#i love doing character analyses so very much

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every (Other) Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 22: The Flowers . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Ah yes, I can finally start analysing one of my favourite scenes heehehehe (the airport)

I have decided to split this analysis up into two sections lmaooo, um you can read under the cut down below the first part of the analysis if you want something that is very speculatory, and isn't necessarily evidence, more like something interesting.

First of all, the act of getting your girlfriend flowers is a classic, 'I know how to be a good boyfriend!' act, while still showing that there are problems underneath the surface. In this scene, the point of the flowers is to be a symbol. Otherwise, what would it be? Something to further show that Milkvan is cute and endearing? That doesn't line up with the rest of the airport scene which conveys their problems (all the lies and pretending).

The flowers are in this scene to be a symbol of Mike and El's relationship.

At first this seems like it sheds some positive light on Milkvan because it's obviously a nice gift, and she would appreciate it because they are her favourite colours. However, the things that Mike says in relation to the flowers seem extremely out of place and specific. Now, saying that he 'hand picked' them for her in Hawkins is a nice gesture that a lot of shippers really appreciate, but it is really important to the overall symbolism that he is the one who makes the choice about the colours. (more on that later)

He says some really 'random' stuff:

"I know you also like purple so I got some purples as well so I kind of did a 70/30 split kind of thing"

The 70/30 comment is so specific. The writers really like to put subtle foreshadowing into their dialogue, and being that this scene is at the beginning of the show, i believe it must be talking about how much he puts into the relationship versus how much he's getting out of it. An inequitable relationship is unsatisfying (x, xx), which may show that it's probably either Mike or El putting in the effort while getting nothing less out of it. (Mike puts in the effort to seem normal and functioning while not getting true happiness out of it, El puts in the effort of lying and doing romantic things while not getting an expression of love out of it, which is what she thinks she needs.)

As for him handpicking them in Hawkins.... well....

The same flowers that El, EL, picks up and inspects are the ones that Mike picked out himself in the same town. By the end of the season, their relationship is extremely different than it was at the start, the 70/30 split is no longer a split, it's simply a 0, because the flowers are dead.

So these are 2 instances so far of the characters calling upon flowers for symbolism and.... there is a third one, which is right at the beginning of S4.

See this is why I truly believe that these must be a symbol of Mike and El's relationship. Mike picked spring flowers for El, which are a symbol of their relationship being inequitable, and later on, they are used to symbolise their relationship literally dying (damn). But this here is what shows that El will be fine on her own. Time and time again, Millie and the writers have said/written that El needs to find herself and who she is without the men in her life.

So: "At first I missed [my relationship with Mike], but now I [can find happiness]."

Flowers = Mil*ven. And it's also interesting that yellow flowers symbolise friendship and purple flowers symbolise admiration, and as we know, admiration for her powers is one of the main things that Mike ends up referencing when he admits his 'love' to her.

Now, the yellow flowers being in the bouquet is interesting because, as stated very importantly by Mike himself, he was the one who picked them. Meaning, he would have made the decision, however subconscious, to put 'too many' yellow flowers into the bouquet. And another thing we also know is that yellow is Will's colour.

This colour symbolism is emphasised during the season, when Will wears the colour yellow for the majority of it, and is placed under the yellow light in this scene^

Another funny thing that I noticed is that Mike says:

"I know you like the colour yellow, but now I'm realising that it's too much yellow."

Rewatching this scene makes me think it's kind of odd for him to say that he's just now realising that it's too much yellow. As if he accidentally put too much in, and kind of realises it in that moment like he's saying sorry to her about it?? But then he just takes that realisation and turns it into a 'romantic' thing, acting like he'd intended that the whole time with the '70/30' split.

That means he didn't actually mean to. The writers are trying to convey through symbolism that Mike has been thinking of Will subconsciously the past few months, which is then confirmed by the Rink o Mania scene and the Cool Cool scene. He only regrets the fact that he did it in retrospect. Aka as soon as he sees El.

SO: The flowers are a symbol for Mike and El's relationship, showing that they put in a lot of work into the relationship, but do not get an equal amount out of it, which is unsatisfying. The flowers also are shown to be dead by the end of the season. El says that at first she missed the flowers, but in the end, she's fine without them.

NOW TIME FOR THE STRANGE STUFF

So this is at the end of S1, and if we assume that there are no, throwaway lines in Stranger things, we should be able to also assume that this is meant to foreshadow something. In my opinion, this has to foreshadow S4 and S5.

In this scene, it's clear that the kids (symbolising the audience of stranger things) are talking about something that Mike (symbolising the writers of stranger things) has left out or not explained. This is what happens in S4.

What about the lost knight? -- This refers to Mike, whose DND character is obviously a paladin, but Will draws him and paints him as a knight in shining armour. He is clearly 'lost' because he does not know what to do about his relationships with Will and El at the end of S4. He has just said he loved El, but he still wants to help Will and doesn't really know his feelings until the painting is revealed. Therefore he is lost.

And the proud princess? -- It doesn't take much deducing to know that this has to refer to El, whose arc in S4 is to realise that she is not a monster for having her powers, making her proud of who she is. The audience are worried about her and her fate, because she seems at a crossroads.

And the weird flowers in the cave? -- Obviously, I've already talked about the flowers being a symbol for Mike and El's relationship. The 'weird' part about them is that they are so inconsistent and out of place on a show like ST, because of how conformist it seems in comparison to their nonconformist message. 'In the cave' refers to the fact that the flowers are dead, and now part of the UD, which is the 'cave'.

In This LAST SCENE:

El is stood in front of the others, now with her powers that she is proud of.

Mike is stood with Will, lost in relation to his feelings towards both El and Will, not truly understanding them.

The flowers are rotting. In the 'cave' (UD)

Just something to think about <3

[fairytaleendingss]

The Fandom Zodiac

I have this theory that everyone has a “big three” when it comes to fandoms that they’re in.

I realise that no matter how many fandoms I drift in an out of, I always come back to three specific comfort fandoms and I have for years. I feel like at this point that they make up a core part of my personality and kind of define how I interact with fandom culture in general so I thought I’d share.

Sun Sign: A fandom that really shaped your fandom experience. You’ve probably interacted with this fandom the most and share your love for this fandom most outwardly. It was a turning point for your relationship with fandom/fanfic/fan art etc. and you have a special relationship with the culture of this fandom and its media. It might have helped you discover what genres of fanfic you prefer or art styles you connect with. You’ve probably spent a lot of time deep diving on the lore, creating/discussing fan theories and subtext and analysing characters and relationships. You probably have a lot of merch of this fandom and have made lot of friends through this fandom (or you’ve converted a bunch of friends because you think the source material is so good that everyone should get into it). This fandom is something you find very interesting and mentally stimulating.

Moon Sign: This is a fandom that you resonate with on an deeply emotional level. You might not be as outwardly open about your participation in this fandom but the source material/fanbase impacted you personally. It helped you learn about yourself and who you are. You’ve probably been in this fandom for a long time and you may feel like its characters have grown up alongside you. Maybe you kin some of the characters in this fandom or you are really really invested in some of the ships. Maybe it helped you discover your sexuality or helped you get through a difficult time. Maybe your love for this fandom has developed throughout your life and you’ve shifted into a more niche subgroup away from the main source material, but nonetheless you have a special place for this fandom in your heart. This is a fandom that you’re probably more likely to want to gate-keep because it’s very personal to you.

Rising Sign: This is a fandom you have a lot of fun with. A fandom that you enjoy the aesthetic and culture of. The source material may not have had quite as much of a deep emotional impact on you as the other two fandoms but it brings you a lot of joy and excitement! Maybe you were introduced to this fandom and its content by a friend or got into it a bit later on but this is a fandom that you come back to for the fun of being a part of. This is likely to be a mainstream, popular fandom that you fit into quite easily. You might come to find a lot of other people in your life are already in this fandom as well and it’s something you can bond over. This fandom was probably a cultural reset for you. You really enjoy the vibes of this fandom.

Obviously there’s also room for nuance here and overlap between different aspects of your big three fandoms but this is just a fun little concept I came up with to analyse the way I interact with different fandoms.

For example, I’d say I’m a Supernatural Sun, Marauders/Harry Potter Moon and a Stranger Things Rising.

What do you guys think? What are your Big Three?

[canisbrutus]

hii if your reqs are still open, i like ur headcanons very much and do u perhaps have any on wade? i barely see content of him and hes a mess of a guy.. .. . .

awh ty ty! Yeah that boy. hooh. Somebody get him a sandwich.

CW: mentions of child abuse and alcoholism. obviously.

Wade Martin 💣

The Basics:

inhales.

so as you know he's got a shit relationship with his dad.

gets allllll his aggression from him.

his mom left the picture and took his sister christy with her maybe ~3 years prior to ingame events.

being under that roof alone with him. its certainly shaped this boy.

him and his father are what the preps and many of the 'financially superior' would call: trailer trash. or white trash.

no prospects, no hope, no future, just another bluecollar jackass.

such a bleak scene doesnt foster any form of academic success.

to say he struggled in school is an understatement. and of course, he certainly didnt have any help at home.

only his friends, tom, trent, etc, in the same shit boat he was in, agreed: school sucked ass.

at least he had them. they were all he had.

Expanded Lores:

to understand wade, we must first take a look at his father.

and boy, what a piece of work he is.

yes that man currently owns? a seafood restaurant. but earlier in life his real passion was boxing.

heavyweight champion before he had a seizure on the mat.

but that Fight never left him.

he never raised a fist against his children while his wife was around. but after she left and his drinking problem got worse?

well. wade picked up some moves from him too.

wade's father didnt have any patience for such a disappointment after life fucked him over so much already.

but hey at least he's got his buddies he cracks skulls with.

all the bullies are like pack bonded tbh. yeah they're hooligans but they're very ride or die together. loyal to the end.

bc god knows they aint got anyone else.

even his sister doesnt really like him. yeah she'll giggle at the stunts he pulls, but he's a bit too... i unno Gross for her tastes.

that typical teenage hormone fueled 'uhhhhh girlllllls' source of serotonin he's hooked on.

but again, at least he has his own 'brotherhood' he fraternizes with.

like rebels, or perhaps greek soldiers.

yeah he's a fan of those mythologies. histories. achilles, perseus, heracles, etc.

are him and his bully boys just as faggy as the greeks?

idk man what goes on in the trenches stays in the trenches.

Anyway

this boy has a severe insectophobia. stemming from a rather unpleasant infestation at home.

it is a Blessing his father doesnt actually do any of the cooking at the restaurant.

for ages they've battled against the three menaces: ants, flies, and worst of all fuckin german cockroaches.

many a night has wade woken up to something or several somethings crawling on him.

at least bullworth only has rats. in the dorms, anyway.

the kitchen is a different story of course and he doesnt trust anything in it. which is justified.

moving on his favorite victims are donald bucky and constantinos respectively.

typically he gets the latter to do his homework. which doesnt always turn out well for him.

his grades have not improved in the slightest but at least he has more time to dick around.

he drinks sometimes but he doesnt really like it. if anything it just makes him miserable because it makes him feel even more stupid.

he's pretty fuckin depressed at heart he just hides it behind his fists most of the time.

he's a jackass that's just tired of all the bullshit in his life. who knows maybe he wishes they'd take him away from his dad if he acts up enough.

maybe then his mom would stop harping on him so much if it means having him back. maybe she'd regret leaving him behind.

maybe then his father would regret what he's done and start Loving Him again.

hey is it just me or are these starting to look more like character analyses than hc dumps. well whatever you wanna call em i like writing em.

requests are still open lalala

[hc masterpost link]

[yellowwwcrayon]

swear if I ever open one of your ‘material girl’ chapters and see it’s set on Inho and Junho’s fathers death anniversary I will jump headfirst out of a skyscraper because I know I’m not strong enough for that. Their fathers death must be so essential to how the current relationship constellations in their family were formed, with Inho being more father than brother to Junho and their stepmother and Inho raising him together as well as how much it formed the direction Inho’s life had taken in the first decade of his adult life with the crippling debt their father left Inho to pay off despite him having barely started his career.

I imagine Junho and Inho’s perceptions of their father might be quite different because to Inho he’s the man who let him and his family down in the most severe way possible, choosing a cowards way out of the situation he wound up in with no regard for his wife and sons while Junho who had been a kid at the time probably hadn’t felt the same level of betrayal and must have been very confused and still be able to feel more sympathetic towards their late father.

I could imagine Inho having little patience for that sort of thing because of how devastating of a blow the mess their father had left him to solve had been.

Having someone abandon you like that must have left Inho with insane trust issues and I’m sure every now and then he must daydream about what his life would have looked like if he hadn’t been forced to take on so much responsibility in his twenties and could have simply enjoyed this period of time that most people look back to as carefree and adventurous.

I’m glad he decided to let loose a bit and do what he wants with his life now that he’s older and financially stable. ( Gihun not wanting their relationship to harm Inho’s career in the 7.Chapter was so- 🥺)

I’m so curious about how Junho’s mother reconciled with her husbands suicide, that most have been hard on her, especially with Junho falling sick soon after

(Sorry for the rambling, the chapter about Inho’s mothers death anniversary got me thinking)

How are you peering into my head haha, I love this so much I want to rub my eyeballs all over it. Very very in line with what I had in mind for them (rest assured I won't go into the dad death thing, so no need to throw yourself out a window).

As for Junho's mom, I won't go into her thoughts too much, but I do think she felt very guilty for propping her still quite young stepson to the "man of the house" role after her husband's death, and then him subsequently donating a kidney to save her own biological son made it even more so. That guilt would probably make her very hesitant to reprimand Inho for anything, which is why I feel like even if she found out about Gihun, it would mostly be displeasure behind closed doors or voicing such to Junho (much to Junho's annoyance). She would be polite to their face because that is etiquette but probably won't fully accept that the model child/Junho's hero is with someone like Gihun.

As I write, this fic has gotten strangely melancholy for some reason, I do want the humor to remain though <3 and I LOVE the analyses for the characters like this. Cheers!!!

[murdermeadow]

And now thoughts on Lanz? (I feel like we're gonna go through all the Ouroboros)

aheehee :3 (also that's totally fine I have many thoughts on all of them)

okay so for Lanz. Lanz-y boy. the man who always wants something a bit meatiah. he's so scroinkly to me. he's in that weird limbo between not exactly comfort character but not exactly high neutral either.

he's very <3 to me. just a little guy. fascinating soft little critter that has gone through too much for his own good. and as always, I'm a sucker for protector characters. they always mean so much to me...

but anyways. Lanz!! his character is very intriguing to me. I adore the fact they didn't just make him the classic himbo meathead like they did with the buff dudes in past games (Reyn and Zeke of course have their merits and moments of sincerity but at their root, they are the comedic relief). I like the fact they didn't put all the work on him to be the funny buff guy™. he's such an excellent subversion of that trope, which I really do adore.

I think my favourite scene of his has to be that soft moment with Sena in the Li Garte Prison Camp. it's just... it really sets his character solid. despite all this raw strength that he has, he is weak in his core. he feels he doesn't match up to the rest, that he constantly has to catch up or bear the brunt for them. he acts as their shield, both metaphorically and very physically. he feels he's nothing more than this, because he isn't at the same level of intelligence or wit compared to his friends. and yet - and I think this is the most important part - he doesn't let that weigh him down. he sees it as a sort of motivator, not a reason to never try again. he wants to be at their level, and has the conviction to get him there. Lanz is very stubborn, as a person. and that brings me to my next point.

I really love his temper! well, to watch, that is. he doesn't like people's rude words just brush over his head like some other himbo-esque character might. he's aware of when people are mean or don't like him, but he doesn't let that phase him either (at least not outright). yes it happens to really weigh on him sometimes, but yet again, he uses that as a motivator. no matter what, he'll prove them wrong. he'll get stronger. and that's just something I really admire.

his steadfast determination and solid personality make him an excellent anchor for his friends, constantly being there as a support. he'll stand up for them no problem, every time. he will always get up after a fight. even when all is lost, he won't let those he cares about get hurt.

all in all, he's a perfect protector and defender, inferiority complex and all. I hold him very gently.

[niaerinisms]

Jam’s said this before but through what we’ve seen of him in book 3, I think it makes more sense for Aerin’s character for MC and co to have mistrusted Aerin and for him to have run away and not have returned, only to be forced to group with them in the afterlife…

[esteemed-excellency]

ok i'm almost done with the new firmament chapter, i have So Many thoughts 👀

[tincanton]

ok i finished binge watching tlok (except for season 2 listen im not getting into that mess again) and like. its literally not that bad????

like excluding the relationship shit (and most of season 2 I hate season 2) its literally not that bad. like I would rewatch that again it was so fun.

i just wish they developed the Friendships between the krew more. i will reiterate this again, the moment even a slight Concept of a found family has entered my mind I will NOT stop thinking about it. (the most memorable part to me was literally the krew just fucking around in a hotel room with a pai sho board while spying on aiwei. i want more of the four of them just doing really random shit together come on. please. please. ple

also the love triangle ruined All of their characters. like it was just not a great time for any of them. can we all agree to collectively forgive all of that shit because clearly they've all mostly moved on from that mess.

ALSO ALSO mako is literally not a bad character what. literally what. he's literally just zuko 2.0 but everyone hates him for some reason huh. all he did was fuck up two romantic relationships huh. wuh. why does the fandom hate him whuh. explain. the math is not mathing. like what. hes literally full of angst and everyone just ignores that in favor of "but he was a bad bf" what. if we can forgive(forgive?? idk if that's the right wording whatevr) zuko for the shit hes done can we also forgive mako for like. handling his relationships in a questionable manner.

he was like 18/19 at that point yall (and he also seems extremely emotionally constipated jesus) I think we can let this one go. or if you still arent happy with that lets forget about all the drama and have them in a polycule LMAO

anyways tlok very fun. very enjoyable like i could rewatch the fight scenes over and over again they're so cool. and also I love the characters sososo much. the fandom is so focused on the ships can we just like. look at the besties. they're best friends fr.

(korra is so pretty in season 4 actually she is everything to me)

[windupaidoneus]

sometimes i worry ppl think i say all that ahit to liek absolve him of guilt regarding what hes done or that im trying to be like auhhh he didnt wanna guysss its not his fault :(( but at the same time if someone expects that of me they probably arent worth worrying about

[linkcharacter]

Really like the recent analysis. I know I speak of curly in a more defensive way than most but I generally try to get the point you made across at the end of the day with my analyses on him and his behaviors.

People love to lock analyses around Curly solely based on what he could’ve done as a physical action and have this avoidance to acknowledging the realistic barriers at play when it comes to those solutions. It’s. The game tries to treat the pre-crash section as if they are grounded in social and organizational realities. So the what if he did this questions about the situation always fall short when the real answer is he either couldn’t or it wasn’t an actual viable option. But then when they talk about what he actually did do it’s surrounded by such bad faith interpretations that his actions were completely intentional or still not affected by outside sources. He’s a very much “road to hell is paved with good intentions” character. He cared too much and that’s a big part of his problem.

There’s such a “perfect victim or nothing” mindset in the fandom where people can’t admit that there are no such things as perfect victims but that also shouldn’t mean that even if there were it would absolve them of the mistakes they made. People want to moralize every action of every character that they don’t realize that some actions are done without any specific morale factor. People just do things, like you said. People assumed failed intentions immediately flip the thought process behind them “he meant to do good but bad happened, he must be bad” and that just is not how people work. It’s how perceptions work but only of the observer.

It’s such a sensitive topic because, yes, you are supposed to be frustrated, even mad, at what Curly didn’t do, but you have to acknowledge the fact these were good intentioned acts even if that good intent did jack squat in the end. That his responses are human and it’s supposed to be uncomfortable and hurt that they were realistic faults of his.

He enabled his friend and it ended bad for everyone including him. No one really tries to argue this fact but everyone seems to think it has to be tied to the morale dilemma and not certain human natures and social factors.

This is all to ask, why do you personally lean towards thinking Curly wouldn’t turn Jimmy in? Are you speaking in the short term of realizing how bad he got or long-term/overall? I feel like he could but it would not be easy and no matter the necessity he’d always have this guilt at feeling bad for doing it.

Ah yes Curly the most imperfect human man character.

Yep yep yep absolutely, people love to assign morality onto characters and call them good or bad and diminishing the depth and nuance of Mouthwashing, filling discussions with bad-faith interpretations or speculating on inconcrete understandings of the incomplete, intentionally vague, context. I adore Mouthwashing to no end for having this oppressive suffocating and constant atmosphere surrounding everything in the game. Really shows off that the environment festers, no one well-meaning guy could create a happy ending with individual actions alone because it's all systematic.

To elaborate from your question tho, at the point Curly was in (if Anya wasn't pregnant scenario), definitely no don't think so (would depend on Anya a too on whether or not she would go to the authorities outside). Curly knew Jimmy was a danger, and I do believe that subconsciously Anya's report to him on Jimmy gnaws at him, but not vividly enough. I want to point out a moment where Anya tells him about the pregnancy, he begins asking "Who would you-", then he's nudged by Anya that she told him and he should know who it is, and he does, instantly saying he's known him a long time and will talk to him. That moment of, for a second not connecting that Jimmy is the assaulter responsible just makes me drag my palm across my face for how much of a man (derogatory) Curly acted like for one dialogue line. Like he just 'forgot' for a brief moment that Jimmy harassed Anya prior? Granted, he instantly believes and takes Anya seriously, immediately dropping the search for the gun he was on in that scene, realizing the severity of the situation and of Jimmy. We also don't know what Anya has told him specifically, how long ago it happened, etc. but the 'implications' of the scene make me believe Jimmy's known sexual harassment on the ship slipped Curly's mind due to him being more invested in "the bigger picture" of Jimmy, not latching onto a harmful and a very serious fucking trivia fact about Jimmy because of his perception of who his friend is as a whole (and with his foggy sleep-deprived mind at the moment), 'losing a needle in a haystack' with how much unknown history Curly and Jimmy shared, so to say.

Maaaybe in some other circumstances, like if Jimmy didn't crash the ship or smth long term I could see him doing it, it would take a lot effort like you said, no matter the necessity. We will never know. If we're going into speculation and imaginary scenarios though, if Anya HERSELF were to try and get justice, Curly would be backing her up undoubtedly (still not disconnecting himself from Jimmy though and feeling guilt on his behalf). But that's all suppositions from my reading of the characters.

[the-court-of-dreams]

ONYX STORM SPOILERS

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Quotes that KILLED ME in Onyx Storm

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1)

To the ones who don’t run with the popular crowd, the ones who get caught reading under their desks, the ones who feel like they never get invited, included, or represented. Get your leathers. We have dragons to ride.

Books have always been a safe place for me. I still remember picking up The Hobbit when I was still a kid, closing my bedroom door and going on an adventure. I'm almost 25 now and I still love going on adventures. From magic schools to institutes, hidden cities to castles, forests to enormous capitals. With cars and ships and horses and broomsticks and dragons. Every story, a new adventure. Every book, a new journey. Oh, how I love travelling!

I only ever had one friend who loves reading as much as I do and our conversations about books, the hours we spend making theories, and analysing everything that happened... they are some of my most beloved moments. ( @strovilos , you are the joy of my life) My other friends don't understand as much, it's okay. I' ve always been the kid hiding books under my desk, staying up past my bedtime with a light under the covers. So yeah... that dedication really got me.

I was invited to places, but I almost never felt included while being there. That was okay too.

I always preferred riding dragons anyway.

2)

Xaden is mine. My heart, my soul, my everything. He channeled from the earth to save me, and I’ll scour the world until I find a way to save him right back.

Wow, that didn't take long at all, huh? Straight in the fucking feels.

3)

I could reach the rank of Maven, lead armies of dark wielders against everyone we care for, and watch every vein in my body turn red as I channel all the power in the Continent, and I would still love you. What I did doesn’t change that. I’m not sure anything can.

Such a good start for me and my fucking heart. Thanks, Rebecca... I really appreciate it.

4)

If I’m to be court-martialed for helping Braxtyn defend his people, then I shall welcome the trial. All who channel from dragon and gryphon alike should flourish under the wards, and now Aretia will be that haven should one of the others ever return.

Lyra... I fucking stan!

5)

So with all the love in my heart, put your fucking uniform on, because we need you.

Look, I'm not saying that Ridoc is my favourite character in this book... but... Ridoc IS my favourite character in this book.

I died with the whole squad dynamic, but the four of them will always hold a special place in my heart, I fucking love these kids.

6)

Even hundreds of miles away, he’s still taking care of me and doesn’t even know it.

I KNEW this godsdamned book would be full of angst....BUT DID IT HAVE TO BE ALL OF IT??? DID IT REBECCA????

7)

You might be angry when you realize I didn’t wake you to say goodbye. But it’s only because I no longer fully trust my ability to walk away.

—Recovered Correspondence of His Grace, Lieutenant Xaden Riorson, Sixteenth Duke of Tyrrendor, to Cadet Violet Sorrengail

FUCK ME MAN....Come on...WHYYYYYYY????

8)

But the thought of you being out there, beyond the wards, facing down a known attack of venin, triggered something in me I’ve never felt before. It was hotter than rage, and sharper than fear, and cut deeper than helplessness, all because I couldn’t get to you.

Fuck you.

9)

I would have killed anything and anyone in that moment to reach you. No exceptions. I would have channeled every ounce of power beneath my feet without hesitation if it would have landed me at your side.

Double fuck you.

10)

If I’d been there, beyond the wards, I would have drained the very earth to its core to keep you safe.

TRIPLE FUCKING FUCK YOU!!!!

11)

Pain isn’t new to me, Jack. She’s an old friend I spend most of my days with, so I don’t mind if she sings to you.

Violet Sorrengail... you are the most badass bitch to ever badass. (I feel like that's SUCH a Remi thing to say. Fucking finally.... iykyk. Shout out to @skyfallscotland for writing fucking masterpieces. Getting notifications from you always makes my day. If any of you are into fanfcition, i STRONGLY recommend reading everything this girl has written. You can start with Fear and Flame. Thank me, and HER, later.)

12)

“We live by the Codex—” I try again.

“I live by you. When have I ever given a fuck about the Codex or the Code of Conduct?” He cradles my face and leans down, resting his forehead against mine. “I am yours and you are mine, and there’s no law or rule in this world or the next that will change that.”

I love them so much it hurts.

13)

Love of my life. You have nothing to be jealous of.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

14)

“There’s no magic here.” He tugs me against him. “No power. No lure. No taunting reminder that I can save everyone if I just reach for it and take what’s offered. It’s only…peace.”

For the first time since fetching the luminary, I seriously debate Tecarus’s offer.

When I tell you this book was PAINFUL for me....I'M NOT FUCKING KIDDING.

15)

"...Sgaeyl…" He glances up at the trees as if he can see her in the sky above us, a look of longing on his face.

If I had a dollar for everytime this book broke my fucking heart.

16)

“My consort,” Xaden replies casually. “Violet Sorrengail.”

I'm deceased.

17)

I can’t quit watching Xaden’s eyes in case their flecks change back to gold whenever I see him during Signet Sparring.

They never do.

Like my heart will never again NOT be broken for these two.

18)

“The pain. The mess. Give it to me. I’ll hold it. I know that sounds ludicrous, but I’ll find a way.” I lace our fingers. “I will hold everything you don’t want to feel because I love every part of you.”

This ship... this fucking ship...

19)

“Seems Catriona has found someone worth lagging behind for.”

I loathed her in the previous book....but gods did the poor girl go through it in this one....

20)

“There is no cure for me.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “That’s why you have to become better than me. There’s only you.”

I seriously don't know why I'm putting myself through this torture.

21)

When things get…shitty, I hope you can look down at it and imagine us sitting there together when this is all over. That’s the vision I’m going to cling to: you and me, holding hands, looking over the city.

This right here broke whatever soul I thought I had left. It just hurts so much when the characters cling to a future that I fucking know isn't going to happen.

22)

It’s almost like this room is removed from time itself, a tiny corner of the world where we simultaneously live together yet don’t.

Rebecca literally...WHYYYYY????

23)

I didn’t reach for any form of power because even in that state, I knew it could take me back to day zero, and day zero doesn’t give me you. I clawed my way back to myself and left.

Screaming, crying, throwing up.

24)

While most deities allow temple attendants to choose their timeline of service, only two require a lifetime of dedication: Dunne and Loial. For both war and love change souls irrevocably.

For the love of Gods, please let this be some kind of clue.

25)

I love you more than this city. Do not die defending it.

Screaming. Crying. Throwing up.

26)

At some point I’ll stop looking for her, right?

I KNOW Andarna had her reasons... but my girl Violet did not deserve that after everything she's been through.

27)

His smile instantly becomes a core memory.

MY smile instantly becomes a core memory....as in I don't think I'll have one again.

28)

You’re not a weapon of destruction. You’re not venin. You’re the artery power chooses to flow through. You’re life.

I fucking ship this SO MUCH. I love me some enemies to lovers, slow burn, full of angst shit.

29)

When push comes to shove, I'm not the best of us. She is.

YES VIOLET, THAT'S YOUR BESTIE!!!!!!

30)

“That’s a little menacing,” I admit to Feirge. “Then let us be menaces,”

I ADORE multiple povs. I've been waiting for Rhi's and Imogen's pov for 3 books, and I was NOT disappointed. Wish I could have more of them though.

31)

She’ll rip the very sky apart before she and Glane accept defeat.

GO IMOGEN! GO! GO! GO!

32)

The flame of perpetual rage that lives in my chest burns hotter. Fuck that horde. Fuck the venin who ride them. Fuck that unholy vortex of a tornado at the end of the northern field, and fuck the orders to stay grounded in these winds.

FUCK! I love this girl so damn much.

33)

I’m glad it’s you with me. Parapet to Malek’s own doorstep. I’m so sorry I have to go first this time.

To be honest, I didn't really care about Quinn for three books now... but I SOBBED in these 3 pages.

34)

And you should tell him, Gen. Tell him, and you find some happy.

And the fact that she preached for my second favourite ship of the series with her dying breath??? Miss Quinn, you have my heart. I didn't care for your existence for three books, but man, did you get me in the end.

35)

“We made it a good one.”

This one cut me so fuckign deep I had to stop for a good ten minutes. I did not see it coming. I did not think I'd care. I still don't understand why I did. But I really, really did.

36)

“I’m not leaving you!” He leans in and slides his hand behind my neck. “I’m not leaving you, Imogen,” he repeats, softer this time.

If these two don't end up together, I'm gonna make it everybody's problem. I PROMISE!

37)

“You have been the gift of my life,” I tell Tairn.

I've read some theories that Tairn will die in the end... First of all...HOW DARE YOU? And second of all... REBECCA DON'T YOU DARE, I WILL-

38)

She was the first to choose me, to elevate me above all others, the first to see every ugly side of me and accept it all, and every single person in this fucking canyon will die before they remove a single one of her scales.

The fact that Xaden channeled for Violet but really turned to save Sgaeyl... I did not expect that. And although it was painful as fuck to read through... to me it was perfect and a job really well done.

39)

Shadow brings quiet. My soul departs like pieces of ash from a fire, flaking free and drifting away as power consumes the space it once inhabited. I’m no longer on the ice—I am the ice.

Xaden...baby...no....

40)

Save them, the last remaining pieces of me beg, holding on with teeth and claw to keep from being torn away, too.

I will never... ever... recover from this.

41)

“I love you.” Violet’s voice cracks the cold, and a silken thread of warmth wedges itself in the opening before it seals shut, locking it in place.

No. Wait. I grab for that thread with desperate hands, clawing to keep her as more of my pieces are blown away, lost to the void. She is warmth and light and air and love.

This was so fucking painful to read I literally have no fucking words.

44)

I love her. That is the emotion I cling to, the fire of pure power burning at the feeling’s edges, and I know if I take it any further, it will be the next and final piece to float away.

😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔💔

45)

“What did you do?” My head snaps toward Imogen, and a deep sense of foreboding takes root in my chest. She slowly lifts her gaze to mine.

“What you asked me to.”

How THE FUCK am I supposed to wait who-knows how long for the next damned book???

All in all, I really enjoyed this. I never got bored and I didn't mind the side missions at all.

The xaden×violet of it all shattered my heart. I definitely loved their relationship more than the previous books (It really reminded me of their dynamic from one of the best pieces of literature I've ever had the pleasure to read, a fanfiction piece called Storm in the quiet by @justallihere. She is truly the best.).

I just knew this was coming, and all of their trying would lead to this... it tore my heart apart. I love heavy angst in my books, but it hurts like a motherfucker when you have to wait for the next book in a series. I've promised myself I would never start an unfinished series ever again but oh well....

I loved the side characters so much, and I feel like I got to see them more and get to know them better in this one.

Ridoc is the best comic relief character I've read in a long, long time, and I love him so much (I almost had a heart attack when I thought the cook actually stabbed him.)

Aaric is a little shit and I'm so here for it. His exceptionally well written character was one of the highlights of the book for me.

Imogen and Garrick are my babies and I want them to end up together SO FUCKING BAD.

Also, the Drake and Mira crumbs? Chef's kiss.

I have to admit I was very fed shipping wise.

Unexpectedly, I also laughed my ass off in this book... so I'll probably make another post with all the times I died of laughter. Who would have thought?

My soul will definitely need mending and a good dose of fanfiction to get me through the long wait. To the people who are gifted enough to write these fanfcitions, you are my heroes. Cheers!

Final thought, Xaden Riorson, THE MAN that you are.

Accurate image of me after finishing Onyx Storm:

[elizabethrobertajones]

kriles summer trust top is kinda problematic tho... lalafell r smol and should be wholesome.

Aw, come on.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree because within the fiction, lalafell are just as mean, gross and horny as anyone else. Gegeruju is a perv, and the whole Ul'dah Syndicate is full of evil little bastards. On the good side, lala are just as complex and grown up as anyone else - Tataru courts followers and dances in a skimpy outfit in the Forgotten Knight, Giott is a roaring drunk stereotypical fantasy dwarf (not to mention whatever the heck is going on with the Tomra and Komra dwarves in general tbh :P). And Lamitt's story was sweet but it did involve her having adult feelings for Ardbert.

Like, really, I can only think of 4 completely wholesome lala out of a cast of hundreds, and they happen to mostly be the ones we've interacted with a lot (Nanamo; Pipin who is a Heroic Knight archetype; Papalymo, who was a grumpy old scholar man; Krile). But that's more about them being main characters serving roles in the narrative rather than indicative of how lalas behave as a whole. In fact after going through ARR, meeting Pipin and finding One Good Ul'dahn Lala is an enormous relief (since the other one is apparently dead now).

And Krile is a main character now so she's allowed to step out of the shadow of being uwu cat hoodie girl who wasn't written with much depth outside of being serious and earnest and rather spooky; she's actually 22 years old according to the first wiki I found - regardless of if that's totally accurate she's definitely meant to be a peer of the other adult Scions and they all treat her like an adult. Her introduction cutscene has her ribbing Alphy as an older friend laughing at how a much younger one used to behave, so we're supposed to immediately understand on meeting her that she's post-teen since she knew 11 year old Alphy and was of course older than him since he was a freak entry into the Studium at that age. Probably a necessary writing moment because establishing lala's age with hilarious moustaches or deep voices or whatever is a part of how the game has to present them.

Out of the fiction, I know lalas are part of a much wider trope that people do find problematic as a whole (e.g. just because in universe Tataru has babes across the globe and that's normal to everyone involved, who are consenting adults in a world which wholly understands Tataru as a consenting adult, is it actually really creepy that it's happening at all because her body type is toddler-esque? Is it weird in general that lala emotes are SO baby in the same way miqo emotes are SO kitty?

ffxiv definitely goes waaay further into borderline creepy territory than many games with smaller fantasy races in it, when it comes to how lala look, so yeah I know it's a fraught area and can be discomforting to see the game present child-shaped people as having adult desires and a thing some people understandably set aside along with other elements as things they're not happy with co-existing in the game with things they really love.) We can absolutely talk about that on a meta level of how we relate to the game and feel about it, just like things we find racist or uncomfortable in other ways e.g. eng translation Hien's treatment of Yotsuyu being a really problematic point.

But, that's one thing, versus talking about us here in fandom and how we relate to it, and I think your ask is, well, really not very deeply considered on any level, but I think is talking about how we as fandom relate to lalas, based on an inaccurate reading of them in the game, meaning you're really not even analysing a thing about it and therefore your ask comes more in the terms of policing how we should FEEL about Krile's beach outfit, and dictating that we SHOULD find lalas smol and wholesome, and that therefore there's an inherent problem in anyone reacting positively to the outfit, rather than critiquing its place in the game in the first place. Having hit a cognitive dissonance in seeing swimsuit Krile existing you've come to me to complain it's problematic rather than taking any actual meaningful action. Ergo, this is a fandom problem to you, not a game problem. WE should find it problematic and say so, you are implying, shocked that so many people looked at a post about the beach outfits and no one commented as such.

Aside from lalafell being fictional and at no point other than the visuals are they treated as children (and emotes aside, playing through the MSQ as a lala wol you easily fall into seeing them as an adult because of course all the cutscenes share the same level of gravitas no matter what you're playing or what clown costume you have on any player), there ARE actually real humans who are built somewhere closer to lala than not, and would be drawn to playing any of the smaller races in a game (like, gnomes in WoW, halflings in D&D, etc) because that's just their chance at representation. And because FFXIV doesn't have anything other than precious moments doll-shaped people the look might be great in the sense that they have the proportions of a cherub statue and it is a lot harder to meet in the middle than a halfling (notoriously hairy middle aged bastards and much easier to read as adult, though that doesn't exclusively represent people who've had growth developmental differences), that IS still the only representative option some people have in the game and if they want to indulge it rather than play something else with proportions forced on them by many games, then what the hell is wrong with that?

And they WILL go to bat for lalas and get upset when people say that they have to be precious baby characters who act like children. I've seen that on tumblr: there's a whole lala community who keeps kinda low key and away from everyone else by their own admission BECAUSE as soon as they get too much attention they're deluged with hate for playing characters who have adult desires and dress fancy - or, you know, like any other random slutty elf WoL. The fact I wandered onto lala blogs at random and saw that complaint on the first pages should speak to how often they have to deal with it. And, again, within the fiction of the game their characters are completely 100% normal and doing what other lalas who are written by the game do as well. I KNOW those blogs are out there and they'd be scared of getting this exact ask, and it would greatly upset them and ruin their day and put them off having any interaction with the community, which fucking sucks. We're here to have fun!

That said I'm not a weirdo anti all up in others' business, it's also fine to just like lalas and stuff without some huge circumstantial justification like "they look like me" - or - "my IRL wife" or whatever - you can also just play a lala or ship with one and it's like, your business. If that's all you're doing and it's not a hypothetical child molester who also has a whole gallery of lala porn that the cops find when they impound the computer full of REAL CHILDREN stuff as well it's never going to be anyone else's business anyway, ever, and that's like, one hypothetical awful person for a whole fandom of normies who are just surprised by how much idk Pipin's deep voice rocked their world and changed their whole perspective on what a hot character was.

Like, granted, that one HYPOTHETICAL weirdo will make everything rancid because there are people waiting to jump on people who like lalas, but also it still won't actually change what other people are doing into being Evil just because someone who actually hurts children found lalas attractive too. That, again, was the hypothetical awful person's problem and not theirs. And in no way can we just casually imply ALL people who like lalas are just inherently going to be dangerous, like real children, or enacting a private psychodrama teetering on the edge of all that.

They could in fact be completely average and boring psychologically and also have a crush on Tataru. Or, I guess, normal amount of weird for a fandom, but basically average XD In a fictional world where these characters are treated as adults, even normal people will naturally end up drawn to them as adults because, well, that's the story that's we're all engaging in. It's not inherently a thought crime to do so, because, weirdly, thought crimes don't exist.

Also, of course, people will literally discourse that hobbits are child-coded and shouldn't be shipped or seen as sexy, despite the most famous halflings, who made the entire halfling race as a generic brand, all being middle aged, hairy, smoking, drinking, guys with normal adult desires and mindsets. I mean yeah Elijah Wood was 18 when they started filming LotR (over several years so he was Krile's age by the end :P) but also Frodo celebrated his 40th birthday before setting off on the Ring Quest in the book and he was the baby of the group aside from Pippin.

In any case, there's no fucking winning and so I can understand completely that if a fucking Hobbit from Lord of the Rings gets shit for being short, and people are getting called a perv for fancying Sam Gamgee, then why not just embrace it with a Lalafell because you're literally damned no matter what in the eyes of someone who won't meet a LOTR HOBBIT where he stands as an adult man.

There's some DEEP puritanical brainrot going on online and I don't want to be a part of it whatsoever, so it means accepting lala likers for the sake of protecting Merry and Pippin's right to be seen as hot, than like, I know which side of of the line I'm dragging my beach chair. It's not even a question. I'm defending people who think lalas are appealing.

ANYWAY none of this is my business, I don't even find lalas sexy, I just think Krile looks nice in her cute summer top and it's lovely that she's getting fashion advice from her besties, and there's a million reasons to be happy about that and for her as a character, and only miserable bastard reasons to go "aurgh aurgh it's problematic" and condemn the game and everyone who plays it just for enjoying something. Lalas are NOT smol and wholesome, they're short and people, and that's fine.

[hand-face-chan]

Uhhhhhhhh..... I have some........ thoughts.

Whoops! Sorry everyone!

the thomas thorne affair is clearly better than redding weddy. this is not a judgement on redding weddy but the thomas thorne affair is the third-best episode of the show and redding weddy is not

[feyd-meowtha]

Some thoughts on Dune, media literacy and the way we interact (and do not interact) with difficult topics in fiction....

Buddy, imma say this with kindness in my heart.... If this gets you 'tweaking' then you aren't gonna like the ending of Children of Dune...

On the media literacy note.... big sigh.

It is explicitly said that Feyd and Paul were meant to marry and have a child had Paul been born a girl - obviously the natural reaction is to consider what the nature/implications of that would have been. The source material is EXPLICITLY telling you that they were made for eachother, destined to be together. This is also the text EXPLICITLY telling you that this relationship would be an acceptable thing in this world. Therefore engaging with this concept is not at all a reach and is very much backed up by the source material. People are not getting this idea from nowhere.

(Also if that still offends you, they're not actually first cousins but cousins once removed and 2 seconds of thinking about the family tree would have made that obvious, not that it really matters at all in the context of this story, but it is a very easy feat of inductive reasoning)

The fact is that this is a story about ruling families and (as they almost always do) it involves a degree of incest. This is ESPECIALLY true in the world of Dune where these people are being selectively bred like show dogs to have certain genetic characteristics, I hope I do not have to patronise anyone by explaining how that works. Especially given as Reverend Mother Mohiam says this, oh, 10 pages into the first book:

People who haven't read the literature love to lecture people on literacy, funny.

So, in conclusion, if this is how you feel then, with love, Dune is not the story for you. The fact is that a degree of incest IS normalised in this universe and if you're inclined toward tedious moralising based on writers exploring difficult ideas in fiction then I'm honestly surprised you ended up here in the first place. Dune is a story that constantly presents the reader with difficult ideas and invites them to critique and analyse them for themselves, including the morality of the Bene Gesserit breeding programme. In Dune no character is morally pure, no ideology is beyond corruption and no path is free of ugly choices. As adults we can engage with these difficult topics as we wish.

*Sigh* A few years ago these people learned the term 'media literacy' and they've been insufferable ever since.

[avelera]

following up on my last ask about misconceptions, what is something in each viktor and jayce that you find very interesting/apparent that you think people shouldn’t overlook? or rather, something you wished people talked about/acknowledged more?

(i love reading your analyses/rants lol)

Thank you! I think overall for me it's Viktor's kindness and Jayce's competence which are both really almost superhuman and often overlooked.

1 ) For Viktor, I think his kindness is actually really interesting! So often, scientist characters are written as misanthropic and even cruel. I think that's why Viktor is often tarred with that brush.

But actually, Viktor is pretty scrupulously polite. For example, even while he disappoints and dismisses Sky, he's not rude or cruel about it, he's just focused on what he's doing. The meanest he arguably is to Jayce is when he quips that Jayce might be egotistical for signing his notes (implying that Jayce believes that what is in there is sooo valuable and important that he wants it to be attributed to him), but it is clearly teasing and once Jayce talks about how beautiful magic is, Viktor never teases him like that again.

Viktor is even incapable of framing an invention that could save his very much at-risk life as anything but a way to help others. He's so incapable of bringing harm to others or wishing ill on them that he struggles to ask for help and is ashamed of the idea that he could dedicate valuable cycles of their ingenuity to anything but making the world a better place, something he believes in passionately. He loathes the idea of suffering and the senseless waste of conflict. Once he has otherworldly power, he seeks out those most in need and tries to heal them, then works to establish a community of safety where everyone is welcome.

Honestly, one reason I push back so hard on cruel takes on Viktor, especially takes where he strikes people (like with his cane) or where he directs personal insults at Jayce is because he is not shown to be like that very tired scientist trope. He's arguably the kindest, most pacifistic character in the show. He reacts with anger at just the idea of scientific progress being turned towards weapons to hurt others but even when at his most enraged, he never raises his voice and he never makes attacks personal, he always focuses on the substances of the argument and keeps his discussions intellectual, even when he's deeply hurt or scared or angry himself. He's a fascinating character for this reason and it feels like a disservice to ignore this.

2 ) For Jayce, I think his competence is often overlooked. He's frequently thrown into situations that are far outside his experience but, all things considered, he succeeds far more often than he fails in a way that is almost superhuman. If anything, I feel like people should be more annoyed with him for how naturally good he is at things than how he sometimes makes mistakes!

- Jayce isn't a politician, but he does manage to broker a peace, tackle systemic corruption, and head off a potential civil war (to the best of his abilities before it all goes to shit for reasons largely outside his control) within weeks of getting the job. He has an absolutely meteoric career for the little time he spends there and the very little preparation he had. He also executes a coup against the founder of the city that is successful within weeks of getting there and regardless of how you feel about him deposing Heimerdinger just to save Viktor, that is pretty impressive lol that he managed to get a unanimous vote on it from people that just a week or so before were ready to sabotage him for his aforementioned crusade against corruption.

- Jayce invented Hextech. Viktor is the innovator and he pushes its boundaries, but Jayce is still the one who invented it from scratch (or rather, from one acceleration rune) with a dream and a box of scraps.

- Jayce (with Viktor) invented the Hexgates and championed them. He would have changed multiple industries with that move. Like, him getting canonized as the Man of Progress isn't crazy, something like the Hexgates would change the world even in our world with all its technology.

- Jayce isn't a fighter but he holds his own against Shimmer berserkers, some of the most fearsome fighters in Arcane, pretty much by just being physically gifted and knowing the abilities of his hammer very well since we didn't see him train with it or anything. On this count it's almost infuriating how lucky/good he is as something at which he has little or no practice, compared to say Vi's lifelong fighting ability. Jayce is able to watch others and pick up cues quickly.

The fact he killed a child is a tragic accident but, there he also learns quickly, realizing faster than others, even arguably Vi, where his own morals stand and taking that unwavering stance that he will do everything in his power to avoid civilian casualties from that point on. (Many people get mad at him for making weapons for Cait but, I would argue, we have no evidence that she hurt civilians outside the Chem Barons' organizations AND her strike team helped avoid a larger invasion, which would align with Jayce's goals after the death of Renni's son). Honestly, all the child-killing Jayce memes annoy the fuck out of me because of how impactful it was on him and how hard he worked from that point on to make sure it never happened again. No one gives Viktor the same shit about killing Sky even though they were similarly accidents.

Basically, Jayce is super good at almost everything he touches. He reason he's seen as less competent is because he goes outside his field of expertise more than I'd say ANY other character does in the show and even then, after some initial flailing, he gains mastery in an astonishingly short time. Jayce is actually a mental and physical genius and I think that gets overlooked a lot in fanworks that make him out to be some incompetent puppy.

[cheapshrimpysheep]

You Will Stop the Wedding! - Leona Kingscholar

SUMMARY: YOU were the one being kidnapped by Princess Eliza to marry her. How would he react and how would he save you? With the aggravation of he already having a crush on you.

CHARACTERS: Leona Kingscholar  x Reader

TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; Declaration

WORD COUNT: 870 words

Riddle Rosehearts / Leona Kingscholar / Azul Ashengrotto / Jamil Viper / Vil Schoenheit / Idia Shroud / Malleus Draconia

Rescuing You - Deuce Spade; Jack Howl; Floyd Leech; Kalim Al-Asim

COMMENTS: What have I done? Why did I commit to writing this? And why did I write so much? Why was I so inspired? There were seven of them! Why do I do this to myself? So yeah, this took me a long time. But I hope it was worth it, for me and for you.

CONTEXT: Someone was kidnapped to marry some ghost princess and might end up turning into a ghost too. And he just found out that someone was you.

Leona couldn't care less about someone being kidnapped by a delusional princess, until he finds out that the student who was kidnapped was YOU.

He shows himself to be more interested in the subject after that, which makes the other Housewardens question and some even messing with him. Probably Vil and Azul. He tells them to shut up.

He ends up not being part of the first groups, being in the last. Why? Because this is important, it is your life that is at risk after all. So he first needs to analyse those ghosts to know the best way to act. If it is necessary to risk losing pieces, then let them be pawns.

The whole time he acts like he's not doing this for you. As if he just wanted to prove that he could solve this in an instant. When it's the last group's turn, the other three who are with him end up staying behind to stall the guards. And he is the only one who can reach the ceremony hall.

And he follows the plan. He says to stop the wedding and the reason why the princess should marry him and not you is: “Unlike everyone who tried to woo you and unlike the person standing with you at the altar right now, I am actually royalty. Weren't you looking for a prince? Well, you have one right here. Now you just need to exchange that herbivore you have with you for me.”

The princess said he had good arguments, but she also showed that she didn't really like Leona's presumption.

“I apologize. I'm just trying to show you that I would be the more suited partner for you. The person you chose to be your partner doesn't even want to be there with you. Doesn't even like you.”

She gasps! And she starts to defend herself saying that it's a lie, that there is love for her in you, you just needed a little more time.

“Sorry to be the one to break the bad news to you, your Highness, but that's not how it works. It is not after marriage that love arises. It is not with money and wealth that love arises. At least not true love. You should find someone who sees beyond that. May they see you for who you are and not for what you have. Someone who doesn't care about titles. And only then, maybe marry them. Knowing that with or without your kingdom, they will stay by your side.”

The princess admits that what he says makes sense and is wonderful. But wouldn't something like that take a long time? Someone who can prove that they would stay with you no matter what. How would she know when she found them? And then, the guard who is in love with her decides to declare himself. And that whole ending of the princess realizing that she loved him too happens, they get married and happily ever after.

After everything, he took the time to brag to the others about having solved the problem and saved them all and the school. Some of the others still comment that that speech was very interesting. Maybe true? But with all his pride, he continues to say that just goes to show what a good actor he can be. He just doesn't get Vil's roles because he's not interested. “You would wish.” Vil replies.

When everyone was leaving and only the first-years were left to clean everything, Leona calls you for a minute. “So the ring ended up not being needed in the end. Tsk.” he comments “Here, you can have it.” He throws the ring towards you like throwing a coin in the air. “You never know if there are more single ghosts out there looking for a herbivore partner. Ha ha ha.”

He likes to mess with you, so you mess with him back. You say you wonder if the ghosts are the only ones who would like to have you as their partner.

“Are you implying that I'm also interested in you?” He smirks. In response, you ask why he would go to so much trouble to save someone he doesn't care about. “Did I ever say I didn't care about you?” He says, still smirking, but then adds: “Before I really know you don't count.”

Slightly fed up with all these mixed signals, you tell him that if he wants to tell you something now would be the time. Especially because if he just continues with those comments, you will simply accept the excuses he gives and understand that he really doesn't like you that way.

“Are you going to tell me that you don't like it when I'm hard to put up with?” he keeps saying with his smug face.

You turn to drop the conversation and walk away. After about three steps, he grabs your hand, stopping you and then pulling you towards him. His other hand on your waist.

“Fine, fine. What if I told you that whole speech was about you?” Maybe if he repeats it, looking into your eyes, you'll believe it. “Unfortunately for you, Savanaclaw is a dorm of actions, not words.” And he kisses your lips.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX