#otp: first and foremost | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

transgenderboobs · 2 years

Note

may i have some jonmartin w/ 14. ( Singing and dancing to their favorite song ) in these trying times,,,

14. Singing and dancing to their favorite song.

oaugh my uwus.....

- - -

The first 24 hours are clumsy and awkward.

Fleeing the country is definitely not as cool as it looks in the movies, Jon thinks. Mostly it involves a lot of stumbling and fear and confusion and buying train tickets in cash, at full price, because even though Martin has a railcard, using it would be too close to leaving a paper trail.

The keys stick in the front door, and the hinges squeak from disuse, but finally, after a day of nonstop travel, they’re standing on the threshold of Daisy’s safehouse an hour outside of Inverness.

At his side, Martin sneezes.

Jon looks up at him, raises his eyebrows.

Martin smiles sheepishly, twists his hands around the strap of his duffel bag. “Dusty.”

Jon hums, trails a hand over the wall as they go, trying not to marvel too obviously at every word Martin says to him. “It does smell a bit like the Archives my first day on the job.”

Martin huffs, dry and quiet, but still the closest thing Jon's heard to an actual laugh from him in so long. "You mean the day I let that dog in?"

Jon's heart does something complicated. He remembers feeling so nervous that day he thought he might throw up, but now looking back on it he feels a pang of something almost like nostalgia. Things were easier, back then, when the worst thing he had to worry about was a dog making a mess on the carpet, even if the memory is marred by how abhorrently he'd treated Martin.

"Yes." He nods fondly. "The day you let the dog in."

Martin does another of those little huffs, this one with a bit more life in it. He shrugs his duffel off his shoulder, lets it fall to the hall floor at his feet. "Well. Better than... blood and rotting meat, or something, so. I'll take it."

"Fair point," Jon gives him. He slips his own bag off his back, clutches it momentarily in front of his chest, before setting it cautiously on the floor beside Martin's. "I suppose we should... take inventory?" He suggests. "Give it a, a look-over?"

Martin hums, nodding. "Yeah, we could do that."

"Right. Yes. Um..." Jon scuffs his toe on the floor, eyes flitting away from Martin before invariably being drawn right back to him. "Where would you like to start?"

"Uh, I-I can take the back half? You check out the front?"

"Ah." Jon bites his bottom lip, tells himself there's no reason for his heart to skip uncomfortably. "S-should we split up?"

"We're hardly splitting up." Martin shrugs. "I think this place might be smaller than my flat back in London."

Jon swallows. He taps his fingers against his thigh. "Still..."

Martin peers curiously at him over the rims of his glasses. "Would you rather we stick together?"

"W-well, I— I, i-it just seems like t-the best, er, that is—" Jon stops himself, purses his lips, sighs. "Yes. I would rather not be apart from you yet."

"Oh," Martin breathes out softly. His cheeks go pink, a barely-there dusting of blush that still manages to knock Jon sideways. "Okay. Sure. Let's, er, have a look at the kitchen then?"

Jon exhales in relief. "Yes. Let's. That sounds good."

They start with the kitchen, Jon leading Martin in with a hand on his wrist, because— well. Because he likes being able to touch Martin, now. Will find any excuse for it.

Martin finds a meager supply of canned goods and nonperishables in the cabinets (no peaches, he's pleased to announce), and Jon finds cookware in the drawers by the oven. It's not an impressive collection, but it'll do. Maybe he'll even get to cook something nice for the two of them. To do something nice for Martin.

Kneeling down, Jon opens the cupboard under the sink. He finds a handful of cleaning products, an old hatchet, a rusty-looking toolbox, and—

"Hm." Pushing a bottle of window cleaner aside, Jon grabs the dusty gray box in the back, turning it over in his hands. He's a little wary of old-timey audio equipment these days, but they're going to have limited entertainment up here on the lam, so anything that's not a tape recorder can stay, he supposes.

He feels more than hears Martin coming up beside him on almost eerily silent footsteps. "What've you got there?"

Jon stands with the ancient bit of tech, setting it on the counter. He pulls his sleeve (Martin's sleeve; it's Martin's cardigan he's got on, after all) over his hands and makes a clumsy swipe to clear away the dust. "Old radio."

Jon sees the way Martin perks up. He sidles cautiously closer, hands stuffed in his pockets. So this he's afraid to touch, but boxes of C4 are fair game. Jon is hopelessly endeared. "Does it work?"

Jon gives him a look, raising his eyebrow, trying to hold back the rush of fondness threatening to make itself known as a dopey grin. "Only one way to find out."

He finds an outlet by the sink to plug the thing in, pulls out the creaky antenna, and fiddles with the buttons until static crackles to life, making them both jump. Twitchy, the both of them, but fleeing the country does tend to set a man's nerves on edge.

Jon twists at the dials, crawling through different tones of static one after the other, until, finally, crackly notes of actual music break through.

"Oh!" Martin's hand lands on Jon's arm, stilling his hand before he can switch to the next station. "Stop, stop there!"

Jon is helpless to do anything but oblige, fingers falling away, head tilting so he can watch Martin, sidelong, as his eyes go wide and his face lights up. Jon wants to frame that expression and hang it on the wall; would do anything to be able to make Martin look that delighted any time he wants.

Jon's a little proud that his voice only wavers a little when he finds it again. "Like this song?"

The corners of Martin's lips tick hesitantly upward, the beginnings of a smile that catches Jon's breath in his throat. "I do, actually."

"I suppose that makes sense. Suits your... retro sensibilities."

Martin snorts. "Okay, it's not that old."

Jon can't fight his grin any longer. He's sure Martin can hear all the syrupy-happiness of it dripping into his voice. "It came out in nineteen-seventy-six, Martin."

Martin politely ignores that Jon Knew that particular bit of trivia about a song he's heard maybe once or twice in his life, crosses his arms over his chest. "That's— Okay, well, it was on when I was a kid!"

"Whatever you say, old man."

Martin stabs a finger at him. "Oh, shut it. You are six months younger than me, grandpa."

Jon loves the splotchy indignation, the put-out blush, the stubborn set to his brows, because this is so much more than he ever thought he'd get again. After months of avoidance and vague disdain, after how painfully empty Martin had looked in the Lonely, Jon feels like he's finally come up for air after a long time spent underwater.

He feels, if he's honest, a little bit giddy.

Chasing that feeling, he carefully holds his hand out. "Alright. Come on, then."

Martin looks down at his proffered hand, head tilting. "Are you... Jon, are you asking me to dance?"

"I'm trying to, but there's only a minute-and-forty-eight seconds left of this song, so we'll need to hurry."

Martin raises his eyebrows. Jon frowns, but wiggles his fingers. Martin's face softens, and he slowly slips his hands into Jon's. "I don't know how to dance."

"That's fine," Jon tells him, smiling. "Neither do I."

And then Martin laughs for real, a small, soft thing that still sends every cell in Jon's body chiming like a bell as he pulls Martin into motion.

They really are horribly awkward: the song doesn't allow for slow dancing, too fast, too energetic, but it's still delightful to hold onto Martin's hands and move together.

"I warned you," Martin huffs immediately after he narrowly avoids stepping on Jon's toes.

"You're doing fine," Jon tells him, knocking his bony knee into Martin's thigh for good measure.

Martin giggles (actually giggles!), a flush rising high on his lovely cheeks. Shedding his self-consciousness as the seconds tick by, Jon watches his movements become freer and more confident as they unfreeze from fog-chilled shores and hours of travel.

He even, delightfully, picks up the song and quietly starts humming along. After a few seconds of holding his breath to be sure he heard right, Jon even picks up the odd word or two here and there.

Then, he starts hearing entire lyrics, soft and shaky and a little awkward in a voice that's unused to having presence enough to speak, let alone sing along to seventies rock songs.

Jon doesn't realize he's gone reverently motionless until Martin stops moving, too, looks at him with something that borders too close to nerves. "What?"

Jon wants to say something to preserve the mood, get Martin back out of his head. Maybe quip out decided to serenade me now, have you? or something.

Instead, he says, "You're lovely," in that awed, earnest voice Martin always seems to drag out of him.

Martin goes completely still, now, sucking in a sharp breath, eyes round and mouth half-open. "Oh."

"Er." Jon swallows. "What I mean, is, um." What he means is Martin is absolutely fucking lovely, all of the time, but seeing him like this is a revelation, should be categorized as the eighth world wonder, probably. But he hadn't meant to say it yet; had meant to give Martin more time to feel like a person again. He can't take it back now, though. "Well, actually, no. T-that's what I meant."

"Oh," Martin says again, small and soft and a little dazed.

Jon looks down. Martin is still holding his hand, even though the dancing's stopped and the last notes of music are fading out to make way for the next song, faint pinpricks of static filtering through the airwaves in the growing quiet. "Th-that okay?"

"Yeah, Jon. That..." Martin smiles, small but bright as dawn light, his fingers squeezing where they're still wrapped in Jon's. "That's definitely okay."

Jon's heart, fragile as it feels, bursts with a sun-hot affection. "Good. Because you are."

Martin looks about as fragile as Jon feels, and just as lovestruck. It's good, Jon thinks, that he's able to hear things like this and not shrink away.

"Okay." Martin gives Jon's hand another squeeze before he slides it free. He turns the volume down on the radio, but not all the way off, so the next song filters quietly into the room. "We should, um. G-get back to it, right?"

"Probably," Jon agrees regretfully. He already misses Martin's hand in his.

And together, they set to it, the hopeful start to a long undertaking.

#tma #the magnus archives #tma fanfic #tma fic #magpod #magnuspod #jonmartin #jmart #otp: i need him to be okay #loverboy writings #hiiiii #yes i'm still out here finishing prompts i got in early 2021. what of it #if anyone is curious.#i'm imagining the song to be good old fashioned loverboy by queen #because i am first and foremost a self-indulgent man #so if i wanna make martin a queen fan in my fics i will

46 notes · View notes

afieldinengland · 1 year

Text

have been looking at the tags on my richard ii posts + there’s something about the collision of internet ship culture with shakespeare’s history plays in particular that absolutely fascinates me. a) because it underlines the difference between a character-as-shakespeare-wrote-them and the actual historical figure, arguably more potently than anything else, but also b) as someone from england with a real interest in history i’ve only ever looked at dead kings etc with an academic eye. weighing up their reigns, their reputations, discussing their downfalls…. what i’m saying is please don’t read malice into my voice when i ask things like “what do you mean you’re shipping henry bolingbroke and richard of bordeaux”

#Everyone’s a cousin #i’m just so fascinated by it because obviously the knowledge of richard ii as a person germinated somewhere completely different.#Is he a historical king or a completely fictional character first and foremost to you? would one make him more malleable? i’m enraptured #i can’t wrap my brain around it. the idea of taking a historical figure argubly embedded in if not the national psyche at least its annals—#albeit in a fictionalised form— though that in itself indicates his importance— and placing them in the weird and wonderful mire of tumblr #dot com otp culture. i’m enthralled

10 notes · View notes

jonesgirl88 · 2 years

Photo

From Paris With Love || Higher Ground A.K.A How Oliver reacts to seeing his wife versus how he reacts to seeing Shane

Bonus: Shane’s reaction to Holly

@anextraordinarymuse @regalreptile29

#first and foremost #what is the beta editor and why wouldn't it let me rearrange the gifs?#no me gusta #Second and very closely tied with first #I love this parallel #Jess did an AMAZING breakdown of it!#so I tried my hand at it #it's not as good but the clips are so short #I didn't have to reduce the size by much nor edit frames #so that's a plus #the best part of this parallel? Oliver's reaction #Also Shane looks like sunshine in both #because she's just sunshine in general #but this parallel is everything the series needed #signed sealed delivered #sholiver #otp #parallels

9 notes · View notes

cinderella-ish · 1 month

Text

My evolving thoughts on who Yuki should've ended up with, and fanfic's role in changing my mind

So, I want to talk about Yuki Sohma.

Yuki is the member of the main trio in Fruits Basket with whom I most identify. I have little in common with both Tohru and Kyo, and it took me several watches and read-throughs to start to understand their characters/arcs. (I love them, don't get me wrong! I just didn't fully appreciate the depth of their characters/arcs until maybe my third time through the series.)

Yuki, on the other hand, not only had many external qualities in common with me, but the way he grew mirrored some of the ways I changed in early adulthood. His arc felt true to my life, and so he was my favorite character from my first exposure to Fruits Basket.

When I started reading fanfic, I initially limited myself to canon compliant or limited canon-divergence fics, but eventually, I dipped my toes into some alternate pairings. Interestingly, while I truly can't see Tohru with anyone but Kyo, and I can only see Kyo with someone other than Tohru in very specific circumstances, Yuki seems to work with almost everyone he gets paired with. I mean, Yuki and Machi are my OTP, yet I have probably read (and bookmarked) every Yuki/Kakeru fic on Ao3, and some of the most beautiful fanfic I've ever read is Yuki/Kyo.

This confused me at first. Deeply. If Yuchi is my OTP, why do I devour every Yukeru and Yukyo fic?

Well, I think that's because Yuki's arc is, among other things, one where he rejects compulsory romance. This is made explicit in the Cinderella-ish story (why yes this is my favorite part of Fruits Basket, why do you ask?), where he quite literally rejects the role of the prince - the role that's been put onto him by others through the series. I think his arc would have been complete without him ending up with Machi, but there are things about their relationship that make his ending so much more satisfying. In stories where he ends up with Kakeru or Kyo, Machi almost always appears as an important friend for him. I think, for him, having strong bonds outside the Sohmas that he forged on his own was the point, rather than ending up in a relationship.

Anyway, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on the five most common Yuki pairings on Ao3!

Yuki/Machi

Yes. I love them. 1000/10.

Okay, so the one criticism I have of Yuki/Machi is that Yuki is strongly gay-coded throughout the series, and it would've been awesome to see that play out in the way it was set up. I think that's a huge part of why I connected with Yuki - his arc definitely reminded me of my own experience coming to terms with my own queerness. For more on this, see this exceptional post by @yunsoh

But there are so many moments between them that make me swoon. The chalk scene, first and foremost. I used that scene to talk to my partner about how to support me when my OCD or ADHD is bad. Then there's scene where Yuki figures out why Machi destroys things, then asks to make footprints in the snow together (and tells her he's proud of her! and sees how hard she's worked!). The way he bought her Mogeta memorabilia or figured out she likes red or understood her intent when she chased him around the school to give him a flower and just ended up getting angry at him. The way he understood she bought Tohru a bath set because it's what she would want, just because Kakeru made a similar remark. The way he lit up when he saw Machi's trashed apartment - "the sea of despair."

And the way Machi understood and empathized with Yuki. The way he lit up and started laughing when she called him an airhead. The way she said it took someone like him to notice someone like her. The way she opened up to him and always sought him out. The way Kakeru shipped them. The way he knew she would miss him if he were to disappear, and the way being a support to her was something he needed for himself. The way she accepted him as he actually was, and not the way he thought he was supposed to be. The way she broke the door down with a chair when Yuki was trapped in the storage room. The way he teased her!

They've both been put in seemingly desirable positions within their families, yet those positions are responsible for so much of their pain and trauma. They get each other at a deep level. There's a mutuality to their relationship that Yuki desperately needed. I love them so much!

PS: if you also love Yuki/Machi, come find me on Ao3! I'll be posting some Yuchi content later this week!

Yuki/Kakeru

They have a fantastic and fun dynamic, and they are always touching each other. Kakeru is Yuki's confidant and someone who makes Yuki feel safe in being himself, flaws and all. They help each other grow - Yuki helps Kakeru be more empathetic, and Kakeru helps Yuki become more comfortable with himself. I think this pairing would have also been a satisfying end for Yuki, full stop. I love them, and I will read all your Yukeru fics, please and thank you. (Also, lots of Yukeru writers are just really good writers, so there are some gorgeous works for them.)

Yuki/Kyo

So, I didn't get why this ship was so popular at first, but then I was reminded that Yuki's first thought when he met Kyo was "pretty!" They both secretly admired each other, they're written as foils for each other, and there's a reason enemies to lovers is so popular (and it's called sexual tension).

There's a Yuki/Kyo fic that I'd credit with showing me what fanfic can really do - especially in the ways it expanded the universe, found its own way of handling the curse, and developed the relationship between the two boys in a way that also grew their characters. That fic is The Pursuit of Repeating History by @mistergrass

I do think that Yuki ending up with someone outside the Sohmas is more satisfying for his character arc than someone from the Sohma clan, but his relationship with Kyo is such a key part of his arc that this could be satisfying in its own right.

Yuki/Haru

I absolutely love the relationship these two have in canon. I love how Haru looks out for Yuki, and I love how he drives Yuki a bit crazy. I love how Haru tells Yuki the things he needs to hear, like that it's okay for him to focus on himself for a while, and I love how Yuki braves the Sohma estate to check on Haru. I also love the way Haru can read Yuki like a book.

Haru's words to Yuki about finding someone who will appreciate his fragility and kindness are always so touching. Haru is almost a mentor to Yuki, in a way, or a fairy godmother. (Or a long lost sister?) The fact that he was the one who got Yuki out of isolation at the hands of Akito, or that he was the one person who would check on him just speaks to the strength of his loyalty to Yuki.

I take Haru's statement of "Yuki was my first love" seriously, because he tells Yuki he is serious when Yuki warns him people will take him seriously when he says that. I know there's an argument to be made that Haru is just being his weird self, but that gives me and they were roommates vibes.

Unfortunately, most of the Yuki/Haru fics are dubcon with Dark Haru, which is not something I enjoy reading. What I'd really love to read is an AU where they're together in high school or later, or something that explores Haru's early feelings for Yuki, or just something that explores interesting sides of their characters that are brought out when they're together.

I don't think this would be a terribly satisfying end for Yuki, but I do really love their dynamic.

Yuki/Tohru

Okay, so, full disclosure: I was #teamyuki when I first watched Fruits Basket. Yet now, they're the only pairing on this list that I don't like. Why? Well, as I said above, Yuki's arc is much about rejecting this specific compulsory romance.

Compulsory how? Well, from the beginning, the series seems like it's setting up a love triangle, but kind of tells us (more and more explicitly as the series goes on) that things are not what they seem.

I think the series does a phenomenal job of making the reader/viewer complicit in placing this compulsory romance onto Yuki. A brief aside, making the reader/viewer complicit in the thing a story is criticizing is one of the most effective ways to criticize something, IMO, because it doesn't let the reader/viewer off the hook. We don't get to say, "Look at them, they're so foolish!" We're forced to examine our own expectations and acknowledge that we were made a fool of, too.

I totally got tingles at the spa scene (pictured above), even though upon rewatch, it's obvious how much of an act it is on Yuki's part, and how uncomfortable it makes Tohru. In fact, many of their most "romantic" moments, where the shojo bubbles appear and everything, are when Tohru is acting in an explicitly motherly way to Yuki, and he awkwardly tries to flirt because he's either misinterpreting his feelings or in denial about them.

I also thought his line, "that isn't what I want!" when he tells Kakeru about his true feelings for Tohru is one of the most powerful moments in the series. It's the moment he's finally letting go of being the Princely character and choosing to be himself, for himself, because he deserves to be known and accepted - something he'd never fully believed until that moment.

I think part of why I was initially #teamyuki was because I came to Fruits Basket through the anime first, where much of the development of his relationship with Machi was cut. Also, as I said above, I didn't really get the characters of Kyo and Tohru right away, and I think that prevented me from seeing the power of their romance. The True Form arc was a key moment that I truly didn't understand until several viewings/readings later.

So, all of that is why I don't care for this pairing. I get why people do, but I do feel it undermines Yuki's agency and his character arc. It's a pairing that makes me sad when I see it, as if this character I love has taken a step backward.

(Incidentally, I've been wanting to write a fic where the True Form arc plays out differently and Yuki takes longer to realize the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I truly wonder how he would've come to that understanding without witnessing her running after Kyo. Would he have tried dating her? Would it have been a total disaster?)

Other pairings and larger relationship structures

Out of the other pairings I found, the only one I'm genuinely curious about is Yuki with Saki Hanajima. I'll have to go read those fics. They are each the "cold" half of a "hot/cold" duo (the "hot" halves being Kyo and Arisa, who are basically the same person). I'm very curious what led people to pair them in the handful of fics about them!

(Interestingly, I think it's possible to read Saki and Arisa both as having a bit of sexual tension with Kyo, but not with Yuki.)

The others include Akito, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure - all pairings that would have a noncon/dubcon element due to Yuki's age, and that's before you get into the specific traumas that these characters have inflicted on Yuki, or the inherent power dynamics between them, or the close familial relationship with Ayame, etc...

The trio relationships are all intriguing and full of possibility. Yuki/Tohru/Kyo? Obviously. Yuki/Kakeru/Kimi? Potential for lots of wackiness. Yuki/Kyo/Haru? Could be the next Mabudachi trio.

(No shade to anyone who enjoys fics with the pairings or tropes I don't like! This blogger believes in "don't like, don't read.")

38 notes · View notes

friends-to-lovers-tournament · 8 months

Text

Friends to Lovers Tournament: Quarterfinals, Match 4

propaganda under the cut!

Zosan:

They’re rivals yes, but first and foremost they’re best friends. They know each other better than anyone. Sanji asked Zoro to kill him if he’s ever not himself (long story), the implication being that Zoro knows him so well he’d be the first to tell (he would). Your honor, they are friends and they are in love.

Percabeth:

Submission 1

they are the cutest thing ever with 5 books of slow burn

Submission 2

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THEM?? THEY ARE THE BEST OTP! THEY START OFF WITH UNCERTAINTIES BUT ANNABETH CHOOSES TO BE HIS FRIEND, HER FIRST INDEPENDENT STEP TO NOT CONSIDER THE OLYMPIAN'S WISHES WHEN MAKING CHOICES. SHE IGNORED HER MOM'S OPINION GUYS, THAT IS BIG! AND HE DOESNT REALLY HAVE FRIENDS UNTIL THE SUMMER HE TURNS 13 AND SHE IS ONE OF THEM. SHE AND HIM ARE ALWAYS BY EACHOTHER'S SIDES (METAPHORICALLY AT LEAST). THEY WORK TOGETHER ON QUESTS SOO WELL BECAUSE THEY KNOW EACH OTHER THAT WELL. AND SHE KISSED THEM DURING THE LABYRINTH QUEST AND HE KINDA IGNORED IT FOR LIKE A YEAR. AND SHE WAS HIS ANCHOR TO THE MORTAL WORLD. AND HE TOLD HER ABOUT HIS ACHILLES HEEL. AND SHE BACKS HIM UP ALL THE TIME. AND IT WAS THE GREATEST UNDERWATER KISS OF ALL TIME. AND WHEN HE WENT MISSING SHE DID NOT SLEEP. AND SHE WAS ALL HE REMEMBERED WHEN HERA TRIED HER SHENANIGANS. AND THEY FELL TOGETHER. AND THEY ARE EACH OTHERS BEST FRIENDS (sorry grover, but you get it) AND I LOVE THEM TOGETHER SO MUCH. THEY EMAILED EACH OTHER AT 13 BECAUSE CELL PHONES WERE A BIG N O! AND HE KEPT A PICTURE OF HER IN HIS BINDER. AND SHE WANTS TO BUILD SOMETHING PERMANENT WITH HIM.

#friends to lovers tournament #one piece #riordanverse #zosan #roronoa zoro #vinsmoke sanji #percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #tournament polls #polls

100 notes · View notes

princesssarisa · 20 days

Note

Characters ask: 12 dancing princesses

Favorite thing about them: The beautiful, romantic imagery of all the princesses venturing into a magical subterranean land where the trees are made of silver, gold, and diamonds, and then dancing through the night with mysterious handsome princes. I like the imagery better than the story itself.

Least favorite thing about them: That they let all the princes who try to discover their secret be beheaded. It's no wonder that retellings tend to omit this part and just have the failed princes either sent away in disgrace or imprisoned instead.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like parties and music.

*I tend to be a freedom-seeker.

*I'm in no hurry to marry.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not a very good dancer.

*I would never let even one man be beheaded just so I could attend secret parties, let alone many men.

*I don't have any sisters, let alone eleven.

Favorite line:

From the Faerie Tale Theatre version, these quotes from the eldest princess Jeanetta:

"I have no patience for hearts and flowers and young men who brag about this victory and that. There's more to life than romance."

“The man of my dreams is a prince among men.”

brOTP: Each other.

OTP: Well, I hope the eldest sister will be happy in her marriage to the soldier, and I hope the others eventually find the right princes.

nOTP: Their father.

Random headcanon: For the Faerie Tale Theatre version, where all the characters are more sympathetic than in the Grimms' tale, I like @ariel-seagull-wings' headcanon that the princesses' parents were Cinderella and her Prince, now King. The eldest princess looks especially like their mother – since in this version she's played by Lesley Ann Warren, the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein Cinderella – and they've all inherited her love of ballroom dancing. But since Cinderella died, her grieving husband has become overprotective of his daughters, leading to the plot.

Unpopular opinion: I don't mind the fact that this tale is so rarely adapted, because it's not a particular favorite of mine, mainly because the ending falls flat. We never learn who the mysterious dancing princes were; there's just a vague statement at the end implying that they're under a curse, and that it's extended as their punishment for having danced with the princesses, but with no explanation of who cursed them or how they suffer from it. The princesses never redeem themselves for having caused so many men's deaths – at least in other stories with similar plot points, like Turandot, the princess has a transformative "learning to love" moment which is missing here. The eldest princess is married to the soldier as his reward, with no choice for her and no sense of romance, and this is portrayed as a happy ending, even though she and her sisters were willing to kill him rather than be forced to marry him.

So far, every adaptation I've seen has been an improvement, IMHO. First and foremost by removing the "every man who fails to learn the princesses' secret is beheaded" plot point, secondly by giving the soldier an actual romance arc with the eldest princess, and thirdly by changing the ending or at least giving it more depth. My introduction to the story was the anime Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, where the princes turn out to be disguised demons luring the princesses to their doom, and the soldier fights them off and helps the princesses escape, earning the eldest princess's love by doing so. That twist might be melodramatic, but at least it gives the story a proper climax and emotional payoff. Then there's the Faerie Tale Theatre version, where the princes are dream figures created by the princesses in a magic ritual, and where the princesses' nightly outings are sympathetic, because their overprotective father needs to learn to let them grow up, go dancing, and meet young men in their own world. That's a good alternative too. (I don't have anything to say about the Barbie version because I've never seen it.) Basically, I think it's a story with great potential, but which needs adaptation expansion.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

This illustration by Elenore Abbott:

This illustration by Kay Nielsen:

These illustrations by Erroll Le Cain:

This illustration by P.J. Lynch:

These illustrations by Ruth Sanderson:

These illustrations by Kinuko Craft:

#character ask #the twelve dancing princesses #the shoes that were danced to pieces #fairy tale #ask game #fictional characters #fictional character ask

25 notes · View notes

lets-try-some-writing · 2 years

Text

Guilty Pleasures

Every sentient being has a secret hobby or interest. Autonomous robotic organisms not excluded.

Megatron

The only one who knows about his little hobby is Soundwave, it's a good thing too, because Megatron would kill anyone else who uncovered his secret.

Despite his general distaste for humans, Megatron admires their creativity, more specifically their literature.

He may be a warrior first and foremost but he also has a love for any all all historical and poetic works.

He enjoys reading and having to decipher the hidden meanings behind the stories he collects.

It fascinates him to read about just how different and how similar Cybertronian societies are.

However he would never be caught dead reading a book written by a human. So he sends Soundwave to fetch him good books whenever there is nothing more important on the agenda.

He is greatly inspired by Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, J.R.R Tolkien, C.S Lewis, and Homer.

He has a whole secret closet in his berthroom filled with dataslates that contain the works of his favorite authors.

He will often read them before falling into recharge, and occasionally he will attempt a little writing of his own if he is feeling particularly inspired.

This has led him to create another secret stash in his berthroom filled with his own stories, ones that mostly illustrate his own life and views on how society should be structured.

(If Megatron's works make their way into the newly rebuilt Iacon hall of records in the future due to a certain Prime, then no bot comments on it)

Optimus

He has a rather unique little hobby, one that like Megatron, he would never be caught dead engaging in.

His particular hobby stems from his base coding as an Archivist.

Since the war did not really grant him much opportunity to work with and organize the data he desired, he ended up developing a tendency to note and catalogue the relationships of bots around him.

In short, Optimus is a shipper.

It was not a purposeful thing, but as time passed and tensions heightened Optimus just started listening in on conversations more frequently and paying extra attention to body language and how other bots interacted with one another.

He found it fascinating and so began to write it all down on a dataslate, and from there it just escalated as he began noting how certain bots reacted around others.

It really began after he started listing known relationships and all the information he had on them (In surprising and almost creepy detail)

Then he started theorizing and creating a whole separate catalogue dedicated to organizing gossip and discerning what was correct and incorrect so that he could get his relationship files properly updated.

In the end he created the most intricate and well informed database filled with information regarding every known relationship, platonic, familial, and romantic that he caught wind of.

But of course that still wasn't enough for his Archivist coding, he needed and still needs a constant flow of fresh data, and so he started playing a role in the relationships around him.

A well placed rumor here, a slight change of orders there, and Optimus's notes gain new additions from either the success or fallout of the event, satisfying his urges and helping his troops sort out their feelings much quicker than they would have otherwise.

To the complete and utter shock of everyone when they eventually find out; it is not Smokescreen, Bumblebee, Jazz, or any other source that has all the tea. No, it's all Optimus, and he knows everything and will gladly play matchmaker for his favorite OTP.

Soundwave

Cats. Soundwave. Loves. CATS.

He thinks they are the best to thing to happen since Primus himself came into being and nothing will change his mind.

His berthroom is covered in posters, pictures, and art of cats.

He has a whole pile of cat plushies that he stole and he adores it, especially when he is having a mental breakdown.

Soundwave also has a whole drive reserved solely for any all and all cat related content on the internet.

He is obsessed, he wants a cat badly, and he is not shy about his desire to adopt one.

However as he knows it would not be safe for a feline to stay on board the nemesis, Soundwave has turned to alternative methods to satisfy his desire to be around the fluffy organics.

Soundwave's solution is to not keep cats on board the nemesis permanently, but to bring them on for a limited time before ground bridging them away.

When he has the chance he collects a few street cats that he has taken a liking to and will keep them with him in his office, taking every measure to ensure their health and happiness.

The cats love him and he loves them, everybody goes home happy in the end.

However on the off chance that someone wanders into Soundwave's office while he is with his court of cats they are met with hisses and a terrifying blank stare from the spymaster.

Everyone on board the nemesis chalks it up to Soundwave being strange as usual and refuses to speak of what they see, lest the spymaster make them disappear.

Ratchet

Despite his gruff personality Ratchet has a rather wholesome secret hobby, that being baking.

He picked up baking from his mentor before the war, the older mech had been fond of the activity due to its simplicity.

Ratchet was skeptical, but out of respect for his mentor agreed to participate.

He ended up developing a fondness not for the energon goodies themselves, but for the process by which they were made and the smiles of those who consumed them.

During the war he made energon goodies and secretly put them in among the rations to increase moral among the troops

For a while a rumor spread about how there was a ghost meandering about leaving goodies for bots who did well or were going through some things.

No one suspected the 'I NEEDED THAT!' Ratchet to be the one leaving the treats. (except Optimus or course, such data would never escape his notice, not with his files constantly needing updating)

Ratchet also got into the habit of making small batches of goodies for Bumblebee every now and then when he was small, mainly to keep him quiet but also because he genuinely has a soft spot for him.

The habit continued even when Bee got older, surprising the scout on occasion when a little baggie of goodies appeared in his rations.

Once on earth Ratchet also ends up becoming interested in the human version of baking and since then has found no end of frustrations with the whole process.

Despite how much it aggravates him, when he has time he tries hard to figure out the intricacies of human baking so that the children won't feel left out out when the energon goodies are passed around (not that he will admit that is his true purpose)

Currently his baking capabilities with human food are abysmal largely due to inappropriately sized equipment and lack of organically attuned taste buds.

But the children appreciate the burned cupcakes he produces anyway, after all, its the thought that counts.

Knockout

In his own words, he is not only an Automobile but an Automobile enthusiast.

He goes street racing when he can but for a mech as interested in cars as he is, only being able to street race is not nearly enough.

And so Knockout collects things, more specifically model cars.

If he likes them as they are, he will liberate (steal) them from human stores and display them on a little shelf he has in his berthroom.

He even has some mood lighting around the shelf to really draw attention to his collection.

His favorite models also have their own little pedestals which spin and light up.

He is particularly proud of himself for setting it all up correctly.

But, oh boy, if any bot on the nemesis so much as looks at his collection funny he will end them.

Those are his models. No touching.

Usually the models he collects are well painted and well within acceptable standards but sometimes he just doesn't like the colorations of his models.

On such occasions he will spend hours, painstakingly using tiny tools to change the coloration of his collectable. Carefully using small brushes and glasses in order to make everything just right.

He always takes great care to not damage the fragile human product. Sometimes going so far as to watch online video's on model painting just so that he doesn't mess up.

Occasionally though, the mass produced models simply don't cut it for Knockout, and so he goes hunting for rare and custom made collectables.

He even set up an account online and liberated (stole) some cash to use to buy particular models from around the globe.

If a human were to see his collection they would be flabbergasted as he has one of the most pristine and extensive model collections known to man.

Bumblebee

Bumblebee never really had a hobby on Cybertron, he was far too busy training for and fighting in a war to really get involved in anything else.

However upon coming to earth and getting roped into earth culture his status as a mech without an interest changed quickly.

Bumblebee swiftly got swept up in the melting pot that is the internet, and there he learned a great many things he wishes he could forget.

But it was also on the internet that he was introduced to video gaming.

He spent countless hours watching gameplays, livestreams, and walkthrough video's, yearning more and more with every video to be able to play as well.

Thankfully his wish was granted when Raf rolled round and helped him get his own gaming system set up, with controllers of the appropriate size of course.

What no one expected however was for Bumblebee to become and absolute boss in nearly every game he played.

Online matches are filled with anger towards Bumblebee's character, but being a veteran of the internet by the time he starts playing, he is unconcerned by the human profanity thrown at him as he leaves his competitors in the dust.

Bumblebee has even made it into the world of E-sports, operating under an alias when online and using a holoform when he is required to turn up for tournaments.

Agent Fowler had a fit when he found out, but since no one suspects Bumblebee's alias of anything other than hacking he left it be.

Little does anyone know that Bumblebee has no fragging clue as to what he is doing.

More often than not it is dumb luck, a lot of ignorance, a healthy dose of stupidity, and his spectacular servo to optic coordination that pull him through.

Everyone around base praises him for his skill when they watch him play, and Bumblebee thoroughly enjoying the praise, refuses to say anything regarding the truth of his gaming career.

#transformers prime #transformers #optimus prime #tfp #bumblebee #ratchet #fluff #megatron #soundwave #knockout #Transformers shenanigans #secret hobbies #i believe optimus is a shipper and no one can stop me

623 notes · View notes

deedala · 2 months

Text

💘weekly tag wednesday💘

love edition - thanks @heymacy for this weeks game and for tagging me!! <3

name: deanna🌱

where the heck are ya? oHIo🌽

do you believe in love at first sight? in my fiction? yes. in reality? eeehhh...

do you believe in soulmates? like predestined one person for one person, not really. but i believe there are people out there you can make soulmate level connections with.

what’s a song you’ve been loving? im still on my guilty pleasure by chappell roan shit right now

how about a show you’ve been loving? ive been enjoying the show death and other details starring the loml rahul kohli

your ultimate OTP: i mean its gonna be ian and mickey huh

your comfort book: the masked empire by patrick weekes

a fan work you adore (fic, art, manip, etc — tag the creator!): i've been thinking about the incredible amount of detail and hard work and talent involved in these cookies made by @michellemisfit every single one of them is such ART. and so many different techniques used to create the right textures and the shiny decorative glass on the alibi?? i mean jesus michelle you were so insane for this. and two fics: a short one Flyboy and the Gearhead by @the-rat-wins which i read recently. im obsessed with the scifi world depicted in it and i loved the ian and mickey in it, they hurt me in the good way lol. And a long one you'll never see us again by @spoonfulstar which i read awhile ago but i still think about it on a regular basis, i maintain it permanently altered my brain chemistry. It's beautiful, its a work of art, it ripped my soul in two...but in the good way.

a trope that captures your heart: mutual pininnnggggg

favorite candy: is it andes chocolate mints?? yeah i think so.

dark chocolate or white chocolate? dark chocolate!

romance novels or thrillers? god i'd love it if theyre both at the same time but if i have to pick then romance.

pink or red? pink :>

and finally, spread some love! share words of encouragement, a positive message, or say something kind to yourself — it’s up to you! to me and everyone else: keep making the things that get stuck in your head and make your heart sing. you cant please everybody so first and foremost make sure you're enjoying what you're doing <3

and now i shall tag some precious nuggets to either play or not, but either way i am handing each of you a little valentine 💘💘💘@michellemisfit @darlingian @too-schoolforcool @mmmichyyy @heymrspatel @gallawitchxx @metalheadmickey @energievie @jrooc @mybrainismelted @mickeysgaymom @whatwouldmickeydo @the-rat-wins @creepkinginc @squirrel-fund @iansw0rld @rereadanon @sickness-health-all-that-shit @softmick @juliakayyy @crossmydna @themarchg1rl @lingy910y @thisdivorce @sleepyfacetoughguy @callivich @ardent-fox @vintagelacerosette @gardenerian @sam-loves-seb @lee-ow @transmickey @tanktopgallavich @palepinkgoat @suzy-queued

#weekly tag wednesday #tag game

24 notes · View notes

kmomof4 · 5 months

Text

OUAT Appreciation Week

Day 7- Free Choice

For today’s post I’d like to share my favorite OUAT relationships.

First and foremost…

OTP FOREVER. And that’s my favorite kiss, btw 😁🥰😍❤️

Second Charming Swan

Third is a tie Captain Cobra

And Captain Charming

And finally Outlaw Queen

@dinneratgrannys

#ouataw23 #free choice #favorite relationships #userstorybrooke

29 notes · View notes

veliseraptor · 3 months

Note

Psst top Wheel of Time ships and characters? (Also can I ask for any of your thoughts on Nynaeve?)

I should do a whole separate post on Nynaeve honestly but suffice it to say for this one that I love her very very much, didn't appreciate her nearly enough on my first read but appreciate her more every reread since.

since I love lists, here's a couple lists for you

CHARACTERS

Rand al'Thor. I don't usually latch onto protagonists but when I do they're depressed and a mess! And that's Rand for you. I really appreciate the way that Jordan plays with the Chosen One archetype specifically by looking at the damage it does/can do to a person, and the way that Rand is gradually wrecked by the weight of prophecy and expectation such that the only way to escape it, in the end, is to become not himself. Whatever my feelings about his ending (not entirely positive), I think there's a very painful and poignant statement in there.

Ishamael/Moridin/Elan Morin Tedronai. Who doesn't love a fatalistic villain longing for oblivion and believing that serving evil is the only way to get it! I'm sure that's universal. I wrote sort of a character study of him and I think personally it is one of my underappreciated fics. Couldn't say why, I don't know how this isn't a subject that everyone is clamoring to read.

Min Farshaw. My beloved since the first time I read the series and I don't think it's just because she had short hair like me, though that's probably part of it. I think I just enjoy the way she thinks, her narration, the way she's simultaneously deeply caring and a little bit snarky, the way that she interacts with fate and inevitability. I don't know, I struggle to articulate it. I just know that I loved her first as a character and I still love her.

Tuon (Fortuona) Athaem Kore Paendrag. My problematic fave (other than, I guess, the aforementioned nihilistic actual antagonist). I just...she's fascinating. She's a cipher. She's the embodiment of an evil empire and absolutely going to oversee its downfall. She craves absolute control and copes poorly with not having it. Her dynamic with Mat is my favorite relationship in the series. What a gal.

Nynaeve al'Vere. In contrast to Min, I didn't appreciate Nynaeve enough on early reads (I didn't dislike her, I just didn't appreciate her enough), but that's thoroughly changed and at this point I do think she's one of my favorite characters. She's so contradictory and an unreliable narrator but in a very particular way that I feel like I don't run into very often. She's so much fun to read about, and also trying so hard to prove herself, and so determined to help people (even when they maybe don't want to be helped). She's a healer first and foremost and never loses sight of that, or of her resolve to protect her people. What a gal. But in a very different way than the above.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Mat Cauthon and Aviendha.

SHIPS

Mat/Tuon. I said their dynamic was my favorite in the series and I meant it. They have such a good courtship, the way they dance around each other and play off each other and play their relationship like a game of strategy is so much fun for me.

Rand/Min. If Min was my first favorite character then Rand/Min was my first OTP (and incidentally the first pairing I wrote porn for!). I think my favorite thing about them is the way that they're friends, or feel like it, in a way that Rand doesn't always feel like friends with the other ladies. Sometimes I appreciate that in a pairing. They just seem like they enjoy each other's company even outside of the romantic aspect, and I love that for them.

Aviendha/Elayne. Welcome to the gayest ostensibly sister relationship in the whole series!!!! No honestly though on reread I was like "how is this not explicitly a thing, I mean, I know why, but Jordan you've established some people are gay in this universe and you have Aviendha lovingly describing Elayne's naked body and, again, the gayest sister-making ceremony I've read, and tell me that they're not totally and completely, romantically and sexually, in love? Fie, I say. Lies and foolishness. They're in love and they're so valid for it.

Nynaeve & Rand. Sneaking an & ship on here! Especially as the series goes on, their relationship is soooo important to me. There's a short list of people who care about Rand-as-Rand with no ulterior motives beyond that, and Nynaeve is near the top of that list. And I love, too, that their dynamic isn't romantic in the least.

Tuon/Egwene. @highladyluck pretty much single-handedly sold me on this one and I'm so glad she did. Absolutely brilliant and galaxy brained. Egwene should've lived just so she and Tuon could have a hideously complicated enemyship. The missed opportunities.

BONUS: Rand/Min/Morshamael Tedronai.

#conversating #anonymous #will say that faile/berelain almost made it on as a bonus #wheel of time #wot book spoilers

21 notes · View notes

tsisisail · 4 months

Note

oh the way i'd kill for drawtectives x reader headcanons im so curious sahfjkasfj

YESSS YESS I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR AN EXCUSE TO DO THIS!

Okay, first and foremost, Rosé!

Rosé, is, of course, incredibly awkward. She flirts via method of tripping over herself to offer you compliments and cheesy pickup lines she doesn’t actually remember that well.

If you have social media she is going to force you to have matching profile photos with her daily rotating otps. Her love language is comparing you to her anime husband/wife of the week.

Rosé is big on compliments, both giving and receiving them. She’s a person who requires a lot of reassurance, and it means a lot to hear she’s loved. At the same time, if she cares about someone as much as she does you, she’s got to tell you every single second of every day. She thinks you’re the hottest thing on Earth and is not going to go a second without reminding you.

She’s a pretty conflict adverse person when it comes to interpersonal relationships, which might cause issues in your relationship. If something makes her unhappy she’ll just kind of bottle it up for fear of upsetting you.

Rosé pretends to think that she thinks romantic gestures are stupid, but in truth if you were to get one of those silly heart chocolate boxes for her she’d melt on the spot. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s a romantic at heart.

When she inevitably introduces you to her best friends, they’re rather skeptical of you considering Rosé has a history of having really bad taste. It takes a while for the Drawtectives to stop giving you side glances, but once Grendan gives your their stamp of approval, York is on board since she’s the best judge of character our of anyone in the group.

Who knows, if things go particularly well, you might have two new boyfriends.

She doesn’t strike me as the type of person who’d use a lot of pet names unless she was trying to be affectionate, in which case she’s only using the most absurd cheesy things. You’re her precious honey angel now, sorry, she doesn’t make the rules. She likes being your girlfriend, and she’ll call you whatever you want her too, but she does default to “partner” regardless of gender.

York is actually aromatic, so any relationship with him will be a bit unconventional. We’ll say for the sake of argument that York is romance neutral.

Immediately: If you do not work out, the chances of York initiating the relationship with you himself is slim to none. But if you do… Ho-boy, you cannot physically stop this man from flirting with you (AKA, pestering you about your arm wrestling prowess.)

You’re gonna have to be very clear with your expectations with him, because he isn’t really going into this with the mindset of exclusivity. Additionally, he is going to introduce you to his best friends immediately and if they don’t like you it’s pretty much over for you. This shouldn’t be something you have to worry about though- any friend of York is a friend of theirs.

York is very nonchalant about the entire experience. He basically treats you identical to the drawtectives except he’ll kiss you sometimes if you ask him to (which isn’t something he’d really be opposed to offering his friends either, you’re pretty much one of them now. Congrats!)

He doesn’t quite get a lot of romantic gestures, relegating things like flowers, weddings, and valentines day as being stupid. In the Northern Tribes you’d just defeat your lover’s worst enemy in combat to earn their favor and that’d be that.

He does, however, love the exchanging of sweets and the physical affection that come with a romantic relationship.

As for labels, York doesn’t really care what you call him or what he calls you. He’s your boyfriend? Cool. He’s your partner? Yeah okay. Your lover? Sure why not. He doesn’t really do pet names, but he will give you a nickname, and it will be a shortened version of your own name.

Grenda is probably going to have the most conventional relationship with you. Out of the bunch she has the most solid grasp on flirting and what healthy romantic relationships look like, so it’s pretty much smooth sailing ahead. (Not specific to romance but Grenda is also the best at giving hugs.)

His love language is definitely quality time, more than anything she just loves being with you. Whether it’s cooking or walking dogs, walking a movie or just sitting next to you in comfortable silence, being around you is just comforting for them.

If there’d be any issue in their relationship, Gma does have the tendency to put her own emotions aside in favor of helping other people in times of difficulty. You sometimes have to remind them that, hey, he doesn’t have to be everyone’s therapist all of the time.

For pet names, I think Grendan would honestly just call you by your name. I can maybe see “honey” or “babe”. If you call her a pet name though they’ll get really sweetly bashful, blushing and going “dawwwww….!” while swatting the air, the whole shebang. Once you start calling him a pet name though there’s no going back, they’ll get sad if you don’t call her that.

.. Okay so I know this was supposed to be Drawtectives headcanons, and Eugene is not a drawtective… But I love him and he’s my fictional husband so we’re doing him anyway!

Eugene, being rather shy and also absurdly wealthy, strikes me as the secret admirer sort. He’d anonymously mail you flowers and such, and then coincidentally go to talk to you the next day to see what you think.

If you reciprocate his feelings, he’s definitely not gonna catch on. Eugene is dense as a brick. You could go up to him and go “yo, let’s date!” and he’d just be like “haha wow you’re so funny!” and them go back to wishing you loved him back. You’re gonna have to be very explicit with his intentions if you want to woo him.

Eugene is very easily flustered, and so he tends to default to gift giving and acts of service as his love language. He’s pretty bad at flirting on purpose, he’ll just turn into a mumbling mess before he gets through the first sentence. Thing is, the emphasis is on the “on purpose.”

Eugene will say the sweetest, flirtiest things.. but he can only do it on accident. If he thinks about what he just said for more than one second he’ll turn bright red and stop talking immediately.

He’s also pretty shy with physical affection of any sort, but does enjoy it if he works up the courage.

Eugene would be pretty shy about pet names, mostly sticking to “my love”, maybe throwing in something like “darling” or “starlight” if he isn’t really thinking about it.

This head canon is only really applicable to Eugene, but if you were dating him since before the Celestial Spear, then you get to have a dramatic reunion scene accompanied by a dramatic reunion kiss. I like to imagine that “pick up and spin you around” thing.

#drawtectives #eugene finch #eugene drawtectives #rosé drawtectives #york drawtectives #drawtectives grendan #drawtectives headcanons #grendan highforge #gyorik rogdul #we have x reader headcanons #wowza we’re a real fandom now!#sorry this took me so long

19 notes · View notes

elhnrt · 8 months

Text

ARTIST AND POSTER KNOWN AS ELH, THE L STANDS FOR "LENA" (THE WORST)

PATREON | KOFI

29yo as of 2024 because i am unfortunately a sagittarius. they/she in that order but i'm gnc so whatever in the end.

IRRELEVANT IF ONLY MILDLY, because this is a NARUTO (YAOI) BLOG first and foremost. expect nothing less than wildly posting as i see fit (anime dudes being sexy against each other) (and BLOOD!!!!!!!).

the main fare is MADARA/TOBIRAMA, with sides of obito/kakashi and general founders and whatever else i may feel like. i ascribe to nothing. if i stop drawing i WILL die, much in the way a shark will float to the surface if it stops moving or whatever that tale goes like.

do not be surprised by questionable content, considering my main otp. i tag both at my discretion and upon reasonable request (#ask2tag), but YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

tobirama is my wife.

more in depth carrd faq

#pin

32 notes · View notes

airbender-dacyon · 2 months

Text

Just some quick personal thoughts on Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender before it premieres tomorrow.

I know I’ve not been as active the last couple years, especially in the Kataang and AtLA fandom, but I started this blog for Kataang and AtLA and it will always be a blog for Kataang and AtLA. And it’s been a while since I’ve talked about my favorite fandom and ultimate OTP.

First and foremost, I think the adaptation is completely unnecessary (same goes for the HTTYD live-action movie that’s currently being filmed). The story has been told in a visual medium already through its original animated series.

That said, I feel this live-action series will be an improvement over the 2010 film, though that is admittedly a very low bar to clear.

Despite that I feel it’s unnecessary, I do intend to watch it after I rewatch the first season of AtLA. I want the first season fresh in my mind because I’m planning to do some level of a review of each episode as I watch it, if anyone’s interested.

My expectations for the show are that it will be… okay. Somewhat good even. Slightly above average.

From the trailers and clips released so far, I have hopes for some aspects of the adaptation and disappointment and irritation with other elements. It seems like they’ve handled some concepts well (set design, costumes, casting, visual effects, some character bonding moments, expanding upon some of the lore and characters, etc.) while it appears they may have failed to grasp the significance of key plot points and character arcs (Aang is a kid, please let him be a kid and have his fun; Sokka needs to grow as a person; Katara needs to relearn how to be a kid and have fun; Ozai scarred Zuko because Zuko refused to fight him during their Agni Kai, so why is there apparently a fully choreographed fight?).

I’m hoping I’m proved wrong on the rumored issues regarding plot points and character arcs.

I understand there are always differences between adaptations, but some of these things do worry me.

All of this said, please do not attack the cast and crew if you dislike the show. Criticism is fair, but do not go after the people who worked on this adaptation, no matter how much you disagree with some (or all) of the decisions.

And I think most importantly, be kind to newcomers to the fandom and if they liked the show, encourage them to watch the original animated series. We have an opportunity to show people that the original series is worthy of its praise and that any adaptation, no matter how well done, won’t be able to recapture the essence and beauty that made the original series so special.

I say this because it was only thanks to the live-action adaptations of One Piece and Percy Jackson that got me interested in the originals. It wasn’t that I never had an interest in them, but I had other shows/books/fandoms/interests that overshadowed them for literal years. Now I’m planning to read the OP manga and the PJO books once I’ve got some free time. And I imagine I’ll enjoy them both more than the live-action adaptations.

Last, but not least, I’m hoping to see some bonding between the main trio and especially hoping the Kataang friendship is strong. I doubt there will be any indications of anything romantic, but if they at least handle Katara and Aang’s friendship well, it will serve as a foundation for any romance in potential future seasons.

So, these are my ramblings.

If anyone is interested in me reviewing the episodes, let me know and I’ll try my best to write them up when I get a chance.

In conclusion, be respectful of the cast and crew, be kind to fandom newcomers (and please do not incite ship wars), be open-minded about the show if you watch it, but also do not be afraid to critique the adaptation.

#Dan Rambles #NAtLA #Kataang #This turned out to be longer than I expected #Fingers crossed that at its worst the show will make me apathetic rather than outright irritated #I doubt I’ll get angry unless they make some real dumb changes #But we shall see

15 notes · View notes

thatseventiesbitch · 1 year

Text

My That ‘90s Show Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Alright, a few days (and rewatches) in, and I’m finally ready to give my thoughts on That ‘90s Show - a show I waited on for two years (but really, more like 17 years). Buckle in for a looooong essay, lol.

I give That ‘90s Show a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I’ll do my best to explain my rating below.

The Good

The Eric-and-Donna of it all. Well - this is an Eric & Donna blog above all else, so of course we were watching first and foremost to see our OTP reunited onscreen after 15 years! And we were not disappointed by what we found. 💗😭

Eric and Donna are happily married in 1995, and navigating the perils of parenting a teenager (shudder). They’re still just as in-love as ever, but now in their mid (late??) 30′s and acting like they’ve been married for 150 years. I guess they have been together since they were 4 🤣.

One thing I think the show really got right is Eric-and-Donna-as-parents. That went exactly as I could’ve predicted. Eric is Kitty to his daughter, well-intentioned but overbearing - and Donna sets boundaries with Leia (like her parents didn’t with her) but is also there to reel Eric in and to remind him of the important stuff: to trust their kid, to let her have her own experiences, to help teach her to take (smart!) risks. I adored that we got to see them “in action” as a parenting team, I loved when Donna went out to check on him and they talked through his fears about Leia growing up and not needing him anymore, I loved seeing how Eric is clearly worried he’s going to become his father (but it’s so clear that he’s so not)... I just loved it all.

Specific shout out to Donna-as-a-mom, which I never knew I needed in my life so much until I saw it! Her running into the Forman’s living room, screaming that she got Leia condoms, jellies, and the uglies underwear she could find... 🤣 Hysterical, and also felt so true to character. That’s exactly how I saw Donna parenting a teenager.

The Red-and-Kitty of it all. Red and Kitty are a joy. Seeing them as grandparents - and as a still-happy couple, enjoying their retirement (or not-so-retirement?) -was the other high point of the series for me.

Red and Kitty are still happy and in love. I never doubted they would be, but it was just heartwarming to see. I also loved their interactions with other characters, like seeing Bob and Fez come back (!!) and the introduction of Sherri, who very much feels like pseudo-daughter for them.

Red as a grandparent was everything I wanted it to be. Him calling Leia “kiddo” - my heart 💗. We kind of got glimpses that he was excited to become a grandparent on the show - like Eric and Donna’s pregnancy scare in season 6 - and I think now we see why. Red knows being a grandpa is where it’s at! He’s done with all the hard parts of being a father, being the ‘bad cop’, and just gets to enjoy and be the fun one! I am picturing him doing this Leia’s whole life lmao... like Eric and Donna sent her over for an afternoon and she comes home hopped up on sugar and Red’s like, “Sorry, she wanted it all and I couldn’t say no. Oh, getting her to bed tonight? I don’t know, not my problem!” Or like, he always gets her the noisiest gifts for Christmas. Kitty as a grandparent was also very sweet - her and Leia making up the pasta names is what immediately comes to mind 😂. Their “good cop” and “bad cop” dynamic has definitely shifted with the grandkid, and I could have predicted that (but it is fun to see!!).

Leia Forman. I adore Leia. I saw someone online say she’s the rare case of two great characters not having a super annoying kid, and I thought yep, spot on. Reboots are always a tricky beast, casting the kid of two beloved characters even more so, but this one worked out.

Leia is funny, endearing, smart, and I see a lot of shades of both Eric and Donna in her but also plenty that sets her apart as her own character. Her storyline about being a coddled, sheltered kid looking to break free and have some adventure worked for me, and I would love to get the chance to see how Leia continues to evolve as she gets older and spends more summers in Point Place.

Gwen and Leia, aka Geia. This is my ship! I really love Gwen and Leia together, and want them to fall in love (cackles in *fanfic author*). But I want it to be a slow-burn, where they realize they’ve fallen for each other, ‘accidentally’, over time. Falling for your best friend... who lives next door... hmmm, wonder why I like this pairing so much...? 😉🤣🥰

Pure nostalgia. The basement. The Hub. The Vista Cruiser. Fenton. Leo. I wanted nostalgia, dammit, and the show delivered. I will even (tentatively) put a few ‘90s references in this column, like hearing ‘Shoop’, ‘I’ll Make Love to You’, and ‘You Outta Know’ and seeing a few other 90s things that reminded me of my childhood, like Free Willy and snap bracelets.

The humor. I went into the show with low expectations, specifically in this department. I was worried the humor would feel ‘off’, or would feel cheesy, or just not funny to me. There were definitely a few jokes that didn’t land (aren’t there always?), but over all I am happy to put the show’s humor in the ‘win’ column! I laughed out loud - a lot. I could tell that the same writers/showrunners were involved - it felt like similar humor from the original series. I think I enjoyed so much partly because I just love these characters, but many of the new characters had me in stitches too. Ozzie and Sherri in particular.

Sherri. Speaking of Sherri, she was my favorite of the new characters. Obvious Laurie stand-in is obvious, and that’s sad/unfortunate, but once I can move beyond that I really enjoyed her. I liked that she was a well-meaning mom but she definitely needs Red and Kitty’s support and guidance - I look forward to seeing how their relationship will develop. I even thought Sherri’s storyline with Fez was funny. It leaves the door open for Wilmer to return.

The references back to the OG show. The split-screen moments. The extended 90210 daydream/fantasy sequence. The Circle. The screen change sequences (the one with Kitty and Leia in the beanie hats is my favorite!)

The Bad

The 10-episode format. To me the most glaring issue was the 10-episode format, which rendered the season far too short to develop any of the characters or plot-lines they’d set up to satisfaction. Now, in fairness, maybe this is just the order they got for season 1. If they are successful, perhaps a longer order can be made for season 2. But also - maybe not. A lot of Netflix shows are consistently 10-episodes only these days.

But That ‘90s Show had less than half the episodes That ‘70s Show had in its first season to develop character and interesting conflict - and it shows. I like where they were going with everything, but storylines often felt rushed or like a lot of jumping around had happened from one episode to the next (For instance, I thought the Leia-and-Jay dating story went really fast. One minute they were all will-they-won’t-they, Leia’s never kissed a boy, and then BAM they’re together, calling each other babe, and she’s sneaking him up into her room for make-out sessions. Whoa!). The characters felt underdeveloped, too, or like we only knew one thing about them - because we didn’t have time to learn more.

So I know this is unlikely to change, but my biggest gripe is that there wasn’t enough runtime. You have an interesting premise here, you’ve sucked me in. Now properly develop it.

The focus on romantic relationships. Related, the focus on Leia’s romantic relationships was not my favorite aspect. I actually liked how they started the thing with her and Jay - Jay’s a playboy, but he’s not being one with her. They should’ve developed that out through all ten episodes, and had him just give her her first kiss in like, episode 9 or 10. The twist with Nate at the end is kind of interesting and could still happen (but as it is, it comes out of left field... which, now that I think about it, is how Leia felt about it too, I guess).

Regardless, I am neither team-Jay or team-Nate. I didn’t think either couple like, blew me away with their chemistry (although I don’t think we’re meant to feel that way yet, as viewers). My favorite parts of the season were seeing Leia’s friendships blossom, with Gwen and with Ozzie mostly. I’d have liked this season to be more focused on that - and maybe she stumbles into her first kiss along the way by the end of the season, anyway, and there’s still a romantic cliff-hanger.

The timeline inconsistencies (and others). There were several - the most notable being the timeline around Jackie-Kelso getting back together and Jay’s existence, and Eric’s age (38? He was born in 1960 so he and Donna would be 35 in 1995) - and while I am disappointed, I am not surprised.

These are the same showrunners who gave us 3 different birthdays for Eric during the run of the show. The same people who gave us 3 different stories about how/when Eric and Donna met for the first time. The same people who gave Donna 2 sisters and then - poof - magically wrote them off (including in That ‘90s Show lol - “There’s only one girl in the world with Bob as her dad, and Eric had to pick her!”). The same showrunners who had Hyde turn 18 two seasons before Eric. The same - you know what, I’m going to stop myself. The point is, this shit is nothing new. That ‘70s Show fans are used to setting their non-sensical mistakes aside and enjoying the show anyway. Their inattention to detail officially goes in the ‘Bad’ column, though. It’s frustrating.

Jackie and Kelso endgame. Well, this ended up being exactly as it was leaked to be, and Jackie and Kelso were on their second remarriage. I do not mind Jackie and Kelso together and do frankly find it realistic, but this isn’t the happiest ending for Ms. Jackie Burkhart. I thought their scene was pretty funny (we did get a “Damn, Jackie!”), albeit brief, but I had higher hopes for the state of their relationship based on some recent promo materials. I also wished we’d seen (1) Jackie, Kelso and Jay interact as a family, (2) Learned what Jackie and Kelso do for a living/a little bit of backstory as to how they ended up back in Point Place.

No on-screen character reunion. I am bummed that Eric and Donna didn’t interact with the Kelso’s - or with Fez! (I guess Donna did, briefly) Seeing this picture makes me want to see it so, so badly in season 2! I think we’re all curious as to what Eric and Donna’s relationship is like with Jackie and Kelso these days.

The Ugly

Hyde’s absence. I think any long-time fan of the show felt Hyde’s absence, and wondered about the character’s ending. The character’s ending is: totally open-ended, since he was not mentioned at all. Although it was painful to feel his absence, I preferred this to giving him an ending like prison or death, which would have felt like a fuck you to the actor but not fair to the character of Steven Hyde. Mostly because it allows us to fill in our own ending for him. I’m going to say that he finally moved to New York, and he’s happy out there. He keeps in contact with Eric and Donna still. 😊

A few side-notes: One, I have a feeling most of the OG cast actually supports Danny Masterson, so... yeah. Do with that sinking feeling in your heart what you will. But I doubt they will write him off in a mean way for that reason.

Two, I think they were in between a rock and a hard place with this. Honestly, if they’d written Hyde in, in any way, I’d feel squicky about it. Even an off-screen mention. But long-live the fan fiction, am I right?? I’ve already started to see some popping up 👀

Kitty’s moment. Kitty had a moment where I clapped my hand over my mouth (even though I literally knew it was coming), and that was when she called Leia, “That lying little bitch,” when Ozzie told her they were at a rave. It was very shocking, and very un-Kitty-like. Did not like.

(That said, I am not one who uses labels like out-of-character in a context like this. It’s not my character - it’s Debra Jo’s and the showrunners’. It’s a part of her character I didn’t like. And that’s okay. She was in a moment of huge stress, probably suddenly worried sick about her granddaughter. I have certainly had bad reactions to stress, too. As my girl Brene Brown says, “People get scary when they’re scared.”)

Overview

So, I mean... I have largely good things to say about That ‘90s Show, and it was a tall order man, because That ‘70s Show is my baby. And ain’t nobody finna touch my baby!!!

Was it perfect? No. Some of the little things were off, but it felt like overall, the big things were on. And that’s what’s important. I also feel invested enough in the new kids (definitely in Leia), and I think they have a lot of different directions they can take the rest of the series. So 4 out of 5 stars, and when can I expect a season 2 announcement, Netflix??? 😆

69 notes · View notes