#i refuse to believe he finished

[btsbs]

.

[hinamie]

there's an art in the dark that took years to refine

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

There is a brutal contrast in how Megatron and Optimus's stories end. Optimus nobly surrenders his spark, along with the Matrix of Leadership, having been sent off by his dear and trusted friends after giving them a fond farewell. He has accomplished his life's greatest goal; now he is able to rest. He dies willingly, at peace, bringing hope and giving life to the next generation by restoring the Allspark.

Megatron had already been killed, and was told that he can never join that very Allspark. Having been enslaved, and only released because of Optimus's actions, he is now reanimated, inhabiting his own corpse. His only remaining ally, who has constantly betrayed him, does not understand him. He flies off, alone, having lost all his forces and failed in his mission, and realizing that his life's greatest purpose was misguided. He is left, we can only assume, to live a hellish and hopeless life--a shell, consumed by the past.

And he did not tell Optimus goodbye. He knows that Optimus will leave him behind, will obtain the heaven he can never enter. He gives him the parting gift of his repentance, to acknowledge this. But in his refusal to say farewell, there is an echo of his own wretched endurance. He does not get to rest. Megatron will remain, eternally alone--eternally waiting for a reunion that will never come.

[alkhemeya]

That moment when your IPad is currently in repair so you have to pull out SAMSUNG NOTES.

It's been 5 years since I've used my fingers like this, and it shows. Procreate spoiled me man.

Anyways, Mr. Jonathan/Johnathan Sims, in my mind. Yes, it's a sketch, but it's been 5 years since I've drawn with my fingers.

The moment my IPad is fixed, I will post an actual drawing of him in my head.

[catcherwrites]

TDP S7E9 Rewatch (feat. my commentary)

Last one for the road, and it’s another long one!

Kosmo’s prophecy is so creepy, I love it

Do you think when our heroes got back to Katolis and explained everything to Aanya she had a massive “I told you so” moment with Ezran about Aaravos baiting him?

If I remember correctly, it’s canon that Avizandum could travel through lightning bolts, so it makes sense that Zym can also do that. I just wish it’d been hinted earlier in the show itself. I’m sure many people are confused as to how Zym suddenly gained the power to transport himself halfway across the continent

Fun fact, I also headcanon this as the moment Zym unlocked his ability to speak (he just had more important things to worry about than choosing his first words)

When I was first watching this, I kept saying “just do it, come onnnn, no more chit-chat, time to save the world!” It’s safe to say my feelings haven’t changed much since then.

Claudia the last two episodes: do a cool magic trick to stop someone from hurting Aaravos, then get hit out of the sky and knocked unconscious

This was such a powerful moment for Rayla and Callum, you can see how heartbroken they are that the other is being forced to sacrifice their principles to save the world

Aaravos is rightfully smug. He knows that he’ll find a way out. It just takes time – time that he has in abundance and the heroes have in short supply

Hey Sparklepuff! Your role in S7 was limited to this one thing and your depth exists primarily in subtext, but I’m glad you’re here sweetheart

A minor change I’d make to this scene, is that I’d show Avizandum actively fighting the control Aaravos has on him (even if it’s just in the background). I’d show that Zubeia’s words had at least some effect on him before we get that out-of-nowhere attack

Callum fails to complete the spell, but the exertion of attempting it is what gave him that streak of white. I actually kinda like that! We saw that successfully coining Kpp’Ar completely altered Viren’s features, so it makes sense that a dark magic spell that potent would still alter you, even when it’s unfinished

Aaravos knows he’s going to die, so he sends Claudia away to avoid the nova. It’s sort of sweet…in a deeply toxic way?

Pleasantly surprised that Stella can manipulate portals she didn’t make herself. I hope we see that again later

Ah the infamous “I got you” “I know” Yeah, well I know what you are

From the waist up Aaravos getting dragged into the air looks really good…the waist down looks a little goofy. Look at how he’s kicking his legs like a toddler in swimming lessons!

I wish there’d been some verbal communication between the dragons? I don’t know, maybe Zubeia yelling “We need to get higher up, further away, my love. Domina! Shield them!” It’d go a long way to help explain what’s going on without breaking the tension of the scene

Crazy that they just had to drop the staff to destroy the orb. Do you think it would’ve exploded in one minute if Aaravos hadn’t died and exploded everything anyway?

Soren saying “I don’t know…” is gut wrenching (because it’s true, he doesn’t know if he could go through with it), and Claudia deciding not to go through with killing him either because “I’m still nice!” is equally as gut wrenching

Domina! You finally spoke!

Oh, I could spot Aaravos crying as he died, that’s cool! I didn’t notice that before

I loved the nova. The music was great, the emotions were fraught, the sacrifices were satisfying, the consequences are real and significant

Putting the archdragons memorial in the Valley of Graves is a wonderful nod to the initial conflict of S4, complete with Corvus performing on his cello

Broyals! My boys are repairing their relationship! Good for them!

I recognised Dante’s voice immediately my first watch through, and I’m not gonna lie. I had to pause the show and walk a lap of my entire home just to process it. I’m equally annoyed (in a good way) and ecstatic that they got Dante of all people to voice Zym

One last case of Sorvus banter for the road

Quickfire notes on the city ceremony: Gus is a fitting name for the big mushroom, the Crow Lord is BEAUTIFUL, there are also so many other very beautifully painted background characters that I desperately want a dating sim of, Lujanne’s on her feet again, Miyana has twins (good for her), Nyx and Villads are still bickering, Kosmo and Astrid were reunited at some point, and Evrkynd is the corniest name ever (are they going for ‘every kind’ or ‘forever kind’?)

Oh boy Terry and Soren with their shared Claudia trauma

I don’t know if it’s an animation error or a purposeful decision, but Claudia’s hair is back to being 1/4 black

Runaan’s speech is incredible and Jonathan’s performance was spectacular. It’s the summation of so many arcs on so many levels: Runaan himself, but also the Moonfam and Xadia as a whole. Each character we see reacts to what Runaan says differently in ways that make sense for them!

“I don’t know how, but I have to try” Sasha delivered that line wonderfully, filled with so much emotion. If I weren’t already tearing up from Runaan’s speech, I would be now

Ezran and Rayla! My children are also repairing their relationship! Good for them!

Oh boy…the Harrow thing. I have thoughts, but I’ll get into them at the end. For now, all I’ll say is the first time I watched S7, I had to take another lap around the house to process this revelation too

Pyrrah getting her own bowl of coffee was so cute

THE CUBE THE CUBE THE FREAKING CUBE…I’m normal I swear, it’s just we haven’t seen anything of it this entire season

This little present Callum orchestrated for Rayla is so sweet it’s rotting my teeth

I’m paused on the flickering of the Leola’s Last Wish star just before it turns into her constellation. I know what’s coming, I almost cried the first time and I’m pretty sure it’ll happen this time too.

Yep. I’m tearing up again.

Leola’s Last Wish is so, so, so important. It’s the core of the whole show. For better or worse, almost everything happened the way it did because of love. Leola with Aaravos, Callum and Ezran with Damian, Sarai and Harrow, Claudia and Soren with Viren and Lissa, Rayla with Runaan, Ethari, Tiadrin and Lain, Zym with Zubeia and Avizandum. And that’s just the parent-child relationships! There’s also love between siblings, friends, and romantic partners! Leola wishes more than anything that you know you’re loved, and that message hits hard for a lot of people regardless of their age.

It's not very often that a kids show ends like this. Normally there’s a joyful swelling in the orchestration, a big fireworks spectacular, a fun dance or party, or a final scene that entices you to want more (looking at you, S3). But this is soft, quiet, and intimate. I love this ending.

Overall thoughts:

This episode has so much that I adore. It’s definitely one of my favourites, although I mightn’t classify it as a ‘rewatch’ episode because of how emotionally fraught it continues to make me. The animation is consistent, the emotional beats hit hard, and the show tries its best to wrap up as many character arcs as it can in under 30 minutes. That said, it leaves a lot of threads hanging in a way that bothers me slightly because of how uncertain TDP’s future is.

The biggest one for me is by far, Harrow. I wish we’d been given more of a set-up for that reveal in the last two seasons (I think S5 was the last time I gave Pip a second thought). Surely we could’ve had a line from Viren in S6 where he says to Soren “I have no right to ask this of you, but please tell me when King Ezran returns. I have one last confession to make.” Because if he swapped Harrow and Pip, surely he’d try to tell someone that the King isn’t dead when he returned to Katolis for punishment?

More than anything, I’m intrigued by what the plan is for Arc 3. The world has been irrevocably changed by events from the last two and a half years. Peace has been restored, Katolis castle is burned to the ground, a new city-state is being built on the border, all the archdragons are dead besides Zym (who is now King?), Claudia escaped, and everyone is preparing for Aaravos’ return. And that’s not even getting started on what could happen in the timeskip between S7 and S8!

With all that being said, thank you so much to the creative team behind The Dragon Prince. This journey has been a wild ride, and I hope you enjoyed making the show as much as I loved watching it. There was incredible animation, incredible music, incredible writing, and incredible acting; and I wish all of you the very best in your other endeavours (until Arc 3 is announced please please pretty please Netflix).

[gn-bee]

Not depicted: the provocation of Haganezuka exhibited by Kotetsu (nor the classic chase that happens after).

Does Ume approve of the blatant teasing Kotetsu commits against Hotaru? No, not really.

Will she commit to the bit? Absolutely she will.

(And she'll make up for her betrayal later.)

She's got a limit though (back hurty)

[aspaceace]

axel/lea sketches bc i like him a normal, healthy amount

[ink--theory]

currently trying to teach my pa how the policies of that moldy ass orange of a man has been spewing out are actually gonna be extremely bad for us if they end up coming to fruition

[floralovebot]

went fucking insane

template!!

[trevisos]

i don’t think leaving the crows entirely is in the cards for magpie and lucanis but i can see a post game future where lucanis gives up the first talon seat, probably after caterina dies and he’s been forced to actually Do His Job as first talon for a couple of months and has a breakdown about it lol. i think after that he and magpie just like, operate more or less independently but are still technically crows. because magpie simply will not leave while viago is there. that isn’t an option. but if lucanis giving up on being first talon is what keeps them both sane and allows them to spend more time with neve she could do that. so probably they just live out their days killing blood mages and cultists across tevinter for insane sums of money and in between help neve solve her cases and still host family dinners with viago and teia occasionally :)

[oh-no-who-took-my-sushi]

at least i got to punch solas

[oetscop]

all i have to offer another person are various orifices and three (3) copies of house of leaves

[lala-blahblah]

thought about ace attorney too hard and now am icked out over it like when you eat too much halloween candy as a kid. I need 2 detox and engage with something else... perhaps i shall finally finish the raven cycle series

[todayisafridaynight]

not to make people believe in me and my work ethic but im lowkey a liiiitttttleeee stoked to share the fics ive been cookin lately..

[inavagrant-a]

I meant to share this earlier when I posted about it but I got sleepy awraxa.

Hat guy: plain, boring, does not invoke any sort of presence Don sombrero: invokes a powerful presence, powerful, a name you will not forget.

[thewritingpossum]

I cannot wait to submit my last paper so I finally go back to and finish this damn fanfic that was supposed to be like 3000 words and take me like 5 days to write 🥴