The Fangirl has arrived

I’m laughing at the fact that Leona has a voice line that teases about taking the hat off AND he actually takes his hat off during the vignettes (to get his hair done)… yet we don’t get to see it 😭 Those dastardly devs know what they’re doing…

Let them eat cake.

Eating with a king--even one as slovenly as this--is impossible. Leona radiates an unmatched aura, swagger in every stride, his lace jacket trailing behind him like a glorious cape. Even the fedora (an accessory dragged by Ignihyde and the internet) is worn with the same confidence as a crown, the rim of it shading his luminous green gaze and curled bangs.

The instant he enters the room, Leona commands attention and respect. A simple wave of the hand, and his needs are dutifully tended to. Dessert and silverware manifesting like magic, staff servile as they wish him a good meal and skitter away.

What a guy.

“… Speak.”

Leona’s order is smooth and languid, like tempered chocolate coating the tongue. You gasp and take the defensive, wielding your spoon like a sword to parry his blow.

“What makes you think I have something I want to day?”

“You’re staring,” he points out, jabbing his own spoon at you, "and you’ve been staring.”

“Would you kill me if I said it?”

"Just spit it out already. I’m not getting any younger here.”

“Well, it’s nothing major. I was thinking that your hair looks really good, especially after that fancy treatment you had done.”

It's true. Whatever they had done in that barbershop was nothing short of casting an enchantment. You'd witnessed how his tresses, matted from the heat, had transformed into voluminous, shiny umber waves--not that you could tell anymore, not when it was all pulled back.

You gesture to him. “But then why tie it up and cram it all under a hat? It seems like a waste to me. If you’ve got it, then you might as well flaunt it.”

"You're soundin' an awful lot like Vil," Leona snorts. “It’s hot out. If I let my hair down, sweat’ll collect and plaster it to my skin. It’s the worst feeling.”

“We’re in an air-conditioned pâtissière, Leona.”

He arches a brow and takes an indignant bite of his jelly. "And? What's your point?"

“It’d be completely fine to let your hair down now. Besides, didn't you once tell me that lion beastmen take pride in managing their manes?" you say with a huff. "You're the most prideful guy I know. I didn't think you'd be so shy about showing off."

"Hah! Is that supposed to be a compliment? Pride and shyness has got nothing to do with it."

His sharp laugh quickly dissipates, replaced by a solemness seeping into his expression. Lowering his head, he runs fingers along the brim of his hat. His face is unreadable from where you're sitting.

"Some things aren't destined to see the light of day," he murmurs. "They're forever trapped in the shadows."

Your chest tightens. You don't know the true meaning behind those words, but they fill you with an immense sadness all the same.

You can see it now.

There's a lion cub tucked behind a column, listening in on the advisors bathed in the sun. Hidden, but forced to bear witness to the truth. One throne, one king. The other, banished to the dark

You abruptly rise from your seat. The cutlery rattles, the jelly shakes. But Leona does not move.

"... You're brooding again. That's not allowed on your special day."

And then it happens in a flash. Your hands, reaching for his hat and snatching it clean off. The hairband, following soon after. His mane tumbles past his shoulders, free at last.

Exposed to the waiting day.

"There!" you declare triumphantly, ruffling his head. When you pull away, his hair sticks up. "Much better."

"You'd be dead meat if I wasn't so gracious," Leona glowers, smoothing his mane back down. (Translation: You're lucky I like you.) His fluffy ears twitch in irritation, and you have to actively hold yourself back from squealing.

"Alright, alright, Mr. Sunshine," you reply, fitting yourself with the stolen fedora and tipping it. “I thank you for your forgiveness.”

He sighs deeply, but makes no effort to argue. Another spoonful of jelly disappears behind his lips.

Happy birthday, Leona. Maybe you’re not fully comfortable with it yet, but… One day, you’ll be where the light touches.

P.S: I used a translator.

I don't have any solid plans to do any more at the moment, sorry! I have a couple of thoughts, but I want to wait until I have a stronger idea of what I want to do with 'em before I promise anything! although I'm glad other people agree that they are extremely good together. :D

Can he hear

he looks SO fancy! ...but I cannot lie, this was my first thought

i-in a good way, I hope :')

(most of it is just me making stuff up wholecloth, because it's just a silly little thing about a couple of extremely minor characters who predate the canon story by a few centuries...but something really just feels right about Skully having been a little fantasy-puritan lad. maybe it's the hat?)

(it's definitely the hat)

Why are YOU complaining about a creator not wanting to write fics for female readers, despite there being other fics around the same idea? What point are YOU trying to make into shaming a gay person for writing gay love when there isn't many to read? HOW IS IT AFFECTING YOUR OVERALL DAILY ROUTINE AND FANFICTION IN GENERAL?!?!?!

Telling creators a character is "not queer" and being continuously bitchy over it won't stop them from making fics of that character. A single fic won't make you feel "oppressed" and "underrepresented" because it doesn't revolve around you this time 🤦

I like this thread a lot-

Sylus×MC Xavier×MC Caleb×MC

[ Yup, I’m writing Rielle and Mina stuff for a limited time ^^ ]

Reading book 8 would help a lot with understanding Rielle and Mina’s appeal! What you hear through the fandom grapevine will often be a summarized or diluted version of how they’re actually depicted in canon, since individual fans will hone in on certain traits or exaggerate them for comedic effect.

Rielle and Mina definitely borrow a lot from their Disney Princess counterparts—however, they aren’t “bland copies of Jasmine and Ariel”. They have things that help them stand out as individuals or reinventions of the originals (though, of course, not to the same depth as our OB boys since Rielle and Mina get far less screen time).

Rielle is bubbly and naive, yes, but he is not a “downgraded Kalim”. If I had to say what differentiates them, it is initiative. Kalim can barely do anything on his own and often isn’t proactive in seriously attempting new things. Rielle, on the other hand, is so eager to learn that he frequently skips classes and runs away from home just to explore places he shouldn’t and collect human knick-knacks. He’s definitely also got a bit more of the rebellious edge to him, too (whereas Kalim sits pretty in the golden cage of his privilege).

Like Ariel, Rielle has a tumultuous relationship with his father. In TLM, Triton and Ariel often fight because he disapproves of her interest in the world above and humans. The disagreements between Rielle and his father don’t seem to be about this; rather, it sounds like Rielle’s dad views him as a child. Because of that, Rielle is insecure about being perceived as immature or behaving like a kid, and he is overly eager about disproving his dad. It’s an extension of something that was always hinted at in the original movie between Ariel and Triton (Triton worrying about his daughter’s naivety), rather than a copy-paste.

dbjwwbkwd I’ve gotta say, I’m getting mixed messages from your comments on Minajael? (You say he’s a clone of Jasmine at first, but then say he’s not following either the live action or the animated Jasmine’s stories.) But as I said with Rielle, Mina’s not meant to be a copy-paste, but rather a new interpretation that just borrows some ideas and elements of the original.

Mina is similar to Jasmine in lots of ways. They’re single children destined to rule + pressured to marry and resent their lack of freedom and autonomy. They are both able to easily see the truth in others and have a little fieriness to them. They cause trouble when they sneak out of the palace, they have tigers, they long for a more humble life, etc. However, Mina has a lot of knowledge and maturity that Jasmine lacks. For example, Jasmine didn’t understand that she had to pay for food in the bazaar, whereas Minajael understands he has to pay for things and happens to forget his wallet at home. He’s not gullible and anticipates underhandedness from the NRC students + prepares to counter them. Mina also acts much more like a reliable big brother than Jasmine (who doesn’t act particularly sisterly). He’s often instructing others and leading them in a cool, confident manner, and they, in return, respect him for it.

What really helps to make both boys shine is how they play off one another and their RSA peers. As I previously mentioned, Mina is a strong leader—but this can lead to fighting when people disobey his instructions. Rielle, meanwhile, is eager to help but easily distracted and impatient—which can cause him to accidentally leave others behind or to act on his own without thinking. These are all weaknesses that naturally arise from their strengths and serve to cause conflict amid their group. We love seeing these flaws because they not only heighten the drama, but humanize Rielle and Mina as something more than generic princes.

There’s lots of other reasoning as to why people love Rielle and Mina too:

Disney Princess attachment/nostalgia!

Just general hype to see RSA characters!

Excitement over what new lore expansions + worldbuilding these characters can offer, especially seeing as both are princes from two prominent countries.

The potential dynamics they’d have with Jamil and Azul, who are two popular characters and also OB boys.

Them being pretty and based on Disney Princesses makes them perfect fuel to feed all kinds of ships.

Their designs + updated live 2D models go hard, especially when you compare them to the older NRC designs and models.

They are much more three-dimensional than Neige, who was the RSA boy that previously had the most screen time.