lena-in-a-red-dress

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Okay apprently the actor's imdb says he's only 17yo, so not a grown ass man. But he's tall and not a stick with legs, so compared to what Hiccup *should* look like?

Disappointing.

Just saw a brief snippet of a trail for the live action HTTYD, and I can't not say anything--

Why did they hire a grown ass man to play Hiccup?

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Just saw a brief snippet of a trail for the live action HTTYD, and I can't not say anything--

Why did they hire a grown ass man to play Hiccup?

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Harrow the Ninth is hooking me back in again. It wobbled in the first half, ngl, but it's hard to argue with a godly throuple omfg...

Someone come talk at me about this book please I am dying.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

I have been no-lifeing Dragon Age Inquisition, and I finally finished over the weekend. I missed a couple character quests, apparently, bc one dude left and the other turned traitor. Sad about the traitor, bc I liked him and used him often, and thought I had exhausted his dialogue. But oh well. Not going back to fix it lol.

Now, it is time for the Veilguard. Proud to report that my efforts to seduce Harding are going well. My Inquisitor could never.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Finished Dragon Age Inquisition in order to get to The Veilguard, and my Inquisitor was a human dual-wield rogue (same as my characters in DAO & DA2). So this time, I decided to shake it up and go elf mage for DATV.

But I apparently can't shake my natural inclination to dual-wield bc I've already decided to do the orb & dagger subclass, Spellblade. It's totally melee, which is whack for a caster.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Just watched the first installment of Arcane S2 and it's just as gorgeous, gripping, and grim as the first season. I love it, y'all.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Anyone wanna talk about gay death cultist necromancers and their rise to lictorhood?

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

The last few days have been rough, for obvious american reasons. As with many others, I have extended family I highly suspect contributed to his win, which is a double-whammy.

It's been hard to get into a creative mindset in light of all this, but I'm going to try. For my sanity, if nothing else. For escapism, but also to continue to create queer art, which feels more important now than ever.

Just, bear with me for a bit...

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

One thing that bugs me about Agatha planning to steal the coven's powers all along is how if this were the case, why would she choose a bound witch, a teen with no obvious powers, and a random woman off the street?

Also, random thought: I love that Agatha was the one to save Lilia from the falling sword. Like, yes they needed Lilia for the trial, but in a split second reaction you don't think about that. You just react. And Agatha's natural reflex was to save Lilia, even at risk to herself if she mistimed/misjduged the tackle.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Death Becomes Her (Lena x Rio) Pt 2

Rio reappears at the Tower when Kara gently but urgently delivers Lena's body to a stasis pod. Her friend's heart still beats, but only barely. Even that is clouded to nothing by the stasis field that envelops Lena.

"Her spirit is already gone," Rio says, neither cruel nor kind. "You simply delay the decay of her body. Would Lena want this?"

"She wouldn't want to be DEAD!" Kara barks, her anger taking over now that Lena is safe. She whirls on Rio. "How could-- she trusted you! She loved you! And you-- you--"

At that, Rio looks away, a hint of *something* coloring her cheeks. Her face no longer looks like death. She simply looks like Rio, their friend-- like Rio, Lena's partner.

"Lena--" Rio's voice cracks. "I have known Lena her whole life. My affection for her was genuine. I admired her-- her capacity to connect with life, for all that I was never far from her."

"And yet you still murdered her."

"I am not the catalyst. For most, I am simply the destination. For only a select few am I the means."

Kara scowls. "And how do you decide?"

"I *don't*," Rio reiterates, losing some of her gravitas in her frustration.

"Then how can you tell?" Kara all but stamps her foot, struggling to understand. This isn't right. It can't be. Lena had finally shed the weight of her family's burdens, started to live for herself, to love the world and her place within, embracing her magic and science both in equal measure.

This can't be the end. Not for Lena.

"Magic," Rio delivers simply. "The world is made of it, and even those unaware of its existance are swayed by it. Nature decides when the time has come."

Kara's mind races. As much as it sounds like a bullshit answer, from her time with Lena she knows that even the most outlandish claims can carry truth.

She also knows that magic is not infallible.

"Magic can be manipulated," Kara states her thoughts aloud.

Rio glares at her. "I cannot undo what has been done."

"No, I mean--" Kara huffs, struggling to find the words. "If someone wanted Lena dead, could they have twisted the flow of magic? Could they have drawn you to her?"

A scoff answers her. "Kara--"

"Is. It. Possible?" Kara bites out the word, fighting every fiber of her being not to lash out, to not fry Rio on the spot in a fit of rage.

She watches Rio hesitate, her brow furrowing with thought as she considers the possibility presented her.

"Life and death is the source of all magic, the oldest magic in the universe. To manipulate such energies would take incalculable ability."

Kara seizes the opportunity. "And if Lena's death weren't natural... if you suspected the flow of life and death had been tampered with... there has to be someone or something you know capable of such power."

Rio's gaze snaps to Kara, and in that single stare Kara sees the answer. There is someone, and Rio knows who it may be. And the alarm in Death's gaze makes Kara's heart lurch.

"Who?" she asks.

Rio looks her dead in the eye.

"Mephisto."

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Death Becomes Her (Lena x Rio) Pt 1

When Lena meets Rio, it's magical.

Literally. The seedling Lena's planting in National City's first community garden bursts into bright green foliage in her hands the moment their eyes meet. Yeah, it's her fault-- she'd let her gaze linger a little too long. But her mortification eases into a thrill when the mystery woman's own seedling flourishes at a single word from its own planter.

Another green witch. At least, that's what Rio tells her, after they've exchanged names. It's not uncommon for some witches to be gifted in other disciplines as well, but it's clear that Lena's true affinity aligns with nature, and life. Like speaks to like, it would seem.

At first, they exchange numbers under the guise of Rio offering to answer any questions Lena may have in the future. But its not long until those answers come under the guise of coffee, then brunch, then dinner.

Before long, they're dating, and Lena is introducing Rio to the group. Rio is personable and friendly, and soon it's hard to imagine she hasn't been with them all along. She fits, in a strange way that Kara can't truly define. It's like she knows them, each of them, and they know her. But it's clear that she loves Lena, and Kara forces herself to be content with that-- she can love Lena in a different way.

She convinces herself that that's enough, as Lena and Rio slowly, swiftly, become Lena-and-Rio. It's enough to be Lena's friend, even if the title of 'best' friend seems to have shifted. But that's good, right? That's what all the intimacy experts say-- your significant other should be your best friend. It even makes sense, because Rio understands parts of Lena that Kara can scarcely wrap her brain around, like magic.

But no matter how she reasons it, Kara can't help but feel the loss. She accepts the fewer visits and infrequent invitations. She lets Lena team up with Rio on game night, and smiles for them when they win. A part of her says goodbye to the part of Lena she no longer has.

One night, Rio rises from the bed she shares with Lena. Her pajamas are soft and comfortable, somehow more intimate than nude skin. This is domesticity, admittance into Lena's life in a way that's been barred shut for so, so long.

Lena lays on her side, facing away from Rio. When Rio comes around the side of the bed, she finds Lena's lips almost turned up in a smile, content even in deep sleep. Happy.

With the barest touch, Rio reaches out to brush a lock of hair from where it's fallen across Lena's neck. Lena's breathing shifts slightly, but she doesn't wake. Not even when Rio leans down to press a kiss to the corner of Lena's lips.

Across the city, Kara senses the shift before she truly understands what she hears. Lena's heartbeat, her breaths, has thrummed at the back of her senses for so long she doesn't realize she still listens for it. But she hears a long, slow exhale-- a sigh that never resolves into another breath.

She's out her window without thinking, alarm pulsing through her veins. She bursts through the panes of Lena's windows and stands in shock as the wind whips through her hair, staring at the woman with half a skull for a face.

"Rio?"

There's sorrow in Rio's eyes, but also a deep understanding. An inevitability.

"I'm sorry, Kara."

Kara surges forward, intending to slam Rio through the wall, but her stiff-arm passes straight through the woman in a swirl of dark shadows. When Rio remains, Kara turns her attention to Lena, gathering her friend's unnaturally limp form into her arms.

"Who are you?" she asks, though in her heart Kara already knows.

"Death," Rio says, the word hissing in the dark.

"But--" Kara can still hear the thump of Lena's heart. "She's still..."

"Soon..." Rio's voice is tender. "She goes peacefully. Painlessly."

Kara scowls. She has scant seconds to think, an instant to decide.

She glares up at Rio in defiance.

"No."

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Saw your anon response about Rio just seeing Lena stashed away in a cupboard if Agatha murdered her mom and coven- what would happen if toddler lena got really attached to Rio and at some point Rio just gave up and kind of adopted her. Imagine the interactions with lena, Rio, and Agatha!

I dunno about Rio adopting Lena... but in the idea I was thinking about last night, there would definitely be a familiarity there. Regardless of universe, I think we can all agree that Lena is no stranger to death.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

I kind of wish that we'd seen more from the Salem Seven as well. They were super creepy and a very heavy, very ominous presence in episode 2. It would have been cool to see what a brawl would have looked like between covens.

Also, it stands to reason that Agatha would know the Salem Seven personally, right? What would that have looked like? I wouldn't have minded seeing what turned them into a hive mind, either.

Can we just get a spin off about the Salem Seven please?

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Hmmm. Thoughts on how Agatha might've reacted to a teen "in denial that magic is even real" Lena Luthor? Especially if Lena's mom and her entire coven were some of Agatha's victims?

Okay, but imagine Lena's mom suspecting Agatha to be nefarious and deciding to try and stop Agatha, so she hides little Lena in a cupboard. They underestimate Agatha's power, and the coven all dies. Then when Rio comes to collect them, little Lena crawls out of the cupboard-- and Rio just gazes at her, with Lena completely unafraid of her (bc green magic knows green magic).

And then later, when Lena and Agatha cross paths later, teen Lena is all "magic isnt real, blah blah blah", Agatha (who also recognizes the magic in Lena) is just like "keep telling yourself that, toots."

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Something that bothers me about the Agatha ALL Along ending is that--we got to see Rio taking/leading Alice and Nicky away, and Lilia's episode was beautiful and self-contained, I mean, we've saw her accept her death and embrace her craft etc, etc. But we. Didn't get ANY of that for Sharon. And the stuff you were saying about the show reiterating over and over that witches need a coven really got me thinking about it more and I just--part of me thought, okay, maybe the fact that Sharon wasn't "really" a witch played into it, because Agatha just grabbed her randomly to fill a role during the ruse or whatever--but it just irks me that Billy had his crisis over realizing he'd actually CREATED the Road and all of these trials himself and he and ghost Agatha got to morbidly joke about how they aren't great with friends because they kill their coven members and it just. It makes me so mad that what seemed to be this strong message about disparate/lost women coming together to form a truly one if a kind community got obliterated so completely and not even all of them members were remembered/honored by the narrative.

Anyway, sorry for rambling. Your finale thoughts got the wheels turning lol

I also do not like how they treated mrs davis. I kept expecting her to show up after, "spirit as our guide" and all. But alas. It's a shame.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Currently daydreaming about an au where post-finale Lena has a fellow witch girlfriend who loves and supports her craft, and even though Kara is jealous, she's still happy that Lena is loved by someone who treats her right.

Except that it's Rio, and Lena is on borrowed time.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Agatha All Along Finale Thoughts (spoilers)

Imo, the finale undermined the entire series. It was a show built on the strengths and foibles of women, middle-aged women at that, with Agatha at its heart. But then, in the final hour, it was revealed-- umm, actually, it was Teen all along. It all ties back to the Maximoffs, sorry.

It was completely unnecessary and renders all other characters moot. And disposable. Even the one woman who survived, Jen, was nothing more than a wordless snippet of her flying off-- no follow up, no through line, or even thoughts about her experience. And there was absolutely zero intention communicated in trying to reconnect with her.

And yes, yes, the lesbian kiss of death was literal this time. But the kill your gays trope bothers me less than what they did to Agatha. Or rather, what they DIDN'T do. See, basic storytelling requires a journey. Not just physical, but emotional too. Either from the characters or from the audience's understanding of the characters.

Throughou the series there were hints that Agatha could be changing-- but she ultimately reverts back to her initial characterization with nothing learned or developed within her character. And I wouldn't mind that Agatha starts and remains an unapologetic villain-- if the story had shed some light on the reasoning behind it. Desiring more power for the sake of power isn't enough anymore. What did she intend to do with that power? And there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, even as selfish as she is.

Also, why can't she face her son? It was a big confession, one that *suggests* guilt or remorse in how she's lived her life, but in the end even that didn't seem to amount to any significant change.

Overall, I think the show should cut the entire final episode. It was ultimately unnecessary, and in my opinion making Teen the source of The Road all along was a dumb choice, and turned the show from a fully formed stand alone series to nothing more than a launchpad for a future series all about Teen.

So. When I rewatch, I'll be excluding the official finale, and end my viewing where it should have ended-- with a kiss.