#but Nimona the shapeshifter &Nimona the person

[winepresswrath]

something about how mad Ambrosius gets when his special nemesis time in interrupted! something about how smug and gleeful Ballister looks when he vaporizes the arrows. something about the way Nimona literally can't be put in a box the same way she can't be contained by the narrative and everywhere she goes things change because she changes. sparks joy makes me smile 10/10.

[ophanim-vesper]

Sonic OCs rhghrhghgbhrghhbfhb

(these first drafts above were pretty much traced from the official Sonic Adventure art by Yuji Uekawa. This was to practice the Sonic artstyle) Holly (red deer character) and Majesty (purple dragon) are an odd couple, consisting of a jovial shapeshifter and a greedy dragon who breathes noxious gas. The two combine their skills to raid villages and towns, adding to Majesty's ever-growing pile of gold. When Majesty hears of the elusive 'Chaos Emeralds', the wealth-hungry dragon stops at nothing to add the precious jewels to his dragon hoard. [More information about each character under the cut]:

Holly is an unknown creature often resembling a deer, but can shapeshift into any species she likes. She can even mimic their abilities, but only physical traits; she cannot copy others' supernatural abilities. (i.e. she can copy Sonic's quills as a defense mechanism, but cannot mimic his speed). She was outcasted numerous times in the past, as she tried to mimic other species in order to fit in. They all disowned her after discovering her true nature as a shapeshifter. When she met Majesty, the only person who did not outright reject her, she immediately became attached. Now she works as his loyal minion, but really, she's the one who does all the hard work.

Majesty is a dragon, a rare species able to breathe toxic gas. One whiff could prove lethal, while his venomous saliva is potent enough to burn through metal. Abandoned as a hatchling, Majesty made his name as a ferocious dragon not to be messed with. He terrorizes any village he finds, raiding their wealth and food to take back to his cave, accumulating his 'dragon hoard'. His goal is to prove himself as the most powerful being on Mobius. When he learns of precious jewels able to grant one infinite power, why, what kind of dragon would he be if he didn't pilfer them for himself?

[noirineverysense]

yes yes gay knights and nimona is trans but the soundtrack fucks thats the important part

[softness-and-shattering]

Seeing a post thats making me angry: ahh how do I disagree in a way that isnt confrontational and might help them see my point is there any point ahhhhh ummmm noticing that the post is from following a tag, not a mutual: oh fuck that, they can be wrong. 

[weedle-testaburger]

[fuckedupsociety155]

NIMONA IS AMAZING!!!!! I love the movie, imma rewatch it a millón times, the messages are so clear and so queer. It's a great allegory on the way institutions create single minded ways of living that affect a lot of people, including us, the queer community. It was so full of phrases that surround many discourses of this era, including trans issues and I love it.

The ending felt a bit mild to me, especially compared to how they heavy handedly expressed that it isn't about a "few bad apples" but the problem comes from the institution and it's discriminatory basis, but it did destroy the wall and weapons that represented this view of an unknown other being dangerous or a monster, so I'm not mad or anything, I just wish it had been more explicit, or have shown more change, maybe no more knights or smt. Idk.

This is still probably one of my favorite movies of the year. And the music was amazing too. Jdjdvdidkebdhd I love this so much.

[sherlock-is-ace]

i find it fascinating how intrinsically different i am from my family for the simple fact that I'm queer and they're not... They respect me and love me, even in their ignorance. And I can't really ask for more than that, but they'll never understand what it's like to be queer, they'll never see the world the way I see it, and that's absolutely mind blowing every time.

[mothfrogshroom]

Watching Nimona has just reminded me how much I yearn to shapeshift

[llycaons]

oh that movie made me cry

[lucifersimpp]

can you guys tell I just watched nimona

[juliettedunn]

Nimona and the Myth of the Perfect Victim

Nimona is great at showcasing why “If you didn’t act so threatening people would stop being bigoted” doesn’t work. That idea has been rampant in social movements for so long, the concept that if oppressed people were just more passive with their wording, and never got angry or defensive, people wouldn’t have reason to oppress them.

When the village attacks her, Nimona doesn’t initially fight back, but tries to explain to them, showing them her “acceptable” form as a young girl.

But they don’t care that Nimona looks acceptable, they still know her for a shapeshifter and attack anyway. Then, when Nimona fights back with fangs and claws, Gloreth becomes convinced she is indeed a monster. Never mind the context of the provocation, Nimona looked scary, so is now a monster.

Far in the future, Nimona now doesn’t worry about looking respectable. Ballister tells them they should look like a girl, because it would be easier for to be accepted.

To many people, this would be valid reasoning - if Nimona assumes a non-threatening form, no one will be scared. But Nimona knows this isn’t true. If people catch sight of the shapeshifting even for a moment, it won’t matter that Nimona takes the form of a sweet, innocent girl. They will attack anyway.

And staying as a girl forever, never letting them see, is something she doesn’t see as an option. Other people might see it that way, that it is better to forever rigidly conceal their identity so they never once face any hatred, but as Nimona says, while it’s not true death, it sure isn’t living.

Earlier, Ballister was caught destroying the prison with Nimona, adding fuel to the idea of him as a villain, which he blames her for. But he was labeled as one anyway. Had Nimona not gotten him to wreak havoc, he would have remained in prison and never seen as innocent.

While Ballister initially believes that Nimona is ridiculous to dramatically break standards of acceptability, he realizes that some people won’t accept Nimona even if she is “the perfect victim.”

We see this in real life, where even someone who is the epitome of moral decency will still eventually be targeted. Illusions to the contrary are disproven.

Of course the city screams and runs when Nimona transforms into a giant creature, but they screamed and ran when he turned into non-threatening creatures as well. So Nimona is driven to view it as not mattering which she does. Of course, in the end she chooses to help them anyway, and calm herself from her giant form, because Ballister shows her recognition while she is in it.

Ballister sees her in her most terrifying form and recognizes she is lashing out from fear and anger at the treatment she received. He doesn’t demand she stop and be more respectable, he sees them as they truly are and shows them understanding, and that is what calms Nimona down.

There is no perfect victim. Everyone is messy and flawed and will lash out. If there were a perfect victim, it wouldn’t matter anyway. A perfect victim is one who never dares raise an arm against attack, even out of desperate self defense. Nimona would be a perfect victim if she had laid down and succumbed to the pitchforks. Ballister would be a perfect victim if he sat in prison to rot.

A “perfect victim” will always die before being being recognized as such, because the only true acceptable way for a marginalized person to exist is to be dead.

[player-tag]

like i get ambrosius and ballister gay kiss at the end and all but nimona as a character herself was so fucking trans coded??? and it was done so well that i could, as a trans person myself, who's had to hide their entire life and been bullied for it, literally relate to every word she said and everything she did. the conversation with ballister on the train? where he tells her to 'just be normal', and how 'its easier' and she responds with, 'easier for who?' i think thats what really sold me on her as a trans allegory. the bits where nimona had to keep specifying that she was 'just nimona' to ballister? ugh. perfect. 'i feel like if i don't shapeshift i'll die'? actually so fucking true. i love this movie. this movie was SO SO SO good i swear i love it SO MUCH. please go watch it and make it a staple for animated movies that started off the 20's with a solid bang. please i need this.

[drifty-draws]

reconnecting to therianthropy ideas

hello y'all! first post! so recently i had a friend ask me how they can get reconnected to therianthropy, so i made a list and i thought i'd post it here!

-take walks in the woods or wild space -listen to a stream running while sleeping -sometimes when i sleep, i curl up into a ball on top of my covers -watch documentaries about your theriotype -go swimming in a lake and play on the shore if you have an aquatic theriotype -listen to your theriotype’s vocals -eat meat, if you’re a carnivore, or eat a salad if you’re a herbivore -take a cold shower and pretend it’s a waterfall -i’m dragonkin and being on the prow of a boat feels an awful lot like flying, but other options are standing facing the wind with arms outstretched, watching flying POVs with a fan pointed at you, and daydreaming, i guess -make a mask out of cardboard or buy a base (it’s okay if you can’t!) -lay in the sun outside -play with a pet, if you have one -if you have a lupine theriotype, play Wolfquest 3 Anniversary Edition on Steam. i’ve heard it has amazing graphics and hunting! -chew on something rubbery. i have an inflated rubber egg that i love to chew on -make a tail out if yarn. it takes a LOT of time and effort, but it feels good once completed -put glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling to simulate the night sky -watch Wolfwalkers, Brother Bear, Nimona (all relate to shapeshifting into a creature) -read Warriors if you have a feline theriotype -read Nat. Geo. magazines and articles -i like wearing sunglasses on my head because it feels like i have ears, but you could also wear a hat or a headband -draw your theriotype -if you have a nocturnal theriotype, try pulling an all nighter (if your parents will let you) -try hunting one of your stuffed animals (close the door in case you shift -climb a tree! -look up videos on how to get a shift by meditating (i personally don’t meditate but i’ve heard it works) -if you’re home alone, put a bowl of water or soup on the floor and eat/drink it like your theriotype would -if you can, try to get a tag to hunt something for real! when i hunt, it really connects me to nature (if you can’t, don’t sweat it) -go on a hike and try to act like your theriotype -make a den in your room or backyard -paint rocks or shells -decorate your room to match your theriotype -do quads, if your body allows. don’t worry about having the perfect form or jumping high, just have fun! you feel more natural the more you do it (i find going up stairs or uphill to be easiest) -find alterhumans in your area and make a pack -look at therian boards and concept art on pinterest -make a paw imprint in clay then hang it up -make a hidden therian/otherkin symbol in your room

thanks for reading my ramble! if you have more ideas, please feel free to comment!

stay wild 🐾 -drifty

[theblabarmy]

i know nimona is a trans allegory but. the scene where gloreth accepts nimona for who she is and nimona gets really excited and open about her shapeshifting? hits hard as an autistic person

[cosmicbucket]

hey hi. about nimona. yes it's 100% about being trans. but as a nonbinary autistic person? this movie was really touching in ways I didn't even realise were possible.

the entire train scene actually killed me.

"Can you please just be normal for a second? I just think it’d be ... easier if you look human."

"Easier for who?"

"For you. A lot of people aren’t as accepting as me."

then, when Ballister asks what shapeshifting feels like - if it hurts - the way Nimona responds hits very close to home on my experience with stimming.

"Honestly? I feel worse when I don’t do it. Like my insides are itchy. You know that second right before you sneeze? That’s close to it. Then I shapeshift, and I’m free."

And then. "What if you held it in?"

"... I just... sure wouldn’t be living."

not to mention in the original comic, Nimona's parents believe that she's something synonymous to a changeling - that she's something that replaced their "real child". this myth was likely born as an "explanation" for neurodivergent or developmentally disabled children. the townsfolk talk about her getting "better" in the comic. as if there's a cure for the way she is. which is something autistic people deal with all the fucking time.

to end on a more lighthearted note, "I'm not a girl. I'm a shark." was so real of Nimona. I'm so happy they kept that in from the comic, because it was real when I was younger and it's even more real to me now.

this story is a trans allegory loud and proud. I do not want to discredit that with this post. but this story also makes me, an autistic person, feel seen. and that's so fucking important in today's world.

I love this movie to pieces. Please go watch it, and remember to be kind. You will change someone's life for the better.

[sneakerdoodle]

it's about how... Ballister had to be the one who betrayed Nimona, let her down, cast her aside, however briefly; how in the movie, her core trauma is rejection, and how it had to come from the closest person to her. it's about how he changes, first reluctantly, then with full commitment - then goes back on it - but eventually chooses change for good. how true strength and vulnerability is in admitting that you were wrong. how the boldest thing one can do is witness the result of the hurt they've dealt to another and not flinch away from responsibility, because it would be so easy to see Nimona's shadow form barrelling through the Kingdom and say it's her fault, that's her nature, she's wrong, she's dangerous, she's a threat - but through vulnerability and readiness to face his mistakes, and through deep, unbridled care for her, Ballister can see the truth, and the truth is that she's hurting, and he was the one to hurt her.

how change is about loosening the constraints enough to shift into something new, how Nimona's always changing, never one thing for too long - but that doesn't change the core truth of her, how she's Nimona, always, however fluid, in whatever form. how to stay the same for too long is to stop living. how change and fluidity are vulnerable and scary and not always understood by others - and how they're also liberating, free. how the conservative urge is to preserve - but whatever is truly worth preserving, the heart, can never be lost in transformation either way; how constraints wound it, how the rejection of fluidity breaks it.

how it may hurt and it's worth it, how to hold onto the familiar at the cost of your truth is to lose it, change, shapeshifting, reflection, changing your mind, admitting your faults. how, no, there's no excuse, no good reason to make someone's life an isolated, inescapable hell, but how what truly matters is change, reconciliation; how you never had to be perfect from the start to make a difference, to be someone's home. you only needed to open your heart and feel the searing sting of regret - and that's what they will remember. you hurting on their behalf. you allowing your heart to get wounded, so that theirs won't have to be run through

you know???