Ship Meme: Merida/Mulan
To be clear this is a crossover between the two animated characters, and while the OUAT characters are very similar, they are not quite the same. I will also be ignoring the events of Mulan 2, and saying that the emperor sent Mulan out on a diplomatic mission to Europe for military support instead of marrying off his daughters.
How differently do they think of each other now compared to when they first met?
Merida and Mulan met at a joust and Merida was instantly smitten when Mulan kicked her butt in the sword competition.
Mulan was slower to develop feelings but faster to recognize them as the passions of the cut sleeve, while Merida has no cultural context for understanding her feelings as romantic.
What do their friends/family think of their relationship?
Initially, Merida being a foreigner is pretty strong mark against her for Fa Zhou and Fa Li, who are very traditional and vice versa for Elinor. Fergus for his part loves Mulan immediately with Gusto. In defense of the Fa parents, a big part of the lack of support also comes from getting one letter saying that there is a crazy short girl with giant red hair and eyes like a demon to her being in love in the next letter that got home to them.
Elinor for her part changes her mind about Mulan, in part because the lack of support in her parent's letter is so devastating to her and she realizes that her lack of support hurts Merida in similar ways.
Mulan's parents change their mind when Mulan takes Merida home to meet her family, and Grandmother Fa is instantly supportive and tells her son off, mentioning some youthful dalliances that she'd had.
How do their personalities/skills complement or contrast with each other?
Obviously, Merida and Mulan are both fighters and very strong determined people. Less obviously, their differences are actually what make them work. Merida does not think things through, and as the future leader of the clans, desperately needs the sort of thoughtful advice that Mulan, who is good at thinking creatively on her feet can offer.
Mulan also needs Merida. Mulan loves her family, friends, and her country. That is a beautiful thing, but it can quickly become very ugly when she is unwilling to consider her own needs over the expectations of her kin. Merida is someone who demands what she wants and as much as it irks Mulan, particularly early on, it's a balance that she needs.
What is their favorite aspect of each other?
They both are initially attracted to each other's strength, and over time find that they're not just strong physically but also emotionally.
Do either of them have pet peeves about each other?
Merida is very much so a punch first, ask questions later sort of person, and Mulan does not always appreciate being forced to ad lib her way through situations. Merida is very defensive when she's called out despite it being reasonable to be asked to not just react emotionally.
How would each reconcile with each other after a fight?
They go walking and hiking and train together. It's the easiest way to get Merida to talk through her problems, because when her body is kept busy she can get energy out and can't let things spiral inside her as much.
What would be their ideal vacation getaway together?
Sailing together on a junk. They both love exploring and learning new things but neither of them gets much of a chance to be away from their duties.
Think of a new way (AU, different situation, etc.) they could have met for the first time.
I think Merida and Mulan would be really well suited to a zombie apocalypse AU. Merida has been struggling fending for herself after separating from her family and Mulan has to rescue the Scot from a trap that she'd set up for zombies that Merida walked into, before she catches herself on fire. Mulan ends up helping Merida to find out what happened to her family and they fall in love over the course of the adventure.
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Rise, oh Brave Warrior, and Rewrite Your Song
The world throws shadows, which paint your canvas grey,It whispers doubts that pirouette on fear’s ballet.However, pay attention, behind the storm’s chorus,a melody hums, an orchestra unheard.
Not in the trumpets’ blare, nor the drums’ loud boom,but in the soundless strength of a delicate flower.Drinking in the sun, the sunflower holds its head high,though the storm rages, its roots remain,…
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"Hector was a good man" "diomedes was an honorable man" BZZZT WRONG. Diomedes was there to steal, burn, and wage war same as the next person. In fact, he was pretty adamant about it. Hector had no issue with the greek's actions, merely that they were directed at him—I mean look at what he wanted to do with patroclus's body, only to then cite respect for funeral rites when it was his own turn to die. Hector also owned slaves within his own city walls—people that he likely took from their homes during troy's own conquests. All that seperated him and the greek warriors was which side they were on.
The Iliad isn't a story about morally upstanding men. Sure, it has men who have honor and perform honorable acts, but these are not good samaritans. It's is a story about war and grief and the real victims of fights between so-called-honorable men and gods. The urge to find a "good guy" in this story is wasted. Hector doesn't have to be morally good just because achilles isn't. Troy didn't lose because they were more or less evil than the greeks. It all just. Is. Because of fate? Because the gods said so? Because people will always make disastrous mistakes and it will always end up biting not only them, but everyone else around them? Who knows? In the end though, doesn't it all feel so pointless in the face of the endless amounts of grief and destruction that war leaves behind? Maybe that's the whole point
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