#big sky s2 spoilers

[impalaslytherin]

Watch "Jenny X Beau - Delicate ( Big Sky ABC ) #bigsky #jennyhyott #beauarlen" on YouTube

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@dean-winchester-is-a-warrior @deaneverafter dedicating this video to you two amazing people ❤️

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Thanks @libertamry for the clip 😊

[baddybaddyadardaddy]

Okay, I'm going to make a wild prediction about Adar and Galadriel in Episode 8, so strap in.

An overarching the/major motif of the Rings of Power from the very first episode has been, obviously, the interplay between darkness/light.

"To find the light, we must first touch the darkness." / "Before light, darkness must flee, etc."

Adar and Galadriel together are a manifestation of that duality between light and dark and accordingly, I think there's a compelling case for them to team up against Sauron at the end of Season 2.

Here's my attempt at this argument:

PARALLELS BETWEEN ADAR AND GALADRIEL

The show has established a few strong visual parallels between the two of them.

Mourning ritual. Galadriel mourning for Finrod in S1Ep1 is echoed by Adar's mourning of the Uruks in S2Ep7. They even mirror the single tear.

What's more, Galadriel bears WITNESS to Adar's funeral ritual, enforcing the connection of this moment.

Seed planting. Frankly, my jaw hit the floor when S2Ep2 had Galadriel planting seeds in the memorial garden in Lindon, because the shots/framing were almost IDENTICAL to the seed planting Adar does at the beginning of S1Ep6. The sentiments of both instances are the same "life over death," though the words do differ.

Flip sides of the same coin/mirror to one another. The show has also presented us with many instances where they function as mirrors to one another. If not signficant, why do?

Barn scene. The barn scene in S1Ep6 is a PRIME example, when Adar literally calls Galadriel out for the hypocrisy of her hatred of the orcs.

The dinner scene. Adar once again holds up a mirror to Galadriel, pushing back against her notion that "you yielded to him. I resisted." Then they have the shared acknowledgement that without Sauron, the world seems a "dull grey" (GREY, interestingly, a halfway point between dark and light). Adar's face in response to her admission will live rent-free in my mind forever-- it's like he's been SEEN for the first time in his life.

So while Galadriel sees herself as a warrior of light, and views Adar as a creature of darkness, the show does a pretty superb job of showing that both of these characters have light and dark within them in equal measure.

They were both tempted by Sauron and succumbed.

So there is a clear, thematic link between these two from that standpoint.

ADAR'S JOURNEY TOWARD THE LIGHT

Next, I think it is clear Adar on a path toward light/redemption as an elf, and it tracks in a VERY LITERAL SENSE.

First time we see Adar, he is bathed in an angelic light. As he performs the funeral ritual for Magrot, light streams into the Uruk tent.

The shot at the end of S2 Ep1, when the camera lingers on Adar as Gil-Galad's call to the Eldalie commences. Adar feels the undeniable call to his elven past. That camera shot was NOT A COINCIDENCE, and I'm FOREVER FERAL ABOUT IT.

Cavalry charge at the siege of Eregion. Adar is OBVIOUSLY backlit:

There is a dividing line between light and shadow an Adar is RIGHT on the border of it.

When he steps up to take possession of Nenya, the sky behind him is split between a darker side and a lighter side. (You can argue that it's a CREEPY light, but it's still light. There is almost no all-black coloring on him in that second frame when he actually has the ring. For a character that's been head to toe in black the entire series, this is Significant.)

So where does that leave us for the big Sauron smackdown?

My first wild prediction: In an INSANE reversal, Galadriel will be the one to bring Morgoth's dark crown to the confrontation, while Adar will wield Nenya, a symbol of light.

It's not inconceivable that Gal could have smuggled it out of Adar's camp somehow under her oversized Uruk cloak. And Adar, OBVIOUSLY now possesses Nenya at the end of S2Ep7.

I think the fight between Galadriel and Sauron is ACTUALLY a three-person fight; we just haven't seen Adar in the promos because

1. Obvious plot spoilers and

2. HE WILL BE FIGHTING IN A FAIR FORM BECAUSE NENYA WILL HEAL HIS CORRUPTION.

My second wild prediction: This three-person fight is telegraphed in The Last Temptation. There's a new motif (not musical, so unclear if this is the correct term??) that starts around 1:07. It sounds like an aggressive children's choir. Interspersed, we get some of Gal's themes and Sauron-flavored music. I think this new bit could be either a combined theme for Gal/Adar fighting side by side, OR a new motif for a changed/elven Adar. It's aggressive, which to me tracks with Adar's fighting style that we saw through S2Ep7, and it builds and gets more voices added to it as the song progresses. At one point, it blends perfectly with Gal's theme.

Third wild prediction that I hope I'm wrong about: Adar will likely get fatally stabbed during this fight. I could see him giving Galadriel the ring at a crucial moment, in as a redemptive act, which would forfeit any protection it might have offered him, and I think he'll receive a fatal blow from Sauron, but not before we get a much clearer picture of EXACTLY who Adar is. IF they do it this way, it will be a deeply satisying end to Adar's story arc, IMHO.

Last thoroughly unhinged thing I will leave you with:

Nolwa Mahtar translation (from S1), according to Bear's blog:

Finish the war, the darkness, end this suffering

Impossible to pursue, deep in shadow, follow light

Finish the war, the darkness, end this suffering

Bright warrior against darkness.

Obviously this theme plays a HUGE role in S2. I believe the lyrics are different; we don't know what they say yet.

But I have contended all along that this piece has always applied in some way to BOTH Adar and Galadriel.

Galadriel is the bright warrior standing against Sauron's darkness, yes, that image is obvious.

But Adar, a figure who lived deep in shadow, follows light, ultimately finishing his own war and ending his own suffering.

[only-lonely-stars]

just watched Dragons Rising S2... I am not okay and have many thoughts (SPOILER WARNING)

Please pardon how disorganized these are... :)

Nya and Jay's eventual reunion is going to crush my soullllll

All of the cool shots with Cole fighting have reignited my Man Crush Monday, and I'm not mad

Where are all the ladies? Pixal, Skylor, Vania, Akita? And what about side characters like Benthomaar, the Keepers, Scott, Unagami??? I desperately want to see them

The sorceress (Gandalaria?) is pretty funny, I loved the whole bit with the magic storeroom -- especially the mimic

Did Euphrasia achieve her True Potential when she stabilized the Cloud Kingdom island?

Ras floating into the sky for his interdimensional Zoom meetings has got to be pretty odd in-person...

What happened to Ash? If we've got Cinder now, did Ash die? Or did he retire? Some secret third option?

SOMEONE HELP MY BOI KAI

Seriously. Kai was wearing a wolf mask and yet he still went through the portal without any issues. How? Is it a plot hole? I thought I'd hit on a plot twist and then I was proven wrong, so... not sure...

Lloyd's whole panic attack plot line was... decent, but feels like it needs a little work in the writing department. Overall I love the idea!

What the heck is a Source Dragon Tournament?

Every single one of the Administration jokes landed. Solid 10/10. I was cackling at Cole's joke about a permit in triplicate.

THE DOG!!!! THE DOG!!!!! TOO CUTE!!!

Are the rest of the Ninja going to learn Rising Dragon Technique soon? Will Riyu and Sora get it together?

Will Arin ever actually figure out his object thingie (without bringing it up unsuccessfully another thirty times) before I get bored of watching him try? I hope so.

RIYU BABY YOU'VE GOTTEN SO BIG, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!! Now go eat your vegetables so you keep growing.

It took me a while to find somewhere to watch it (I don't have Netflix), but it was worth it. I'll watch Season 2 Part 2 (season 2B?) when it's out! I'm starting to warm up to the idea of a spinoff show, especially with the overarching plot pulling it together.

[str4ngr]

distance [ nanami kento ]

cw: BIG angst, mourning, s2 spoilers [i think we all know], a little off plot, death, wife! reader, nanami perspective. that scene had me balling and for what.

his eyes fluttered shut. cool wind rushing across his cheek, sand dancing across the skin of his bare feet as he wandered the white beaches of malaysia. he could hear you, feel you, but couldn't see. your warmth engulfed him, angelic laughter echoing in his head as he graced a perfect smile at the sound.

battered and beat, blood dripped down his nose, like the salty ocean water he dreamt of swimming in. it all felt perfectly numb as his shoulder twisted in resistance, eyes open again. he saw your face. he saw your tears. he closed his eyes.

malaysia was beautiful. it was where the sun was hot and the breeze was cold. it was where he held your waist as you took a walk. it was where he would have raised his children with you. it's where he would have hosted your actual wedding, since he couldn't find a beautiful enough venue for his divine wife to grace in japan.

it hurt. it burned. his flesh was piece-y and gone, leaving a searing agony that struck his half. air struggled to enter and exit. knees buckling as he forced himself forward.

he could hear the seagulls flapping and crying above, laying on cloud like cushion, your comforting body pressed to his side. it was perfect, the wind, the birds, the ocean, and you. he wanted to see you, not just feel you, not just smell the flowers in your hair, but to see the smile he looked forward to every evening at 5:30 p.m. after his commute home.

he swung and swung. hitting something and another only to be hit back.

he heard the soft sounds of paper flipping, your mellow voice whispering comments as your head lay on his shoulder. his fingers traced your hair, desperate to make it reality.

cold, colder than ice, than the glacier farthest away from malaysia, a hand pressed against his burning spine. he felt eight eyes on him, six of whom he loved, two of who he despised. the glittering of his golding wedding ring was the only thing his eyes caught after itadori.

the blue sky surrounds him, your warm face in front of his as his lips graze yours in a soft whisper,

"i love you."

directory

[error4343]

SPOILERS FOR ARCANE S2 ACT 1

I KNEW IT, I FUCKING KNEW THAT THEY WILL USE SKY AS GUILT BAIT FOR VIKTOR. Not a big fan of it, but at least my girl hasn't been completely forgotten.

Also the fact that he just walked in Zaun completely naked is hilarious.

[raayllum]

Full Circle: Season 6 and Through the Moon

Because I love patterns and chiastic structure and watched Prince of Egypt again earlier tonight, I was thinking a lot about the utilization of repeating plot beats in TDP, as I'm wont to do. If you want more detailed examples for what I mean, check out this old meta about the Dragon Quartet in arc 1, or this meta about Karim walking Viren's previous political path.

Now on a basic level, parallels make sense. Characters making similar choices in parallel situations helps build their characterization; characters making slightly or completely different decisions in parallel / similar situations provides character growth (positive or negative / both), progression, and contrast.

However, sometimes you'll get episodes or plot structures that are effectively growing in tandem with each other. I'm going to provide an episode example first, and then a seasonal example.

Episode: In 1x06 and 3x04, Rayla is keeping a secret regarding her emotional pain. Callum tries to get her to open up / support her three times, but she refuses each time. Finally when Callum reaches out to her, she can't keep it all under wraps anymore and has a big emotional spiel / breakdown because she doesn't feel worthy of that support. While understandable and accidental, these poorly timed outbursts leads to something awful happening to Zym (egg in the ice, and stolen by Nyx).

Season: In 2x01, both Callum and Viren are denied something they want (an arcanum and a seal) because of their current lack of status (magical, political). In 2x04 they are tempted by a more self destructive path (the lightning rod and blood deal with Aaravos) but ultimately step away. In 2x07, they go back on this more positive decision, and tether themselves to Aaravos/dark magic (Callum uses it for the first time, and Viren does the blood ritual). 2x08 sees them face their mirrored reflections (dark magic Callum and Aaravos in the mirror). At the end of the season, they both achieve higher magical prowess, but for Callum it's internal (primal magic) and for Viren it's external (little bug pal) and more forcefully enters his body (through the ear). Callum is 'free' (sky magic) and Viren ends the season in chains.

What these examples mean, then, is that I think there's good grounds for a lot of Through the Moon's plot beats to work their way into Season 6, but with reversed roles than we see in the graphic novel. And here's why!

[ Warning: Spoilers for 6x01 due to con notes! If you want to go in without knowing anything, don't read this! ]

Paranoia, Nightmares, and Partnership

Back when season 4 aired, it was noted by many (myself included) that Callum and Rayla had taken on a fair few of each other's more arc 1 personality traits. Callum was more prone to paranoia and more closed off; Rayla was more open and wanting to talk about things. Callum asked her to kill him (because he's 'already dead') displaying more of her overt self sacrificial tendencies, and Rayla left the drake in the wood much the same way Callum (and Ezran) were willing to leave the dragon back in S2.

While we see a bit of a return to form in S5 — Callum is more optimistic, sunnier, and intensely supportive; Rayla is more secretive, unsure, and struggling with water — it doesn't erase their continuing parallels. Callum, much like Rayla leaving in TTM, goes to a dark place to try to protect her and then doesn't tell her about doing dark magic afterwards. They both agree on hunting down information about killing Aaravos. Rayla learns how to open up and ask for help more readily, which is something Callum was always quite willing to do ("Look, Rayla [...] I just think this cube thing might help me").

And it seems going into 6x01 that we're seeing the parallels come out even more blatantly with Callum's behaviour compared to Rayla's behaviour in TTM. The first episode indicates this in a few ways:

Rayla having nightmares about Viren and her family + Callum → Callum having nightmares about Aaravos using him

These nightmares inspire more fear and paranoia in each of them, while their partner tries to be supportive but ultimately isn't as worried

What they're worried about is something that shouldn't be a massive threat, given that Viren was 'dead' and Aaravos is trapped, and yet it persists anyway

Like in TTM, they're in close proximity, as it seems Rayla has permanently moved into Ezran's old bedroom connected to Callum's by a door, and she and Callum shared a room in TTM as well (at the Nexus and at the Castle)

Conversations about said worries do happen on beds, though

We do see some differences though. In TTM, Rayla never mentions her nightmares to Callum, or to anyone, whereas in 6x01, Callum runs right to Rayla to tell her even in the middle of the night and never tries to keep them a secret. While Rayla was scared of her family and Callum being trapped and immobilized by Viren, Callum is worried about accidentally freeing Aaravos.

That being said, the escalating fear and worry, as well as the more skeptical partner still offering heartfelt support, feels familiar to say the least.

Onto the next:

Rayla's parents

Through the Moon and S5 had some of the biggest focuses on Rayla's family and her grief regarding her parents. They also have their similarities. While Rayla deeply wants to know what happened to her parents in both TTM and 5x01, she ultimately puts it on the backburner. In TTM, she goes through the portal primarily to find Viren, just as she puts the world first in S5.

Now, there's a few valid reasons that Callum doesn't likewise prioritize Viren in TTM (for starters, Rayla hasn't told him about any of her nightmares in which he heavily features), so he assumes the main problem is about her parents. It is worth mentioning, though, that S5 likewise reaffirms this dynamic of Callum being the one to prioritize her family and her by extension even when Rayla is telling him not to.

C: Sorry, Rayla. I just... hate you seeing like this [in pain]. / You know I'm always here for you, right? / Together. That's the most important thing. Together.

While whether the Moon fam will get out in S6 is yet to be determined, and I could see it going either way (we may get an attempt, but that doesn't mean it'll be successful, for example), the chance of freeing them and the opportunity to try has never been more present. We already see what is likely Rayla reminding Callum of the current state of affairs, citing "The fate of the entire world is at stake" and that she may be more inclined to prioritize the Nova Blade, whereas he prioritizes the coins and diamonds.

Their last attempt, after all, to seek out her family 1) didn't yield the results either were hoping and 2) ended in disaster of going to "a dark place" but more on that later.

Illusions

This is more of a tiny thing, but Through the Moon is also the place where we see Rayla and Callum engage in illusions most directly together. Although this is always an undercurrent in S1 and S2 regarding whatever Rayla is holding close to her chest, Callum's plan and Rayla's ultimate approval of lying to Lujanne to rebuild the Nexus shows characteristics we see again in s5 with sneaking off to the Great Bookery.

TTM also has to do with illusions of course overtly in the text, with Rayla and Callum's whole "white lies are illusions you build to protect the hearts of those you love" thing that they inherit from Lujanne, and Rayla eventually uses in her justification to leave. This is the main time thus far that the 'heroes' have used illusions in a negative way, as deception ingrained magic (false Viren, hiding corruption, Aaravos' general mystery) is typically more negative, whereas the two illusion spells the main trio have used (the fake princes and Zym's dog form) were short lived and not consistent.

It does make me think about how Callum apparently makes an illusion for the pearl, though, to be kept in the castle's dungeon. It would make the most sense to me if this eventually gets worked around into real harm happening because someone (like Claudia) thought it was real and wanted it back.

I also think that while there's precedent in most of arc 1 for Callum learning the moon arcanum, which I've detailed elsewhere, TTM feels like one of the biggest switches in regards to how much he understands Rayla. If Callum does connect to the moon arcanum individually and in the show itself, I think S6 is the most likely, and it'd tie well into TTM; that was the last time he believed in any kind of illusion, and now he's understanding that even more full circle in S6, potentially.

Seeking out Information

With all this in mind, though, I think S6 may parallel TTM the most precisely because it's Rayla and Callum seeking out information, together, regarding 1) her family and 2) a threat to the whole world. While we almost saw this combination of events elsewhere — 3x08 gets close with Callum and her parents, and 5x04 gets close with the worldly threat and Callum seeking answers about her family — those ended up being more... happen stance-y.

I also feel like going to the Starscraper with the twofold intent — save her parents, stop the threat — is more adjacent to TTM because it's intentionally two folded there, too. The kids weren't trying to figure out the threat by finding more about her parents in 3x08, and they also weren't trying to find out more about her parents by going to the Bookery in 5x04.

That said, the following two sections are why I actually think S6 is going to wrap up the bulk of the Rayllum development from TTM beyond them just having their talk, and that's because of

The Underworld / The Ascent

In their quest for the information, Rayla (and Callum) go through the portal, and Callum (and Rayla) go to the Starscraper. We know thanks to the S6 teaser trailer that Callum is going to have a personalized trial of some sort with his wings and the blindfold; this could be similar in theory to Rayla having to face her fear with water in TTM, if Callum develops hesitance towards Star magic because of Aaravos... or just having to pass some kind of obstacle in order to get information they seek.

This may seem like the opposite, given that the portal is a very unambiguous Underworld. It's a mirrored reflection of our living world, and it's a literal descent into water. The Starscraper means literally going up to the heavens, and presumably no massive brushes with death. At least at first.

However, I think both places are going to pose similar problems, at least in a character-theme sense. For Rayla, going into the portal was a massive risk, with Lujanne citing, "If you pull her out now, she'll just be a mindless husk. We have to wait and hope that Rayla will be back by morning, before she's lost forever."

Since it's likely that Callum will either be 1) outright possessed at the Starscraper, or 2) whatever happens there will snowball into his possession, I think you can see where I'm going with this. Callum fears a similar loss of identity (which has also been set up, i.e. "I'm not a dark mage, I will never help you" + "I was his puppet" + "you completely lost yourself"). Aaravos' possession is like the most extreme version of the snake-bird soul transfer spell, Aaravos' soul inhabiting and hiding in Callum's body to make him do terrible things / things against his will, and Callum will be the person taking the fall for it. The fact that dark magic, and the possession subsequently, are symbolic of death only enhance these parallels further.

But at the same time, this comparison isn't all bad:

Rayllum and the Retrieval

Because they're going to get each other out.

Callum goes into the Nexus Portal — into death — to get Rayla out before she can die, and lose herself. He retrieves her. They have to work together in order to successfully reach the surface, Rayla grasping the moon phoenix feather as a tether to guide them the rest of the way.

Likewise, there's been seasons of buildup that Rayla is 1) tied to Callum's sense of identity, as he is to hers and 2) that she will ultimately save him from the possession.

This is reinforced by Elmer and Soren's assertion of compassion, names, breaking cycles, freedom, and identity: "I win, cause this hunk of wood obeys me no matter what! [...] I own you, I control you!" "That's not my name."

Callum, like Rayla, is going to meet his metaphorical death due to the search for knowledge (possibly even over her parents and a threat to the world yet again). Rayla, like Callum did for her, is going to be instrumental in getting him out, and reaffirming his identity — finding him, ensuring that he's not a lost, empty husk. Callum will likewise be helping her do so, perhaps even with another Moon (arcanum) tether, and they'll ultimately escape together.

Cause you know — Through the Moon and S6 are like poetry. They rhyme.

And what initially split them apart is now what's going to bring them fully back together. Chiastic structure my beloved.

[dragonfly0808]

Aisha: The Thesis

I don’t know if I have to keep saying this but SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE FUCKING REWRITE UP TIL THE CURRENT CHAPTER (S4 CH 14)

First Things First

The very first words on Aisha’s character sheet are: Sporty, socially awkward dancer

I feel like it’s a bit difficult to explain my thought process when it comes to Aisha. I think most of us can agree she was def the most interesting and most fleshed out in the OG, from her badass intro to her backstory and storyline in s2, she was a young girl who ran from home to avoid being isolated and was loyal to the point of risking her life to save her pixie friends.

Something that was very important to me was showcasing Aisha as being socially awkward and having a hard time believing people like her due to her trauma, years of isolation and never really having friends her own age. Her main relations up til this point have been with Nabu (who she stopped seeing when she was about eight and never really knew), Anne (who she fell for but abruptly stopped seeing when she was twelve) and the pixies (who aren’t human and therefore can’t really give Aisha the experience of having very relatable friends)

Due to all this, an important focus for me in s2 was showing Aisha as feeling like an outsider, she’s not only new to an already very clearly established group who already fought a war together, but she doesn’t really know how to become part of the group and isn’t always sure whether she’s intruding or not.

I tried to show how her integration to the group is kinda slow, giving her a pre-established friendship with Helia so the two could bond over being the new kids and having her first bonds be with Flora and Brandon.

She doesn’t really feel like a part of the group until the girls’ make a mock welcome-to-the-Winx ceremony that they don’t realize is so very important to Aisha because she’s never been part of a group like this before.

^ All of that makes for someone who is incredibly loyal to her friends, everyone in the Winx is very loyal but for Aisha specifically it goes even deeper in the sense that, these aren’t just her best friends, they’re her first friends, the first people that ever made her feel accepted and safe and didn’t vanish on her.

Imposter Syndrome say What?

Imposter Syndrome is a real thing and Aisha suffers real badly because of it. This is smth I’m exploring in her arc during S4: Generation Why (Talk About How Fast We Grew). This affects her in 2 main ways-

She feels like she isn’t a real part of the squad after the confrontation with the Ancestral Witches back in s3 finale (I’ll talk a bit more about that in a moment)

She feels like she won’t be a good queen and often compares herself to Stella and Sky who’ve gotten more experience in that aspect. Aisha can feel suffocated by the thought of some day becoming the queen of Andros, even if she loves her planet, being ruler seems like smth that would take away most of her freedom, which is pretty much her biggest nightmare.

Now, I’ll take a moment here to say that I feel like I haven’t given Aisha the attention that she deserves due to s2 being when she’s introduced and s3 having so much PLOT going on that the character arcs got slightly lost for most of the squad. In S4 I want to redeem this cause my girl deserves some more focus. I will say that the Generation Why arc won’t be the beginning and end of Aisha’s evolution in s4, though it will have a pretty big impact on how she views certain things.

If I’m All I Have, That’s Enough

One of my fave moments in the entire rewrite, is Aisha’s fight against fake-Anne (the Ancestral Witches) where, as the Witches try to convince Aisha that the squad doesn’t truly care for her and only friends with her out of pity, Aisha makes it very clear that, even if that were true, she’d still fight for herself. Because she knows she’s someone who deserves to be fought for and protected.

But even if no one missed her… Aisha would not give up on herself.

She had been alone most of her life, which meant she’d had to take care of herself. And she wasn’t done doing that.

Maybe she still wasn’t all that comfortable in her own skin. Maybe she was still figuring out who she was and what she wanted. Maybe she still doubted herself and the way others viewed her sometimes.

…but that was okay.

She didn’t need to have everything figured out to know that she wanted to live. 

If not to see her friends again… then just for herself.

Because she wanted to meet the person she would become someday.

Because the twelve-year old Aisha she’d once been had deserved to be protected. Just as her future and present self deserved that too.

So if no one was there to save her… then she’d save herself… for herself.

I really wanted to send a message that, while a lot of media will give someone with low self esteem some other motivation to fight for themselves, I really wanted to have Aisha fight for herself, to see that, if no one would fight for herself, she herself would still do it.

It’s a bit hard to phrase but I do think it’s been one of the most beautiful moments in the whole rewrite and while yes, Aisha still doubts herself and her place in the group, she doesn’t doubt that she wants to keep going and that she will fight for who she was, who she is and who she will someday become.

This kinda manifests in her finally standing her ground against her mom and making her see that all the shit she put her through in her childhood was wrong and only affected her in a negative way. It also manifests in her immediately feeling like she was exaggerating (pesky intrusive thoughts) and having to be pulled out of spiraling by Nabu.

I’m really excited to finally give her a bit more attention in s4, beyond just the current arc.

You Can’t Spell Lonesome Without Me

I feel like I’m bouncing all over the place with this thesis but just bare with me please.

Aisha’s main trait as a character is loneliness. She’s been isolated most of her life and, thanks to intrusive thoughts and imposter syndrome, her brain will make her feel alone and like she isn’t a real part of the group, which of course leads her to sometimes be lonely even when she’s with the other girls.

Because you don’t heal from that shit in just one year.

I really wanted this for Aisha cause it’s smth I myself struggle with due to some… really bitchy behavior from certain ‘friends’ in middle school, to this day it will take me 6 months to truly believe someone likes me and isn’t annoyed at spending time with me. I’m in college and middle school still haunts me, so I think it’s only realistic for Aisha to not instantly heal from what was probably an even worse situation.

Her loneliness is one of your brain constantly sabotaging you even when you’re happy with the friend group you currently have.

Thoughts Behind her Main Relationships

Flora: They are best friends, and their friendship is one of softness and comfort. They’ve both dealt with extreme loneliness and have both felt like not-quite-part-of-the-group at some point or another even if it’s for different reasons.

They have a perfect introvert/extrovert balance and are the best at bringing the other out of their respective comfort zones without making it feel forced or pushy.

Their friendship is midnight tea and sitting on balconies looking at the stars and dancing on the beach and cuddling after nightmares and doing each other’s hair and helping each other forget the pain and remember why they love life.

I feel like their friendship can be hard to explain because their friendship is one of quiet moments, of comfort and softness and the little things. It’s the flowers in Aisha’s sweaters and the seashells on Flora’s necklaces. It’s the comfortable silence and the random dance parties.

Nabu: Something I really wanted to do with this relationship was have Nabu kinda help Aisha heal her inner child. When he reveals his identity, they’re playing on a see-saw, they talk while sitting on swings, they run around the beach kicking water up at each other.

Nabu lets her act like a kid, something Aisha never really got to do thanks to her mom. He lets her feel like she can be childish and embarrassing cause she knows he won’t make her feel bad for it. They feel safe around the other, enough to act however they want to.

Another big thing in their relationship was trust and open communication, their situation is slightly awkward due to having an arranged marriage in their future, Aisha questions both their feelings, if they truly fell for each other or if they were just taking the convenient way out. Nabu is very clear that that isn’t the case and that’s what allows their relationship to flourish.

Going to Nabu is really one of the first times Aisha allows herself to go after something she truly wants, contributing to her coming into her own person.

Brandon: So, I would say Brandon might be Aisha’s first deep connection in the squad along with Flora. Brandon kinda sees right through Aisha and her self-doubt and he’s the one that really helps her start coming out of her shell.

The two are massive extroverts and love any and all outdoors activities, and they bond massively over this, constantly going for hikes, skateboarding or trying out new things.

And yes… Aisha does have a bit of a crush on Brandon at first, due to him kinda being the first guy she connects with in her teenage years, and him being… well… Brandon. While she never makes advances or even thinks about it (cause she would never do that to Stella) this does make her feel like an actual teenager, since she never really got the experience of having a silly little teenage crush.

The two are very close and, since both are very touchy people, it does contribute to the crush. Once the crush phase passes, Aisha sees him as a platonic soulmate, the two have a lot in common but wouldn’t ever really work as a couple cause they have too much in common. They are very supportive of one another and just really get one another.

Who is Aisha in this Rewrite?

Aisha is a young woman learning to be comfortable in her skin and to live and fight for herself.

She’s an incredibly loyal friend who struggles with imposter syndrome and intrusive thoughts. She’s working through that and trying to stop feeling like an outsider.

Aisha is someone who spent most of her life in isolation and wishing to run away, to be free. She’s someone who’s learning and embracing a new meaning of freedom and who is trying to come into her own in a way she can be proud of and that won’t restrict her freedom or make her go back to the lonely girl she once was.

Aisha is someone who, even at her darkest times, will fight for herself.

————

Masterlist

Aisha Moodboard

Aisha’s Instagram

Flora and Aisha Moodboard

Aisha and Nabu Moodboard

Aisha and Brandon Moodboard

[goosewriting]

One too many (Captain Rex x reader)

summary: set right after the bad batch s2 finale, reader feels like they’ve lost too much

relationship: Rex x GN reader

warnings: tbb season 2 spoilers, mention of character deaths, so much angst, reader dissociating, verbal argument, saying things to each other that you don’t actually mean, making up after a fight

word count: 2.8k

A/N: the tbb season 2 finale left a very bitter taste in my mouth so i had to do something about it. i made myself cry with this one and you shall too. bon appetit :)

big thanks to @snippy-tano for helping me out with this one!<3

(english is not my first language. constructive criticism and grammar corrections are very appreciated!)

— — —

“We’re going to get her back,” Hunter says firmly. “And we don’t stop searching until we do.”

Even though the rest of the crew is silent, he knows everyone feels the same.

“We need to regroup and resupply to make a plan,” Echo suggests after a moment. “I know a place.”

“Where?”

Echo turns to the navigation panel and enters the coordinates. The system beeps as it calculates the next possible hyperspace route. 

“That’s Rex’s hideout,” the clone explains. 

Once the jump is possible, Hunter pushes the lever, and the endless sky of stars before you blurs as you make the jump. 

Everyone on the ship is silent as you process what happened, and think about how to proceed from here on out. Wrecker is hugging Lula to his chest with silent sniffles, Hunter sits in the captain's chair with his arms crossed and eyes closed, trying to collect his thoughts.

The only thing you can hear is the steady hum of the ship travelling through hyperspace surrounding you. Echo and you are sitting behind Hunter, your chairs facing each other. The moving lights outside reflect on his pale face, creating a swirl of whites and blues. But you don't see it, as your gaze is fixed on the floor before you. You can feel Echo’s eyes on you though, yet you're unable to meet them. Your brain seems to simultaneously be going at a thousand miles an hour and have stopped entirely. You're not even sure if you're breathing anymore.

Echo places a gentle hand on your knee, but you don't react at all. In fact you don't even feel it. The ship, its sounds, everyone on board; you see them moving further and further away from you, shrinking into the distance, until you're left in the void. Everything is black and cold, inviting you to sink deeper into nothingness, and you can't tell if you're there as well or if you're long gone.

After a while, or maybe immediately (you don't seem to have a grasp on time right now), you hear your name being called very faintly, from really far away. You block it out, not ready to leave this hidden corner of your brain just yet where you don't have to come to terms with, well, anything.

But your consciousness is rattled awake by a hand shaking your shoulder. You can feel yourself coming back the whole distance you had gone back before, at an ungodly speed, and within a split second you're back on the Marauder. 

A wave of nausea crashes over you like a bucket of cold water. You lean forwards, suppressing a gag, your arms clutching over your stomach. You look up, eyes still unfocused and detached, and are met with Echo’s worried gaze.

“You okay?” he asks, concern very clear in his voice. “Not sure where you went there.”

His hands come to hold yours on your lap; you're trembling. Unable to form a response, you merely nod your head at him. Echo studies your face for a moment, and just as he’s about to say something else, Hunter speaks first. 

“We’re here,” he announces. 

The Marauder comes out of hyperspace, and you hear a voice through the ship’s comms asking for identification. A voice you've heard a thousand times in several dozen different people. A voice you've come to love, and lately despise, all at the same time. A voice that for you, held memories as well as burdens. A voice you sometimes wished you could forget. 

The ship wobbles when the tractor beam starts pulling you in, and Hunter leaves his post to gather some equipment.

“Get ready,” he orders, taking Echo to the back of the ship to discuss something. You also get up and walk straight to the door. The Marauder barely even landed before you open the hatch and jump out, taking a deep breath of the filtered air.

You turn around to see Hunter, Echo and Wrecker stepping out of the ship. The realisation hits you that they are the only ones now left of the Batch, and the thought makes you sick to your stomach again. You feel like gravity just grew tenfold, and lean with one hand onto your knee, trying to keep your balance, while your other hand comes up to wipe over your face in frustration. Taking deep breaths, you somewhat regain what little composure you have left, and straighten back up. 

This base is well hidden, small enough to not get any unwanted attention, but big enough to accommodate the ever growing group of clones that decide to stay after being rescued by Rex and his network from whatever imperial prison they were about to be forgotten in otherwise. 

A group of clones, a greeting party, approaches the Marauder, and you immediately spot Rex among them. You know you should be happy to see him. You are happy to see him. Yet you can’t help the despair still seething within you, given recent events. A despair that is slowly turning into rage and something else. 

The former captain of the 501st approaches you with hasty steps, reaching out to embrace you in a loving hug, but you take a step back, lifting your hands defensively as if you’re about to shove him away if he gets closer. 

“Wha–” is all he manages to say, disappointment and concern clear in his face. Your gaze falls to the ground, your face contorting into a grimace, as you’re feeling too much all at once right now. Rex throws a look over your shoulder to Echo, who is now standing a couple of steps behind you, but the pale clone can’t do much to comfort his brother. He merely shrugs with an apologetic, maybe even sad look, making Rex understand that whatever you’re going through, you need some time to process it. Rex doesn’t need to make a head count either to have an idea of what might have you so upset.

Seeing the hurt in Rex’s eyes at your rejection makes you feel even worse. But you know that if you talk now, you will say something you’ll regret, or burst into tears, or throw up. Maybe all of those, not necessarily in that order. So you hug yourself and push past Rex, quickly making your way inside. You navigate the labyrinth of corridors without a problem; you’ve been calling this place ‘home’ for a couple of months now after all. 

You had been the civilian attachment for the 501st for several years. Even back then, you knew there was something between you and Rex. It was only after the Republic fell and you ran that you regretted never telling him how you felt. But luckily the clone went looking for you, as he felt the same way, and you’ve been with him and his group ever since. Every now and then you’d go on missions with the Bad Batch to lend a hand, as had been the case with this last one. Except that now everything has changed. We were so good, you think bitterly, How could everything go so wrong?

With another shaky breath you finally arrive at your and Rex’s shared room. You punch in the code for the door, but it beeps and the light blinks red. You groan, ignoring the looks of two clones passing by, and press the buttons again, more forcefully this time. Again, red light. Now you can feel your whole body trembling, and the tears are stinging behind your eyes. You tilt your head backwards in an attempt to blink them away. A figure appears next to you, and you catch Rex’s blonde hair in the corner of your eye. He reaches out to the panel and punches in the numbers. As far as you can tell it’s the same code you just used, but the light blinks green this time and, with a hydraulic hiss, the door slides open. You give a very dry chuckle, directed at the keypad, and step inside. 

With what you feel to be the last remnants of your strength, you make your way to the couch, discarding your jacket, holster and weapons on the way, letting everything fall to the floor without regard. Rex closes the door, and the moment your body makes contact with the cushions, a violent sob runs through your body, making you tremble. 

Rex comes to sit next to you, hesitantly placing an arm over your shoulders.

“You wanna talk about it?” he asks gently. 

Now your sobs, tears and cries come freely, and your arms clutch tighter around yourself. You look up at Rex, and the room starts spinning. You see his face, and naturally, you’re seeing all their faces. 

You can see and hear them so clearly in your mind’s eye, standing behind Rex, laughing and joking without a care in the world. Then, one by one, their faces get crossed out with an aggressive red, and their bodies fall limp, dissolving into dust carried away in the wind. 

“I can’t do this anymore,” you finally choke out as another sob rattles through your body.

“What do you mean?” Rex asks earnestly. He sees how badly your hands are shaking and removes his arm from behind you to take your hands in his; they’re icy cold. You hold on for dear life. 

“Every time you sent me with the guys to some random planet, I went. We would be out there, risking our neck for whatever pay we could get. And I never complained,” you start retelling and sniffle. “When this whole… thing started, the conspiracy, the guys leaving Cid, I could feel something was gonna go awry but I- I didn’t say or do anything, and now they–”

Another sob, accompanied by a sound somewhere between a pained cry and a furious scream. One of your hands leaves Rex’s warm one to clutch the fabric of your shirt over your chest in a vain attempt to ease the pain in your heart. 

“I refuse,” you croak, looking Rex in the eyes with uncharacteristic anger. “I’m not going anywhere anymore Rex. I just can’t. It’s always been one too many losses, but this is the last straw. I’m about to lose it.”

“Take a breath and start at the beginning,” he tries calming you down to have you retell what exactly went down, but you groan in frustration. Tears continue to roll down your cheeks incessantly. 

“I can’t lose anyone else, Rex,” you cry, and start counting on your fingers. “Echo. Hardcase. Fives. I mourned them all. Then Echo came back a shell of the man he once was, everything goes to hell, and there’s a carnage between clones and the Jedi. The 501st, Cody, Wolffe, they’re all gone and- and then Crosshair stabs us in the back, and now Tech, he–”

Hunter ordered Wrecker to get Tech up into the car, which was barely hanging on, but with every step he took, the car creaked and hung just a little lower, threatening to break off the cable entirely, sending you all into the abyss below. 

You stood next to Omega, holding her so she didn’t fall when Wrecker dared one more step forward. You heard Tech through your comms, urging you to sever the connection hinge. But that would mean the other car, where Tech was attached, would fall off. You shook your head, your brain going at a thousand miles an hour trying to come up with a way to get him back up. The car shook once more as imperial troopers were trying to shoot you all down.

“There is no time, Wrecker,” Tech said with a calmness in his voice that had your thoughts stop abruptly and focus on him; you didn’t like his tone at all. 

“Plan 99.”

The blood froze in your veins.

“Don’t do it, Tech!” Wrecker pleaded with his brother. 

“When have we ever followed orders,” Tech asked rhetorically as he took his gun into his hand, then pulled off an incredibly precise shot which successfully broke the hinge.

Somewhere in the back of your mind you registered Wrecker and Omega’s yells, but all you could see was Tech falling to his death in slow-motion.

After that, everything was a blur: the car you were in launching forward on the cable, breaking through the building. Picking up an unconscious Omega to get to the ship. Flying back to Ord Mantell. Cid having sold them out. Omega being abducted.

“Tech sacrificed himself so we could escape, but the Empire took Omega,” you finish after remembering all that happened, and you shudder. “I can’t do this anymore. Please, let’s just… stop.” 

You look up at Rex with tired, pleading eyes. You don’t think you have tears left to cry. Rex’s expression changes, and is now unreadable.

“What do you mean ‘stop’?” he asks. 

“Everything,” you scoff; you thought he would understand. “This little clone saviour game you’re playing. Fighting against the Empire. Let’s just go somewhere really really far away and forget all of this.”

“Clone saviour game?!” Rex is clearly taken aback by your words and leans back slightly in his seat. “Are you listening to yourself? I will not stop and hide.”

Your hand reaches out to his, but he stands up, now standing in front of you.

“We keep fighting for those who got taken away from us on the way, and for everyone that will come after we’re long gone.” He shakes his head at you in disbelief, and grabs your shoulder, perhaps a little too harshly, giving it a squeeze to underline his words. “Everything we’ve done. Everyone we’ve lost. It can’t be for nothing. I won’t let it be for nothing. So please, don’t ask me to give up.”

Your nose scrunches up in rage, and you shake yourself free of his hold, standing up as well.

“Well I’m not genetically programmed like you to be okay with all of this!” you yell at him as you poke him in the chest.

“I’m not ‘okay’ with it!” he retorts firmly, smacking away your hand. “They were my brothers, not yours! At least you were born into a real family; they were the closest thing to a family I’ve ever had.” Rex’s brows are furrowed deeply, he brings down his tone but still speaks with venom lacing his voice. “So you lost a couple of friends throughout the years. I almost lost my whole battalion on Umbara in a single mission, or did you forget about that?”

“Of course not,” you reply, about to add something but he’s quicker. You can see the tears starting to gather in his eyes too.

“Fives died in my arms,” he says and his voice cracks slightly. “As many others did. Do you think my ‘programming’ stops me from feeling all of that pain? Do you think it gets easier for us the more brothers we lose?”

The world comes to a halt around you, the air leaves your lungs and you feel yourself shrinking as he towers over you. Everything you said was true but you chose the truly worst possible words to express what you’re feeling, and you’re already regretting it immensely. 

“Do you?!” Rex angrily asks, louder this time, as you didn’t answer. 

“No, of course not!” Your hands shoot up to cover your face, and you collapse back on the couch, now wailing. 

Rex stays where he stands for a moment, looking at your trembling form. He then groans, frustrated with himself more than with you, and sighs deeply. Taking a seat next to you, his arms find themselves around you and he hugs you tightly. This time you accept the gesture and bury your face into his chest, with no regard of the tears and probably snot you’ll stain his shirt with. Your arms go around his torso, fisting the fabric on his back, pulling him as close as you can. 

“You know I mourned them too,” Rex softly says after a while, his head on top of yours. Your sobs start subsiding. “Fives, Hardcase, Jesse, the guys. We mourned them together.” 

“I remember,” you say with a sniffle. “I don’t know why I said it like that, I- I’m sorry what I said about the programming thing, Rex.”

“I’m sorry, too,” he apologises and gives the top of your head a kiss. “And I’m sorry about today.”

Pulling back enough to look him in the eyes, you wipe over your face with the back of your sleeve. 

“I’m serious, though, about not going on missions anymore,” you repeat, searching his face for any signs of refusal, but you only find understanding. “From now on I’m sticking to your side. Let’s stay put for a while. Please.”

Rex leans in to place a gentle kiss to your cheek and pulls you back to him. 

“Okay,” he says. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

— — —

A/N: i actually looked up dialogue punctuation rules for this one because google docs kept telling me i did it wrong lol let me know if the flow is different/better :’) 

[so-many-fandoms-here]

(English isn’t my first language so feel free to correct any mistake you notice <3)

• Characters: Shuntaro Chishiya, fem!Reader

• Genre: fluff

• Warnings: major s2 spoilers!!

„Have we met before?“

𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼

„And what will happen now?“, you asked as you lay next to the wounded Chishiya, looking into the sky. „After borderland I mean“

„Who knows“, he shrugged and squeezed your hand a bit tighter. „We can go out if you like.“

A big smile sneaked on your face because of his suggestion. A date, a real date with Chishiya without hiding what you feel for each other.

„I’d love that“, you replied, leaning your head against his.

As soon as you open your eyes, pain rolls like an avalanche through your body. You quickly shut them again, trying to get your thoughts straight. Shortly after you open them again to look around and check your surroundings. There was a steady beeping and the smell of disinfectant was in the air.

You close your eyes again, this time because you try to remember why you are in a hospital and what even happened in the first place. But the only thing that comes in your mind is a name.

Shuntarō Chishiya.

Confused by your thoughts you sit up, leaning your back against the pillows. The infusion the hospital staff gave you pulls a bit on your arm while you were moving. The name sounds so familiar but the memory it brings with slips away every time you think you catch it.

„Shuntarō Chishiya… Shuntarō Chishiya.“ You repeat the name like some sort of mantra. It’s like you said this name numerous times before, at least it feels so trusted.

„Oh, you’re awake“, a light voice disturbs your pondering and when you look to the door you see a very tired looking nurse coming inside your room. „I’m here to check the IV drip.“ She points at the cannula in your arm. Without waiting for a response she approaches your bed and checks the see trough bag. „Are you in pain?“, the nurse asks after she detached the IV drip from the cannula. „My legs hurt a bit“, you answer. The nurse nods. „No wonder. Your legs are broken.“

With a heavy groan you turn your head towards the ceiling. Seems like it will keep hurting for a while, you think to yourself.

You remain lying in bed for about fifteen more minutes before you just can’t bare to do nothing anymore. There is a wheelchair next to your bed that catches your attention and without further ado you fight your way to it and roll your way out in the halls.

Where your journey will take you isn’t decided yet, you just need to do something besides lying and staring at the ceiling. After five minutes you pass a room whose door is open. You come to a halt and take a short look inside.

Two men are in there, the one closer to the door seems to have severe burns and the one closer to the window is looking outside, only letting his blonde hair show. Maybe it’s because of your concussion but you could swear that you have seen him before, even though you haven’t seen his face yet. His hair alone makes you feel like you’re looking at someone you thought you lost long ago and now is back under the living. Your heart beats fast and heavy because of this stranger and it almost hurts to look at him, knowing you know him somewhere but still not recognizing him.

Before you can think about it twice you make your way to the door an knock. The blonde haired turns his head, looking right into your eyes and now you are sure. You know him. You slowly roll inside the room, stopping next to his bed. At first none of you dare to say a word but then you break the silence. „Shuntarō Chishiya?“, you ask, voice not much louder than a whisper. He nods, also confused about how familiar you are. „My name is (y/n) (l/n).“

He almost says ‚I know‘ but can stop himself just in time and instead he nods again. Immediately he notices the chemistry between you. Something just feels right. „Do we know each other somehow?“, Chishiya asks while eying every detail if you.

„It feels like it“, you give for an answer, smiling widely at the man that feels more trusted than anyone else felt ever before. „Would you like to go for a walk?“ The bright smile still on your face you nod.

„I had this weird dream“, Chishiya says after you two were silent for a while. He pushes the wheelchair you’re in over paved path around the hospital. „Me too“, you reply. Then you add shyly: „Maybe we met there.“ Oh how right you are.

[kimium]

My friend @m34gs asked me in her reply to my ask (this post) about what my Top Five Favourite Link Click moments are. I decided to answer in my own post though I recommend you read my friend's answers too! Just be wary of spoilers for both her answers and mine!

Anyways, here are my Top Five Favourite Moments in Link Click. I'm listing them in order with one being my most favourite moment. I'll also not include the OP or ED in this list. Just know that VORTEX slaps and is one of my favourite OPs of all time.

5. Li Tianchen discovering his neighbour was one of the gossipers regarding his mother and father's marriage

First, the visual set up of the scene is utterly beautiful. The saturated colours in the evening sky, the mostly flat colours on the characters with only dark shadows and white highlights, and the obscuring of the photo. All these elements help build and add to the slow suspense building in the background.

I am also in love with the framing of the reveal. I adore how the audience doesn't see the photo as Li Tianchen looks at it. All we see is his reaction: how mostly silent contemplation morphs into despair, sorrow, anger, frustration, etc. His twisted laughter is utterly heartbreaking and horrific. Allowing the audience wallow in it for just a few moments before showing the photo was a brilliant move on the creative team's part.

Next, we have the music that gradually swells as Li Tianchen's world view is completely shattered with the reveal of the photo. It's a score that perfectly encapsulates the inner turmoil of Li Tianchen as he's pushed to his breaking point and makes the choice that ultimately secures his destiny.

All these elements make for a scene that's so potent and visceral that it permanently lives rent free in my mind.

4. When Li Tianxi and Li Tianchen's running is paralleled at the end of S2

This is another scene that I adore due to the visual elements and symbolism. If there is one element in story telling that I'm weak for it's parallels between characters. In this case, it's the parallels with Li Tianxi and Li Tianchen running away.

My heart utterly aches at how in this scene it's clear they're still the suffering, scared little children we met when Cheng Xiaoshi dove into the photo. All the layers around them break down and we see their core as they run. Li Tianxi runs because she's scared and saddened by her brother's actions in regards to Chen Bin. Li Tianchen runs because his entire world has once again shattered before his eyes. The sister he loved and vowed to his mother he'd protect is dead.

Watching both of them running away crying breaks my heart every time I watch the scene. How I long for both of them to return to their halcyon days where their parents were alive and there was no sorrow in their family.

3. Cheng Xiaoshi's plan to trap Liu Min in the dark room is executed

Time for a bit more of an uplifting scene: Cheng Xiaoshi luring and beating up Liu Min in the darkroom! This scene is so cathartic to watch as the boys finally give Liu Min what he had coming: justice. It's even better when they're using their abilities (time travel) to keep the upper hand while confusing the hell out of Liu Min (and Li Tianchen). It's also a well thought out plan with more than just "use my ability to win". I loved the subtle psychological game played with the photos in the dark room too.

2. Cheng Xiaoshi on the receiving end of his Dumbass Nature

Just like my friend, this scene is in second place. It's too good to not mention! Nothing is funnier than witnessing Cheng Xiaoshi go "Look at me for doing a good job and saving Lu Guang... oh no who is that dumb ass and what is he doing?" only to go a second later "WAIT. That's ME. I'm the dumb ass!!!" Cheng Xiaoshi finally got a taste of what Lu Guang has dealt with for majority of the series and the expression he makes is priceless.

The big reveal at the end of S2

Honourable mentions: Li Tianchen revealing he was impersonating his sister, Cheng Xiaoshi as Doudou uppercuts the woman who kidnapped him, and Xiao Li every time he's exhausted because "I guess time travel exists".

Before this reveal I was already extremely invested in Link Click. I love time travel and watching series explore the concept. What do I love just as much as time travel? Time Loops. I eat that concept up all the time.

So, watching the end scene slowly pan out to Lu Guang's perspective and reveal to the audience that yes, this has a time loop made me want to scream aloud. It's even better because this time loop is a Tragic Doomed Gay People one. When a time loop is all about saving the ones you love, that makes it even better.

However, what truly solidified this scene in my brain were all the little clues leading up to it. First, and most obvious, was the password on Lu Guang's phone that Cheng Xiaoshi put in to unlock it. The reference to the time on Lu Guang's phone before he time travelled to save Cheng Xiaoshi (again??) is amazing.

But, that's not the end of it. Oh no, it's the fact that I read a meta post about how the photo in the hospital was not meant for Cheng Xiaoshi from the start. The breakdown of evidence pointing out that 1) Lu Guang hid the phone in an obscure place, clearly not wanting ANYONE to find it and 2) That he doesn't know Cheng Xiaoshi knows his password really hit me hard. The level of detail and attention put in this series is truly amazing. Realizing the seeds of foreshadowing were present the entire time makes me want to not only rewatch the series but also show it to all my friends.

And there you go! I hope you like my top five favourite scenes in Link Click, friend! Let me know what you think!

[thewheelweevils]

My hottest of WoT finale takes

*spoilers through S2E8*

This has been a very solid season. The direction the story went was unexpected and yet fits the overall books’ direction, and lots of little changes and retroactive adjustments made a big difference for me—like giving gleemen back their colorful patched cloaks, letting us see more weave colors, etc. While I appreciated S1, one of my issues was it not fully feeling like the WoT setting I had grown to love in the books, and this season very much did.

Where does the take get hot?

I, um … I thought the writing and pacing of the second half of the finale was kind of … bad?

Okay, let me explain.

Example: We have Lord Ingtar and Loial and Masema (the “and Peggy” of the trio) just … they have the Horn now, and they mention in one line that “A Carhein woman helped us sneak it out” … and that all happened off screen, and while I could infer we’re talking about Lanfear, it really felt like we had skipped a scene, especially since I’m pretty sure that was these characters’ first appearance in this episode and we had no notion that they were trying to escape or what their plan was, etc.

And from that point in the episode to the end, it just felt like everything had been clipped down to bullet points. The dialogue felt super abbreviated, and in other places felt like a line was added in a super awkward way to make sure the audience understood something that I think they could’ve inferred.

I think it would’ve been more powerful, for instance, if when Rand sees Elayne, he doesn’t say anything—just stares and then we cut to the awesome shot of Elayne’s head haloed by the sun

Likewise if we had just cut to Aviendha, Bain, and Chiad just looking up in awe at Rand and the fire weave dragon in silence, I think it’d have been more powerful than Aviendha saying “Car’a’carn”

It’s like they just ran out of runtime and had to condense the finale down to its barest bones. Which is almost certainly what happened.

Okay, but that’s not too hot of a take.

Okay, here’s where the fire falls.

For all the above complaints

It was

And I really do mean this

In my humblest of opinions

A big improvement on the ending of The Great Hunt.

The Great Hunt’s ending was spectacular imho right up until the Horn of Valere is blown. And then it flies right off the rails. The Great Hunt spoilers below, but it’s not really all that different from the S2 finale in terms of outcomes.

A mist arises

Artur Hawkwing and the other Heroes of the Horn appear

They talk and have some playful banter that didn’t age great (“and women!” Brigitte Silverbow said. “And women,” agreed Hawkwing [audience gives a hearty chuckle])

Rand leads the heroes of the horn into … battle? And Perrin has to be Rand’s standard bearer and Mat is asked to just keep toot-tooting on the horn to … inspire the troops? And they spend the battle just … holding a banner and rooting on the Horn?

Ishamael is there in the mists

But it’s in the sky???

But it’s not because the Heroes of the Horn are on the ground

But they’re also in the sky?

And Ishamael and Rand don’t have a channeling battle; they have … a swordfight? Except Ishamael is using a staff? And I guess they’re like One Power proxy weapons because they have supernatural abilities if they make contact?

But the Heroes are definitely on the ground because when Rand has the upper hand, the battle goes well for them and when Ishamael has the upper hand it goes poorly for them?

And everyone can see Rand and Ishamael fighting in the sky like it’s friggin’ Fantasmic with no explanation as to why or how or what purpose it serves, just that that’s the prophecy and so they’re in the sky and everyone (especially the young women) gets to be super impressed with Rand?

Mat, presumably, is still just a-tooting on the horn of Valere the whole time

And then when Rand stabs Ishamael, he, they, it … no more in the sky?

Rand is found wounded on the ground and not in the sky?

And then things pick up again at the end of the book.

But it’s one of those moments that throughout the rest of the series is just like … what? Huh? What was THAT? Nothing like it ever happens again and nobody ever attempts to make it make sense. It’s just one of those things that just … we have to move on from.

Season 2 finale resolves most of that in ways I really like. Exception: the Dragon Banner that is just a fire weave illusion from Moiraine … that gave off the same vibe to me as that scene in Eragon 2006: “And are we together, Saphira? AS ONE????” (Dragon roar and fire.) I just imagine that Moiraine is sitting there channeling the weave and Lan is like, “Okay, Moiraine! Now make it roar!” But. Minor quibble.

BUT ANYWAY. The finale just kind of felt rushed, like it needed to be 30% longer. But the changes were imho big improvements on the Fight in the Sky of The Great Hunt.

By making the “sky” part just a tall tower made it all make so much more sense and less silly. And having our whole main cast together with Rand and DOING STUFF and not relegated to tooting merrily on the Horn of Valere and holding Rand’s stuff for him was a great improvement. Egwene taking on Ishamael and actually surviving against him for as long as she did, Perrin coming in, Elayne healing Rand, etc. Such an improvement imho. Taking one of the few WoT moments that I always cringed at and making it a solid, grounded moment.

That’s my super hot take. Don’t hate me.

And Uno as a hero of the horn was amazing. Could not have loved that more.

I am delighted to see that I appear to be in the minority on this. I’m so glad to see so many people loving the finale.

[goddesspharo]

Sending the same back to you!: top five episodes of TV

[ask me my top five anythings!]

This was harder than I thought! Also my list makes it seem like I watch a lot more medical shows than I do (which is to say that I don't watch any anymore), but television used to be so good!

1. The X-Files, "Bad Blood" - I'm like Gillian Anderson that way. Not only is the episode hilarious, but it's the perfect episode to tell people who are not familiar with the show to watch (and often times the one I will recommend above all others). I think of Scully's cream cheese rant every time I eat a bagel, randomly say "he had big buck teeth?!?!?" whenever I see Luke Wilson in something, and have watched it a gazillion times without it ever getting old.

2. Alias, "Truth Be Told" - I truly believe that this is the greatest pilot of all time. Everything about it is brilliant! JJ puts his foot on the gas and never lets up! Jennifer Garner manages to be ALL THE THINGS in this in a way that you'd never expect Hanna from Felicity to be able to play. Just a brilliant hour of television.

3. House, "Three Stories" - Back in the day, I was obsessed with House. (But oh how the mighty fell - I don't think I even watched the last two seasons because it became such a mess.) I remember mainlining the entire first season in time for the agonizing wait before S2. It probably helped that I was in med school when the show was airing so I could lie to myself that watching the show was basically like studying. "Three Stories" was such a great episode because it gave you insight into why House was the way he was, why Cuddy had so much Catholic guilt that he got away with everything, and played fast and loose with perspective. I still remember "not this leg"/"not this leg either." What other show can boast that one of its best episodes has Carmen Electra playing herself in it?

4. Friday Night Lights, "Pilot" - I rewatched the pilot a few months ago and it still feels so palpable. Coach's ending speech about life being so very fragile while Explosions in the Sky plays is an all time banger. I still hold my breath every time right before Jason Street gets hit like doing that will change anything. Now that's what I call good television.

5. ER, "Be Still My Heart" - It's hard to explain to people who were not around or don't remember a time before spoilers, but the end of this episode delivers the kind of gut punch you would never be able to replicate today. When that camera pans across the room and you see Lucy from Carter's perspective? GOD. A masterpiece. The second part of this two-parter is just as good and if you don't get emotional over Romano stopping the code and then immediately trying to resuscitate again, you are stronger than I am. When ER was good, it was so good.

[sparkleshipper07]

Hello Mobius

Loki s2 finale spoiler au

900 or so words.

Give it a read if you like or keep scrolling.

Loki returns…

"I might just wait here a little bit..." Mobius stared out at the house in front of him. He didn't go nearer. Despite seeing it full-two kids and a jetski-the place looked empty in his eyes. Hollow somehow-like a tree that died and had its green leaves fall away.

The sun was warm against his skin as he felt it shine on him. For some reason he still felt cold. "Let time pass..."

"Yes, it's true." A voice rang from behind him out of the blue. "You could do that-however I'd recommend pilfering that jetski over there. Seems like a much better time. Far less boring. Or better yet-sneak in, grab your work keys off the kitchen counter, and go for that lovely green one back at the sales office. That's what I would do. If I was you."

"What the shit-" The words tumbled from Möbius's lips as he spun round. His eyes widened. His heart nearly stopped.

"Loki!?"

The other man smiled at him. Hands shoved in his pockets as he stood casually like he hadn't sacrificed himself to eternity in a damned tree of time.

"Hello Mobius." The words were warmer than the sun beating down from the sky. 

Möbius's brain was struggling to figure out what he was even seeing. Loki was standing in front of him. Fine. Completely fine. He didn't look like he was carrying the weight of the world-or time for that matter- on his shoulders. He appeared as free as air, in a suit with a green tie, stylish shoes on his feet, and the happiest of smiles.

"Hello Mobius..." the former time agent repeated the words in a whisper, staring in disbelief. His brain was stalling-it couldn't process what or rather who was standing before him.

"Yes, hello. Is that not your preferred name any-" Loki didn't get to finish his sentence. As soon as the god opened his mouth to speak a second time Mobius closed the distance between them, and socked him in the jaw.

For an all seeing all knowing god of time-Loki failed to see it coming. Or perhaps he just once again accepted his fate-it was after all, what he deserved.

Loki groaned, strewn on the grass, hand reaching up to gingerly touch his assaulted cheek. "Ow..." Loki remarked slowly as he sat up. "...that hurt."

"Good. It was supposed to!" Mobius threw a hand in the air his other resting on his hip, against his belt. "What the hell, Loki!? I saw you walk into a void!"

Loki shrugged as if it were no big deal. "It was the quickest way to where I needed to be. Timelines are quite heavy, you know."

"How are you even here?" Mobius threw his hand down-words all but hissed through grit teeth.

"Mobius, I'm a god." Loki said the words with a mirth filled chuckle. "Have you forgotten that tidbit of information?"

"You're godhood doesn't answer shit. Start talkin'."  Mobius nodded his head at him expectantly.

Loki smiled, hands shoved into his pockets. "I spent centuries honing my abilities. One such ability was time slipping-the ability to physically slip into a past version of myself."

"Okay, but then how are you holding time together right now? Shit is everything going to unravel?" Mobius started looking around expecting everything to turn to sphagetti.

"No. No. No." Loki moved forwards again hands gently resting against the other man's arms. "Mobius, I'm still there."

"How-how can you be there and here?"

Möbius's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He didn't get it. The Loki standing in front of him was no illusion. He was solid. So how?

"Because I took it a step further. I simply projected my consciousness through time into this body. I didn't have to so much as wiggle a toe."

"Projected consciousness..." Mobius rubbed at his face. "So you're what? Daydreaming on the job right now?"

"It's a little more deliberate than that-but if that's how you wish to think of it. Yes." Loki nodded proudly. "The only hiccup is that-"

"Is that you can't do it for very long." Mobius sighed with a nod. "It's alright. I understand."

"What? No. Please, this is easy as pie. Holding time together is subconscious- really. I barely have to think about it, but my magic in this form is severely stunted. I've got about 1/5 of my usual power. The rest is dedicated to all time."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry, that must be very hard for you."

"Yes." Loki sighed. "It is. Anyways, shall we go grab you that Jetski? My timelines. My rules and I decree you can do whatever the hell you like."

Mobius smiled. He clapped Loki on the shoulder. "I think I'd rather buy you a drink."

Loki's smile spread wider. "Okay."

"You've earned it."

"I should hope so."

"Sorry about the punch."

"No. No. It's fine. Thor's given me worse."

"Oh yeah? You visiting him after me?"

"Perhaps." Loki waved his hand a green portal opening before them. There was a green shimmer to his eyes that matched it. "I'd like you to meet him."

"Well, who would I be to deny a god?"

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Had to fix it. I just had to. I might turn this into a short series maybe? Loki and Mobius galavanting through timelines- meeting his family, or something idk. Would people like that? Should I do it? Let me know!

[sparxaf]

5, 7, 11, 24, and 29. I'll stop there even though I'm oh-so-tempted to keep going!

Dear Sweet Baby Zeus, Sarah! Why are you so mean to me? Did I piss on a maple leaf? Kick a bunny in front of you? Why do you enjoy my pain? I could do an entire post just on #5 alone 😆. Maaaaan, this is gonna be so freakin' long…

5. How many wips do you have? What fandoms/pairings are they for?

I have a lot. Several of them are fully written, but not edited. I'm only gonna count ones where I wrote at least a paragraph and not the ones that have extensive notes or complicated outlines but no actual story yet. So lemme see... That'd be... 17. JFC.

LITG S1 AU: Levi vs Jake x MC

LITG S3 Villa: Nicky x MC

LITG S1-S2 AU: Levi + Lucas

LITG S2 Royal Werewolf AU #1: Bobby + MC

LITG S2 TSIME AU: Noah x Lili

LITG S2 Royal AU: Lucas x Arjun

LITG S2 Royal Werewolf AU #2: Bobby x MC

LITG S2 College AU: Lucas vs Noah vs Bobby x MC

LITG S2 Villa: Bobby x Marisol--it's cursed I know

LITG S2 Post Villa: Lucas x MC x Bobby

LITG S2 Villa & Post Villa: Lucas x MC

LITG S2 AU: Arjun x MC

LITG S5 Post Villa: Suresh (non romance)

LITG S2 Post Villa Divorce: Bobby x MC

LITG S3 Therapy AU: Seb x MC

LITG S2 College AU: Rahim (non romance)

LITG S6 Villa: Marshall x Lewie x Ozzy x MC

I might have to let go of some of these S2 ones. Ain't nobody reading S2 anymore. Sigh.

7. Post a snippet from a wip.

She laughed, the tension in her releasing. “Do you want to get my heart racing, Lewie?” His own soft chuckle faded and he stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “I really do.” And just like that, the tension, the ache, returned two-fold. What was this man doing to her? He reached over and stroked her jaw. “Do you want me to get your blood pumping?” She found herself quivering beneath his touch. “Maybe.” “Just maybe?”  “I’m receptive to it.” He grinned and pulled her closer. “I’d prefer you to be keen. Maybe even enthused.” The bright blue of his eyes dazed her like a midday summer sky. “I can offer you amenable," she said. “Damned with faint interest." He picked her up and put her on the counter, letting his hands rest on her hips. God she loved when he did that. “I fear I need to give you something to make you a little more enthusiastic.” “You might have to,” she whispered. 

11. Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

This is a good question! I don't usually think much about it. I rarely write dual POV for fanfic, because it's time consuming and I'm lazy. So when I know the premise, I generally know who's POV it'll be in. Like, in one of my wips, I decided that Levi is just discovering that he's bisexual and the story will follow him going from closeted to out so he can be with Lucas (who is already out and resents being shoved back in). Since Levi is the one who is going to grow and change, the story was always gonna be in his POV in my head.

With TSIME I DID plan to write Beach Hut Confessionals from Lili's point of view and scatter them throughout the story, but after the first one I realized that I liked it better when we only saw things through Bobby's lens.

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

I'm proud of writing small moments that foreshadow the big emotional impacts to come. Most people never even notice them, so they're kind of just something for me. TSIME has a fuck ton of them.

**WARNING: THE SUN IN MY EYES SPOILERS AHEAD)** Bobby and Lili share a cup of tea and Lili turns the mug so her lips touch the same spot his do, foreshadowing the first kiss she'll instigate many chapters later (though she'll forever say that Bobby instigated it). Lili tells Bobby early on that "people leave." And there are numerous scenes of him watching her walk away from him. All of it foreshadowing what happens after CA. Bobby tells Lili she should fall madly in love with him and she says it's a bad idea and he quotes a line from Thirty Rock, telling her there are no bad ideas. Only good ideas that go horribly wrong. Foreshadowing their relationship in the villa as a whole.

My favorite is when Noah grabbed Lili, threw her over his shoulder and walked off with her, saying, "Sorry Bobby, I'm stealing your girl," foreshadowing the disaster recoupling and something that happened later after the show between Lili and Noah. FYI I have a one shot for that one as soon as I post the last chapter of TSIME. It's both distressing and sexy. Thanks for the interrogation, Sarah 😝 You jerk.

[theclaravoyant]

AN ~ An angsty oneshot, inspired by @spindlesaurus-rex egging me on about some Ideas i have been having ... this is planned to be a Part 1 of 2.

features Aziraphale and Metatron (go to hell amen), Aziracrow heavy. Crowley As Trans Allegory themes bc i cannot help myself <3 Read on AO3 (~1000wd) **contains spoilers for S2**

Olive Branch

Somewhere in heaven, there is a mural of three doves attacking a crow.

Aziraphale used to love this mural. Once upon a time, it had filled him with a sense of strength and mission. It had stood for victory of the powers of light, of truth, of good over evil. The teamwork of the smaller doves to overcome their larger, more powerful nemesis had reminded him that goodness did not stand alone against the dark. Looking at it now, though, his eyes trace the lines of those big black wings - both bent upward from a body in freefall, having been driven from the sky - and he wonders belatedly: who is coming to help the crow?

There is a sound behind him, scarcely more than a rush of air, and he tries not to jump (it’s still far too quiet up here). Of course, it’s the Metatron, because apparently these days the Supreme Archangel can barely take a proverbial piss, let alone get lost daydreaming of ecclesiastical dilemmas, without supervision.

“There you are,” the Metatron says, stepping up alongside Aziraphale and handing him a coffee as if they are wandering a museum together rather than stalking and being stalked. “‘The Fall.’ Magnificent, isn’t it?”

Barbaric, is what Aziraphale wants to say. Instead he smiles and says - “Quite.”

The Metatron takes a long, deliberately drawn out sip from his coffee. Innocently observing the magnificent massacre. But even without those ageless eyes on his, Aziraphale feels distinctly trapped. He is a fly, waiting for the right moment to break free of the web - if he even can, and trying is probably a death sentence - and so he stares blankly at the perfect blue and the smallness of the doves and pleads with himself for patience. For strength.

“Did Crowley ever tell you,” the Metatron asks, “what it was like?”

(Please tell me you said no.)

Aziraphale clenches his jaw and doesn’t answer. Every miniscule quake in Crowley’s voice slices into him. He’d been so excited to drag him back here. To this.

“You knew each other, didn’t you?” the Metatron pushes. “Before all that.”

“Only in passing.” 

“Well, naturally.”

The Metatron gives a little scoff, and it feels like salt, like acid in Aziraphale’s wounds. Is this what he’d sounded like to Crowley, ever distancing himself from those people, from bad company, as if Crowley wasn’t one of them? Like it was only right that a perfect little angel not allow himself to be tainted, even at the end, when Crowley was trying to tell him-.

“Is that why you insist on calling him Crowley?”

Curse him, his gaze snaps askance at that. It’s the tiniest movement, just for a second, but it’s as good at giving himself away as grabbing the Metatron’s shoulders and shouting in his face, what is that supposed to mean? The Metatron raises his eyebrows, in an exaggerated and clearly over-acted impression of surprise.

“He’s never told you, has he? His name.”

“His name is Crowley.”

The Metatron sighs and waves a hand. “Yes, yes, of course it is. But his angelic name. His God-given name. His name as it is Written.”

Aziraphale draws himself up to meet the Metatron’s eyes. 

“No. He’s never told me. And I’ve never asked.”

“Does it ever bother you?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“But Crowley is a demon’s name. Surely, you’d wish to grace the one you love with their true name, hm?”

Love. That stings. Aziraphale feels a hot flash of rage, that the Metatron dared put it to words before he had. Of course, many have danced around it, and dangled it before him. They have used it to praise and empathise, to mock and threaten… but it’s never felt quite like this before. Like a deliberate twist of a knife through his heart.

“If Crowley wants me to call him by a different name,” Aziraphale finally manages, “he need only say so.”

“Ah, but there’s the rub, dear Aziraphale,” the Metatron says, and his smile is too benevolent for the malice in his eyes. “What if he does not know it?”

“Why would he not know his own-”

Aziraphale’s tongue all of a sudden freezes up. Cold horror sinks into him like water into concrete; like it wants to take the atoms of him apart. He thinks of a fly and a box and a naked man on his doorstep. This lot want their Archangel back so they can fire him, Crowley had said. And Crowley had been a lot worse than fired.

“He hasn’t even told you that, has he? That he has been having memory trouble,” the Metatron muses. “Hm. Don’t suppose it’s a surprise, though. One can hardly be expected to divulge such secrets to the other side.”

Aziraphale’s eyes sting with tears. He can hardly breathe through them but his corporation insists on doing so anyway. It gives him away, sloppy and miserable, the strength he’s braced into himself finally starting to crack. He wills himself to hold it in - he’d always known it after all, that there was never a their own side. But that’s not even the worst of it; no, what he really can’t bear is knowing that Crowley suffered, so unspeakably much, and didn’t think it was appropriate - maybe even safe - maybe even his deepest heart’s desire to share in it. He’d called Crowley nearly every day for years, nattering on about concert tickets and this ruddy stain in the carpet and a particularly beautiful duck when what he should have said was, Tell me what you remember about making the stars.

“Oh, Aziraphale,” the Metatron sighs, dripping with false sympathy. “It’s not your fault. It’s in his nature.” 

“You don’t know anything about his nature.” It’s all he can trust himself to say, but the Metatron appears unfazed by the fact that he’s just barely holding back an ocean over here. He makes a bemused little humming sound and draws something from the pocket of his jacket.

“As it turns out, neither do you.” He pauses a beat, to let it dangle before Aziraphale.

It’s a pendant small enough to fit in his hand. A little glass vial on a golden chain - or at least, it appears to be glass, and it appears to be gold - and inside it, a tiny sprig of olive leaves in what he has to assume is holy water. It’s so small. Too small. He can hardly believe the vastness that is Crowley would fit into something so… precious.

“... Would you like to?”

[dragonfly0808]

Helia: The Thesis

Kay, so, for Helia’s thesis there won’t be that many spoilers but there will be references to a big even in s3, if you haven’t read after the Eraklyon party in s3 then you run a risk of spoilers, the spoilers will mainly revolve around the changes I made to Helia’s backstory

TRIGGER WARNING: TALK OF SELF-HARM AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE, IF THIS TRIGGERS YOU PLEASE SKIP THIS THESIS

First Things First

The first words I have in Helia’s character sheet are:

Sensitive artist that doesn’t kick your ass cause he choses peace.

Helia was always super interesting to me in the OG cause, in the 2000’s I honestly don’t remember many soft boys being portrayed as also being able to be badass and just super cool.

I changed quite a bit of Helia’s backstory cause in the OG we just hear that he drops out of Red Fountain and goes to art school before going back to Red Fountain with zero explanation.

There is a phrase that really inspired a lot of the changes I made to Helia’s backstory and that is: No one will ever know the violence it took to become this gentle.

Over the years I’ve learned that some of the loveliest, gentlest and kindest people are the ones who’ve hated and suffered the most in the past. And that is something that I could really see Helia being.

Helia is someone who really let him anger get the best of him in the past. In my version, Helia grew up angry due to heavy expectations of his parents and being Saladin’s grandson. He’s someone who grew up with endless anger and sadness and who had no real outlet after his art was taken away to not distract him too much from his training as Specialist and Wizard.

(Here’s where the talk of self-harm and attempted suicide starts)

Helia self-harms and tries to take his own life a year before season 2. This decision was… a tad bit drastic and to be honest it wasn’t even fully planned at first but it just made sense to me with his character.

Helia is someone who, after hitting rock bottom, seeks help and slowly starts to get better. He goes back into art to let out all of his pain, he works things out with his parents and gets his life back on track.

And it’s not like he is magically completely healed, like we see in season 3, when he has a reason, his anger can and will get the better of him and it can be scary. He has relapses when things get extreme. But he continues to heal and to grow

Helia isn’t born peaceful. He learns it. He grows into peace slowly over his year at art school where he learns to meditate and to just process his emotions in a more healthy manner and I think that makes his serene and mostly peaceful personality and thought process all the more impactful.

People can tell he’s wise and I think I mention in s2 that he just erradiates this comfort, people want to be liked by Helia.

Healing Isn’t Linear

In s3, we see Helia relapse into his self-harming habits.

This to me was important for his character because, whilst he has learned better ways to cope with his feelings, relapse is a realistic thing that can happen and doesn’t mean you’re doing horribly if that makes sense. Because healing isn’t linear. Especially with everything that happens in season 3, to me it made sense for Helia to snap both in anger and in his past self-destructive tendencies.

Helia attacks Sky when the truth of his curse comes out and we see him be ashamed of it, worried he scared Flora and telling Bloom that that isn’t who he wants to be

Helia is very conscious of his own issues and how he is/wants to be perceived. He is very conscious of when he needs help even if sometimes he still needs a little push to get said help

Something to Fight For

A big part of what helps Helia truly come into his own post s2 is figuring out what he is fighting for.

Before s2 Helia was furious because he didn’t know what to fight for, he was a Specialist mostly due to being a legacy.

He returns to Red Fountain because he always enjoyed the routine of it, but also to finally figure out what he wants to fight for.

So what does Helia fight for?

Well… I’d say that, at first he fights for his friends. He is inspired by them and wants to protect them, after that, he also fights for those who can’t protect themselves, much like his grandfather.

No longer being so pressured by his parents allows him to kind of see things like his family does and he finds that he feels the same way.

Kind of reminds me of the Argent family: We protect those who cannot protect themselves. That’s the same view of the Alarie family

Thoughts Behind his Main Relationships

Riven: Riven is Helia’s best friend and they are kind of two sides of the same coin. They both have had anger issues and, surprisingly enough, Helia was a lot more violent than Riven ever was since Riven had a better hold on his anger due to facing major consequences (*cough* *cough* his dad *cough* *cough*) but they bond over trying to better themselves.

Riven learns to meditate with Helia and occasionally even paints with him. Helia learns to fix stuff with Riven and they both love the routine that comes with being Specialists second only to Brandon so they often do work-outs and bets with each other.

Their friendship is one of very different yet similar lives. They get each other in a: we’ve both come face to face with the darkest versions of ourselves and came out on top, we’ve both hit rock bottom and we’re both working on figuring out how to be better.

They’re both very aware of their darker emotions but never judge the other for it. They both have nightmares regarding their pasts and they can open up because they know that they get one another.

Flora: They’re relationship is just… ufff. I love them so much.

To me, Flora and Helia have both been through a lot and have both learned to make light of the darkness in different ways. They are both on their healing journey and support each other unconditionally.

They are soft souls that have been hit time and time again but have refused to become harsh.

Their relationship is one of complete trust and support. They know what they’ve been through but never fear being pitied or feared by the other because they’re the same in a way.

Their relationship is ‘we’re both pulling ourselves and you make me feel like all of it will never drown me and I know that my soul and yours have known each other for a very long time.’

They find comfort, understanding and safety in their love.

They know they can trust each other with the darkest parts of themselves because they won’t lose them, they are very much connected in a way that is hard to even comprehend.

Their love is a soft one

Musa: These two are platonic soulmates.

They’re the artists of the group, the ones that communicate better on a page or when speaking in prose, they’re the ones that will spill their guts out in the middle of the night with a pen in their hands

They’re the artists that make art not just because they like to but because it’s crucial to their survival and an integral part of who they are.

They both struggle a bit to be vulnerable, Musa more so than Helia, but find that they can lower their guard with each other because they get what it’s like to finally find your voice after years of bearing the stifling forced silence that comes with not being heard by your own family

They just make sense to me as unexpected platonic soulmates

Who is Helia in this Rewrite?

Helia is a young legacy who has suffered the weight of his heritage. He is someone who used to be incredibly lost and angry at the universe and turned that hatred and frustration inward and into self-destructive tendencies.

He is someone who has grown incredibly and learned peace, learned self-love and learned vulnerability. He is someone incredibly aware of who he is and who he wants to be.

He is someone who took a long time to figure out what he is fighting for, what he wants to live for and become. But, once he figured it out, he will not go back, he will forge ahead, not forgetting his past but not letting it drag him down, allowing it to be a lesson

Helia is at his core, an artist: someone incredibly caring, soft and who wants to help people, even if it isn’t as a warrior, he wants to make sure others don’t have to go through the pain that he and his friends have gone through. He is someone who will fight to protect the vulnerable.

He is someone who learned to wring sunlight out of the darkest parts of himself.

Helia is a soft soul, the warm side of a warrior.

———

Masterlist

Helia Moodboard

Helia’s Instagram

Helia and Riven Moodboard

Flora and Helia Moodboard

Musa and Helia Moodboard