#ariel: intimidation and fear!

[bravelywego]

"Well, the guns singing will be good enough, and..." Araceli hummed, grinning at Oddette before looking toward the base ahead. "As for when we head out - we're going now~"

Janne stared. "What?"

Araceli looked toward her forces, yelling. "Mages - FIRE at the main gate!"

A whole gathering of mages immediately stepped forward and blasted a variety of wind, fire, and ice magic at the same time. Parts of the main gate of the base immediately splintered apart from the force of the gate, before the rest of it shattered and collapsed. Screams of horror could be heard from within the area surrounding the base, from evil dragon people who absolutely no idea what the hell was going on.

Araceli snapped her fingers as several of her forces charged forward to attack the dragon group members, taking the enemy all by surprise, and Janne heard actual music coming from the band! And was Araceli - singing!? Now!?

A kiss on the hand May be quite continental, But diamonds are a girl's best friend!

A kiss may be grand But it won't pay the rental On your humble flat, Or help you feed your pompus cat~

Some enemies charged at Janne and Oddette, but Janne immediately went to fighting them after going into Blazing Wolf stance, kicking and slashing at the enemy. Other enemies tried to attack Araceli, but she just smiled and rose into the air with her wind magic to dodge, before blasting them away with more wind magic. From the corner of his eye, Janne saw the snake on Araceli's shoulder leap off and bite an enemy soldier in the neck, making them scream in agony.

Men grow cold As girls grow old And we all lose our charms in the end!

But square-cut or pear-shaped These rocks don't lose their shape Diamonds are a girl's best friend~!

-----

Ariel looked toward James, nodding. "Good to know. We'll make sure the golems don't get too close. Now," He looked toward Mona. "Start the illusions. We'll wait for them to start panicking a bit before we run in."

Geist raised a brow. "And once we do go in...?"

A grin came across Ariel's face - but it was a bit of a hungry one, to Mona's intrigue. "Geist, you have full permission to go as full-out you like with slaughtering the enemy. Try to leave a few alive by the end, though."

"Yes!" A wide grin came across Geist's case - one of his signature, bloodthirsty ones. "Ooh, I've been craving this for a while. This'll be a fine time~!"

Mona decided to focus on the illusions and not so much on Ariel and Geist's shared bloodthirst. Her eyes glowed as she held out a hand toward the base - and dark clouds seemed to appear only seconds later, immediately starting a heavy downpour, then the sound of thunder rumbling...

[ Yew Finds a Wild Janne and Geist! ]

[beemochi-art]

Novastorm/Thundercracker A, kilomegs B, chromia/ironhide K, L, Scavenger/Wheeljack Q and Orion/Ariel Z.

A) First meeting

Novastorm was promoted to fly with Starscream. Thundercrackers was already in Star’s group and was annoyed with the prospect of getting another loud squawking shrilled buzzard to deal with.

Then walked in the most breathtaking bot he’s ever seen. Was she still a loud squawking shrilled buzzard? Yes. But he could now suddenly ignore that. He doesn’t talk much and is pretty intimidating, Novastorm wanted to see what he was capable of, she began pushing him and egging him on. Skywarp and Star wanted to see her annoying aft get put in her place and expect a fight to begin. But no, Thundercrackers let her have and do pretty much whatever she wanted. Half the things he let her get away with would have put Star and Skywarp in the medbay for weeks. No amount of bullying and abuse would upset him, he just liked to be around her. Novastorm went from eager to abuse an new toy to being kind of unnerved by him. It shook her to her core when she realized he liked it.

B) First impression of each other

Kilo- tall, dark, mean and dangerous 😏…. Smash

Megs- idiot, brave?, weirdo …. Smash

Megatron was first angry someone would disturb him but upon seeing Kilo he was immediately attracted to him, he began flirting almost immediately after.

For Kilo it was a mix of excitement and attraction, but when he found out he was Megatron, it quickly turned into fear (His excuse is that it was dark). Later tho it was cautious and curious attraction.

K) First fight

In the beginning of their relationship Chromia realized she was holding Ironhide back. He’d just get into trouble if they were together. So she tried to push him away and be needlessly mean to him. Obviously it hurt his feeling, they were always so close. It started to piss him off, the constant avoiding and hurtful remarks angered him because he knew something was up, she could hide it from most people but she couldn’t hide it from him. He continued to press her… Eventually she exploded on him!

L) ....And the first time they had to make up

The way she was acting was stemmed from her own insecurities. She could act like everyone’s comments on her and them didn’t effect her but they did.

Q) First act of non-sexual intimacy (e.g. washing the other's hair, taking a bath together, sharing food)

When Scav gave him that scratch he cared Wheeljack to medbay. All of Wheeljack’s other friends checked on him and did their best to keep Scav away after the whole ordeal was over. Scavenger didn’t bother Wheeljack, eventually Jackie came to visit him. Scavenger apologized profusely, But Jackie remind him that he had already forgave him and came to invite him to his had for engex.

What’s the harm in it. The two ended up talking for a long time and pretty much waisted the day. They were sitting close to each other, sharing drinks and eventually just passed out together. Scavenger swore it wouldn’t happen again, except it happened many times after that until they just started sharing a hab.

Z) First time they said "I love you"

They had been dating for a good bit. Ariel popped by the archives during a break from her job to hang out with Orion. Before she went back to work Orion called after and said he loved her. She stopped dead in her tracks, she swiftly jumped into his arms and kissed him. I love you too.

[pepto-bismolfan]

Part 2 of 80's AU!

Alright so here's my part two. It's been a few weeks but I hope ya'll enjoy

Briar didn’t see Ariel for two days after their exchange. At first, Briar didn’t think much of it. Briar left early for work and then returned late, so it wasn’t unthinkable that they would go a day without seeing each other. But by the third day it was obvious that Briar was being avoided; a fact that annoyed her to no end. What had she done to be avoided? Asked the group to be quiet? Stared down Ariel and her friends?... Maybe Ariel did have a reason to avoid her but it still stung; besides Briar didn’t really care that much that they were playing a game meant for children and weirdos. Her need for conversation outside of work trumped any wariness or fear of social ostracization. 

Briar slipped on her coat as she prepared to leave her apartment. It was colder here than she was used to. Usually in October she could get away with a tasteful sweater and still be warm. However in upstate New York, no such luck could be found. Zipping up her jacket and tucking her scarf into it she opened up the door. Her eyes had been focused on making sure that her outfit looked alright so she failed to notice the dark haired woman leaving her own apartment. The two women collided and Briar stumbled back. Her face softened as she raised her head to look at the woman. Ariel had black jacket on and a pair of ripped jeans, making her look more like a punk than a librarian. Briar assumed it was her day off; and before Ariel could say anything Briar smiled

“Ah, Ariel, I was hoping to run into you again. Listen I would like to apologize if I came off as rude the other night” Briar was in fact not sorry about if she was rude or not but she wanted to be on Ariel's good side. However, Briar had the bad habit of appearing more displeased than she actually was. Once in law school a peer had remarked that he had thought Briar hated him for the year due to her resting face. 

The raven haired woman bulked at the stern woman's apology. If Ariel was being honest the woman was intimidating, the few times she had seen Briar she was dressed sharply with an equally sharp look on her face. Plus with the interaction a few nights ago Ariel had pushed any thoughts of friendly conversations with the woman away. Especially with how dumbly her companions must have seemed to the woman. 

“Oh, um, it’s really Alright Briar. I mean we were being loud”  Ariel stammered out, subconsciously smoothing out her jacket as she spoke to the woman. Briar formed a warm smile on her face and with a flick of her hand dismissed the admission of guilt. 

“Water under the bridge, but now” Briar clapped her hands as she looked at Ariel, “If you aren’t doing anything I would like to take you up on showing me around town. If I’m being honest I’ve been craving a good coffee and haven’t found a good place yet”. 

Feeling a bit more at ease at Briar’s good mood Ariel acquiesced and the two women made their way out of the building to a small cafe Ariel frequented. At first the conversation was cold, with Ariel not exactly how to proceed with the woman. Luckily Briar, adept at reading the room, asked Ariel about her work and life. These questions slowly coaxed the woman into speaking more and more. After an hour, Briar saw the return of the lively intelligent young woman. 

“After I graduated from grad school I ended up here. Arneson has a good Library and it's a good enough town. The people are nice enough, plus the workload is manageable” Ariel sipped her coffee as Briar listened patiently. It was nice to feel like a person after nearly two weeks of unpacking, working, and filling out forms. 

“I don’t think I asked, but why did you move here anyways? You said you grew up in the city, so why move here? Not much goes on” Ariel inquired. Briar tensed at the question as she took a sip from her tea. She much preferred to be the interrogator to the interrogated. Though she knew it would be strange to not answer the question especially after she had asked so many herself. 

“I wanted something smaller. So when I was told about a job offering for a court clerk position here I took it. The job pays well enough and rent isn’t that bad here” It wasn’t the full truth but there were bits in it. Briar did like the pay and the rent, but she had never wanted something smaller. She had been on her way to climbing up the judicial ladder when just a simple small scandal had her cornered. A drunken fight between her and a higher up. Not the proudest moment of her life but he had it coming… The choice had been stay in the city and potentially never work again or leave her home to continue to work. She chose the latter. Her eyes watched the cooling tea in her cup. The liquid swirling as she moved the cup in her hands. She guessed that she was making Ariel uncomfortable as she heard the woman shift in her chair. Briar's eyes flicked up and she looked at the woman. With her jacket hanging on the chair she noticed Ariel's shirt. It was a simple black t-shirt with the logo from ACDC on it. The older woman couldn’t help but smirk, Ariel was certainly a lively one.

“So who were those men at your apartment who were playing the dungeons and dragons?” Briar inquired. She could see Ariel tense up as it was her turn for the uncomfortable question. 

“I only recently started playing, those guys have been playing for at least a year. Actually the old guy is my boss, Mr. Elminster. He noticed my appreciation for the fantasy section at work and asked me to join up with him and the rest”.

Briar remembered the bearded man and nodded. He had seemed very quirky and couldn’t imagine having the old coot for a boss. 

“And the rest of them?” she asked.

“Well there’s Kelemvor who I’m pretty sure didn’t talk to you the other night. Don’t feel bad I’m pretty sure he treats everyone terribly. I think he works in town at some comic store or something” Briar stifled a giggle at the woman's disdain for the man. He had seemed the most prickly of the group.

“Then there's Adon, he’s actually pretty nice even if he is a bit annoying. He was the blonde one who was yelling last night; but please don’t think poorly of him, he's just an excitable guy.” Ariel took a sip of her coffee before she continued. 

“Then the guy who opened the door is Cyric. He can be a little intimidating but he’s just quiet. He’s actually pretty nice despite his uh..” Ariel ground her teeth as she tried to phrase what she was trying to say, “Despite what some people might think..”. Briar raised an eyebrow. The man had been the first one she had seen, and he had seemed a bit strange. His hawkish silhouette still in her mind's eye.

“And what would some people think?” Briar leaned forward interested in what could be so scandalous about the man. 

“Well I really shouldn’t say anything but I mean… apparently he used to be sort of a delinquent around here, but please don’t say anything. He’s tried really hard to make up for it and he’s a nice guy!” Ariel sounded concerned for the man, clearly she didn’t think he was all that bad. But now knowing he had some sort of troubled past, Briar couldn’t help but be interested and wanted to hear all the details. Noting Ariel's tenseness she dropped it. Instead she asked more about what the game was. 

The rest of the conversation was Ariel's account of what the game was about. It was a role playing wargame thing or that's what at least Briar understood from Ariel's description. Each of the men and Ariel played a character who all had different roles. Ariel played a wizard, Kelemvor a warrior, Adon a priest, and Cyric a thief. Briar noted that they sounded like they were in some sort of fantasy novel (secretly recalling her love of them as a girl and occasional reading of them even now). Ariel beamed at the comparison and praised Briar for the connection. Briar had scoffed but found herself interested in the story they were in. The gods had fallen from grace and now Ariel's group was forced to help return them. Though she would never admit it she found the premise interesting.

After another hour the sun began to set Briar and Ariel separated. Ariel was going to some local concert, and while she invited Briar, the woman politely refused. The thought of being out so late and with so much loud noise made her head hurt. 

Briar had her own adult plans anyways. That being grocery shopping. There was a small store only a few minutes walk from her apartment and the emptiness of her fridge had finally gotten to her. The shop was… quaint she supposed as she walked around with her basket. Eggs were cheap and so was milk so she was at least grateful for that. Sometimes in the city it would be double the price, so the small town was better in that regard. After filling up her basket she walked towards the cashier and placed her basket on the conveyor belt. When she looked up her eyes widened as she noticed it was the dark haired man from the other night. The man also recognized her and couldn’t help a slight grimace forming on his face.

Cyric was closing, again. For the fifth time in the past two weeks. Killing his manager had come to mind but he settled for chain smoking during his break. Leaning on his register he cursed under his breath. It had been four hours since he had sat down or smoked, his legs ached and he licked his teeth hoping to sooth his need for a cigarette. Instead he tried to think of anything else, his mind drifted to his last game. The four of them were still on their way to Shadowdale. Pinching his brow he tried to remember if they had enough supplies or if Elminster was going to make them get some in town. That would mean roleplaying…. Ugh. 

The fighting he was interested in but the roleplaying part made him feel like he was a child. Especially when Elminster insisted on doing voices for each different character. It made him cringe just thinking about it. It had been bearable when it was just him, Adon, and Kelemvor but with the addition of Ariel it was embarrassing. Ariel was a good player, and she was thankfully hosting them after his own actions at the community center. She even prompted some of the role playing but acting so silly in front of a woman made his cheeks red. 

Honestly he was thinking of quitting and would have a long time ago but he did owe Elminster to stick around. Cyric had known the man since his teen years and he had helped him out a few times. One of the few times was two years ago. Cyric had gotten into a fight, and not just a regular fight. The man he had almost beaten to death was his former friend Maric, a known gang member. Cyric for a long time had been an associate of the gang. He’d pick pocketed wallets, stolen jewelry, and done other things for the group. It had been two years ago when he had started to try to be a better person. He had stopped hanging around Maric and the others. When confronted about this by Maric things had… escalated. Cyric had a broken nose and was sitting in the county jail. All hope seemed lost and he wondered why he had even tried to be better. Luckily he had been bailed out by none other than Elminster. 

Cyric was confused but grateful. Elminster’s only request was that he show up to the community center a few days later. When he did, nose still busted up, he had found Elmisnter and a bigger guy sitting at a table. He was skeptical at first and it didn’t help that the other  man wasn’t speaking. Soon after Elminster explained what Dungeons and Dragons was they started to play. A few months later Adon had joined up. The kid was annoying at first but he at least appreciated his willingness to talk. Then almost a year later Ariel had joined up. 

It was mostly fun, he thought. But the last game had left a bad taste in his mouth. When he had opened the door he had frozen up. The sight of the annoyed looking woman had caused him to tense up. Her presence was a reminder that he was a fully grown man playing a game called Dungeons and Dragons. What was he doing with his life? He was thirty and working as a cashier and taking odd jobs to keep himself afloat. With his past record getting a real job was tough. At least Kelemvor had a stable job at his bookstore and even Adon had money leftover from his parents to survive on. Hell Ariel had a masters degree! What did Cyric have besides this shitty retail job, a shitter apartment, and the clothes on his back. At least when he was a thief he didn’t have to stand for fucking eight hours. 

The sound of footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up. His jaw clenched at the sight of the woman. Here she was, the woman who made him feel so horrible. He was upset with himself and his life because of her. Had she just ignored Adon’s insipid yelling and left them alone he wouldn’t be thinking these things. Cyric noted her basket and grimaced. Of course. Now he had to check her out and act friendly to the cause of his woes. 

“Funny seeing you again” the woman said as she put her groceries on the conveyor belt. Cyric fought back rolling his eyes as he punched in the items on the register. He needed this job, he needed money and that meant not berating this woman. 

“Yeah, small town I guess” he mumbled, trying to focus on the items and not the woman in front of him. He moved his hand and pressed the pack of cigarettes in his pocket. One more hour he thought. One more hour. 

“Sorry for interrupting the other night” The woman said as she pulled out her wallet. She thinks she’s so funny, he thought. Cyric refused to believe her words were genuine. Looking at her coat and bag he knew she was well off. In Fact he also knew it would be absurdly easy to pickpocket her; as her coat was large enough he could slip his hand in with little issue. 

“It’s fine, Adon was being loud,” Cyric said through gritted teeth. The woman reached out her hand with the bills and he took them from her. The slight contact of their hands had made him pause. She maybe had the softest hand he had ever felt. Quickly he pushed away the strange thought and put the money in the register. He made it a point not to touch her hand as he gave her the change. 

“See you around then Cyric” the woman said, noting his strange and standoffish behavior. “See you” he murmured looking at his hand. God what was wrong with him.

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

as it turns out a lot is wrong with him! lol I hope this was enjoyable!

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

https://www.tumblr.com/seasurfacefullofclouds1/767273618711429120/httpswwwtiktokcomtzp8lugekd-this-reminded

the survivors guilt part… i would never have considered it had i not heard saved by a stranger or paid attention to the “i wish it was me instead” lyric in two of us. he’s described jay & fizzy passing as traumatic when defending himself from those terrible breakfast show people and the way he describes blanking out those periods of time (lottie as well in her book) is typically symptomatic of ptsd.

i also can’t even begin to imagine the complicated emotions that come with not being in the band anymore. the way they talk about each other and the connection they have sounds so much like a bond formed by shared trauma - niall saying that they “keep in touch” but they “don’t talk about it”, zayn saying they were pitted against each other and it made them resent each other and it shouldn’t have been that way, liam on the diary of a ceo podcast saying “none of us talk about it - it’s a taboo subject” and him being baffled by the collective “we can’t be in the same room” feeling among the others, and all of them, including zayn, saying some variation of “no one can or will ever understand what we went through except us because we went through it together”.

and that is what made them so close when they were together, but it’s now something daunting in hindsight. an open wound, haphazardly stitched up, that you don’t feel like you can look at too closely without some kind of psychological unraveling. their anger towards zayn for leaving, his anger at them for staying, all without blaming (or being able/allowed to blame) any of the people that were actually responsible for their suffering… it’s all very reminiscent of the complexity of an abusive situation and the feelings that arise from having escaped it.

i was reading about the ariel castro kidnappings recently - and it’s so twisted that you can see a mirror of a scenario that dark within one direction. ripping children away from their families and not allowing them to see them or sometimes even speak to them, “no” not being an option, rendering them distraught and emotionally vulnerable before making the decision for them (i’d be remiss to not point out that simon’s decision to fly louis out to a different country to scold him after one of their first shows was undoubtedly calculated - and the intent was to terrify and intimidate a 19 year old boy into submission by exploiting that massive power imbalance with the show of wealth and lack of say louis had in “being flown out”), depriving them of food and sleep and privacy for years, intentionally pitting them against each other (and i recently realized there’s a possibility that they were hypnotized?!)… i will never understand how people, even now, still cannot recognize the severity of their mistreatment.

so sorry to waffle but i feel my own kind of helpless rn - seeing the way that all of them are being treated by the media (even liam, even in death) with the articles coming out framing “an exposé” as juicy gossip and story after story vowing to “share details about liam’s funeral” and that godawful louis theroux doc about boybands starring simon cowell allegedly set to come out… i truly wish that they could just be left alone. for once.

The ladder really got pulled out from underneath them without any way to heal from the experience they went through.

They were also gaslit by the abusers to think that the abuse was deserved, and that it was fair punishment for any small infraction. Louis said that in retrospect, even though Simon flew him out alone to intimidate him, he did stay in a “four star hotel” and the experience set him straight. I’m sure it did teach Louis to appreciate that his career was at the whim of one man. Louis’ justification for Simon’s power trip is his twisted way of trying to manage the fear and anger of the experience.

Liam must have felt, at some point, that it was right for 1D management to lock him in his hotel rooms because they were “misbehaving” by wanting to go out.

I wonder how much, right now, any of them have processed the amount of trauma they went through to come to terms with it emotionally. I feel like when Louis talks about his “sleep paralysis” during band days, he recognizes that it wasn’t normal and was a response to stress. As much as we criticize Matt Vines, I also feel that the career decisions go through a lot of discussion and give-and-take, and that Louis does have oversight of his career in the important aspects. I know that Harry has been in therapy and talks about it, but since I don’t follow his career closely, I don’t know if he’s really come to terms with any of the band stuff, or whether he felt/feels manipulated. Niall signed on with Modest, so … that’s a whole other story there.

[zstargalaxy]

can you do seashell(palace pets) reader?

TWISTED WONDERLAND X PALACE PETS

Octavinielle x Seashell MC

Your hoofs galloped across the hallways of NRC with speeds that caught the attantion of the passing students that look shock at the purple blurr that had pass by them with some students, including some of their dorm leaders, chasing after it.

The last thing you knew was that you had gone through the stained glass window of your home to Ariel and then you were teleported to this dark and unknown place.

Of course, once the staff and dorm leaders of each NRC dorm realized a stray pony has been spotted at the halls of the school, they didnt hesitate to try to capture you.

The chase that you gave them was pretty...

Short in a way...

You were pretty clumsy at your hooves despite being on land for some time after Ariel had help you with her father's assistance.

"It's like you have four left hooves" some of your pony friends at Whisker Haven would tease softly.

They aint wrong in a way. Afterall, you were born at the sea with fins at first and have a taste of longing for the experience of those of land-born ponies.

Now, you have a brand new experience.

Now having a brand new friends.

Now having another home.

Now in Twisted Wonderland where, although seemingly familiar, is unknown to you.

Currently, it has been a month since that faithful day of your chase with the staff and students where you had, unsurprisingly, tripped and been captured.

You were soon put in the school's own horse stables for the meantime as they try to (or not) find you a more suitable place to be put at.

The place aint half bad itself.

Although you would live without the tall looming horses...

And the red-haired boy's stern steel gaze...

As well as the green-haired boy's loud shouting.

Nonetheless, the Equestrian Club, who are assigned to the stables as their club headquarters, have treated you fairly good with some water and food given atleast three or two times a day.

But still...you wanted to go home.

So, one day, after a month and a half stay at the stables, you escaped.

Though your escape wasnt...flawless.

You didnt jump high enough over the fences, in which it had broke abit and cause a scene.

So here we are again, with a chase.

Although, what you didnt expect to happen, was that you had bump into a "bright opportunity".

Well...if you can even call Floyd Leech as a bright opportunity.

Floyd look down at he's foot when he felt something nudge (or for your case, collided) onto him at the halls.

He wanted to skip out he's shift at the Monstro Lounge. He was already bored just by just being there for an hour, so he decided to go look for something more interesting.

Well, more like, something more interesting has bump into him.

And you were scared out of your wits.

It all happen so fast back then.

Floyd carrying the threshing you to the Octavinielle's own resturant, being spooked by him and he's twin, being force to serve some food and drinks to some customers and then being stared down...

It was all too much...

And dont get me started on those spilled drinks.

You were there for the whole day, hooves shaking in fear of what they will do to you.

Until it finally felt comfortable.

When Floyd decided to take you to the dorm's indoor pool.

To say that he was shock was an understatement.

There you were, a clumsy (sea)horse, swimming naturally around the pool like it was normal. Heck, you were even letting out joyful noises at the feeling of the familiar environment of water.

It felt amazing!

Even Jade and Azul were amazed at the spectacle.

Although they werent impress by their clothes being wet by Floyd, who wanted to join you in the fun.

Soon afterwards, it became a routine for the OctaTrio to look after you whenever you want to use the indoor pool, ONLY if you will help in the Monstro Lounge in return.

The deal was....intimidating to you but agreed nonetheless.

And the results werent....bad at all.

You gotten better in serving the plates and juices over time, and had draw in a crowd after they heard about you in the lounge.

That had encourage Azul to let you stay.

Speaking of Azul, you didnt have much relationship with him...

He kinda remind you of a sea witch that you were told by Sebastian to you and Treasure.

So you try to stir clear from him.

How about the Leech Twins? Comepare to Azul, your relationship with them was much better.

It took some time for you to adjust to them but it was worth it.

Floyd quickly became your swimming partner at the pool, chasing eachother as you even cheat a few times by jumping off the pool and ran off to the halls with Floyd unexpextedly jumping onto the tile floor in he's eel merman form.

Jade would usually be the one responsible in keeping you in shape. Maintaining your mane, hooves, feeding, giving you the food to serve, some exercise.

Infact, he even let you join him in he's club activities in the mountains where he tells you all about the Twisted Wonderland, he's home, Azul, his twin and the plants you two have past by.

He would even let you try some mushrooms that he had picked and cooked!

Never again...

Nonetheless, the changes has been good. You still wanted to go home but...you will enjoy your time here with Octavinielle. It became your third home.

With Ariel's palace being the first and Whisker Haven as second, of course.

[onceuponers]

@frayedattheendings: 13 F/F M/F M/M

Ariel had to admit that, upon meeting Mark on the beach a few moons ago, he felt a little uneasy around him. As though he were a predator seeking prey, or something of that sort. He just had a very intimidating vibe was all. But the more he got to know him, the less he feared the man. Learning that Mark had a very special thing in common with him definitely helped.

And yet, Ariel was not prepared for just how forceful of a lover Mark clearly liked to be, fingering his pussy over a mossy tree trunk in the other's home kingdom. "Barnacle, your fingers—!" he exclaims, feeling himself clench around Mark's digits, spreading the merlad open for what was to come.

And come it did, when Mark pulled out a strange, phallic tool that strapped into a mechanism around his waist, allowing him to penetrate Ariel as though it were a fully-sized penis of his own.

"Oh—!" was all he could muster, as Ariel looked up at Mark's ruggedly handsome face, artificial cock deep inside his pussy. "That feels—!"

[thealmightyemprex]

Max Jagerman maybe one of my favorite villains in a horror musical

Max is the main antagonist of Nerdy Prudes Must Die ,a bully killed in a prank gone wrong who comes back as a murderous Demon Ghost ......I thought when I first heard the premise I fould find this guy dull,the idea of ghost bully didnt sound apppealing .....Then I watched it and cant stop thinking about the guy .PArt of it is Will Branners performance ,he is fully selling both comedy and menace of the charater and he has some damn good song including his villain song Nerdy Prudes Must Die which is just top notch .However what I find interesting about him is his God complex ,ruling the high school through fear and intimidation .When he is alive he fully admits he is gonna peak in high school and is just savoring what power he can get ....But once he becomes a demon ....He is REVELING in his power ....And yet you get the feeling he is lashing out ,cause while he was top dog when alive.....After he died....No one cared about him .His friends didnt like him,the structure he enforced fell apart .....And he loses his shit when Richie basically tries to rebuff him trying to say no one will care about Richie .Its a quick moment but I like it

@ariel-seagull-wings

[airasora]

Sebastian literally thought Triton would have him executed for helping Ariel disobey and he had three on-screen panic attacks related to Ariel's collection BECAUSE of Triton's violent tendencies (when he first sees the grotto, when the seahorse tells him Triton wants to talk to him and when he's speaking to Triton directly). He's a bit dramatic in general, but not as prone to panic as, say, Flounder (he calls Flotsam and Jetsam "riff-raff" to their faces for example), so we have good reason to believe there's past examples of this and that it's not an unreasonable fear. Also? Most of the dialogue Triton has isn't talking, it's yelling. He's screaming constantly, and getting up in people's faces as he does so to intimidate them. Outside of displays like the concert, most people who interact directly with Triton seem to be scared of him to a degree, including his daughters. If you're a monarch, and both your subjects and your servants are terrified of you, then you're a terrible monarch. And Ariel crying and begging while he PHYSICALLY SHAKES HER OFF HIM to continue destroying her things is just the cherry on top.

Compare that with how Grimsby speaks to Eric, how he's relaxed around him and playfully admonishes him or advises him and uses his name instead of his title, or how Carlotta and the rest of the servants talk to and about him. Can you imagine this man terrorizing people like that? Because I don't.

The contrasts between Triton and Eric are almost endless really.

[reasoningdaily]

A long-simmering crisis over Haiti’s ability to govern itself, particularly after a series of natural disasters and an increasingly dire humanitarian emergency, has come to a head in the Caribbean nation, as its de facto president remains stranded in Puerto Rico and its people starve and live in fear of rampant violence. 

The chaos engulfing the country has been bubbling for more than a year, only for it to spill over on the global stage on Monday night, as Haiti’s unpopular prime minister, Ariel Henry, agreed to resign once a transitional government is brokered by other Caribbean nations and parties, including the U.S.

But the very idea of a transitional government brokered not by Haitians but by outsiders is one of the main reasons Haiti, a nation of 11 million, is on the brink, according to humanitarian workers and residents who have called for Haitian-led solutions. 

What is happening in Haiti and why?

In the power vacuum that followed the assassination of democratically elected President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Henry, who was prime minister under Moïse, assumed power, with the support of several nations, including the U.S. 

When Haiti failed to hold elections multiple times — Henry said it was due to logistical problems or violence — protests rang out against him. By the time Henry announced last year that elections would be postponed again, to 2025, armed groups that were already active in Port-au-Prince, the capital, dialed up the violence.

Even before Moïse’s assassination, these militias and armed groups existed alongside politicians who used them to do their bidding, including everything from intimidating the opposition to collecting votes. With the dwindling of the country’s elected officials, though, many of these rebel forces have engaged in excessively violent acts, and have taken control of at least 80% of the capital, according to a United Nations estimate. 

Those groups, which include paramilitary and former police officers who pose as community leaders, have been responsible for the increase in killings, kidnappings and rapes since Moïse’s death, according to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program at Uppsala University in Sweden. According to a report from the U.N. released in January, more than 8,400 people were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2023, an increase of 122% increase from 2022.

Armed groups who had been calling for Henry’s resignation have already attacked airports, police stations, sea ports, the Central Bank and the country’s national soccer stadium. The situation reached critical mass earlier this month when the country’s two main prisons were raided, leading to the escape of about 4,000 prisoners. The beleaguered government called a 72-hour state of emergency, including a night-time curfew — but its authority had evaporated by then.

Aside from human-made catastrophes, Haiti still has not fully recovered from the devastating earthquake in 2010 that killed about 220,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless, many of them living in poorly built and exposed housing. More earthquakes, hurricanes and floods have followed, exacerbating efforts to rebuild infrastructure and a sense of national unity.

Since the earthquake, “there have been groups in Haiti trying to control that reconstruction process and the funding, the billions of dollars coming into the country to rebuild it,” said Beckett, who specializes in the Caribbean, particularly Haiti. 

Many armed groups have formed in recent years claiming to be community groups carrying out essential work in underprivileged neighborhoods, but they have instead been accused of violence, even murder. One of the two main groups, G-9, is led by a former elite police officer, Jimmy Chérizier — also known as “Barbecue” — who has become the public face of the unrest and claimed credit for various attacks on public institutions. He has openly called for Henry to step down and called his campaign an “armed revolution.”

But caught in the crossfire are the residents of Haiti. In just one week, 15,000 people have been displaced from Port-au-Prince, according to a U.N. estimate. But people have been trying to flee the capital for well over a year, with one woman telling NBC News that she is currently hiding in a church with her three children and another family with eight children. The U.N. said about 160,000 people have left Port-au-Prince because of the swell of violence in the last several months. 

Deep poverty and famine are also a serious danger. Gangs have cut off access to the country’s largest port, Autorité Portuaire Nationale, and food could soon become scarce.

Haiti's uncertain future

A new transitional government may dismay the Haitians and their supporters who call for Haitian-led solutions to the crisis. 

But the creation of such a government would come after years of democratic disruption and the crumbling of Haiti’s political leadership. The country hasn’t held an election in eight years. 

Haitian advocates and scholars like Jemima Pierre, an associate anthropology professor at Columbia University, say foreign intervention, including from the U.S., is partially to blame for Haiti’s turmoil. The U.S. has routinely sent thousands of troops to Haiti, intervened in its government and supported unpopular leaders like Henry.

In fact, the country’s situation was so dire that Henry was forced to travel abroad in the hope of securing a U.N. peacekeeping deal. He went to Kenya, which agreed to send 1,000 troops to coordinate an East African and U.N.-backed alliance to help restore order in Haiti,but the plan is now on hold. Kenya agreed last October to send a U.N.-sanctioned security force to Haiti, but Kenya’s courts decided it was unconstitutional. The result has been Haiti fending for itself. 

“A force like Kenya, they don’t speak Kreyòl, they don’t speak French,” Pierre said. “The Kenyan police are known for human rights abuses. So what does it tell us as Haitians that the only thing that you see that we deserve are not schools, not reparations for the cholera the U.N. brought, but more military with the mandate to use all kinds of force on our population? That is unacceptable.”  

Now that Henry is to stand down, it is far from clear what the armed groups will do or demand next, aside from the right to govern. 

“It’s the Haitian people who know what they’re going through. It’s the Haitian people who are going to take destiny into their own hands. Haitian people will choose who will govern them,” Chérizier said recently, according to The Associated Press.

Haitians and their supporters have put forth their own solutions over the years, holding that foreign intervention routinely ignores the voices and desires of Haitians. 

In 2021, both Haitian and non-Haitian church leaders, women’s rights groups, lawyers, humanitarian workers, the Voodoo Sector and more created the Commission to Search for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis. The commission has proposed the “Montana Accord,” outlining a two-year interim government with oversight committees tasked with restoring order, eradicating corruption and establishing fair elections.

[moths-in-the-coat]

OC PROFILE #7: ORIGINAL UNIVERSE (ARMAGEDDON)

"Fear not, for I am DEXTER... former messenger of... The Big Guy."

ꙮ name: Unknowable to mortals, goes by DEXTER ꙮ nicknames: Dex, Dexy ꙮ age: No concept of age ꙮ birthday: Unknown, celebrates on December 17 ꙮ star sign: None? ꙮ birthplace: Primum Mobile, Paradiso, Heaven ꙮ hometown: The Empyrian, Paradiso, Heaven ꙮ ethnicity: None, just a Seraph ꙮ nationality: Heaven... ese? ꙮ languages spoken: ALL ꙮ gender: No concept of gender, any pronouns, he/him for consistency ꙮ sexuality: Pansexual (despite being unable to copulate)

ii.– appearance

ꙮ description: DEXTER is a Seraph, one of the higher-ranking angels in Heaven. His true form is incomprehensible to most beings, so their form varies. When interacting with anyone of a lower rank, he appears with a tall humanoid form with a head shaped like an Ophanim (gold rings, covered in eyes) and three pairs of white wings. ꙮ height: (perceivable form) 8'8" (264 cm.), (true form) 30'4" (925 cm.) ꙮ weight: Unknown ꙮ other distinguishing features: Variable

iii.– personality

ꙮ positive traits: understanding, trustworthy, open-minded, mature, wise ꙮ neutral traits: deadpan, sarcastic, frank, honorable, perfectionist ꙮ negative traits: nitpicky, manipulative, morbid, blunt, know-it-all ꙮ likes: cloudwatching, coffee, long naps, sweaters, relaxing ꙮ dislikes: strenuous labor, staying up late, cherubs, horror movies, cold temperatures ꙮ fears: The Big Guy. That's it. ꙮ hobbies: knitting, journaling, watching movies, cryptography ꙮ talents: intimidation, reasoning, swordfighting, writing, knitting

iv.– abilities

ꙮ status: Seraph ꙮ weapons: so fucking much. they can melt people, blind people, decapitate them with a sword, whatever. lotta manners of killing.

v.– relationships

ꙮ friends: Sammy Braddock, Ariel Merihem, most other angels (except for cherubs) ꙮ enemies: most lower-ranking demons, all demons with influence ꙮ love interest: an Ophanim named "FRANKIE"

vi.– backstory

Like all Seraphim, DEXTER was created by The Big Guy in the Primum Mobile to be a messenger. Still, they were taken out of commission after it was decided that guardian angels would be a better option for bettering humanity. After several thousand years of doing just about nothing (since The Big Guy doesn't let anyone higher than a Dominion descend to the mortal realm anymore since mortals are awful), he's getting tired and is ready for a change of pace.

…and then the fic starts.

vii.– other

ꙮ fashion style: semi-formal, cozy, light academia ꙮ voice claim: Harlan Ellison (specifically as AM) ꙮ theme song: Thirteen Angels Standing Guard 'Round The Side of Your Bed- Silver Mt. Zion ꙮ assorted fun facts: He has a flock of sheep. He's good at lying, despite it being a sin. His favorite show is Good Omens. His percievable form is 8'8 and his true form is over 30 feet tall. He enjoys Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim. He can sleep just about anywhere.

[timeguardians]

Indeed it was a stunning sight. Uncertain gaze is cast towards the SHIPS, sails of WHITE crinkling in the ever present breeze. She was TAUGHT a FEAR of them, from an early age. To see them hulking wooden hauls as WEAPONS given they were the CATALYST of her mother's untimely demise. Yet, here, the PRINCESS of the SEAS stands on shaky human legs gazing up at something that seems far-less intimidating while swathed in GOLDEN sunshine.

Ariel is a collector of all things HUMAN. Ginger fingers delicately trace the splendid, vibrant GREEN beads when it was handed over. How strange, the former Mermaid considers them, so pearlescent and shiny yet, they are not and could NEVER be mistaken for GENUINE pearls. They are like NOTHING she had ever seen before. The only thing she could remotely liken them to was shades coral in the DEEP.

---F-- for me?-- The former mer gesticulates, pulling her hand towards her chest. She places it atop her crown of copper-hair as if it were a crown. That is what was meant to be done with it, right? ---Th-thank you!-- She eagerly expresses with a wildly overgrown smile. She presses an over-enthusiastic kiss to his CHEEK. That's what HUMANS do when they are happy. Right?

--But I have nothing for you--- She starts to express in a rather clueless expression. That is when she remembers the PEARL COMB in her hair. Ariel swiftly removes it and presses it into his hands in EXCHANGE for the gift. Her eager eyes studiously befall him.

Curiosity gets the better of her, she finds herself pointing to his odd attire with a questioning glance.

@timeguardians ( ariel ) said "where did this come from?" [ x ]

"Y'know, I'm not quiet sure." Murtogg paused, looking at the jade necklace that he managed to find off the docks. He assumed it must've fallen off one of the ships and floated over. He looked toward the female and arched a brow. "I think it came from one of the merchant ships. I've never seen anything like it before. It is beautiful though. Here, you can have it miss. It'll look right silly on me and a lot better on you." he smiled awkwardly, handing the necklace over.

[beemochi-art]

Oplita ask meme: 3, 13, 22, 25, 27, 34. Go wild, and I hope you feel better.

I am feeling better today thanks 😊

3) Elita initiates PDA more. She knows he’s a Prime and he needs to keep up ✨appearances✨ but sometimes she can’t help it! She’ll rub up against him or huh his arm. Optimus is not going to stop her, no matter how much Ratchet scolds them about it. Op will only really initiate hand holding. He’ll stand next to her until she grabs his hand instinctively.

13) I feel like Optimus likes to ask her if she’d like to go on a cruise with him. He’ll usually ask the night before so they can go early in the morning, before the sunrise. They talk on their coms while driving, enjoying the nice morning breeze and morning sun, usually Optimus has a place he’d like to show her, so where pretty or interesting he found. He gets excited when she gets to explore somewhere new. If Op is really really wants to make it special he probably goes there ahead of time to make it extra special. Elite’s breath is taken away, Op let’s on more charm than he lets on.

When they finally get back to base everyone is barely waking up (Except ratchet). Op is getting extra loved on.

Elita wants to out due him with date ideas but all she’s got is a relaxing day in the hab. Optimus is more than happy with this.

22) Elita give him words of affirmation. Always telling how good he is and stuff to get his confidence up. Her love language is also physical touch, as stated before she’s all over him.

Optimus love language is acts of love. If there is something he can do for her he’ll do it. Often times op will do the chores that were assigned to her around base. Yeah it not fair, but the more time she has the more time she has to spend with him. That also falls into his other love language, spending time with her. Quality time with the ones he loves is the most important thing to him. They are in a war and realistically he doesn’t know how much time he has.

25) “what’s there not to love?” -Elita.

Physically speaking, I mean he big. Big all over 🤭. But seriously tho, he’s kind and makes her feel safe. He is shy and you wouldn’t expect that if you barely met the guy. Especially cause he comes off as intimidating at first (she found it sexy.) but the goes away with the more time you spend with him and the team. He’s loving to a fault and cares a lot, though little bit too much overthinking. She likes how he treats the ones around him his faction having more of a family dynamic. They follow him out of respect and not not out of fear. He spends time with his team and tries to go the extra distance to show he cares. He’s a diff ent kind of prime for sure. He’s got his issues but his dedication to trying better himself is well… incredible attractive.

Optimus knew exactly who she was when he first saw Elita. It’s his old fling Ariel from his time of being Orion pax. They were going steady until he became a prime. Then it was like she disappeared and he could never seem to seek her out again. Time has not betrayed her. She’s still beautiful, more so now. Despite everything she never lost her spark or her wit. But she’s gained her skill as warriors. She incredibly strong and not someone you want to throw down with.

“Yes, incredible is the best word to describe her.” -Prime

The love she has shown him has been more than he thinks he deserves. Always touching him, it makes him feel like he’s floating. He’s glad they were able to reconnect.

27) “We’re not CRAZY!! Only the bedroom will do.” -Elita. She seems to frequently forget they have done it during their little dates. Almost every time.

34) things get scary and real often. Almost dying, getting hurt, the rest of the team getting hurt. Lucky Optimus hasn’t had to deal with Elita getting injured badly, yet. But Optimus is a magnetic for getting gravely injured or gored. Dating a prime is… uhh let’s just say very emotionally draining. Seeing him like that constantly is the worst. And Elita is is usually helpless to do anything, she is near by making sure not to get in the way of Ratchet. Bumblebee is the one that steps in to comfort Elita. The rest of the team does their best to comfort her too but Bumblebee will not leave her side. When she’s aloud to she won’t leave his side either. Ratchet will ask her to get things for him like an extra energon run, just to give her something to do.

Once Op is recovering and doing better she’s very quiet. It is very noticeable because she’s a chatterbox. Optimus can’t do much but apologize and try to be more careful next time. She’ll get over her grief but it doesn’t hurt less the next time it happens.

[marinerainbow]

I don't usually make posts like this, but I said I would. So Herr are my thoughts on

The Live Action Little Mermaid

First and foremost: HALLE BAILEY IS AN AMAZING ARIEL!!!!

I never had my doubts about her from what I saw in the trailer. But HOLY HELL she brought the animated mermaid to LIFE with how she played her! Her voice, her expressions, her acting! It all flowed together and I could see Ariel, not someone playing as Ariel. The same goes to the rest of the actors!

And Ariel took more initiative in this film too! She did do a little of that in the original (actively breaking the rules to pursue her passion, taking a leap of faith to try to join the land and have her love, etc) but she seems more involved in the live action film. And not in a way that tries to hammer in the 'girl power' message either (children should have good role models. But when the feminist message starts to take away from the story and becomes that characters' entire personality, that's a bit too much). Ariel here was crafty and wanted to unite the two worlds, but remained her old bubbly and curious self!

Not to mention, Eric! First of all, I loved his performance in the film just as much as Ariel. And they made him more likable too! Like Ariel in the original, Eric was a bit more developed than other prince's in the original film (talking about how he'd not going to go through an arranged marriage, having fun with his love interest instead of just saving her, etc). Though, he was still a kinda bland character. In the live action though, Eric is not just Ariels prince. He feels like he's actually her second half. And the decision to make their goals and backgrounds similar also sheds a new light on Eric and Ariels relationship that the original didn't quite have.

And of course, I can't forget Ursula. I'll admit, I had a slight doubt when I heard they were casting Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. Not because I don't like her, I actually love her in her films. But I've never seen Melissa play a fairytale villain, so I wasn't sure how it would go to have a raunchy comedy actress starring as the sea witch. But BOY HOWDY, Melissa quickly dashed my those fears away. She brought her own spin to the character while also being the sassy, intimidating, deal maker we all know and love! And not to mention her singing voice. Holy. Shit. Melissa, you gotta play more characters like Ursula.

And the same applies to all the other characters! From Ariels friends and her family, all the actors and actresses' brought a whole new life to the characters they were casted as! Including the new ones, such as Eric's mother! Honestly, that's pretty much how this whole movie felt. It felt like I was watching a fairy tale brought to life once again, and not an exact repeat of the original nor a butchered version. They kept a lot of the original script and songs, while also adding new things. Eric and Scuttle got their own songs, some locations were changed but they felt like they worked with 2023 Little Mermaid, and the decision to make the film take place on the Caribbean Islands was a very interesting choice that they made work!!

And I CAN NOT finish this post without mentioning the CGI, beautiful visuals, and character design! All if the graphics were just... AHHH! I can't even describe it. The cast felt like they actually were under water with the changed gravity, and the stunning way they animated the animals. Speaking of which! Yes, they did change the characters' designs, and some of them are goofy, such as Flounder. But they are just as cute too!! And they gave the animals E X P R E S S I O N S!!! This isn't a repeat of the live action Lion King. Through body language, eye movement, and voice, these character genuinely feel like they are living!!! My personal favorite thing about the CGI is that they still gave Sebastian the realistic crab eyes, but animated them so you can still see where he's looking and what he's feeling!!

I found only ONE fatal flaw, though... They did not have Sebastians arch nemesis, the Chef (I'm just kidding. I'm a bit disappointed the Chef wasn't in here, but that's a personal thing and not like a 'the movie is ruined' thing)

Conclusion? Go see The Little Mermaid. Please. You WILL NOT REGRET IT.

In all seriousness, I was a little disappointed when there weren't as many vocals/back up singers in the songs 'Under the Sea' or 'Kiss the Girl', but that's not at all a bad thing. That's just my nostalgia being nit-picky XD and they did make those songs work! It was awesome to hear Ariel and Sebastian sing together, and her friends ACTUALLY working together instead of Sebastian carrying the majority of this operation on his shell.

[themattress]

Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2023)

All right, I’ve seen it, so let’s do this.

PROS:

- I have some problems with Ariel in this movie, but Halle Bailey ain’t one of ‘em. I mean, good lord. Not only is her singing as beautiful as expected, but her vocal impression of Jodi Benson from the original movie is phenomenal. If you hadn’t seen either movie and just heard audio files of the two back to back, it would be exceedingly difficult to pick out which was which, that’s how spot-on Bailey is with her performance. And even when Ariel is mute, Bailey never fails with her facial expressions, which continue to convey her lovable personality. You totally believe her to be Ariel because she totally believes herself to be Ariel; the sincerity that she exudes is proof of just how committed to doing this iconic character justice she was.

- Luca Paguro himself, Jacob Tremblay, was perfect castling for the voice of Flounder. 

- While I hate everything else about him, I love King Triton’s design and general vibe. He’s less of a traditional king and more of a Poseidon-like god, and that’s a cool take on him.

- The shark attack sequence. I especially liked the new way that Ariel outsmarts the shark. 

- "Part of Your World", both how the scene is staged and, of course, Halle Bailey’s singing. 

- "For the First Time". Again, it’s a Halle Bailey song. You can’t go wrong there.

- Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Eric’s adoptive mother. As pointless as this character was from a story standpoint, I thought that Dumezweni sold it with her performance. 

- Art Malik as Grimsby. I totally bought his fatherly concern and affection for Eric.

- Once they’re finally allowed to start bonding after needlessly putting it off to pad out the runtime some more, Ariel and Eric’s chemistry is on point, especially in the dancing scene.

- Jodi Benson’s cameo as a merchant who gives Ariel a fork. Unexpected and delightful. 

- From the second half of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and all through the second half of the movie, Melissa McCarthy is suddenly good as Ursula. She’s no Pat Carroll, of course, but she finally has the bombast and intimidation factor down which she was lacking in before.

- Jessica Alexander as Vanessa, who owned those two-or-so minutes she was on screen.

- Before the way it ended I was enjoying the climax. King Triton being straight-up killed rather than turned into a polyp was a genuine shock, and gigantic Ursula was utterly terrifying.

CONS:

- The opening scene is awful. Rather than that epic shot of Eric’s ship coming out of the fog with the music blaring, we get what looks to be a mermaid (actually a dolphin) swimming underwater as whimsical music plays, only for it to get cut off like a joke as the sailors on Eric’s ship try to harpoon the “mermaid” while yelling hateful superstition. Just a terrible start.

- Rather than Triton’s hatred of humans being pure bigotry on his part, the movie decides to "both sides" the conflict, making humans equally as hateful and fearful of merpeople as merpeople are of them. Worse still, they each have valid reasons for this hate and fear, making the end resolution of it being brushed off as a big misunderstanding ring hollow.

- Jonah Hauer-King as Eric. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t take him seriously in the role.

- Worse still, Eric's whole character is fucked up on multiple fronts. First off, he’s now adopted royalty instead of genuine royalty, which gives off the unfortunate implication that this is the real reason he bonds so well with the common folk and desires a life of adventure. Secondly, his life situation is made the same as Ariel’s instead of different, pushing them as kindred spirits too literally and losing much of what made him desirable to Ariel in the original. And finally, his romance with Ariel starts and ends on a lackluster note, with him being too quick to dismiss having anything to do with her after he learns she’s mute and then too quick to accept being together with her was a fantasy never meant to happen after he learns she’s a mermaid. In trying to give him more depth, the filmmakers just made him more confusing.

- The undersea world lacks appeal. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it and have since the trailers came out. More proof that animation is an art form that has things live-action can never replicate, and that Disney needs to stop making these live-action remakes already.

- Javier Bardem as King Triton. He is absolutely terrible in this, giving one of the most dull and disinterested performances I’ve seen in recent memory. He sells none of his lines.

- Triton's character isn’t any better than his actor’s performance. Beyond his bigotry against humans having more justification to it, he is downright cruel and unrelatable in his treatment of Ariel. When Triton crossed the line into abusive parenting in the original by destroying Ariel’s collection, we immediately see a flicker of realization, horror and remorse on his face once he snaps out of his rage. He’s too proud to admit to anything yet, but it helps sell his “What have I done?” remorse that we see later, and his sacrifice for Ariel’s sake in the climax. But here, he seems to have no such remorse. He’s hardly a father; just a tyrant.

- Flounder looks unappealing and Jacob Tremblay’s voice can’t save that. Sebastian looks even more unappealing, and Daveed Diggs’ obnoxiously high-pitched voice only makes his character worse. Scuttle looks unappealing, and Awkwafina creates such a different character with her performance that I don’t get why they bothered even keeping the “Scuttle” name. Much like with The Lion King remake, it again shows animation’s superiority in this regard.

- Ariel's hair is boring regular red and not vivid real red. That’s a fail on such an absurdly fundamental level, as well as a disservice to Halle Bailey who could have rocked such hair.

- Ariel's character, in the script, is as sanitized as I feared. She’s more of a socially conscious fighter for equality rather than a teenager realistically out primarily for herself and her own ambitions, her sexual lust for Eric is toned down to near non-existence, she’s much less of a rebel since she only goes to the surface for the first time when going to see Eric’s ship, she’s made to have far more hesitation in her deal with Ursula to the point she almost backs out entirely until Ursula cranks up her pressure campaign, and as I will talk more about later gets some needless “girlboss” additions the same way previous Disney heroines in live-action remakes have. Thank God for Halle Bailey, who minimizes the damage as best as she can.

- In the first half of the movie all the way through to the first half of “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, Melissa McCarthy is way too understated as Ursula. She’s doing a campy Bette Midler or Eartha Kitt style of voice, but doesn’t go big enough on her lines and absolutely lacks the skin-crawling, psychotic menace that Pat Carroll so effortlessly provided the character with.

- Restoring the deleted concept of Ursula being Triton’s sister and Ariel’s aunt was pointless. 

- "Under the Sea". Beyond the issues of the underwater world on display not working as well as in animation and Daveed Diggs’ ear poison of a voice and delivery not holding even a candlewick to Samuel E Wright, Ariel joins in on the song by the end! Excuse me? The whole point of the song is to convince her to give up her interest in the human world! Her singing along (without being forced to because it’s part of a stage musical rehearsal that she’s obligated to partake in, as is the case in Kingdom Hearts II) is akin to signing off on that! 

- There’s a plot hole about Eric’s kingdom. Apparently it’s incredibly paranoid and isolationist, and part of why Eric wants to explore other places and make connections with them is so that the kingdom “doesn’t get left behind”. That doesn’t stop its village and marketplace from being a bustling hub of multicultural diversity! Which is it? Is the kingdom isolationist or not?

- Related to the above: Eric’s song, “Wild Uncharted Waters”. Yawn.

- Also, Ariel's sisters are all different ethnicities. I assumed this meant that King Triton slept around, which certainly wouldn’t be out of place for a Greek god like he’s styled after. But no, the sisters still speak of “Mother” as if they all have the same mother! How does that work?

- Flotsam and Jetsam don't talk. Boo! Let them talk!

- There is an absolutely pointless change where Ursula, apparently having no real confidence in herself, cheats in her deal with Ariel by slipping in an amnesia potion so that Ariel forgets she needs to kiss Eric in three days’ time to stay human forever. OK, but why does that prevent her from retaining the memory of Sebastian later straight-up telling her she needs to kiss Eric? And why is she still that heartbroken when Eric gets engaged to Vanessa, given that she no longer thinks it means she won’t get to kiss him and thus won’t remain human? 

- Instead of the newly human Ariel making it to shore and getting dressed in a sail before Max sniffs her out and leads Eric to her, she gets caught in a fisher boat’s net, the fisherman gives her a cloak to wear, and he...brings her to the castle? Why? When you fish out a mute girl adrift at sea, why does your mind jump to the freaking castle and its prince as the go-to solution for getting her help? And like I said before, it actually takes away from Eric and Ariel’s bond, since him finding her and, despite his disappointment that she can’t be the girl who saved him since she’s mute, still taking care of her personally since that’s the decent thing to do was a great showing of Eric being a nice guy whom you could understand Ariel loving.

- Actually, the usage of Max is disappointing in general. Eric saves him on the burning ship so that important plot point is checked off, but him having earlier met Ariel and memorized her scent ends up having no pay-off since he isn’t the one to lead Eric to Ariel. On top of this, he doesn’t get to be the one who causes Vanessa’s shell to break and Ariel to get her voice back later, so that’s another important plot function he’s deprived of. And he’s not even a sheepdog anymore, he’s a bearded collie. What was stopping the filmmakers from using a sheepdog!?

- The stupid little jade mermaid sculpture that Eric calls “my Little Mermaid". OK, so is the movie’s title supposed to be in reference to that now? Why include that as a thing at all?

- "Kiss The Girl", beyond being ruined by Daveed Diggs’ voice, has the pointless lyrical change to make sure Eric has Ariel’s consent before kissing her. As the new lyrics say: “Use your words to ask her”. Except...Eric doesn’t fucking do that! He leans in to kiss Ariel, with her also leaning in to kiss him, at the end just like in the original, without him having asked her beforehand if it’s OK! So a classic, perfectly good love song got altered for nothing!

- "The Scuttlebutt". The only good part about it was Ariel hating it as much as I did! 

- Instead of the animals all divebombing Vanessa at her and Eric’s wedding, with Max dealing the finishing blow that makes her lose the shell containing Ariel’s voice, we have Ariel being a girlboss and....engaging Vanessa in a cat fight over the shell, ending with Ariel grabbing it and breaking it herself. Because a cat fight between women is so much more progressive?

- The climax ends with Ariel and Eric swapping places, and Ariel killing Ursula with the ruined ship. This doesn’t work, since not only does Ariel not know how to steer a ship and she looks kind of ridiculous sliding around the deck on her fish tail, Ursula going after Eric specifically rather than Ariel makes no sense (Ariel just killed Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula is pissed off at her above all else) and Eric not killing Ursula means Triton has no impetus for learning that he was wrong about humans. Maybe this wouldn’t be a problem if Triton stayed dead in this version (since, y’know, he actually died), but alas he gets resurrected once Ursula is killed and loses the trident. And sure enough, he’s learned nothing, which leads us directly into...

- The Ending. Ariel just accepts living under the sea from now on and becomes severely depressed about it, which somehow makes Triton change his mind and turn her human (she was depressed after he destroyed her grotto and he clearly didn’t give a fuck; what’s the difference now?) Eric had also accepted he and Ariel weren’t meant to be after all, but once she shows up as a human again he instantly reverse on that. Queen Selina sadly remarked that the human world and mer-world just weren’t meant to exist together...but then Ariel is made human again and gets together with Eric, and then she says the exact opposite and endorses the two worlds existing together! Everyone is just changing their mind at the drop of a hat; it’s ridiculous! And rather than ending on a wedding with a beautiful choir version of “Part of Your World” being sung, the movie abruptly ends with Eric and Ariel sailing off in a boat toward a ship that they will use to explore other kingdoms and further connect the two worlds together in the process while the generic instrumental “Part of Your World” plays. There’s just....no real heart to it. Which sums up this movie’s problem: like the vast majority of these live-action remakes, it was not made with the same heart as the animated original. The best that can be said about it is that it’s not the worst of the remakes, and that it provides a great stepping stone for Halle Bailey’s professional acting career. Beyond that, it’s useless.

[technicolor-rhapsody]

MADE IN HEAVEN

Fandom: Obey Me! Shall We Date?

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Corruption, Angel/Demon Relationship, Slow Burn, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Religious Guilt, Polyamory, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

You are an angel under the watch and care of the seraph Ariel. Together the two of you oversee nature and all of God's creations. However, one day you get assigned some new responsibilities: deliver messages to and from the Devildom or as you have come to know it, Hell. At first you're wary about the task. Yet this could be the opportunity to finally prove yourself to everyone.

The job is not as simple as you wished. Slowly you start spending more and more time below. What's worse is you starting to grow attached to the demons you've met.

Chapter 1 Preview:

"Am I in trouble?" You ask, wide eyed as you stare up at Ariel.

Your mentor glances down at you with a soft smile. Despite it there is concern in her turquoise eyes. "No, no precious. It's nothing like that." Glorious wings flitter causing a couple of stray feathers to flutter into the air. "As far as I'm aware Gabriel just wanted to speak with you."

The two of you are making your way down the extravagant halls of one of the various cathedrals of the Celestial realm.

"Just him?"

"Eh, well no...I believe Michael will be there as well. Along with Raphael."

You can't help the groan that slips past your lips nor the pout that spreads across your face. "Noooo....Michael hates me! And I always feel so intimidated by him." It wasn't uncommon for Michael to be feared by a majority of the lower ranks. What was odd was how he seemed more distant at your mere existence. You aren't sure why. In all your time around him, you've been nothing but respectful and civil --- even attempting to be friendly. Those attempts were squashed.

Worse of all, it seemed as though you were a black sheep among your peers with a few exceptions.

Ariel stops and gently grabs your shoulders. Her expression has softened. "It's going to be alright." Her voice is soothing like a lullaby. Long strands of fluffy, caramel hair tickle your nose as she leans down towards you. "You are loved just as much as anyone else. Fear not, precious lamb." Hands move from your shoulders to your face; her thumbs tenderly stroking your cheeks. 

You close your eyes and relax at the touch. A tranquil warmth spreads through your body. An inhale and exhale of breath helps center your mind.

Your beloved mentor has been the most caring, supportive and patient person to you. Words could never describe the love as well as appreciation you felt towards her.

When you open your eyes, you give the elder a nod which earns you a grin and a pat on the head.

The humongous, ornate doors are pushed open with ease. There you find Raphael, Michael and Gabriel lounging about and talking amongst themselves. Their chatter stops the second you and Ariel step foot into the room. All eyes (at least you're assuming Michael is looking at you) turn towards you.

Full chapter on AO3

[thealmightyemprex]

The Kolchak Report Kolchak The Night Stalker episode 2 The Zombie

Kolchak investigates a series of mob murders connected by a man who is already dead

This episode is better then the first,introducing new characters like Monique (Carol Ann Susi),a young reporter related to a higher up and my favorite Gordon the Ghoul(Played by legendary character actor/Piglet Jon Fiedler ),a mortician who gives Kolchak intel .WE also get some fun guest appearences by Antonio Fargas as a crime boss and Scatman Crothers whose always good .Its also fun to see Kolchak deal with the underworld as something I like about Kolchak is while he is brave when inn some situations,he is sonmeone who tries to talk his way out of situations barely hiding his fear

I will say,this is not the modern Zombie,this is the voodoo zombie .....And I dont know how accurrate it is in its depiction,cause I dont know much about the subject .The Zombie isnt shown much but he is intimidating though

Will warn,there is some causual racism,and overall the episode feels kind of dated

I'm kind of mixed on this one .I will admit I was more interested in the waring criminals then I was in the supernatural stuff

@amalthea9 @angelixgutz @ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @princesssarisa @filmcityworld1 @makingboneboy @marquisedemasque