when the movie goes off in a new direction.