#i absolutely love your writing and our little canon we got goin!!!!!

[lustyargonianmaid]

the lullaby

written with @lustyargonianmaid 's oc maeve because i love them both so soooo much

- us'dalhar : a conjunction i made up meaning "my child" from uss/ussa (mine/my) and dalhar (child). i imagine such a term would be reserved more for apprentices or disciples rather than actual familial relationships, and would serve as a patronizing term of endearment.

- wael : "fool" in drow. yes i have been looking for an excuse to use it.

--

Elthiilith held her rapier up in the firelight, still coaxing some dried blood off the blade. She should have had the forethought to wipe it clean before she put it away, and washing the scabbard was going to be a whole other nightmare, but she had time. Astarion had just settled into his trance, meaning she was the only one left awake. Letting the elves manage the night watch was very convenient for the other, lesser races who needed sleep, anyway. The more steady sleep they got, the more useful they were. At least, to her understanding.

She hadn’t really thought about it, hadn’t realized she had started humming. Low and soft and mostly to herself, an old lullaby, one of the first tunes she learned from the dark minstrel who served as her teacher. It rumbled in her throat– she always took it down an octave, her lower register was much kinder to her– and rattled her teeth as she massaged the viscera from her sword.

Someone moved out of the corner of her eye– Maeve, her violet-hued skin washed out in the moonlight, glittering with her strange fey magic and making her look like a glowing amethyst. She stalled her humming for a minute, watching her toss and turn as she tried to get back into her trance. She turned back to her blade when the movement stopped.

“Why’d you stop?” Maeve’s silky voice asked in a whisper.

Elthiilith hardly blinked at the question, “Stop what, us’dalhar?”

She heard Maeve roll over again. “Stop humming,” There was a pause, “It sounds pretty.”

“I’d hope so,” Elthiilith’s humor was dry enough to catch fire, “Given that I’d made a killing with my voice.”

“Hm…” Maeve scooted a little closer, making Elthiilith stiffen in response, “Sing me a lullaby?”

Elthiilith clicked her tongue, “What, like an infant?”

“Oh come on,” She whined, setting her head on Elthiilith’s thigh, “Can’t I be babied a little bit?”

Maeve looked up at her, blinking those otherworldly eyes innocently. Elthiilith simply raised a brow, before lowering the hilt of her sword so the bottom of the blade almost brushed against Maeve’s neck. Not with intent, she maintained the facade that she hadn’t just moved it on purpose. It was simply a warning, hoping the startle the young drow off. “You’re so foolish, Maeve, putting your pretty little head in my clutches like this. So pretty I’d love to just take it and hang it on my wall.”

Maeve rolled her eyes, not phased in the slightest. “Ugh, always with the act, Elthee. Like I couldn’t turn your organs into paste and your sword into butterflies.”

The grin on Maeve’s face was one she’d worn well, but hadn’t seen often. Sweet, threatening, and a side of mad. Elthiilith moved her sword, so as to not provoke the sorcerer.

“So are you going to sing to me?” Maeve prodded again.

“We are sleeping out in the wilderness, us’dalhar. Have you no fear of the–?” Elthiilith simply looked down, and remembered who she was talking to. She was surprised she had forgotten, given that the drow radiated fey magic. With a sigh through her nose, she relented. “Fine. I will hum you a lullaby. But since you do not speak drow, I will explain it to you.”

“It’s a lullaby, how much meaning can go into it?”

“It’s our culture, wael. You wanted to learn it, didn’t you?”

Maeve looked up at her, grinning, “Of course I want to learn it!”

“Then hush– you’re going to wake the others up.”

Maeve pursed her lips, but Elthiilith could see where the corners of her lips bent into a smile. She nodded.

With a long, onerous sigh, Elthiilith began her tale. “It starts with a young girl, smarter and more clever than all her sisters. She goes through the underdark and devises her way out of endless traps– she outsmarts dark mantles, mindflayers, and even devils. But then she meets Lolth, and tries to outsmart Her. The moment she thinks she’s won, and starts to celebrate, Lolth bites off her head for her arrogance.”

“Hm. Sounds like a dark lullaby.”

Elthiilith snorted, “You haven’t heard Elazthirin Elgg-hor– ‘Elazthirin the Destroyer.’ One of the most famous nursery rhymes in Menzoberranzan. Nothing was sweeter than walking by a crowd of kids playing, singing about using surfacescum entrails as decoration.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. I’ve learned such subjects are ‘taboo’ with… people of weaker constitutions,” She shot pointed glance at Wyll, causing Maeve to snicker. “But I think they’re enriching. Teach a child strong values– like keep your nose where it belongs.” There was a pause, and Elthiilith’s face grew sour, “…to think I sang it to my daughter.”

Maeve’s head tilted up in Elthiilith’s lap, but that was the only indication of her surprise. “…You have a daughter?”

Elthiilith set her jaw. “Had. But that was… ages ago, now.” With a sharp inhale, she straightened, “Unimportant.”

She cleared her throat, and began humming again. The tune was a little different than the one she was humming earlier, but had a similar soft, melancholy melody. Mournful, she thought her companions would describe it. To her, it was simply what lullabies sounded like.

Elthiilith spent hours seated like that, Maeve’s head in her lap as she rested, breathing slow and even. She had long put her sword away, and found her fingers playing with Maeve’s white, braided hair. She picked the buds of mushrooms that tried to grow in her scalp and the fabric of Elthiilith’s pants.

She instinctively stiffened when she saw Astarion’s rigid form sway, before he stretched languidly. His red eyes scanned camp before falling on Elthiilith, then Maeve.

His brows arched upwards and his mouth fell into his sarcastic grin.

“What?” She snapped, no louder than a whisper, as to not to disturb the drow girl beneath her.

Astarion simply grinned, “Oh, nothing. She’s got you wrapped around her finger, is all.”

[lunarblazes]

i made a desertduo playlist and then decided to be a nerd and write explanations for all the songs! like a nerd!

playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZGylutQpyTbgX7MY7Lrzz?si=t8_kBwBHSYG5kxTvZoIrTQ&dl_branch=1

QUICK DISCLAIMER: i am aware that a lot of these songs may have or imply romantic connotation! i would really really like it if these were not read as though those romantic connotations carry over to scar and grian. even if we’re just talking about the third life characters, i would prefer not to ship them or imply romance between them on this post. thank you so much and keep reading if you’d like to see the playlist analysis!

and now that that’s out of the way, PLAYLIST TIME!

•

passerine- the oh hellos

“you were the song that i’d always sing/you were the light that the fire would bring/but i can’t shake this feeling that i/was only pushing the spear into your side again”

this song really just... firstly, it’s one of my favorite songs, and the line i chose there pushes home the sort of terrified devotion i think the desert has. plus there’s a fun line about the cold wind blowing in from the north in the ending bits that i think very much fits their conflict with the red army, and a lot of legally obligated flight imagery that i need to have in every possible song because i’m a fuckin nerd.

•

no children- the mountain goats

“i hope that our few remaining friends/give up on trying to save us/i hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”

i will admit that no children isn’t a perfect fit, but the general vibe of sort of defiant pessimism and betrayal fits very well with them! it’s very triumphant in its death, and i think that is very desertcore, because what’s more triumphantly dead than being the last duo left alive?

•

skulls- bastille

“when all of our friends are dead and just a memory/it’s always been just you and me/for all to see”

okay like this entire song is SO MUCH DESERT VIBES? LIKE SO MUCH. if i were to ever make an animatic for them i’d do it with this song. “a match is our only light, it’s day of the dead i’m indiana jones, yeah,” “i hope you can make me laugh six feet under when we’re bored of each other,” “i don’t want to rest in peace, i’d rather be the ghost that annoys you,” IT JUST KEEPS GOING. i think this song would work well with any third life duo, honestly, but these two in PARTICULAR just because of how it ended with them literally ‘buried’ next to each other, and again, the chaotic death vibes.

•

freaking out- mystery skulls

“i just keep out of my tongue/til all you want is done/and you just wanna leave me, oh yeah”

this song is a very third life grian song to me in particular! it could be my bias because of my little headcanon of grian burning on his red life, but seriously, this song is very reminiscent of the back and forth of loyalty that grian has with scar. the above line is sort of representative of the betrayal on red, and of course grian’s life debt.

•

night running- shin sakiura

(this song is in japanese! these lyrics are the rough english translation i found on google.) “someday we will stand at this place once again/for sure we will stand up again and again/we will watch it will the end/i want you to live freely”

this song is actually the ending theme for the anime bna, which i adore, and i just added it on a whim before looking at the translated lyrics. but um. holy hell the lyrics hurt me because they’re about running in search of someone, running for no reason, looking for something, and it just really hit, because the desert never really had a goal! they didn’t expect to survive, they were trying to survive, but what was their longterm goals? nothing. so that sort of endless search felt fitting for this. plus the song is a parallel for the two estranged best friends of the show so! perfect.

•

summer nights- siames

“it’s summertime/singing al green in your car/heading to a party/and the night air feels alive”

okay again, i will admit this song is mainly on here because i absolutely love it, but i also do think it fits well. it’s also about healing/estranged friendships, with a very distinct feeling of nostalgia for a happier time. maybe for a time when this was all a game, when there was no blood or betrayals on their hands. little canon divergent, but it’s fun for me, so into the playlist it goes!

allies or enemies- the crane wives

“are we allies or enemies/this will be the death of me, this will be the death of me/all’s fair in love and war but i can’t fight with you anymore”

. i just. points to that lyric. it literally led to both of their deaths. are they allies or enemies? it also fits with scar still wanting grian to be his friend even after he’s no longer indebted with the line “what happens now? do we have another go, do we bow out?” another very good animatic song that i’ve considered heavily. i listen to this playlist a lot

•

burn him down- kitsch club

“you must destroy, oh you must destroy, beyond all recognition/you gotta burn him down, you gotta burn him down, beyond all recognition”

this song just has a lot of fire and arson and high energy vibes. my little war criminals look at them go

•

rose- the oh hellos

“what's true is like a sickle/it'll cut you to the middle/your rose is without a thorn/but no, my mouth don't taste of metal/from the pot here to the kettle/i think we got a lot we gotta learn”

this one is like the exact opposite vibe of burn him down. the oh hellos are so poetic and this song just... feels like the healing potions after a battle. many of the metaphors here fit, i think

•

lone digger- caravan palace

“hey, brother, what you thinking/that good ol' sound is ringing/they don't know what they're missing/(they call it lonely diggin')”

okay this song is straight up just a dance song. i added it because i like it and also for some reason it feels ominous to me? i’ve got no idea why, it’s seriously just a club song, but it’s a banger and it’s in this playlist because i said so

•

feed the machine- poor man’s poison (suggested by my friend argonaughtkeene!)

“somethin’s goin” on, just look around/fear is on the rise, and there’s blood all over the ground/let’s all just blindfold the poor, we all know what’s in store/ we got ‘em now, just break ‘em down a little bit more”

this song is a VIBE for both desertduo members. there’s parts for both of them. it’s ruthless, gritty, very maniacal, perfect. listen to it and you’ll immediately understand why i added it.

•

sweet tooth- scott helman

“i hold hands with cosmic entities/i’ll take this two-ride if i please/i got this sweet tooth baby, yeah i got this sweet tooth baby/i exploit my opportunities/some broken hearts, some cavities”

sweet tooth is super upbeat and bright with these strangely dark lyrics? like i’m pretty sure it’s about addiction. in any case, i thought the “i hold hands with cosmic entities” very funnily fitting for both of the desert boys. it’s a banger!

•

necromancin’ dancin’- bear ghost

“when i’m necromancin’, everyone’s dancin’/nobody can stop me, i dare you to try/the dead are infused with insatiable groove and they’re coming for you, there’s nowhere to hide”

necromancin’ dancin’ just. bastard vibes. there’s not much more to say it’s just huge villain song vibes. i adore it.

•

crazy = genius- panic! at the disco

“if crazy equals genius/then i’m a fucking arsonist/i’m a rocket scientist/if crazy equals genius/you can set yourself on fire/but you’re never gonna burn, burn, burn”

i. yeah. y. yeah. more bastard vibes. also shoutout to an artist i saw (i think it was strifesolution?) who made a desertduo piece to this song because i have not stopped thinking about it ever

•

sweet bod- lemon demon

“i’m diggin’ up your coffin/and pouring out the contents/your sexy, sweet solution/is ripe for distribution”

you know how i said freaking out was a grian song? this one is a scar song. it’s my favorite lemon demon song and also it has the total macabre capitalism vibe that third life scar NAILED. more bastard vibes good for him <3

•

drunk- the living tombstone

“feel so much better than usual/i feel indisputable, oh/but now i’m feeling so beautiful/don’t wake me up from this spell i’m under, if i’m still breathing/i know that i will be ugly when i feel like myself again, oh/but right now i’m feelin’ so beautiful”

the descent of this song, starting off with a polite gathering and ending with a gasping drunk in the parking lot gazing at the stars that he can barely see? yes. yeah. mhm. i used a line from this song for a fic, actually, it fit so well.

•

oh no!- marina

“one track mind, one track heart/if i fail, i’ll fall apart/maybe it is all a test/cos i feel like i’m the worst so i always act like i’m the best”

bubbly pop track about false confidence, the ruthlessness of the pop industry, and the influence of the media? you know why this is here. it vibes. it rocks.

•

do it all the time- i don’t know how but they found me

“we’re taking over the world/a little victimless crime/and when i’m taking your innocence/i’ll be corrupting your mind/no need to cry i’m only doing everything i want to do because i do it all the time”

EVEN MORE BASTARD VIBES! SOMEHOW THERE IS MORE! this playlist is half villain songs and half heart-wrenching ballads and that’s the real desert experience i think.

•

the phoenix- fall out boy

“i’m gonna change you/like a remix/then i’ll raise you/like the phoenix”

BATTLE SONG BATTLE SONG! i’ll be honest i partially chose this song because i am a huge sucker for phoenix grian imagery in particular, but it’s also just a very good war song for them. villain song no 18372948 except this one originally had a hero vibe and now it’s changed specifically for them?? wild. their power

•

the other side- the greatest showman

“right here, right now/i’ll put the offer out/i don’t wanna chase you down, i know you see it/you run with me/and i can cut you free/out of the treachery/and all you keep in”

scar and grian’s desert monopoly conversation went exactly like this canonically because i said so fuck you <3

•

icicles- the scary jokes (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“icicles don’t soften when they die/so why should i, why should i?/oh, icicles don’t soften when they die/they sharpen into sabers and they stab you in the eye”

this song actually has specific parts for both grian and scar! my cool epic friend mx demizorua pointed both of them out to me and i adored it so much. it’s a very spiteful song, just like the desert boys. also it feels vaguely murderous. perfect

•

problems- mother mother (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“i’m a loser, a disgrace/you’re a beauty, a luminary, in my face”

literally this entire song fits them. particularly their relationship with the flower husbands, to me, honestly— the whole “when we meet at the pearly gates/you’ll get the green light/and i’ll get the boot in the face” reminds me a lot of them hdksjdks

•

tongues and teeth- the crane wives

“i know that you mean so well/but i am not a vessel for your good intent/i will only break your pretty things/i will only wring you dry of everything”

h. yeah. this song is literally gaslight gatekeep girlboss and i attribute it to the desert for that reason alone. songs to commit murder to!

•

you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead- saint motel

“you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead/and the list, it grows, and grows, and grows/it grows, and grows, and grows/and grows, and grows, and grows/until it’s everyone you’ve ever known”

this one is very self-explanatory. enemies pogchamp

•

curses- the crane wives

“there’s a fire in my brain and i’m burning, love/oh my, oh my/keep running to the sink, but the well is dry/oh my, oh my/every word i say is kindling/but the smoke clears when you’re around”

okay again! this one has two very specific parts for both of them. grian’s the first verse, which is above, and scar’s the second verse!! i really do like my fire imagery for these two don’t i? well, i blame them for having a fuck ton of tnt on them at all times and literally burning their enemy’s banners as a final act of defiance.

[mammonology]

Periodt ⟨Mammon, Satan and Beelzebub⟩

—Mammon, Satan and Beel taking care of MC during her period.

—WC; 1.3k

—A/N; Sorry I honestly couldn't write smut when the reader was having their period hhh, so I just did period scenarios, we'll take a small break on head canons 😌 also I didn't know how to end Satan's part so it's a bit awkward

Mammon hasn't seen you in a while, and he was kinda getting antsy, not that he cared or anything but you were still his responsibility. So marched up to your room, knocking on the hard wood as he hears you groaning at the other side of the door. "U–Uh? Is that an okay sign? Can I come in?" He asks.

"I'm coming in," he says, slowly opening the door to you curled up in your bed, with a lot of snack wrappers on the floor, and you looked like a hot mess. "I look ugly right now okay? Don't need to say it," you sniffed as you felt another cramp rippling into your abdomen. "A–Ah!" You hiss, Mammon was slightly alarmed as he sits at the foot of your bed. "A–Are ya okay?" He asks, his hands shaking. "I'm fine!" You snapped, not really meaning to but your mood has been going up and down lately.

"Well if you're okay then, why aren't ya been goin' to school lately?" He idles, taking a glimpse at you, "Because.. I'm on my period okay?" You blush, not wanting to outright. "Period? As in class period?" Mammon scratches his head, not knowing what human problem that is. "Do you not know? I guess you really wouldn't," you say sitting up, your blankets were sti wrapped around your body, "It's where the human body bleeds every month, but it's only for girls! And it just affects my mood and gives me cramps, that's why it's hurting me," you explain briefly.

'Her own body's hurting her?' Mammon asked himself, if he could fight your period he probably already have. "Don't just stare at me! Comfort me!" You say, "C–Comfort you? No way!" He shakes his head rapidly, but when he saw the disappointment on your face he couldn't help but sigh, his blush was settling in. "Fine! W–What do you want me to do?" He asks, his eyes not meeting yours. "Lay here with me," apparently having your period was making you more braver than usual, his eyes widen. "A–Are you mental?" But he couldn't refuse as he wanted to cuddle with you but not knowing how to initiate it.

He didn't let you answer as he took you in his arms as he laid you back down, "If anyone sees us like this, it'll be your fault!" He muttered. You snuggled closer to him, smelling the rich perfume he put on this morning, it made you feel safe and secured as you fell asleep in his arms. "Oi! Are you listening?" Mammon looks down at your sleeping face, you were gonna be the end of him. "Fine, rest well," he huffs, not long after he finds himself lulling to sleep, placing his head on top of yours as you both fall asleep.

There wasn't a lot of information about humans in Devildom so he still doesn't know what a period nor what it does to your body. So he'll ask Solomon, your fellow human kind. "MC's a girl, and all girls have this thing called menstruation, and it looks like she's having hers," he shrugged, but when Satan tried ask for more information he didn't say anything more, "Ask MC if you're that concerned, just try to be careful with her temper," He pats Satan's shoulder as the cogwheels in his head turned.

He knows he's read about something similar to this, you've been a lot more snappier and you've eaten a lot of the sweets they hid from Beel. He figured you were just not having the best day until he saw something on the internet about the female human body anatomy. He remembered when he asked about how you were feeling the other day you just snapped at him, "I'm fine! Stop asking!" Then you walked back to your room, not wanting to listen to anything Satan can counter with your little tantrum.

After school he went straight to your room, "MC, I need to talk to you," He starts off, "If it's about me snapping at you this morning then I don't wanna!" You replied, Satan sighed. "No it's not, it's something else," He continued, then he heard the lock snapping as the door opened to you. "What?" You asked, "Are you on your menstruation?" He asked, you were taken aback with the sudden question, you didn't how he knows what that is but he was a smart demon so, "Y–Yes," you answered, "Listen, I had to ask Solomon why you've been acting so weird and he said you're menstruating, but the problem is, what exactly is that?" Satan asked, you let him inside of your room to explain a bit.

"You're bleeding? Through where," his eyes linger around your body, "Uh, somewhere the sun doesn't shine, anyway!" You clap your hands getting his attention, "How about helping me soothe the pain?" You smile, he makes himself comfortable on your bed, "Alright, how do you plan on doing that?" He asked, pulling out a book, of course. "How about let's cuddle and read me the book?" You ask, very contrasting to the way you acted earlier.

"Yeah, anything to help you love," he smiled as he reached over to you. You lay yourself on Satan's chest as his left arm wraps around your shoulder as he starts reading. Relaxing into his embrace, your pain was later forgotten.

He was scouting the kitchen for food of course when he saw your zombie like state waltzing to the kitchen. "Are you okay MC?" He asks, his mouth full of food. "Just great! The chocolates I was saving up are gone!" You yell in frustration as you start tearing up, you were really looking forward to eating that chocolate, you start walking back to your room to cry as Beel starts to feel guilty. He was the one who ate your chocolate..

He grabs his wallet as he runs to the nearest convenience store, buying all of the chocolates they had in stock and some chips. His wallet was honestly crying but he couldn't care less, when he gets back he heads to your room with 5 bags of snacks. He lifts his arm to knock, "Go away!" You yell, but he needed to apologize and make up for it. "MC, I got chocolates for you!" He yells, silence was heard (lol) then the door opened to a teary eyed MC.

Your eyes widen at the amount of snacks he bought for you, you look up to him. "Sorry, I was the one who ate your chocolate, please take this as my apology," he says. "Oh Beel you absolute sweetheart," you started tearing up again as you pulled him into a hug. "Thank you!" You smile, letting him inside your room, placing the bags on the floor as you picked out your favourites.

You both eat the sweets to your heart's content, "This was really helpful for my period Beel, thanks" you said, "Period? What's that?" Beel asks, "Oh, it's where we human women bleed for a week every month, and it usually messes up our mood and makes us crave sweet and such," you briefly explain, he doesn't get it but he nods nonetheless. "Bleed? So you're not dying? How do you get blood back?" He asks much like a puppy, you chuckled. "Yeah, I'm not dying, it's normal for us women," you said.

"Alright, I'm just glad you're alright, and it explains why you were mad and then sad earlier," he smiles, "Uh yeah, that was pretty childish," you said, blushing at the memory. "Not at all, I mean I lash out too when someone eats my food so I get it," he takes a bite of the chocolate. "Yeah, I guess we are similar in some ways," you laugh, just glad that you have your snacks back.

✧Lumi

[alittleyellowdinosaur]

The Dragon Prince Season 2 Review

*SEASON ONE SPOILERS IN THHIS SECTION* i love this show and, unless another Voltron situation happens, that’s not going to change. But I find myself... disappointed with this season. Mainly bc it felt like a season of filler episodes. Yes we had some developments, largely with Caleb’s magic and his relationship w Claudia, as well as Claudia and Sorens relationship and Virens Evil Plan™️. But 3 of the 9 episodes were on just Caleb and Claudia in one place, with the same issue that could have been resolved in one episode leaving room for more, and 2 of the remaining 6 episodes were mostly backstory on Caleb and Ezran’s mother. And while yes, I was very excited to learn about her it was just... lackluster, as it was told as a story by Viren and not a more meaningful way, such as Caleb’s memories, or in a letter from his mother, for example. The remaining episodes were mostly focused on Caleb’s magic. It just felt like filler as these things could have been dealt with in more exciting ways. I hate to bring up Voltron, but in the episode where Shiro connects to the black lion, that was still engaging and didn’t feel like filler bc there were exciting things happening during this, and their was a deadline. In this season, very little action happens, and most of it is in backstory, and the things that (in this case of the one episode of voltron) took one episode, took a whole season, even though about the same progression took place. It’s just boring, and made the season feel like filler.

Especially because the whole time there is never any real danger or time pressure. Rayla begins the season saying “danger is coming” but Claudia and Soren show up later that episode I think and don’t wind up being that dangerous. The rest of the season there is no real time constraint except us being told, not shown, that they need to get Zym to Xadia soon. Although you might say Viren causing trouble is the danger, it’s not really present in the narrative as he isn’t sending people out to get the trio and the trio has no idea what he is doing.

Now for some LARGE SPOILERY points I’d like to make about the season (I apologize if formatting gets weird here, I’m writing this one my phone and it, well, is tumblr. Also I can’t find the mobile version of the read more button.)

In this season there is a lot of development of Caleb’s romantic relationships, specifically with Claudia, and briefly at the end with Rayla. Although I admit I have not looked up their exact ages, appearance wise, to me, Caleb looks 15 or so, and the girls look late teens early twenties. This, to put it simply, makes me very uncomfortable. In Season one, I was perfectly fine with Caleb’s puppy dog, schoolboy crush on Claudia. It was realistic to how a young teen might feel towards an older friend as he is first hitting puberty, and I found it cute. But now Claudia is reciprocating, and not just in a motherly, older sister way. She’s doing her hair up, she’s goin on a date with him, and they nearly kissed. I find this unacceptable as the age differences between them are too large, and regardless if the young one is a boy, that’s still very much not ok. Maybe technically she’s only a few years older than him, but as it isn’t stated and appearance wise she is much older seeming (since you can’t expect viewers to look up the wiki, this is what I have to go on), I strongly disagree with this, and the same concerning Rayla. He is, from my interpretation, 15. That’s not ok and I’m extremely mad about this. I hope it gets resolved in a way that is appropriate but I worry it won’t, and I worry more about the message that sends to young boys that they should let older girls hit on them when that’s no more ok than an older man hitting on a younger girl.

My second big complaint is how lgbt rep is handled in this season. Bc yes, we got some!!! And they died two episodes later!!! Not even, if you do some critical thinking as to why their daughter is ruling as a child queen with no parents. But yes, they kill the two lesbians who show up, although they are very much canon, kissing and a kid and all. They kill them, and although it is necessary for the narrative and not just thrown in there to get rid of them, it still sucks bc it’s still the trope that hurts so many of us. Now do I think this is the only lgbt rep we will get in this show? Absolutely not, I firmly believe we have yet to see the true lgbt characters revealed (still hoping for Amaya...) and I don’t believe this was all we will get, however those episodes haven’t been released yet and as of our knowledge this is all we have, and it’s a kill your gays trope. I just can’t agree with this, even though again, it was necessary to the narrative and wasn’t just a dismissive death and move on.

Oh and one last quick thing disliked. In this season, Soren briefly becomes a quadrepeligic. It’s handled rather well, in my opinion, with Soren trying to find the good in it and crack a joke as is his way, and Claudia nearly having a mental breakdown bc she doesn’t have a spell to help. But then she pulls one out of her ass and heals him. And although I am not disabled nor do I have any disabled friends, I find this a bit rude to the community (please do tell me if I am wrong about this however and you believe the disabled community is fine with this as I am not certain). The community doesnt have a magic solution to solve their disabilities. That’s not an option. And in my, admittedly unknowleable opinion, I think they should have let Soren remain disabled and truly showed how that affects the life of someone who previously relied on fighting. I think it would have added a whole other layer to the show of both diversity and intrigue. Do I think this was a slight at the disabled community? No I don’t, simply concerning how we know they don’t have a problem putting characters into the show with disabilities, and doing it well too (Aka Amaya making tasteful jokes about being deaf and using actual ESL, and Vallads, a pirate character from this season who DOES use magic assistive technology to deal with his blindness and it works amazing). But I do feel this was a wasted opportunity for character growth for Soren by helping him realize fighting skills aren’t all that make him who he is, and also an interesting way to creatively work in magical assistive technology (a la the flying wheelchair from A:TLA)

Lastly I’d like to talk about some good things about this season bc I’ve bashed it enough for one day don’t you think? Viren’s whole thing with the mirror was boring as hell yes, and only contributed to the filler season feeling, however it was intriguing and I’m curious to learn more about the man in the mirror, so I appreciate that mystery. I liked the development of Claudia and Soren and how it showed what might be the start of Claudia’s descent into Dark Magic. I enjoyed the whole part where Callum was sick and struggling with using dark magic, and how it was taken as a bit of a joke on the deep important hallucinations, while still being a deep important hallucination. Also the inclusion of memes (“one does not simply walk into Xadia”) and the pirate Vallads. I just find this shows ability to make light of itself to be really enjoyable and part of why I love it so much. Ezran is as always an absolute bean and he grows so much in this season. Caleb acknowledging why Rayla struggled to tell him about his father and not letting it drive a wedge between them like it would in so many shows (and would be frustrating like it always is) was so mature and I loved it. Claudia’s development about her mother, Queen Sarai’s whole section, and Harrows letter were all amazing bits of development, especially in the case of Claudia, about how hard it is on kids when parents divorce, while also acknowledging why there was a divorce and that it wasn’t bad that the mom did it. Also the explainations Of magic and the Sunfire (I think that’s what they are called) elves were awesome (who else is now shipping Amaya and that one leader elf??) I think a lot of the development was super amazing and I loved it all, and by no means do I think this season will be a blight on the show as a whole, I just think it very much had some faults and I look forward to seeing some more plot focused episodes!!

[hazuukashi]

900 Follow Forever~

Alright~ So I should really have finished writing this long ago. But I’m glad to have gotten 900 of you wonderful people following! With that being said, I’ve got a big plan that won’t be a follow forever at 1,000, so this should tie me over until then. You’ll have to wait and see!

 In the meantime, for this follow forever, I’m gonna drop some compliments for some special people. My focus this time is on character and portrayals and giving compliments there rather than focusing on out of character relations. Because everybody needs compliments and validation on their writing every once in a while, right? These are, of course, in no particular order!

@ultimatetalentless: The way you play your dork is always amusing. There’s rarely a thread that I’ve seen of yours that felt even remotely out of character. Slightly too salty sometimes, I’ll admit, but it’s still so in character and realistic to the salthoge boy that I’m always amused to read your threads. Personally, I laugh every time he doesn’t play towards Leon’s egotism but they’re still best buds. It’s grounding and I laugh every time, I swear.

@detecaive: A wonderful Dweebhara. Despite getting off on a rocky start, somehow Leon and Saihara’s interactions have been grounding and realistic and I appreciate that. On top of that, your boy himself is realistic and the mindset you convey through your posts seems to fit his character quite nicely. I love reading ya stuff on my dash too <3

@bloodsplatteredmoon: An amazing doggo boy. You can write him in such a wide variety of situations, and I’ve personally been so glad to write with you all this time. Please remember how awesome you are, and your writing is both entertaining and knowledgeable in regards to your character. I’m impressed.

@the-taboo-king: You seem super knowledgeable about your character and it shines through what’s unspoken in your posts. His mannerisms and his thought process is super strong and it’s extremely in character, at least in my opinion. It’s also entertaining to hear his rather... Inappropriate and informal thoughts as well at times, and everything about your portrayal is rather awesome. Well done.

@bourbonwish: Awesome writing! I’m really glad to bother your boy. You do a character that had some backstory but such little time on screen so much justice. I enjoy seeing you play off of different people, and I also enjoy seeing you develop his relationship with Jin. It’s both cute and realistic and meaningful and it’s just awesome in general.

@anthrcpclcgy: A good snakeboy. Please do try to turn down his mad roasts. Aside from that, I laugh often when you play him and I’m really glad to see you finding some joy in writing him. Keep up the good work, since you’re doing so well and staying true to his petty instigating ways.

@nonludum: Again, thank you for giving Celestia some dimension in your writing. I’m really glad to see your posts on my dash and you interacting with others. Very little doesn’t impress me when you write and it’s super amazing when you stay true to her mind-fuckery. Keep it up!

@astralheart: I think you have a good thing in Kaito. You seem to understand his mindset and his potential relationships well. He’s goofy but also serious when he needs to be. His antics are very entertaining to read when they’re on my dash and it’s generally awesome to read.

@crossxskulled: A great Ryuji to be honest. I laugh at all the video game references, but what really impresses me is your tone and thought process for him, as even in the ‘meme-y’ replies, his voice is still super accurate and that’s an amazing feat to pull off. You seem to really understand your character and I’m always impressed by your posts. Awesome job, yo.

@withoutalignment: I’m going to be complimenting our recent thread and your soft smol. You’re getting his voice down quite well and I appreciate the one thread we’ve been doing together. It’s impressive how well Leon and he interacted and I’m super pleased by how easily their interaction came. I think that speaks to the quality of your portrayal here, so I’ma give you a smol thumb up!

@neuro-snarker: Awesome job writing a character that we don’t ever actually “hear”. He does have some canon material, but not enough, honestly. And I’m really shocked at how you’ve developed him into something very easy to understand and mess with and interact with. I always enjoy our threads together and you’re doing an amazing job with the surgeon.

@inabaleader: Great dork of a portrayal. We haven’t done much but I always laugh at the things we do. I think you get his tone down quite well and I absolutely look forward to doing more things with you. Antics will ensue, I swear!

@ofvaricty: GAAAAAAAAAAAY! No seriously, I do enjoy the muses I’ve seen you play and it’s really funny at how quirky some of them are, while also having the potential to be so serious and thoughtful. You’re an awesome dude, dude.

@chariodyne: Another awesome Blondie! You get his tone down super easily and it’s impressive. I appreciate the antics our boys get into and the sheer amusement that spawns from their stupidity and broing around. Love ya.

@fortunefucked: An amazing Komaeda. I love seeing him try to make friends and try to have some fun. You seem to understand his situation quite well and bring some clarity towards that entire situation as well as Komaeda’s potential feelings during that time in his life. I enjoy threading with you and look forward to seeing what’s coming up!

@lunalty: I know you haven’t been on Dweebshima lately, but god is he amazing and you know him so well. Our things we’ve done have been so entertaining and loveable and I absolutely love seeing Mishima get some awesome development. You do an amazing job with him and I look forward to doing anything and everything with him and you. Awesome job giving an underappreciated character some love.

@miishou: An amazing avocado boy! I love our bromance between our boys and it’s fucking amazing just how natural their relationship seemed to develop. You really get his thought process down pat and his easygoingness comes out in full force. I’m very impressed with your portrayal and love interacting with ya <3 Show me a ton more yo.

@lepuretta: Your love for your girl is super pronounced and I always love seeing people love their muses so much. Your girl is exciteable and bubbly and it’s really pertinent to the character. At least in our interactions, they’ve all been amazingly quirky but meaningful while maintaining an amount of enjoyability that just makes me laugh every time. You awesome~

@forgedhope: A good Kiibro. You get his tone very well and his relationships seem super natural from what I’ve read. Your posts are both sometimes quirky and sometimes meaningful and feels-y and I enjoy reading what you’ve got goin’ on all the time. Awesome brobot that Leon appreciates <3

@infinitemcses: While we haven’t done a ton of threads yet, all of your muses that I’ve interacted with have been fairly well written. They’ve all got their voices down quite well and even Teddie and Yosuke’s quirks are very noticeable and awesome. You deserve some praise yo. It ain’t easy to write multiple muses at once with the same amount of IC-ness as ya do.

@axesona: Awesome portrayals from what I’ve seen. Ya get their thought processes down fairly well and I’ve got no regrets in RPin’ with ya. All of the muses across your blogs are well written and you should be commended for writing them all so well. <3

And now this is the part of the Follow Forever post where I tag a bunch of people that I can’t exactly come up with words for. All of these people that I’m tagging below are worth the follow. I absolutely recommend if you’re reading this to take a look at the people below and perhaps follow ‘em. They’re all awesome people that deserve your attention!

@unboundmuses, @mvsendex, @mystxryious, @hopefilledmarshmallow, @ultimateheadmaster, @ultimate-impostxr, @chesskilled, @checkeredscarfs, @pannthxr, @robot-fxcker, @entwinedthreads, @veritaphobic, @inaried, @thedetectiveofinaba, @volleystolen, @needlepunk, @forgedtruth, @ishimru, @owda, @the-ultimate-maid, @rationalclover, @hell-howling, @zuchter, @suyoichan, @entcmon, @dafcnder

Otherwise, I love all of ya that I interact with and I look forward to reachin’ my 1 year comin’ up in a month and a bit! Hope to see all of you kickass people stickin’ around then. Anybody tagged on this absolutely feel free to reach out and I’ll throw ya a thread ANY time. And if you aren’t tagged on this, and we haven’t interacted much before, by all means hit me up too.