#no one could have played ariel like halle played ariel

[dearabsolutelynoone]

The Little Mermaid (2023) dir. Rob Marshall

[robotpussy]

hm the diversity everybody seems to be ok with (all white cast and a token) is what forced diversity actually is, not when the best person for a lead role just so happens to not be white/mostly not white cast but we all know what people mean by "forced diversity" so I'm not gonna lament too much anymore

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Not A Verstappen: Lights Out {7}

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x fem!driver!reader x Lando Norris Summary: A short skip over the winter break and into 2024 season.. Warnings: 18+ only, fluffies WC: 2k F1 Masterlist NAV: Sibling Rivalry One || Two || Three NAV: Gridlocked One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine NAV: A New World One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten NAV: Lights Out One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || 6.5 || Seven || SMAU || Eight

Christmas Eve 2023 - French Alps The air was still when you woke to a fresh dumping of snow on the mountain. The window provided a picture of tranquillity and the embers in the fire gave a peaceful glow to the dark wood walls. Charles had disappeared at dawn for a morning ski with Arthur and you squinted against the white glare to try and find them on the mountainside. 

You probably could have gone back to sleep if it wasn’t for the door crashing open and the sudden weight of a child on your legs. Penelope crawled up to the headboard with a squeal and jumped into your arms as Max just reached the bedroom door. 

“P, watch out for auntie’s tummy,” Max reminded. She now had to watch out for yours and Aunt Vicky’s tummy, since your sister had announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago. “Sorry, she slept the whole flight so she’s full of energy. I tried to get her to play with Luka but she wanted you.”

“That’s okay,” you said as she burrowed under the blankets and put her cold feet on Lando’s back. “Are you excited for Christmas?”

Penelope nodded eagerly while Lando slowly woke and you were grateful he was wearing a hideous pair of santa-themed pyjama pants. With even more children around for Christmas this year, everyone had taken to wearing pyjamas. It was good for moments like these, but bad for quick access when you were spooning in the night.

“Papa let me open some presents early!”

Max disappeared out of the room with a wave, heading back to his suite with Kelly down the hall. The small mountain retreat had been completely rented out for another combined family holiday and at the rate the Norris’, Leclerc’s and Verstappen’s were procreating, an entire resort would be needed to host you all next year. Your bet was on Max and Lorenzo becoming fathers next. 

“How exciting! And what did you get?”

Penelope held out her arm to show a mermaid inspired charm bracelet. “That’s beautiful!”

“It’s got Ariel!” she exclaimed, pointing to a red haired mermaid as she bounced excitedly. 

“Is that an earthquake?” Lando asked as he scooped the little girl up into a hug. “No, it’s little P. Why are you waking your favourite uncle up so early?”

“You’re not my favourite,” she said with a fit of giggles.

Lando hung his head and shook it with fake sadness. “Kids are brutal.”

“Kids are honest,” you corrected before kissing his pout away.

“Gross,” P said as she screwed up her face and started to climb off the bed to find ‘Maxie’. She did a sudden u-turn and scrambled across the bed to gently touch your stomach before leaning closer and whispering, “Bye-bye, baby. Love you.”

She was gone again, this time the door swinging shut as she left with no farewell for you or Lando. He let out a little chuckle as he pushed you back into the pillows and drifted down the bed, taking the blankets with him. 

“Hello, baby,” he murmured softly to the bump. At just more than half way along your bump could no longer be mistaken for overindulgence or bloating. “You are looking lovely and round this morning.”

“Wow, you really know how to sweet talk a lady,” you chuckled as you combed your fingers through his hair.

“Shh, I’m having a conversation with my daughter, no eavesdropping,” he warned with a smirk before brushing your shirt up and pressing a kiss to your skin before continuing his conversation. The moustache and shaped beard he was slowly but surely growing thicker tickled with each whispered word, the movement of his lips dragging the coarse hairs over your sensitive skin until goosebumps prickled. 

“I can’t wait to meet you,” he said with a smile as the door creaked open and Charles walked in with wind-kissed cheeks. “I just want to hurry up and hold you.”

“Patience, mon cher,” Charles said with a grin, depositing the second layer of cashmere he had worn under his ski jacket on the coat hook. “It’s only four more months.”

Lando groaned at the reminder before shifting on the bed to make space for Charles. 

“Anything you want to add this morning?” you asked. 

You reached for the hem of the shirt, ready to pull it down if it was a no when a knock had you freeze. No, it wasn’t a knock. The thud hadn’t come from outside, but inside. You dropped the shirt and stared at the jut of your hip, right where the skin went soft as it stretched up to your ribs. That soft tissue bulged ever so slightly as you felt the strange sensation of pressure and it drew a gasp that shocked your boyfriends.

“What? What is it?” Lando asked, his voice thick with concern. 

“Give me your hand,” you ordered, already reaching for one of each as you placed them on the spot. “Shhh, just shhh.”

You felt it again and Charles exhaled a shaky breath that ended in a joyous laugh before grabbing Lando’s hand and shifting it slightly. 

“Wha-”

“Shh,” you urged as Charles pressed a finger to his lips. The silence grew and everyone held their breath, waiting.

The air wooshed from Lando with an exclamation, “No fucking way!” His eyes grew wide and he stared at his palm as if the imprint of his daughter’s foot was permanently held on his skin. “Holy shit! She…she…kicked.” 

Charles wrapped an arm around Lando as their shimmering eyes met yours. Pure happiness saturated the room, spilling out into the hall as the door opened and Oliver appeared a little worried. “Everything okay? I thought I heard Lando screeching.”

“Everything’s perfect,” Lando grinned, ignoring the joke he had heard since hitting puberty. 

“She just started kicking,” Charles explained with an equally bright grin, while you danced your fingers along your side, trying to tickle her foot. 

“Core memory unlocked, huh?” Oliver laughed at his brother’s eagerness, remembering the first kicks with his own daughters. “Breakfast is ready when you are.”

“Thanks, we’ll be there soon,” Charles said as Oliver closed the door again.

“Do we have to?” Lando asked as he curled back down and stared at your stomach intently. “I could watch this all day.”

“You can stay but I am hungry, and she is now shy,” you teased as you pulled your shirt back into place and climbed out of bed. With a groan he followed you to the walk-in wardrobe, just like you knew he would. 

“Is the powder good?” Lando asked Charles while they changed into some casual day clothes perfect for the warm interior of the retreat.

“It’s perfect,” Charles all but moaned, it was hard to believe they were talking about snow but both of them loved to ski. “Arthur wants to head back out after lunch.”

Lando looked at you and you waved a hand. “Sheesh, babe, I’m not your keeper. You can go if you want.” 

Lando hated being away the most, not that Charles enjoyed it, but there wasn’t the same level of separation anxiety that Lando had. “I don’t want to leave you here on your own.”

“On my own?” you laughed and slipped your feet into some simple flats before heading to the door. As soon as it opened the cacophony of everyone congregating in the great room down the hall spilled into your room. “I couldn’t be on my own if I tried.”

yourusername

liked by pierregasly, maxvertappen1, maxfewtrell and 1,382,589 others yourusername This kid scored the gene pool the lottery. Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

Round One - Bahrain 2024 Fuel fumes drifted up from the pitlane to the balcony you stood upon as the start of the season's first race grew closer. It was strange to look down the entire length of billboards and see no new faces among the driver line up. Fernando still filled the garage beside Lance, but you held no resentment for your replacement. He was making the most out of an opportunity and it almost gave you hope that even after leaving Formula 1, maybe - just maybe - there was a way to get back in. 

Next year would be interesting with so many contracts up for renewal. It was a chance to see new faces on the grid, or perhaps some old faces returning if rumours were to be believed. You wouldn’t mind seeing Sebastian make a return. For the moment, everyone was still too busy talking about Lewis and his move to Ferrari to give much thought to the other shocks that might come with the disruption. The open seat at Mercedes was going to be sought after by every driver stuck in a midfield car. 

“You look deep in thought.”

You broke away from staring at the starting lights to accept a cup of herbal tea from your mother. “Just thinking about how the grid will look next year.”

“Gotta get through this one first,” she reminded. “Speaking of…it’s going to be hard having a newborn at home with those two away so much.”

“I know,” you sighed, resting your arms on the balcony rail as you blew the steam from the mug. The wall calendar at home was already marked with the first half of the season, all the nights Lando and Charles would be away circled in red ink. It had been collectively agreed that flying with a newborn wasn’t a great idea so you would only attend the races you could drive to until she was at least three months old. “This year’s calendar is fucking intense.”

“I want you to know you can call me day or night, sweetie, and I’ll be on the next plane.” She reached for your chin and turned you to face her as your throat clogged with emotion. “I don’t have to tell you how hard it is to do on your own, you saw it firsthand.”

“You’ve got your own life, I don’t want you to drop it all for me.”

She laughed softly and wrapped you in a careful hug. “You’re my daughter, you are my life, my granddaughter is too.”

“Thank you,” you sniffled and wiped your eyes, seeing the cameras in the pitlane pointed your way. “Gah, you made me cry. Now I’ll be on fucking Drive to Survive. I can already see the subtitles ‘Y/N crying as the season starts without her’. Wankers.”

Your mother narrowed her eyes at the camera and flipped them off, making you choke on a laugh. “So much maturity for a grandmother.”

“Yeah well I have been wanting to do that for a while, and I figure I can’t get you fired since you’re unemployed.”

You shared a grin and thought maybe you had more in common than you realised. You thought your fight came from Jos but now you saw a flash of it in her protectiveness and your chest warmed.

“I’m not unemployed, I’m a Lady of Leisure.” You laughed at the roll of her eyes before adding. “I might even get a Birkin for a push present to complete the initiation.”

“What the hell is a push present?”

“It’s a present a new mother gets for destroying her vagina pushing a baby out.”

It was her turn to choke on a laugh. “That’s a thing?”

“Apparently so.” 

“Does the baby not count as a gift?”

“Hmm, maybe you should go ask them?” you said as you jutted your head to the plethora of influencers walking around the grid taking selfies with everyone. She wrinkled her nose at the idea, quite content to stay out of the fray like you.

“No, thank you. Oh, there they are.”

You scanned the crowd and saw Max, Charles, and Lando walking out to the grid together, their heads huddled close as they tried to hear each other over the crowd. They made a beeline to the strips of red carpet and Max stood between the other two as they took their places for the national anthem.

“Looks like the podium lineup to me,” your mother whispered.

You chewed your lip and hoped the data from testing was as promising as it looked for McLaren and Ferrari. But you could never tell quite how much of it was real with the strategies and sandbagging. “I hope so, my boy’s need a good start this year.”

Click here for the next part.

[thehorizonlinex]

Close to the Wind

A series of snippets of Eric’s life, as seen by Grimsby

Author’s Note: My first-ever Tumblr fic (ah! please be nice!) so open to suggestions, requests, and feedback. I watched The Little Mermaid (2023) and fell in love with Jonah Hauer-King’s portrayal of Prince Eric, the layers of backstory added to his character, and of course, his stunning chemistry with Halle Bailey as Ariel!

This is my take on what Eric’s life might have been like - before and after he met Ariel. I loved Grimsby as a character, especially his relationship with Eric, so there are some ideas of what it might have been like for the two of them together during Eric’s childhood. I’ve only seen the movie once in theaters, so some of the quotes are loosely based on my memory and might not be 100% in accordance with the script. Thanks for reading, and if you like it, please feel free to comment or reblog :)

Warnings: Mentions of parental death, fluff, young Eric being a little shit

Tags: @ohkarasm​ @nimerdo​ @namufication​ @chey-cheygl​ @snk25blr​ @snk25blr​

Twenty-One Years Prior

Grimsby tried his best to make his way through the crowd, pushing past the careening necks and excited whispers.

A baby!

One of the ships found him next to a whole lot of debris.

Bundled up in a chest, just floatin’ on the water, I heard. 

Could it be an omen?

How’d he get there in the first place?

What about that shipwreck the other night?

He finally squeezed past the first row, members of the royal court who’d arrived at the palace to see the infant child creating a buzz throughout the islands. The guards had been able to create a wide space between the royals and the court, allowing Grimsby to finally catch his breath as he approached the thrones at the front of the room.

“Sir Grimsby! There you are.”

“Your Highness,” Grimsby bowed to the king, both his sovereign and his employer - and an old friend. He turned to the regal woman on his right, dressed in a pale blue gown and seated in an intricate golden throne. “My Queen.”

Both nodded in response. The king gestured to the infant rocking in the queen’s arms, cooing lightly as he stared up at her.

“The baby,” the king said, his voice resolute. “Will stay here.”

He was afraid that this might happen.

The child had been found a few nights prior, swaddled in a chest that floated nearly right up to one of their merchant ships. At first, the sailors onboard had assumed he was dead - his eyes were closed and there was no way a baby could have survived the storms that had wrecked the oceans for nearly a week.

And yet, he had survived, immediately rushed to the royal palace and brought to the infirmary, where he was given round-the-clock care.

It’s a miracle he survived, the doctors had said, just as alarmed as everyone else who’d gotten wind of the curious baby from the sea. Survived without a scratch.

“Are you sure you want to decide so soon, your majesty? Perhaps the baby belongs to some of the neighboring islands, or from the coast.”

The royal couple had struggled with having children - one had been lost in the womb early on, and there hadn’t been much luck since. But he couldn’t imagine this child - this washed-up orphan of a child - becoming the heir to the throne. 

Would the people even accept him?

“We’ve looked, and we’ve asked the other lands. No one seems to know where the child is from.”

The king quieted for a second.

“And the ship that wrecked the other day - there were no survivors. We’ve sent crews to search high and low, and nothing.”

“A tragedy for certain,” the queen murmured, lightly stroking the top of the baby’s head, fingers playing with his dark curls. “But we can help turn his life into something meaningful.”

Grimsby nodded again with a sigh. He knew exactly how much both of them yearned for a child, a son, and perhaps chance was finally on their side.

He just didn’t care for children, personally.

“Have you picked out a name?”

The queen smiled widely at the infant, causing the child to giggle, his eyes twinkling in the palace light, as blue as the waves that had saved his life.

“Eric.”

~~~~~~~~~

Twelve Years Later - Eric, Age 12

“Eric!”

“Eric!”

“Prince Eric!”

Grimsby leaned to his side, his hand pressing against his ribcage as he slowed his breathing. 

He was growing too old for this, the continuous chasing around the palace, running after a twelve-year-old boy who seemed to be getting taller and faster and more of a nuisance each day.

Grimsby couldn’t imagine himself behaving this way at that age - even when he was younger than ten, he’d known to not cause such a ruckus. And he hadn’t been into royalty, didn’t have the expectations of a future king on his shoulders.

Eric, on the other hand, never seemed to get the memo.

“Are you alright, Sir Grimsby?”

Grimsby looked down at the boy as he skipped over to him. Eric’s height rose to his chest now, mischievous eyes peeking past a messy mop of brown curls.

“There isn’t supposed to be running in the palace, Eric.”

“Who said anything about running? We’re chasing!”

Grimsby huffed, the ache in his side still lingering. “You’re old enough to know they’re the same. I know you have access to a thesaurus.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be running if you just stopped chasing me.”

Eric squinted as he watched his majordomo leaning over to his side in pain. “And, if that side hurts, you should bend the other way so it stretches.”

Grimsby huffed again as he followed Eric’s instructions, immediately feeling relief in his side. Once the ache subsided, he straightened back up, his hands crossing over his chest.

“I was chasing you because you’ve left your study a mess, Eric.”

The boy lifted a hand to scratch his head, crooking it to one side.

“A mess?”

“A mess. Things everywhere! Books all over the place, seashells from the beach strewn all over your shelves. And that globe - did you steal that from your father’s study?”

The prince snickered.

“I didn’t steal it Grimsby. Mother said I could have the globe to help with my studies. And all of father’s old charts.”

He flashed his dimples once, causing Grimsby to mentally groan. The boy had grown into a cheeky young thing, as charming as he was reckless, his charisma as abundant as his energy.

“What studies could you possibly need them for?”

“I’m teaching myself,” Eric said confidently. “I’m teaching myself how to sail. Even if mother won’t let me yet. So by the time I do go on the water, I can navigate just using the stars.”

He placed his hands on his hips in a defiant stance.

“And I’m collecting the seashells. I’ve been reading about them in some of the old books from the royal library. Some of them aren’t native to here, you know. The ocean carries them to us for us to find.”

“I’m glad you’re finding your artifacts so educational, Eric,” Grimsby sighed. “But if you leave your study a mess, Lashanna won’t allow it. You know better than to keep them around like that.”

The prince’s eyes, normally a crystal blue, began to darken.

“I’m not throwing them away!”

“You don’t have to throw them away. But you do need to keep them organized.”

Eric rolled his eyes again. 

“Says who?”

“Says me. And until you grow old enough to be king, you’ll listen to me.”

Eric let out a huff of frustration. 

“When I’m king, Grimsby, I’ll see to it that you get fired.”

The man laughed aloud. “I’ve been with your family for decades, my young prince. You won’t be getting rid of me that fast.”

“I can do whatever I want! Eric means eternal ruler, you told me yourself, Grimsby.”

Grimsby shook his head, turning on his heels to head back towards the palace. Better to stop the conversation now before Eric’s temperament got the better of him, he hoped.

He turned once more to look at the boy, the childish expression on his face contrasting his ever-growing stature. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if the king and queen had made the right decision, bringing this boy into the fold, setting him to be the future ruler of their islands. 

Eric was intelligent, compassionate, curious - but reckless, uncontrollable at times, with a mind of his own.

And Grimsby couldn’t help but pray that eventually, he’d grow up.

Six Years Later -  Eric, Age 18

“Well, doesn’t the prince look dashing!”

Grimsby turned to face Lashanna, who’d crept up behind him to watch as Eric stood deathly still at the other end of the room. The prince grimaced as the royal tailors fussed over his new jacket, using him as a human pin cushion of sorts.

“Looks just like his parents,” Grimsby joked, causing the woman to swat at his shoulder.

“Big night for the prince, eh?”

“You wouldn’t think so, talking to him.”

“Hmm?”

Grimsby sighed, placing his hand on the pillar next to him. 

“All he can talk about is going out to sea, tomorrow morning. You wouldn’t even know it was his eighteenth birthday today, if the queen hadn’t made a rule forbidding him from sailing until then.”

“What about the party?”

“What about the party?”

Lashanna frowned. “Don’t tell me I have the staff running around for Eric to not show up to his own birthday party tonight.”

“He’ll show up. The queen will make sure of it. He just won’t be happy with all the fuss, you know he never is.”

Lashanna remained quiet briefly, watching as Eric’s gaze focused out the large glass window to his right, looking over the ocean waves.

“Do you think she regrets it at all?”

It’d been a question Grimsby had wondered himself, many times, and even more so after the king’s sudden passing the year prior. The baby in the chest had become a source of joy for the queen and for the people of the islands. He’d grown into a strong, bright young man, grounded by his values and the desire to lead his people.

And yet, it seemed as if Eric never saw his role the same as his mother, rigidly determined to do things differently. He’d grown even more passionate about voyaging and opening the country to faraway neighbors since his father died, frustrated at the lack of support his ideas received from his mother and the court. He’d vented at Grimsby more than a handful of times, but usually locked himself in his study, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of treasures and tokens other sailors brought back for him.

It’d been manageable, for a while. But now he was eighteen, allowed to voyage the seas himself for the first time, and taking matters into his own hands.

“She loves him,” Grimsby replied. “And that’s what matters.”

He straightened as the tailors finished up with Eric, taking his jacket to have the final touches added before the night’s festivities. 

“Well, aren’t you going to be a sight tonight,” Lashanna smiled at the prince, reaching out to brush a stray curl from his forehead.

“Do you know what time we leave tomorrow, Grimsby?”

“Nine o’clock, Sire.”

“Any chance we could leave earlier? I’d love to see the sunrise on the water.”

Lashanna chuckled. “You’ll see plenty of sunrises over the next few weeks, young prince. And you’ll want to get some rest after your big party tonight.”

“There will be girls there, Eric,” Grimsby reminded him.

“So?”

“You’ll be expected to make conversation with them, dance with them.”

Eric scoffed.

“To find a wife, you mean?”

“Well, if all-“

“Wouldn’t my father say I’m too young to be finding a bride?”

Grimsby let out a deep sigh. “Your father wouldn’t want you to be reckless. But you are his heir, and you’re eighteen now. In a few years you will be old enough to assume the throne per our kingdom’s laws.”

“I’m not interested in finding a wife, Grimsby. Not when there’s so much out there to see. Did you know, one of the other islands just opened a large port? Large enough to completely change their economy. We’re being left behind here, and the rest of the world is moving on.”

“Eric-“

“And besides, don’t you think it wouldn’t be fair to my future wife if I was out on the seas all the time? A shoddy husband I’d make, I figure.”

As if he’d be allowed to voyage as the king. 

“Just dance with a few, Eric. They might surprise you, there’s plenty of ladies from different kingdoms coming. Consider that your bridging between cultures and lands.”

The idea seemed to please the young man somewhat, though his face showed no hint of a smile.

“If you dance with five of the young ladies tonight, I’m sure Grimsby could convince the queen to allow you to sail before sunrise,” Lashanna offered, causing Grimsby to shoot her an annoyed glance.

“Really?” Eric’s eyes lit up again.

Grimsby shook his head. It might be the only way.

“Alright, Eric. I’ll talk to your mother.”

The bounce in the prince’s step returned as he hurried towards the passageway. 

“I’ll get to packing now. Thank you, Grimsby!”

Grimsby turned to Lashanna once Eric was out of sight.

“You needed a compromise, no?” she smiled. “And besides, you’ll need to start getting ready yourself.”

“I’ve still got a few hours before the party.”

Lashanna’ grin grew wider. 

“I meant for your voyage tomorrow. Enjoy the sunrise, Mister Grimsby.”

~~~~~~~~~

Three Years Later - Eric, 21 Years Old 

“Eric! Eric!”

Grimsby ignored the ache in his legs as he ran through the palace halls, headed directly to the wing containing the prince’s bedroom.

The news had arrived while he was helping the queen’s secretary draft a letter to the neighboring kingdoms, desperate for any news or sign of her beloved son. 

Found him washed up ashore! 

Barely breathing!

But he’s alive! 

Grimsby could hardly believe it himself; that Eric’s life would have once again been spared by the sea, fortunate enough to arrive right on their doorstep. He could have sworn, watching the flames engulf the ship that night and Eric falling backwards as it listed in the water, that the prince was lost to the waves. 

It’d been the first time Grimsby had nearly cried, the presence of the rest of the crew in the rowboats the only thing stopping his tears.

Their last interaction had been an argument, another fight about Eric’s role as a leader, his incessant need to voyage and travel and explore for the sake of the islands. Their conversation had rung in Grimsby’s ears all night, the man unable to get any sleep once they safely reached shore.

“Eric!” He burst open the door to the prince’s bedroom, causing Max, seated at the foot of the bed, to bark loudly.

“Shhh, Max,” Eric muttered with a groan, his eyes looking at Grimsby tiredly. “It’s just Grims.”

“Thank the heavens,” Grimsby rushed over to his side, clutching one of Eric’s hands in his own. “I thought you were lost-”

“A girl saved me.”

Grimsby raised a brow, his eyes moving to the bandaged wound on Eric’s head.

“Pardon?”

“A girl, Grimsby,” Eric repeated slowly, his voice betraying his body’s exhaustion. His eyes fluttered open and close. “She saved me.”

“You’ve had a long day,” Grimsby said. “You should get some sleep.”

Surely the doctors would have informed him if Eric had sustained any major head injuries, not just a scratch?

“She sang to me, Grimsby. The most beautiful melody I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m sure she did, Sire.”

Eric’s eyes opened suddenly, the piercing blue gaze making direct contact with Grimsby’s own. 

“Find her for me, Grimsby.”

“Eric-“

“Please. She saved my life. I owe her my life.”

Eric closed his eyes once more, his tiredness quickly lulling him back to sleep.

A mystery girl who’d saved the prince from certain death in the ocean? How hard could it be?

He closed the bedroom door behind him as he walked towards in the direction of the infirmary. 

The doctors had some explaining to do.

~~~~~~~~~

“We could take a carriage tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Grimsby stopped as he heard the familiar voice coming out of the prince’s study, warm lantern light peeking out of a door left just ajar.

He was surprised to see the two of them in the light, diligently peering over maps and charts across Eric’s belongings. He’d hardly expected Eric to even get to know the new arrival at the palace, the girl who’d been found in the waves just as he had.

Perhaps that connected them, in a way.

But he’d distinctly recognized the disappointment in Eric’s face once the prince realized she wasn’t the mystery girl, the one who’d saved her and sang to him on the beach. How could she be, when she had no voice of her own?

Grimsby coughed quietly, causing the two of them to look up at him. Eric’s face was beaming, a look he hadn’t seen in the young prince since the night of the shipwreck, dancing with the crew.

“Oh, Grimsby! We’ll need a carriage for tomorrow.”

Grimsby nodded politely, hoping not to cause any distress to the red-haired girl staring wide-eyed at him.

“Of course, Sire. If I might have a quiet word?””

Eric looked back at the girl with a smile, nodding slowly as if in a daze. “Yes, of course.”

When they were out in the hall and out of earshot, Grimsby decided to broach the subject. Part of him wanted to not bring it up at all - the fantasy girl they were spending all of their resources chasing, and yet, Eric had been insistent. He still remembered the desperation in the prince’s eyes, begging him to find her.

“Sire, all of the carriages are being used tomorrow to look for the girl.”

A wave of realization seemed to pass through the prince, as if he’d been woken from a dream. “Oh, yes! The girl. Yes, we need to find her.”

“And may I remind you,” Grimsby continued. “That the queen insists that you stay inside at the palace until you’re feeling better.”

“I feel fine, Grimsby!” Eric grinned, his familiar dimples flashes. “I’ve never felt better.”

Grimsby looked at the prince carefully. In the study, he could have sworn the young man’s face had been glowing in the light, the golden hues reflecting off his skin. And yet, he was still beaming in the hall, a joyous grin he couldn’t hide even if he wanted to. 

Perhaps the silent girl was the distraction he needed, someone to make him happy for at least a little while.

“Yes, yes, I can see that,” Grimsby acknowledged, scanning Eric’s blue eyes once again. They were as blue as the waves.

“Well, I’m sure we could spare just one carriage. But you do need to go to sleep, Eric. The doctors said you still need plenty of rest.”

“I know. I got distracted all day in there.” He smiled. “She likes looking at my collections.”

“Hmm?”

“The girl,” Eric gestured back towards the study. “I’ll tell her she can stay in and keep looking, if she wants.”

“Ah, yes. Well, if you trust her with it all.”

Eric quickly slipped back to say goodnight to the red-haired girl, and as he’d assumed, she decided to stay back. He climbed up the stairs in the direction of his bedroom with Grimsby, the man’s arms clasped behind his back. 

“I trust her,” the prince said, a sheepish grin on his face. “It’s funny, really. You know that fossilized sea stone that’s been on my shelves since I was eighteen? From my first voyage?”

“Ah, yes.” Grimsby distinctly remembered Eric’s accomplished expression on that first voyage, as he traded some of their island cane for a few treasured items at the market.

“She threw it onto the ground,” Eric explained, chuckling to himself. “And it shattered all over the floor, but there was a beautiful gemstone inside, this vibrant rock that had been hidden for years. I’d never known it even existed.”

“I wonder where she must have learned to do that,” Grimsby commented.

“Me too. It’s not in any of my books. She’s strange, isn’t she? But in the best way.”

Grimsby kept watching the prince as they walked through the passageways, the young man seemingly lost in thought.

They stopped outside his bedroom door, Eric ruffling through his locks with his fingers. 

“Goodnight, Grimsby.”

“Goodnight, Eric. I promise we’ll continue to search for the girl in the morning.”

Eric frowned slightly as he made sense of the words.

“Right. The girl. Yes, thank you, Grimsby. Let me know what you find.”

“Of course, Sire.”

~~~~~~~~~

In any other time, Grimsby likely would have made a fuss over the mess that Eric had made in the main passageways of the palace, lake water dripping from his clothes onto the floor.

The queen had nearly slipped in a small puddle, and again, in any other time, Grimsby would have said something.

But he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips as he saw the two pairs of soaking-wet feet hiding behind a wall, so by the time he finally approached Eric and the silent girl, any thought of scolding the prince had long vanished.

“We went out onto the lake, and well, we ended up in it,” Eric chuckled sheepishly at him, as if that somehow served as an excuse.

“Well, it seems you two had fun,” Grimsby remarked, the gleam in Eric’s eyes not going unnoticed. “I imagine you’re tired, and we should let you get some sleep.”

The red-haired girl smiled gratefully at both of them, a dazzling grin on her face that Eric seemed to melt into.

“Yes, goodnight,” the prince said, as the girl smiled again before ascending the stairs.

Suddenly, she turned, taking the hat off her head - where had they even gotten such an item? - and placing it gently atop Eric’s. She flashed another grin at the prince again before walking up.

“Goodnight…Ariel.”

She turned again once more, her smile reflected in her warm brown eyes. Grimsby watched as Eric’s gaze followed her up the staircase until she disappeared from sight.

“Sire,” Grimsby said, finally breaking the silence. “About the carriages…unfortunately, they weren’t able to find the girl.”

Eric stayed silent for a moment, though Grimsby could see his shoulders tense slightly. “Oh.”

“Should we resume the search?”

Eric turned to face Grimsby, a mix of emotions on his face. The man had known the prince since he was a baby - he knew exactly what Eric was feeling, even if the young man couldn’t verbalize it.

“Grimsby…I feel...a little…”

“If I may, Sire, from one old man. Don’t let what should be get in the way of what is.”

Eric nodded. 

“Goodnight, Sire.”

“Goodnight, Grimsby.”

He turned towards the passageway, hoping to find Lashanna to help take care of the mess in the halls before the queen woke up in the morning.

“Wait, Grimsby!”

“Yes, Sire?”

“Her name…her name is Ariel.”

Grimsby nodded. He’d gathered as such, though he couldn’t imagine how young Eric had figured that particular one out.

“And how did you come across that, Sire?”

Eric laughed to himself, his hand touching the top of his hat as if it contained a cherished memory.

“It’s a long story. I’ll have to tell you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Eric.”

“Goodnight, Grimsby. And thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Grimsby! Grimsby!”

Eric rushed over, a frantic look in his eyes inconsistent with the celebratory atmosphere they were surrounded by.

Grimsby glanced over at Vanessa, the mystery girl, the woman in purple who’d arrived at the palace on Eric’s arm early that morning. She was busy entertaining members of the court, waxing poetic about what it was like to save the prince from drowning, a story that seemed more like fantasy with each passing minute, or so he believed.

“Grimsby, have you seen Ariel?”

He furrowed his brow, looking back at the prince. It was like Eric had completely reversed overnight, the feelings he felt for Ariel replaced by an enchanting trance for the newly-found mystery girl. 

It didn’t sit right with Grimsby. Something had felt off all day, even if the queen and the rest of the court thought nothing of it.

Of course, Eric had desperately wanted to find the girl for days, pleading with Grimsby to find her - and yet, he had assumed, perhaps foolishly, to think the mystery girl was no more than a passing thought, now. He had sensed something in the air between Eric and Ariel the night before, something stronger than the mystery girl, now gone like the tide.

And as far as he was concerned, there didn’t seem to be a true connection between Eric and Vanessa. 

He couldn’t explain it.

“According to the servants, she left this morning.”

“Left?”

“Can you blame her, Eric?” Grimsby finally said, exasperated. “I don’t understand, this isn’t like you.”

“I…I know,” Eric muttered. “I’m not sure I understand myself.”

“I don’t think it would be fair for Ariel to stay, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes,” Eric said, his voice sounding deflated. Grimsby noticed a glassy haze in his eyes, as if sleepwalking or under a spell. “Yes, that wouldn’t be fair.”

“You’re old enough to make your own decisions, Eric. And to learn to accept the consequences.”

“Yes. Yes, yes, you’re right, Grimsby.”

“Eric!” 

The two of them turned to see the queen gesturing towards her son.

“Go,” Grimsby said, his heart sinking slightly in his chest. He knew what the queen would be giving him - he’d had one of the palace servants polish it earlier that day at her request.

But it was Eric’s decision now.

“Grims-”

“Go, Eric.”

~~~~~~~~~

The walk back to the palace was eerily silent, the crashing waves the only sounds filling the air.

Grimsby glanced over at the prince, dripping from head-to-toe, his clothing torn to shreds and clinging to his wet skin. The queen and the rest of the staff were several feet ahead of them, the two men bringing up the rear back to land.

Back to safety.

“Eric-”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Grimsby.”

“She was real, Eric.”

The prince stayed silent for a few seconds before stopping mid-step. He lowered himself to the ground, balancing himself against a large rock as Grimsby took a seat next to him.

Eric’s gaze stayed focused on the horizon, watching the colors of the sunset reflect off the ocean intently, as if Ariel might reappear if he looked hard enough.

“I’ve been a fool, Grimsby.”

“No, no. What you felt for her was very real, your mother was right about that. You would be a fool to deny the connection you felt between you two.”

Eric sighed, taking a small pebble from next to him and throwing it into the ocean.

“She really saw me, Grimsby. Like no one ever has. Not to mention that she’d been the one to save my life in the first place.”

“I understand.”

His heart ached for the prince - just as the oceans had spared his life, they’d also torn Ariel away from him, their two homes at odds with each other forever. Eric had always been stubborn - but now, he seemed completely deflated.

“I loved her, Grimsby,” Eric murmured under his breath. “I do love her.”

He stared out into the ocean one more time, before standing back up, reaching a hand out to help Grimsby onto his feet.

Grimsby noticed the tears welling in the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall.

“And now she’s gone.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Eric! Eric!”

Grimsby clutched his side, a cramp near his ribcage causing him to wince.

Certainly, he was getting too old for this.

“Grimsby!” He heard Eric’s familiar laugh as the prince opened his bedroom door, allowing him to enter.

Eric was already dressed for the big day, his curls neat and clothes pressed. “You’re going to kill yourself one day, old man, chasing after me.”

“I’ve done it for twenty-one years already, Sire, I’m sure I’ll last at least a few more.”

“Did you need something? The wedding’s supposed to begin in less than an hour.”

Grimsby nodded, reaching into the hidden pocket of his jacket as he took out a compass, slightly worn from age, though the mother-of-pearl and gold fixtures still shone brilliantly in the light.

He straightened up as he placed the compass in Eric’s hands, the prince’s blue eyes looking curiously at him.

“This,” he said. “This was your father’s. Many years ago. I thought it would serve useful on your voyage with Ariel.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find anything larger, but I imagined you two have already been showered enough by the court.”

“Grimsby, it’s perfect,” Eric’s eyes shone brilliantly. “Than-”

“Oh, no need to thank me,” he replied quickly, hoping to clear his throat of anything too sentimental. “It was your father’s, after all-”

His breath was knocked out of him as Eric pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank you, Grimsby.”

“Sire-” the corners of his eyes began to prick.

“For leading me to Ariel.” 

“I-”

“And for believing in me.”

Grimsby patted the prince’s back as the tears in his eyes finally spilled over.

The boy - the child on the waves - had finally grown up, into a man that Grimsby couldn’t have even pictured. He imagined he had Ariel to thank for that, the silent red-headed girl who’d shone a brilliant light into the prince’s life, helped secure his destiny, allowed him to find his place in the world.

“Always, Eric.”

[punkeropercyjackson]

Atsv would've been widely improved by 1.No love triangles and 2.A Spidey Core Four consisting of Miles,Gwen,Hobie and Margo.The chemistry between Gwen/Hobie and Miles/Margo was so good and loud asf and the jealousy subplot did nothing but make me pissed they didn't just do Ghostpunk and Margo is not a second fiddle to Gwen.They should be equals,like her and Hobie,best friends like her and Hobie and Hobie and Margo should been best friends too seeing as Hobie is afropunk and nowhere in Gwen's comics did she exhibit anything but solidarity and love for other girls,including BLACK girls with no weird undertones to her treatment of them unlike how dirty they did Ghostbyte and the freaky ass snowbunny subtext they tried to convince on us that did not work because it's fucking Spider Variant Gwen Stacy

For Spiderverse to be a real black story,it needs at least one black girl mc and yes,i mean GIRL.A teenage black girl,a black female child,because blackness is not a guy thing and pretending it does has a long history of black girl erasure(see those memes of black men playing Disney Princesses due to Halle!Ariel).Margo is perfect for this franchise specifically too,because she's like Miles,Gwen and Hobie in the important ways but also does her own thing.Her design,personality,powers and Earth makes it all come together and she fufills a matching purpose to her teammates too-Miles is for nerdy black teen boys,Hobie is for black punk teens,Gwen is for teen trans girls,Margo is for nerdy black teen girls

This would also have helped a lot of Atsv fandom problems-Flowerbyte would be much more popular and Prowlerbyte would be the Miles G and Miles fighting over the one same girl dynamic which removes the almost inherent racism in Gh*stprowler that throws away everything good about Ghostflower,Margo would have an abudance of content as her besties do,Gwen wouldn't get as much hate thanks to no weird baseless misogynoir shit so black women in the fandom could enjoy her to the fullest as we deserve,it would've scare off incelbros so we'd have to deal with them less and Poly Spidey Core Four would be an at least semi-common ship as it should be already but isn't because white people have no media comprehension(hence the twinkification of Pavitr when he's canonically a masc hunk and the brothers allegations thrown at Punkflower).So in conclusion:Spidey Core Four is MY canon.I'm an Anomaly BABIEEEEEE

[gabzilla-z]

ok quick thoughts, spoilers behind the cut.

Pros:

Halle. HALLE. H a l l e. Her voice, her face, her mannerisms. They took what made Ariel special in the animated movie and built on it and she was the perfect person to pull it off.

Her beauty was distracting.

So glad they finally got a singer for a live action, I couldn’t take another B&B autotuned disaster.

Made me want to get to the nearest rock and play mermaid ngl.

I had my doubts with Jonah but he did a great job with Eric, played the shy, kinda awkward potato prince charming to perfection. Loved that they expanded his backstory and his interest in adventure and the sea. Also A+ for the movie knowing he had a white shirt on while surrounded by water and using every chance it had to drench him.

Eric still being caring and worried about Ariel even under Ursula’s spell? 10/10 no notes.

He came to chew bubblegum and be dreamy and he was all out of bubblegum.

Halle and Jonah’s chemistry was insane, I need them to do ten movies making eyes at each other.

Seriously the movie could have been 2 hours of them interacting in that library and it would have been money well spent.

or just two hours of them being cute smol and tol in a boat idc

TRUE LOVE INDEED

Can’t wait for this movie to be out in D+ so I can reblog all the gifs.

Part of Your World and all reprises were ofc gorgeous. Vanessa’s Trick is haunting and exactly what one would want for a siren song. For the First Time is gorgeous and underrated, felt very Broadway-esque. Eric’s song was corny but in a good way.

The rest of the songs are adequate but are not as good as the original ones.

Gotta said, song aside, the Kiss the Girl scene was more endearing in this version. When she helps him figure out her name?

Melissa was good as Ursula and made the character her own, though I think she was not as scary as she could have been. Better than I expected, though.

The actress that plays Vanessa knew she had 5 minutes to make an impression and used them to the fullest. Delightful.

Cons:

The CGI felt unfinished and so did the color grading/lighting. I edited all the movie images in this post (just played with the saturation and the contrast) and I’m mediocre at best. HIRE TUMBLR EDITORS, DISNEY.

Halle deserved to wear more outfits, I can't believe Disney missed an opportunity to sell more dolls. Would have given her a dress for each day on land and the water dress. Mouse, I thought you liked money.

we could have had it all

Wanted more of her sisters tbh. And less Triton, Javier phoned it in imo. I know Triton and Ariel’s relationship is an important part of the original movie but idk if it was his half assed acting or me wanting more of the sisters, but I wasn’t moved.

Flounder's weird character design was saved by his stellar voice actor and Sebastian grew on me, he was hilarious. Scuttlefina was tolerable but gosh she’s always playing the same character, stop casting her in everything.

Less I say about Scuttlebutt the better. Kids are probably gonna love it, though.

The ending was kinda weird? It felt rushed and the battle with Ursula was disappointing. Which is a surprise because the OTHER stormy scene at night was wonderfully done. 

Up to Ursula taking Ariel back to the ocean it felt really cohesive but the second Triton appears to save her it was like they were trying to speed things up and it got... weird.

Didn’t mind Ariel being the one that killed Ursula, after everything she put her through.

Cannot believe the movie robbed us of Jonah screaming “I lost her once, I’m not gonna lose her again!”

Overall it was a well paced (up to the finale), entertaining, charming movie. Despite its faults, the only Disney live action I want to rewatch (outside MAYBE Cinderella).

8/10 Justice for the foam dress.

[megamindsecretlair]

It Started With a Whisper - Chapter 10

Chapter 9 Chapter 11

Pairing: Sam Wilson x Black!Fem!reader / Plus Size reader

Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. You are in charge of your own reading experience. Some sentences are intentional AAVE. FLUFF. FILTH. Cursing, fingering (fem receiving), PIV, slight cum play, , pet names, Soft Sam. Sorry if I missed some!

Summary: You are the front desk clerk who started a few months ago and you somehow managed to snag Sam Wilson, the handsome and sweet trauma counselor. It has been a year since you started dating Sam and things couldn't be more perfect.

Word Count: 3,212k

Masterlist

A/N: I desperately needed some fluff, and Sam is always good for that. Ugh, these two make me sick. SICK! But they're my babies! Likes are always awesome. Please consider commenting and reblogging to help support writers! I love hearing your thoughts! I block ageless blogs.

Taglist: @multiversefanfics @chaos-4baby @leahnicole1219 @capswife @anghstybean @targaryenvampireslayer @sheabutterbabes @browngirldominion @theunsweetenedtruth

One Year Later…

Sam drove you into work while you chatted his ear off about your upcoming interview. You were so nervous! While you will miss working at the front desk with Ariel, it was high time that you branched out and did something else.

It had been one year since your coffee date with Sam and glancing over at him, you were damn glad you said yes. He was so handsome, it made you sick. 

“If you say I got somethin’ on my face, we’re gonna have a problem,” Sam said and chuckled.

“Relax. Can’t I look at you?” You asked.

“You can look at me all day long, as long as I get to look right back,” Sam said. He stopped at a red light and grabbed your hand. He brought it to his lips and placed a soft kiss there. Your toes curled in your shoes. 

“Sounds like a deal to me,” you said.

You flipped through your portfolio one more time. Sam glanced at you and laughed. “You are going to do great. You were practically doing the job already,” he said.

“I can still be nervous! I didn’t know how much I wanted this job until Mr. Bell suggested I toss my hat in,” you said.

“You know that’s his way of saying that you practically got the job,” Sam said.

You nudged his shoulder. “That’s not true!” 

Sam threw his hand up and shrugged. You giggled and ended on a sigh. Maybe he was right, but that didn’t mean you could coast through the interview. While Sam was off with Steve hunting down James Barnes, you had taken over some of his meetings unofficially. The director, Mr. Bell, had suggested that you try and you nearly threw up after the first meeting. The hell did you know about leading a group? 

However, the vets responded to you. Though you weren’t one yourself, you had a little advice to throw around. A little something that they resonated with. Mr. Bell said that you were a natural listener and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

While Sam seemed to be gone more and more, chasing down every shadow that crossed his way, he agreed to a part time role while Mr. Bell found someone a little more consistent. There had been a series of “trial counselors” while Mr. Bell searched for a natural fit. Someone to take up Sam’s mantle and carry it on. 

You didn’t think he knew about you and Sam, but you weren’t keeping it a secret either. How could you? You wanted to kiss him every chance you got. Now, when you stared in the hallway, he stared right back. You got to look at his ass all day and he got to flirt with you from down the hall.

Sam parked and held your hand as you walked to the front of the VA building. Right outside the door, Sam stopped. He stepped closer, looked at you, and licked his lips. You sighed as his lips descended on yours. You never tired of Sam’s kisses. 

The way he took his time. The way his lips felt against yours. The way he gripped your hips as if it physically pained him to withdraw and rest his head against yours. “Gonna be thinkin’ bout them lips all day,” he said.

“You say that all the time,” you said, with a giggle. You wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders, feeling the strength of him. It still amazed you that he was yours. That you could literally kiss him whenever you wanted to. Like now.

You pressed your lips to his and you felt him smile around it. “Give me one more then,” he said. 

You giggled and kissed him again, lingering for longer this time. 

“Hm, just you wait till tonight,” he said.

“Hm, don’t get me started if you can’t finish,” you said.

“You two are going to make me puke!” Ariel’s voice called out from somewhere behind you. You giggled and craned your neck to see her walking towards the front door. 

“As if you and Ruby aren’t just as sickening!” You tossed back.

“We don’t flaunt it at work. Ya nasties!” Ariel cackled as she went inside. You sighed and looked at Sam. He only playfully rolled his eyes. He kissed your cheek.

“Before you head inside, I wanted to tell you that I got invited to an Avengers party,” he said. 

“What! Sam!” You shrieked. Partying with the Avengers? Holy shit! You jumped up and down but Sam was not jumping with you.

“How are you not more excited?” You asked.

“I think I’m still really shocked. These are the Avengers! Like, I feel like Steve is gonna smack me and tell me he’s kidding,” Sam said.

“Well, let’s hope he doesn’t. His smacks will land you in the middle of the Hudson,” you said.

Sam laughed at your joke and shook his head. “Be my plus one?” Sam asked.

“Are you insane?” You asked. You go party with the Avengers? Was he out of his rabbit ass mind?

“Please? I hear Thor’s going to be there too,” Sam pleaded. He grinned and you rolled your eyes. You thoroughly regretted telling him that you thought Thor was the hottest Avenger. He was so dreamy. 

You smacked your lips and leveled Sam with a stare. He only poked out his bottom lip.

“I can’t believe you’re going to make me embarrass myself in front of the Avengers!” 

Sam did a little jig and you pushed him away from you. He was so damn corny. He raced ahead of you to open the door and made a show of gesturing, “After you.” 

You rolled your eyes and went inside. He matched your pace and grinned from ear to ear. “This is exciting and I want you there with me. Can you blame me for that? I promise I’ll protect you from embarrassment,” he said.

“You better. If I turn into an incoherent puddle, you’ll have to scoop me into a bucket. Oh man, my mom is going to freak out when I tell her,” you said.

“Not looking forward to that conversation. But I can be there while you tell her, help ease her mind?” Sam volunteered.

“Would you?” It was your turn to give him puppy eyes. He kissed the tip of your nose. 

“You know I will,” he said.

Meeting your mom went nothing like you expected. You thought your mom would freak at meeting someone new. But you had steadily told her some things about Sam. About how he worked with the vets, was kind, compassionate, and had a strong character. She practically fell in love with the man herself.

When he showed up, your mom toned down her crazy. She asked Sam a bunch of questions and didn’t balk at learning that he hung out with Steve on a regular basis. Both of your parents thought it was very fancy that you knew Steve well enough to use his first name. 

Sam charmed the pants off of your parents, even your grumpy dad. Once learning that Sam was also a vet, they hit it off and talked shop all night. Your dad lit up like a Christmas tree, talking about the time he served. You left the men to their devices while you helped your mom set the table. Your siblings behaved themselves as well. They kept their Captain America questions down to about…three hundred or so.

Sam was a sport. He answered all of their questions and then some. You kept waiting for him to get sick of your family. Or to signal that he was ready to leave. Or for your parents to say or do something embarrassing. You were ready with an apology whenever something went wrong. But it never happened. The evening was about as close to perfect as you could get.

It went so well, that when you walked Sam to the door, you couldn’t hold back the tears. That was the first family dinner you didn’t have to swoop in and save the day. You still recalled how nasty your mom was the day before when she realized all of the dishes in the sink. As if you hadn’t been working all day and she wasn’t at home to do it herself.

Sam pulled you into a hug and just held you there next to the door until you apologized for ruining his shirt. He told you not to worry about it, but well, when did you not worry? 

You made plans with Sam to come over later to tell her about the Avenger party. An Avenger party! Holy hell, you were going to an Avenger party! What kind of life were you living right now? 

You said goodbye to Sam at his meeting room. He held your hand and wished you luck on your interview. You went to the front desk where Ariel was sitting at her desk, pretending to read a magazine.

“You know that’s upside down,” you said. You entered the front desk, closing the barrier behind you, and dumped your things on the desk. 

“Never mind that! What’s got you so damn happy?” Ariel asked.

“Cone of silence?” You asked.

“Oh, this is going to be good! Fine, yes,” she agreed.

“Sam got invited to an Avenger party and asked me to go with him!” You squealed. Ariel squealed with you, but you were both careful to keep it contained. You were still in a government building and had to maintain decorum. The minute women started hooting and hollering, the building would collapse. 

“And you couldn’t swing an invite for me. Hater,” Ariel said with a grin. “Girl, this is big! Slide that fine ass Hawkeye my number!” 

“Stop it! What will Ruby say?” You asked.

“Hell, we both love him. He knows he needs a little double scoop of chocolate in his life!” 

You cackled with Ariel as you went about your day, counting down the minutes to your interview. Your leg bounced like crazy as you ran through your potential answers. Why were interviews so nerve wracking? 

It was the twenty-first century. Couldn’t they let people prepare properly? Surprising people with questions they have no hope of preparing for just seemed cruel. Awesome, experienced people could be missing out on jobs left and right simply because they interviewed poorly.

You mentally climbed off of your soapbox as you headed upstairs to your interview. You were pretty sure you answered Mr. Bell’s questions properly. But there was one other person there, Ms. Soto, and she was an icicle. While Mr. Bell gave it more of a casual, relaxed atmosphere, Ms. Soto was a wet blanket. She gave you nothing at all.

Afterwards, they thanked you and excused you out. Calling in the next candidate. Well, you did your best and that was all you could do. You headed downstairs, back to the front desk, where Sam was chatting with Ariel.

“Whatever she tells you, don’t believe a word of it,” you said. 

Sam smiled when he saw you and kissed your cheek. “I’m still trying to figure out what happened in Vegas,” Sam said. “But she’s better than some prisoners of war.”

“Damn straight,” you said and hi-fived Ariel. 

Sam laughed and shook his head. His knuckles tapped on the top of the desk. “So? How’d it go?”

You gave them the rundown of your interview. Sam waved off your concerns about Ms. Soto. “Her face always looks like that. She frowned once in ‘87 and hasn’t cracked a smile since,” he said.

You giggled and let him pull you into a hug. He always knew how to lighten the mood and get you out of a funk.

“Coffee?” You asked.

“So much yes,” he said.

“Don’t ya’ll see each other like…every day? Ain’t ya’ll sick of each other?” Ariel asked, playfully. She gave you the side eye and you stuck your tongue out at her.

“Hell no!” You said. 

Ariel sighed dramatically. “Kids, you know they grow up so fast,” she said. 

You and Sam cackled as you made your way to your favorite corner cafe.

Later that evening, you were on the couch watching TV with Sam. He had James Barnes’ information spread out on the coffee table as had become his habit the past few months. He was no closer to finding the man than he had been when he started a year ago.

“He’s a trained ghost, babe. It would go against everything Hydra did to him if he was easy to find,” you said.

“Yeah, but how many dudes walk around with a metal arm? Someone’s seen him,” he said. He rubbed his head as he poured over the same grainy photographs and redacted information. 

“This is starting to get to you, huh?” You asked.

He sighed and sat back on the couch. He pulled your legs over his lap and rubbed deep circles into your thighs as he stared at all of the papers. 

“Yeah. I hate feeling like I’m letting Steve down,” he said.

You rubbed his bicep and looked at his profile. Poor man. He looked so dejected. “You can’t let Steve down. Pretty sure it goes against the rules,” you said.

Sam chuckled. “What rules?” 

“The bald eagle rules,” you said. 

Sam tore his gaze away from the Barnes’ file and you grinned. He closed his eyes and sighed. “You know you want to laugh, c’mon,” you said.

“Absolutely not. I’m gonna tell him you said that too,” Sam said.

“What! Noo!” You whined. 

“Too late. Gonna tell him at the party too. Make sure everybody hear it,” Sam said.

“Don’t do me like that.” You pouted but it was hard to keep a frown around the man. “Please?” 

“I might know a way to convince me not to tell,” Sam said.

You giggled, pretty sure you knew where this was going. “Oh yeah? What’s that?” 

“Let me taste them sweet lips,” he said. He leaned over, capturing your lips with his. You sighed into the kiss, melting completely. All Sam had to do was bat them perfect brown eyes and you were instantly gone, wanting and needing more. 

Sam pulled you completely into his lap, your legs settling on either side of his hips. You kissed for minutes or hours, you couldn’t tell. There was just the wet smack of your lips dueling with his. Of his tongue sliding against yours. Of his deep, satisfied hums as you made out. 

You began to squirm, getting worked up from his kisses alone. He rubbed your booty, from the top to the bottom. Cupping your ass in his strong hands. You moaned against him, helpless and incapable of not moving against him.

The more you squirmed, the more you felt him getting excited. His dick swelled beneath you and you moaned louder, wanting the promise that part of him delivered. Sam pulled back and lazily looked into your eyes.

“You ready for me?” He asked.

“You know I am,” you murmured, already diving down for more of him. He tasted faintly like coffee. His hands ventured higher, under your shirt, kneading the muscles in your lower back. 

Your whole body shivered as he zeroed in on pressure points. “I wish I could bottle these hands,” you moaned.

“No need to, you got me right here,” he said. He kissed along your jaw and your neck, swirling his tongue there. You giggled, pulling away. But you were in his lap and there was nowhere to go. 

Sam pulled your purple shirt - his purple shirt - off and his eyes widened to see that you were braless. He immediately suckled one of your nipples into his mouth. Your hands gripped his shoulders to steady yourself. Each suckle tugged on your pussy and you throbbed. You needed him so bad. 

Sam’s hands pulled your panties to the side to find you soaked. He moaned against your nipple. “Fuck,” he whispered. He moved to the other nipple, giving it the same attention while he lightly grazed your pussy.

You trembled on top of him. The dual sensations were driving you insane. You were so insatiable. You gyrated on top of him, taking your pleasure where he wanted to go slow. 

“Mhm, don’t wait for me,” he encouraged. You fucked yourself on his fingers, setting the pace and pressure with a swing of your hips. You were cumming before long. Sam stopped suckling your titties and just watched as you came undone on his fingers. 

“That’s it. Damn, you’re so beautiful when you cum. I just want to watch it over and over,” he whispered as you moaned and jerked. 

Keeping your panties to the side, Sam moved his boxer briefs down just far enough to free his dick. He moved the tip through your folds, getting it nice and wet before he plunged inside.

You gasped at the sudden fullness. A year of this and you still weren’t completely used to him. “That’s it, that’s the face I like,” Sam said. 

You released the air in choppy waves as you slid fully onto him, down to the hilt. You dropped your head onto his shoulder as he slowly moved you up and down. You helped, leaning up on your knees and then sinking back down.

Sam slowly fucked you, whispering how gorgeous you were, how lucky he was that he got to be in your presence, and how he would do everything in his power to protect you. Tears sprang to your eyes as you came once more, flooding his dick with your arousal. 

“Fuck, Sam. You feel so good. I’m the lucky one. I got to exist at the same time as you,” you whispered against his lips and sealed it with a kiss.

Sam groaned into the kiss as he released himself inside of you. The warm cum painted your insides. You moaned, feeling impossibly full. Still, he moved inside of you, his cum aiding him in sliding better. 

“Fuck, please, please, another,” he said.

He desperately chased your hips, speeding up inside of you. “Sam, Sam, Sam,” you moaned. Already, you felt your orgasm building up again. As if he called it up himself with every slap of his hips. 

Your arms were wrapped tight around his neck, holding on for dear life as he speared you with deep, desperate thrusts.

“C’mon little one,” he cooed.

That damn nickname. You exploded with a jerky gasp, clinging to him as your body floated above you. Bliss overwhelmed you. He rubbed your back but it was like you could and couldn’t feel it. You were too far gone, too lost to pleasure. 

As you floated down, Sam kissed you all over. Your breasts, your neck, your jaw, your lips, your cheek. There was no inch of your face that he didn’t kiss.

“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, it hurts,” he whispered.

“Sam..” You kissed him, passionately. Holding him to you. You were as close as two people could possibly get. Yet, you crushed him anyway. Held him close as if you could absorb him. 

“Take me upstairs,” you whispered in his ear.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sam said with a soft chuckle.

Masterlist | Chapter 9 | Chapter 11

[fastlikealambo]

So I went to see The Little Mermaid today and I loved it. Here’s a dissertation no one asked for 

The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, I saw people were complaining prior to the movie’s release that the lighting was too dark, it was perfect, a lot of films and tv do not know how to light people of color correctly and they hit it out of the park every single shot.

The singing was ON POINT.  The live action films have tended to not cast real singers but every single song was on point, they were SANGIN

People have been absolutely disgusting towards Halle Bailey and they are about to cry harder because when I say she is The Ariel, I mean that. Not only was her singing like a crystal champagne flute, her acting was phenomenal. She was so ANIMATED, and got every single emotion and attribute of Ariel that was in the 1989 version and elevated it. She is elevation, hope, and curiosity and you can’t help but fall in love with her every time she was on screen. While I do love the actresses in other disney live actions, you can tell with their acting that they are acting like they put on the  smile and the costume and go to set.  Halle is Ariel, it would have been so easy for her to do a cutesy imitation for 2 hours and collect a check ( and I wouldn’t mind it one bit if she had did that get that bag sis) but Halle was in complete control of the character instead of drowning in it.  There is no one else who could have played Ariel and she will go down in history for this performance. 

I have to admit that the disney princes for the most part in the animated films with very few exceptions are the most milquetoast aspect of the story so I was fully expecting to kinda put Jonah to the side when the film started but he made me eat my words.  He was excellent, he was such a breath of fresh air and gave Prince Eric such depth, he had me swooning and I was not prepared to swoon over Eric today.

I too had my doubts about Melissa McCarthy but just how good her singing was surprised me. She was so damn good and hit all the beats for Ursula with charm and humor. I’d like to see Melissa play more villains, she has the range.

I think the weakest part of the film was Javier Bardem. His acting was kinda all over the place, in some scenes he was perfect but in others he was phoning it in. That end scene though was his best scene and I did start crying and hugged my own father who I dragged to the movie with me.

The way twitter overhyped Vanessa is very telling. Jessica Alexander is gorgeous and had some great facial expressions but for the majority of her role she literally just a mouthpiece for Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey. I’m not sorry to say this but while stanning the villian is normal we all do it and she is great in her 2 and half minutes of screen time, but a lot of this is an attempt to decentralize the black lead in this film and that is rooted in racism. The fact that the actress has had to block multiple people who keep posting about her not to truly compliment her but to harm Halle says a lot about how  even when the focus of a piece of media is a black woman there are always people willing to dismiss her in favor of championing whiteness.  Jessica deserves her flowers but this behavior I see right now is not praise, it is erasure and neither Jessica nor Halle deserve that.  

finally thoughts ( prepare for me to get sappy)

I saw this in a theater primarily filled with kids and parents and it was fun to hear kids’ reactions to certain scenes but there was one moment I need to talk about. While kids were laughing and screaming the whole time having fun, I looked over at one point and I saw a little black girl in the row across from mine just twirling to the music.

So often as black girls we are told to we are too fast, we need to be quiet, I remember seeing a post about  Cardi B. and Offset’s children posing at the premiere of the little mermaid and how those two little girls needed to “ lose the attitude” when they were two little black girls in pretty gowns getting their picture taken.

To see a little black girl dance with abandon without having to humble herself or lose an attitude because she sees herself on screen, taking up space in this moment because she is safe to be herself made my prehistoric ass want to cry.  You see this film wasn’t just a cash grab, or “ forced diversity”,  this movie was for her, for all the little and not so little ones to unleash the wonder that is so often ripped from us before we have a chance to shape it. 

Go see it and get a little bit of wonder for yourself. 

[danime25]

Rockin' Around

ao3 // normal masterlist // christmas masterlist

*Summary: Sebastian and his wife celebrate the holidays doing what they know how to do best, sing

*Rating: E for Everyone

*Content/Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, It's What Sebastian Deserves

*Status: Complete

“La.”

“La.” The man matched the female voice, hitting the note on his piano as well.

“La.” Her note goes up an octave. He matched her once more with his piano before clearing his throat. “That’s too high for me honey.”

“That’s okay.” She smiled and walked behind her husband. She wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders. He reached out and arranged his sheet music before loosely warming up his fingers across the keys

“This still plays like a dream.” He looked back at his wife

“It better. You have no idea how much I paid to have this thing tuned up to perfection before it got delivered.” She rested her chin on top of his head. She started humming the notes she read off the sheet music and Seb matched her with his piano. “Jingle bells, jingle bells.”

“Jingle all the way.” He finished the line for her

“Mommy.”

“Yes dear?” She turned around to see her oldest daughter. She pulled away from her husband and lifted her daughter up

“I don’t want to go to sleep. There’s only a couple more nights until Christmas.”

“Well you can’t stay up until Christmas.” She explained to her daughter

“Why not?”

“Well then you’ll be really tired, and who knows who might open your presents if you’re not up.”

“No no no!” She whined. Her mom kissed her head to calm her down

“It’s okay. That’s why you need to go to bed tonight.”

“Okay…” Their daughter didn’t seem too happy, but she seemed to accept this

“Do you want to sing with mommy and daddy quickly?” Sebastian looked over his shoulder at his girls

“Yeah.” His daughter smiled, trying to escape her mother’s grasp. Her mother let her go and she slid onto the other side of the piano bench. She tapped at some keys quickly before looking up at her father

“What should we sing? Should we sing… rudolph?” His fingers quickly played a jazzy version of the classic. His daughter giggled, but shook her head, “Okay not Rudolph, what about Silver Bells? Or Jingle Bells? Or we can sing Deck the Halls?”

“How about we sing Rockin around the Christmas Tree?” His wife offered

“I don’t know that one mama.” Their daughter whined

“But I like that one.” Sebastian matched his daughter’s tone before readying himself to start the song. He played a couple of free form notes before going back to the familiar melody of the Christmas classic and his wife joined in. After they got that song out of their system, Seb started playing the notes to Frosty the Snowman for his daughter. He put her hands on the high keys that he could reach if he wanted to, but instructed her when to play her notes instead. “Frosty the snowman…”

“Was a fairytale," they say,” His wife continued. His daughter got up mid-song and started dancing and his wife attempted to mimic what her daughter was doing. When the song was over, Sebastian switched over to a slower song, hoping it’d be enough to tire out his daughter so he and his wife could have some time alone. Sure enough his daughter slumped against the bench and he scraped her off his back. He got up and carried her to bed and kissed her head as he tucked her in.

“Good night, sleep tight.” He whispered, moving the hair off her forehead, “Sweet dreams of Frosty, Ariel.” He stepped away and went through the door and back into the living room where his wife was playing freehand on their piano. He kissed the back of her head and asked, “You taking requests?”

“For you, anything my love.”

“Can you play…” He thought for a moment, “I’ll be home for Christmas?”

“Sure.” She started playing and he put his hands down on the lower end of the piano to start playing an accompanying melody for her to sing to, “What are you doing honey?”

“I want to hear you sing.” He smiled at her

“Fine. Go ahead and twist my arm.” She laughed and got up from the seat to sing along to the song. “Happy?”

“More beautiful than Karen Carpenter herself.”

“Stop.” She laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders again. She pressed her lips onto his and smiled, “I love you Seb.”

“I love you too.” He put his hands on her waist and danced slowly across the room until the two went to bed themselves.

[bridgertonbabe]

Thoughts on The Little Mermaid

(Meant to post my thoughts after I saw the film the other day but due to laziness I’m only doing it now lol.)

Halle Bailey was born to be a Disney princess and born to play Ariel; she was ✨perfection✨. I cannot wait to see the incredible career she has in front of her. (And since she was the first person who auditioned I like to imagine afterwards the casting team were just like “well obvi we’ve got our Ariel... but I guess we have to humour auditioning other actors to make it seem like there could be anybody else in the running, you know out of the politest of courtesies”.)

There could have been no better Prince Eric than Jonah Hauer-King; he brought many a Disney fan’s cartoon crush to life in every which way (I literally dread to think what might have been in an alternate timeline if they had given the role to someone who can’t act...)

And Halle and Jonah’s chemistry 😍😍😍 the soft gazes, the gentle smiles, the palpable love and awe; that’s the shit I lap up. I would love to see them work together again and you can tell from the press junkets that they have such a wonderful rapport and mutual admiration for one another.

The way Halle somehow managed to raise the bar with her version of Part of Your World (those notes, holy s-) - my god her voice is heavenly 🥰

I loved Wild Uncharted Waters, it was a beautiful addition to the story to expand things from Eric’s perspective and Jonah’s impressed me with his vocals. 

The Scuttle Rap... not so much (and if you’re going to give anyone a chance to rap... I mean Tony award winner Daveed Diggs was literally right there like???)

I love Melissa McCarthy but I would have loved to have seen a drag queen take the role of Ursula since the animated version was based on Divine. Ginger Minj would have eaten that gig up. 

Wish we had seen a little more of Ariel’s sister beyond the couple of scenes where they got a brief couple of lines each (and no this isn’t me simply wishing Simone Ashley had been given more screen time... really it isn’t... 👀)

All in all I have to say this was my favourite of the Disney live adaptations (and since my favourite sequel growing up was The Little Mermaid 2... I would love love love if they did a live adaptation of that in about 12 years time, if only to have Halle and Jonah back together on my screen once more 🤞 ). 

[marta-bee]

Let’s talk about Pepper. Because I’ve been reading Good Omens again, and the book-specific bits are just too much fun not to share.

First, she’s a girl obviously, but a girl named Pippin (for a start), and a girl with that precise blend of hippie optimism and commonsense no-nonsense attitude that makes her such a force to be reckoned with. She is vicious, but in a truly fun way.

If it had been Wensley who had said that, there'd have been a half-hearted scuffle, as between friends. But the other Them had long ago learned that Pepper did not consider herself bound by the informal conventions of brotherly scuffles. She could kick and bite with astonishing physiological accuracy for a girl of eleven. Besides, at eleven years old the Them were beginning to be bothered by the dim conception that laying hands on good ole Pep moved things into blood-thumping categories they weren't entirely at home with yet, besides earning you a snake-fast blow that would have floored the Karate Kid.

But she was good to have in your gang. They remembered with pride the time when Greasy Johnson and his gang had taunted them for playing with a girl. Pepper had erupted with a fury that had caused Greasy's mother to come round that evening and complain.

[Greasy Johnson was a sad and oversized child. There's one in every school; not exactly fat, but simply huge and wearing almost the same size clothes as his father. Paper tore under his tremendous fingers, pens shattered in his grip. Children whom he tried to play with in quiet, friendly games ended up getting under his huge feet, and Greasy Johnson had become a bully almost in self-defense. After all, it was better to be called a bully, which at least implied some sort of control and desire, than to be called a big clumsy oaf. He was the despair of the sports master, because if Greasy Johnson had taken the slightest interest in sport, then the school could have been champions. But Greasy Johnson had never found a sport that suited him. He was instead secretly devoted to his collection of tropical fish, which won him prizes. Greasy Johnson was the same age as Adam Young, to within a few hours, and his parents had never told him he was adopted. See? You were right about the babies.] Pepper looked upon him, a giant male, as a natural enemy.

She herself had short red hair and a face which was not so much freckled as one big freckle with occasional areas of skin.

That red hair bit is interesting, because it makes such an interesting visual connection to War, doesn’t it? Also it would have had me picturing a white, practically Irish or Scottish child with flaming red locks blowing in the wind, like Merida from Brave. Or maybe Molly Weasley taking on Beatrix Lestrange in the final Harry Potter book. Having her played by a black child actress is really interesting; not that black characters can’t have red hair -- Halle Berry’s Ariel, for instance -- but unconscious biases being what they are, that’s not where my brain went. Kudos to the Good Omens fandom for this not being much of a thing, at least to the extent I was involved back in 2019.

Also, I hope I’m not being insensitive to describe her as black. Most of my more PC descriptors come with an -American hyphenate, which obviously isn’t right; and a quick search for Amma Ris’s background just describes her as Welsh. Which of course she is; and somehow simply Welsh is like a breath of fresh air.)

Anywho. Getting back to the chapter.

Pepper's given first names were Pippin Galadriel Moonchild. She had been given them in a naming ceremony in a muddy valley field that contained three sick sheep and a number of leaky polythene teepees. Her mother had chosen the Welsh valley of Pant-y-Gyrdl as the ideal site to Return to Nature. (Six months later, sick of the rain, the mosquitoes, the men, the tent-trampling sheep who ate first the whole commune's marijuana crop and then its antique minibus, and by now beginning to glimpse why almost the entire drive of human history has been an attempt to get as far away from Nature as possible, Pepper's mother returned to Pepper's surprised grandparents in Tadfield, bought a bra, and enrolled in a sociology course with a deep sigh of relief.)

There are only two ways a child can go with a name like Pepper Galadriel Moonchild, and Pepper had chosen the other one: the three male Them had learned this on their first day of school, in the playground, at the age of four.

They had asked her her name, and, all innocent, she had told them.

Subsequently, a bucket of water had been needed to separate Pippin Galadriel Moonchild's teeth from Adam's shoe. Wensleydale's first pair of spectacles had been broken, and Brian's sweater needed five stitches.

The Them were together from then on, and Pepper was Pepper forever, except to her mother, and (when they were feeling especially courageous, and the Them were almost out of earshot) Greasy Johnson and the Johnsonites, the village's only other gang.

“Pepper was Pepper forever.” She sure as heck is, isn’t she? I do believe I’m in love. She also has a little sister who’s as fair game for punching down on as any tomboyish eleven year old ever was; and just as unskilled at it. (Though she does get away with it in the end; just not with quite as much dignity as she might have preferred.)

"Art thou a witch, oh lay?" said the chief Inquisitor.

"Yes," said Pepper's little sister, who was six and built like a small golden-haired football. "You mustn't say yes, you've got to say no," hissed the Head Torturer, nudging the suspect. "And then what?" demanded the suspect.

"And then we torture you to make you say yes," said the Head Torturer. "I told you. It's good fun, the torturin'. It doesn't hurt. Hastar lar visa," she added quickly.

The little suspect gave the décor of the Inquisitorial headquarters a disparaging look. There was a decided odor of onions.

"Huh," she said. "I want to be a witch, wiv a warty nose an' a green skin an' a lovely cat an' I'd call it Blackie, an' lots of potions an'-"

The Head Torturer nodded to the Chief Inquisitor.

"Look," said Pepper, desperately, "no one's saying you can't be a witch, you jus' have to say you're not a witch. No point in us taking all this trouble," she added severely, "if you're going to go round saying yes the minute we ask you."

The suspect considered this.

"But I wants to be a witch," she wailed. The male Them exchanged exhausted glances. This was out of their league.

"If you just say no," said Pepper. "You can have my Sindy stable set. I've never ever used it," she added, glaring at the other them and daring them to make a comment.

"You have used it," snapped her sister, "I've seen it and it's all worn out and the bit where you put the hay is broke and-"

Adam gave a magisterial cough.

"Art thou a witch, viva Espana?" he repeated.

The sister took a look at Pepper's face, and decided not to chance it. "No," she decided.

This whole scene has such an air of childish logic that’s quite logical to the child. There are squabbles and meanness but also camaraderie, and an appeal to reason that seems to make good sense to them. And, in addition to reminding me of how well these authors wrote other children and gave weight to their emotional realities (I’m thinking of Coraline in particular), it also drives home just how young eleven really is. This is the cohort of our feared antichrist. Reality shapes itself according to his whims; and look how whim-like those whims really are for all of them. They’re real to them, though, which is probably enough. Terrifying, if frightfully real.

I’m a bit rushed today but couldn’t quite resist sharing all these book-specific bits with all of you. So fun! But so... telling.

This section also includes Adam’s first meeting with Anathema, which is just an utterly fascinating look at how our expectations blind us to the reality of the situation. But that’s worth its own post, and needs more time than I have to give just now anyway. Hopefully in a day or two.

For now: “Pepper is perfection and really my kind of character” is conclusion enough for one day. She really, really is.

[youranemicvampire]

Thoughts and opinions on The Little Mermaid (2023) with SPOILERS.

First of all, i'm so happy to be able to watch it. I've been waiting for it since 2019. And the casting announcement was the reason i became a fan of Chloe x Halle

The casting is perfect! I'm really a sucker for a good casting so....

Halle Bailey is everything Ariel. TBH, it feels like she's not acting that hard coz her expressions and voice are naturally Ariel. She's born to be a Disney princess. I could not imagine another person playing this role. From her face, features, physique, height and voice. She's a whole package.

Jonah Hauer-King is indeed charming. When his casting got announced, i never doubted him coz from his looks, he also has this Disney and Princely face. And i even like his version of Prince Eric better than the animated one.

Melissa McCarthy is great. She is actually terrifying lol but my complaint is that her make-up is lacking and then i found out that a straight person made it. I don't see the Drag in her face. It should have been better. Way better. They should have hired a queer make-up artist or someone in the Drag scene.

I know we all hate Awkwafina, but she actually has this annoying bird voice that is right for the role.

It's my first time to see Jessica Alexander act and whew! I think i might have a new crush. And she's bisexual??? I stan!

I don't have that much say for the other casts, but they are all great and visually amazing.

I expected a lot of changes, but i think it's good that they only changed the things that are necessary. It felt more genuine.

It's not that dark! It was just the right level of darkness for the scenes that are meant to be dark. The day scenes are actually colorful.

I saw a take about the sea creatures not being animated and expressive enough, but i think it's more of the CGI limitations, not the movie itself.

Having said that, Flounder could've been better. Still cute tho.

Halle and Jonah's chemistry is amazing. I'm a hetero-hater, but i was gushing in the theatre. Ariel and Eric are the best Disney live-action couple 💯 And Jalle's friendship offscreen is cute and wholesome.

I'm also a big musical fan so this live-action is special to me because they actually casted a singer and not just a basic one. What i hated about other Disney live-actions is the autotune. It's so annoying.

One of the minor issues i have is that i wished they didn't release too many stills and clips. I was kinda pissed on the "Under the sea" part coz i already saw the majority of it on social media. I wanted to be surprised because that scene was so fun and magical.

They should definitely have a sequel, a prequel, and a mermaid sisters spin-off. It would be a waste to only see them once especially Halle and Jonah's chemistry. The sisters are also too beautiful not to have their own stories coz from how they look, they have really different identities.

People complain too much on animal designs, but ignore the mermaid tails of Ariel and her sisters.

I'm also proud of Halle's acting coz i watched her on Grown.ish and her acting skills and confidence really improved by miles. Even when she lost her voice, she was very expressive. She didn't even have to try that much.

For me, this is the 2nd best Disney live-action so far. My first is still Maleficent.

Idk if I still need to say this, but the soundtrack is on-repeat after I watched. I actually want to rewatch the whole thing with subs coz i can't understand the British accent. lol

Halle Bailey needs to be in more musicals. I just can't get enough. Jessica Alexander should also be in more villain roles. Sapphic villain specifically 🥵

I also liked how Ariel and Prince Eric were longing for each other's world you know. It's a story about freedom really, not wanting to be boxed, and wanting to explore no matter how dangerous it is. It's such a queer allegory. And it's special knowing the original version of Hans Christian Andersen.

[skinnylove584]

I finally got around to watching the 2023 Little Mermaid. Here are my thoughts that nobody asked for...

What I liked:

- Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl were the absolute best parts of the movie.

- Ariel helping Max swim was adorable

- The whole shipwreck sequence was phenomenal

- I thought the CGI ultimately was beautiful the under the sea shots were mostly stunning

- The castle is exactly how I envisioned it

- The addition of Eric's trinket room was a lovely addition and added depth

- Plot hole and context filled (Ursula's relation to Ariel, her voice, etc.)

-Halle did an excellent job not only with her singing but with her facial expressions and playing naive

- Jodi Benson's cameo

What I disliked:

- Scuttlebutt, I'm sorry that was awful and felt super out of place

- Eric's solo song, this had nothing to do with the actors vocal capabilities and everything to do with how poorly the lyrics flowed. It could have been such a great addition.

-King Triton's anger when he destroyed everything lacked true feeling overall he was too stone cold

- THE COSTUMES! Most of them looked so cheap and poorly made. I would have loved to have seen more dresses on Ariel as well as a nicer scarf for her hair.

- The hat tbh it just reminded me of a fedora and it took me out of it. (Though I do note Eric's affection to the hat because of Ariel was sweet)

- Putting Ariel back in the ratty dress instead of the silver one BIG mistake HUGE

- While I overall liked Vanessa, her actress fell victim to a poorly made dress and poorly styled hair

- This is just nit picking but the ever so slight tweaks to the music weren't my favorite it was the most tiny changes that threw me. I guess I'm just used to the original. Doesn't mean they were bad just wasn't what I hoped for.

- While I could appreciate the full circle moment of Ariel steering the ship like Eric, I gotta say I missed him killing Ursula. Ariel is brave and adventurous in her own right I didn't feel like Eric killing Ursula in the original took away from that BUT I could still appreciate it in this version.

-Tbh Ursla was kinda meh in this and I found her scenes kinda disorienting. Her CGI monster at the end was also very meh BUT the crazy water and chaos were not.

Overall I thought it was a good movie not bad not great. Out of all the live action remakes not my favorite but not the worst. To be honest, when Disney first started putting out live actions with Cinderella and Maleficent, they set the bar high. Even films like Pirates of the Caribbean were absolutely stunning. So when they announced this I expected the same attention to detail and I didn't feel like it delivered. I'd like to see these live action movies meet the same standards of quality as Pirates of the Caribbean. It just felt cheap which is a harsh word but that's what I can best describe it. I will say periodically through the movie they hit the target but as soon as they would hit it they would lose it. I was constantly being pulled in and out of the fantasy of it.

I give it a 6/10 a good movie glad I watched it but probably won't watch it again.

[mysoftboybensolo]

My Thoughts and Theories on Little Mermaid 2023

AVOID IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS

Acting- I knew Halle was going to knock it out of the park with her singing ever since I heard her cover Unforgettable by Nat King Cole, but she truly embodied Ariel and made it her own. Jonah, I had only once seen before in Masterpiece Theatre’s Little Women as Laurie, and I liked him in that, so I was very curious on how he’d do Eric. Before I go on about him, I just want to say that I feel that people are too harsh on animated Eric, because Eric was very sweet, adventurous and brave, the live action film just helped to expand on that. Jonah’s Eric was just the sweetest but also quite smart in wanting to try to open the ports again. I love that the film expanded on his character and showed how he had no prejudice against Ariel and the merfolk. His and Halle’s chemistry was just beautiful, and I really ship them so much, more so than the original version (but that’s not a criticism of the cartoon, just that a few couples superseded them). Also, let’s talk about how Jonah is Jewish, so Eric is out first Jewish prince.

Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian was so fun and cracked me and my mom up so much, his delivery on certain lines were just perfect, and he had great chemistry with Awkwafina and Jacob Trembly. I don’t think his accent was that bad, I mean I have heard worse Caribbean accents, and his is nowhere as bad as the others I’ve heard. Melissa McCarthy was so good as Ursula, she brought that same theatrical and frightening performance that Pat Carroll gave, and Javier Bardem did a really good job with Triton, though I was there was a little bit more of his character explored, but that is mostly the writing than the acting. I did really love his delivery of the line “You didn’t have to lose your voice for me to hear you,” it sounded so sincere and so apologetic that it made up for it. Awkwafina and Jaconb Trembly did a really good job in voice acting, and I didn’t expect to like Grimsby as much as I did, and it is all due to Art Malik’s wonderful performance. Overall, this was a solid cast and no one to me were a sore thumb.

Changes/Additions- I really liked the changes and additions to the story, like using a quote from the original fairytale was a really call back to the original fairytale, but also a parallel to how Ariel, being unable to properly express herself feels her suffering even more thus pushing her to make the deal with Ursula. I know some people were upset that we didn’t get the song the sisters sing, but I wasn’t too bothered by it, not when there was a very cool change to it. Pretty much, the sisters help to control the different seas from around this fantasy world, which is a nice call back to a theory people had about Ariel and her sisters representing the seven seas. My only issue with the film, and it is a small one, is that I wish we saw more of the sisters and Ariel’s relations to them, but other than that, solid. I like that we had a parent for Eric, helps to make his story broader and the idea that we was happily adopted, love that!

Small changes I liked were confirming that Ursula and Triton being siblings, and possibly hinting that the reason she was banished was because she had a hand in the death of Ariel’s mother. The change from Ariel signing a contract to taking a scale off and making a deal in blood does make sense considering they are in the water. Eric, despite being under Ursula’s spell still looking for Ariel, including his interest in collecting things just like Ariel, etc.

I liked that we had Ariel forgetting that she has to kiss Eric, not only because it helps to make the relationship a bit more genuine, but also it makes sense for Ursula to play dirty and do whatever she could to win. It also helped to show how good friends Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle are for helping. I had been worried that they were going to change the ending and be something different, namely how it was in the stage version, which works for the stage, but would have felt anti-climatic for the film, so I was grateful to see that they kept the Ursula becoming a giant and being killed by the ship, and for Ariel to know how to because she saw Eric do it, nice touch. Also, it’s a small scene, but I really liked it, but the scene where Ariel is found by the fisherman who immediately goes to help and give her clothes without ogling her, it was so refreshing to see and I know someone will say, of course they wouldn’t it’s a kids movie, that hasn’t stopped other kids movie for having similar scenarios happen and it feeling really creepy.

Songs- Halle did an amazing job of her rendition of Part of Your World, and I was one of the many who cried while listening, she seriously has the voice of an angel. Under the Sea was fun and I liked having Ariel being part of it, and Kiss the Girl was also very good, but I loved that we had Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle singing it to try and help their friend. It was crazy how well Melissa McCarthy had done with Poor Unfortunate Souls, not because I think she is a bad singer I knew she could sing beforehand, I was just surprised at how many times she sounded just like Pat Carroll. In regards to the new songs, I really liked them, I liked that we had songs with Ariel even after she lost her voice, get a glimpse of what she is thinking even if she can’t say it. 

Eric’s song Uncharted Waters was an unexpected delight and you just gotta love that he is singing about longing for a girl while getting drenched, thank you Rob Marshall for that. And I think some of you are pretty harsh on the Scuttlebutt song, because I thought it was fun and served the purpose of the story. My mom said her one small criticism is that she didn’t get Les Poissons, but even she admitted she was a little bias as she loved that song from the original and understand how it wouldn’t have worked in the remake.

Also, I think people were making a big deal over the changed lyrics for nothing. In Poor Unfortunate Souls, they removed the “body language” line and “men don’t like blabber”, but it doesn’t feel like they did it because it makes Ursula bad, but that in the context of the moment, it wouldn’t make sense for her to say that. Ariel’s big issue in the scene isn’t that she won’t be able to speak to Eric but that she isn’t sure if this is the right thing to do, so to have Ursula say those lines wouldn’t make sense. Kiss the Girl makes the tiniest change of “There is one way to ask her, It don't take a word, Not a single word, Go on and kiss the girl” to “Possible she want you too, Use your words, boy, and ask her, If the time is right and the time is tonight, Go on and kiss the girl” It is seriously not a big deal and if that is an issue for you, then you really need to reevaluate your choices.

Theories- Some people were curious as to why Sebastian said that Ariel used her siren voice to save Eric, and here is my thought. As Eric said at one point about the idea of mermaids leading sailors to their deaths with their voices, I think that he wasn’t wrong, that really it saves them. If you notice in the scene where Ariel saves Eric, he is just laying motionless even after water escapes from his lungs, but once she started to sing, he begins to move, come back from being unconscious. You know how relatives of coma patients will play audio of their favorite actors or music or whatever in hopes that it will help pull them back from the coma, I think that was what was happening in that moment. Ariel’s siren song was powerful enough it could pull someone on the brink of death back to life.

Vanessa’s voice. The other thing I’ve seen people question is why doesn’t Vanessa/Jessica sound more like Ariel/Halle when speaking, and again, I think the film set it up for us to understand why. As Ursula explained before making the deal with Ariel, she says that she didn’t want Ariel to use her “siren song” to get Eric, the emphasis being on her singing as why she wouldn’t want her to have it. Also, considering that Eric was only able to identify her through her singing voice, it makes sense that her speaking voice wouldn’t have to necessarily match as he is unaware of what she sounds like talking.

Conclusion- Overall, this remake is definitely in my top 3 favorite remakes, it had a wonderful cast, music was incredible and it truly felt like it honored the original in the best way possible. To those who hate it because of Halle, then guess what, die mad because the film’s biggest charm is her and she deserves to be our Ariel.

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 23 - Charles

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 22 -- Part 24

Pairing: Charles x ofc (Sloane)

Summary: The guys throw a New Years Eve party at 179th Crescent Street...

Warnings: SMUT, NSFW, 18+, MINORS DNI, oral (m and f receiving), p-in-v shenaningans. And some minor violence, and drinking.

Word count: 3.3k

A/N: Alright, Charles' turn! Do we expect him to shag someone? Yes we do! Does he? That's a stupid question! (It almost didn't happen!)

A liiiiiittle more insight for you guys in the Marshall situation, but not too much (I actually had to go back and edit some stuff out because I felt I was giving too much away, whoops.) Anyway: Enjoy! And let me know what you think! 🥰

@deandoesthingstome @geralts-yenn @summersong69 @peaches1958 @fvckinghenrycavill @keanureevesisbae @livisss @sillyrabbit81 @ellethespaceunicorn @ylva-syverson @poledancingdinos

It’s rather busy in the kitchen, but I think they’re almost done, which means it’s probably safe for me to go take a look without being put to work. Besides, it looks like Leon is taking most of the heat for now. I’m almost slammed into a wall when Mike squeezes past me in the narrow hall, announcing the internet has been fixed.

“I knew there was a reason we kept him around.” I say as I join Leon in the kitchen. 

“Yeah, it would be so awful if you couldn’t watch porn for one night.” The only reason it doesn’t sour my mood is because Dani is the one saying it. Anyone else could get bent for all I care, but her, I like. It doesn’t stop me from elbowing Leon wherever I can hit him, though, because he should know better than to laugh.

“I don’t think I’ll be needing any tonight,” I say indifferently. From the corner of my eye, I notice that Mike’s paying attention for a change, and I can’t help but throw in a mildly inappropriate wink at Dani - just to see what he’ll do. And how she will react to it.  

“Think you can still get laid with a broken nose and a black eye, Brandon?” I was never planning on taking the flirting further, but if I had been… Mike is fast, and I really don’t need a dent in my face tonight. I’ve definitely become more careful since Sol kicked me in the nuts and Geralt came really close to permanently disfiguring my face.

One look at Dani, however, tells me enough. She’s biting her lip as she looks at Mike. Mikey, on the other hand, doesn’t take his eyes off me while he pulls Dani into his side. God, I’m glad they seem to work out. I can’t take another week of him smiling at his phone like an idiot but too nervous to actually ask her out. I’m fairly sure Anjelica ended up hitting send on that text for him. It was the weirdest thing to witness, because Mike actually has game - which is also why I don’t exactly mourn the fact that he’s off the market, although I’m fairly sure Sy is even happier about that. Everyone in this house has broken up more than one spat between those two about who stole whose chick. 

Word travels fast around campus, because there’s a staggering amount of people in the house that I know I didn’t invite. I don’t mind, of course; plenty of the ladies present I’d happily invite back - and from the looks of it, a fair amount of them would be more than happy to come along. Tonight, however, I'm mostly interested in the girls who are with Danielle. From the corner of my eye, I notice that Leon has similar ideas, and he’s a lot closer than I am. Luckily, he seems to be more interested in the other roommate, Ariel. The one I’m after is Sloane Price. She plays hockey on the university team, and I occasionally run into her after practice. She’s been sizing me up for weeks, and it’s driving me insane. The one spanner in the works; Sy. Sloane seemed to have set her sights on him, although I don’t know why. Luckily - again, though I like to pretend I don’t depend on luck - he’s occupied by Alicia Thomson. I decide to try the luck I say I don’t need, and talk to her.

My hand hurts like hell. It’s the price you pay for kicking out some douche who can’t keep his hands off your roommate’s girlfriend. 

“Thanks for doing that.” The voice is familiar to me now, and when I look up, Sloane is standing in front of me, holding an ice pack. She hands it to me, and I accept it gratefully. 

“Thank you.” The cold is amazing on my sore knuckles. 

“Can I take a look at that for you?” Sloane asks kindly. I nod, gritting my teeth as I move my hand slightly. She’s a med student - and this might just be a way to get both of us out of here a little quicker than I thought. “I don’t think anything is broken, but I’m fairly sure you sprained your middle finger. Is there any tape in the house?” Bingo! As a matter of fact, there is. 

“I think there’s some in my hockey bag,” I say, “do you want me to check?”

“Might as well come with you.” Sloane shrugs. 

We make our way upstairs and I lead the way to my room. My bag is at the bottom of the wardrobe, and I was right about the tape; there’s still some in there. 

“This is a pretty nice house,” Sloane says as she starts working on taping my finger to the next. “Better than the apartment I share with Dani and Ari… Definitely bigger.”

“I’d hope so,” I say, “there’s eight of us! It’s crowded enough as is.”

“It’s neat, for a house with eight guys,” she notes. I can’t say she’s wrong; we do keep things clean around here. It’s either that or get murdered by August, Geralt and Sherlock. Trust me when I say no one would ever find the body. 

I hiss when Sloane pulls the tape a little too tight. “Easy.” 

“Sorry.” She has a fantastic smile. “You’re all set.” She lets go of my hand a tad quicker than I’d hoped. It's strange. Normally I'd be wishing for them to get the niceties over with as soon as humanly possible, so we can get to the fun stuff. Not with her. It's not that I'm going to try to pretend I don't know what's going on. I've been in love before. The guys would try to say that I fall in love three times before breakfast every godforsaken day, but they're wrong. I like to fuck. That's all there is to it, really. More importantly: I don't do relationships. Those just end with everyone involved disappointed and hurt. I can't do that to her. To anyone. Not anymore.

Now, the smart thing to do would obviously be turning away, going back to the party, finding someone else and screwing her brains out. The only problem with that idea is that I wouldn't be with Sloane - who is agonisingly slowly leaning in for a kiss, while I'm moving away even more slowly. 

"I'd feel incredibly insulted if I couldn't see with my own two eyes you're rock hard for me," she purrs out of nowhere. "To resist you is an almost olympic level achievement, but to be resisted by you? I'm not sure my reputation could take a hit like that…" Her hands are on my thighs, sliding up. I know exactly where they're going. Do I stop her? Who am I kidding? I don't have the strength of character to do that. Involuntarily, I let out a groan. 

Her lips meet mine, and I’m done for: there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop myself now. She pries my mouth open with hers and slips her tongue into my mouth. The vague taste of liquor - not beer or wine, it’s something else - lingers on her lips. It’s good. As far as kisses go, this one is pretty fucking amazing. Miss Price is handsy, and my shirt is on the floor before I know it. Part of me wishes they were all this fast. Yes, from a time-saving perspective. Don’t judge me, at least I’m aware I’m a bit of a jerk. I consider a world where all girls are as eager to sleep with me as Sloane for a moment, until she rakes her fingernails over my chest. When one of them grazes my nipple, I hiss. Hate the feeling. She has way too much control over me at this point, anyway. 

I toss her on my bed, fully expecting her to shriek - and she does. They all do. Sometimes, I find myself wondering when things became so predictable. Is there really nothing new to this anymore? She pulls me in for another kiss. God, even if it’s the same old thing over and over again, it never stops feeling good. The decision to wear jeans was a poor one, I have to admit. They’re not going to be a problem for long, however, judging from the enthusiasm with which Sloane attacks my face and neck. Those wet kisses along my jaw and down towards my collarbone make me shiver. 

“You like that,” Sloane moans into my ear. I love how it isn’t a question, but rather an observation. And she’s not wrong. 

“I do,” I reply, “but it makes me wonder what else that mouth can do.” Not even a minute ago I was impressed with her tempo, and now I’m acting as if she’s not even fast enough for me. What is wrong with me? 

“Are we in a hurry?” she asks. We really aren’t, but I’m acting like we are. Sloane raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m happy to admit I’m throwing myself at you, Charles, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get away with a five minute pump and dump.” 

“Don’t insult me,” I scoff, “or do I have a bad reputation I don’t know about?” 

“You mean a reputation for being a manwhore? I’m surprised you didn’t know…” I laugh at her retort - albeit sarcastically. 

“I mean a reputation for being bad in bed,” I fire back at her. The corner of her mouth twitches, but she doesn’t say anything. I don’t consider it a win just yet. Until she finally shakes her head, that is. I smile at her. “I can give as well as take.” 

If that’s not a statement of the type ‘put your money where your mouth is’, then I don’t know what is. Sloane sighs as I slowly kiss my way down her neck. It doesn’t seem to do much for her… Oh, well. I’ll figure it out after I get a good look at these tits. She helps me take her sweater off. The fabric is thin, so even though it’s a relatively modest thing, it did reveal that she has much heftier equipment than I had expected. Curse sports bras and their figure-hiding properties - it's practically the only thing I've seen her in up until now. She stops me when I move to undo her bra, leaving me… confused, in a way. Is she distracting me from the fact she won't show me her tits by taking my cock out? Well… it's working. 

My jeans are off in no time, and she makes her way down quickly. Those massive bedroom eyes make up for what she lacks in technique. Not that she's bad. Not at all! It's just… 

"That - oh, fuck! Keep doing that!" I'm a simple man. There's two or three things I really like, and I don't need much more than that. It makes it really easy to give pointers. Unfortunately, any kind of hint makes it really easy for girls to want to punch me in the nose. Listen, I know us guys can be dicks about getting directions during sex, but ladies… Pot, kettle, black. In my experience, at least. Sloane doesn't seem to mind, though, which is lovely. She just settled for what I told her works best, making this one of the nicest blowjobs I've ever had. It's a matter of finding out how quickly she'll give up, now. 

About five minutes into giving a blowjob, about fifty percent of girls are going to call it quits. The ones who see oral as nothing other than pregame. Next forty to forty-five percent are gone after ten minutes. They're the ones who consider sucking dick fun enough to have at it until jaws start cramping or whatever. If she sticks with it after that time, that’s when I start to consider actually saving her number for future reference. Is that something a total jackass would say? Absolutely. Like I said: I don't have any strange ideas about what I am. I know many people consider me a jerk, and Sloane's assessment of 'manwhore' was far from incorrect. Still, I don't think I deserve the amount of shit I get for screwing around. I've never pretended to want more from a girl than a bit of good fun. It's not my fault some still expect me to call them, right? And I quit getting caught up in serious relationships after I ruined the third one by cheating. Now, some of the guys think my stance on sleeping with girls who are in relationships is questionable, and I won't pretend my opinion on the matter is undisputed… 

Sloane breaks into my thoughts in a rather unorthodox way: sinking her teeth into my cock. 

"I don't feel I deserved that," I groan. It didn't hurt, she was gentle enough, but it was an unwelcome enough surprise, nonetheless. What's worse is that she comes crawling up and kisses me. It's not the kiss that bothers me, it's the fact that she's no longer sucking my cock. Oh well, she's made it well past the ten minute mark. 

"Tell me," she moans into my ear before softly sucking on my earlobe. Fuck, she's good. "Would you ever have cum from that?" 

"No," I answer honestly, "but it felt absolutely divine." There's a big difference between a good blowjob and one that's going to finish you off. 

"I'd ask you to return the favour but… I would actually like to cum," she whispers. I chuckle softly. I'm reasonably confident I can make that happen for her. And I'd love to. 

She’s a willing participant for sure. She’s loud, which I’m definitely not going to complain about. Tastes good, too, and the way her pussy clenches around my fingers makes me very curious and very eager to fuck her. I keep eating her out until she screams my name - it’s almost suspiciously easy to get her there, but I’m the last person to question it. I can’t hold back a chuckle when I feel her fingers beneath my chin, pulling me up. Sloane’s hands are gentle, but impatient - so is her mouth. She kisses me fiercely. Feverishly. Almost desperately. I allow my eyes to wander, feel my expression turn into a frown when they meet her bra. It’s pretty, but in my way. Sloane, however, also stops my next attempt to take it off. 

“Why?” I ask. I’m curious by nature, which is not always beneficial - not even in these moments. Sloane looks at me and rolls her eyes. 

“What? I’m not good enough for you like this?” she counters. 

“I never said that,” I warn her. Women and their godforsaken talent to twist your words. I swear it’s at least half the reason I get in trouble all the time. “I was just wondering.”

“I like the support. They’re pretty heavy,” she says plainly.

“I can imagine.” Apparently, there’s a tone in my voice she doesn’t like, because she smacks me in the arm. “Hey!” 

She’s testing my patience now, and it’s working. It’s gone. I reach for my nightstand. Can’t screw around the way I do without protection - as disappointed as I am about that. I’m surprised when she puts a hand on my cheek and turns me back to her. 

“Skip it,” she says, “I’m on birth control.” Maybe if I hadn’t looked into her eyes, I would have been able to resist her. This is not a good idea. 

When she kisses me, I’m lost again. Next thing I know, I’m pushing into her, listening to her moans as she takes me all the way, hissing when she digs her nails into my shoulder. The sprained finger adds another degree of difficulty: it’s incredibly difficult to keep myself up, because - pardon my French - that finger hurts like a bitch. 

“Your hand?” she asks kindly as she strokes the side of my face. Her hands are warm and soft against my skin, which makes me sigh. I nod, my face screwed up from the pain. I’m nowhere near drunk enough to ignore the feeling. 

“Allow me,” she whispers before gently nudging me onto my back. I’m the last person to complain about a woman on top, especially when the view is so exquisite. As she rides me - with vigour, I must say. It’s greatly appreciated - I almost forget my displeasure regarding her bra. And my own name. 

“Do you have this kind of stamina when you’re on top?” she asks after a while. I grin widely - I can’t help myself. It disappears, however, when she climbs off and sits on my bed, my open arms clearly not enough of an invitation for her to join me in a more comfortable position. 

“Give my hand some time to heal, I’ll show you,” I say. She doesn’t seem particularly put off by the idea, which is lovely. “Come here for a minute.” Normally I wouldn’t ask. I’m not above a quickie in a bathroom stall, and I have been known to occasionally take off immediately after sex. What I don’t do, is ask the girls I shag in my own bed to leave - and not just because their staying the night exponentially increases my chances of having lazy morning sex, which I might just describe as my favourite pastime. In those cases, after sex cuddling is an inevitability. A nuisance, even. For me to ask for it… It reminds me immediately of just how terrible an idea this was. 

“Do you want a drink?” I ask quickly, hoping for an excuse to leave my room and get my head on straight again. 

“With alcohol? Yes, please,” Sloane answers. 

“I’m sure they won’t miss a bottle of wine.” I put my clothes on as quickly as I can, and make my way downstairs. 

At least… I try to, because a spat between Marshall and his best friend Peter prevent me from going into the kitchen. I’m not getting mixed up in this - or rather: I am going to try my very best, but if this guy keeps going the way he’s going, I’m afraid I’ll have no choice. My hand may not be broken now, but it surely will be if I have to assault one more person today. And I wasn’t planning on spending the rest of my night in hospital… Luckily, Ange gets in the middle of it before things really get out of hand. When the dust settles, I make my way into the kitchen to get a bottle of wine. Marshall doesn’t look too good… I might have to ask Sloane to take a look at him in a bit. If he’ll let her. He looks as if he just wants to disappear - and I don’t necessarily blame him. He hasn’t been himself, lately. The bad mood wasn’t unusual, per se, but there was something melancholic to it that didn’t suit him. I doubt this has fixed the issue. 

As expected, he won’t let Slo into his room. I’d be sad if it didn’t mean I got to have her back with me quicker. When I got back to my room, I promised myself tonight. Just this one night with her, and then I forget about her. She just wants to know if the stories are true, she won’t mind. If she’s smart, she won’t expect a thing from me - and she’s in medical school. She’s smart. We just finish the bottle, talk about nothing, and laugh. 

“Are you up for another round of debauchery?” she asks after she has put the empty bottle on my nightstand. She’s on her knees, straddling my thighs, clothed - unfortunately - because I haven’t had a chance to take her clothes off after she came back to the room. Neither of us are remotely sober now. Chances are that whatever happens next, will be forgotten before morning. 

One night. And then I forget about her. 

[divinelycrazy]

So i feel the need to rant about one of Disney's most stupid ideas that at the same time could offer them opportunities that they refuse to take most of the time. The live action remakes.

Believe it or not but most people don't go see those movies because they like them, they go see them because their curiosity can't help but wonder how disney fucked up this time.

The live action Pinocchio is a good example of this, though mind that 2 other Pinocchio movies came out that very same year, but still that didn't stop the movie from being the biggest flop out of all 3 of them when they came out.

Another example is the live action little mermaid. They hyped this movie up, not just with Halle Bailey playing Ariel but also the fact that they managed to convince Melissa Comedy Icon McCarthy to play Ursula. This is a personal nitpick, but I loved Ariel's original animated sisters more than the one the live action Ariel had, why, because they acted like sisters. Also, don't even mention the atrocity they committed to Flounder. Believe me when I say that The Lion King live action is proof enough that Disney is not good at making CGI animals look good.

Then there is the case of the live action Mulan, to which they were acting like "yeah, were gonna represent Chinese culture more accurately. We're even hiring all Asian actors. " What they ended up doing was take away the entire purpose and meaning of the original animated movie.

Now as much as I'd like to keep on raging, the live action remakes do have a phew treasures among them.

The Maleficent movies were, in my opinion, the best live action remake movies disney ever made, and are the reason Maleficent is my favorite disney villain. They don't retell the story of the original animated movie scene by scene either. They tell an original story separate from it with its own setting, worldbuilding, and character development. They also take heavy inspiration from Celtic Fey lore and represent it in a somewhat endearing and accurate way. Also, Angelina Jolie absolutely slayed as Maleficent.

Cruella is not just a remake. It is there to tell us who Cruella is as a person, what her motivations are, and how she got to the point she was at in the original animated movie. Not to mention, the designs in the movie look actually good and like something you'd expect a character like Cruella to design.

The live action Cinderella is admittedly not the greatest out there, but it has its moments. Expanding lady Tremains character by giving her a gambling addiction, which is the exact thing that led to the family falling into poverty, is a nice add-on, and let's not forget Cinderella's dress. The way it glistened and sparkled actually made the dress look like it was made out of magic.

The Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movies might be a controversial one to put on here, but i personally found them quite fun to watch. A big part of this is that, in a way, you could see these movies as sequels to the original 1951 animated movie. There's also the fact that, to me personally, the Tim Burton version of Wonderland actually felt scary and unnerving in several parts. An example would be the Red Queen's moat of decapitated heads.

It is true that Disney's live action remakes are more often fuck ups than thumbs ups but let's at least appreciate the phew good ones we do have.