#It legit would have been so cool to learn her story

[aureentuluva70]

So you're telling me that Tolkien was going to write a story about Erinti aka Ilmarë-who we know practically zilch about despite being among the greatest of the maiar-and her likely romance with the Man in the Moon and then he just...didn't write it???

[inbarfink]

So one of the cool and interesting ways ‘Steven Universe’ used to try and balance being both a series of 11-minutes episodes that each have their own satisfying emotional resolution and being an overarching story with complicated character arcs that take multiple seasons to resolve is the… I’m going to call it the ‘Not Quite Right Lesson’ episodes. Episodes where a character kinda learns a Very Important Lesson… but a more careful and retrospective look at the situation shows that what they learned is not Quite the Right Thing for them. They internalized something in that adventure which just ended up causing more Emotional Troubles for themselves farther down the line.

‘The Test’ is the most classic example. 

As a standalone thing, it’s just a sweet episode about Steven learning to accept that his caretakers are also flawed and confused and figuring this shit up as they’re going along just like he is, and then doing a nice thing for their sake.

But looking back at this episode, it is quite obviously the nadir of Steven appointing himself as the Family Therapist and repressing all of his problems so he could better help the Gems’ with theirs. Like, there have been some early warning signs for this Complex, but this episode is the one that really cemented that idea in his mind and probably the reason it took him like the Entire Rest of the Show Including a Post-Finale Season to really untangle it.

But… also, I’ve been thinking a lot about the episode right after that, ‘Future Vision’. I think it’s also a very important ‘Not Quite Right Lesson Episode’ for the character of Garnet, and to some extent, the Crystal Gems as a whole. In many ways, it is to the CGs' character arcs' what 'the Test' is to Steven's.

So in this episode, Garnet reveals to Steven the fact that she has Future Vision. She hoped that telling Steven a little bit more about herself and being honest with him will lead to a greater understanding and a greater bond between them… but it backfired. It just led Steven to become a total paranoid, terrified wreck stuck in a total existential crisis.

And it seems like the lesson Garnet learned is that… she should’ve never taken that risk at all. That it would’ve been better for everyone if she just kept Steven ignorant of the truth forever.

Extremely reinforced with the ending of the episode, where Garnet chooses to once again hide an uncomfortable truth (that he just came very close to dying again) from Steven, for the sake of his own ‘peace of mind’.

So, like, the Gems were already hiding uncomfortable truths from Steven since day one. “If you could only know what we really are” and all of that. But I think… With the actual truth of Homeworld encroaching on them more and more at this point of the story arc, this would’ve been a great time for the Gems to reconsider their attitude and actually Explain to Steven What the Hell is Going On. 

But instead, I think Garnet saw the events of ‘Future Vision’ as a reinforcement of the idea that there’s just some things Steven is Better Off Not Knowing. Actually being frank with him about Homeworld and the Diamonds and the War right there and then, that would have just overwhelmed Steven with fears and worries and would’ve ended up doing nothing but hurting him. And Garnet can’t accept that possibility, not again.

And so, Garnet, alongside Amethyst and Pearl, keep all these truths from Steven as long as possible. Only revealing bits of information when they have to. For Amethyst it’s about her emotionally-evasive attitude (also, she legit doesn’t know all of that stuff herself). For Pearl it’s about how she learned to romanticize Rose’s own fucked-up obsession with secrets. For Garnet, with her usually very direct attitude and preference for the most straightforward solutions, I think it’s very much the events of ‘Future Vision’ that were still playing in her head every time she had the choice to actually Explain something to Steven and decided not to. 

But that, indeed, was Not Quite the Right Lesson. While being bluntly and directly told by Garnet all about the Many Ways He Could Die caused Steven to go into an anxiety spiral and an existential crisis for an episode - the way the Gems have been consistently secretive and evasive with Steven ended up causing him so much more emotional grief to him in the long run. As all of these secrets ended up revealed to him in the most surprising, dramatic and traumatizing way possible.

And the secretive attitudes ended up driving a wedge between Steven and the Gems. 

Even after they promised to be more honest with him. Because the sight of Steven crying on the roof that day is one that Garnet can easily move away from. Because Garnet’s Not Quite Right Lesson was almost as difficult for her to unlearn as Steven’s own. 

But after the big confrontation at the start of the Zoo Arc, Garnet ended up being the most upfront about the Crystal Gems’ history. Almost overeager to share what she knows about the past.

I mean also, again, Amethyst just has less to tell and Pearl is hiding secrets for reasons beyond her control - but I think it’s also important to consider from the perspective of Garnet’s arc.

Because the fallout of the Pink Diamond Reveal is very much centered around Garnet (or, well, Ruby and Sapphire). That was the Truth that was hidden from her 'for her own good'. And at the end of the day, despite all the grief that unveiling that truth has caused

It has also brought them, all of them, a lot closer.

There's a reason why 'the Truth' is Garnet's Final Missing Piece in the movie. It is as central to her character arc in the series as Lesbian AngstTM grief over lost love is to Pearl.

And still, some remnants of the Trauma of 'Future Vision' remained...

After all, even the very last episode of 'Future' was centered around the Gems once again trying to hide things from Steven (at that case, their turmoil about him leaving) for his own sake

Even though it once again just caused Steven a whole lot of grief.

It's maybe notable that at the end of this episode, Garnet, once again, tells Steven what's waiting for him in his Future...

[itsrlymine]

Hi bb,

Presently and for the time being, this blog really is THAT BITCH lmao and you know how I know it’s legit? That ur legit?

Because I NEVER interact beyond a “like”, and if I do it’s only ever been one quick message of kudos. And look at me here now! Lmfao got me over typing out a whole ass paragraph😂 Love love love the me that is you and the aura you’re radiating! And the mirroring has been too hilarious💀 from you and all the success stories from miss girl deciding that her man isn’t some one else’s child’s father, to miss mister nonbinary feeling like they would enjoy having their friend group again, and so many more… but those two specifically had me gagged laughing my ass off when I saw them cus they were such unique reflections the way they were reflected to me that I’m not the only one “manifesting” these things and that I’m not a bad person for wanting this😌

Guys, hear me clearly on this: when it comes to intentionally aligning with that which you want to be, we gotta be honest with ourselves about where we’re actually at if we’re ever gonna get more powerful. I had to face the truth that I didn’t have enough “knowing”/“trust” to do a lot of the things I wanted to when I first “remembered” (aka learned about) the “Law”. So I decided to work smarter and just work the damn “process” (of building up “knowing”) until I got the hang of it.

And I’m soooo excited to share that recently I was just chillin casually enjoying this blogs success stories when it started to hit me like wow look at all these birds before land lol I finally made it! From starting at damn near below zero in terms of skill in execution (back in spring of 2021), all the way to now (almost winter of 2024), it took me about 3 years give or take but babyyyyyy I made it🙌

And the craziest part is it’s only just the beginning🤯 don’t get it twisted, over these past 3 years theres actually been a lot of manifestations that have unfolded through me, but any moment now I can feel it that some of the much more “significant” experiences I would enjoy are going to materialize in the physical and I’m honestly over here like 👁️👄👁️ like fuckkkkkkkk it’s hereeeeee? after all this time am I readyyyyyyyy????????? Lmao I’m tryna act cool and keep it chill but everybody on this blog just keeps getting me so hype it actually inspired me to participate and share a little bit for once

Which is all apart of the unfolding going on over here cus I knew personally I wasn’t gonna start participating period point blank anywhere or with anyone until I really started getting somewhere with this whole “manifesting” thing

So yeah just a little contribution to add to the mix of all the happiness and celebrations that everyone is enjoying here together on this blog

See you all again soon, probably with some success stories or pointers that might ✨inspire✨ someone

-🪽🤍🪽-

Hello 🪽🤍🪽!!!!

I feel like I deffo "started" journey around that time as well. Thank you so much for your wonderful message my love! Thank you for proving how legit my page is. I'm honored to have your stamp of approval!! Miss mister nonbinary is f*cking insane babe. Ummm💀

We are deffo not the only ones looking to experience something new and is is great being able to see the reflections in others. Once you know you are that which you want to experience, literally everything falls in line and there is no work to no done.

Don't try to keep it chill. Be hype asf! That's why we are all here!!!

[acourtofquestions]

Empire of Storms Part 1 thoughts, theories & a VERY VERY long post of rambling:

(+ this title as a spoiler warning; heads up to my fellow fans & first time readers (esp. those semi-tagged in this post), I address a lot of Part 1 & possibly up to Chapter 52 of EoS;-) I am ALSO on my first read just finishing said 52 so no spoilers for me past that as I go through Fireheart as well plz, & thx!

I will also be posting a far shorter better edited version of this post next :-)

Oh good gods this book is going to destroy me in the best way possible😅😅🤦‍♀️😭😁😬😆🤣🙃❤️‍🔥🖤🫶

Long writing/reading (I HAVE LOTS OF THOUGHTS & FEELINGS & NEED TO SCREAM IN WIVERN FANGIRL NONSENSE! So, this post will probably jump around quite a bit between chapters, thoughts, theories, reactions, & randomness; read/skim at your own rambling risk😅 also in advance for missed autocorrects I TRIED😂) “round up” for Part 1 of EoS. & yes I have been reading a LOT (whilst VERY busy😂😭), so this blog’s posts are in desperate need of a catch up & will probably only grow more hectic as alas, my library & brain demand to know what happens next NOW😂. You have been warned this post & blog is about to be more incoherent than usual! — And as I said this post is LONG (If your thinking I’m kidding; legit I think this is 20 something pages long; consider it here for historical purposes… & I had a VERY long drive with no books😂)

— NOW —

The organization of parts is interesting, we go from Nightfall, to The Fire-Bringer, to Fireheart. It feels like a full circle from night to day; from learning to being, and showing Aelin’s claim (not from Elena, not from her powers, but from her). The heart of Terrasen, the fire for the world (esp. against the Valg). … It’s also scaring the heck out of me with her self-sacrificial tendencies & the VERY intense vibe (from the first few chapters this story advances into a “final chapter vibe” yet it’s only the first few; it’s reminding me of Deathly Hallows almost? — which is esp. confusing CAUSE I STILL HAVE 3 BOOKS LEFT… and we’re already this intense😬😅soooo MAAS PLEASE DON’T YOUR DARE HURT A HAIR ON ANY OF THEM!!) P.S. for this note; it’s also making my shipping fuel go from 180 to infinity cause she’s his Fireheart🥹 (If only “worried over liking the ship” HoF first read me could see me now😂 @ goddess-aelin 🫶YOU WERE SO RIGHT👏). And generally it’s just been cool to see how the entire story & series has shifted so much (yet kept its heart ;-) !

So, Generally speaking: I’ve loved the first half of Nightfall & The Fire-Bringer (As I’ve loved the series). From the pace & many perspectives, to the plot twists & Easter egg style hints, and the writing with straight-up foreshadowing & full-circle series arcs (many of which have had big moments interwoven & reaching peak within this book). There has been some great character development (many beautiful lines/moments) a lot of raw emotion (crying, laughing, and all of the above), & entertaining interactions as my favorite piece of this book has been all these stories finally crossing paths (& within that developing relationships, friendships, families, courts, enemies, allies, etc.) for the “New World” that’s coming.

Nightfall:

“Elena sent up a final prayer on a pillar of smoke rising from the valley floor that the unborn, faraway scions of this night, heirs to a burden that would doom or save Erilea, would forgive her for what she was about to do.”

Elena I don’t know if I can forgive you for what you’re about to do😅😅 the plan here is long coming, as Lysandras “theory” further confirms:

"The more it seems like this was all planned, laid out long ago. Erawan had decades before Aelin was born to strike decades during which no one with her powers, or Dorian's powers, existed to challenge him. Yet, as fate or fortune would have it, he moves now. At a time when a Fire-Bringer walks the earth." It was all horrifying, impossible, but—so much of their lives defied logic or normalcy. The shifter next to him proved that. "Morath is unleashing its horrors," Lysandra said. "Maeve stirs across the sea. Two goddesses walk hand in hand with Aelin. More than that, Mala and Deanna have watched over her the entirety of her life. But perhaps it wasn't watching. Perhaps it was ... shaping. So they might one day unleash her, too. And I wonder if the gods have weighed the costs of that storm. And deemed the casualties worth it."

& previous lines on “all the players in the unfinished game” (I’m getting S&B Ruin & Rising vibes (for those of you Grishaverse fans; which btw one of these days I need a whole post about parallels & these two series, cause just the stag and lord of the north alone. I AM INTRIGUED & do love both fandoms ;-) + I think the crows would fit so well & it would be wonderfully & utterly chaotic🤣).

So, my general concern is this theory & warning everyone keeps giving Aelin about “the price”; from Rolfe’s tattoo map & warning question: “"That was the price of my power. What shall yours be, Aelin Galathynius?" She didn't reply to him before storming out. Though Deanna's voice had echoed in her mind. The Queen Who Was Promised.” To clever Elide’s question: “Was that the price for the humans they'd once been-magic that was somehow immune to what flowed naturally in this world? Or had the choice been taken from them, as surely as their souls had been stolen, too?” to crucial warnings like Brannon: “We burn not just within our magic, but also in our very souls. For better or worse.” & the danger continuing to grow like that of the FULL Deanna scene:

“And she said to him, in a voice that was deep and hollow, young and old, "Every key has a lock. Tell the Queen Who Was Promised to retrieve it soon, for all the allies in the world shall make no difference if she does not wield the Lock, if she does not put those keys back with it. Tell her flame and iron, together bound.”

She is the one, she has to get the lock, and she will have to pay the price for both (her ancestors & the darkness created in centuries of Erawan); one that will be heavy (one Elena failed to do; and I somewhat worry is because while she did sacrifice herself, her friends, her people, her kingdom, even letting Brannon fall to ruin (Brannon; the only one who ever successfully sealed it, because he sacrificed her mother, his love, “My mother died to forge that Lock!”) she did not let Gavriel “that which she most loved” fall; she tried to do it alone & was left with no option but to leave it to someone else; another era, another heir); now Aelin carries every thread, plot, battle aligning; the power she wields & sheer force of it, the weight of her crown & every choice it comes with, the price it will demand (the one she has spent a lifetime running from; “my crown is just another set of shackles”; the one Mala may have been shaping her to be able to make even through experiencing tragedy & turbulence in decisions over & over again). The warning in every choice; including the person she loves most (Rowan’s fear of “The people you love are just weapons used against you.”) “This thing between them, the force of it, could devour the world.” Her terror in that; struggling to allow them to go for the front lines while she survives, no longer alone & no longer able to take it all on, but struggling to let them in on the “master plan”. Struggling because even as she does, it weighs on them too: “Aelin was trembling, a hand on her friend-face so white and drawn that any harsh words he'd reserved for her were unnecessary. His queen knew the cost. It had taken her so damn long to trust any of them to do anything. If Aedion roared at her now, even if he still yearned to ... Aelin might never delegate again. Because if Lysandra hadn't been in the water when things had gone so, so badly…” And they do see it; the on-growing burden on Aelin’s shoulders & how she’s carrying the weight of it; both as a queen (despite her current lack of crown) another long-coming plot; as spoken by Chaol: “There she was, that queen looking out at him, a hint of the ruler she was becoming. And it knocked the breath out of him, because it made him feel so strangely young-when she now seemed so old.” And turning her desperate & weary; heavier slowly: “Since Rowan had gone, since word of Rifthold's fall had arrived, Aelin had been half present. Distant.” line after line “She'd grown quieter the farther north they'd traveled. Perhaps weeks on the road had sapped her.” They fear for her “And he wondered if Aelin was somehow watching the archipelago, and the seas, and the skies, as if she might never see them again.” for the price of such powers “We have yet to see the full extent of Erowan’s darkness. And I think we have yet to see the full extent of Aelin’s fire.” & They try to help “After tonight, depending on what the lords reported he'd try to find her a quiet place to rest for a day or two before they made the last leg of the trek to Orynth.” desperate to stop it “"She's not some unwitting pawn." He'd defy the gods, find a way to slaughter them, if they threatened Aelin, if they deemed these lands a worthy sacrifice to defeat the Dark King.” to protect her “Rowan at her right, Aedion at her left, Lysandra at her back; nothing and no one would get to their queen.” all the while they know they cannot as Rowan’s line painfully says: “This was war. These lands would endure far worse in the coming days and months. His queen, no matter how he tried to shield her, would endure far worse.” (Also the key word endure, frequently used for the “lost children of Terrasen” as I call their grouping). To even Aelin’s own words “She was a liar, and a murderer, and a thief, and Aelin had a feeling she'd be called much worse by the end of this war.”

This is where I fear Nightfall will come to rise in Fire-Heart:

I say all of this to say I get concerned when Maas feels the need to start a book with such warning; in both the price, and person paying it… Aelin is too much like Elena… Celaena has lost too much to lose anyone else (“And she would not add another name of her beloved dead to her flesh.” — “"We'll get her back, Aelin." "I can't bury another friend." "You won't."”)… and carrying it so heavily I worry she may overpay her share on their behalf’s. And between that & the many conflicting & star aligning forces of Rowaelin I worry the conflicts may grow; originally it was him not feeling “enough” for her because he’s a Prince not a King, he has no money no land no army (thankfully we are done with that piece because he can give her everything🥹 of his heart and that’s all she needs). We have the inevitable Maeve’s vendetta. We have my growing fear with the Carranam bond getting drained; like it almost did with Deanna. And the quotes all warning that their world may lead to another being destroyed, one or the other; “This thing between them, the force of it, could devour the world. And if they picked it, picked them, it might very well cause the end of it.”

… and though this isn’t due to Nightfall I am just concerned (I try to avoid spoilers (and continue to do so); but I already know it’s got a cliffhanger) and I have read enough Maas books (and just fandoms in general) to fear the 1-2 punch of “THEY’RE ALL GONNA DIE😱 — PSYCH😜 THEY ARE ALL FINE😅 — JUST KIDDING EVERYONE YOU LOVE IS DEAD!☠️” + the amount of possible brainwashing between Valg, Wyrdstones, and now gods… I’m just nervous (& still not 100% sure someone isn’t already secretly possessed).

MY DO NOT KILL LIST IS GETTING TOO LONG: From ASTERIN (scared me half to death SARAH) & Manon + 13 (obvi💁‍♀️), Abraxos & Fleetfoot & Evangeline (had to break my “no Google” rule to assure the latter twos safety *phew*), Aelin & Rowan (DON’T YOU EVEN DARE), Lysandra, Aedion, Dorian (HE’S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH; STOP HURTING HIM), Elide (just let her be happy & home & make Marion proud dammit), Chaol (he’s not even here & I’m still a little mad BUT STILL) & Yrene (she hasn’t even fully come in yet & I don’t care I love her already) + Nesryn who babe, you know I love you, but I need more history & perspective to trust you fully (you seem cool, but I’m worried the lack of knowledge about you means your gonna lie or die, & it’s just too soon after Sorscha), Emrys (your safe in Mistward; STAY THERE), Sam (beloved, you’re still on this list; even though I know how it ended, & really do LOVE Rowaelin, I just still miss you; & want a Multiverse of happy endings for EVERYONE).

— HOWEVER —

I hope Fire-Heart will bring:

More Manorian; and let’s be honest ALL the ships (+ it could get realll literal with the set-up right now😂 the ships are LITERALLY sailing🤣) of course I CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH ROWAELIN (though Fire-Bringer was great 🥵 THEY FINALLY SAID I LOVE YOU🥹👏) & I am SO HERE FOR Lysandra & Aedion! … also what’s up with Elide & Lorcan? (Her last name + his first name TOO SIMILAR😂)

More interactions in general between all the characters from ships, to friendships, to even enemies (who often also become friends😂) honestly might be my fav part about this book so far; seeing it all line up & crossover; (from aforementioned Elide & Lorcan), (to previous & hopefully again soon) Manon & Aelin, the FULL team with THE THIRTEEN (Asterin & our crew would be absolute chaos & I would love every second of it), Sorrel too! AND VESTA! Petrah Blueblood (I find her VERY interesting as a character), Elide & the “lost children of Terrassen” finally meeting; maybe some more Ren & Bane updates (cause I wonder about them & what their up to) to Abraxos & Fleetfoot (PLEASE I NEED THIS… just don’t eat eachother😅😂) & yes I do STILL miss Evangeline & Fleetfoot; though I am happy they are safe; while the fire trick was cool it was SO not sustainable, & I do trust Murtaugh… and these full circles; Ansel’s (presumed) reintroduction & the TAB throw-backs/crossovers (plus NOW Crochans?). —

Exploring things of the sort; what is the other side of the “Crochan’s tale”, what is Elide’s true bloodline, how does the new Mala knowledge effect Aelin & Dorian?

Who are the Cadre (& learning more of their history; both with Aedion & Gavriel (that blood oath better not pass to children), Lorcan (Elide is already helping there thankfully) the other twin because I already stan Fenrys, and really Rowan because who are they really? Despite the “blood oath” reasoning they spent centuries together there has to be more to it). I want to get to know the twins & their whole Yin & Yang balance; also what is Fenrys power? (why does Rowan let him go after Aelin in the water instead, he must be pretty dang powerful & more so than Rowan to be her best option in his eyes)! What other histories does Rowan have (are the “witches” one of them)? What else is Maeve (I will never trust her) hiding?

Why is Erowan this way (who really killed Aelin’s parents)? Are we POSITIVE the Ilken aren’t the creatures Elide saw in the basement (wow that sounds extra ominous😂)?

Will Chaol show up (how is his team & the southern allies coming along)?

What is the limitation to Lysandra’s powers (can they find a way to trick the Terrasen flower into “blooming”)?

Is their further crossover between these series (ACOTAR & CC)?

Explain further how certain things work such as mates (Rowan has two? Celaena/Aelin too maybe? & what that means for others)… And just a lil’ fluff (Rowan & Fleetfoot, the team all together, shenanigans & some side plots for funsies) maybe?…

I theorize Fire-Heart will:

Confirm Rowaelin as mates (they practically have already but I want to hear the words). Plus plenty more of them just being them (their every moment is so detailed & precious). Maybe even some more moments with Prince of Doranelle vibes ;-)

Show that there are multiple Carranams (possibly a dyad between Aelin & Dorian. Rowan & Aelin being the mates balance; making Aelin & Dorian the “friendship / rulers / fates” balance). & Without a limit to their power; the danger of over-draining others (Deanna causing Rowan to feel “thunder steal his magic” is CONCERNING & Dorian’s magic is hungry for it).

Confirm that Aelin can use shadowfire, moonfire, & power without limit. Explore her other gifts such as water & healing. Possibly introduce her as a powerful enough wielder to use all the forms (as briefly referenced as a possibility among others before).

Confirm Lysandra & Aedion as mates or at least a couple. (Also use it to explore Aedion’s history & introduce the Bane or at least their set-up).

Bring back the Mycenians since Lysandra & Aelin’s masterplan worked (THE DRAGON THEORY WAS RIGHT)!

Set sail on Manorian in a way that is explanatory/foreshadowing. (Possibly tap into Dorian’s immortality? & power exploration explanations. And go into Manon’s ability to forge a new alliance of peace between MANY groups; not because I’m suggesting the sexist “get married” nonsense so many are giving Aelin, literally just that she could speak on behalf of many groups & since Darrow has brought diplomatic debates into this war it could be an asset).

Introduce Ansel, and perhaps loop back to the Red Desert (unless the Silent Assassins have disappeared). Showing all of Celaena as we see all of Aelin (letting Rowan know even more of her, healing those wounds as he & her family fully accept her; hopefully doing the same thing for them; going through more history). & Similarly with Rowan; possibly saving the Cadre’s lives through it (or at least stopping Lorcans “execution”).

Tie in the spider silk, between Abraxos’s wings (Manon’s “stealing”), & Aelin’s Red Desert history deals. If not in this book than KoA.

Explain Maeve’s obsession with Aelin & vendetta against the family.

Aelin reclaiming her crown by having the heart of her people (we’ve seen “the future”, there is a woman with hair like moonlight; I think this is Manon. The people chant for her, she is their Queen and that is her court; including the witch).

I think Aelin (like Manon & the other golden eyed 13) are Valg proof. She has the golden eye ring of the Ashryver eyes… in that case maybe Aedion too?? (Hopefully🥺… I mean why else would history write a poem about it?) … While I’m at it let’s make Lysandra’s shifting immune too (protect all my bb’s)!😂

Reveal the Wyrdstone Elide carries as THE Lock (between her last name having the word lock😂 or “loch” I guess, the magic not being immediately recognized as a Wyrdkey by Lorcan, & Kaltain’s promise/importance with an explanation for the “living gate” term). Then when she reaches them so does the thread of fate (once again).

Go to Ellywe & both heal/break my soul (all this travel has made it inevitable; though it is cool to see more of the continents of this fictional world etc.)!🙃

Not something I truly believe but one I wonder on; is there a relation between either Rowan & Manon (history or hair color related😂) or Aelin & Manon (some sort of blood relation; the gold eyes & power levels?).

Not theories but things I think need to happen ASAP: STOP WEARING THE WYRDKEY as a necklace AELIN I DON’T care if it’s a “family heirloom” IT’S A BAD IDEA (have you not seen Harry Potter? — sry for another reference, but seriously DON’T WEAR HORCRUX LOCKETS folks)! Tell Elide the full truth; Celaena = Aelin (at least Lorcan is getting close). Commit to immortality (I’m looking at you Aelin & Aedion; esp. Aelin… ROWAN NEEDS THIS; the only time I will ever encourage a woman to “settle”😂)! Address the very long list of “things for later/back burner” because I can’t keep track😂 & they are all WAY too important😅, dangerous😬, and THE LIST IS LONG SO HURRY UP Y’ALL😁!!!

— NOW ONTO THE “ACTUALLY” READ “BIG PORTION😂 —

The Fire-Bringer:

A lot of reactions have random posts; per usual many of the opinions change with hindsight, but I like being able to look back & enjoy it for the first time so (while I do try to give an update) I’ll probably leave the posts up :-) hoping to get a few lil (by that I mean pages jk sry not sry lol I warned you) notes I’m pondering on in here though…

I love the Little Folk’s little but magical role:😊 when (not if; I’m gonna will it into reality with terminology) this gets an adaptation I can’t wait to see them! — I really love the fan art & its many different takes for what they may be all the way from fairy’s, to wisps, to “baby-Groot”-like characters! … I also wonder if they could help out with that “rulers flower thing” possibly, same as pondered for Lysandra (I think these “little things” will be keys to helping Aelin with “dum-dum Darrow” (as I’ve dubbed him; cause I’m angry! & it may be only a 1st read impression as of right now, but he’s also given me 0 reason to like him).

The Oakwald forest: EVERYONE IS SO CLOSE yet SO FAR! (At least Manon has finally made it to the team… well kinda… she better actually MAKE IT past the ship drop-off… if you can call it that?😅 this is why I need to type fast & go read!) If Tower of Dawn manages to match this pace of “just-missed, kinda-crossover” I see why the tandem read would work! It’s quite fun (& semi-irritating/anxiety-inducing but in a good way😂).

Speaking (writing?😂) of Manon: TALK ABOUT IMMEDIATE CHAOS, each of her chapters have been SO intense. I might have cried with her the most so far; I legitimately almost lost it over Asterin’s almost execution & The Thirteen (I AM VERY GLAD THEY FINALLY LEFT THE MATRON & got out so they can please be safe now; or at least they already are in my mind; though last we saw them it was all chaos, they were running (a win) & the shadows seemed to confirm them getting out (another good sign) while Asterin being dragged off screaming isn’t great I think she was shouting for Manon because she didn’t want to leave her… & I refuse to accept any other answer) only problem is Manon is not with them; & she really needs to be😅😅😭 instead of half-dead in the woods, hunted by a banshee-hound-thing? Abraxos honey, thank you for taking care of mother🥹😂 at least she is with the team on the same-ish side now. So, hopefully Abraxos will go grab the rest of The Thirteen while he drops Manon off? I NEED THE WHOLE GANG; I mean Erawan & Maeve are screwed in that case. Esp. since most of them are Valg proof golden eyed; & also have you seen these gals fight? … Honestly, I think they are one of the great shows of good writing in these books; because these characters could easily be read as villains & psychopaths to be hated, yet they manage to be a compelling, interesting, group of female badassery & sisterhood, that really captures your heart (pun intended). HOWEVER, I say all of this Spoiler-free while not oblivious; I have 2 &1/2 books left (wow that’s numbers too small I’m gonna get sad😅😂) I know people say this ending is a hard, & a book of cliffhangers… So, if this is “just” the beginning it can only get crazier😅 (I just don’t want to know; I want to think this will be like ACOTAR with no deaths as long as I can believe it) & even with the Matron’s probable on-it’s-way “dispatch”, they managed to hide Asterin for years. My main concern is Sorrel & Vesta as they’ve been given enough time to love them, yet not enough time for a full arc, I can’t have any red shirts & I’m a little worried for them (but I just wanna love them as long as I can🥹).

I’m so glad I was right; from day ONE I’ve been wondering about Aedion & Lysandra cause *coughs* I mean their first scene together ever… she’s changing his shirt… and now the whole “wandering off to give Rowaelin time” which while a fair-ish excuse it is also a little ;-) ;-) … and now that he’s said he’s gonna marry her “Because I am going to marry you," he promised her. "One day. I am going to marry you.”… I’m counting it (why is it giving New Girl CeCe & Schmidt?😂)

But in all seriousness ship-ness aside I appreciate their friendship; the understanding of each-other with a healthier trauma bond (for all they cannot say, yet carry so heavily; all the shame & fear Aedion is wrestling with; & the steady acceptance Lysandra gives) I loved them both as is, but together is something precious & nice to see develop (while staying slow, taking time, surety of respectful). While at times it feels fast, it makes complete sense (esp. as we don’t get their perspectives as frequently, & with the knowledge that mates can be pretty immediate; even if it’s not “said”; it tracks).

Though it hurt (& was also kinda healthily valid) to hear Aedion be angry with Aelin, it also says a lot about how much he cares for Lysandra (as Aelin often can “do no wrong in his eyes”) to be angry in the first place “And for the first time, he hated his cousin. He hated Aelin for asking this of Lysandra, both to defend them and to secure the Mycenians to fight for Terrasen. Hated the people who had left such scars on the shifter that Lysandra was so willing to throw her life away. Hated ... hated himself for being stuck in this useless tower.” While also knowing it’s not her fault, it is her choice, but it also had to be (he at least knows that & does cut her slack). “He was shaking now, that rage indeed taking over. But Rowan snarled at him, low and vicious, "Save it for later." Aedion growled right back at him. Rowan gave him a cold, steady look that said if he so much as began to hint at what their queen carried, he'd rip out his tongue. Literally. Aedion shoved down the anger. "We can't carry her, and she's too weak to shift." "Then we wait here until she can," Aelin said. But her eyes drifted to the bay, and to the city beyond, still cheering. victory—but very nearly a loss. The remnants of the Mycenians, saved by one of their long-lost sea dragons. Aelin and Lysandra had woven ancient prophecies into tangible fact. "I'll stay," Aedion said. "You deal with Rolfe." "Fine," he said. Aelin groaned, getting to her feet, but stared down at him before she took Rowan's extended hand. She said softly, "I'm sorry." Aedion knew she meant it. He still didn't bother replying.” & knows (because Lysandra makes him better; as she already reminds him with her knowing compassion): “"That man has endured enough, Aedion. A little kindness wouldn't kill you." "He stabbed Aelin. If you knew him as I have, you wouldn't be so willing to fawn over. "No one expects you to fawn over him. But a kind word, some respect-" He rolled his eyes. "Keep your voice down." She did- but went on, "He was violated, and even if you cannot draw up forgiveness for stabbing Aelin against his own will, then try to have some compassion for that." — Aedion snarled at her. Lysandra snarled right back and held his stare with the face not trained or built for bedrooms, but the true one beneath—wild and unbroken and indomitable. No matter what body she wore, she was the Staghorns given form, the heart of Oakwald Aedion said hoarsely, "I'll try." "Try harder. Try better."”)

& Then moments like him asking her to come with him to meet Gavriel, & she simply does. Or that she trusts him to carry her home, vulnerable & tired. I think they give a lot of what the other needs while growing to be who they are themselves. Plus Lysandra deserves to be a leopard princess, sister-in-law(ish) to Aelin. “Princess Lysandra Ashryver sounds nice, doesn't it?” YES IT DOES!

Speaking of Lysandra (who is seriously one of my all time favorites; I relate, I adore her, and really it just doesn’t get better then all of these characters) I WAS RIGHT ABOUT LYSANDRA BEING A DRAGON!!! GENIUS!! And also LYSANDRA WAS A DRAGON!!!!!! I love her & Aelin’s plotting (which also gets kinda Kaz Brekker vibes sometimes; she is so brilliant, & the fact Lysandra just piles into the shenanigans; I love them). TALK ABOUT POWER! Also what fun genius for mythology… winning the people’s hearts… etc. …if only she could turn into a flower… and making that moment the first perspective we have from her in this book was so fun! Shoutout to @ asexualzucchini for fandoming about this with me (heads up again cause I know your on a first read too; THIS POST HAS SPOILERS for Pt. 1 ;-)

ELIDE & LORCAN; a team-up I was NOT expecting, yet find SO intriguing. From highlighting Elide (which is well deserved) esp. in her truest strength; smarts (her & Annabeth Chase would’ve been besties) and as something even Lorcan sees & values greatly, extra fun as in combo to his physical strength it’s a pretty perfect team (& a helpful combo for storytelling because you see his perspective which is of course very different then spoken threats from Rowaelin perspectives ONLY; & of course once again while I’m curious to learn more on the Cadre; esp. since Lorcan often to me just seems angry to have “lost” his friend). And I do love the boundaries they respect (even as an unknown dare I say “anti-hero”? Lorcan still has some clear moral lines (& I generally appreciate that in the Maasverse that everyone except the worst of the worst can agree where those are) he also keeps his word a VERY intriguing piece of his character), also the representation they give (go team disability represent!) + small girlies hanging out w big brooding boys (there’s my “kitty” style reference for you Aelin lol). Also funny cause eventually they’re gonna end up in the same place😂 P.S. him calling her MARION (gut-wrenching), Crochan history (very curious), etc. IT’S JUST ALL SO INTRIGUING! … Now if we could only have an empowering crossover so she can go talk to Feyre & realize she’s already intelligent, powerful, & capable, & not being able to read has no effect on that!! (while we’re at it & I’m on a crow comparison kick; go hug Wylan please).

Another team up I didn’t expect but surprisingly loved most was Dorian & Rowan’s roadtrip through Rifthold (new movie adaptation idea?😂):

Dorian, Dorian, Dorian where do I begin? — I love him. I think he might be the most morally grounded character (odd as that sounds for someone that was recently possessed). He would be a good king, because most important he’s just a good man. My heart breaks for him, he’s seen a lot without time or space to deal with it (it’s just adding up; “The latter, Dorian realized, usually happened when even the heat and sun couldn't drive away the shadows of the past few months—when he awoke with his sweat feeling like Sorscha's blood, when he couldn't abide even the brush of his tunic against his neck.”); yet he still gives everything he can to his friends, his people, his country (& Rowan gives & takes care of him too (another Aelin paralell/foreshadowing; “"You're not going to believe me," Aelin went on. "What l've just said, you're not going to believe me. I know it--and that's fine. I don't expect you to. When you're ready, I'll be here.”) ; “He wasn't sure whether to thank the Fae Prince for noticing or to hate him for the kindness.” — Because Rowan knows; “"You're going to hate the world, Dorian. You are going to hate yourself. You will hate your magic, and you will hate any moment of peace or happiness. But I had the luxury of a kingdom at peace and no one depending upon me. You do not."”); and somehow Dorian just remains good and kind even when the world is not. He may carry more, but it is never an excuse for him; he sets aside his pride, humbled, un-selfish, caring, and really trying. (remarkable enough that even Rowan notices & takes note; “I have known many kings in my life, Dorian Havilliard. And it was a rare man indeed who asked for help when he needed it, who would put aside pride.”) And I also appreciate that he is cared for in this, seen for who he is; respected in it (FINALLY said quite well in: “Rowan knew most underestimated the sharp intelligence under that disarming smile. Knew that Dorian's value wasn't his godlike magic, but his mind”)

And getting the friends & care he deserves, like Aelin who kept her word “I came back for you. "You both came back,"” (he is her friend, she does care for him) as it’s shown because she went so far as to send Rowan (someone she would NEVER risk; “"I will save him," he murmured. "I wouldn't ask this of you unless it was ... Dorian is vital. Lose him, and we lose any support in Adarlan." And one of the few magic-wielders who could stand against Morath. Rowan's nod was grim. "I serve you, Aelin. Do not apologize for putting me to use." Because only Rowan, riding the winds with his magic, could reach Rifthold in time. Even now, he might be too late. Aelin swallowed hard, fighting the feeling that the world was being ripped from under her feet.” (When she says “losing support” she pauses; because really it’s about losing Dorian her friend, remember she’s always coming from the mindset of “she will not write another name on her scars” almost to the level of her “I will not be afraid mantra” fading in from QoS in this first EoS quarter) so she wouldn’t risk him even in leaving her side (which props to Maas for breaking a typical VERY possessive YA trait; even at the cost of a promise-ish from the last book; “Next time we need to save the world, we do it together. Deal.”). & keeps keeping that promise to save him; not only to keep her word, but keep her friend. Along the way he so easily becomes Rowan’s friend, thawing the ice by just being a decent guy (that says a lot for a centuries old Prince of stoic brooding). I love the genuine respect they have for each other; the time they take (even short as it is) to have a mini-boat therapy session because they needed it; it says a lot about the two of them as good men; the way they help each-other, plan & train together (Dorian even has time to understand Aelin’s time away with a new compassion😅😅 “Honestly, Dorian had no idea how Aelin had survived months of this--let alone fallen in love with the warrior while she did. Though he supposed both the queen and prince possessed a sadistic streak that made them compatible” & even see Rowan get a taste of the Celaena Sardothien world & find he has similar sass). vice-versa you also see someone valuing Rowan’s strength, strategy, personality beyond warrior or prince, without any of this “male pride chest-puffing instinct”. And the way despite the change in new healthier friendships you also have the original ones growing with them “"And will keep changing," she said, squeezing his arm once. "But... There are things that won't change. I will always be your friend." His throat bobbed. "I wish I could see her, just one last time. To tell her... to say what was in my heart." "She knows," Aelin said, blinking against the burning in her eyes. "I'll miss you," Dorian said. "Though I doubt the next time we meet will be in such …civilized circumstances." She tried not to think about it. He gestured over her shoulder to her court. "Don't make them too miserable. They're only trying to help you."” It helps both him and them; like the team they need to be & are finding a way in: “"We'll figure it out." She loosed a breath. "But your being king is the first step of it."” Like the Queens & Kings they have been becoming for a world slowly building; starting with the fact he is one of the good men that do exist (like Nehemia & Celaena said) and as already shown: “Ten years later, and they were all sitting together at a table again--no longer children, but rulers of their own territories. Ten years later, and here they were, friends despite the forces that had shattered and destroyed them. Aelin looked at the kernel of hope glowing in that dining room and lifted her glass. "To a new world," the Queen of Terrasen said. The King of Adarlan lifted his glass, such endless shadows dancing in his eyes, but--there. A glimmer of life. "To freedom."” esp. as he helps raise up women in positions of power to do so as well! (We love a King ally)

Much like Aelin growing into a queen you see the shift as Dorian becomes a King. “Never again. Never again would he be weak and useless and frightened.” (From a quote I appreciated and found Nesta paralells in). “To her surprise, a king smiled back.” And I just hope somewhere along the way Dorian also finds his happy ending much like our queen is slowly finding a way too (like Rowan said; “You will find your way, too, Dorian. You'll find your way out.”); I think Manon is promising, I think he finally has a real family, & he’s learning his power which is good; his already Kingly skills also come in handy, they needed a diplomat. And for two characters I love so much, a genre that rarely shows good friendships between so many characters and guys having emotions and bonding beyond a love interest trope… I just loved it! p.s. thanks again @ mysterylilycheeta for fandoming about this one with me (and many others :-)

Now speaking of Dorian quotes (plus I needed a transition lol) much like Dorian I do sometimes miss Chaol; “"You know," he said, "sometimes I wish Chaol were here to help me. And then sometimes I'm glad he's not, so he wouldn't be at risk again. I'm glad he's in Antica with Nesryn.”while also being glad he’s off somewhere else… not just ‘cause of the injury (I actually hope they don’t make that THE “problem”, at least in the sense of making him “useless”. While healing in a magical realm is a useful skill, representation of disabled characters in the read world is also really important & still super kick-ass & powerful)… So, I’m glad he’s gone not for that but for the fact I think his mentality would conflict right now (& while Aelin isn’t always right; & does sometimes need a check as Aedion aforementioned & does this at least better thank Chaol in timing & how) + most of the time ya kinda need to just “keep calm & trust the process” because while “the gods may have some “masterplan” & only Aelin can outsmart & outplan them (you just have to let her go for it)… and hopefully Elide will be there to help soon!

Now speaking of good friends, & the rest of this post from “threads of fate”, to really loving characters, friendships, relationships (even most of my favorite quotes) it’s time to address THE SHIP because there is ROWAELIN. TRULY WHERE DO I START? I love them. They are perfect. Nothing can break them (Nothing better try). I love the peace & hope they hold for the other (they want more together, for each other; to live.). The balance they carry; especially when one is down, the other lifts them up (even rapidly flipping; I’m a few Chapters into Part 2 (spoiler sentence)🚨 & there’s the moment where it goes from her being on fire & him waking her from her nightmares, to him so panicked to save her he’s freezing the room & she’s soothing him). The way they are so alike, & shown even more so (as I’ve briefly mentioned) in this book (Rowan having some Celaena moments, her taking on a leader & diplomatic role, learning to control water & him teaching her to heal, exploring each others histories & a growing team of friends for & with them) & VERY different (they are the balance even in what they do share; for instance a scene I think on frequently: when Rowan leaves to go get Dorian, and Aelin cannot let him go. Right there she uses very specific words; she does not ask him to stay instead she says she cannot let him go; because she knows asking him to stay (like Lyria had begged) would kill him or telling him “he’s leaving her” would utterly destroy them both. And he does the same; he distracts her (knows what she needs) takes a moment for them (stops the clock) kisses her and then leaves before she opens her eyes in a flash, so she does not have to watch him leave (again), or (be the one to) walk away from him (he knows she already used all of her will to even have him go in the first place, she cannot ask anything more or she will not ask at all), or run again. They both are feeling the same thing, while understanding the differences they have experienced, they take the notice to love the other the way they need & the only way they can). Part of it stems from something I’ve adressed on the blog before, the honesty they share; and desperately needed. Or have discussed with other fans in beyond that the fact they trust, they can have it all on the table, and respect what has to be kept. Part is the fact they are the others soulmate (waiting for those words: “mate” to “officially” & finally seal what we ALL know by now😂). Another being the threads of fate every character keeps seeing; they are VERY tightly bound beyond separation; for better or worse a tangled knot that can not be undone.

The way in that they would fight by the others side, live & die together, for each-other. They would save the world for each-other (like Rowan jumping in front of the moonfire because he knew her fiery soul; “"No!" The word was a roar, a plea, and silver and green flashed in her vision. A name. A name clanged through her as he hurled himself in the path of that fist, that moonfire, not just to save those innocents in the city, but to spare her soul from the agony if she destroyed them all-Rowan.” — “"If you had destroyed that city, it would have destroyed you, and any sort of hope at an alliance."”) It goes beyond taking a bullet for the other, it goes to taking a bullet from the other (you see that side a lot in HoF). They would save the other for the world (like he says, the world needs alliances; because he knows it needs her, his queen). Or the other from the world; “And as his face became clear, his tattoo stark in the sun, as that fist full of unimaginable power now opened toward his heart-There was no force in any world that could keep her contained.” Together, to whatever end. They would even destroy it for the other; “But if it was death separating us … I would find you. I don’t care how many rules it would break. Even if I had to get all three keys myself and open a gate, I would find you again. Always.” They deserve something that’s an always, known, world & gods defying. And while I appreciate the way they defend each other, I also appreciate the way they defend their friends together; it may be them to whatever end, but it’s also not just them against the world (more so for the world?) they may be capable of destroying the world for each other, still they choose to give everything to save it. They choose each other, they continue to do so, to accept, to be honest. “Even if this thing between them ... even if he knew it was not mere lust, or even just love. This thing between them, the force of it, could devour the world. And if they picked it, picked them, it might very well cause the end of it.” they have a powerful love (one that is quite literally more powerful together). I love that scene too, the carranam; the way he steadies her (he knows why the manacles scare her, knows how to help her breathe despite it; “she is not afraid”), trusts her (she could kill them both, but he believes in her, always has, even before she believed in herself) gives her his power (talk about a feminist ally😂 he literally uses his power to give her more power), and she blazes the world (better & worse); she trusts him enough for the irons (something she may have killed someone else for), she trusts his trust in her (it empowers her metaphorically too), trusts him to save her from herself; trusts him which as this line shows; “"You trust nothing. She met his eyes. "I trust you."” is almost a miracle in itself. I love the easy rhythm they fall into like breathing, simple domesticity (even among war), natural understanding (soulmates), gentle unconditional stubborn & unchanging love that simply is. & is accepted as such. Learning more of their history in parallels & new perspectives, tales & legends, chaos & opposites (especially opposed in power) FIRE & ICE and remains the “meant to be” Carranam; though one of a kind it also understands itself in being love among grief, giving it the ability to see & soothe the unhealthy internal monologues… in a way that’s honestly kinda healing to read; I love their quotes, I love their scenes, I love their characters, I just love them.

It’s been fun to see more Aelin as Aelin, (and I’m not meaning “The one in green smiled, but for all its delight, all its wicked mischief ... It was a softer smile, made with a mouth that was perhaps less used to snarling and teeth-baring and getting away with saying hideous, swaggering things. Lysandra, then. The two queens faced Rolfe.” Lysandra twin-swap scene 😂) the way Celaena is now recognized as a part to play; “You met Aelin when she was still pretending to be Celaena” — “Because it was Celaena who sat here-for whatever purpose, it was Celaena Sardothien in this room.” from the way Rowan helped & accepted her all along. Rowan has always been her protector, her guard, her best champion, fiercest warrior & love, her dearest friend, her everything. It’s the one that saw all & loved anyways “to have one person who knew the absolute truth about her--and didn't hate her for it.” — “I see you, I see every part of you. And I am not afraid.” he is not afraid of her; the first time she’s ever had that… Something she desperately needs as someone so fear-based… She went from being a child who was never not afraid; she was taught to fear her power, fear the secret coming free, because she would be persecuted; because her people would not love her for what she was; she was protected against it and taught her powers weren’t to be trusted. She spent so long burying herself… Arobynn taught her that; created a world of only that for her to exist in, only to survive never to live. And as I’ve said before I LOVE SAM, I truly think he would have accepted her without flinching (I love & believe in the many soulmates for many lives theories; he was Celaena’s) but over & over again the saddest four words of almost they never had time. Thinking someone would love you “even if” is different that getting to experience it, she was still afraid he would turn her in or turn away, he would judge her as she judged herself, or didn’t know “how dark she could go”; like he was too good and she would drag him down. And here is Rowan: the one person who could stop her (the dark comfort she takes in knowing he could save the world if she endangered it; “That is how I was able to stand before the King of Adarlan, how I was able to befriend his son and his captain, how I was able to live in that palace. Because I did not give that rage, those memories, one inch. And right now I am looking for the tools that might destroy my enemy, and I cannot let out the monster, because it will make me use those tools against the king, not put them back as I should--and I might very well destroy the world for spite. So that is why l must be Celaena, not Aelin--because being Aelin means facing those things, and unleashing that monster. Do you understand?”) and doesn’t think that of her; “For whatever it's worth, I don't think you would destroy the world from spite.”

To the moment on the beach that strikes me again & again; Aelin in her rawest state (inner child & traumatized immortal), sobbing, unclothed (a very important detail not because of the rest of Chapter 38 spice but because of the psychological component; she is stripped down to her core at her worst, most vulnerable, visibly terrified uncomfortable state; it’s more like a nightmare of giving a speech & realizing your the only one without clothes), on fire (no hidden power or sense of control), unleashing an entire storm (after almost destroying the world; her world; even against her will); because she is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius “the rightful heir of fire” and Queen of Terrasen; she has been “Adarlans Assassin” & a “King’s Champion” Lillian, Elentiya, Celaena… all of these names… and yet, she is still afraid. And she cannot stop it; she is trying & failing, feeling every step backwards for every step she takes, she is running to nowhere, she is lost. And then there is Rowan. Rowan, who walked to the creak to see her, and went loudly so she would know & not be afraid. Rowan who knows when she needs to let off steam (literally) & has been burned & still does not turn away from her. Rowan who now is “silent as death” because he knows her mind is already screaming enough for the both of them. Rowan who follows her; over & over, unflinching, returning, staying, seeing, & still believing in her (even before she believed in herself; even when she cannot). She is begging for anyone that listens to take the job & all its “blessings & burdens of power”, wishing for a bottom to the endless abyss of her power, drowning in it; helpless in her own strength, because she does not trust herself (how can she when she can’t even be herself; not just Celaena; but Deanna), trying to run from herself. And Rowan who sees, hears, knows; and only cares about her. Choosing her. Loving her. Telling her those words. Arguing against the voices in her head for her; making her feel for a moment that maybe somehow she’s worth it (or at least too lucky to care even if she’s not). Because he has every reason to go; he knows what he could lose (even as they stand there; he is still shaken & terrified; he just saw a god steal the woman he loves from her own mind; he has no idea how to fight that & bring her back) He has lost that; felt it for centuries The world may be the price, they may be the price, they are in the middle of a war waged & waiting for hundreds of years; and he does not care. He only cares about her; better & worse. And she is not alone; never again. Reminding her that she can be both, staying on the road. As he says (a quote that made me cry): “You and I will learn to manage your power together. You do not face this alone; you do not decide that you are unlovable because you have powers that can save and destroy. If you start to resent that power… I don’t know where we go on that road.” And when she voices it, that fear (that brought me to tears); you’re just crazy for loving me.“"Because I'm the only one arrogant and insane enough to ask Mala Fire-Bringer to let me stay with the woman I love. Her flames turned to pure gold at the words-at that word. But she said, "Perhaps you're just the only one arrogant and insane enough to love me."” He simply, firmly, undoubtably, says no. … And when the times comes; when he creates a snow storm of his own (& destroys half a forrest😂) she just laughs, holds him closer, kisses him again. As she says; “who would not look at those flames with any ounce of fear.” as anyone else would have. They aren’t afraid of each other, they aren’t afraid, not together. “But Rowan had caught her each time she had fallen-first, when she had plummeted into that abyss of despair and grief; second, when that castle had shattered and she had plunged to the earth. And now this time, this third time ... She was not afraid.”

And because they are equal, because they will go to whatever end, because they pull each other back over & over whenever/wherever they drift. (And while I love Lyria, I believe she was one of his soulmates) I don’t think anyone ever understood him so well in return… Rowan loved Lyria. Lyria wanted him to stay for good reason, but he was not able to tire to rest to settle; she did not understand the warrior; just as he couldn’t understand enough not to be. Where peace was never quite had, the warrior that could not rest; there is Aelin. Who just goes to war with him, for him, for them. She is his hope, his queen, his love, his world, his fireheart🥹, & his everything (& thankfully NOT because of the blood-oath; “"How does she do it?" Aelin asked baldly. "With Rowan, it's not ... Every order I give him, even casual ones, are his to decide what to do with. Only when I actively pull on the bond can I get him to ... yield. And even then it's more of a suggestion." "It is different with her," Gavriel said softly. "Dependent on the ruler it is sworn to. You two took the oath to each other with love in your hearts. You had no desire to own or rule him." Aelin tried not to flinch at the truth of that word—love. That day ... when Rowan had looked into her eyes as he drank her blood ... she'd started to realize what it was. That the feeling that passed between them, so powerful there was no language to describe it ... It was not mere friendship, but something born of and strengthened by it.” glad they clarified that to give consent). I’ve said this about them before and I’ll say it again there is something healing in how wholly they accept and understand each other (to the point you would think they are reading minds), how evenly matched and equal they are. They are two of the best matched characters I know of; at times even to a fault (but even that is taken in stride). Aelin and Rowan are everything they have ever been with the other. This isn’t a comparison, there’s something beautiful to each of them (I’ll even still say that to Dorian & Aelin, the way their friendship came to be, and re-reads what might have been) there is just the fact that this is different and I think it’s a special kind of something. And the fact in the matching for the other they can go to the ends of the earth together; whether it be as Queen and Prince (though he would make a good king ;-) or assassins, gentle souls trying to rest, never at rest but trying for peace, fae and shifters fire and ice, warriors, martyrs, saviors, villains, Kings Champion & Maeve’s Cadre, friends, mates, whatever it may be “to whatever end”.

I especially love them in the little things… all these moments that show everything I’ve said and more.

The detail in Rowan knowing the other side to Aelin keeping him at the beach, and it not taking away from the moment. He knows, he accepts it. They know the layers, they don’t pretend otherwise, they don’t run or fight it, they just sit with it. The way he held her & grounded her during the sea battle, believing in her even as she lost her balance in power, the way she came back from Deanna for him, the way she held on to him through the storm. She reminds him what he is; that he is everything she needs, she doesn’t take the bullshit, she doesn’t give up; she lends a hand, or lets him follow, or defends him. And they finally said it; I love you. — Actually better than that, worlds best quote award of: “I love you. There is no limit to what I can give to you, no time I need. Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will love you.”They finally chose this, them; and the world needed it (I will go down with the ship of them as queen and king). … So, my shippers heart is happy, I want more, I’m happy they’re happy, I want them to stay happy. They are the best brightest threads of fate & for a book I’ve loved to see tie together, the Rowaelin ship has been pretty perfect.

And some random notes I keep wondering on:

The color green in this series… From Lysandra’s eyes (the one marker she keeps in each form; funny as it’s also Terrasen (her future Courts) color, to Rowan’s pine green (& often “home” like Terrasen descriptions (once again)) to the green roofing of Rifthold, or tiling of the desert, the stolen wax stamp rings, Terrasen’s color, etc. … it’s just used to tell a lot of story & I find it a fun note!

On the subject of these “fun notes” I’d also like to Mention Maasverse “deals” in wording; I find it so interesting how carefully phrased (like a genie) things need to be, yet kept to their word they are. I feel like there’s some loopholes within some plots right now using that clause (if only there was Mort to prove it!)… I miss Mort…

There’s all of Lysandra’s shapeshifting, the character in that, her character all together. And then moments like Rowan reaching her to fly, to have her own wings. And introducing more powers outside of fae.

Fenyrs possible… winnowing? Whatever reason it was that Rowan sent him to save Aelin instead of himself (obviously meaning he was more capable because Rowan would save her any means necessary).

And these aforementioned threads of fate are pretty brilliantly done, I look forward to continuing to enjoy them. From Oakwald to 10 years ago to the detail of plans (Aelin going to the temple, for Brannon & the Dragon, & her territory claim… etc.)… SO MANY!!!

Especially because of YOU!..

— Final, biggest most important book/fandom thought yet: —

THANK YOU to the Maasverse!

As someone who doesn’t know anyone reading these —one of my favorite things to do is talk about them with other fans— I’m thankful to still have that; I’m thankful that tumblr has that; and thankful that y’all are so welcoming, kind, talented, & lovely! (Limiting full tags as this post is ridiculously long and no one should “have” to read it😂)

There’s a long list of you, to name a few (others please know you are still on the list, loved & appreciated)!! @ archerons-elain @ highladyelenna @ iwantavaldezinator @ romantasyreader28 @ antvwinderbaum @ shadowhunters77 @ chaos-on-stand-bi @ theauroragalaxy @ impossibelle @ aelin-fire-heart @ autumnbabylon @ headboymalfoy @ somebooksbelonginthesinbin @ idfendyr @ winged-artistic-wolf @ batter-upp @ cheap-spirits @ just tsteffs50cts @ xxvalkyriesxx @ captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @ lynnsthoughts @ maevecrom @ stingy-swann @ mothlvrtothemoon @ wannaberachelgrxxn @ sweetokami @ avymiir

& so if I missed any, like I said just know you are so appreciated🫶 … and sorry I get confused sometimes (as this is technically a secondary blog to @lavendarneverlands lol😂). It’s always me though🤣

[lollygaggingloser]

Moana 2 Rant

Hey y'all, I know my Tumblr is all about Varian and the 7 kingdoms, but I need to blab a little on this, so please indulge me. I saw Moana 2 (I give it a 5 out of 10, totally mid), and while it had a lot of potential, Disney really flubbed it.

First off, it really should have been a series with this movie's plot being the first season. This feels like the first 3 episodes and a season finale forced together so the pacing, character arcs, and story acts feel weak. There's so much potential and I see the vision, but the execution just...ehhh.

Now, before I continue, imma give a big spoiler warning for all of Moana 2 and my own ideas of how this could have succeeded more as a series along with other fixes. This is my personal opinion and random brain blerps. Do not take this seriously, cause neither do I. Cool? Cool.

1. Moana 2 needs a stronger supporting cast. In the movie, Moana is joined by 3 people from her island on her journey. Their introduction is fast and we're basically not given the opportunity to see Moana build any relationships with them because she already knows them, and learning how to work together on the same page takes 1 song. Legit. To fix this, for the series, Moana should start her adventure to Motufetu alone as she did in the first and find 3 other companions in her journey. These 3 other companions should also be wayfinders like Moana from their own islands on the same journey to find Motufetu and help connect all the other tribes. Doing this would do multiple things: 1) Properly introduce us to these supporting characters because Moana is meeting them for the first time like us. 2) Help us learn the differences between tribes but how all are connected through their stories of the gods and legends and watch them learn to work together. 3) Have Moana question her role as 'the chosen one' as all the other wayfinders believe they have also been chosen by the ocean to connect their tribes. This last one is a personal suggestion as the other wayfinders can have their own adventures like Moana did with different demigods or gods as companions in their past (introducing us to legends other than Maui). The ocean is also a friend to these other wayfinders and helped them all meet to find Motufetu together. This also makes Moana less 'special' and unprotected by the plot armor of being 'the chosen one' as there are other adventurers that can continue this task if something happens to her.

2. Making it a series would give us a better idea of how long this journey is and the stakes tied to it. We're meant to believe Moana will be gone from her island for a very long time and may never return. But considering the movie is just as long as the first one and we're only given 1 song to see multiple days pass in their adventure, it doesn't really hit. A good 22 to 24 episode journey would help solidify how vast the trip is and give Moana those doubts on returning home and completing her destiny when this is the longest she's been away.

3. More episodes means more myths and legends to learn which means better world building. I love mythology and getting more time to delve into them, especially with the idea of other wayfinders with their own demigods companions, would help build the world around Moana.

4. Moana 2 has a villian problem. While we do get Nalo, we get little to no time to know them outside of the final battle. We also get a secondary antagonist, Matanagi, but they aren't really a villian because she does end up helping Moana and is kind of a disappointment as a character. With a series, we could see Nalo try to stop Moana and the gang multiple times before their final battle, get more background on him, and maybe even try seeing him convincing one of the crew to go against the others. These multiple interactions can help build the threat of Nalo. And even if the team succeeds at finding Motufetu, Nalo can continie to exist as a grand threat that may have lost a battle, but is preparing for a war. I just miss big Disney villians and I would have loved to see one with a stronger presence. Plus, while Nalo's storm is defeated, he's still around at the end in the mid credits scene to build up a Moana 3, but he still doesn't feel that threatening as a villian.

5. The ending. So, my idea for the season 1 ending is the team finding Motufetu, working with multiple demigods to brave Nalo's storm, and just barely suceed with Moana reaching the island and almost dying as she does in the movie. I would have liked to see Maui give up his demigod status to bring Moana back to life (instead of being stripped of his powers by Nalo in the movie), and not get his demigods status back right after (at least not for another season or 2). Seeing Moana be made a demigod at the end of the movie is interesting and I would like to see how she would navigate this title in future seasons. An additional idea is to have one of Moana's team mates join Nalo at the end of the first season, either from jealousy of Moana being the one to touch the island and fulfill their great destiny first and reach demigod status, or through the season-long slow corruption from Nalo, or both.

6. There will be a Moana 3, but I'm not excited for it. With no build on the big bad, no connection to the supporting cast, Moana being made a demigod with Maui with little to no backlash, there's not much I'm looking forward to seeing. With the series and my suggestions, I'd look forward to seeing what Nalo is up to next, how Moana and her team will take him and their betrayed comrade down, how Maui will handle being a human for the unforeseeable future and Moana learning her new powers as a demigod.

Extra things: Was I the only person who wanted her little sister to be her kid? I know Moana is 19 in Moana 2, but I thought she was in her 20's by the look of the trailer, and I like the idea of a Disney main character being a mom, extra points for Disney if they had the gall to make Moana a single mom. Each time Moana and Simea shared a scene together, I was like, this feels like a parent and child connection instead of a sibling one. While I do have a younger sibling and we get along and are trauma bonded, the relationship between Moana and Simea feels off. Granted, my sibling and I are closer in age and I don't have any personal experience having a younger sibling with such a huge age gap, so maybe this is the normal dynamic between sisters with a big age gap. Personally, I just think those moments of Moana having to leave Simea behind would hit more if she was her kid.

[lunar-system]

the acolyte e5 liveblog

uh fuck we are actually killing people here

like, a light saber is a lethal-lethal weapon all of a sudden

which makes total sense but is not the TONE i'm used to in star wars

pip is a flashlight<3

as amazingly many annoying jedi qualities yord has he is also actually good at following orders. surprisingly good, considering he has such big ego. but i suppose he respects the jedi order that much.

mae and padawan are fighting nooooO!!!! girls!!!

"under arrest for the fire that killed your family" that was an oopsie from the padawan whats-her-name

baddie: "and let you read my thoughts?" that is honestly a red flag that sol just does it whenever it benefits him. cop behaviour.

"what master hides his face from his pupil?" "you tell me" OOOOOHHHH BURN OF THE CENTURY. sol got angy

jecki is the padawan's name!

"jecki is a jedi and can take care of herself" NO she's a padawan and the last padawan that got involved with mae eventually killed himself! god!

i know it's stage sword fighting but based on the efficiently the baddie killed the other jedis either sol is extremely good OR the baddie does not actually want to kill him

"he gets into a jedi's head" now that's interesting. really, if the jedi allowed other cultures religions organisation to use the force how many more uses for it could they develop?

pls pls pls evil guy don't kill jecki like you killed all those unnamed sidecharacteeeers

"Mae, you can learn from this padawan. She's a loyal pupil" god he's bitchy

JECKI WITH TWO SABERS GO GIRL

(if a saber can cut the handle of another sabel, that seems like a tactic everyone would utilise all of the time. but maybe it's because the jedi play a fair game and that's not very sportsmanlike.)

thank you light department for lighting this night forest with reasonable brightness

master to mae: "you've always been weak." does no other order after the coven ever take social bonds seriously? like if mae is interested that her lost lost sister is alive shouldn't that be taken seriously?

master almost got beheaded by jecki there. honestly good for her

WHICH SIDE WILL MAE FIGHT FOR naaaahhh she's off to the woods again. based

jecki saved mae?? from master skewering her? asdkljghaldkjgh

jecki/mae fics? pls?

thank you for giving them all different colour sabers, very pleasing

bugs as environmental warfare? yes please

jecki is too brave for her own good pls beby don't jump after him like that

THE HELMET

JECKY NO

JEEECKYYY NOOO I JUST LEARNED YOUR NAME

jecky noooo………..

secondary lightsaber surprise was cool, mirroring jecki having two swords earlier, but at what price

there you are, evil manny <3 what a cool entrance

He is legit scary not gonna lie

and hot

"was that its name" EVIL MANNY NO!!!

"she was a child." "you brought her here." Sol. he's not wrong. Jecki was a child. Like the other padawan.

lightsaber held against a head like a gun feels. deeply wrong to how star wars uses them. which is the point. well done.

"jedi like you might call me sith" so i now next to nothing about extended star wars lore but like is this the origin story of the sith? or is that like just anyone who uses jedi powers wrong? like christian vs pagan?

"i don't make the rules. the jedi do. and the jedi says i can't exist." okay no wonder this is so well liked as a queer show. he might be evil but this is a very queer take.

YORD??!!! YOU TOO??!!! I JUST CALLED YOU ANNOYING BUT I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE MORE TIME AND YOU WOULD REDEEM YOURSELF AND I WOULD LEARN TO LIKE YOU AND YOU JUST GOT KILLED ON CAMERA

I am shook i did not expect this to be this violent show. not a bump to a head and waking up a couple hours later? no! straight up murder!

this evil manny is more evil than i thought

aaaand mae is off to the woods again

mae stunned her… for yord. who is dead. who i called annoying and who is now dead.

okay kill the last remining jedi without weapons then mister evil manny if it so important to you

(where did yord know evil-manny from tho? "it's you"?)

"I've accepted my darkness. What have you done with yours?" evil-manny is consistently given the best two-liners in this show, these keep on giving one after the another

fuck sol looks so sad what a spot-on casting

the bugs straight-up take him???

pip too

but even thought this edition of star wars kills people I have to believe not even this one would kill the purposefully cutesy robot. right? right???

and the sisters are alone. but the rift is just too big. the misunderstandiiiiiing

…osha didn't just… die? too? did she?? oh lord. please be just gently knocked out. like people should be in a star war

pip is saved, yey!

Welp. Mae is in.

Bazil knows.

And Osha lives.

[totaldramafan-lauri]

EPISODE 6

N-no Alastor again......

......

.....OK, so....this episode needs multiple viewings for me to.....fully absorb everything that just happened......but......uh......I-I don't wanna just not say anything about it, so....here goes.....

-OK, fandom, you got me. You called it. Vaggie was an angel. Wasn't exactly the most surprising twist imaginable when everyone and their mother called it, but it was cool to actually see it. Th-the fact that she got her name because a misogynist named her was probably the biggest twist for me here, cuz HOLY CRAP, it makes so much sense. XD I remember when people used to haaaaaate Vaggie's name.....I-I honestly used to raise my eyebrows at it before I got used to it. That's neat.....

....But if there was one thing I DIDN'T call, it's Charlie not knowing. I legit thought she already knew. They were so close, and they've been a couple for years before the show, so I thought that already happened. B-but I....I LIKE this direction? I-I love Chaggie already, don't get me wrong, they're like the M&M of this show for me.....b-but their relationship has always kinda been....swallowed by the....EVERYTHING ELSE in the show around them. I-I'd love to see them get center stage! Will that happen, or will it just get brushed over? Dunno....but....either way, this cliffhanger KILLS ME just cuz I wanna know what happens next for them!

-NO ONE IN HEAVEN BUT SERA AND THE EXORCISTS KNOW ABOUT THE EXTERMINATIONS. PLEASE leave all your "Heaven is evil, what's the point of the hotel" complaints at the FLIPPING DOOR! We got a breakthrough! Yup, I never bought it for a second. The Exorcists are only ONE type of angel! There was no way they represented ALL of Heaven! The whole point of the story was that it's not a black-and-white conflict! If the whole story was just "Hell good, Heaven evil", what would be the point of that? You think the writers are THAT dumb?

Sera....seems to be the one in charge of making the decisions, but she's not evil, she's just doing what she thinks is right for Heaven. I'm pretty sure her mind can be changed. And Emily is so so so much like Charlie that them singing together was satisfying as heck! Adam and Lute are the clear bad guys here....

I love the confusion of "How isn't Angel rising to Heaven?" and how it kinda parallels to how Adam, who was once human, is still IN Heaven. Just cuz they're dead, doesn't mean they can't change. Vaggie had her wings torn off and fell. That could be Adam by the end of the show. But, what about someone in Hell rising to Heaven? Not even the angels have the answer. Because they're not evil. I LOVE that.

-Speaking of Emily and Charlie being alike, yeah, that second song was INCREDIBLE! Do I like it more than "Hell Is Forever" (which I've been listening too soooooo much over the week)? That's a high bar, so I dunno....but I love how this song is a follow-up to it, and it's very climactic.

-AUSTRALIAN CHERRI HECK YEEEEEAAAAA!!! Angel standing up to Val in....in only their....second episode together? Uhhhhh, aren't we moving too fast- I mean HECK YEEEEAAAA!! Drunk Niffty HECK YEEEAAAAA!!! More Huskerdust on the side HECK YEEEEAAA!!!

.....The running gag with Sir Pentious killed me. XD His obvious crush is so cute. Definitely a highlight for me. Better luck next time, dude.

-But yeah....my favorite thing about the episode (besides learning that Heaven isn't evil) is the Vaggie thing. I'm REALLY on the edge of my seat to see how this goes! Oooooo.....I-I'm so nervous! Obviously Charlie's not gonna be MAD, but....OK, maybe she'll be mad? But she won't STAY mad....I-I can't believe I'm looking forward to drama between those two....They've been so wholesome.....but I dunno, I wanna see a story about them, I guess....

[shadesofgrace88]

I watched Elemental for a second time last Friday night. It was really neat to take in more of the details (background, music, character design, etc.) this time--while also still enjoying the movie. I really wanted to appreciate it on the big screen again and help the box office (even if it was a little). It was just as exciting and touching to watch as the first time.

[I kind of wish this was the title screen in the movie, but alas...]

Now, some further thoughts...

🎨THE ART🎨

I got the art book as soon as it was available, but made myself wait until I watched the movie to open it. I got it a month before the movie released. Legit left the plastic on, haha. The art in it is so mesmerizing. I do wish some of the behind-the-scenes 3D stuff had been added as well, or even a single layout from the movie. (hopefully some bonus features for the DVD!)

As much as I love and admire 2D art (which the art book is full of), I'm not sure if that alone would have displayed the emotions this movie needed and portrayed as deeply. I'm also pretty sure 3D has always been Pixar's thing anyways...Correct me if I'm wrong though!

But reading through the art book and learning about how they handled the process, how long they studied certain things for animating and creating this world was so fascinating. Finding ways for it to connect and work together made my art-loving heart so giddy. I remember coming across a Twitter post where one animator talked about how they managed to animate fire hugging by putting two matches together. Sounds simple, but it's so interesting and with the level of lively detail given to the fire characters, I imagine it was difficult to construct and render.

On the second watch, noticing when Ember lit up when happy was so cool. It wasn't just a smile or happiness of the eyes, but the entire character! I also found the stretch and squish of the characters to be really fun and cute. How the different elements reacted to their world was cool. Wade's hair! It's a wave that constantly moves! There's so much detail hidden in so many little things. The way they reflect onto one another. The glow from her fire. I love the outline to their characters. I think the art book referred to it like a membrane? It's more visually pleasing being kind of sketchy and not just a slab of bold lineart.

There are so many stunning panoramic scenes throughout the movie that showcase the brilliance of the world-building and characters. Such as the rainbow shot in the gif below. I honestly love the underwater scene so much. I found it more romantically alluring than even the Tangled boat scene.

💞THE ROMANCE💞

It's not just a slap-them-together-and-call-them-a-couple kind of romance, in my opinion. They have a plausible meet cute into not really "enemies," but they each have their reasons for the events that mesh them together. They have arguments. Like, realistic arguments...For a "kids movie." (I honestly hate that mindset so much because I prefer animation over live action stuff, but that's an entire essay, so moving on). The arguments aren't petty and stupid or miscommunication. They help each other to grow without being controlling or overbearing. And omigosh, THE CONFESSION! The date montage!

The romcom moments matched the evolution of a typical romcom beat sheet. (I'm writing a few myself so I've referred to it often). They have individuality as much as being a unified couple. Their relationship progresses fluidly along with the story. Low key kinda sad the gif below was just promotional, haha. She's like a gremlin teasing him 🤣

🎶THE MUSIC🎶

Gosh, the music. I get so excited with how well it matches the movie overall, and how well it crencendoes and grows quieter at just the perfect moments. There are so many scenes where it's just chef's kiss, but I don't want to spoil them, so...yeah. It's so whimsical. The Firish music is imagative and charming. Some of the musical bits reminded me of Spyro the Dragon, which is my favorite game series.

Thank you Thomas Newman for bringing Elemental alive with such a gorgeous score. And to Lauv--"Steal the Show" is such a bop.

✍️THE WRITING✍️

One critique I've seen a lot from people is how the story is unoriginal. To be honest, tropes exist for a reason. It's not the tropes that's the problem, it's how they're executed. And Elemental does it splendidly. Me personally being a hopeless romantic, I of course adore the romantic aspect of the film, but the relationship between Ember and her father is so vital to the story. It's practically why the story even kind of exists. Especially after watching it the second time and catching how many beat sheet moments align with her and her dad. When Ember said THAT near the end, I was crying even more, because...relatable.

As for the immigration part of the story, I can't speak much on it since I haven't had to experience that. It doesn't feel like my place to talk about, but from what I've read from others who can relate to that, they've mentioned it being well done. I hope this message of the story can find more audience, because as much as I enjoyed the trailers (that teaser was perfection--no plot spoilers, simple, cute, awesome introduction to the setting and characters), the official trailer and TV spots did not do justice to the heart of the story, in my opinion. I really kind of despise how much they advertised the "toot toot" joke when it could've involved more about the central theme of the movie. Like I said, Ember's relationship with her dad is so important.

Whoever marketed it as "Romeo & Juliet," I have a question...Why??? That play is a TRAGEDY. Just because "they can't be together" should not have meant they passed the advertising as a story similar to Romeo and Juliet. Wade and Ember are also more clever, lol. People are saying they haven't seen Elemental marketed, while others say it's been everywhere (signs, billboards, etc.). BUT, either way it was marketed poorly. The official trailer really should've delved more into the family and father/daughter dynamic more. For releasing Father's Day weekend, why was that not a decision during marketing???

By the way, it's not just Zootopia but with elements like I've seen people saying. This is an actual romcom, meaning the romance is actually crucial in it. I ship Nick and Judy, but it's not confirmed--let's wait for Zootopia 2 though, which announced back in January. Both films handle discrimination (and I love Zootopia), but where Zootopia has an actual villain, the "villain" of Elemental is the pressure Ember feels being an immigrant daughter and the opposites attract. External forces vs internal. Just because it's a modern city in both films, it really seemed like it had to be that way for Elemental. Like how the elements live among their world. The intro scene when the parents first arrive paint such a good image of the setting immediately.

I also feel like Wade and Ember are older characters. At least 20s, considering the passage of time mentioned and worrying about careers. Which is cool to me as an older audience member. I really want Elemental to survive and possibly maybe continue the story in some way, but after reading an article stating that a writer said there was going to be a baby at the end...Like, please don't. Let them live first, lol. As a couple. As Ember getting new experiences. Let her have her internship. What's Wade doing after they move? If they did a kid route, please do it as an epilogue or later short like Carl's Date. I just hate how society/movies/books are like "the couple has to have kids to prove their love" kind of thing. Bro, I think Wade has proved his love...

Anyways...

The casting was also terrific! Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie really did an awesome job bringing Ember and Wade to life. The emotion in so many scenes hits hard. Side characters were done really well too. I know some people wanted air and earth to be shown more, but maybe they could be more in the future? In the art book, the reason water founded Element City was because it was assumed the most opposite to fire.

I've read that people will just wait until it's on Disney+ because of fast releases anyways. Cheaper too, I guess. But Elemental really deserves to be enjoyed at the theaters with good sound quality and epic graphics. As much as I can't wait to own this movie to re-watch at home whenever I want, I'd gladly wait an extra few months to let Elemental shine in theaters to try to make it's money back and more.

Again, I'm begging people to give Elemental a try. It touches on so much more than romance, even though it did an amazing job as an official animated romcom. Family is a subject that is just as important to the core of the film. It's fun, funny, and artistically and musically awesome.

Thank you to Peter Sohn for pitching Elemental. For getting this story told and made. Thank you to each and every Pixar crew member who helped bring this world alive. I appreciate your time and effort put into this movie so so so much. You deserve so many awards and love for this project 🩷

PS, hubby found the classic Pixar "A113." Did you spot it?

[shinymisty-blog]

The Supporting Cast

I wish the list of recurring characters in the show was longer. I love these characters and feel like they could have done so much more if given another episode or two to flesh themselves out just a bit more. But…we aren’t here talking about the one-offs. We are here talking about those who did have multiple episodes.

A few characters who appear more than once that I won’t add here are characters like Lady Windermere and Lionel, who only really appear with a character attached to them in one episode, and Athair, who only appears during the Chaos Emerald Crisis Arc, which is already going to be in its own 

Disclaimers and notes for this particular post: •Be warned: These posts are often just MASSIVE walls of text! I have the "Keep Reading" tab there for a reason! •While there is no real order to these, I’ll try to keep things in order of relevance. •There will be times when I'll reference something that involves things that would be more relevant after the 40 episodes. During these headcanons, I'll place a nice little ✨ to indicate that it is one of those headcanons. (Everything mentioned will have some sort of explanation if needed). Think of it as a sneak peek at the story I am working on. •If I happen to update anything within this post, I’ll reblog it with the tag #Sonic Underground Project Update, along with a note on which information was updated. 

Links: Master Post | The Origin’s Arc  

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Bartleby ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

Sir Bartleby MontClair of Dresdin! I love this damn mink so much, holy shit. I had no idea I would, but getting ready for the project I had THOUGHT this mink was heavily tied with Sleet and Dingo and, thus, started headcanoning things for him and their interactions…

Only to find out they only work together in, like, two episodes. 

Thankfully, by the end of the series, I grew attached to Bartleby. I genuinely believe Bartleby to be the character who had the BEST arc in the show, so the fact that the most important part of his arc was when the series was canceled REALLY stings. Why couldn’t they have had a line or cameo or SOMETHING  of Bartleby adjusting to life in the Resistance Base? Ah well, that is why we have fan fiction.

Also…I am on the side of shipping Bartleby with Sonia. I smiled whenever they were together, and by the end, it felt genuine. Bartleby gave up EVERYTHING for Sonia. 

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•.

➣Bartleby’s birthday is in late April. As a birthday gift, he is allowed to hold a celebratory party for the other aristocrats. 

➣When they were children, Bartleby and Sonia would get into some trouble, as kids do. His mother was very strict and would punish him severely, making him rather complacent as a young adult. ✨Sleet helps him get out of this. And is surprisingly supportive of the mink. 

 ➣While Sonia snuck out of the house as a child, Bartleby would often tag along with her. If they were caught, he’d act as if he was staying with her to keep her safe, but the reality was that he enjoyed getting out of the house, free from his mother.

➣At an older age, Bartleby picked up fencing. ✨He continued learning both offensive and defensive movement when he started working with Sleet and Dingo, who offered to teach him the basics. He enjoys it quite a lot. 

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Trevor ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

While we don’t get much of him, I really like Trevor. But we… don’t get much of the poor guy. He is a friend of Sonic’s, so that’s cool.

I do find it funny that he is designed to make you think he’s not much for technology…he is shown to be a bit of a mechanic. But this is legit all we know about him.

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•

➣In case it isn’t canon, Trevor is a mouse. (A Deer Mouse to be exact)

➣Trevor was born at the start of spring. (Late March) He is also the youngest of the group, and the only one to have been born after Robotnik took over. 

➣When he was an infant, Trevor lost his family in a raid attack. Due to this, he doesn’t anything about his family or when he was born. 

➣Because of the raid, he was a part of the first generation to grow up in Sanctuary, a fact he isn’t completely happy to admit. 

➣His eye color is hazel. 

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Cyrus ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

I grew to enjoy Cyrus a lot during my original journey. He had good character growth and seemed to hold a lot of weight as a member of the Resistance. He is able to relate with the triplets as the other mobian who has a family member that was Roboticized (that we are told). Unlike the triplets, however, he was able to give his father a proper farewell.

He has a good arc, and some can argue was finished…but I personally felt his story wasn’t finished. But yeah. Technically, he had a finished arc. I just feel it was missing something.

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•

➣Cyrus was born in late Winter. (December/January) He was born the same year the triplets were, making him 16.

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Knuckles ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

I don’t have much thought about Knuckles. He wasn’t ever my favorite Sonic character. Nonetheless, I am glad he did fall exactly into his gimmick of “being a gullible idiot.” He wasn’t immune to it, but that at least gave him some character.

I…do not like his sudden relationship with Sonia, though. It felt forced and out of nowhere. 

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•

➣Though, technically not a headcanon, he was born in late winter/early spring (February)

➣Also not completely a headcanon, his eye color is purple.

➣His mistrust in every mobian was there even before the show. ✨ It also lingers after the war, too.

➣Knuckles also doesn’t forgive too easily, either. If a mobian did him wrong, he would not let them forget it. 

[bisluthq]

I'm new on your blog. So if you allow me to ask, which kind of books do you usually read?

I personally usually read thriller/suspense, mystery like those books that have people disappearing or there's criminal investigations, the romance genre in general but I specially like historical ones (but not like connected to royalty, more like historical periods. I read a lot of books with World War I and II as background. Just finished the other day an autobiography kind of book of two jewish brothers that ran away from the nazis) and those where there's a lot of drama and suspense with the romance as in it's not like plain romance. I noticed the book you mentioned is historical romance, even though I never heard of it. Have you ever read anything from Lesley Pearse? She's the one that got me hooked in that genre.

I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy and sci-fi - just general genres that start for reality -, but every once in a while I give it a try if something catches my attention. I usually also don't read YA books or those recommended on tiktok, because I feel like that kind of writing is not really for my age range anymore 😂 I'm not exactly a teen, so the romance in those books is like eh...I usually say it's too much water with sugar

I have been trying to catch up on reading a lot of those classic books, cause I confess that I was never really into reading them. Since my first language is not English, the books you are required to read for school are the classical ones of my own language yk so it was never really a requirement, but I do think it's important. I even caught these beautiful editions that was like a magazine collection thing every two weeks. They did it to more than 50 classical books and I got a handful. I'm a sucker for beautiful covers 🤭

I read a looooot of different things. I have read some Lesley Pearce books. If you enjoy that kind of stuff, some other quite mainstream writers to look at would be Lucinda Riley (I really like her work - it’s super well researched, like I’ve legit learned things about places/historical periods in those places from her books and the storylines are really great), Kate Morton (she also takes inspiration from a range of genres), Mary Chamberlain (again, insanely well researched because she’s a history professor actually but there’s always a lot of romance and stuff and also she’s a very cool person idk), this is a specific book that I think you might enjoy - it’s kinda a historical detective story but in a weird way and there’s a lot of personal intrigue which is When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro and you will almost definitely enjoy The Remains of the Day also by him (but most of his other stuff is fantasy/sci fi tbh). Ken Follett writes epic stories (he does both detectives/thrillers and historical books but not really heavy on the romance - always a bit but not like romance books per se). Also you could try Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah (not strictly romance but there is some and it’s such an interesting story and history that I’d known very little about). Idk those are some to try that I think you’d like. If you’ve read any of them lemme know and I can suggest other things too lol.

also it’s quite dreadfully written (but not as bad as a lot of BookTok faves actually) but Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance (not the sequels) is a fucking EPIC story lmao. It’s also easy to read. And the sex scenes are weirdly kinda hot lmao even though it’s very fade to black haha. Like it’s not as good in terms of trying to read to improve your English vocab or interest in literature but the plot is 👌🏼😂

As I say, I’m always happy to suggest books to people because I read a lot! I try to do like at least two “serious” books a month (either nonfiction or contemporary fiction of various genres or whatever) and then I read a couple romcoms/random detective things sometimes parallel to that if I just want something that’s fun or some poetry parallel to it if I find something new or a poet I like releases a new collection and like maybe once or twice a year, I read a classic-ish thing I haven’t read before but because of how much I “had” to read when studying and “have” to read to teach, there aren’t thaaaat many I haven’t read and actively want to lol. So yeah I’m always reading something or several somethings.

In terms of The House of Doors idk man it’s a bit of a weird book so I can’t say I’m not enjoying it but it also wouldn’t specifically be something I’d be recommending, it’s just something I’m trying rn.

[djsherriff-responses]

It’s unfortunate that BGE2 ain’t coming out anytime soon or likely nowhere near our lifetime cause the world established in BGE is so fascinating and what they’ve been saying for this story sounded so interesting.

A game where you start off in the lowest rung of society and joining a pirate crew led by Jade’s mom for freedom is already awesome but I would have loved to explore the socioeconomic disparity of it all.

I mean a world where everyone becomes sterile so they have to use cloning to make kids would not be ideal. I mean we can assume that the elites likely monopolize the cloning facilities and exploits it to leave people and hybrids in poverty for them to use as cheap labor. Was Pey’j born in a lab for that labor or maybe to be a pet by some rich family until they just threw him out as he got older.

Was Jade born that way via cloning as well or considering what we learn of her in BGE1 was she actually different from others. I have all these questions and more

BGE 2 Has the world record for game in longest development I believe? At least it has that lmao

While there's legit concerns about if it'll be worth the wait when it does release and if it'll ever actually release, I do have hope that Ubisoft at least cares about the project. Compared to how careless they treated The Crew by making the game unplayable and how Rayman has only gotten recent attention thanks to cameos , Ubisoft or at least someone high up there is ensuring the lights stay on for BGE 2

I think the fact BGE got a 20th anniversary remaster says quite a lot, especially compared to how Ubisoft never bothered with Rayman's 20th anniversary. Not saying Ubisoft is a good company or that BGE 2 is guaranteed to be a good game , just that it's treatment by Ubisoft is an expectation compared to other IPs

But anyways yeah the game's concept sounds interesting (even though it seems like it changed a lot during development) and it'd be cool to explore the world building, hybrids especially

[creativeafterdark]

Chapter 9 and 10

Heyo folks taking a @journeythroughjourneytothewest

Had to take a break from book club last week, burn out was very bad. But I've had a week to relax, celebrated my birthday and slept most of the day lol. Let's get back into Journey to the West

First: Chapter 9.

We finally meet our Monk and learn the story of his family!

We don't spend a lot of time learning about them (minus his Dad, gets a thumbs up from me. Kind to all and easy going enough to be like "I got hit by a ball-- oh I'm married now? Okay cool". Like talk about a shotgun wedding), but we do see little bits that remind me of our Monk. He does share his kindness with his Dad, and I genuinely think his anxiety is from his mom. I'll talk about her in a minute because she is a whole other thing.

My one question is... wouldn't other officials notice that Liu Hong, essentially becoming Chen E, had no idea what he was doing??? He went on business trips, did no one recognize he wasn't who he said he was????? I mean you would think anyone who took the exams with him who got positions would be like "uh... that's not him tf??". Or they just did not care. Who knows at this point. Apparently he had Six Eared Macaque level disguise skill, rolled a nat 20 in bullshitery.

Now. Lady Yin. The poor lady went through hell for over 18 years. She had to watch her husband get murdered, had to abandon her baby, and had to play wife to a murderer. Even when her husband came back... I'm not surprised she still ended up passing. That's a lot of guilt (and I'm sure Liu Hong was not kind to her) on her mind for a LONG period of time, nearly two decades. I wish there was a happy ending for the family but I get why it ended how it did, knowing what depression and anxiety can do to people.

Now our baby Monk. Our Xuanzang. I am so proud of him for being as brave as he was. This recently turned 18 year old did everything he could to help his family. Licking his grandma's eyeballs was...a choice. But it was for a good cause so good on him. I can see why he was a good choice as the Scroll Pilgrim.

And as promised, a sketch of Xuanzang

And as a bonus baby Monk with a doggo

But now we move to Chapter 10.

...I legit got annoyed going thru the debate between the fisherman and woodman. Like it went on far longer than it should have. I'm sure there was a profound moment that we're supposed to glean from it but I just wasn't receptive to it. Maybe I'll read it again.

Anyway.

I have been doing some looking into of Chinese historical heroes (I desperately want to read Romance of the three kingdoms, and I need more reading material about folk heroes and heroines) so seeing some references to the stuff I learned made me happy. There was mention of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang and the painting of The Emporer's Generals on the doors (supposedly the Tang dynasty is where this practice was first used. A few three kingdom folks also get this treatment as door gods, or menshen, along with other important heroes and deities. Makes me wonder if the Emperor essentially deified his Generals and Wei Zheng. How does Heaven handle that?)

Fun fact! In my jttw x mythology story Wukong will work with Asena, mythical wolf mother of the Ashina Clan of Gokturks. Guess which dynasty of China had to deal with them a lot? :)

Anyway.

I've also come to the conclusion that Dragons just like to fuck around and find out. Like, the Dragon King just goes against heaven's orders to spite a very accurate fortune teller, does not even THINK of the consequences, and is surprised Pikachu face when he gets in trouble. Also not sure why he thought appealing to an earthly emporer would save him from THE SUPREME DAOIST DEITY'S JUDGMENT. Like, y'all, I'm beginning to think dragons just don't give a crap or just don't think. Got what he deserved for being dumb. Did the emporer make promises he shouldn't have? No doubt, you don't promise supernatural beings anything because it will make you want to die if they catch wind of you breaking promises, regardless of nationality. Did he deserve what he got? .... I mean historically probably but in the sense of this story, no.

I find the Tang dynasty interesting (because it gave us a certain Empress and had some fun female warriors, like Taizong's sister, who helped her father found the dynasty) and I can definitely thank jttw for getting my attention about it.

I think that's all I have as far as thoughts. And I apologize if my rambles just jumped around too much lol.

Over and out ✌️

[aroninshonour]

Hello!! :)

Could you do 🐍(fav kind of serpentine), 💎 (fave realm) and 📺(fave season and why) for the ninjago ask game? Thank you :D

Fhskfjqkfjej YESS !!

Okok so my fav kind of serpentine is definitely the Constricti, I think they are so cool and and and I love the blacks and the oranges and the grays and dhfkwjtkwjtjektje (I have a thing for like. The ground. Or like. Earth themes I guess)

My favorite Realm is definitely the Departed Realm, idk it just kinda...draws me in, in a way- yk? Like, uhm- ghosts and the death that surrounds it is interesting to me I suppose. It's ghosts have a ton of different stories too, and I like to imagine that the Departed realm can be exactly what a ghost wants it to be, at least in that ghosts view of it, if ykwim?

Controversial opinion, but it's Skybound. It's kinda always been my favorite season, even with the addition of other seasons after it.

Skybound, to me at least, gives the characters development that they needed, even if it's pretty much ignored after the season.

Jay, making the mistakes he does in the beginning, is able to learn from them and makes himself better about it by the end.

Nya is able to express how she feels about, well, everything. How she's always been defined by someone else, how she's just considered the 'girl ninja'. Her and Jay getting to have that talk is something really special that I think will always hold something special too it.

Nadakhan, although I hope he dies horrid painful deaths an infinate amount of times over, was an absolutely amazing villian. He did everything wrong in the right way. He was legit just an amazing villian, the trickery, the hostages, his demands, torture, the way he *knew* how to break someone, the control he has over basically everything is terrifying. All the way to the end he was a great bad guy, he had everything under control...until he didn't. Until he let his guard down after he got his infinite wishes. I could go on for hours talking about him but I'm not going too-)

This season we got reveals about Jay and his parents, we got a team up we never thought would happen, we got characters too (ECHOECHOECHOECHO) I dunno it just did so many things right. Although I don't like that they randomly made Dareth sexist- that was dumb -

So yes, Skybound has a ton of things wrong with it, but it also has so much to love about it, at least it does to me. (So do the other seasons but this ain't about them)

And the last wish Jay made, I know tons of people hate that because the show just ignored all the character development and all, but honestly I don't know what else he could've done. If he hadn't made that wish, and he chose to make it so Nadakhan wasn't a dijjn, then Nya would've died(No one wants that. I hope...) and Lloyd probably would've continued to get older because the wish was never actually reversed(Unless Nadakhans magic being gone reverses it but idk...)

So yeah, Skybound has its flaws and it's got it's good bits, But I love it regardless. (Prime Empire is second by the way...damn my favs are all Jay and Nya suffering...crazy)

Oh and also I think they should've waited a season or two before putting Nya and Jay together again, maybe could've gave them a little recovery arc and then putting them together......but they didn't which is sad but ykw whatever it's fineeeeeeeeee...I guess

[ben-talks-art]

You know what's a big shame about Star vs the forces of evil?

There were actually a lot of really good messages being talked about in this series, and it's unfortunate that nobody ever brings them up.

I know it's mostly been associated with how much of a letdown its finale and management of the constant shipping and switching was, but... There were a lot of other things that were really good and well-handled in this series

I like how in the season 1 finale Star loses half of her wand and needs to re-learn how to control her powers, in fact, every season basically ends with her losing something and having to learn how to deal with it.

She loses her magic, her mom, her home, her best friend, her throne... She's always dealing with the consequences of the challenges she faces and the choices she makes, and that's very important to note cause the entire premise of episode one is her needing to learn responsibility and about the weight her power holds.

I also like how Star seems to form actual friendships with her cast of characters. In many series the main lead will just bond with a character in one episode and then we will only see them again in the background until the finale when we need everyone to come together for some big epic battle or something... But here, she's constantly hanging out with Buff Frog, Janna, Tom, Eclipsa, her parents, and the members of the magic council.

And a lot of these friendships start off so weird that it makes you think they wouldn't work, but they somehow always do.

There also tons of episodes with some really good lines where characters throw some concepts that I don't see often in other series, even today.

Like there is one episode where they play some weird magic version of Truth or Dare and Star mentions how the things they say aren't really lies cause sometimes people just don't know how they feel. That's such a great line!

There is another where Star tells Tom she doesn't even know what teens her age do anymore cause she's been spending so much time just working on trying to fix her kingdom for the last two or three seasons.

It's actually crazy to hear that and realize how much this girl changed from episode 1 to who she becomes in season 4. Star from episode 1 would NEVER say a line like that.

One of my favorites though is at the finale of season 1 when Star's parents just exchange a worried look and go "I don't know if we're doing the right thing." once they let Star go after losing half her wand. It sets a nice tone of "Where are we going with this...?" that carries through the rest of the show.

The show also tries to subvert a lot of old tired tropes by throwing some very interesting ideas like making Star's love interests become actual friends early in the story, have the weird bird bad guy from season 1 go through a self-discovery journey where he has to start from scratch after losing everything, and while they do pair up Star and Marco in the end in a very underwhelming way, I like how both of them go through their own series of love interests before arriving there.

It wasn't just "Oh, he/she is the one!" They actually try out things with other people before realizing what they really want.

And a lot of the plot twists are legit fascinating.

The story behind Meteora is my favorite part of the entire show. Again, they take this joke villain from season 1 and turn it into this massive conspiracy where the people in charge strip a mother from her child in order to keep the power in the hands of those they want.

I don't even know what might go through a kid's head while watching this.

There also lots of other cool twists like Toffe's plan to end magic, the identity of Eclipsa's husband, the meaning behind Star's butterfly form and how they handle it by just allowing it to run free and observe where it goes.

I don't know, this show just had a ton of fun ideas, and they handled them, most of the time, in fun ways.

A lot of other times they were handled in super clunky ways, yes, and sometimes the build-up to certain events could be way too slow, the shipping teasing got annoying after a while, and some resolutions were a tad anti-climatic...

There definitely are a lot of problems in Star vs. Foe, but at times it feels like when people talk about it, they treat it like there's nothing good, like they wish this never existed, like the Marco and Star endgame is the only thing worth talking about and... no there are tons of things worth talking about in here.

It had low lows, but also some really good highs, and I'm glad I saw it and glad it existed.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Walk on the Ocean (20x03)

Man, lotsa juicy drama in this one.

Cons:

I thought Winston having a subplot about giving up on his marriage with Maggie was a little weird and unnecessary. I legit hadn't realized we were supposed to think they were still trying to work on their relationship. Maggie left him and Winston seemed pretty firm on what that meant. Or am I misremembering?

The main catastrophe of this episode features a man who gets extravagantly injured trying to imitate the jet-setting adventurous behavior of his wife's ex-husband, in order to prove to himself and to her that he's cool enough. I felt like thematically this was kind of basic and didn't really connect to the characters as much as I wanted, and then the poor wife at the end when she shows up and learns that her husband is dead... she wasn't the strongest actor, unfortunately. The crying needed some work.

Pros:

I kind of love the Teddy and Meredith scenes because Teddy and Meredith aren't like... good close best friend family forever? They're just two people who have known each other and have people in common, and I felt like the actors brought that energy in a way that was refreshing. They're colleagues, and yet there's also that deeper level of camaraderie there. When Catherine shows up, Teddy covers for Meredith and then gets brought into the secret of the research Meredith and Amelia are doing. Looks like Teddy is going to be able to move some discretionary funds their way, so that's exciting stuff!

I'm loving Levi getting some screentime, especially because it also highlighted his friendship with Jo! That really is one of my favorite relationships on the show these days, and we truly don't see enough of it. I gotta say, Nico really behaves like a jerk for not telling his partner that Levi is his ex, but at the same time, I think Jo is right: Levi's hurt feelings aren't about having feelings for Nico, it's about seeing his ex move on and take these big steps in his life. Their conversation at the end was great, it had that difficult bittersweet intimacy of exes who used to know each other really well. Nico is able to tell the story of how they're having a kid, and they can joke around a bit, showing how well they still know each other. Two moments I really loved was Levi knowing how big a deal it would be for Nico to leave the pizza behind, and Nico's soft reaction of delight in learning that Schmitt is Chief Resident. Also... the "Levon" thing made me laugh. We need more Levi subplots please! Find him some love!

And then let's turn to the various intern plots.

I really liked Blue's story again this week, he's still shaping up to be a fave. This new surgeon lady looks like she might be a great mentor for him, and also maybe an enemies-to-lovers situation for Amelia? Jury's out on that, but I would not be mad about it, tbh. But I love that Blue needs to keep getting that lesson reinforced about his demeanor with the patients. He knows his stuff medically, but he also needs to listen. Working in pediatrics really makes the case for how these things all blend together. It was the young patient's mother who noticed something off and decided to take her daughter in, thus saving her life!

And then, Yasuda vs. Lucas... dang, Adams, I was rooting for you! Just last week, I was saying that his anger with Simone was totally justified and I got why he was being such a grump, but this week, he really crossed a line for me. I thought the moment when he failed to say something to Bailey was interesting, that felt like the kind of believable dick move that someone makes in the moment and then it's too late to change it, but for him to dig his heels in later with Yasuda, after being an asshole and leaving her on her own all day? Wow, seriously not the thing. I was totally on Yasuda's side and was annoyed at Simone for daring to accuse Yasuda of not trying to move on. She's the one who has been playing nice and trying to be everyone's friend! Yeesh!!

And then we see that Lucas has moved out of the house. I have a feeling we're going to have to deal with a certain threshold of moping Adams as we work out the issues going on here. I hope Yasuda just lives her best life and crushes it and doesn't let Lucas's nonsense slow her down. Or Simone's either, honestly. (As a side note, loving Simone's hair in this ep, she looked fantastic.)

I think I'll stop there - lots of moving pieces, most of them compelling enough to keep my interest. Loving the opportunity for more Levi, more of the interns, less Owen/Teddy, less Jo/Link... for those reasons, this episode is a win for me!

9/10

[ecargmura]

A Sign Of Affection Episode 7 Review - Yuki's Job Hunt Struggles

To be honest, the fact that Itsuomi went traveling as soon as he confessed to Yuki did get me slightly worried due to whether he’d communicate or not, but they all went away as I kept watching the episode. Itsuomi does a great job giving updates to Yuki whenever he can. I’m glad he does put in effort to communicate and not ghost her.

Seeing Yuki going through job hunting made me get war flashbacks of my job hunting days. When I was fresh out of college, I had a hard time finding work. Writing jobs for English majors either consisted of having 5+ years of experience or having a Masters’ degree of sorts; I had none at the time, so I was a bit stumped until I landed my first job at a bank. Fortunately, I do have enough experience to look for a new job now that my resume is a lot fuller than before. I understand her struggle so well. It sucks getting rejected over and over again. However, unlike me who was pessimistic back then, Yuki kept holding her head high and would keep trying again even if she got rejected. I like her attitude! I always say that Yuki has so much personality for someone so reserved and I stand by it! Even if she has a disability, she never lets that get to her!

A new character shows up. Oushi’s sister Mio seems like a cool girl, unlike her brother. Mio picked up sign language out of habit and so she can communicate with Yuki when they were kids. As she got older, she forgot her sign language. Since Mio seems to have noticed Yuki has the glow that people have when they’re in love, she realizes Yuki’s in love, but whether she suspects it to be her brother or not is a different story. Her demeanor towards Oushi signals that she has a hunch it’s not him, but still supports him regardless.

It seems that Oushi has a dream of being a sign language interpreter as he has continued keeping up with it. While it’s a wonderful job to have, I just hope he wants to become one because he wants to help out deaf people and not just earn points in Yuki’s book. Yuki did point out that sign language interpreters are usually female, so it’s going to be cool to see Oushi try to tear down gender norms. If only his attitude was a little better…

Itsuomi returns to Japan and meets up with Yuki. While it has been a month since they last met, the first thing Itsuomi does is kiss Yuki. Like, dang, that was fast. I was legit surprised it was so fast because they just confessed last episode. Not only that, they had their first date at a soba restaurant too! Or does that not count as a date? I’m just surprised on how fast they are progressing with the dating part of their relationship because some stories like to drag out the first kiss scenes for a while and such. It does make me wonder what else they are going to do in their dating phase as they already did the most important stuff like confession, dates, and kisses already. Will the fast progression slow down later on? I’m curious.

I’m curious on why Itsuomi wants to introduce Yuki to Shin. Is it to let Emma know that he’s no longer available? What will happen with Emma if she learns about this? I do feel like the story is going to set it up so that Shin and Emma get together after some ups and downs and maybe Oushi will get together with Izumi, the girl who owns the Pomeranian? What are your thoughts about this episode?