#thybrid coco

But I never actually posted my Hatbox fever rant... So people probably have no idea why I’m attached or anything to just-- react with GLEE to a post of him with Coco... So! I should--

FEAT. Hybrid with a Fever

So...

I know I’m years late on this but... if someone were to ask me what my favourite scene in Coco was well... I think people might be surprised. The obvious choice of a favourite scene is Poco Loco or Miguel singing to Coco for the emotional hit, or hell, the ending but... For me... the scene that stuck with me the most, and thus rings as my favourite, is actually Héctor’s apology scene.

Now hold up, back up... I’m sure some people are out there going “What?” But... there’s actually a good reason for this.

And it’s to do with what the scene doesn’t do.

SO, so many apology scenes add on a “Forgive me” or “Can you forgive me?” into the scene. Or even redirecting the blame, or you know... it feels fake. But not in Coco.

And... the way it begins.

“This is my fault, not yours”

Now... why is that important? And even following, it’s just a straight apology. No big fanfare, no explanation, just the taking of the blame, and then apologising. A masterpiece in simplicity. But... why is this the scene that sticks with me?

Well... culpability. And... in the way that it handles the obligation side of an apology.

Now... here’s something a lot of people don’t think about. What is the obligation in an apology? And well, that comes in how so, so many apologies shift into that “Forgive me” side of things, or the ever so famous, insincere side. Basically too often an apology is just used as a cheap play for forgiveness but here.

There’s a whole other air.

And... there’s a distinct lack of that sense of you are obligated to forgive. If anything... I think there’s power in the way it’s all framed. Imelda’s anger, her pain, it’s continued to be validated. It’s not reversed, and even Miguel’s statement from earlier in the scene, the lead to it.

“You don’t have to forgive him!”

THAT’S THE MESSAGE

And... it’s a subtle one. But... I think that it’s a really important one. Especially because well... recently rewatching the movie, and especially this scene. It’s what made me realise. I needed to do this. And... I got about the response I expected to my apology. And that’s to say, no response at all...

But... that is a response. And it’s important to remember. An apology is two-fold for the power of it. It’s levelling things and in the end... the obligation for resolution is on the one offering the apology.

Whether it’s accepted, rejected, or just acknowledged is on the recipient. And they have no obligation to smooth it over. No obligation to forgive or let go of their hurt and anger, because here’s the thing... an apology... is truly supposed to an acknowledgement of what wrong was done.

And honestly.

The sooner people start to learn that an apology is not a requirement for forgiveness, but the first step in healing a wound... the better we’ll be.

Imelda was never invalidated for still being angry and hurt when Héctor apologised. Hell, there’s no explicit acknowledgement of her accepting the apology. The closest we get is her agreement to help... and... honestly. I think that’s the power in the scene. The power in the subtly and the meaning in it all.

And why... why I think this is what truly makes this scene my personal favourite in Coco.

We all hurt people sometimes.

And we need to apologise. But the thing is, we need to learn to be able to accept how those apologies will be received. And not expect instant forgiveness for it.

It spikes, stabbing with claws made from words

a single lie, like poison bleeds you raw

consuming your heart, your life

pulsing, writhing, a mass pit of confusion

screaming voices, accusatory, truth broken and shattered

twisted reflections, the warped perception, is that you?

your own voice, alien in your mouth

attempt, attempt the roadway blocked

drowning nostalgia, not for you

a cry, a plea, what did you do

she upturns her nose, you feel the shoes bite

un poco crazy, no that’s not right

he shakes his head, crying, “oh what a shame”

but still refuses the words, you are to blame

trust broken, knives of words

bitch, puta, puto, branding words

unrecognizable faces, a sea of shapes

nothing is real, the pain’s the escape

a voice in the distance, final chance

“you don’t care, stay away from me” glass shatters

desperate plea, puppy eyes, all he does is shake, lies

golden glow, warm, familiar

it’s not scary, it’s safe, familiar

a glass raised high “to our friendship”

lie, lie, red chokes, you are stolen

golden words, like honey you hear

but those are your own, dressed up in glitter

another year, failure you see

broken, crumbling, truly travesty

one chance, just one, you beg and you plead

“I just want to go home!” ignored, dismissed

you shouldn’t have left, the pathway crumbles

the way home lost, movies exposed

who has time for television, those static lies

a name not your own, consumed by lies

broken glass shatters, ignore the yellow bones

old and brittle, tattered ruins your home

a boy, a chance, a lie revealed

it shatters your ribcage, breath distilled

you trust, you trust, trust to break

it tastes like ashes, and crumbles like cake

“go home!” you plead, the glint of orange

another pulse of pain

another shudder

you are still here, voices wonder

your words are your own, they sound like thunder

it’s foreign yet familiar, you stumble up

resting on those who you once gave up

you say “I’m home, I won’t leave again”

the crowd celebrates, it’s finally a win

the gnashing of teeth, sobs of the broken

you’re finally home, but the monster’s awoken

behind every corner, each doorway and stone

you feel that prickle, you’re not alone

he lurks in the shadows, that cyanide smile

you distrust, you fear, yet still feel the charm

“it’s not your responsibility”

so often you hear

but when you see him, you reach out without enough fear

once friendship, now tainted, stained with poison

yet trust in him still, even the wicked are offered redemption

forgiveness they preach

redemption for all sins, it’s not too late, sincerity accepted

a mistake, another lie, a hand on your mouth

pain, too familiar, clouding it out

you return in tatters, a mask on your face

your words not your own, they’ve been misplaced

here you’re the stranger, outside looking in

at your back his claws hold you

Imelda... instantly sounds much more strict/harsh in the Spanish version, and gives me major Aunt Deserie flashbacks. I know that harsh strict kind of stubborn, alright... Alright, that’s fine, gives me a bit of a bad taste but fine. 

And then... then Ernesto.

Ernesto sounds softer for one thing, which fair. I guess, kind of smoother as well, but who’s keeping track... But... he also sounds like my Uncle Trevor... 

Okay, I should really post this, just because y’know. OCs! And I’m not quite finished today’s prompt, so I’ll post something to try and motivate myself I guess. So here. The majority of these are mine, aside the “canon” characters who appear, not that they’re all Coco Canon... so yeah...

But alright, in order:

Top Row: Hybrid/Hooky, Joey Benji, Eneida, Mana, John(@pengychan‘s), John

Middle Row: Héctor(pixar), Sans & Papyrus(Toby Fox/Undertale), José, Carla(Coco Locos Rainy), Buziba, Lydia