#I MISS THEM AUGH BRING THEM BACKKK

[riskyalt]

q!Bloodhounds are still so interesting to me, especially from q!Roier's perspective.

They literally act like brothers, with that constant banter and 'toxicity' that is never meant to mean anything other than just messing with the other; there's a thick layer of trust built on the foundation of that relationship that's had so little time to set in, but is already so large and reciprocated.

From q!Roier's perspective, it's really surprising to me how much he's trusting and believing in q!Etoiles, because q!Roier has really bad trust issues as a whole post-betrayal. My guy wanted to name a turtle he got somewhere, but refrained in fear that he'd get attached and someone would kill it just to hurt him. There's few people on the island q!Roier would fight tooth and nail to protect, and those bonds took time to come into existence.

But q!Etoiles? A few days. A week.

I think it's related to how q!Roier has always restrained himself, always stopped before he can bite enough for it to hurt, always held back for the sake of the other islanders. His longtime dream is to release the anger he keeps so close to his chest and kill. Without repercussion, or consequence, he just wants to unleash the pent up rage because it doesn't discriminate what it hits.

q!Roier is emotionally intelligent, he knows that this isn't something he can just go around telling people, because they'd think he's evil or something like that, which isn't at all what he is. He knows to keep this buried deep down because he has friends and family on the island that he doesn't want to hurt.

q!Etoiles though? He actively encourages this thirst for blood, even offering q!Roier companionship in something he always thought the islanders would dislike him for. Purgatory is where q!Roier can finally let loose that desire for blood, and with proper reason for once, so taking advantage of this he allows himself to kill without mercy, to use that anger pressed deep inside and hurt. And q!Etoiles stays. He isn't disturbed, or concerned, he just follows and tries to protect.

q!Etoiles acts as the grounding to q!Roier's bloodthirst, the voice of reason through the adrenaline, but if q!Roier is ever in danger q!Etoiles will always leap into battle to ensure his safety. We saw that on the first day of Purgatory, when q!Roier went to kill q!Carre, even after q!Etoiles was saying they need to wait for food. q!Roier wanted to kill, and leapt into battle head first, so q!Etoiles also went to attempt and protect q!Roier on impulse, knowing if the rest of Bolas were to come they'd be in trouble.

That bond runs deep, observed when q!Etoiles says "I trust you like my own sword" to q!Roier which is INSANE of cc!Etoiles to say (/pos) because q!Etoiles has always been rooted and based on combat, always fighting asking for a PvP check where he can get one, so for him to say that, to compare his faith in q!Roier to his reliance on his sword? That's big. That's real big.

q!Etoiles fully trusts q!Roier to jump into battle for him just like q!Etoiles does in return, and he's fully correct that q!Roier will go out of his way to accomplish that. One of q!Roier's biggest reasons for tracking down q!Bad and attempting to kill him, was that he wanted to avenge q!Etoiles for when q!Bad had killed him.

Even with their Ordem element picks, they also match.

q!Roier is Blood, the devotion to extreme emotion and a tendency to be blinded by feeling. That anger, that hatred that he has stored deep inside fuels him, feeds him, wants to explode, and that's what q!Roier runs on.

q!Etoiles is Death, the apathy towards cessation and the distortion of temporal effect. Everything has its own time, and q!Etoiles never attacks first. He's a protector first, antagonist second.

Blood's carnal perception is ruined by Death because everything has its own time. q!Roier is the sword to q!Etoiles' shield, q!Roier is the impulse to q!Etoiles patience.

To q!Etoiles it's exciting how skilled q!Roier is, to finally be beaten by someone who knows how to fight almost as well as - or on the same level as - him. q!Etoiles is always saying how much 'he wants to die' or how 'he doesn't give a shit' at the threat of his own life. It's not fun, he feels untouchable because of how little he loses, because of how he seldom ever finds himself respawning. It's boring, and then he bothers q!Roier for a fight, and the guy wins.

It's fun again, exciting, challenging, and now q!Etoiles is attached to fighting more with him, to take away that 'clown mask' and reveal how great of a warrior q!Roier is.

He takes pleasure from fighting by q!Roier's side because he recognises the signs of a great pvper when he sees one, and is fully excited to fight with him.

Even during Purgatory when q!Etoiles was being self deprecating, beyond that banter q!Roier would engage in, he's encouraging, telling him 'no no, you're actually not shit' sometimes to remind q!Etoiles that q!Roier does care, but also really enjoys to toy with him and insult him in true sibling fashion. This just means he's comfortable with q!Etoiles to be so 'toxic' to him, knowing it will be taken in good fun and reciprocated back.

Post Purgatory, q!Etoiles understands q!Roier, telling Pomme once that they can't fully blame q!Roier for his neglect to Pepito because he's lost so much, and tells her that they can take care of Pepito to help out his bro, and to me that is everything. q!Etoiles isn't great with emotion, but he wants to help, tries to show his support in any way he can, and is so patient and willing to care for Pepito if his petit frérot should he ever need it.

They are so brother coded it's actually insane can anyone hear me or am I screaming into the void

[soni-dragon]

Eye of the Pheonix is actually one of the best merlin episodes because:

merlin and Gwen besties shenanigans; “what’s he actually thinking about” “you”

cold open to the most tender merthur scene

Merlin sleeping outside all knight for arthur

Hiccuping scene and arthur getting so annoyed

“But the perilous lands are… perilous”

“The task is meant to be completed alone and unaided” the start of the best continuing joke of all time

Putting the rest under a cut cause it’s long

Little morgwen moment in the market i love (one of the last we get….)

Cute arthur and gwen scene! Hehe

This is just the shipping episode of all time everyone wins

“You’ll need help” and the first thing merlin does is go find gwaine

smiles “hello, gwaine” “ah, merlin :)”

Immediately puts an arm around merlin

Throws merlin off a roof. this is what merwaine is all about :)

Gwaine is still Gwaine and not whatever the writers did to him after becoming a knight

Bridge guy (Grettir) is great and Arthur’s “no I’m prince arthur of camelot” i love you you’re so dense sometimes

“You need strength and magic” and then gwaine and merlin come along and NO ONE seems to think two seconds more about the implications

“ive been to almost every tavern” “so have i” you’re telling me merlin spent all that time looking for specifically gwaine to help him when he knows arthur is in danger

ANOTHER MORGWEN SCENE (ik morgana just wants her to leave) but we weren’t completely robbed

Arthur not realizing that he feels like shit and thinking hmm that’s weird, this is THE dense, damsel in distress arthur episode

Gwaine is two feet away are you really telling me he didn’t hear bridge guy call merlin Magic

“Strength has arrived the trio is complete” immeidate sword draw

But also the establishment of them as a trio i really love and they never did anything else with it

Gwaine with the flowers :))

THE ENTIREY OF THE FIRE SCENE

*THE* MERWAINE SCENE EVER

“a pheasant” gwaine please

“Why do you want to do this?” cause he’s in love with you merlin

“Same reason as you” (hesitates) (eye contact) “help a friend”

“arthurs lucky to have us”

…

“not arthur” SCREAMING

we’re back to the fond looks

gwaines tiny nod of assurance when merlin looks at him like ??! after he says not arthur

“youre the only friend i have” and i couldnt bear to lose you

Gwen finding out morgana has magic

“she’s changed” break my heart why don’t you (i dont want you to change) BRING HER BACKKK this is making me miss the arc morgana could have had so badly

They caught up to arthur SO FAST goes to show how arthurs going through it

Not wyvern they have four legs actually (tho their designs are cool)

This would have been such a good episode for gwaine to learn merlin is a dragonlord & has magic

Arthur conveniently is knocked out (as always) when merlin does cool magic stuff to save him

When merlin orders them to go and they bow their heads and walk away they look like kicked puppies

The famous arthur waking up to merlins silly little smile and being 100% not appreciative

whatthehellareYOUdoinghere? why can’t you ever just say thanks? augh THANKS!whatforcompLeTlYrUiNiNgThEqUeSt?!

i am supposed to be doing this ALONEEEE

“Are gwen and morgana here too? we going to have a surprise party?” i love you sassy arthur and yes you absolutely should have a surprise party

Do you want us to help you or do you want to do this ~aloneeee~

MERLIN!

The little smile and nod like yeah they got him

“this is a quest merlin not a treasure hunt” well it is sort of- “MERLIN.”

How is that one stone completely sound proof

The cockroaches are icky but y’all have gloves its not that bad you couldn’t even feel them

Set up with the water of avalon and something that actually follows into later episodes

“Merlin.” + arthur doesn’t want to show he actually cares about him vs. gwaine pulling him into a hug

“look what i found” merlin and gwaine shared looks of no you didn’t

The trios conversation at the end i love their dynamics + merlins pause and genuine thanks

Eoin macken looking pretty <33 (he always does)

Merlins little overview of the quest hes so excited awww

Immediate shift to sassy merlin the Duality

I wish Gwen knowing about morgana’s magic would have been explored more i want to see her join gaius and merlin in plotting and going on little quests

Anyways yeah to conclude i miss Gwaine sm :(