A 29 year old who has no reason to be as hyperfixated on Encanto, Bluey, Kpop Demon Hunters, Jessie Buckley, Ilona Maher, and Cabaret as she is. She/her, they/them, an autistic, hard of hearing, depressed, anxiety ridden bisexual goblin with unsurprising ADHD currently residing in the UK. Certified 4*Townie and Pandapoclaypse 2002 survivor.
I really appreciate Encanto's transition from "Grandma has really rigid standards and this family is falling apart under the weight of her expectations"
to
"Grandma is a refugee whose neighborhood burned down during mass violence and who watched her husband be murdered by soldiers. PTSD and survivor's guilt have dominated her life for fifty years. The survival mechanisms she developed in an attempt to feel less helpless are no longer helping her. She taught her family these same survival mechanisms and now all of them are falling apart trying to keep living through a tragedy that took place decades before most of them were born"
I often hear a discourse where Celine in K-pop Demon Hunters, Alma in Encanto and Ming in Turning Red are seen as vilains. They’re the ones who restricted the younger generation, hurt them, and are ultimately responsible for their pain, trauma and self-doubt. They’re framed as the real villains of the story. But I’d like to differ.
These are stories of intergenerational trauma. They are women who survived, repressed, and tried to protect their families the only way they knew how: through control, perfectionism, and emotional suppression.
And yet, when the next generation begins to reclaim joy, freedom, softness — they become the obstacle. Not because they’re bad people, but because they’re scarred. Their minds cling to survival strategies, unable to recognize that the environment has changed.
Alma is still stuck fleeing the colonizers.
Ming is still afraid of her true self.
Celine believes that fear and mistakes must be hidden.
It’s not about hating these characters. It’s about how unprocessed trauma twists love into control. How survival, unexamined, turns into rigidity. These women were never given space to process their own pain and they project it onto their daughters and granddaughters.
And here’s something we rarely say enough: intergenerational trauma can create toxic patterns but that doesn’t always mean there was abuse or conscious harm. Even when their love becomes suffocating or controlling, these women are not necessarily “abusive parents.” They are daughters of silence, fear, and sacrifice. And they were never taught another way. It’s important to make that distinction, especially in a world that often pushes a binary, punitive reading of family dynamics.
They’re the product of a generation that was told to endure. But endurance without healing becomes its own kind of violence.
What’s powerful in these stories is that they don’t end in vengeance. They end in confrontation and transformation. The confrontation is necessary: the younger generation refuses the silence. Refuses the shame. Refuses to carry a burden that wasn’t theirs to begin with.
The house is destroyed in Encanto.
Mei accepts her full self.
So does Rumi.
And in the best cases, this confrontation allows the elder to soften too. Alma opens up. Ming listens. And I’m hoping in the sequel, Celine will open too.
Maybe that’s also why these stories speak so deeply to POC audiences. These aren’t stories about cutting ties. They’re stories about how hard it is to transform them, to protect ancestral bonds while refusing to perpetuate inherited pain. In many racialized families, collectivity, loyalty, and intergenerational duty are sacred... even when they come at the cost of personal boundaries.
And sometimes, Western individualist frameworks read these tensions as dysfunction or villainy. But for us, they’re just the difficult truth of growing up and trying to do better.
These women aren’t villains. That would be too easy. They embody the fragile, necessary work of bringing change without breaking the thread. These stories are about refusing to inherit their pain without reflection. Because love, without accountability, is not enough.
These stories show us that each generation has something to learn from the next. And the new generation must also break free from the chains they inherited while preserving what is meaningfull.
But it’s not just their story.
One day, we’ll be the older generation.
And we’ll need to be humble enough to learn from the ones after us.
So don’t be a fool.
We may be Mei, Rumi, or Mirabel today.
But tomorrow, we could be Ming, Celine, or Alma.
And when that time comes, we’ll realize how hard it is to unlearn what once kept us safe.
So let’s have compassion for all these characters.
Because these stories show us not just how the cycle of generations works, but how it can make us better, stronger, and more connected... if we’re all willing to go through the change.
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If you’re curious, I’ve written more on K-pop Demon Hunters:
A post on the mental health themes woven through the songs — right here.
A breakdown of Celine-Rumi in comparaison to Gothel–Rapunzel dynamic — here.
An analysis about Rumi, Jinu, and the danger of sinking together — here.
Some book recs for each of the K-pop Demon Hunters characters — here.
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edit (07/08/25): Thanks to several kind Colombian commenters and reblogs, I’ve learned that the historical context shown in Encanto is more likely tied to the Thousand Days’ War, a brutal civil war rather than direct colonial violence. I initially framed Abuela’s trauma through the lens of colonialism, which was a mistake. The real context is deeply rooted in internal ideological conflict. As a South asian viewer, I’m very grateful to those who shared insights ! I encourage readers to check the comments and reblogs for more historical nuance and brilliant perspectives 🧡
And thank you to everyone who shared, commented and interacted on this post !
Characters: Hector Valentino Airnesto Condicionado x Carmen Angelica Flores (OC)
Rating: Teen 17 and up
…
Almost daily Carmen had made her way over to the attic to spend time with the shy HVAC that had updated his status officially to boyfriend and she couldn't help her heart flutter at the idea when she'd see his face light up every time he saw her. If she told her past self that she'd end up dating her ventilation system she most definitely would have laughed at the absurd idea.
The more she visited, the more some of her extra pillows joined her to form a little nest next to a small tower of cardboard boxes. They would sit together and talk like normal but with no grates or darkness blocking them at long last.
When Carmen asked about Hector's duties as an HVAC she would rest her cheeks on her hands gazing upon him as he went on rambling the many things he always needs to keep in check. It made her smile to hear him be so chatty, especially regarding his job which in turn was for her benefit. All this time he was taking care of her and she had no idea. She felt her heart twinge slightly at the thought.
In the midst of his list she had grabbed his hand gently, causing him to stutter as he finally looked in her direction.
He was just about to say something but she spoke first.
"I, I never realized how much you do for me Hector. You've been here all this time caring for my well being and....well, I wish I could say or do more for you in return. I don't know what else to say but, thank you." Her voice softened towards the end of her sentence. She kept her eyes fixed on his hand, as it twitched gently while she caressed it. Her eyes shyly met his own towards the end of her thanks.
A strong blush bloomed across his face at her sudden words. She giggled at the sight of some faint heart shaped steam bursting from his collar.
Having her reciprocate his deep feelings and being up close were already treasures Hector could still not believe. But something about her simply thanking him made him incredibly flustered.
The sudden acknowledgement for all his dedication towards her comfort had him stuttering. "O-Oh! It's no big deal m-my love. Like I've stated, I exist to serve you and make sure you are content."
His entire purpose was to make sure she was satisfied. He loved watching her in the summer times with a crop top and shorts as he purposely upped the cool air to see her let out a sound of pleasure from the feeling. In the winter when she would walk around the house with a blanket wrapped around her (of course he felt envious of Mateo) she would let out more softer noises when the extra warmth from his duct works embraced her as well. It filled him with pride that he was at least able to help pleasure her in such ways.
Carmen raised his hand to her face and nuzzled into it. The hand wasn't warm like a human's touch, it had a slight coolness to it like metal and a scent that was reminiscent of a light mist after a rainy day. She hummed, finding it comforting against her warm face from his words.
"Still....thank you. I'll say it over and over until you realize how much I mean it. Your feelings matter just as much, and I wouldn't be surprised if you felt neglected by me..." Her voice and eyes trailed away as she gave his hand a small squeeze.
His other hand cupped her other cheek, catching her by surprise as he managed to make direct eye contact.
"No. Don't ever feel as if you need to care about my well-being, my love. Yours is much more important than my bothersome self." He couldn't stop the self deprivation comment slipping towards the end. He never once focused on himself which he was okay with, after all his entire purpose was to care for his beloved human.
Before he could say more, Carmen moved forward to silence him with her lips.
He let out a small sound of surprise before melting against her. When she pulled away he followed and met her lips again. Soft, so soft against his own and they fit so perfectly. Like two puzzle pieces finally being joined together. He always imagined her lips and how they would feel, disgusted at himself for wanting to indulge in such a treat, but actually experiencing them blew all negativity out of the window.
"Don't talk like that about yourself Hector, please." Her tone was melancholic, as she lifted a hand to brush a few curls from his eyes as he averted his gaze.
"You're wonderful. Your well being means everything to me. I want to make sure you are okay when you fall ill or just need someone to listen to you." Her hand slid down to rest on his cheek, stroking the light stubble present.
Hector felt as if he couldn't form any words, he was rendered speechless.
If he had a beating heart he knew it would have been going wild inside his chest. Instead he felt a few buzzes and whirls inside that made him extremely bashful. It felt foreign to have someone want to care for him, he felt selfish from the thought.
He went to say more words to try and lightly argue but was once again met with her soft lips once more. This time a little more firm.
Carmen held his face in place as she kissed him repeatedly, soft languid kisses that she would occasionally nuzzle into. His own hands shaking somehow found themselves now holding onto her shoulders to help ground himself from her affections. Of course he loved every second of it, he just still couldn't believe it was a reality.
He shyly kissed back, loving how their lips moved against each other at a gentle pace. He slid his hands along her upper arms as he mimicked her nuzzles, causing a soft sound from the back of her throat to occur.
He felt something inside him jolt from it.
Suddenly, she pulled back for a second, Hector whined from the loss of her lips only to rejoin them along with her arms wrapping around his upper self, pulling herself closer against him. In return also angling her head to deepen the kiss slightly.
He let out a small ‘mmph!’ from the new angle but by no means was against it. The fan inside his chest area blew faster as he felt more jolts and buzzed sparks within his body as he slid his hands against her back and sides. One hand traveled slowly to rest on the back of her neck, keeping her head close.
He could feel himself heating up from the intensity, his love seemed to be so eager to get as many kisses as she could out of him. Who was he to deny her?
Carmen didn't know what came over her, but she found herself half straddling her HVAC boyfriend as she kissed him into oblivion. A part of her couldn't deny that it felt good to do so. The way his lips felt so lovely against her own, shy yet eager, and the way his faint stubble scratched lightly against her made her heart do backflips. She had gotten so close to him, she dreamed of how it would be whenever they would possibly share a kiss.
He held her closer, moaning softly into the kisses, she felt herself slowly begin to heat up accompanying small puffs of steam that seemed to emit from him the more they kissed. She stifled a giggle as she shyly licked along his lower lip to ask for silent permission to deepen the kiss even more.
She had never French kissed anyone, it was definitely just as new to her as it was to Hector when he made a small whine and twitched from the sensation. She heard something 'click' and suddenly the room felt hotter and thicker as he unsurely opened his mouth more to let her tongue slide in, tightening his hold along her.
Her mouth slotted against his as her tongue explored his mouth and his own, it was hot and messy and she was shameful to admit she loved the feeling. She felt him trembling, heard more steam escaping his duct ventilation sleeves and other areas on him, the sounds he emitted drove her crazy.
Hector couldn't tell what was up or down anymore as his beloved was currently tangling her hot tongue against his own. Something not even in his wildest fantasies he imagined happening. He gripped the back of her neck to ground himself as he kept his eyes shut tightly, he could feel how warm he's gotten and was trying his best to not overheat to the point of accidentally burning her somehow.
His system couldn't handle such affections but he was selfish and indulged in everything she wanted to give to him.
Carmen pulled back slightly twirling her tongue lazily against his own to get some air, feeling oh so hot and flustered from her embarrassing actions. But she couldn't stop herself.
'Ah, I feel hot and dizzy...it feels good though .'
She thought to herself as their heated makeout continued. She sucked gently along his tongue, feeling herself making a mess down below as he let out a surprise whine from the action. More, she wanted more, she wanted to find out what other sounds he made.
The heat engulfed her more in return, she felt herself sweating and panting slightly every time she pulled back. She felt as if she would melt into him at how unnaturally hot it suddenly had gotten. She opened her eyes to get a look at his flushed face when she moved back to try and get more air in her lungs since the lightheadedness was insistent at that point.
He looked absolutely beautiful to her.
His hair was an absolute mess with some curls sticking to his forehead, his eyes were practically glowing with so much adoration and desire, his lips were plush with a small dribble of saliva at the corner of his mouth and begging for more, and his adorable face scored a bright redness to it reaching all the way to the tip of his ears and down his neck.
He was even sweating slightly himself, Carmen didn't know he was capable of that.
"My love...oh, my sweet." His tone was breathless and his expression looked as if he was drunk on love as he took in however her own appearance looked.
She was just about to respond (or continue, she can't recall since the dizziness was also getting pretty hard to ignore) when she suddenly felt as if the air left her lungs and everything went dark around her.
- - - -
Carmen suddenly found herself waking up as if she took a nap in the small pile of pillows. She heard a soft mumbling and sniffling next to her. Trying to find the source, she slowly sat up rubbing her head lightly as she turned to see Hector having a fight with himself.
"Hector...?" She called out with a slightly raspy tone.
His head spun in her direction and he quickly crawled as close as he could, he was about to take her hands but seemed to stop himself mid way.
"Oh, m-my love! I-I was so worried, one minute you were fine t-then the next you just c-collapsed!!" His voice shook with concern as he spoke at a million miles per hour and looked over her form as if searching for any injuries.
Carmen sat in disbelief at the idea and realized that must have definitely shaken him up quite a bit. While she should have been just as concerned, she also just happened to recall what was happening before the accidental crash out.
Her cheeks bloomed once again and Hector began to fret once more.
"Ah! Your face is turning red again! Um-uh lemme see if I can find something--!" His worries were cut off by her making a small snort.
She held a hand to her mouth to stifle her reaction, shaking slightly but her self restraint was weak as she let out a laugh.
"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry for laughing but it's just--!" She doubled over as she felt tears form in the corner of her eyes, "I passed out from our makeout session!"
She let herself fall back into the pillows as she continued to let out boisterous laughter, her heart feeling beyond full.
After a few minutes she did her best to compose herself since she noticed Hector was silent. Slowly getting back up and wiping her eyes she finally looked back up at him and saw him holding his hands and looking away as if hurt.
She quickly straightened up at the expression, "Oh sweetie, I didn't mean that in a negative way. Not in the slightest!"
Tentatively she reached for his hands and took them into her own. She didn't push him to talk, instead she took it as an initiative to let him collect himself.
"That really scared me." He mumbled as he kept his eyes averted, "...seeing you so still and not making any noise. I was so frightened and horrified that I did something to harm you..."
The air around them slowly began to turn cold, Carmen knew when that occurred he was about to go spiraling into his self deprecation thoughts.
His words were cut off by her pulling him towards her, holding him in a gentle embrace. The small hums and other little creaks he made as they accompanied the untraditional body against her soft form never failed to set off butterflies in her stomach. It broke her heart to see him so distressed and she was determined to ease his wild thoughts, running a hand up to stroke his messy curls.
"Oh mi vida, mi hermoso aire acondicionado..." Her voice dropped in a slightly lower octave as she spoke, relishing how he shivered hearing her use such loving nicknames in her mother language to help calm him.
"You could never hurt me. Not in a million years. I trust you with every inch, every ounce, and every breath of mine. Please, I assure you I am okay."
She spoke from the heart as she heard his breathing hitch slightly. His arms tentatively wrapped around her as he finally returned her grasp, burying his face into the crook of her neck, releasing a shaky breath he may have kept at bay.
They stayed seated in silence, minus the gentle hum that emitted from him as the temperature around them was slowly going back to normal.
Carmen pulled away slowly, cupping his face to have him look up at her. His soft eyes filled with so much love for her nearly made her lose her train of thought.
"Are you feeling a little better?" She asked softly, pressing a kiss against his nose.
He gave a small pout, "I should be asking you that. Though after your sudden outburst of laughter...you seem to be doing well for yourself."
Carmen pinched his cheek gently, "Mi amor, I laughed because when you think about the circumstances. You kissed me so well I literally passed out from it, and I loved. Every. Second. Of it."
She gave a cheeky grin as her voice grew slightly more sultry towards the end. His eyes widened as if replaying the moments to try and make that same logical conclusion. A blush flew across his face as she heard something 'click' within him and a small fan noise was heard as if to help cool him down.
Carmen couldn't help letting out another laugh but this time much softer as she kissed his cheek repeatedly.
"You're quite dangerous aren't you? Getting me so all riled up that I pass out from your intense affections." She made a small mocking tone towards the end and giggled.
Hector, finally feeling a little more at ease, chuckled softly, "I'm not the one who was climbing like a yearning adventurer so desperate to get a better angle, my love." He gave a smirk before leaning in to kiss her, keeping a firm hold along her.
"If I may....my, dearest. C-can we try again..?" He asked so shyly as if his mere question would upset her.
She gave him a soft smile, "Of course. Nice and slow this time. I promise to contain myself from all the yearning I have for you."
She teased softly and enjoyed his bashfulness as he so desperately tried to contain his giddiness at her returned affections. She couldn't deny how much she loved the man before her as she so graciously leaned in and kissed him tenderly, relishing in his returned undying love until the sky was filled with the stars.
Imagine a KPop Demon Hunters sequel using Disney's seperation "logic".
Rumi "discovering" she actually always hated being a KPop Star, choosing to move to the demon realm permanently, because "it's her calling/destiny" (or even "better", out of nowhere lore that has nothing to do with what was set up in the original) and no matter how much she backstabs and shuts out Zoey and Mira, it doesn't matter, because "they did this together uvu" and it's "realistic" for friends to go their own ways, so the bond they had in the original means absolute shit!! OVO
If KPDH was a Disney movie I'd be genuinely scared, but luckily that's not the case (I can't believe I've reached a point where I can say "luckily" to a movie not being from Disney... they've hit such a low).
Taking a crap on the establishment. I salute you. @inthishousewestanspiderpunk - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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