#This is exactly why I hate immortal tropes

[littldoctor]

When he talks with Sarah for the first time in years.

Doctor who – S2E3 – School Reunion

He's so smiley during the whole thing and so delighted to have her in front of him again.

[nyoomerr]

Maybe some Omega Bingge for the drabble requests if you'd like? The ficlet you did of him making the nest lives rent free in my head

i'm glad you enjoyed it! i'd honestly love to do a longer omega!bingge thing some time, i love him so much... for now, here's something that's.. kind of the opposite of the one i wrote last time.

cw for omegaverse and Gender Stuff and mentions of female genitalia on a male character!

---

Proud Immortal Demon Way had many flaws, but top of the list had been that it had been an omegaverse - one of the few tropes in literature literally made for bad porn. It was a sellout’s last resort, and a reader’s most shameful pleasure, and -

“If you hate it so much, why are you still reading it?” Shen Yuan’s sister had asked him years ago, back when Shen Yuan had still bothered to complain to her about it.

Frustratingly, Shen Yuan hadn’t had much to say in response. He had reasons, but they were - not shameful, exactly, but the thought of speaking them aloud made Shen Yuan’s gut roil.

Luo Binghe was the picture perfect image of a stallion protagonist. Women fell to his feet with hardly a breath of effort, and his stamina in bed was unheard of, and he was naturally the best looking character Shen Yuan had ever laid eyes on. 

He was also, shockingly, an omega. 

An omega, someone born with instincts that would thematically tend towards feminine behavior, someone born with the bits meant for being bred, someone - someone altogether unfit to be a stallion protagonist, really. It was a massive subversion of the genres. 

Of course, Airplane never wrote it in such an interesting way. There were some interesting character arcs back in the disciple era chapters, but once Luo Binghe fell to the Abyss, they all fell apart. 

The very mention of secondary genders all but vanished. Sex scenes were as rampant as they were vague, enforcing the idea that Luo Binghe was a perfect stallion protagonist - always on top! - without giving any details about how the hell that worked. 

Useless! A waste of a perfectly fascinating subversion of genre and gender alike! Why bother even establishing an omegaverse world if you weren’t going to use the protagonist’s secondary gender at all?!

…Or so Shen Yuan had thought, until Luo Binghe himself had fallen straight into his bedroom out of a crack in reality. Because in person, Luo Binghe as an omega is - 

Shen Yuan swallows thickly, staring up at Luo Binghe with wide eyes. Luo Binghe meets his gaze evenly, his eyes half shut with a lazy sort of pride. His body is pressed close to Shen Yuan’s but not touching, and the mere inch between the lines of their bodies somehow feels more intimate than if Luo Binghe had outright plastered himself against Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan can’t back up; his back is already against a wall. He can’t escape from the sides, either, because Luo Binghe’s arms are bracketing Shen Yuan in an honest-to-fuck kabedon, and - 

“Yuan-er,” Luo Binghe croons, jolting Shen Yuan’s attention back to him. “This Lord found your… notes.”

Shen Yuan’s mouth goes dry. “Ah… my… college notes?” He tries.

“Your notes about me,” Luo Binghe purrs. 

“O-oh,” Shen Yuan says, helplessly. He wrote… a truly horrifying number of things about Luo Binghe, before he ever thought he might meet him.

“It seems,” Luo Binghe says, leaning in so that Shen Yuan can feel his breath against his lips, “like Yuan-er has some questions.”

“Um,” Shen Yuan says, very intelligently. “Questions, uh, yeah, sure, right, like - uh, like I was wondering how you escaped the Crystal Bloodmoon Cave in chapter 347, because it just faded to black and -”

“Yuan-er doesn’t want to know how I might use an omega’s clit to fuck someone else?” Luo Binghe asks, voice low and dangerous. 

Shen Yuan’s mouth falls slack. What - what do you even say in response to that, ah!! Shen Yuan doesn’t swing that way!!

…Or, if Luo Binghe is an omega, that’s - it’s a bit different from just being a man, right? So maybe -

“I’d show you,” Luo Binghe whispers into the shell of Shen Yuan’s ear. “Anything Yuan-er wants to know about me, I’ll show you.”

Luo Binghe pulls back slightly, just enough to meet Shen Yuan’s eyes again. His expression is dark and intense and hungry.

“I’ll show you,” he says again, licking his lips, “so don’t you dare look away from me.”

Shen Yuan shudders, an electric shock running up his spine. Luo Binghe shifts, one of his arms moving away from the wall to curl around Shen Yuan’s shoulders, the claws of  his hand scratching lightly against the nape of Shen Yuan’s neck.

The touch is enough to shock some sense back into Shen Yuan.

“I’m not - I don’t have a scent gland, there!” Shen Yuan yelps, jolting away.

He doesn’t get very far. Luo Binghe’s feather-light touch turns sharp, a forceful grip on the back of Shen Yuan’s neck that keeps him in place. Luo Binghe’s other hand comes up to take Shen Yuan’s chin between his fingers, tilting it up to force eye contact.

“You don’t,” Luo Binghe agrees, his eyes glinting red. “But as Yuan-er has… so thoroughly written about, I’m an omega. I shouldn’t be scruffing anyone to begin with, regardless of what sort of scent gland they have. What difference does it make, if there’s no scent gland at all?”

Shen Yuan’s pulse is loud in his ears. He knows Luo Binghe must feel it under his hands, jumping like a startled rabbit.

“I - um, I don’t mean to imply you shouldn’t do what you want!” Shen Yuan cries. “I mean, uh - My Lord! My Lord, I - of course this lowly one wouldn’t know anything about what my Lord should be doing, so -”

“Shh,” Luo Binghe coos. “Yuan-er is right. I shouldn’t be doing this, and yet I am anyway. I always am.”

“Right,” Shen Yuan says nervously. He can feel the way his shirt is sticking to his back, wet with sweat. 

“But Yuan-er has questions,” Luo Binghe continues, his grip loosening on Shen Yuan’s neck but curling so that his claws are once more pressed into the skin there. “And I have answers. Isn’t it good of me to offer to show you?”

“Right,” Shen Yuan says again, barely thinking. Then Luo Binghe’s mouth splits into a feral grin, and his words process with Shen Yuan, and - “Wait, wait -!”

“No take backs,” Luo Binghe says, vicious and pleased, and proceeds to show Shen Yuan quite thoroughly what it means to be a stallion protagonist omega.

---

Later, staring up at his ceiling and feeling unfairly winded, Shen Yuan figures he doesn’t really have much left to lose.

“Do you want to be an alpha?” He asks the ceiling. “Er - did you? This whole time?”

Luo Binghe’s attention on Shen Yuan is as heavy and intense as if it were a physical touch; Shen Yuan knows without looking that Luo Binghe has not taken his eyes off Shen Yuan once since - 

Ahem. Since… finishing. What they had been doing.

Now, Luo Binghe reaches out to twirl a finger in Shen Yuan’s hair, round and round and round the short locks, tugging at it hard enough it’s nearly painful. 

“Being an omega was a very dangerous thing, in all three realms,” Luo Binghe hums. “It wouldn’t have been an advantage to me to act like one.”

Shen Yuan sits upright, quite suddenly feeling a bit panicked. “I - you didn’t have to - if you didn’t want to, just now -!”

Luo Binghe grabs more of Shen Yuan’s hair and pulls, tugging Shen Yuan back down into a prone position. 

“So earnest, little Yuan-er,” Luo Binghe croons, and Shen Yuan feels his face go blotchy and red. “You have no need to worry; if it’s Yuan-er, I’ll do whatever you’d like.”

“But if you want something different -”

“Then I’ll demand it,” Luo Binghe says quite simply. “I’ll do whatever you’d like, and you’ll do whatever I’d like; that’s what I deserve.”

Shen Yuan splutters a bit but ultimately fails to protest this in any meaningful way. Luo Binghe plays with Shen Yuan’s hair for another long moment.

Finally, he says: “If it’s you, I wouldn’t mind trying it the way it’s supposed to be, I think.”

Shen Yuan turns to bury his face in his pillow. What a terrible thing to say to him! What is he supposed to say in response! It’s too much, too much - Shen Yuan really can’t possibly be expected to know what the right reply is!!

“...Don’t force yourself,” he mumbles into the pillow. “It’s - like I said, I don’t have scent glands, or a secondary gender at all. There is no ‘way it’s supposed to be,’ if it’s with me.”

Luo Binghe hums. He leans onto Shen Yuan, digging his chin into Shen Yuan’s shoulder painfully. Shen Yuan doesn’t bother to push him off. 

“Good,” Luo Binghe says. “Then: whatever I want, and whatever Yuan-er wants, and nothing more.”

[critterbitter]

What do you know- I'm trying out the askbox *eyes*

anyway I just wanted to say that high-key I think I'd follow any content you make at this point bc your art brings me so much joy. That doesn't tend to happen super often since i am,,,, very much so a hyperfixation-focused person HAHA

regardless I'm not exactly quiet about it but I adore your art and I look forward to each new time you post :D

I WISH i had the capability of pumping out art like you do bc man while I love to draw and have so many ideas all the time picking up the pencil is Hard Dude.

Also! In a recent post you mentioned the whole Twin Dragons AU and HC that people love to have- I'd be super curious as to your opinion on it!

-( ╹▽╹ )

I SEE YOUR TAGS AND IM.

I’ll have to slow down at some point on that Submas Grind, but the hyperfixation throes are REAL. Thank you for inhabiting the tunnels with me! People that tag and cheer artists on are the real mvps of the art economy.

As for twin dragon aus!

I’ve always seen Emmet as more zekrom esque, and Ingo more reshiram esque. Is it cause the typing matches their starters? Maybe, hehe.

Ultimately though, the guys are too multifaceted for me to easily split them into truth and ideals.

I also see the legendaries as Eldritch Abominations Beyond Understanding, so having the dragons in my iteration become the twins would, uh, have consequences. The funny goofy story would dip into horror territory instead. (Reshiram demands only truths, and anything not Absolute will burn. And zekrom’s ideals are beyond human understanding, and trying to understand the mad tangle of thunder would drive somebody insane.)

(I’m a huge tma fan. Can you see it? Man.)

((Also N’s a scary mofo for summoning reshiram. I’m digging directly into the whole “twin heroes have a civil war and it destroyed unova” backstory that pokemon set up, and the more I think about it the stronger my dread mounts at the idea of Zekrom OR Reshiram casually flying overhead.

But this is also just how I see the legendaries of the pokemon world! Lugia sinks islands. Groudon covers towns. Arceus loves the mortal world, and mourns because its immortality only brings grief. Giritina hates, because it’s the ghostly remains of every one of Arceus’s mistakes given drive, banished into the distortion realm. Normal stuff!)

You sly dog, you got me monologing! But here’s the tldr: Not sure i’ll ever make my own serious Dragon AU that follows my internal world building for pokemon. I’m too attached to my favorite trope: “the smallest people can still initiate the biggest of changes”, and I’m too attached to my other favorite trope: “legendaries are actually gods and you Should Be Frightened.”

So that’s why, in this essay, if the trio gets turned into pokemon, I’d make them route 1 run of the mill rats. Because rats can do whatever they want.

(Plus, patrats and pachirisu aren’t banned from the subway battles last I checked.)

If i had to make a goofy crack dragon au though, I think this would be the result:

The whole story would just be the trio and historians trying to figure out what the hell the twins got turned into, and concerns of other people becoming pokemon as well. So far, people are convinced they’re a paradox version of an archen. (I mean…)

(Alternate take of THAT, where elesa gets turned into a victini.)

[talkingaboutwhatiwant]

Got any cool Nevermore theories?

Using this question as an excuse to continue theorizing/mindless babbling.

"you'll be bones by sunrise" is a yummy little quote from our favorite apathetic bird. While for quite a while I was under the impression that Lenore wouldn't get her specter until the end of the series, but unless the entirety of S2 will consist of the one night, she might get it earlier. I have a hard time believing that the raven will be proven wrong in some capacity, so I see this as us being told that Lenore will get her specter, perhaps the raven's quote directly telling us she'll be a skeleton of some sort.

The passage to the land of the living. I'm not entirely sure why the gang can't just use their spectres to make the journey, maybe they can and they haven't thought about it (especially considering our heroine hasn't gotten hers yet) but nevertheless it seems like a good plot point and the rational way to get to the end.

I also wonder if any students have "recharged" enough to use their spectres, and if that'd help then against the wild hunt. Annabelle is shown in the finale very much so I'm danger, and Lenore wasn't exactly in a position to swoop in and save her.

The Curse

I've seen a lot of people theorizing that the stag is Leo, more specifically his spectre, so most of this ramble is going to be based on that idea. First off, if the stag is Leo's spectre, he likely has to constantly be in that form to keep from being eaten (to go with my assumption that spectres can't be eaten by the creatures running about) so ... how? The deans vaguely put out this idea that they and Nevermore as an academy are the ones that give the students the ability to "unlock" their spectres, but I don't support this idea. It's possible that the academy actually dampens the abilities of spectres, explaining how Theo could retain his for so long. The raven says something about the passage into new life being safe in the past, but also correlating to the creatures starving now, which seems to contradict as we don't know what the creatures eat, besides half-dead humans. Somehow the academy ruined the ecosystem, but only left predators? I don't know. I like to assume that the ecosystem involved the creatures feeding off of the traveling spirits, but not the ones who developed their spectres. The orbs present at the beginning of the series can't ALL be from Nevermore mishaps of past, right? Perhaps the reason Leo even is living as a spectre is he found out something about the deans and fled, perhaps growing enough strength with his spectre to retain it long enough to learn "the good old fashioned way" if you will, how to permanently retain it.

Another Leo theory is that he won the new life (as the deans said he was at the top of his class), and came back as one of these creatures. We're under the impression with the "second chance at life" statement that it means picking up where they left off in a Ride The Cyclone-esque way, but I don't like that idea so I'm choosing not to believe it. Besides my hate for the trope, the history of the dead traveling to the land of the living implies a reincarnation system, otherwise there'd be centuries of immortals to speak of. Perhaps Leo won the second chance, and had the rotten enough luck (perhaps from the "curse" that I don't really believe in but that's a different rant) to come back as one of these nightmarish creatures.

Annabelle and her spectre!!

I have a LOT of feelings about Annabelle and her spectre, so I'm going to try my best to make this readable.

First off, I don't believe that one can have a fake spectre, and while Annabelle had a memory planted that caused her to get hers, there must be enough truth to it. The deans are powerful, but I see spectres as an ancient mechanism, older than the Raven, (Supporting my theory that spirits used to develop their spectres on their own) and impossible to fake. Annabelle was killed before she was to be wed (the only way a lady in white can be) maybe she and Lenore got found out and were killed together, or something happened and they made a suicide pact of sorts (this one I'm not super fond of, but it makes some sense to me so I'm putting it in). It's also possible that in her spectral form, she has a deeper understanding, whether a subconscious thought, feeling, or something else entirely. Her and Lenore's situation is so unique and complex that many things are possible here, we just don't know.

It's important to note that these are loose theories without research, just my mind making connections for entertainment. Let me know if y'all agree, disagree, or have something to add on! Thanks for reading this far

[starz222]

6reeze / 5wirl : as popular tropes

scara - enemies to lovers | venti - friends to lovers xiao - miscommunication | kazu - mutual piningheizou - academic rivals cw not proof read might be ooc notes sorry no aether :( idk how to write him . also i hate kazuha's part

scara – enemies to lovers

goddamn raiden scaramouche. he just always had to be right, didn’t he? god, you just wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. he was so damn blunt all the time, but it was more annoying how he was right. he’s short and he’s especially mean when he opens his mouth. what’s there to even like!? one of the things you hate about him was how he found out about one of your most embarrassing secrets and told everyone.

“i hate him! i can’t stand to be in the same room as him.” you complain to your friend, childe. he raises his eyebrows at you, “looks like someone’s got a crush.” you scoff and roll your eyes at him, “c’mon, i hate the guy’s guts!” you furrow your eyebrows. childe looks at you with a smug expression, “uh huh, that’s why you’ve been talking about him for the last 48 hours?” you didn’t even reply. you just stormed off. you hear childe in the distance, “looks like i was right!”

he turns to his phone, “did you hear all of that?” 

“....yeah.” scaramouche finds himself dumbfounded. the next day, you find yourself avoiding him entirely. you saw a glimpse of him in the hallway? run to the nearest room. you saw his backpack behind a locker? run the opposite way. you see childe talking to someone shorter than him? it might not be scaramouche, considering childe is incredibly tall, but still, you choose to run away.

after seeing a silhouette that looks exactly like him in the halls, you run into the nearest room– the library. there, you hide behind a couple of bookshelves, trying to catch your breath. you turn to the right to take a peek at the entrance– what if he went inside? you sigh in relief when you see no one there, and you turn back to the bookshelf in front of you.  and oh– there’s someone towering over you. the person you’ve been avoiding all this while. he’s got you pinned to the bookshelves, and you look down at the ground feeling your cheeks become hot. his right hand is over your head and his left blocking your way out. 

“why are you avoiding me?” he says, not letting his eyes off of you, “it’s– it’s nothing!” you look further away. “the floor must be really interesting.” he grabs your jaw and makes you look at him, eye-to-eye. “tell me, why are you avoiding me?” you feel your body tense and your ears turn bright red. “because…” 

“because what?” “i…like you..” you say in a soft voice, so quiet only a mouse couuld hear. 

“i can’t hear you.” 

“i like you!” it’s quiet. scaramouche isn’t saying anything. he takes his hands off the bookshelf and looks at you. “i thought you hated me.” he says, “i don’t know! i don’t know anymore, i—” 

he cuts you off by placing a soft kiss on your lips.

“i… like you too.”

xiao – miscommunication

he was so confused about his feelings for you. he didn’t know what was going on with him. whenever you were around, his face would heat up and he’d become more tense. to others, he’d stay quiet, barely saying a word. but when it comes to you— oh, he doesn’t know what to do. he talks more, so much more. it’s something about you that just makes him lose it. 

when he thinks his feelings will only hurt you, he’ll distance himself from you. you’ll stop seeing him around liyue, and you’ll stop hearing his voice, asking you how you’ve been. when you call out his name, he won’t appear. but that feeling you get that someone’s watching your every move, that doesn’t go away at all.

he thinks you hate him now, now that he’s gone out of touch with you. he thinks that as a human, you won’t realize how important it is to live life to the fullest, and that you should not spend your moments with someone like him. an immortal being with so much karmic debt on his shoulders haunting him every single second of the day. but, that all went away with you. you brought so much happiness and joy to his life, and you’ve made him experience so many things he never thought he’d got to feel. 

but he was scared. scared of you getting hurt because of him, what if he’s the reason you don’t get to be happy? those thoughts stopped him from getting close to you— to be able to communicate with you. 

one day, you catch him stumbling on his feet, walking unbalanced. suddenly, he collapses. you run over to him and let him rest on your lap, he slowly opens his eyes and breathes in deeply. “[name]?” his voice is husky, his eyebrows are furrowed, “am i… imagining things?” he blinks slowly again, “there’s… there’s no way you’d actually do this.” his breaths are heavy and when you put your hand over his forehead, it’s burning hot. “xiao, you’re heating up, what happened? are you okay?” you ignore his words. “i’m.. i’m fine. just stay here with me. it doesn’t matter if you’re my imagination.” xiao looks at you through his lashes, “i missed you, xiao. you have no idea how much i liked you– and how much i still do.” 

xiao simply shakes his head. “no..no, i hurt you. you can’t do that, you can’t say–” he coughs, “you can’t say that.” he sniffs his nose, “just get some rest, xiao. let’s talk when you’re okay.” you say softly. “i’m so sorry, [name]. i didn’t want you to get hurt–” 

“please get some rest, xiao. you’re not okay.” 

heizou – academic rivals

heizou was one of the top students.you always ranked 2nd after him, and it infuriated you. not only that, but he was difficult to talk to, and he always seemed to be one step ahead of you. you always compared your scores with him the minute you got them, but he would always end up scoring one point higher than you.

this semester, you were set on defeating him. you studied all day and night, drank gallons of coffee, and barely slept. you thought about getting a score higher than his, how much you hate his intuition and him always being so spot on. 

“wake up, [name]!” venti shakes you awake, “‘m not sleeping! i’m..i’m not sleeping-” you jot up in surprise. “you should get some sleep,” he sighs. “no, i can’t. i absolutely have to beat him this time around.” you say. “so, i can’t afford some shutter-eye right now.” 

little did you know that “him” was just right around the corner, and he heard everything you said. “looks like your rival’s out to get you.” kazuha teased. “they should really get some sleep once in a while…” heizou mutters to himself. 

the day of the exams, you were overprepared, you were determined, you were confident you were going to ace this test and finally beat him. you just downed a cup of coffee, and you’re ready to take the exam. a few days afterwards, you get the results for the examination. you run to see a certain maroon-haired fellow. 

“heizou!” you run towards him, holding a paper in your hands. “what was your score… hah.. on the- the exam..” you pant and rest your arms on your knees. “woah there, excited much?” he takes your paper, “just- just tell me.” you take a while to catch your breath. he scans your paper, “79/80. wow, you’ve defeated the mighty shikanoin heizou.” he tells you. 

“i did?”

“you did. only because i let you.”

“oh my god–” you ignore his words. “i did!” you blink. “i don’t think the entire campus can hear you yet–” you blink again. “[name]!” you collapse into his arms, he’s swift, and caught you in time. “you did great, seriously. just get some sleep now.” he mutters, he’s noticed in the past weeks that you were slouching all the time, and your eyebags got worse. your voice got croaky, and he always caught you drinking coffee, honestly, was there ever a moment when you weren’t holding a coffee?

“my my, the prince charming gets his happy ending alas.” kazuha walks from behind. "by the way, congrats on getting perfect scores." 

“thanks.”

venti – friends to lovers

to be honest, you’ve gotten confused whether or not hanging out with him were just plain friendship stuff– or dates. knowing his secret, that he’s actually barbatos, the anemo archon, he uses his powers freely around you, making it easier to access beautiful city views. he invited you to watch the stars with him on the anemo god’s statue in the center of mondstadt, late at night. he uses his powers and holds your hand as you fly up to the statue’s hands, and there you lay down with him.

up there, the wind tickles your cheek, and venti is weirdly silent. it’s not like him at all to be quiet. so, you ask him, “what’s wrong?” he turns to you and says, “do you think they’ll like me back?” your heart drops. you tell yourself, you should be happy for your friend, finding his own happiness. but why not with you? “i mean, of course. what’s there not to like about you?” venti laughs. “there’s… so much i need to tell you.” 

“well you didn’t even tell me about your special someone” you turn away, throwing up in the air the apples you got for venti. “hey– i couldn’t!” he becomes defensive, “it’s just… they’re amazing. all my years roaming teyvat, i’ve never met anyone so… just so amazing.” he smiles, “see? i can’t even put my feelings into words— and i’m a poet!” he pulls his knees to his chest, “i don’t know what to do…”

“you should choose me instead.” you think out loud, venti looks at you in shock. “wh-what? what’d you say?” his pupils diate and his ears become hot. “don’t make me say it again, it’s embarrassing.”

“no, no! not at all, [name], i’d gladly choose you. you’re the one i like” he gets up and holds both of your hands.

“so… does this mean we’re–” 

“yep.”

kazuha – mutual pining

the crux has been through a lot, and god do they drink. it’s interesting to see kazuha not in his calm composure, instead slurring his words and his sentences full of hiccups. tonight, he drank a lot. the rest of the crew were passed out somewhere or simply sleeping. you were worried of leaving kazuha alone in this state– only archons know what’d happen to him.

“mmm–” he coos as he tilts his head at you. he giggles as he grabs a small photograph kept in his front pocket, he scooches over to you and shows you the picture. it’s a picture of you smiling. you ask him, “what’s this?”and he smiles, “the person i love oh so dearly…” he holds the picture as if it was fragile, like the slightest movement would ruin it. “don’t tell anyone, but..” he whispers into your ear, “i’m gonna marry them one day…” he giggles. he shoves the picture into your face, “look, *hic* aren’t they so cute?” you laugh, “you’re adorable, kazuha.” he looks at you, as if he’s offended. “well– *hic* i appreciate the compliment, but… you’re not [name], i’d like it if you didn’t say that, especially if they’re around.” he pouts. “y’know, i have someone i like too.” you smile at him, “really?” he entertains your sudden statement.

“yeah, he’s the nicest person i know. it’s like i can’t live without him.” the heavy weight you feel now being lifted off your chest. “you must really like him.” kazuha says, “what’s his name?” “his name’s kazuha. does that sound familiar?” you take your shot, it’s most likely he won't be able to remember this when he wakes up anyway, so why not?  “it does– oh.” he’s taken aback, in fact slightly sober now. he rubs his eyes multiple times and blinks profusely. 

“[name]—” 

“can i call you cute now?” 

tags @aimynx ( taglist for all of my works ! currently open )

[marley-manson]

Xena Episode Guide

Xena is an episodic show with a few ongoing arcs, both plot and character, so some episodes are very standalone, others are part of ongoing continuity. This guide will have four categories, denoted by symbol: * must-watch for plot or character development reasons + not essential but very good and/or gay, I recommend these ^ average non-essential episode, not notably amazing or awful, watch if you want more xena, skip if you want to get to the good parts faster # episodes I actively recommend skipping, not too many of these because I'm easy for this show lol.

I'm also going to link this site which has a lot of info and resources, including very thorough episode synopses under "episode guide," if you want more info before deciding whether or not to watch an episode.

It's also worth noting that it's a spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, a show I've seen exactly one episode of. You don't need to watch it to watch Xena, but occasionally it can add some context, and it's worth knowing that some plot elements are developed in Hercules rather than Xena, particularly parts of the Dahak arc in season 3. They'll have the characters explain the plot relevant stuff briefly, eg why Callisto is immortal now, but yeah if you feel like you're missing things, that's why, and it's not a big deal.

So without further ado, here we go, starting with Xena's introductory episodes in Hercules.

Hercules: 1x09 The Warrior Princess, 1x12 The Gauntlet, 1x13 Unchained Heart# I haven't seen these, it's not necessary, and afaik some of the characterization and general vibes are incompatible with the Xena we know and love in her own show. But feel free to watch them if you want to see her introduction as a character.

1x01 Sins of the Past* 1x02 Chariots of War^ One minor highlight of this episode is that Xena and Gabrielle's respective flirtations with a man of the week each mirror their new relationship with each other - Xena and some peaceful village dude, Gabrielle and a wannabe warlord. Otherwise basic and uninteresting. 1x03 Dreamworker* 1x04 Cradle of Hope^ 1x05 The Path Not Taken* 1x06 The Reckoning* 1x07 The Titans^ 1x08 Prometheus^ Hercules and Iolaus appear if you skipped Xena's Hercules intro and want to meet them, but there's not much to recommend it 1x09 Death In Chains^ 1x10 Hooves and Harlots* 1x11 The Black Wolf+ I don't remember it too well but I remember enjoying it, and there's some cute baby les Gab stuff 1x12 Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts+ Idk if it's quite essential, but a character in this ep recurs later and this episode is referenced. It's a pretty great episode though iirc, I'd rec it. 1x13 Athens City Academy of Performing Bards^ It's a clipshow so not much of substance, but this episode is referenced in a lot of fic as a path not taken for Gabrielle 1x14 A Fistful of Dinars^ Apparently Xena's former fiance is in it but frankly I had no memory of that so I don't think it's important enough to be considered essential 1x15 Warrior... Princess^ It introduces a recurring character (and trope) so worth watching for continuity purposes but p inconsequential otherwise iirc. 1x16 Mortal Beloved+ Controversial categorization because it's het, but what can I say, I like it 1x17 The Royal Couple of Thieves^ Pretty fun and introduces another recurring character, but otherwise not especially important 1x18 The Prodigal+ Solid episode for Gabrielle's character development, not essential but worth watching. 1x19 Altared States+ Gets a plus sign for blatantly gay Gabrielle <3 1x20 Ties that Bind# I personally hate this ep, but it does have somewhat significant character exploration, and I wouldn't necessarily say it's bad so much as not to my taste. Up to you whether you watch. 1x21 The Greater Good* Most of the ep isn't essential but it leads directly into the next one which is, plus it's pretty good. 1x22 Callisto* 1x23 Death Mask^ Gets into Xena's past and surviving brother, but not in a way that really has much of an impact? Might be worth watching for that, but I don't think skipping it will affect much 1x24 Is There a Doctor in the House+ Gay, good, and establishes one detail that recurs later on but not a particularly important detail.

2x01 Orphan of War* 2x02 Remember Nothing+ Arguably essential viewing for character stuff, but I don't think skipping it would hurt your understanding of anything. Solid episode though. 2x03 The Giant Killer^ Referenced in a later episode so worth watching for thoroughness, not bad but not stand-out. 2x04 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun+ Gay 2x05 Return of Callisto* 2x06 Warrior... Princess... Tramp^ Introduces another occasionally recurring character, fun, not essential otherwise 2x07 Intimate Stranger+ 2x08 Ten Little Warlords+ These are direct sequel episodes and I really enjoy both, but they're not immediately relevant. The latter is arguably somewhat essential for Ares character stuff, but ymmv on how important that is to you. 2x09 A Solstice Carol# 2x10 The Xena Scrolls+ Clipshow, not essential, but please watch it bc it's an absolute delight. Basically a canon role reversal AU, and it's one of the episodes that spawned a thousand lesbian romance novels in the form of published Xena AU fic. 2x11 Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis^ 2x12 Destiny* 2x13 The Quest* 2x14 A Necessary Evil* 2x15 A Day In The Life+ Not technically essential but widely considered one of the best episodes of the show, wildly gay, don't skip it. 2x16 For Him The Bell Tolls^ Joxer heavy, Xena light. Most would probably categorize it as # but I'm easy for the comedy episodes 2x17 The Execution^ 2x18 Blind Faith+ 2x19 Ulysses^ Warning for dumb het, skip if your tolerance is low. After this though it's pretty clear sailing in terms of male love interests of the week, thankfully. 2x20 The Price* Amazing episode overall, imo essential for character exploration, but warning for v prominent racist tribal stereotypes 2x21 Lost Mariner+ 2x22 Comedy of Eros* It's not really essential for the most part, but it establishes a certain character beat that lasts for the next 3 seasons, and imo it's fun. Skippable if you're not in the mood for a mostly het comedy ep tho.

3x01 The Furies* Explores some of Xena's family history and introduces us to how the Furies work, since they show up in a few other episodes, but not huuugely important? Waffled between * and ^ for the record. 3x02 Been There, Done That+ One of my personal faves, not stand-out gay, but incredibly fun imo 3x03 The Dirty Half Dozen^ Basically the show's lone aware statement on feminism and it sucks lmao. Aside from that it can be fun, so I didn't mark it as a recommended skip, but it's on the cusp. 3x04 The Deliverer* 3x05 Gabrielle's Hope* 3x06/7 The Debt* 3x08 The King of Assassins# Very dude-centric and forgettable imo, but has Gina Torres as Cleopatra and introduces Joxer's siblings as a thing, so ymmv 3x09 Warrior... Priestess... Tramp^ 3x10 The Quill Is Mightier^ Fun episode for Ares and/or Aphrodite fans, not important and not notably good or gay tho (though at this point we have a relative base level of gay established so yk, p much every episode is gonna have some vibes) 3x11 Maternal Instincts* 3x12 The Bitter Suite* 3x13 One Against an Army+ 3x14 Forgiven# I skipped it my first watch and didn't regret that after watching it this time around, but fyi it does implicitly touch on the emotional fall-out of the last few episodes a little bit 3x15 King Con# 3x16 When In Rome...* 3x17 Forget Me Not* It's a clipshow, but the framing device establishes some surprisingly significant character and plot stuff 3x18 Fins, Femmes, and Gems+ A fan favourite for a lot of people, it's silly and fun with some great gay moments. 3x19 Tsunami^ 3x20 Vanishing Act^ 3x21/22 The Sacrifice*

BONUS: Hercules 4x13/14 Armageddon Now This is the sole episode of Hercules I watched, because Part 2 features the inspiration for an entire subgenre of Xena fic that I love - Conqueror fic. An AU where Hercules was never born, featuring a subplot in which Xena never turned good and went on to conquer Greece. You don't need to watch it to understand the conceit, and most fics don't follow the strict events of the episode but rather the general premise of Xena ruling a nation, but it is fun, and it has some bonus Callisto character stuff too. I've put it here because it aired alongside Xena season 3 and broadly fits into it continuity-wise.

4x01/2 Adventures in the Sin Trade* 4x03 A Family Affair* 4x04 In Sickness and In Hell^ A divisive episode, some find it funny, some find it obnoxious. I came down in the middle. 4x05 A Good Day* 4x06 A Tale of Two Muses^ 4x07 Locked Up and Tied Down^ Has some character backstory and thematically relevant stuff, but nothing super significant. 4x08 Crusader+ Features the ongoing arc of Xena's future vision and good character stuff, so somewhat relevant, but not quite enough to be essential imo. But it's extremely gay and one of my faves. 4x09 Past Imperfect^ Flashback episode to Solan's birth and Borias' death, but we don't learn anything particularly essential afaik, and it's not a super strong or gay episode. Worth watching if you enjoy learning about Xena's past though. 4x10 Key to the Kingdom^ Meg, Joxer, and Autolycus heavy comedy, great for Meg's character 4x11 Daughter of Pomira^ Sort of a sequel to The Price, same racist depictions of a native american coded people, tries to be progressive and manages to be, like, a step above The Searchers lol. 4x12 If the Shoe Fits^ 4x13 Paradise Found* Essential for character stuff but also fantastic in general. 4x14 Devi* We're in the India episodes, so expect stereotypes and cavalier treatment of Hinduism that caused enough controversy back in the day to necessitate a disclaimer. But they're important episodes plot and character-wise. 4x15 Between The Lines* The other episode that launched a thousand lesbian romance novels. 4x16 The Way* 4x17 The Play's The Thing^ 4x18 The Convert^ Najara's return, a big downgrade from Crusader though imo. Introduces another character who returns later, and Joxer gets some drama, but I still wouldn't say it's necessary. 4x19 Takes One to Know One^ 4x20 Endgame* 4x21 The Ides of March* 4x22 Deja Vu All Over Again+ Canonizes Xena/Gab in a censored, network-friendly way that may have you cheering or booing depending on your perspective, but it's worth noting that it was the best the crew could get away with. The characters return in a s6 episode but one I haven't seen lol so I can't say it's essential, but I like it.

A note on season 5: widely considered the worst season, esp for Xena/Gab shippers, but if you're a fan of Xena/Ares at all you might enjoy it more. There was some behind the scenes upheaval with the writing team I believe, and a plotline originally intended for Hercules got shunted here, where it's not a great fit. So it can feel a little "off." (Season 6 is generally considered a return to form, ftr.)

Focuses a lot on the unrequited het with Xena and Gabrielle's relationship somewhat sidelined in terms of dramatic focus. But it's very arc-heavy so many episodes are relevant, and tbf Xena and Gab still have a v strong married couple vibe. My advice is to either power through, or skip freely while reading a synopsis.

5x01 Fallen Angel* Silly but v important plot-wise, also pretty gay. 5x02 Chakram* Categorized as essential for some character-statement and thematic stuff, and some minor continuity re chakram, buuuut you could probably get away with skipping it. 5x03 Succession^ 5x04 Animal Attraction* 5x05 Them Bones, Them Bones^ It's arguably essential for a secondary character's storyline, so watch if you care about Amarice, but otherwise not missing much here. 5x06/7 Purity/Back in the Bottle^ I don't thiiiink there's anything super important here, and it's not super amazing, but it's a bit of a sequel to The Debt if that interests you. 5x08 Little Problems^ 5x09 Seeds of Faith* 5x10 Lyre Lyre Hearts on Fire# I found this painful to sit through. Others enjoy it so ymmv, but it adds nothing but bad vibes imo. 5x11 Punch Lines^ Good if you're a fan of Gabrielle/Aphrodite, but otherwise pretty mediocre. 5x12 God Fearing Child* 5x13 Eternal Bonds* 5x14 Amphipolis Under Siege* 5x15 Married with Fishsticks# Widely considered the worst episode, with good reason. 5x16 Lifeblood^ Basically just a way to recycle some portal fantasy pilot that didn't get picked up, mostly a waste of time but inoffensive 5x17 Kindred Spirits^ Not really that great, often annoying, but Xena and Gabrielle are emphatically married so it gets some gay points 5x18 Antony and Cleopatra^ I don't thiiiink there's anything super necessary here, skip to avoid het in the form of plot-induced manipulative seduction 5x19 Looking Death in the Eye* 5x20 Livia* 5x21 Eve* 5x22 Motherhood*

6x01 Coming Home* 6x02 The Haunting of Amphipolis* 6x03 Heart of Darkness* Only necessary in that it concludes the cliffhanger of the last episode. 6x04 Who's Gurkhan?* 6x05 Legacy* So, season 6 is more character heavy than arc heavy. All the above episodes are important for the characters dealing with the time skip and character development in general, but there's no arc they're contributing to, so feel free to make your own judgement calls. 6x06 The Abyss+ Racist stereotype cannibals unforch, but v gay. 6x07/8/9 The Rheingold/The Ring/Return of the Valkyrie+ Gay romance straight up. 6x10 Old Ares Had a Farm^ Great if you love mortal Ares episodes 6x11 Dangerous Prey^ I believe this is the sole mortal dude who poses a challenge to Xena, and they really aped the Callisto format for it lol. 6x12 The God You Know* Only mildly essential in that it explains why Aphrodite is mortal now, but while I think it's somewhat divisive, it's an episode I enjoy personally so I'd recommend it. 6x13 You Are There* 6x14 Path of Vengeance* 6x15 To Helicon and Back* 6x16 Send in the Clones^ Imo probably the worst clipshow, but it's still pretty fun. 6x17 The Last of the Centaurs^ 6x18 When Fates Collide+ Not essential but unskippable, iconic gay romance. 6x19 Many Happy Returns+ GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY 6x20 Soul Possession^ Almost a # but it does have canon reincarnated Xena/Gabrielle. 6x21/22 A Friend in Need* Very controversial finale, many hate it, but it is the finale so it's essential. Many recommend watching When Fates Collide after this and pretending it's the real finale lol.

[incandescentia]

SHIPPING INFO.

answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?

Most of my muses are OCs so whatever ship is there, it is my OTP. However, I do have a select few exceptions like Megohime, as she will be defaulted to ship with her historical spouse, Date Masamune. As for my canon muses, I am only on board with the idea of Oichi being shipped with Azai Nagamasa (her canon husband both in this interpretation and in the history), while others are still a fair game as long as chemistry and prior discussion are involved. I do like Kenshin and Kasuga together, but honestly I don't see Kenshin returning her (a good emphasis on romantic and sexual) affection because I see him/them as celibate, so...

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

I'm so heavily inspired by shoujo/josei manga as well as Korean dramas when it comes to shippy ideas/dynamics so it might not be too off from tropes that are present in those medias. However, I do have several turnoffs (apart from the usual squick/no-nos like incest, pedophilia, etc) like the typical cliche trope of a (usually male) bully crushing on their (usually female) victim (which was popularized by H.ana Y.ori D.ango back in the days haha), extreme Stockholm syndrome, persistent third wheelers (god I actually really hate this trope fjfhdkdj) questionable age gaps and with minor muses. Toxic, obsessive or unhinged are up for discussion, as in we must discuss it in further details to make it actually work as it would have to depend on which muse that are going to be involved in it and not cross boundaries that we might have for comfort.

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

Between mortal characters, anything between minors and adults are a big no, but at the very maximum... maybe 20-30 years? Idk. Immortals are completely different story, of course, and as long as they are both at the same level of mental maturity, it's a fair game.

Are you selective when shipping?

To be fair, very much so. I love ships but they don't exactly define my writing or is the main purpose of why I write on the first place as it has been more of a lore and personal character development focused purpose, although ships may facilitate the latter. Some characters are rather reserved about who they want to pursue a romance with (e.g: Killian). Even some characters are not available for shipping yet as I write them to be pretty much aroace, like Jinluo. Mun's personal taste also factors in as well occasionally... and just because some of my muses are straightforward or flirty, it does not necessarily mean a ship is going to happen. Mutual interests between both parties must be present and a good, healthy amount of communication as well.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

It honestly really depends on the muse and the ship itself...? Some of my muses are inexperienced or simply asexual, some of them are simply repressed, some of them are experienced yet still reserved about sexual encounters, and some are straight out shameless. Most of the time I keep NSFW content to a minimum because not all muses would want to cooperate with that, but certain muses have no problem to be on board with it (namely Tsuyuko) and wouldn't even mind to do one night stands. I also don’t randomly write NSFW — you must at least discuss it with me in private to go fully on board with it.

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

Points @ my mutuals. You, you, you you!! You know who you are!

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

Yes, but I honestly don't bite. I would do the same favor to others and see where it goes there. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. If I don't see it happening for a reason, then I will be brutally honest with it. Communicating is the key.

How often do you like to ship?

Again, I really enjoy shipping when it's done right and I love writing up unique possible relationship dynamics that happen between the involved characters (like old married couple Masamune/Megohime or any master/servant or lord/warrior dynamics), but also: I'm selective and shipping itself is not the main focus of my writing, though it may sometimes facilitate the said focus. If you want to ship or interested in it, then you have to communicate it directly with me.

Are you multiship?

Most of the time yes, but even then it's kept to a manageable amount. Some characters are singleship due to personal plot limitations though, and it's unnegotiable.

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

I'm generally the latter but if I have a specific ship/dynamic I really like, you can tell when I'm obsessed as I actively throw you my ideas/memes/etc.

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

Points at the first point's answer above

Finally, how does one ship with you?

I might be a little reserved myself when it comes to shipping but honestly the best way to ship with me is to rp with me to test the waters and communicate to me about it, then we'll see where it's going from there. As we know, first meetings are usually not the thing I'm going for as well since it's often cliche - so you are more than welcome to offer me ideas for a possible existing dynamics!

Tl;dr shipping is not my main writing focus and it usually takes time for me to fully go on board with the idea but with the right amount of chemistry and investment, we can try to make it work together. Communication is the key. If there is a mutual interest, let’s work on it together.

[the-selfship-corner]

Canon S/I Selfship Ask Game!

Original Post Here!

Using Kasumi for this :)

✍️: Overall, how does the fandom trait you? Are you a beloved character, or hated? Are you popular, or a minor side character? Anything in between?

I’d say Kasumi is a beloved secondary character. Not quite as small of a role as a side character, but not important enough for a main character either. I like the think she’d be a fan favorite.

📝: How would your story in canon go? How would you influence the events of the original story?

Kasumi would have transferred to U.A. under recommendation. Her appearance wouldn’t change much of the main storyline, but it would change small things like how Bakugo acts later in the series. She would probably have her own side arc.

🤪: What is your trait that fanon would exaggerate?

The fanon would exaggerate her quirk, Angel, and probably draw her as some immortal being with six wings, floating eyes, and a halo.

🥰: How would someone who loved you portray you?

They would portray her as a sympathetic, kind person.

😡: How would someone who hated you portray you?

They would probably portray her as an emotional crybaby who obsesses over Bakugo.

👯: What canon character are you most similar to?

Probably a mix between Mina and Uraraka.

🌦️: Would you be accompanied by mostly fluff or angst fanfics? Both? Explain why.

There would probably be a lot of angst with Bakugo and Kasumi, mostly because of Kasumi’s backstory and Bakugo’s aggressiveness.

🏷️: What is you and your f/o’s ship name?

Katsumi :)

❤️: How popular is you x your f/o? Are you a rarepair?

Pretty popular. Most people either love it or hate it. Katsumi is almost canon, but never officially talked about. There’s plenty of scenes that hint to it, though.

💞: Aside from with your f/o, who else would you commonly be shipped with? Why?

Probably Kirishima. The two of them get along pretty well and have those similar bright personalities.

☕️: What are the most common plots of shipping fics between you and your f/o?

One rescuing the other from a kidnapping, one comforting the other from a nightmare, cuddling after Bakugos had a long day

🛌: What tropes show up in fics involving your ship?

Apocalypse, enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, villain x hero, married AU, breakup

🪐: What would be your most popular AU and why?

The most popular AU would probably be the World End AU, just because the designs are cool and Bakugo and Kasumi only have each other to rely on.

💘: Why would people love your ship? Why would people dislike your ship? How might it start debates?

People like the ship because Kasumi and Bakugo balance each other out. Bakugo teaches Kasumi how to stand up for herself more and get stronger, while Kasumi teaches Bakugo to have an open mind and try to be vulnerable with others. Some people dislike the ship because they feel Bakugo is too toxic for Kasumi, or that it’s doomed to fail due to the amount of stress on both of them. Some people may headcanon Bakugo as Aroace, while other avid Katsumi shippers would argue.

🙈: Why would your ship be thought of as cute/fluffy? Why would your ship be considered problematic?

The ship would be considered cute and fluffy because it shows a side of Bakugo the fandom wouldn’t see otherwise. He’s this really tough, hotheaded character, but when it comes to Kasumi, he becomes gentler.

🎞️: What ‘canon’ scenes would the fandom point to as evidence for the validity of your ship?

Kasumi and Katsuki were walking silently together after All Might lost his powers. Katsuki hadn’t been the same since that night. “It’s not your fault.” Kasumi said, seemingly out of nowhere. Katsukis eyes widened a little and he stopped in his tracks. He balled up his fingers into fists, knowing exactly what she was referring to. She turned to face him, putting her hands on his shoulders. “I can’t stand seeing you give up. The Katsuki I knew didn’t give up, no matter what.” Kasumi said softly. It was already dark outside. Katsuki didn’t say anything, he just looked down. “I know you’re angry at the world and yourself right now.. but…” She moved her arms slowly to hug him. “I think you’re pretty cool.” Katsuki stood there in shock for a second, before one of his shaky hands found its place on her back, just barely noticeable. After a few seconds, he pushed her away. He wiped his eyes. “Of course I’m cool… I’m gonna be #1..” His said, trying to go back to his snarky tone of voice, though a quiver could still be heard. He had that cocky smile on his face, though forced. Kasumi smiled.

💌: How would your dynamic be portrayed? What might people focus on most? Any misconceptions?

A misconception would be that Katsuki is abusive because of the way he acts towards other people, however, he’s never shown to be this way towards Kasumi. He’ll get a little snappy, but he’d never lay a hand on her. The dynamic would probably be portrayed as Ray of sunshine x angry gremlin. People would focus must on how they grow throughout the story together.

👀: How does your ship with your f/o influence both of your characterisations and the world? Would there be any interesting metas written about your dynamic?

Bakugos character would definitely be a little different. The way he treats situations would differ, how he treats people he’s fighting and people he’s saving.

[a-substantial-trash-pile]

i usually try to accompany my hlvrai ramblings with a drawing because my dumb brain thinks my words/ideas on their own suck and have no value so i have to make them worth it with a drawing of some kind yadda yadda BUT i can’t draw fast enough to express all my ideas so i’m just gonna say fuck it and just dump some out here.

also sorry idk how to add a “read more” on mobile i will do it when i get home if i remember!!

ok anyway this is about tommy. i see him as a secret badass kind of character. in my ver of hlvrai, it’s a virtual simulation that’s got the resonance cascade on a loop. the original goal of the simulation was to figure out the best way to handle the res-cas irl—except the real world got fucked and it doesn’t really matter anymore, but the simulation doesn’t know that. tommy is very much aware of the loops since his dad is gman and all and retains memories through the loops. his main job is to more closely oversee the events and make sure nothing gets too “broken.” but he’s kind of tired/bored of it honestly. on the outside he acts all bubbly and naive, but on the inside he’s secretly like “jesus christ these people are a mess. they could never survive out in the wild.” but like he doesn’t hate the team or anything. he just gets tired of their shit sometimes. during one loop he made an immortal dog that also retains memories through the loops so he has a companion other than his dad (who, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly around). this particular loop that hlvrai takes place in is the most buckwild of all the loops for various reasons that includes benrey learning how to mess with files and remove the final boss, so tommy is a little thrown off, but it’s exciting! he really gets into being a secret little shit. like he does actually know how to handle a gun but pretends to be clumsy with it for the laughs because he knows nobody gets seriously injured if he “accidentally” shoots them. when his dad stops time to talk to gordon, tommy just pretends to be frozen too, but barely puts effort in—gordon just too distracted by gman to notice tommy scratching his nose in the background. i’d like to think that the part where tommy follows forzen down the pit and disappears with him, he takes that moment to drop the facade and corner forzen and be like “who the fuck are you and why haven’t you been in any other loop.” and forzen’s like “oh god what the hell you’re terrifying i thought you wanted a beyblade???” and the part where the coomer clones are attacking is one of the rare moments that tommy goes serious mode in combat. just silent and deadly. i love the secret badass trope ok aughhh. ok i’m done sorry for the dump.

[autistic-crypt1d]

Sanctuary Live Blogging:

Season 1

Never seen this show before but it has Amanda Tapping and a lot of SGA cast memebers I hear, so I'm watching it!

Updates:

- Sanctuary For All, Pt. 1

- oh!

- Lorne!!!

- ah, boy genius trope, could be good if done right

- why do people always call put when they have the element of surprise

- oop

- Sam!!!!!

- British Sam?!?!?!? Neat

- Holling/Todd!!

- it's so weird hearing Amanda be British, she keeps falling back into American in certain words XD

- Helen, got it

- guessing blonde girl is with Helen

- Chuck!!

- daughter???

- cheesy, but ok so far

- Sanctuary For All, Pt. 2

- was that a picture of Helen with Albert Einstein? Is she immortal or something?

- Layden!

- "feminine like a crate of uzis?" XD

- "Ash, I gotta scream like a girl now, I don't need witnesses" "understood" PFFFFT

- the gold gun is so fucking goofy

- ah hell that was totally his plan

- yup

- I have to say, this show does practical effects veeeery well

- I'm sorry but her father being this crazy dude is so cleche

- I love Ashely

- oh shit is he dead?

- ok not dead cool

- aww he was gonna give him flowers 😭

- yup, immortal

- Fata Morgana

- this isn't gonna end well

- this is so dumb 😭

- the greenscreen stuff in this show is... not great

- "yeah, I mean, these guys are one James Bond movie away from global domination" XD

- Folding Man

- rip Mr. Jones

- aw man :(

- ah yes Will, go alone! So smart!

- oh shit, he really is Nomad

- let's go Magnus!!

- Kush

- uh oh

- ok so Ashley isn't with them which means she's totally gonna end up saving them

- ZELENKA?!?!?

- it's so weird to hear him speak with an American accent

- huh???

- HE'S DEAD?!?!?

- Nubbins

- oop already dead people

- those things are hideous oml

- oh hey I recognize the girl who plays Sophie

- all I can remember is she played a girl who was crying a ton over something silly

- ok what the fuck was that weirdness that just happened between Will and Magnus

- AWKWARD AWKWARD AWKWARD

- these nubbins are having some weird ass effect in everyone and I hate it

- "your mother was a sewer rat!" XD

- Henry is so damn funny I love him

- OH SHIT

- The Five

- Tesla is immortal too????

- hang on, big guy sounds exactly like Todd the wraith, is he played by him too???

- I googled it and yes he is

- damn it dude!

- ok so Tesla is immortal and a creature

- ahhhh a vampire

- KICK HIS ASS ASHLEY

- I can't stop hearing Todd

- ah man, is he fucked up from that damn Nubbins bite?

- ah hell

- damn it Tesla is liked you, you were goofy and kooky, why did you have to be evil

- "baldy, you broke into my house, you fed me to an iguana" XD

- WHAT THE FUCK

- HE IS AN ABNORMAL

- also apparently has nipple and bellybutton piercings

- so is he a werewolf or something?

- Edward

- oh shit

- I REMEMBER WHERE I KNOW THAT SOPHIE GIRL FROM. SHE WAS A MODEL IN A PSYCH EPISODE!!

- ah yes, this show is from the era where Asbergers was still a term, yuck

- episodes with autistic characters always make me nervous. I never know how they're gonna handle it

- ah yeah, he is a warewolf

- :(

- laser vision?!?!?!?!

- Requiem

- so is so Sam Carter right now I can't

- somethin hinky is goin on here

- H.G. Wells mention!!!

- oh geez that's brutal

- what the hell is happening

- NOPE

- I'm sorry the fucking forehead tap is so funny

- 😭

- Warriors

- HUH?!?!?!?

- I'm confused, she's immortal because she injected herself with the vamp blood, why would he still be alive???

- this guy is the worst

- OH GROSS

- "anything else i can do for you?" "Smell better" PFFFT

- :(

- HELL YEAH MAGNUS

- Instinct

- I haaaate these damn reporter kind of episodes

- it's gotta be eggs right? The bug is staying because that crate has its eggs

- yup, eggs

- ah hell there's 2

- oh man :(

- Revelations, Pt 1

- oh geez that escalated quickly

- walrus man!

- uh oh

- oh hey, he plays that one dude who gets taken over by a goa'uld posing as a tokra in SG1

- ahhh we get to meet the "real" Sherlock Holmes

- ok so if he didn't get longevity too, why is he still alive? Does she give him her blood?

- Will and Druitt, a funny team up

- ah yes, hiking in a jean skirt, great idea

- Revelations, Pt 2

- leave the babies alone bitch!!!

- Will and Watson are so cutie I love their friendship help

- of course Tesla is still alive, bro got staked through the chest and lived, why would what John did kill him

- Henry :(

- oh hell yeah Henry!!!!

- "your father really didn't like me did he" "you're an acquired taste" XD

- oh, that's how he stayed alive, the suit :(

- LET'S GO HENRY!!!!

- they wanted them to get the blood didn't they, that was the plan

- oh fuck they unlocked his power in Ashley didn't they

- AHHHHH

- CLIFFHANGER!!!!

Season 2

[leffee]

Hii!

So I've recently followed you both here and on Wattpad... And I was having some questions. You don't have to answer them! I'm just curious? I guess.

Question 1. So what do you think of Fgod Error? Also, known as Forced god of destruction Error? Or do you like canon Error more?

Question 2. Bad Sans Poly! Yes! But what about yandere Bad Sans Poly? Not that I support yandere in real life! But I do like to write about it.

Question 3. That isn't really a question just an idea... Okay so yandere Bad Sans Poly, without Error at first. But then they become yandere for Error slowly over time! And if I want to make it even more angsty, throw Fgod Error in there too!

And now I want to make this...

Anyway, I hope you have a good day/night! Take care of yourself! Stay hydrated and eat enough!

Hello! No worries, I loove answering questions :> If you ever have any more feel free to send them, I'll be delighted, however absolutely no pressure. And thanks for following me, I hope you like your stay.

So I actually made a post talking about this very topic, it's here if you want a longer answer:

But in short, or if you just don't feel like reading this one, I'm not a big fan of Fgod. Like, the concept is good, is has a belivable motive and story and all that, but it's just not something for me. However, if it just existed I wouldn't complain, it would be just another iteration of Error and I don't mind those. But it's everywhere and I hate it. It's always the same story, it's boring, plus there must be some people who believe it's the true canon Error due to how popular it is and I don't like it. Oh, and also I hate seeing Error as a god which this Au of course presents him as. He's not a god, he's literally just a dude who can die like any other and is not immortal in canon. However, I admit, it's a useful concept and I use it sometimes when I don't feel like making Error more complex. I just slap a "he destroys because he must" label and call it a day. So in short: the concept is good although not something for me, and I dislike that it's so overused. If you like Fgod Error good for you people, really! But I can't say that I like it. Out of the two I definitely like canon Error more.

2. Ahh Bad Sans Poly is always good, isn't it? And a yandere one you say? Hmmm, I can get behind this concept, though I need to be in a specific kind of mood to apprecaite it fully, believe me, I went through this before and I did write at least one yandere story (this was for Insomnia though). Though how would it look like with a poly? Everyone is yandere for everyone? Anyway, I do like it :].

3. !!! Listen, lIstEn, I once saw this drawing of exactly that. Bad Sans Poly and they are yandere for Error and IIIII loved it (I'll try to find the artist later and see if I can repost it here). It might be unexpected, but I usually actually like Error being the yandere one in the ship, or just the one being obsessed with the other person minus the controlling behaviour or just lessened. I don't know why, but yandere Error?? Sing me the f up. Anyway, of course it's up to you but this sounds like a lovely fanfic idea, not to mention that it's Bad Sans Poly bby! My truest OTP. I don't want to brag, but I feel like I made this poly a bit more popular with my writing and I couldn't be happier, beacuse more people need to appreciate it WITH ERROR IN IT.

Aaaand that's it, I hope one way or another you enjoyed this interaction, have a good one too.

[lunarsands]

Empires SMP Season 2 theories/headcanons that are completely wild speculation because the series just started! These are mainly about Scott and Sausage’s characters because @cynthrey​ and I are in a pit of brainrot over them in particular.

This might read a bit disjointed because it’s snipped from different discussions we’ve had but I tried to put them in order.

Regarding Scott’s character:

A collector of things, and that might not be limited to physical objects. He might have magical powers for all we know, which leads to him collecting things like other people’s memories.

The two different color eyes: one eye “collects” the memories, the other returns them.

Mix in some symbolism of "moon" eye takes the memories = like a dream, "sun" eye returns them = wakefulness

(The innocent, wholesome flower field is just a cover, the man is up to something)

Re, Sausage:

What if...going by the "all new characters" thing, it's not exactly S1!Sausage but a parallel version and similar things happened. Like maybe he was actually a blood relative of fWhip and Gem, or had a deeper relationship with Pearl, etc., and also ended up travelling dimensions.

Also throw in the concept of Sausage being cursed with immortality. (Y'all might see where I was going with this ficlet now)

(I’m putting the rest under a read more to save your dash and possibly your sanity)

Now have Scott poke around in Sausage’s memories. Scott seeing the memory of Pearl dying and just casually starts mentioning pearls around Sausage to see what sets him off, because he's mischievous/antagonistic like that.

(More Scott villain arc yes pls)

Him seeing Sausage’s past mistakes and everything he hates about his past (he does see a few happy memories but it’s like 1 out of 5). Then imagine Scott taking previous memories hostage -- snatches the memory of the Wither Rose Alliance -- and forces Sausage to collect something of great value or bye bye to one of the few good memories he still has.

Back to the Pearl relationship thought, maybe they never admitted their feelings and Scott has been memory viewing then hints about her out loud, which really presses Sausage's buttons because he lost her.

-first is just a peek and then when Scott notices how he can use that to his benefit he full on yoinks the memory of her -

Sausage being like "Hey why the f*ck does my heart hurt so much all of a sudden, I have no idea"

(Scott yoinking the memory of Pearl and then starts bringing sunflowers to Sausage, just to push buttons.)

Imagine Sausage threatening to kill him when he finds out and Scott just goes "yeah, no, bad idea, if I die so does the memory. Wanna lose her again?"

(In this house we love our angst)

OR

turn things around and have Sausage asking Scott to remove a memory because it's so bad.

Not-so-evil (redemption arc?) Scott helping others get rid of memories that are just too painful to deal with = cute and sad

- would be extra painful if he sees the memories in first person too.

- one minute he is helping a friend, next one "he" is causing a bloodbath.

- But! What if it's so bad that even Scott doesn't want it in his head, and he will collect anything. Like something exceptionally horrific about something out in the dimensions Sausage traveled through.

--

Sausage: "What do you mean you are not going to take that memory???"

Scott: "Listen, Sausage, you are my friend but if YOU can’t deal with that memory what makes you think I can?"

--

Like before this anytime he stole a memory it was just being able to observe it but now he's experiencing them and feeling the emotions. (Oh look more shared feelings trope) Then he starts feeling things from the POV of other people in the memory, not just who he stole it from.

--

Scott: "Hey before I met you I was just watching these like a movie, now I'm feeling things, what did you do to me?"

Sausage: "Uh yeah there are side effects to travelling through dimensions. Um. Sorry I guess???"

[sofipitch]

Can you recommend me some literature other than the vampire chronicles?

Oh man I could give book opinions and recommendations all day so this almost feels too broad of an ask so I'm going to narrow it a little by recommending books that are similar enough to VC that I think VC fans will like. I'll try and remember to say what it is I think the book has in common with VC. But if you want recommendations for other genres just say the word!

I'm also gonna do contemporary books because I feel like most people have already discussed the parallel between VC and lots of classics, but for good measure my top choices would be: Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Giovanni's Room

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab: This was a recent read and so so good. The hype is real. In this story a 17th century preasant girl makes a deal with a forest god that allows her to live forever. However the catch is no one can ever remember her. She goes through life meeting all kinds of people, but if they leave the room and come back it'll be like they never met. There is an aching loneliness this concept and book. I think in general this book has a really reflection from it's characters and other than the immortality aspect that is what I think makes this book like VC is the existentialism and yet lust for life that carries throughout. Because while Addie is often very lonely, she is also so in love with the world and people. I also really liked the character of the god who cursed her, he returns to taunt her regularly and their relationship is really fun (what tik tok teens would call "enemies to lovers"). Addie and some other characters are also queer which is a +

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno Garcia: A you a fan of vampires? This book is a really creative take on vampire, more creative than a lot of contemporary reimaginings. Humans have known about vampires since the 1960s and vampires also come in different species, endemic to different regions, which would explain why some vampire lore may be contradictory. Why can some eat food and others can't? Different species. Atl is a vampire hiding from a different vampire clan in Mexico City, a city supposed to be free from vampires. She gets a homeless garbage collector named Domingo to help her avoid being caught by both the police and other vampires while trying to escape the city. Atl and Domingo have very Armand and Daniel in The Devil's Minion vibe. He's a human guy just fascinated by this cool vampire and hey, the extra cash isn't bad. But things get dangerous fast.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia: Same author as previous (I really like her if you can't tell). This book is meant to be a take on the gothic genre, if you can't tell by the title. Noemi's cousin who has been recently married sends her a letter asking her to come rescue her. Noemi then goes to the her in-laws family home, a decrepit Victorian mansion, with an equally eerie family. I don't want to say too much but I think this one is a great gothic horror. It both does the tropes and reinvents them

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones: This one is more straight up horror. Jade is a teen horror junkie who loves slashers. So when people start turning up dead in town she thinks she knows exactly what's going on and as a social outcast, this is everytging she has been waiting for, she hates the people of her town and wants them dead. Jade reminds me a bit of Lestat, not a ton in character but there is a deeply personal narration style and the fact that you can tell Jade is masking some massive insecurities she doesn't want to reveal to the audience. I also recommend this author's writing in general, they make my head go brrr

The Devourers by Indra Das: This is a werewolf book and starts off a LOT like IWTV. A history professor meets a man who claims to be half-werewolf. Despite being unsure if he believes him the man asks him to transcribe some historical documents, which tell the story (sst during the reign of Shah Jahan in India) of a werewolf and a human woman. This story is similar to IWTV in how it uses it's monsters as a reflection of humanity, they are both very human and unsettlingly inhuman. This book does have a hard plot so much as a charactrler exploration, and of course the mystery of the characters themselves. This is also a story where monsters are used to explore queer sexuality and gender and it's SO well done. However, since it is kind of a big part of the book, it's not described in detail but mentioned repeatedly, tw for rape

[aparticularbandit]

🥺🛒 ❌ 🏆 🎯 🤗🧠✅

Listen... You already know I'm a huge fan of your work by the way I'll ramble on about everything with you. However I'm realizing eight might be excessive, so feel free to pick and choose <3

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask game!

🥺 - Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

LETTING THEM PLAY WITH KIDDOS. OR HAVING KIDDO VERSIONS OF THEM BEING KIDDOS. THEY ARE SO CUTE IT'S CUTENESS OVERLOAD I LOVE IT.

🛒 - What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

The curse of immortality. Redemption arcs. Immortals falling in love with mortals (or ancient beings falling in love with less. ancient. beings. (this is not about Cian; this is about Luisa and the Fox)). Mental illness. Queer characters. SO much backstory trauma. SO MUCH BACKSTORY TRAUMA. Apparently also discussions of the use of sex and consent and vulnerability, which is a shocker to me, too, honest. Metaphorical masks and monsters. Usually also a kiddo scene, as mentioned above.

❌ - What's a trope you will never write?

Probably anything that requires sexual intricacies to fully flesh out. But also I'm hesitant to say never because I've found that even tropes I don't like (love triangles, i HATE you SO MUCH) I. still write, on occasion (looking at you, TNOS). So I'm not sure I can say there's a trope I will never write. ...unless it's something that is really triggering for me. But I've also written stuff that would be triggering for me if I were reading it, so like. This is not a good or helpful answer, Skylar, I'm sorry.

🏆 - What's your most popular fic?

AO3: It's a toss up between Finding Family (hits; comment threads) and What Dreams May Come (bookmarks, subscriptions, kudos). Tumblr: The Nature of Soulmates. It consistently has higher notes (even with prompts) than most of my other stuff (with the exception of Christmas Traditions and the very first Agave Stuff one-shot, which surpass or equal a couple of the lower ones).

🎯 - Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

Yes. I'm fairly certain - particularly with Finding Family - that someone (or multiple someones) did. I also think you have maybe at least once. But I don't remember...what exactly...those were...to tell you which.

🤗 - What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

Write what you are most excited about writing. Don't worry about being perfectly in character or having amazing prose or making everything neat and tidy. Get messy. Write a bunch. Write just for you, just what you want. Post when you're ready, and ignore everyone who gives you shit for it. Fanfic is about the community. It's about having fun with characters you love. Keep having fun and focus on that.

🧠 - Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them.

skylar you have to pick a character friendo You said Eve, so. Favorite headcanon for Eve! Probably that, despite her fervent desire to see the best in everyone (and her flaw of blaming herself for things when she...shouldn't, sometimes), Eve does have a line and it can be crossed (looking at you, Ted). For all that she loves people, she does have a boundary. But also that - if Ted had wanted to be forgiven, Eve would have forgiven him. If Ted had wanted to be reconciled, Eve would have allowed that. I think the point of this isn't just that Eve has self-respect and boundaries - she does - but also that she respects the boundaries other people put in place, too. If Ted doesn't want to be forgiven, then why should she put in the work to forgive him? Etc.

✅ - What's something that appears in your fics over and over and over again, even if you don't mean to?

So many characters in a lot of my most recent fics - not just Agatha, but I've caught Wanda saying it, too, and it's probably been more than just them - very clearly ask their partner Is this what you want? and then act accordingly. It's less about that last bit - it's more about that very specific line popping up fairly frequently recently. Sometimes multiple times within the same scene, that constant checking in (or pressing for an answer). Unintentional! But very much there.

[duncebento]

what’s bad about it

yeah so much…the sets look cheap honestly. i hate to say it. but the main street literally read as a set in my head like i could not suspend my disbelief. and u might think “welll maybe they just had a strict budget” but even the decisions that would have cost no money were made poorly. the aforementioned gambling scene takes place in one of the men’s houses i guess? but the room looks like a fucking wayfair commercial. no knick-knacks, no family photos, no untidy corners, no movement, light, or noise from the other room? the main lightskin is pretty but he can’t act, at least not in this role. he had me feening for the BLONDE vampire instead. sad. side note i despise the vampire special effects bc they literally just gave them bright blue eyes and the pupils look like they were superimposed on. blondie talkin about “i love that the women here are in every shade” meanwhile none of the actual women they cast as interests pass the paper bag test. why only lightskin women in new orleans? why does the music suck in new orleans? why is the white dude the only one who can speak french like what the fuck? it’s like casting a movie in DR and making it so that only the spaniards soeak spanish but all the black islanders are like we dk what youre saying….what. these ppl would speak french. vampire jumpscares are not scary. narration is necessary (it’s an interview!) but they make such poor use of it as a device i found myself wishing they’d cut it. all he does is state exactly what’s happening. the narration in fucking everybody hates chris is more subtle. french dude cant really be racist because he’s european white trope (but i hope to god they address that later in the series. same with the white saviorism and insistently interracial relationship.) why are the religious themes so sloppy and flat when your show is set in new orleans? why didn’t your actors have (enough) accent training? because they all have different accents. i find the main character incredibly unsexy which is a crime since you all saw me decide to watch the show purely for the apparent sexiness of the main character! but he’s an unwittingly unlikeable protagonist. and the “immortal in the modern age” theme is so half-assed like at the beginning he writes this cursive letter on handmade paper and youre like ohh this guy’s old-fashioned! but then his duplex modern apartment (boring might i add, and modern decor CAN be quite interesting and characterized) and zip-front black turtleneck are a modernization in the worst, most lazy way possible. i honestly laughed when he got called n word in the first episode because of how little weight it bore within the writing, just like i laughed (and turned the show off) when lioncourt went on his rant abt how he memorized the entire bible but then forgot it because he became an atheist after his dad beat him. wow this is really heavy subject matter. basically it’s kitsch as hell and the white boy was the best thing about it. sad

[a-master-procrastinator]

Long ass post about the Eternal family not being a copy-paste from ATLA (aka I like the memes but my god can you please stop)

Because some people truly think that Vaylin is off-brand Azula, Arcann is Zuko and so on.

It's. Called. A. Trope. (I mean how often do we come across abusive manipulative fathers in media? Mothers who couldn't much to change anything? Children, desperately looking for their parent's approval no matter what?)

Of course, you have to consider the fact that the writing of ATLA is simply better than of KotFE/ET, so this might have been one of the reasons why people say that.

Spoilers for Avatar: The Last Airbender, Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne expansions!

Okay, so here's my unprofessional, maybe biased, not super deep take.

(not going to mention that all of them are members of royal, ruling family, kinda obvious)

What roles do they play in their stories? Well, both Valkorion and Ozai are main antagonists, but their presence throughout the story is very different. Ozai is rarely shown in first two seasons, we don't even see his face until season 3. He doesn't have a direct connection to the protagonist, they only meet at the very end of the show, and Ozai's role is to pose a threat to the world, while Aang's is to save it. Valkorion, on the other hand, is constantly on the screen, interacting with the main character, challenging their viewpoint and influencing them directly. His end goal is similar to Ozai's (destroy everything and be the only ruler of the his nation), but with one major difference - he's trapped in Outlander's mind, so to achieve his goal Valkorion attempts to take control of the main character. Their interactions play important role in the story, and we spend a lot of time with Valkorion.

In addition to that, their relationship with children are also not exactly the same. It seems like Azula is Ozai's favorite and Zuko is a failure in his eyes until he meets his expectations, and the same goes with Vaylin, Arcann and Valkorion, right? Well, partially. Indeed, Valkorion and Ozai's treat their sons in similar ways (are disappointed in them until they meet their expectation by doing something that goes against their morals), but when it comes to Vaylin and Azula, it's not that easy. See, Valkorion claims that Vaylin was always his favorite creation (even though we know it's actually his empire), and he certainly seems to take pride in her potential in the Force. But her power is the very reason he's afraid of his own daughter, and in this fear Valkorion literally locks Vaylin away and allows to put her through physical and mental torture just to make sure she won't become a threat, won't overpower him. Maybe he thought of her better than of Arcann, but she wasn't his favored child for sure. I don't want to say that Azula hasn't experienced abuse from Ozai, but for the most part he clearly favored her over Zuko. He has never shown fear of Azula's power and abilities (or at least I haven't noticed), quite the opposite - allowed her to do a lot, as long as she brings results.

I could also mention their slightly different characterization (mostly that we get more characterization of Valkorion, get to learn his motivations, views, philosophy and all that, also he's portrayed as more nuanced, even if he not really is) and role in their respective governments (ozai is one of many Fire Lords and arguably not the greatest, while Valkorion is a god to citizens of Zakuul, their only Immortal Emperor), but those are details, and I think you get the point.

What's similar: role of the main antagonist, manipulative and abusive father, goal of destruction of everything that isn't their nation/empire, relationship with disgraced son.

What's different: presence in the overall narrative, relationship with the main character, relationship with daughter, role in their societies.

Senya and Ursa are even less similar. Yes, they both are mothers who love their children, but have to leave them, but these are probably the only things they have in common. Just as with Ozai and Valkorion's presence throughout the story, Ursa is only shown in flashbacks (for obvious reasons), and Senya is one of major characters in KotFE and (a bit less major) in KotET. Ursa leaves because she has to kill Azulon in order to save Zuko, and later isn't present in the story (I'm aware that her fate is told in comics, but we aren't talking about it). Senya leaves because when she tries to take children with her, they refuse, and she understands that she can't force them to, nor she can help them to break free from Valkorion's manipulations. For a long time she's absent from Arcann ad Vaylin's lives, but at the time of game events she attempts to save her children and stop the madness and destruction they've caused, and it isn't a small part of the story.

I also want to add that their relationship with Ozai and Valkorion are also different, but can't say much about Ursa. I heard that she didn't choose this marriage and suffered emotional (and maybe physical???) abuse from Ozai. I can say with confidence, though, that Senya genuinely loved Valkorion, and strangely enough, he seems to at very least respect her. But, of course, this wasn't the best marriage either.

Plus, we see more of Senya's relationship with Vaylin than Arcann or Thexan, but with Ursa we see her more with Zuko than Azula. Just a detail to remember.

(also Senya is simply a better character but that besides the point, moving on. in this house we stand Senya)

What's similar: role of loving and caring mother, abandoning their family at some point.

What's different: presence in the overall narrative, relationship with husband, characterization in general.

Boy, where do I even begin. Vaylin and Azula are similar in that they are both extremely powerful (one is firebending prodigy, the other is potentially stronger than Valkorion), both are cruel "craaaaazy" (i hate that cliché), both are younger sisters, have serious mother issues (seemingly more so than father issues), both go through betrayal of people they could always rely on, which eventually leads to their downfall. But when I took a look at their personal arcs, it became clear that they aren't the same (unfortunately, Vaylin's arc is very rushed and underdeveloped, but we'll have to go with what we have and my personal view, sorry).

There's a really good video about writing corruption and madness, and I'm going to base my thoughts on it. To summarise it: a good corruption arc should have 4 components:

- the character has a specific goal (or a goal and subgoals);

- in pursuit of said goal they become the cause of a significant event that brings serious consequences;

- as the result of these consequences, character abandons their morals, ideals or a code in pursuit of goal;

- character either will not achieve their goal or will succeed, but it won't be enough to satisfy them.

And then the author brings Azula's arc as one of the best examples of compelling story of corruption (so basically, she represents it perfectly). In short, Azula's main goals are perfection and control, and subgoals help achieve the main ones. In pursuit of these goals, Azula causes Mai and Ty Lee to betray her (by pushing them too far to do something they wouldn't do), which then causes her to become paranoid, which makes her to attempt controlling everything and everyone around her, *breathes* which makes her lose control over herself and ....

Now, I thought if Vaylin's arc could fit into a corruption one, and next part will be based a lot on my assumptions and personal view of her character (plus rushed writing doesn't help), but I think yes (or at least mostly). The difference is in goals, ideals and details.

While the story strongly makes us think that Vaylin's goal is freedom (or control over her life and everything around her) or power and destruction, I think it's actually self-determination (which was said by Tenebrae in 6.2) and feeling safe. Let me explain (and here I thought this would be a short comparison). Sure, when Valkorion caged Vaylin on Nathema, he took choices and control over her life from his daughter. But let's not forget whom Vaylin blames for this (even more than Valkorion): her own mother, and I think this details tell us that the most important thing that Vaylin lost on Nathema is feeling safe. Then, after Arcann brought her home, I assume Vaylin still didn't feel safe enough under Valkorion's rule, still too afraid that he'd simply send her back to that hellish place.

It's when Valkorion is struck down Vaylin finally has a feeling of personal safety, even if she isn't the one on the throne. Why? Because back on Nathema there were two people who haven't turned on her - Arcann and Thexan (yes, this is also a huge assumption, bc the game states that only Thexan visited her, but it doesn't make much sense).

I've always noticed (and I'm not alone in this) that her behavior in Fallen Empire is different from the way she acted in Eternal Throne. Most likely bc of rushed writing, but I see a character driven reason here. In first of these expansions, Vaylin is the second person in power on Zakuul, and with Arcann being in charge, person she can trust more than any other living being, she feels safe - she can test her power, and now Valkorion won't prevent it, she can do pretty much everything she wishes, and the most Arcann will do about this is mildly complain (without blaming her). Really would be nice if we got to see any normal hobbies of Vaylin (like wasn't there something about books or art?), but I digress. She might have some questions about Arcann's tactics, but they get along just fine. The important thing to note is Vaylin not seeking to hunt the Outlander personally, to rule or conquer the rest of the galaxy, or trying to achieve absolute freedom or power. She's kinda there.

This, however, changes when Arcann doesn't allow Vaylin to kill Senya. Their relationship was getting somewhat worse towards the end of KotFE, but this is a turning event Vaylin caused by attempting to strike her mother. By saving the person Vaylin blames for all the trauma from sending her to Nathema, Arcann threatened her feeling of safety. And now Vaylin starts to believing that to achieve safety she now needs to kill people who hurt her (that's why she's so determined to find Senya and Arcann), take the throne and hunt down Outlander (she was manipulated by SCORPIO to these subgoals).

(The following is the weakest, I'll admit, but I hope I can at least express what I see). So, in trying to achieve goals she didn't want before Vaylin loses in self-determination, being either driven by overwhelming anger or manipulated by others (SCORPIO or Commander on Odessen), desperately trying to accomplish anything, or even goes against her morals (like by erasing GEMINI's free will protocols, when earlier she agreed that freedom to choose is important; or breaking the deal on Odessen). All of these result in her downfall.

But even this isn't the end. The key difference between arcs of Azula Vaylin lies in it's resolution, or that Vaylin have a chance to overcome corruption in the main narrative (and Azula doesn't. again, not including comics here, sorry). After death, Vaylin is again controlled by Valkorion in Outlander's mind. First time physically (she can't resist it), second time mentally. This is where Vaylin has to choose - kill brother who betrayed her and Commander who killed her, or go against Valkorion, person responsible for almost all of her pain and trauma. She has t choose by herself, and I think it's a good start.

Now, before 6.2 we all thought Vaylin was dead for good, but that story update hinted at possibility of her coming back to life. What I like to think is that now that she dealt with people responsible for her trauma (helped defeat Valkorion and actually for once listened to Senya), Vaylin can now have a different life, finding herself with support of someone she doesn't hold a grudge against and who treats her well (Satele, I mean).

I'm so sorry for going into details, but I needed this long explanation to present the point (and I suck at explanations). As said before, this is my version of her arc, and most likely wrong interpretation, but even with personal freedom of choice, Vaylin character differs from Azula a lot.

Need I mention that Vaylin relationship with Arcann and Valkorion are drastically different from those between Azula, Zuko and Ozai?

(Also a little detail - with royal family of Fire Nation, Azula is the golden child, while with Tiralls it's actually Thexan, not Vaylin).

What's similar: role of extremely powerful, emotionally damaged daughter with little to no regard towards others, close people betraying them, resulting in their downfall.

What's different: characterization, role in the narrative, relationship with father and brother.

Arcann and Zuko is the most difficult part, but I still believe that calling Arcann just a cheap copy of Zuko is incorrect.

So, they fall into role of less successful son, always getting disapproval from father, being in shadow of more talented sibling, both obsessed with capturing the main character but ending up helping them end the war after going through a redemption arc with help of caring family member. Even both have scars on left side of face. Yeah, seems similar. I still think they are different characters.

Let's start with their relationships with family. In Valkorion section I said that his attitude towards Arcann is similar to that of Ozai towards Zuko, so not going to spend too much time here. However, there's slight difference - Zuko didn't kill his father even he had a perfect opportunity (bc it wasn't his goal), Arcann did (bc it was one of his goals), which says something about their characterizations.

Zuko and Ursa were shown to have a good mother-son relationship, and it played a role in Zuko's character. With Arcann and Senya, we don't really know (not much was shown in expansions). We know Arcann didn't hate his mother, but possibly didn't have warm memories of her either. The reason is most likely, like Senya said, her children wanted nothing to do with her (which is a bit untrue about Vaylin, but okay) and leaned more towards Valkorion. We need to remember that on Zakuul Valkorion isn't just one of many great leaders, he's the greatest, and seen as a god by most citizens, so safe to assume the same would apply to his children as well.

Zuko and Azula's siblingship (i'm out of words) is a bit similar to Arcann and Vaylin's in way of brother knowing that his sister isn't good, but still caring about them (even if not showing). At least it's what I saw. What's different is how Azula treats Zuko, compared to how Vaylin treats Arcann. I think Azula showed compassion or concern for Zuko maybe twice, but I'm not entirely convinced that it was 100% sincere. Vaylin, on the other hand, seems to trust and care about Arcann (with bits of sass and questioning his life choices), and switching to complete opposite after him saving Senya. Also, I don't she ever called Arcann a failure in their father's eyes.

Now I want to say that their roles in stories aren't the same either. Sure, both are introduced to us as antagonists, but in reality, Zuko was never a true antagonist (we get to learn this somewhere mid-season 1), when Arcann remains the main antagonist for whole of KotFE. Zuko didn't start a war and didn't participate in conquest of other nations too much, his main goal was to capture the Avatar so to restore his honor (and deserve his father's forgiveness). Honestly, I think it's safe to say the Zuko is one of two main protagonists of ATLA. Why does Arcann want to capture the Outlander? Solely because his father's spirit still lives inside this person's mind, and the best solution to keep Valkorion away from the galaxy is not letting the Outlander free (hence the carbonite freezing). And Arcann doesn't want or need Valkorion's forgiveness when he attempts to kill him (or kills him, depending on your choice. anyway, his action directly leads to Valkorion's "death"). And right after that he becomes a ruler of Zakuul and begins the conquest of Republic, Sith Empire and everything he can reach (the reasoning behind this is still unclear to me though; maybe because he was raised with ruling Zakuul in mind and he didn't anything else, idk). Point is, he's responsible for war and main's character imprisonment, which makes him the main antagonist of KotFE. They have it the opposite ways - Zuko starts as disgraced prince, supported by a little group of people, and in the end he's recognized and appreciated by his nation, and Arcann starts as respected by his empire, later becoming less and less loved, until some groups start rebelling his rule, and in the end he doesn't get to rule Zakuul again.

This leads me to their morals. See, Zuko didn't have the worst morals in Fire Nation, even more, he expressed care for loyals soldiers of his nation before getting punished by Ozai. During first season (and about a half of second one) his views on other nations are what he was taught before. However, these views are challenged by travelling in Earth Kingdom, witnessing people suffering from war Fire Nation started and hating its people (you already know all of this), and with this he comes through final stage of redemption when he's back home. Unfortunately, Arcann doesn't go through this, and he's shown to be more ruthless.

Alright, when it comes to their redemption arcs, well let's say they are different (both in quality and the way they go through it), I'm just a bit tired of long explanations at this point. Zuko's arc is one of the best ever put on television, and Arcann's... well, it definitely has potential, but is criminally underdeveloped (there are other people who will explain it better than I ever could).

What's similar: role of disgraced son, living in shadow of their sibling, serious injuries on the left side of face (though with different meanings), obsession with capturing the main character, having a redemption arc.

What's different: role in the narrative, role in their society, characterization, relationship with sister and mother, different end goals (before redemption), paths to redemption.