#but they're also exactly the opposite and see the person they hate most in each other

[cocomere]

Most of this (bar some romantic stuff) is. Pretty much just Blood & Gold discduo.

On one side you have Tommy, the equivalent of a mangy street dog who longs with his entire heart to have someone and something he can protect. He thought he found it with Wilbur and L'manburg-- only to be near-fatally betrayed by his own brother. in Pogtopia

By virtue of concern, kindness, helping Tubbo, and willingness to humble himself before his future protege, Dream earns Tommy's complete and utter devotion. We would wrest the sun from the sky and hold it, burning and deadly, in his arms if it meant Dream would be happy.

He gets referred to as a dog several times. By being seen first as an annoying brat and then as Dream's right-hand man, he's underestimated and sneered at.

He doesn't deny it. He's already devoted his heart to the path that he believes will make his mentor happiest. Dream is smart in so many ways, but he's an idiot with people. He has righteous ideals that sound great on paper, but in the real world...

Well. Tommy decides to become a dog, a sword, a shield, a barricade to make sure those beautiful, shining ideals aren't exposed to the harsh truths of the world.

At the same time, he considers himself a rabbit.

His monster is very right about that. “I’m already scary– scary enough to make you back down.” Dream hums, his smile growing. “On some things. On others…” “On others, you’re just being stubborn. That’s fine; I can be like that, too.” Dream laughs in surprise at the blatant challenge. “You think you’re more stubborn than me, then?” “Obviously.” He doesn’t know what it’s like to need that stubbornness to survive. To be starved and feel the need to deny a part of himself because he believed lies about it being wrong. We do. That’s why we’ll win. Tommy lifts his chin and tells his mentor, “There’s a metaphor or fable or whatever– the dog hunts for its dinner, yeah? But the rabbit is running for its life. You don’t know what it’s like to be a rabbit– or if you did, you’ve forgotten too much about it. I’ve never been a dog. Every step I take is to run, because if I ever stumbled I’d die.” The admin is visibly startled at the tone Tommy takes, composed and almost threatening. It sort of surprises Tommy too. He wonders if the solidified presence of his admin side is giving him a boost in confidence.

Dream has stood at the top of the world. He's been a wildly popular and famous fighter; he's had his friends (imperfect though they might be); he's the admin of a server-- something that Tommy has been learning means so, so much more than he could have ever dreamed of.

Tommy, by contrast, can only claw himself up a little before he's kicked down to the bottom again. Found abandoned and malnourished, then brought to a wildly dysfunctional home and nearly entirely raised by Wilbur. His elder brother was only around 14 to Tommy's 5 or so.

Wilbur is his shining ideal, a person whose approval he chases to the point that he gets killed twice and makes a dangerous deal with the person who killed him.

The life of a rabbit is all he's known. Dream has things and people to fall back on. Tommy only has Tubbo, and kinda-sorta Wilbur (as long as Tommy needing him can be used for his schemes, of course.)

And then, much later...the guard dog slips his leash; the rabbit who played at being a hound pivots; and both sink their teeth into the hand that dared to try and force a collar around his throat.

He claws off the collar of allegiance and hero worship that he wore entirely willingly.

Then, in Sanctuary, you have a different but similar starting point for Aster.

He is a mangy dog, yes. But he is one who has been hit and kicked and hurt in more ways that could be named. His every freedom was restricted with an unwilling leash.

When he turns on the hand that held it, he knows the consequences will be deadly.

That's the point.

And then a miracle, in the form of the T3. Aster is snatched from the cusp of death and brought back so he can be treated.

Despite a lifetime of pain and abuse, he finds himself enamored with the Was-Taken family. Theo is a shining ideal, a pinnacle that, if beaten, would prove that Aster really is strong.

And, of course, there's Lee.

A six-ish year old who sometimes knows things he shouldn't, and at other times doesn't know things he should. While he's a Dream, he's...harmless. All he really wants is to apply a growing assortment of bandaids (magical, he believes, in the way they draw smiles from people who have them on) to him and occasionally show him fun things.

Aster gets other little tokens of affection, too. Flower crowns, and freshly-baked cookies, and drawings, and smiles as radiant as the sun.

So, with time (and with Daz's involvement), Aster slips a new collar around his throat.

He becomes a guard dog for the safest six year old in the cosmos. He trains other dogs to stand at his side for the same purpose. He works with someone he kinda hates to ensure that none of them ever need to attack.

But if all else fails...the Swords and Shields can and will mobilize to protect Achilles Reed Was-Taken from whatever threat was stupid enough to turn its gaze towards him.

collection of posts for a very specific dynamic

[takerfoxx]

Personally, I feel that the reason Suletta and Miorine work so well as a couple is the same reason why they didn't work for me at first: they're just such fundamentally different people, with total opposite personalities, upbringings, values, desires, needs, strengths, weaknesses, traumas, the list goes on. If it weren't for the very strange set of circumstances that forced them to form a connection, I honestly doubt that they would even be friends, so much so that for the first few episodes, I found myself feeling weirdly disconnected from their relationship, and even found myself wondering if they even liked each other.

I mean, take a look at Suletta. She's a country girl from Mercury's mining colonies who never had any friends of her own growing up. She's a clone created in part to replace her older sister, in part to usher in her mother's plan to free her sister, and in part to be a weapon of revenge, leading to an extremely bizarre relationship with her mother that is equal parts affectionate and neglectful. She loves being around people, but is so socially anxious that any sort of interactions sends her into a stuttering fit. She's terrified of confrontation, and yet is larger and stronger than most, and put her behind the controls of a mech, and she will turn you into mincemeat. She's a total klutz when it comes to dealing with other people, and yet stays cool in a crisis and isn't phased by dead bodies. She trusts with her whole heart, measures her relationships by the value she gives to other people, blames herself whenever others let her down, can and will take a life without flinching to protect those close to her, and is delighted by something so simple as having others laugh at a joke that she made.

Now, take Miorine. A rich girl from an extremely powerful family, she lost her mother, quite possibly the only person to ever show her genuine kindness when she was a child, was "raised" by her contemptuous and neglectful excuse for a father, and grew to resent everyone and everything around her. She hates being around people, but has the confidence and social knowledge to play the game. She's tiny and physically weak, but also angry and assertive. She openly loathes her father and will insult him to his face, but also desperately craves his approval. She's been used as a commodity her entire life by people who see her as a stepping stone into power, and is bound and determined to make everyone who tries damned to a living hell. She was raised in luxury in space, but dreams of running away to what is essentially a refugee camp of a planet. She wants so badly to be allowed to stand on her own two feet and be respected for her own accomplishments, but has no real idea how to do it. She views relationships as transactions, has exactly zero patience for other people's nonsense, can and will sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of the select few that she cares about, will run headlong into the most harrowing of political battles, but also fall apart completely when confronted with the reality of death.

And, like I said, for whatever reason I just didn't feel the sparks between them at first. Their whole relationship just felt like a mutually beneficial arrangement, like it was said to be.

But then we got to that magical episode, where they had that amazingly written misunderstanding in the greenhouse, followed by that incredible argument on the space station, and I realized that this was the plan all along, and Suletta and Miorine are actually perfect as a couple...once they've managed to bridge the gap between their extremely different life experiences and massive communication issues.

See, what's so great about them is that while they are extremely different, those difference are also perfectly compatible. One's strength is the other's weakness, and together they make each other better. In a way, they're less opposites and more of two halves of one complete whole. It was Miorine's confidence that allowed Suletta to start standing up for herself, to learn confidence and make real friends, to figure out what love is. And it was Suletta's bravery that inspired Miorine to find a way to make something of her own, to seek out ways to use their families' legacies to help people instead of hurt them, to bridge gaps long carved out by blood. And in the end, they were two desperately lonely girls who just wanted someone to truly, honestly, and unconditionally love them, and they found it in each other.

Granted, it was rough going for a bit. Like I said, they had such different ways of seeing the world, they didn't communicate in the same way, they didn't see relationships in the same way, and they ended up hurting each other just trying to do what they thought was best. But they also forgave one another. They strove to better understand one another. And they came to realize just how much they needed each other. And though it took even greater loss and pain in order to achieve it, they finally found their happy ending. They found each other.

[lanawinterscigarettes]

poly!Nancy Downs and Jennifer Check x reader Headcanons?

*takes you by the shoulders and gently shakes you* anon. ANON. this is exactly the kind of thing I've been needing to write, you gorgeous genius, you

Poly! Nancy Downs x reader x Jennifer Check general dating headcanons

Warnings: swearing, mentions of jealousy/possessiveness, some suggestive content

This is going to be set in a college au since I'm pretty sure the places where they went to high school are on the opposite sides of the country mkay

They both kind of kept to themselves, but in different ways. Jennifer was the hot and popular one that everyone wanted to get close to but never could and Nancy was the scary alt loner who people swore up and down was a witch (ha, if only they knew)

Because of their major social differences they didn't cross paths until you came along and brought them together like a pair of really fucked up magnets

They both went out of their way to impress you while simultaneously trying to knock each other down a peg in the process

Everywhere you went, there they were. Trying to get to class? Nancy shows up to help you with your books. Eating alone in the cafeteria? You're in luck, because Jennifer saved you a seat

You thought it was kind of cute at first but after a while it just became annoying, especially when they started getting into fights in the middle of the school day

Jennifer knew there was something occult like going on with Nancy, and Nancy could tell that Jennifer wasn't a normal college student, which did nothing but make their feud worse

Eventually you got sick of it and basically told them they needed to resolve whatever sort of homo-erotic sexual tension they had going on before you'd consider dating either of them

Surprising, it seemed as if they took your advice because when you saw them on campus the next day they were both slightly calmer and had the hickeys to prove it

It wasn't long after that the three of you officially got together (you found it easier to be stuck in a room with them after they finally got rid of whatever stick was up their asses that made them hate each other in the first place)

Both of them are extremely protective over you and almost never let you out of their sight. They both know just how cruel people can be (especially boys) so they're extremely hesitant when it comes to you going off to parties or something by yourself

On a much lighter note, you know you'll never have to worry about anyone hurting you, and if they ever do they will quickly get taken care of by your demon possessed and spell casting girlfriends 🤗

I hope you like possessiveness because that's what you'll be getting from these too. They both tend to get jealous easily, even when it comes to each other especially when it comes to each other

If one of them sees hickeys/bite marks or something that they know they didn't leave you'll soon find yourself covered in even more of them in turn

They don't get into serious fights often, but they do bicker and squabble a lot more than normal people, which is most likely due to how their dominant personalities seem to clash with one another

Usually whenever they start fighting with each other you lock them in a room by themselves until you hear the shouts turn into moans because they started having sex

Most dates are spent with the three of you together because all the times you've tried to go on a date with one of them the other "accidentally" happens to show up

Jennifer loves to take you shopping at high end boutiques whereas Nancy prefers to check out second hand thrift shops, so if you don't find something you like at one place there's a chance you'll find it at the other

(There's also a big chance you'll be forced to carry their bags for them unless you openly complain about it, so just keep that in mind)

Makeovers!! Jen dresses you up to look like a y2k baddie and Nanc turns you into a goth in the making. By the end of it you look like Regina George got into Elvira's makeup supply

Shared playlists between them are so funny because of how often the artists will switch between say Ayesha Erotica and Rob Zombie lmao (one time Jennifer caught Nancy singing the words to Emo Boy and teased her for it so she blasted Living Dead Girl for hours on end as payback)

You're not allowed to share a bed with only one of them btw. It has to be both of them or you're not sleeping at all

They can and will fight over who gets to sleep where so your best bet is just laying in the middle and letting them figure out the rest themselves

Neither of them are morning people so if you think you can get up at a reasonable hour you're sadly mistaken unless you're somehow able to untangle yourself from the mess of limbs (or if you just sleep on the couch)

Also they both look like absolute MESSES first thing in the mornings but I'll save my morning routine headcanons with them for another time hehe

They're not perfect, but considering one of them has a demon infesting her body and the other uses magic on the daily things could be much worse, so you've gotta work with what you've got when it comes to them

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[kathrahender]

People seriously need to know and understand the difference between "people-who-don't-like-each-other-at-first to lovers" "rivals to lovers" and "enemies to lovers" because they're not the same at all.

People-who-don't-like-each-other-at-first to lovers is exactly that. People who don't get along too well who eventually become lovers. There's not a rivalry between them, much less hostility (like in the enemies-to-lovers). If you like ships where the two characters disagree on some things (and that's all the tension they have) or "A" character of them flirts with the "B" character, and "B" ignores "A" or gets annoyed- until they fall in love- you don't like rivals-to-lovers nor enemies-to-lovers. You like this trope and this is nothing like the other two.

Rivals-to-lovers is the trope where two characters are rivals. They don't like each other, and both of the characters, "A" and "B", probably want to show they're the best at something. They probably hate each other, but they're not actively hurting each other because yes. And they also don't have the same hostility enemies have. They compete with each other, sure, but most of the times they don't act like enemies would. If you like ships where the two characters have tension and they don't like each other, but not enough to kill them, hurt them, or something like that, then the trope you like is rivals-to-lovers. Not enemies-to-lovers.

And finally, enemies-to-lovers. An enemy is a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. Therefore, the two characters are probably in opposite sides, in a war or something similar. They hate each other, they want to see the other hurt, and they probably want to hurt the other themselves. They want to make them suffer because they're not in the same side, and they don't think the same. They don't have the same morality, that's why they fight against each other. But sometimes, their hostility can turn into something else. Something that makes them be lovers. So if you like ships where two enemies, who actively hate each other and try to kill each other, become lovers, you like enemies-to-lovers.

To put examples:

"People-who-don't-like-each-other to lovers" ships: Hanleia. Jilly. Yes, people. They're not rivals nor enemies. So stop saying the ship is enemies-to-lovers because that's not true.

"Rivals-to-lovers" ships: Klance, Jeith/Jaith, Icemav, Lawrusso (I mentioned fanon ships because now I can't remember canon rivals-to-lovers ships). They surely don't like each other (some of them just at the beginning, because later they became friends) but they don't hate each other like an enemy would.

"Enemies-to-lovers" ships: Darklina, Reylo, Kalluzeb, Catradora. These are enemies-to-lovers ships because they were in opposite sides. And they actively hurt them, not in a "Let's see who's the best" way but in a "I want to will you" way. So yeah- they're enemies, not rivals or something else. These ships are actual enemies to lovers ships.

[yuurei20]

Hi there! Quick question, How does Idia feel about Leona?? to me, they have such weird dynamic. They don't like each other but they don't outright hate each other either, but sometimes it feels like they're totally fine with each other?? Is this just a respect thing??

Hello hello!! This gets into character analysis which is definitely not my strength, so I reached out to one of the most knowledgeable Idia-analyzers I’ve ever seen ( @frost__tw ) who was so kind as to collaborate with me on this response, and I am forever grateful ♡

Also: agreed! Their dynamic is particularly fascinating because they are both complete opposites and extremely similar, simultaneously:

Both are housewardens, near the same height, canonically attractive, unusually intelligent, very sarcastic, enjoy chess, are from important families, keep others at a distance, often complain about having to go out of their way to do things they are uninterested in, have brother issues and won’t put effort into things they have predetermined to be impossible, which ties directly into how they are trapped in situations they can’t do anything about due to the circumstances of their birth.

And we also have their recently introduced titles (on JP server): “Ambitious King” and “King of the Underworld.”

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how Idia feels about Leona, possibly because he doesn’t know very much about him (which is possibly because Leona doesn’t want him to).

During Book 6 he assumes that Leona isn’t suited to a leadership role, for example, despite how people who actually spend time with Leona say otherwise.

The two overlap in Idia’s second birthday vignette, where Leona gifts him with an artisanal chess set and the two pause the interview to play together.

They seem to mutually agree not to mention who won the game, and it may have been a draw.

We see Idia categorize people and generalize them into character tropes (from anime/manga/games) throughout the game, and based upon Leona’s appearance/outward behavior, Idia may labeling him as the scary top boss of the Savanaclaw hooligans (re: their Halloween vignette together) in his mind.

But he is able to overcome his initial flight response in this birthday vignette once Leona procures the chess set (one of Idia’s personal interests).

(This is part of the reason why Idia’s stutter is such an important part of the character: he stutters when he panics, but then speaks smoothly when he becomes passionate, which the characters even comment on in the game (Ortho calls it his "go off switch" on EN, and his "heat up switch" on JP).)

(Recreation of this trait varies by scene on EN.)

Leona is difficult to read because he will insult the people he likes and respects just as readily as he does those he does not (something that we see Jamil come to understand in real time during Book 6), so trying to work out his true opinion about anything can get into conjecture.

They also do not overlap particularly often, which gives us less to work with, but his teasing of Idia in the birthday vignette is not dissimilar to his teasing of characters like Jamil and Vil. Whereas they understand Leona’s humor, however, Idia may not.

What we know for a fact is that Leona has canonically complimented Idia for being both intelligent and powerful during Spectral Soiree, and this may have been a parallel to Terror is Trending when, extremely impressed by Savanaclaw’s Halloween set, Idia asks, “Did Leona use his magic for it?”

Idia also comments on Leona’s power during his evaluations at STYX, saying, “I already knew Leona was tough and could handle whatever danger comes at him…”

I think you are correct, and it is a respect thing!

They are both aware of the other’s familial situations and strengths and, in any other circumstances, they might get along well. But their personalities are just too different, they frustrate each other in every conversation they have, and whatever positives the other person has might just not be enough to outweigh how obnoxious they find the other to be.

We learn from Vil that the rule at NRC is “the weak obey the strong,” and the Housewardens at NRC seem to take this literally, with Idia, Leona and Vil all being constantly torn between sincere annoyance and grudging respect. The three referring to others as “spudlings,” “normies” and “herbivores” is another interesting overlap that they share.

(Despite being even more different than Leona and Idia, Leona and Vil repeatedly find common ground in allying against Idia.)

(In a parallel to this, Leona and Idia find common ground on the subject of Malleus, with Leona saying, “It’s a pain when the majority forces their opinion on you,” which is an opinion Idia seems to share.)

Thank you so much for this question, it was wonderful to dive into!

Overall, Leona and Idia seem to share a mutual undertone of “I know you’re the best at what you do, but I can’t stand you. I acknowledge that you’re intelligent, capable and talented, but please go be that somewhere else,” which ties directly into a comment from Yana’s 2023 interview:

“Since the characters in the story are villains they do not admit defeat, but they will admit, ‘Hey, you did pretty good.’ Even if they don’t like each other, they will recognize each other’s abilities.”

(And thank you again to @frost__tw for all the amazing insight! ♡)

[strawhbrrries]

Lose Control, i.

pairing: tattoo artist!frank castle x afab!reader

summary: you learn your tattoo artist, who also happens to be the person you love the most, is equally as in love with you but you can't deal with the repercussions of his past.

warnings: female pronouns, mentions of female masturbation, , mutual pining but they're both idiots, , tattooed frank with long hair!!, no use of y/n or descriptions of reader, not proofread

word count: 1k words

authors note: i would like to thank teddy swims for the muse to write again, please enjoy!

song to listen to while reading: lose control by teddy swims

find the masterlist here! read the next part here!

The sun peeked through the curtains, illuminating the chest of the man in the bed next to you. His face was turned away from you, but you knew from the way he was sleeping and the scent on your pillow exactly who it was. Frank Castle. You didn’t remember much about last night but you did remember you had places to be, and so did he.

“Frankie, wake up.” You shook him gently, smiling softly at the hairs plastered to his forehead and the smile he always adorned when he realized it was you. 

“What time is it?” He grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up slowly, reaching around the end table for his phone. 

“Late, c’mon we gotta go.” 

You threw his shirt at him, hurriedly putting your own clothes on to make it to lunch with your mom on time. If it was up to her, she’d have invited Frank too, but it wasn’t. She pointed out one time that most friends don’t sleep in a bed together five days out of the week when they both have places to live, and every time you woke up next to him it was the only thing on your mind. 

Frank was an attractive man, anyone with eyes could see that, and the what if was always there. But, he had a reputation. As did many other tattoo artists who were too attractive for their own good. You refused to be another notch in his belt, a one and done, someone he’d forget the second he came. In order for any of those things to be true, he had to be playing the long game, and you weren’t going to find out. No matter how many times you woke up with damp underwear from wet dreams of him, or the amount of times you caught yourself squeezing your thighs together when he was around.

“Where’s Frankie?” Was the first thing your mom asked when you arrived at the small cafe she had picked for lunch, you were convinced she’d rather have him as a child than you.

“He wasn’t invited to our mother-daughter lunch, momma.” You rolled your eyes playfully, giving her a warm hug and sitting opposite of her.

“Did he sleep with you?” She asked, nonchalantly, no doubt just trying to pry and see if you’d given in to his advances yet.

“Yes, and no we did not have sex. Premarital sex is a sin, momma.” 

“You’re the phoneist christian I've ever met. I just don’t get it, both of you have feelings for each other. Just go out?” She took a sip of the tea in front of her, never breaking eye contact with you as you considered her words.

“You must hate me, I’m not getting my heart broken by some guy who could have any woman he wanted.” You shrugged, playing with the straw in the drink she had ordered for you.

“Men who plan on breaking a woman’s heart don’t typically live with them, or have relationships with their parents, or give them free expensive tattoos, or take them to the hospital when they’re too stubborn to go. I could keep going, honey.” 

A part of you knew she was right, but the other, much bigger, part of you couldn’t help but let go of the anxiety that played in the back of your mind every time the thought of dating him came up. You’d rather shoot yourself in the foot than trust a man, even if this one had never done anything to make you doubt him or his words. 

Frank Castle was one of the sweetest men you’d ever met, even if he looked big, bad and scary. He was covered in tattoos, head to toe, that he’d done probably seventy-five percent of, but you felt so incredibly safe with him. He was the one to take you to the hospital when your appendix burst and you swore it was just really bad pms, he argued that he’d been there for enough of your periods to know it wasn’t pms and you argued back that you lived through more periods than he had. He didn’t record you when you were high off the anesthesia because he knew your  biggest fear was saying something you would regret and then everyone seeing it.

He was the sweetest man you’d ever met.

But the reputation he accumulated before the two of you met haunted him every day, he’d take it all back if he could. If it would convince you that giving him a chance was worth the risk, to just know for sure you craved him how he craved you. He gladly took the slivers of your life that you allowed him to have, seared them in the back of his mind and vowed to never forget just in case you took it all away. 

Three years ago you sat in his chair, nervous and unable to make eye contact with him, for your very first tattoo. Now you were littered in tattoos, all done by him, and he couldn’t be prouder. It was his own personal way of marking what was his, and it seemed to work because you hadn’t had a boyfriend since you met him. Frank beams with pride when he tells everyone you had a boyfriend at your first appointment and then showed up to your next one single, he tells everyone it was because of his ‘devilishly good looks’ but the thing he doesn’t know? He was right.

You left that appointment wetter than you’d ever been in your life, you’d had a boyfriend for a year and a half and he never even got you a fraction that turned on. You took the coldest shower of your life, trying to rid yourself of the impure thoughts of him only to fail and spend the rest of your shower desperately chasing a high you knew he’d be able to give you. You broke up with your boyfriend that same night.

[raayllum]

Chessmaster Ezran

It's no secret by this point that Aaravos is a chess master. He has literal pawns, his game motif is consistent across seasons (though mostly carried by the Key of Aaravos in arc 1), is associated with black and white, "eight in a line" from the 6x08 poem could reference 8 across as that's the number of pawns/pieces in a line in chess, and he's been referred to as a chess player, literally:

After more than a millennium of careful planning, moving and manipulating generations of humans and elves like pieces on some cosmic chess board, the machinations of the Midnight Star known as Aaravos are finally coming to bear.

The symbolism behind chess itself also talks about a "cyclical nature," the "unavoidable consequences" of each movement, the relationship in chess "between will and fate, but likewise between liberty and knowledge" and ideas of foresight and knowledge. (Meta here.) These are all things, of course, that Arc 2 is increasingly interested in exploring, looking at the ways characters are trapped by circumstances and choices and also deconstructing the idea of having "no choice".

I don't think at this point we have to prove, then, that Aaravos is a chess master of sorts; this is just the text, particularly because moving pawns around isn't that dissimilar from moving puppets around.

What is far more questionable, then, is Who exactly is Aaravos playing chess against?

Now, there's a few answers that could be the case. As displayed above, Aaravos lost one match against the Archdragons and was subsequently imprisoned, but it seems like maybe he was totally aware they were in the game, per se ("he let his guard down" / "as the day you betrayed me"). And while Aaravos hates the archdragons accordingly ("I'm glad you took down that arrogant monster"), they're very clearly not who his endgame victory is against. If he'd wanted to just destroy only them, he probably could've done so a long time ago.

At the same time, I don't think we can directly say the Startouch elves themselves. While they're the people he seems angriest at ("and when everything they have built lies shattered, I will savor their fall from the sky"), and therefore probably the people he wants revenge against the most... It doesn't seem like the Stars have been aware of what's going on down here in Xadia in centuries, and therefore, haven't been 'responding' to any of Aaravos' moves since he was banished and left behind. I wouldn't that it couldn't be him and Leola in some kind of proxy war, but if First elves like Aaravos are at the top of the magical hierarchy, and magic-less humans are at the bottom, it makes sense for a human to ultimately upend said hierarchy (with or without magic), don't you think?

Additionally, none of this is to say being cognizant of the Game is required to be Aaravos' opponent, but that Aaravos needs an active and reoccurring adversary to respond to. The good news is that he has one.

Now let me explain.

Set Up

While Ezran may not seem like an obvious choice — he's not a mage, he's not even one of Aaravos' current pawns to reward a 180 turn around if they turned against him, nor has he directly foiled Aaravos' plans the way Rayla has (at least once) — I think that's precisely why he's the one who's potentially in this role, symbolically at least.

While other characters are tied to the game motif in being pieces (Avizandum, Harrow and Sarai's graves, Callum and Viren's intros, the wooden Rayla doll from 1x04 of all episodes), Ezran is tied to being a piece mover and recognizing that the game and puzzle exists, each time. One that he can solve; one that he can win.

Now, part of that is helped by Ezran inheriting Harrow's status of being a thematic opposite to Aaravos. Aaravos 'serves' in order to gain control and power, and Harrow tries to even out of the scale of his control and power by serving the people: a servant king. Where Aaravos doesn't seem to see anyone as a person, in line with the way he literally uses his pawns, encourages dark magic, and dismisses his enemies, Ezran sees everyone — including animals, elves, dragons, enemies, etc. — as people (re: his sadness in 3x09 as he has to fight and kill people he wanted to save, because they literally won't stop attacking and have been robbed of their own humanity wilfully).

Piled on top is Ezran's own dichotomy of being both a child and a king ("A child is freer than a king") that mirrors Aaravos deriding the group as "pathetic children" while also relying on Claudia (whose the same age) to free him, and that he's playing a game at all that likewise involves his key ("It's a toy, a piece from a children's game" / "The whining child king, in over his head, and he knows it").

And more than that, Ezran has his own game motif. So let's talk about it:

Hide and Seek (Truth telling and Game Motif)

What begins as a little boy's favourite game, in addition to heartbreakingly always reminding you of just how young Ezran is in canon, evolves into a hide and seek game of world altering proportions. Arc 2 is largely about searching for / the acquirement of fully actualized knowledge (befitting of a mystery, mind you) and subsequently, the game of hide and seek is on for that knowledge. They just have to beat Claudia to the finding, first of the map, and then of the prison.

Knowledge of where the prison is hidden that Ezran uniquely carries and uniquely puts him at risk for. This is, of course, a call back to Ezran being the one to uncover the initial mystery of the egg (similarly to how Callum uncovers the truth behind primal magic and the fates of Rayla's parents). He discovers the egg in the dungeons, he advocates for telling the truth and being open and honest, and he is the Truth Teller of the series in so many ways, even if that doesn't mean he's infallible.

I had a speech planned for today. It was about peace and love and hope. But I think I left something out. I ignored something that was true. I denied something that is undeniable. 

Ezran bears witness to the things that other people don't see, or the other things that people don't understand, as while usually we're let in on the loop ahead of time, Ezran's actions and discoveries — finding the egg, retrieving it, showing up the Bookery in the nick of time — are kept behind closed doors until the reveal. Much like Aaravos, I might add. Ezran wears the blind fold like is father did (screams in Celestial elves) properly, but can see clearly at the same time by extending it to all peoples simultaneously.

If the stars are evil because they are indifferent and potentially ignorant, if Aaravos is evil because he is aware of what's going on but unsympathetic, than Ezran is their true opposite in being 1) consistently and constantly thematically and literally aware of what's going on (i.e. his brother's sadness, Rayla's feelings upon her return, the feelings of dragons, Claudia's fight with Ibis) and 2) holding sympathy regardless (even for Aaravos).

If the truth is hidden, Ezran will find it. And that's exactly why he's uniquely fit to go up against Mr. I never lie in a thematic chess match across the whole series, so let's start unpacking it.

Kingship and Clarity (2x08, 2x09)

I'm not going to touch on S1 that much as the majority of what I would've noted is already in the previous sections, so with that in mind I want to talk the back half of S2, specifically Ezran finding out about Harrow onwards.

Upon receiving the news, Ezran is cruel to both Rayla and himself.

E: You knew? I'm such an idiot! I should've figured it out. When we met you, you had two of those assassin-y ribbon-y things. But one of them fell off that night! R: Yes. That must've been when he fell. E: Fell? Fell?! R: Yes. E: He didn't fall Rayla, he didn't trip and fall on the ground, he got killed!

Now there's parallels here about how Moonshadows will dress things up in prettier language than what's actually happening, and in Harrow's rejection of the same thing from Viren ("Call it what it is: dark magic") and Callum's critique in 3x08 ("You've got a nicer word for it?"). But the most overt thing is what we know about associations with falling and death from the elf we just recently got the name of: Aaravos.

Moving on, I want to talk about how Ezran's realization and acceptance of his father's death causes him to realize that he likewise needs to go home: "Maybe I can help the world better from the throne. I can do whatever I can to stop the war". (Something something Aaravos giving humans magic because he believed they could be 'better'.)

Aaravos was cast out of power and 'heaven' and Ezran ascends, yes, but Aaravos' descent caused him to lose clarity in childish revenge, whereas Ezran acquires clarity by moving into altruistic adulthood. He's not being radically changed morals or principles wise, but he's not stagnating. Furthermore, Ezran's bond with Zym that he acquires in 2x09 is like a 'healthy' version of Aaravos' channelling through Viren.

Ezran and Zym find that, due to their bond of love and understanding, they can see where the other person is, embodying the principle of the blindfold's basis being that you can see through another person's eyes and perspective. Here, Ezran's empathy / compassion is made completely literal, and helps Zym achieve the victory of flight in order to likewise save his brother and friend. Aaravos, meanwhile, channels power through Viren, and subsequently withdraws it entirely when it no longer suits him; Aaravos is seeing through Viren's eyes only, and they don't even win. Aaravos is eagerly participating in the fight at the beginning, but when he realizes his pawn may die, he switches tactics and "stays" with him. In contrast, Ezran and Zym achieve their aims and maintain their literal separation while being emotionally closer than ever.

This is all just set up for the Game, though. The first match that Aaravos and Ezra have, of course, is in 3x04 with

An Exchange of Kings (3x04)

As a game, chess is all about exchange and sacrifice. When Ezran is pushed into a corner of treating people like pawns (like symbols), he hates it.

What follows, then, is an exchange. In chess, if you get a pawn to the end of the board, you can exchange it for another piece that's already been taken (with the sole exception of your king, as that's checkmate). We see Aaravos do this slightly with Sir Sparklepuff and Viren in theory in 5x09, but we also see it here more directly with one king (Ezran) being swapped for another (Viren).

This is also, currently, the closest we see Ezran be a 'pawn' in any conceivable way. He's at the end of the board, he's being exchanged, except this time it's for the benefit of the opposing side. The main reason I mandate, then, that Ezran is still an Opponent rather than a piece is because of how this trade is inverted on an even broader scale later on this season:

The Final Battle (Or Not)

As king, and this is the particular piece of Chessmaster Ezran I think I adore above all else, he is fundamentally encouraged to treat his subjects like pawns.

Now, Ezran doesn't want to treat anyone this way. He doesn't view anyone, animal, human, elf or otherwise, as Not People. Even when the human armies are decidedly no longer literally human, and raging fiery monsters attacking him and everything he has left, he still holds sympathy for them and compassion for Claudia.

Claudia — and Viren — meanwhile, don't see their pawns that way at all. Claudia has yet to ever see Rayla as a person, only recognizing the elves who conveniently help her (Terry, Aaravos) as worthy of identified personhood; Viren and Aaravos' overall "plan" was to kill a baby dragon and use all the human army as "distractions". They never cared about anyone's personhood, once they'd gotten that far.

It is Ezran's distaste for seeing people as pawns ("Bait's not for sale, he's my friend!" / saving the baby glow toads) — preferring to see himself, like his father, as a servant king — versus that being all Aaravos has seemingly done for centuries that makes me feel like Ezran is the personal perfect opponent to eventually triumph in the end.

And going forward into S4, we see a few more of their matches take place:

S4 Ezran as the decision maker (4x04, 4x06)

One of the things I was most excited going into S3 was that Ezran, who'd been decisive but largely passive in the first two seasons, was going to be forced to make some difficult decisions. I was extra pleased, then, when we see Ezran step even more into that leadership role in S4 and S5; no longer is he mostly going along with Callum and Rayla's plans. Often times he's the one ultimately setting things up or making said decisions when the group is together.

It's his idea to tackle things together, and help Zubeia after all, in 4x04 (though he looks to his brother to receive an encouraging nod) and to bring Rayla along when she expresses doubts.

It's his idea to go find the puzzle pieces and express those next steps.

It's even his idea to bring Zubeia to Katolis that helps free up the Storm Spire for Claudia, as she takes the dragons leaving "as a sign" (unintentionally on Ezran's behalf, of course). But if Ezran is the stealth opponent here and there to Aaravos' mini matches, this is also something has happened before and will likely happen again, thanks to

The Orphan Queen

Chaos and confusion erupted and war threatened to tear Xadia apart, as now the elves suspected that the dragons had killed their queen. But truth came from an unexpected source. A young human girl discovered a great secret of history. A dangerous deceiver was revealed.

The last time Aaravos' plans firmly fell to pieces, and what led to his imprisonment, was ultimately the Orphan Queen. I've talked more about her potential parallels to Ezran in my Mirrored Trio theory post (as well as Callum's potential parallels to the Jailer) so I won't repeat too much here, but is an option if you'd like to see more.

The important thing to note here, though, is that Ezran's arc will 1) probably parallel the Orphan Queen's in ultimately being part of Aaravos' permanent defeat and 2) perhaps being one of the first to recognize the full scope of Aaravos' plans. I'd love it in particular if in S6, while at Katolis, Ezran does research into his ancient royal ancestor and learns more about her. Too late maybe to pass on the relevant information to keep Callum and Rayla from disaster, but... I expect this:

I should have seen it before. Ha! Long ago, it was a human who saw through the Fallen Star's schemes and helped Xadia put an end to them. You look so much like her.

to come to fruition eventually, in S7 probably. Aaravos may win his chess game in S6, after all, but he will eventually lose.

Season five, of course, also offered more evidence aligned with this reading:

Season Five Set Up

In S5, we see Ezran continue to be the Retriever and finder of objects in ways that thus far no else has really achieved.

Claudia tries and fails to retrieve objects, mostly; Viren probably comes closest, and it'll be more of an aim for Callum and Rayla in S6, I still expect Ezran to ultimately pull ahead in future seasons.

He's also associated heavily with light in the TDP short stories in ways we've largely only seen given to Rayla in canon as well, highlighting another similarity between them, and placing Ezran in a similar position as Zym as the world's hope ("Look at them, playing together. That's hope. They're the ones that are going to break the cycle"):

Even the waning moonlight struggled to pierce its veil. Somewhere out there were his friends. His duty. His king. Two years before, when the world had seemed darkest, Soren began to imagine Ezran as a kindling flame, a bright little light holding back the abyss. When he’d named Corvus a Crownguard, he’d told him that the young king was not only Katolis’ hope, but all of Xadia’s, too. Soren had sworn to protect and tend that light. To nurture it. And in his darkest moments, that oath gave him a reason to feel strong again, a way to keep smiling.

Ezran also acknowledges outright in 5x01 exactly what Aaravos is doing and is the first in canon to use language that references Aaravos' game as a chess game with it, too:

The Archmage Aaravos is trying to escape his magical prison. His pawns are working, even as we speak, to find him and release him back into our world. We need to stop them. Can you please help us find his prison?

Ezran's Plans

In the latter half of s5, we also see the group routinely go with or accommodate Ezran's plans as well, even if they don't all necessarily agree. This is true in 5x05, in which we see Ezran reiterate that violence is a last resort:

E: If Akiyu made it, then she must know where it is. Then we can stop Viren and Claudia from releasing Aaravos. C: Or, hear me out [...] How bout we hitch a ride up there, borrow this Novablade, then we wait for Aaravos to get out, and just stab stab, buh-bye bad guy! E: Wait, slow down. Shouldn't that be the last resort? If we can stop Aaravos from getting out at all, we can solve this without any violence.

and in 5x06 with talking to Finnegrin and saving the Baitlings.

R: But he's not known for doing favours out of the goodness of his heart. E: It's not a favour. The fate of the world is at stake. I'm going to go talk to him. C: I'll go with Ezran while you and Soren try the docks.

5x09

That said, I think about this line from 5x09 when it comes to all of the above:

E: One step ahead is okay. Because Domina Profundis told me something they don't know: the secret of the prison.

We find out, of course, that this is the prison is a pearl in a clam's mouth... something that Soren seemingly knew on account of travelling with Ez, but that Rayla and Callum did not. This puts a target on Ezran's back in the confrontation scene — she primarily attacks and interrogates him ("You know, don't you? Tell me everything you know little king, or I'll squeeze it out of you!") — and Ezran nearly gives the game away to disaster, so it's, again, not like he's perfect.

It does however showcase yet another example of Ezran knowing something that other characters discover after the fact, and more rarely in TDP, that the audience discovers after the fact (compare this with how we know Harrow is dead well before the princes do, for example, or that Claudia and Viren are already up to no good in early S4).

I also don't think I have to spell out that Ezran knowing the Secret of the Prison — the very thing he set out to find in 4x05! — in seasons called the Mystery of Aaravos is noteworthy, either. While there are certainly more secrets to uncover — how, for example, the prison was built exactly; how was Aaravos trapped within it; how did two humans like the Jailer and the Orphan Queen get involved — I think those are firmly moving into Aaravos backstory territory alongside the rest of his mysteries (cube included) than just relating purely to the prison's construction, per se.

Ezran received the last pieces of the puzzle, and he carried it through to the end to what, technically speaking, should be checkmate.

I can't wait to see him do it again some day, successfully this time.

Values and Gift Giving Subversion

I've already said that Ezran primarily takes on Harrow's mantle in being the the clearest thematic opposite to Aaravos thus far. That doesn't mean Callum and Rayla don't have their oppositions and parallels to Aaravos as well (they absolutely do; Rayla is currently a pretty strong foil!) but again that Ezran is the certified Opponent.

A few final ways we see this manifest is in Ezran's values. We've already seen the ultimate difference in their views on personhood, but one of my favourite ways that heavily intersects it that Ezran loves all his friends for the exact reasons Aaravos berates them in 4x04.

Aaravos taunts Rayla over her seeming inability to kill, but Ezran is the first to tell Rayla that's unequivocally a good thing: "You do realize I'm an assassin who hasn't killed anyone?" "I think that's a good thing."

Soren is a failed son 'unloved' by his father, but Ezran reaffirms time and time again how much he loves Soren, and the two always have a kind word or look for each other ("I just don't want to fail you too" "Thanks Soren [...] You're the best crownguard a king could ask for").

In a season where Callum learns his path of magic may have gotten him in a world of trouble, Ezran reminds him of the positive effect magic has had on his life, even if it's difficult: "Lots of things are hard, Callum. Like magic. But you figured that out".

We also see that Aaravos is prone to false gifts and dangling carrots. He gave Ziard a staff that couldn't ultimately protect him. He gives Viren another month of life mostly to bait Claudia into helping him. He uses and discards; these people don't mean anything to him. Not anymore.

Ezran, meanwhile, is nothing but sincere, particularly in his presentation of his crown to Finnegrin and Rex Igneous ("It's not worthless, it's made of my father's sword" / "I wanted to carry that strength with me") while also recognizing the error in his thinking: "We've got it all wrong. We offered gifts that meant a lot to us, but the truth is, they don't mean anything to you." He then realizes what Rex Igneous truly needs, and it is successful; we see this again in how his speech in 4x03 helps heal Zubeia. Ezran sees emotional scars clearly, especially after 4x03, and he responds accordingly and sensitively to them most of the time. He knows what people truly need, and that's why he's a good gift giver.

Conclusion

In the final season I think it would be Neato if Ezran had to spearhead an army against Aaravos' forces and send his brother and friends in as generals and soldiers because he doesn't want to treat them like pawns, he loves them, but to beat Aaravos at his own game he has to do so (until maybe Callum can flip the board on its head, thematically, anyway). Thank you bye

[alice-after-dark]

StaticMoth Thoughts

So disclaimer that I am a "ship what you want to ship as long as you don't force it on others" kind of person. If you really like StaticMoth and think they are genuinely in love, you do you boo. You'll get no hate from me. However this is not that kind of post, so if that's not your cup of tea, I do suggest skipping. You have been warned.

TW for abusive relationships, sexual abuse, and other canon-typical triggers. Discussion of homophobia (Vox is from the 1950s after all)

So I'm going to get right to the point. I see a lot of people pointing to that one split second clip of them making out and saying they're in love...and I wholly disagree. I see their relationship as a purely sexual one, with some potential romantic manipulation from Valentino's side of things (because we all know Vox is insecure as fuck).

Vox grew up during a time period where liking both women and men and being openly sexual was not accepted and his demon life is his first real chance at exploring that side of himself. So he is very vulnerable to someone like Valentino who is the complete opposite and solidly comfortable with his sexuality and desires. Valentino is everything that Vox couldn't even fathom being. Fuck, even in Hell, Vox still strives to maintain a spotless image. The idea of not only being in a relationship with a man, but being able to actively pursue his desires is absolutely foreign to him and Valentino knows this. Which is exactly why he loves playing with Vox.

I do also want to make it clear that I think they are mutually abusive to each other. Vox is a control freak and tries to force Valentino into the box he needs him to fit in for the V's image. He refuses to engage in PDA and frankly doesn't even like to touch Valentino in public view if he doesn't have to. However, we also see that Vox can't just tell Valentino "no" and expect him to listen. He needs to placate him, satisfy him in some capacity, or Valentino will go off and do something stupid that will wreck their image. He is always placating the other demon. Valentino needs to be kept happy and sated, in whatever way necessary. And sometimes that means Vox getting...personally involved when he may not want to.

Now, telling Valentino "no" for most things can be pretty easily placated, but telling Valentino "no" when sex is involved? That can get downright dangerous. A horny Valentino is not so easily swayed in another direction. One thing about Valentino is that he's picky. Once he has his dirty mind set on someone, convincing him to redirect to someone else is nigh impossible. The who matters just as much as the what to him. So if Valentino comes to Vox with sex on the brain, "no" isn't really an option. Vox might be able to swing a "later," but even that is tricky and delicate and usually requires some kind of...compensation for the wait. And for Vox, who is used to the scummy darker side of the TV industry, well, this is just what you do to get ahead in the world.

(This is not to say that they don't ever have consensual sex, they absolutely do...that's just not always the case)

Do I think Valentino is the worst offender out of the two? Yes. Do I think Vox is a completely innocent victim who did nothing wrong? No. I think they are in a mutually toxic, abusive, and fascinating relationship.

[shynetyme06]

P. Paperjam—

This one is gonna be long but I can tell you know exactly what you've signed up for

First impression: I thought he was an annoying baby because of reasons you can probably guess. I mostly tolerated his presence in the videos I watched because I really liked errorink when I first joined the fandom, so he was just "kid that was there sometimes"

Impression now: HE IS EVERYTHING TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fr my favorite character of all time✨ Back when I was exclusively looking at utmv content on youtube, I came across this video, and it was my first ever look at pj not being that annoying baby, which dominoed into me trying to find more about this jerk of a character, because omg this is what's actually canon?? which led me here :3 genuinely obsessed with their story, and by now my opinion of errorink literally traded with them lmao. Those dad guys are cool but they're always in the background of the true star forreal

Favorite moment: this

Idea for a story: I have way too many of these........ But I've been seeing ppl be more broad with this answer so I will too: I like when people acknowledge how garbage she's doing mentally. She didn't just spawn and start acting like an asshole to everyone, a hard childhood shaped who she is now and so the bitterness just makes sense (people tend to forget/not know/acknowledge that she was actually shown to be a pretty chill, soft spoken kid. years of neglect is what pushed her to leave) This next part isn't like, a rule for anyone lmao. but this question is for my idea and what my idea is, is that most if not every single one of my pj variants have got parental issues (even if a lot smaller in some cases) because said issues are a staple for this guy atp (to meeee)

Unpopular opinion: I think the pj and fresh dynamic can be fun without shipping or the uncle fresh interpretation. They're both grown and get into shenanigans (also I think it's funny if pj initially just hung around the guy because he's literally walking error repellent, and since fresh is unable to posses pj the strategy just kinda became "hmm having a friend makes me look more normal, I can live with this")

Favorite relationship: omnipj forever and always 💜🩷I used to go through their ship tag like every day when I discovered them I swear, they are genuinely the cutest thing ever to me. They used to be my true otp, (fr never seriously considered shipping either of them with another person) but thenn I met a certain someone and got converted lmao. Now I've got 2 worlds featuring the ship of pj x lux (including a shared au with the aforementioned someone, hi tobi💜) And no matter if it's just one of them or both, I love seeing the softer side of pj's personality that had been buried for so long resurfacing again around the people she loves <33333 And part 2 of this answer because nearly every dynamic with pj intrigues me like crazy: ink man. that freaking guyyYYYYYY THEY MAKE ME SAD. going back to an earlier point, pj didn't just come out hating them. they tried and tried and tried to have a relationship, and we know how that ended. My interpretations of them rarely get to the point of pj running away and being forgotten, but there's always this.. disconnect, yknow? (I am a huge fan of good dad ink guys I just tend to douse their relationship with pj in a little flame before they get to the healing part🙏) (And bonus since we're on the topic of parents, the fact that pj still wanted to on some level appeal to even error after the things he's done to them is absolutely tragic, and all this put together really adds to my reading of pj as a character being one who believes in the idea of having to work to deserve to be respected/cared for) Uhhh part 3 I promise this one is shorter: Palette and pj are the siblings ever to me. I really like sibling dynamics that are adult/teen + kid, (ik palette is canonically an adult now just let me have this) plus they're opposites in a ton more ways and play off of each other really well. I believe that pj was not happy in the slightest about being an older sibling to him in the beginning, but they always grow to love each other <3

Favorite headcanon: I don't think I have a favorite tbh, but here's one that applies to every pj I've written so far: they are farsighted, but refuse to get/wear glasses all the time because "it's not that bad"

ask game

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

In your opinion what elements make a GOOD Enemies to Lovers ship? Between a Hero and the Antagonist but they’re not the main Villain

i'm so glad you asked! this is going to be a long post so prepare yourselves. i think there are a couple elements that make an enemies to lovers trope good:

Not Previously Acquainted:

this isn't necessary but i feel like what made c//a so extremely difficult to navigate was the fact that they were close friends before. especially since catra was just as hostile to adora when they were friends, as she was when they were enemies. this makes us question how healthy their friendship was in the first place (spoiler: not very). so the best way to go about an enemies to lovers relationship is to make them strangers who are on the opposite sides.

the dragon prince does this twice successfully. with both individuals only disliking each other for their community and not personal reasons, it's much easier to build a healthy foundation where they look past their prejudices and start to respect the other person.

Good Pacing:

enemies to lovers can't be just two people fighting all the time and then suddenly getting together. especially in c//a's case, where catra was supposedly in love with adora all this time, and yet showed no remorse in torturing adora. not only does it spread the wrong message of "they're mean to you because they like you", but it also shows how incompetent the writers are.

there needs to be a bridge where the two characters begin to reconcile with each other. writing enemies to lovers should have at least four stages: the animosity, the interaction, the turning point, and the mutual respect/interest.

we start off with two people hating or disliking each other. then we have them interacting a little more, preferably interactions that aren't fighting. maybe they are force to work together or one of them is given the option to save the other. they get to know each other and see things from the other's perspective. the turning point is where one or both of them decide to abandon whatever prejudices they had in the beginning, and respect the other person for who they are. and finally, the relationship starts where both of them show a mutual interest and cares deeply about each other.

c//a stuck with the first stage for four seasons, then tried to rush the entire development in s5. it doesn't work like that, even though catra and adora knew each other before all of this. especially since they knew each other before all of this. catra needed more time to repend for her actions, face consequences and change for the better.

callum's and rayla's relationship is more like glimmadora in the sense that they were not previously acquainted with each other, and neither of them were antagonists. they just came from two different cultures that were pitted against each other. and this is why glimmadora would have worked a lot better than c//a.

Less Direct Attacks:

catra could be a ruthless villain in all other aspects but if she was more hesitant to hurt adora, i believe this ship would have improved greatly. revelling in being sadistic and smiling while watch adora scream in pain doesn't exactly send the message that catra loved her, no matter how much sexual tension there is. cruelty is cruelty. and catra never once stops being cruel towards adora.

Believable Reason:

the two individuals need a strong reason to dislike each other. in most cases, people go with the prejudice route. the two people come from opposing sides and have very biased perspectives of each other, which they slowly have to overcome. there are also cases where there may be a personal reason such as someone related to one of the characters hurt the other.

in c//a's case, it's a lot more complex and thus, a lot more difficult to navigate. i can understand the feelings of betrayal playing a role, but catra has no right to blame everything on adora after the latter gave her multiple chances to join her. at this point, the conflict seems forced.

it's as if catra is living in a distorted reality, where "come with me" means "i hate you and i'm abandoning you". or, for a more simpler explanation, catra doesn't want to be with adora, she wants adora to stay with her and humor her. which, of course, turns the entire relationship toxic, because adora is her own person and should have the freedom to make her own decision.

again, this brings us to how well the dragon prince does this trope. when confronted with the fact that rayla wants to sacrifice herself guarding zubeia, callum gets angry at first.

Rayla: All of this happened because my parents ran away, so I have to stay and defend the Dragon Queen.

Callum: But you can't face an entire army by yourself, you'll...

Rayla: Die? Probably. But if I die, I'll just be paying the price they should've paid a long time ago. Just... remember me, okay? Goodbye, Callum.

Callum: Really? So, that's it? Just... goodbye. You're going to stay here and die out of pride?

Rayla: It's not pride, Callum! It's more than that. It goes deeper.

Callum: Oh? Do you have a nicer word for it? Honor? Redemption? It's just pride!

but after a bit of reflection and finding out the truth about rayla's parents, he gives her the freedom to choose.

Callum: They didn't run. They fought. To the end. They saved the egg! We're here and Zym is alive all because of them.

Rayla: What does this mean? What should I do?

Callum: I don't know. But it's your choice. No one else's.

Rayla: We should decide together.

callum obviously still doesn't want rayla to die, but he understands that it's her choice to make. and at this point, rayla is calm enough to rethink her choices and make a wise decision. this is how it should have been done. this is how you write a healthy relationship.

the third act conflict in s5 of spop could have been done like this, instead of catra making it all about herself and whining about adora choosing shadow weaver over her. yes, she went back to adora in the end but it was still with selfish intentions. it was less "i don't want adora to die" and more "i don't want adora to leave me".

spop is just one simple misunderstanding stretched out. if catra had taken some time to think about her situation and what would be best for both her and adora, none of this would have happened. but instead, she holds a grudge on adora for something she wasn't responsible for.

A Good Redemption:

any villain/antagonist that are going to be redeemed needs this, but especially if they are to be paired with one of the heroes. you can't just have the villain do one (1) good deed, mutter a short apology, and call it a day. you also can't make all the other characters immediately forgive said villain because you can't be arsed to write a realistic redemption.

in my opinion, there are 4 stages that encompasses a good redemption arc:

realization: the stage where the character is hit with the realization that they have been a horrible person. either someone calls them out on their bs or maybe they befriend someone who inspires them to change. whatever it is, this is the turning point.

reflection: the character reflects on their past and their behaviour. guilt and conscience must be shown here, through words or actions. the character figures out the best way to fix all the damage they've caused.

growth: a sincere apology is necessary. this means that the character apologizes without a. justifying their actions b. shifting the blame to someone else or c. playing the victim. it doesn't have to be a long apology, it just has to be sincere and heartfelt. not to mention, the character must of course put in work to actually follow up on their apology. an apology alone doesn't mean anything.

acceptance: this refers to the reaction of the other characters. acceptance does not necessarily mean forgiveness. it just means that they respect the villain for redeeming themselves or that they even consider the villain as a friend, even if they haven't forgiven them.

i'm sure you're all sick of hearing about how wonderful zuko's redemption arc was, so here are some honorable mentions on how to pull off a good redemption arc:

peridot: probably the only good redemption arc in steven universe. the only person who is at least a little compassionate towards her is steven, the rest of the crystal gems don't forgive her until she unlearns her prejudice and proves herself to be a valuable friend. her redemption arc takes several episodes and doesn't hinge on a romantic relationship.

grace monroe: each season of infinity train only had 10 episodes, yet they successfully redeemed a character within one season. what was that excuse about spop being cut short and not having enough time for development? grace starts off a lot like catra - manipulative, selfish and leading a destructive cult. but over the course of the series, she begins to question her choices and morality, and is on the right path by the finale. she doesn't even get forgiven by the person she hurt, she simply has to accept that and move on.

soren: not the best redemption arc, but it's good enough. soren rarely posed a real threat to the protagonists, since he wasn't a powerful mage like his sister, but he starts off as a lot more apathetic than claudia. over the course of the series, he realizes how horrible his father is and joins the protagonists. he is admittedly forgiven a little sooner than the other characters mentioned here but then again, he was just the villain's sidekick.

alice "daisy" tonner: (art by @starapture ) not a cartoon character but god, TMA did this redemption arc SO WELL. daisy was a horrible person. she is a cop who frequently engaged in police brutality and allegedly murdered many people. after getting disconnected from her entity, she goes through an identity crisis and extreme guilt. she couldn't really undo any of her previous actions, all she could do is stop and try to be a better person. and she does that. by the end of it, she basically sacrifices herself and though the main character had befriended daisy after her redemption, he still admits that he does not forgive her for trying to murder him. this series understood the assignment, forgiveness is not a necessary part of redemption. forgiveness is a choice; regardless of whether people will forgive you, you should be working on yourself.

none of these are EXACTLY like catra and adora. but they are good examples to take inspiration from. if i were to rewrite catra's and adora's relationship, there are a few things i would change:

they would not be adoptive sisters, but simply childhood friends. or preferably, they were just cadets who kind of knew each other, but didn't really have a deeper connection.

catra doesn't join adora because either she is scared to leave the horde, or she still believes that the horde is doing the right thing (instead of knowingly supporting them like she did in canon).

catra doesn't take as much pleasure in torturing adora. she only fights adora when necessary and tries to hold back a little.

after the portal thing, instead of spiralling further into the evil path, catra starts to redeem herself.

adora and the others don't forgive catra immediately. they don't coddle her and accept her as their bestie. like zuko and many other characters who were redeemed well, catra needs to prove herself to them before she could be forgiven or accepted.

[godsofhumanity]

More hcs on Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca pls? I love their entire dynamic, favorite Aztec gods ever!!

sorry for taking nearly an entire YEAR to answer this lmfao.. i find it very difficult to make hc's for characters that don't really have much myth!! but anyways. this is what i've scrounged up, hope it's okay, and sorry for the wait once again!

there's not that many hcs out there, so please check out my aztec hc's here :)) they're a bit longer i think.

now. i don't believe that the aztec pantheon follows the same sort of monarchy-hierarchy structure that other myths sometimes have,, like, for example, Zeus in Greek mythology is sorta the king of everybody and if you don't do what he says, you'll face the consequences.

in the Aztec myths, there's the Four Tezcatlipocas and, as far as i understand, they're the closest thing there is to like.. a "ruling" body. Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, and Xipe Totec are the Four Sons of Heaven; they made the world, they rule each of its corners (flat earth era!!!!!!!!!!)

um.. but something i find very fascinating about this group is that they're not strictly related to each other. i mean, in some myth recordings, they're all brothers, but in others, they come from different parents. and i really like the versions that give them different origins. it suggests that they earned their title as a Son of Heaven by merit and not by birthright.

so, with Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, them being the most well known gods and i think the ones with the biggest roles, i think they're the Duo that really take charge of ruling. of course, Huitzilopochtli and Xipe Totec are also leaders, but Quetz and Tez have the biggest roles.

with Quetz, he has a lot of different origin stories-- sometimes born of a virgin, sometimes because someone swallowed a green stone, in one myth it's the exact same thing as Huitzilopochtli right down to Coatlicue being his mum.

similarly, Tez's parents are vague unless ur accepting the one where he, Quetz, Huitz and Xipe are brothers by blood, sharing the same creator parents.

i personally hc that they are soooo old and ancient, that no one really knows where they came from. they just kinda always were there. and Quetz and Tez may know exactly how they came to exist, but they both like being mysterious and enigmatic, so they just fuel the rumours rather than giving any concrete answer.

their dynamic is a lot like the way i think of Ra and Apep.

EXCEPT, where Apep IS evil and Ra IS goodness, Quetz and Tez are NOT good and bad... they're just opposites.

if Quetz wants to protect mankind, Tez wants to destroy them. if Quetz remains unwed, Tez is a serial dater to the point that he's flirting with other people's wives. if Tez is going to be the Sun, Quetz is going to strike him down. they contrast each other.

this would make it seem like they hate each other and don't get along, but it's actually kinda the opposite. i think they keep each other in check.

now,, most interestingly, in the Aztec creation myth, Quetz and Tez work TOGETHER to destroy Cipactli, the big scary primordial crocodile who prevents the world from being made.

Tez giving his foot up as bait speaks volumes to me about his bravery and ability to be selfless when the chips are down. so i think, if Tez didn't have this factor, then he and Quetz would 100% be straight enemies, fighting all the time.

another thing i wanted to say is that, Quetzalcoatl doesn't have a wife or is listed as having children, and while Tezcatlipoca has a lot of lovers (but not really any one particular wife), i can't recall him actually having children. i think the absence of "biologically"-created children for both Quetz and Tez emphasises my initial point of them being like... each other's balance, their other-half. i don't mean that in a romantic way, i mean like a ying-yang way.

they really have great respect for each other even if they don't always see eye-to-eye.

anyways... i wanted to write some nonsense hc's here, but i remembered i have another Tezcatlipoca hc ask in my inbox, so i'll leave that for that one.

[animehouse-moe]

Skip and Loafer Episode 8: Hot and Complications

Well, another Skip and Loafer episode, another day of talking about a hell of a lot of stuff. A cute zoo trip plus a dramatic glimpse into the past that overlaps with a sleepover for the girls? There's certainly lots going on, and the episode takes advantage of that to fill it to the brim with information.

The thing freshest on my mind is probably the most surprising piece: Nao-chan and Mika. An unlikely duo for sure, but I love how it's approached. They both share similar experiences in regards to isolation and putting forth intense effort to fit in and be accepted, but were/are limited by themselves and because of that end up isolated and alone. It's a really really outstanding piece that the pair share, and I love how Nao-chan's able to look back on their experiences growing up, and despite how different they are to Mika's, sympathize with her and give her the words and confidence that she needs in those key moments. This clip of the pair of them summarizes it really well.

Anyways, back to Mika for some more. You really get a good idea of just how observant and knowledgeable she is as a character through episodes like this. She thinks about almost everything possible and finds the perfect way to act and respond, and she internalizes a great deal of what other people say. Case and point was her inner thoughts after hearing Murashige's story about middle school. The first thing to pop into her mind was why Murashige's experience was like that, and she uses that to belittle herself.

It's just such a great piece. She's having a sleepover with her friends, who invited her, and all she's able to feel is isolation and guilt in regards to her self. And it works in perfect opposition to the outspoken Mika. There's two facets to her personality, and they remain at odds with each other. She might think little of herself, but she's also the kind of girl that will stake out her friends trip to the zoo with a guy. Now sure, there might be a little in there because she's in love with Shima and wants to take over Mitsumi's role, but that doesn't get in the way of her supporting her friend, and I think that's a great example of just how disparate Mika's image of herself is to who she really is, and does wonders to continue using Mika as a vehicle for showing viewers how damaging and heavy the weight is of expectations that are placed on young girls in society.

If viewers thought Egashira was abrasive when we were first introduced to them, Ririka really is on another level. Her character does great at getting people to hate them right away, but there is more to it than that. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's "good" pieces that lurk, but there's certainly more than meets the eye.

The very first thing you pick up on is that Ririka and Shima have a set amount of space between them. No matter what, while they're walking Ririka is always comfortably ahead of Shima, and the episode tries really hard to make viewers cognizant of that space.

So, what's the point? Well, if the conversation didn't make it clear enough, Ririka and Shima aren't exactly getting on like a house on fire. There's a palpable distance and apathy between the pair that permeates their interactions. To put it into words, it's the gaps between their lives. Ririka has moved on and is back into show business, while Shima has given up that life. The pair are for all intents and purposes, completely apart from one another. But there's one little thing that makes it interesting, and that's when Ririka looks back at Shima.

Sure, a simple smile or softer face isn't really anything crazy, but compare it with the scenes of her looking straight ahead. She's deadpan.

So, she's only happy when looking at Shima, and only looking back at him for that matter. I think most can see where I'm going so I'll cut to the chase. She misses the old Shima, the one that stood side by side with her and held her hand. The Shima that she was friends with and spent time together with, the one that only warmed up to her.

It makes for a really great character. She uses that controversy over being around alcohol as a younger kid to hold Shima on a leash, and she does it for herself, simply because she doesn't want to lose him. At the end of the day, it makes her a very terrible and shallow person, but as a character it's a great approach and provides a very easy way to get conflicting thoughts in regards to them. All they want is to be beside Shima again, but what they're doing is pushing him further and further away.

Now, there's a whole lot of other stuff in regards to this episode, but I'm going to try and fly through it as quick as possible now.

The direction: I still really love how well they integrate that first person perspective into stuff with Mitsumi and Shima. It really just adds something to their moments that I can't quite put my finger on.

Something that I can put my finger on though is the layering of the scenes. It's really simple stuff to add another table in front of Mitsumi and Shima or to throw some CG characters in the distance for movement, but it adds so much to the viewer's understanding of the scale and scope of the world. Just a little piece that makes you think, "oh yeah, there's more to this than just Shima and Mitsumi".

What you can also get from this image is that the sense of space and distance in a lot of cuts in the series is still there. There's plenty of static scenes that characters move through quite well, and it's really nice in adding to that sense of breadth that makes you think about what lies outside of the viewer's perception.

Alright alright, the last piece I swear. I really loved how the episode showed off the girls having fun with their sleepover, and placed Shima's quiet and lonely night against it. It really does wonders to show how separated Shima is from a truly normal life, and how his friends (namely Mitsumi) and Tsubame West are his bridge towards having experiences like that. Just a really great and simple piece that's really cute while still managing to tell something of importance.

So yeah, Skip and Loafer continues to knock it out of the park with hit after hit. Incredible work all around to deliver something of this quality. Coming this far, I was really expecting to be betrayed by my own words from early on, but Skip and Loafer really is positioned to become an instant classic Slice of Life/RomCom.

[mattzerella-sticks]

Homelander and Butcher are Endgame™️ but like...

Endgame in that they're both so obsessed with themselves that while they might hate each other they're also in love with each other, they're the same person, they see themselves as these two fixed, opposite points in the universe and everyone and everything swirls between them their ONLY difference is their philosophies because while Homelander thinks he GETS to do whatever he wants because he is the universe's 'most special boy' Butcher thinks he HAS to do what needs to be done because no one else has either the guts, smarts, insight, or all the above to do so.

If I had to guess the only people they trust over themselves is each other because they have no illusions over what the other might do, might say, know exactly how the other world respond... they know each other so intimately it goes beyond physical.

Which is why they're endgame. Because at the end of the game, it'll just be these two players left. Not because everyone else has fallen, but because they pushed everyone else away that the world has abandoned them to their own devices to let them sort it out. And they will only have each other, which is what they always wanted, and when they die they'll go together.

They're in love but it's an absolutely TOXIC love.

[lesbianspeedy]

can I hear about the mia and ollie similarities whenever you have time...

theyre blonde :( thats it :( okay but ACTUALLY LETS GET INTO IT

They're loud assholes to people who need to be yelled at, but theyre actually hella introverted.

Mia "i think fast i talk fast" Dearden will mouth off at villains and batman, and take the piss out of people she loves. BUT she wasn't exactly shown to have like a friend group at her school (she was shown to be popular. but we only see her specifically interact with one person), and was extremely nervous to join the titans, not because they intimidated her, but because she didnt really...want to be there. She'd rather be with people she knows. She spends most of her time practicing archery, even before she was speedy. The only time we ever saw her go out anywhere was on a date with Dodger. And I will be pretending for the sake of this post that all of this is bc of character stuff and not just bad writing!

Similarly, Ollie "goateed loudmouth" Queen thrives when he's alone, he prefers it, he rarely spends time with people outside of his family or close close friends. He'll rant and rave at leaguers and cops and capitalists and villains all day long, but he's at his happiest and most content when he's alone, and often when on the move too, this man cannot sit still he is like a fucking shark he will die if he is in the same place too long but thats unrelated to this post.

As is pretty much a requirement to be in the arrowfam. Neither of them are here to fight the big alien threats you take on while being in the league/titans. They're here to save the little guy and fuck up capitalists. They have both seen the worst of society on the very opposite ends of the spectrum, Ollie with the rich, Mia with those the rich forget or ignore. I don't think I really need to add an example of Ollie here considering thats like his main this if u know anything about him. But look heres mia thinking abt it in her first titans issue.

Now with coping mechanisms they're a lil different, Mia tends to isolate and stay in one place. Ollie will isolate but fuck off somewhere. Accidentally walk to canada. That sorta thing.

(pls ignore how terrifying bald ollie is)

They also both mask their emotions and deflect with humour when around other people, they don't want others to have to deal with their shit, they don't want to burden them (hence the isolation, this also often leads to them imploding in on themselves). Heres my most favourite example of their similarities ever (yes I will continue to post and talk about this specific thing every 3 weeks and no one can stop me) I do owe Hester my life for this

Now heres the best part. They both did this a lot right. And yknow what that led to? Learning and growing and being there for each other :] Now im going to be honest we dont really see this growth in vol 3 bc judd winick is incapable of writing character development but! Phil Hester is here for us once again with his story in the 80th special and this part specifically <3

Also once again a whole arrowfam thing- neither of them give two shits about their secret id lmao. I choose to believe Mia is so flippant about hers bc she so easily realised Ollie was GA that she just went like. Yeah sure I won't give a fuck either, it's clearly working for him.

oh and they both like musical theatre, hate batman and are homophobic**. sad. **not actually thats just an in joke in fandom

[witchthewriter]

Hi!! Would you be okay doing a big 6 birth chart ask, like you did for the anons for Jax Teller and Eddie Munson, but for Alice Cullen, please? Thank you so much!!

𝑨𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏'𝒔 𝒁𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒄 𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝑺𝒊𝒙

Alice is a very dreamy woman who seems absent-minded but is actually constantly seeing different options for everyone's future. She's friendly, kind but knows the rules that Carlisle has put down and follows them.

𝐒𝐔𝐍

𝑨𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒔

Independant, unique and forward thinking, this zodiac sign is the most open-minded in the group. Or ... one of the most open-minded. Alice would be the first person to embrace change and new ideas. Eccentric and prone to transforming herself (and a lot of that is how she looks - her hair, her makeup, and most importantly, her style. She loves her clothes. We know that because she changes a lot throughout the movies. It's like a different Alice in each four (although her personality does not.)

𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍

𝑷𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒔

Dreamy, dreamy and even more dreamy. As we know, the zodiac signs when in the moon aspect are emboldened, and so having Pisces as her Moon sign makes complete sense to me. They're silly, odd and unconventional. Other people see them as weird, but those close to her know who she truly is. A seer, a mystic, a creature that can see into the future. And that impacts her personality a lot.

𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓

Having Cancer as her ascendant/rising sign, means she is one of those who understand the world through using their intuition and insight. Adaptable to change but has an innate need to find her true home and make it exactly the way she wants. Alice knows what she wants, but understands there are steps that need to happen before she can get what she wants (e.g., meeting Jasper and telling him they're mates when they first met.)

𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐘

𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂

Diplomatic, fair and kind. Alice is in the middle of a lot of arguements; placating even when she doesn't seek out to. For example, when Bella is first meeting the Cullens, Alice breaks the tension with her, "We're going to be best friends!" Making Bella at ease, while also stifling Rosalie's temper. Even in the last movie/end of the book, she's the one that finds a solution and brings them to the Volturi.

𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒

𝑷𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒔

Loving, accepting and forgiving of their partner's past - that is exactly the way her and Jasper's relationship started. Pisces Venus are often misjudged as being an emotional mess. But that's not the truth. Pisces Venus are just as sane as every other sign. They feel vulnerable, so they put up a strong front when it comes to romantic love. But once a Pisces Venus opens up, and lets you in, then you will receive the most gracious and overflowering amount of love.

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐒

𝑽𝒊𝒓𝒈𝒐

Mars isn't just about what makes you angry or how you express your anger. It's your energy and action. How you take initiative and experience things.

Virgo Mars aren't known for being aggressive, rather, they have a sharp instinct that they use instead of falling into their anger. Virgo Mars hate to be rushed, they're refined and have a system wherever they go.

Although Alice may seem at times away with the fairies, she's got a fast-working and analytical mind. For example, in Breaking Dawn, she gives Bella clues about the plan - because Alice knew the opposition had telepathy.

[transjlawrence]

Would love to hear your Thoughts on: Samtory and Tommy/Dutch for this 👁️👁️

Omg I love both of these ships honestly!

For Samtory:

Ohhh they make me ill. The parallels between them and lawrusso is so !!! I don't know like...they're equal and opposite and they could get along but they also can't, because there's too much.

There is not a day that passes that I do not think about, "I know exactly who you are, princess." at least once.

Sam is lost, Sam has no idea who she is and the one person who knows who she is is the girl who she hates the most, the girl who's hurt her, the girl who's her rival. I don't know how it could be interpreted as anything other than gay. Also the pool scene where they end up fighting after prom? That's gay too.

I feel like season 5 really was samtory season like you could just see the ways they grew. They make me feral, they have so much imagery and quotes I could attach to them.

For: Tommy/Dutch

I do ship them. I think their dynamic is definitely like funny guy4fellow funny guy who is tough but would die for funny guy. Their board on my pinterest is called annoying4annoying.

I think they'd just be guys being dudes who are ever so slowly falling in love with each other until it turns into wondering why you're not cool with your homie having a girlfriend. (Which is honestly the plot of the fic I'm writing rn lol.)

Like idk they are so special to me <3