#flippantly and nonchalantly this final plot beat is handled. ofc brohood is allergic to examining anything so i'm unsurprised)

[salvidida]

Tbh I didn't give a single fuck about Ling, his guards, and the plot around them. The plight of would-be monarchs and their own empire, while journeying to a different empire embroiled in numerous expansions, massacres, and genocides, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. We also get told next to nothing about Xing or peer into their lives in Xing, so it feels like they just exist to contrast Bradley's and Father's philosophy of rulership, which is 🥱😴 (all imperial rulers are bastards)

I like Mei tho. She's the only person who genuinely and enthusiastically helped Scar the moment she met him, and never batted an eye at his original mission of killing war criminals. She never looked down on him, and she felt like someone Scar actually gave a shit about too.

Unlike Yoki who, if we're gonna be honest, is a strange ally for Scar to permit. This former statesmen was openly scheming about taking advantage of Ishvalan refugees but somehow Scar lets that slide?? And Marcoh, for all of his repentance for his atrocities against Ishvalans and his desire to aid Scar (once he's denied a deadly retribution like he initially begged for), is not the worst ally and it narratively makes far more sense for him to be made useful to Scar, but then he gives the remaining philosopher stone made of the Ishvalans he killed to Roy so that he and some fellow war criminals can be healed??? Instead of returning the stone to the Ishvalans, as a means of returning the dead and making reparations???????? He doesn't even give it to Scar, who is recovering from his battle against Bradley??????????? (Of course Scar would never use the stone on himself, but he can deliver the stone back to Ishval, as he's in charge of restoring the land and its people.) Neither of these two fuckers gave a shit about Scar but wanted his protection and (in Yoki's case) friendship.

Mei's the only real one. She didn't take advantage of Scar, she never felt like a fairweather ally, and she has a more genuinely kind heart than the others. (And I enjoyed her character in general, especially her prowess in combat and alkehestry).