#integrated into both the series and the episode

[softtdaisy]

love is an easy dance / Aaron Hotchner

summary. just you and Hotch celebrating your engagement and how much you love each other

words count. 2 517

what to expect. honestly nothing but love, this is just sweet

a/n. this is heavily inspired by the wedding episode in Dharma & Greg he looked so soft and cute and i thought Hotch deserved his moment too

Aaron Hotchner series masterlist | criminal minds masterlist | F1 masterlist | general masterlist | request

“Oh my god, I feel like I have to congratulate you again.”

You heard Penelope's high-pitched tone in your back right before she wrapped her arms around you. Her chin fell on your shoulder, like it did the other times she came for a hug. You cuddled your head against hers in a laugh, appreciating this new wave of love. 

She had done that four or five times already through the evening. You could blame the alcohol for her very tactile and affectionate behavior. But it would be underestimating Penelope’s capacity to show her love and her happiness for you. And that was without counting the regular congratulations she gave you through the past weeks. 

You still blame the alcohol for some of the things -plurals- she said tonight. You weren’t sure how many times she threatened to run away with you if Hotch wasn’t looking. 

Hotch, who looked at you both with a sweet smile on his face. No words could explain the wholesome feeling he had tonight, watching his now-fiancée receiving so much love from the team. It felt as though you were an integral part of their group. And you were part of this family. His family.

Penelope grabbed your hand, the one you had put on top of hers, to look at your ring again. “Aaron, you really outdid yourself with this one.” 

You smiled, seeing his cheeks take on a pink tone. You two were the only ones to know the story behind the engagement ring you had been wearing for a month already. 

For your anniversary, Hotch offered you a trip to London. No professional engagement, no kid—even though you both missed Jack—just the two of you celebrating your love. And during a walk in town, you noticed the ring in a store. You couldn’t explain it; you weren’t even a jewelry expert. You just saw it in the shop window and felt like it was made for you. But you didn’t tell Hotch until late at night, lying in his arms in the hotel bed. 

“I think I love this ring more than I love you right now,” you remember laughing. Both for your joke and for his kisses down your neck. 

You mostly remember the next hour spent with Hotch doing his best to make sure you would always love him more. And that man truly had more than one trick up his sleeve to make you fall in love with him again. And again. And, oh god, again. 

Yet, this ring stayed on his mind the whole night, and he had to convince you to look at it the next day “so I can know who’s my opponent in your heart.” You loved the way he said that, with his hand in yours, something natural and casual. 

You’ve seen Hotch come back from the field broken and sad so many times that you sometimes forgot that Aaron was still there. A good, funny, and amazing man that was the sun in your life even in your darkest days. 

Next thing, you went to see the ring. A ring that actually cost way too much for a casual buy. A ring that turned out to be an engagement ring—information you missed the first time. 

You knew Aaron was the love of your life, the man you wanted to be with for the rest of your days. Yet, you’ve never talked about getting engaged. You knew enough about his first marriage to not pressure him into another one. 

So you laughed about it, saying something about trying to trap him into marrying you and how he ruined your little game. And for you, the joke was over there.

Little did you know that Hotch never forgot about the ring, also feeling like it was made for you. And that he spent multiple months using his friend in London, Miss Emily Prentiss herself, to get the perfect ring for the woman he loved. Asking her to check the ring, sending rings of yours to get the good measure. Going back to London by himself, just to buy the ring himself. 

One night, after a romantic Friday night together, the ring was around your finger, and the name Hotchner was soon to be yours. 

And tonight, everyone was at Rossi’s house to celebrate your engagement. 

“Who thought Hotch could be a romantic?” Derek joked, which caused your fiancé to roll his eyes at the remark—one he knew he kind of deserved. And you had to fight hard to not answer that you did. They had no idea how full of surprises this man could be. 

Penelope moved from behind your back to stand next to you. “What do you know about romanticism, Derek Morgan?”

This simple question started a whole debate between Penelope and Derek about love and little attention. Mostly based on teasing each other, but that wasn’t a surprise with them. After meeting them, you had to ask Hotch about their relationship, to which he replied with a shrug and an “I’m not sure I can’t tell you much because I’m not even sure I know much.” 

You followed their conversation like a tennis game at first. 

And you would probably have kept doing that for a good moment if you didn’t feel a hand grabbing yours, softly. No matter how many hands you could shake tonight, even with your eyes closed, nothing could ever feel like Hotch’s. 

His hands weren’t the softest—you blamed his work for this. But there was something about the roughness of his skin, the width of his fingers that could cover your hand so easily, the feeling against your skin of the small scars and other marks caused by life in general, or the tenderness he always put in his touch when it was you. Aaron had always been nothing but tender with you.

Especially now, with his fingers intertwined with yours and his thumb caressing the back of your hand so casually, while his little steps guided you away from the conversation and into Rossi’s garden. 

“Are you kidnapping me, Aaron Hotchner?” You asked with a tone that was meant to be serious. But the smile you couldn’t take away from your face tonight was ruining the whole pretense.

Or maybe not. Because Aaron simply replied with the very same tone, one he used for work. One that you heard from him on the phone when he answered with his simple—but very hot—“Hotchner.” One of the many things that convinced you to take his last name.

“Yes, that’s my plan.” He said “Any problem with that?”

“None.”

Aaron turned his head slightly, enough to look at you. And the smile he gave you was just as big and sincere as the one you offered him. In these moments, you couldn’t deny JJ’s words when she said that it felt like love was invented to describe people like you.

You didn’t go far in the backyard. Enough to be alone without anyone seeing you; most of the curtains were pulled anyway. Enough to still hear the music and some of the voices from outside. Enough to have your own bubble, not too far from your friends.

“Good,” Aaron finally replied. He stood in front of you, and you took a moment to appreciate the view of the man you would marry one day.

Hotch was in a suit almost every single day for work. You knew that a part of his brain associated some ties to the awful cases he was on while wearing them. And more than that, the simple thought of wearing a suit—even if he looked absolutely gorgeous in them, your desire knew about that—was linked so tightly with his job that he couldn’t bring himself to wear one tonight.

Yet, he wanted to look good for you. Something Aaron wasn’t speaking about much but that he gave you some snippets of was his fear of not being enough for you. His age, his look, and his attitude sometimes when his job was killing him and he didn’t have the heart to pretend he was fine—something you’ve never expected from him anyway. You had learned that part of the reason he was scared of proposing to you was that he felt like he would trap you in a wedding you didn’t want with a man who wasn't worthy of your love. 

It was an everyday challenge to remind him that you wouldn’t change him in any way.

And so, because of his looks and suits problems—not that you would call that a problem personally—he had a hard time choosing what to wear tonight. He settled on a dark blue shirt with two buttons opened that showed a glimpse of his collarbone and the sleeves rolled up on his forearms—you guessed it was some kind of gift for you and your obsession with his arms. And some dark pants that you bought not long ago after his body changed. 

But to be honest, he could have come in his pajamas, and Aaron Hotchner would still be the most handsome man in the room to you. 

You brought a hand to his neck, caressing his skin, and used it as a shelf to move closer to him and kiss him softly on the lips. You didn’t kiss him enough tonight.

“I had some very persuasive arguments otherwise,” he added against your lips. 

He took a step back, only for his hands to glide down your back. Inviting you to a secret dance only for the two of you. One you didn’t have to share with the others this time.

“Oh, you did, Prosecutor Hotchner?” You replied, your fingers playing with his short hair.

“I haven’t heard that in a long time.” He laughed, being pushed back to decades ago for a second. “But yes, yes I did.” 

But Aaron didn’t give any. Because you didn’t need to hear any of them, you would follow your man to the end of the world just for the sake of seeing the beautiful smile on his face. The BAU was hard on him, and you could honestly count on the fingers of one hand the number of nights he came home with a relaxed expression. Not looking exhausted and, well, broken. 

So to see such a happy expression on him was…relieving. And a good reminder why you loved Aaron so much. Not that you didn’t love the unit chief, but you loved the man underneath more. 

When you started dating, you laughed that you felt like falling in love more and more every day with him. “I’m scared of the day you’ll stop loving me more,” he had replied with a soft smile—again a glimpse of his fear, even if this one was mostly a joke.

“I love you,” you said in a whisper tonight. Looking at Aaron. The way the moonlight was reflecting in his eyes, how he looked so magical tonight. “Still more and more every single day.”

“That’s funny,” he replied, kissing your forehead softly. “I had the exact same thought right now.” He kept giving you kisses, from your temple to your cheek and down to your lips. Tracing a love path on your face.

You got closer to him, cuddling your face in the crook of his neck. Closing your eyes to appreciate his soft and very masculine perfume and the feeling of his hands traveling on your back. And for a moment, you forgot everything. The party, the people inside waiting for you. Yesterday and tomorrow. 

All that mattered was Aaron. All that will always matter was him. 

You felt him move his head, his hair caressing your skin in a soft movement, before his mouth reached your ear. “Promise me that we will always keep loving each other more every day.” 

You waited a second or two, just the moment for your heart to embrace this promise. None of you had any doubt about this. But it was different hearing Aaron ask you for the same thing that was a permanent thought in your head. Reminding you he felt just the same.

But then, after these two seconds—or maybe three—you slowly cup his face between your hands, your thumb softly caressing his cheeks. Before moving your face closer to rub your nose against him. 

“I promise to always love you more every day for the rest of my life, Aaron Hotchner,” you whispered against his lips. 

Sharing a kiss. A simple and brief kiss. That you interrupted to say, “But you kind of ruined the surprise of my wedding vows, you realized that?”

“I plead guilty,” he laughed, his hand meeting your neck so he could keep your face against his to make the kiss last.

And this time you weren’t the one interrupting it.

“Will the two lovebirds honor us with their company?” you heard Rossi say from the opening window in your back.

You jumped at his voice but quickly joined Aaron’s laugh, who cuddled you harder against him like he was trying to protect you. And he was doing that very well, with his muscular arms tight around you. 

His lips met your temples again for a quick kiss before you said, “I think our guests are waiting for us.” 

“Remind me why we didn’t celebrate it alone, only the two of us.” Aaron asked, taking your hand to walk to the door. This became such a natural habit, to walk together with your hands tied, that you felt empty when his palm wasn’t pressed against yours. 

“Because they are our family.”

And you couldn’t even imagine what these simple words meant for him. 

The team was his family; that was for sure. Brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts for Jack—sometimes they were even sons and daughters to him when they needed to be. And Hotch would be lying if he said he appreciated feeling like a father to them from time to time. 

But for you to consider them like your family too—and he knew for sure that the team had adopted you as an active member too—was…something else. Even if he had no doubt that you were the one already. These simple words kept confirming that he wasn’t on the wrong path in choosing you as his wife and a stepmother for Jack.

As an answer to that, Aaron stopped you midway. With your hand still in his, he pulled you against him one last time. The surprise made you trip and fall against his lap in a laugh that resonated in the silent garden. 

His other hand on your neck kept you against him when he whispered, “I love you,” in the most sincere and honest tone you probably ever heard from him. Like it was a need for him to say it, right here and right now. 

But at this point, and he couldn’t care less about sounding like a hopeless romantic, Aaron felt the need to share his love with you every moment you were next to him. And hopefully, you would be by his side for a very long time.

Tag List: @kiwriteswords @monzabee @raysmayhem-72 @kajjaka @pastelpinkflowerlife @winyourheartemma (if you want to be in it, ask me and I’ll be happy to add you x)

[inksandpensblog]

Still fascinated by how much hate Mitsi gets for the whole "dead fem-coded loved one backstory" thing and all the hangups surrounding that when Purple's mom is arguably a much more egregious instance of the thing everyone is upset about Mitsi for but she ultimately got a pass because...idk, she was The First?

[porcubus]

i think a lot of plot threads were really unceremoniously dropped and I think it is so evil that gemma gets sidelined so much especially as a woc (which severance seems to be gaining a bit of a track record for now) and ends the season in just a brand new form of pain like jesus fucking christ

at the same time I don't think mark and helly were running away thinking they'd have a life down there they were running for the sake of being alive and together just a little longer & I don't think the implication is that they fumbled the gemma rescue I think it'd be just insane if s3 begins and she's just. Back in there and while some choices are questionable I don't think they'd do that devon and cobel are more than likely just outside. maybe this is too hopeful but it felt clear to me

my hope is for s3 to do due diligence with the way things ended and spend more time with gemma as a main character (hopefully having that time tie in more with devon And Her Kid We Forgot & ricken and whatever the hell he's doing since we've been told they were all close)

[moosegbt]

Happy one year anniversary to my Over the Garden Wall VHS tape project!

I made it in both orange and black. I like black more, but orange really feels more in the spirit of the season. I used the shell from a VHS copy of the Rugrats movie.

I made the box art using various screenshots from the show, as well as some promo art. The description was taken from the DVD release, and the description title “will you take a peek?” was the tagline during the promotion of the show.

The back also has a fun little easter egg: the barcode is for candy corn!

What’s more is the tape has a special cut of the series that I made myself. I cropped every single scene in every single episode to make sure it naturally fit in a 4:3 aspect ratio, and I edited the episodes together to flow as if it were one movie (the pacing is a little like Babe). Additionally, I added trailers for movies that give me the same nostalgic vibes (The Last Unicorn, Princess Mononoke, Steven Universe: The Movie, and The Iron Giant). I also added the Warner Brothers and Cartoon Network title cards.

I printed this cut into the tape by integrating a VCR into my PC setup. If you want to see more about this project, I have a few videos about it on my TikTok @MooseGBT, or you can check out the main one right here!

The video has an earlier version of the tape, which is why the actual tape doesn’t have a real label (it’s kind of just a piece of paper slapped on upside down with tape). The content on the tape, however, is the same.

This was a really fun project, and I’ve already started working on a VHS cut of Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Steven Universe: The Movie, the Star Wars Sequel trilogy (I have 1-6 on VHS, and I also want 7-9), and the other Star Wars movies (the Christmas Special, the Clone Wars, Solo, Kenobi, and Rogue One). I also have plans to begin editing and printing the FNAF movie, the spiderverse trilogy (once ATSV pt 2 comes out), and Don’t Hug me I’m Scared.

[sunflowerdigs]

Writers generally write plots in order to take a character from point a to point b. For instance, for Buck's bisexual discovery episode, rather than thinking "I'm going to have Buck meet this hot pilot and see what happens", Tim probably thought "I want Buck to come out as bisexual. How do I believably do that?"

People keep saying that if 911 is going to move forward, it needs to start bringing on new blood and integrating it into the cast. Well, this season, Ravi has been spotlighted multiple times. But in order to bring on someone new, someone else has to leave or fall back a bit. Technically, Tim could move one of the younger characters to another shift, but I doubt any of the younger actors want their screentime cut. However, Peter has stated that he's not into doing all the stunts anymore (and he looked super miserable shivering under a towel shooting the cruise line story) and that he might want to spend less time shooting generally. After all, he's getting a nice, fat producer cut now. He could probably shoot part-time and still make the kind of money he wants, and that would free up some budget for another character.

Additionally, unlike all of the other characters, Bobby has options that would keep him within the world of the firefam and would give 911 the opportunity to explore new parts of the first responder world. He is senior enough to run or be nominated for a senior position in LAFD, one that operates more behind the scenes, structuring budgets, communicating with news outlets, creating trainings, etc. That's a whole new world for the show. It keeps Bobby in the mix enough that we could occassionally see him show up at the firehouse for dinner, but creates a much less demanding shooting schedule for Peter.

But Bobby would never go for that. He would have to retire and then get bored. So, the question becomes "How do we take Bobby from gung-ho fire captain to someone who voluntarily gives up his post?" After all, s7 ended with him finding new energy for the job. A near-death experience like the one with the car pile-up wouldn't cut it. Because Bobby has faced those multiple times over the course of the series and hasn't considered giving up. It just wouldn't be believable to the audience and wouldn't be dramatic enough to cause the kind of shake-up that Tim wants to do. So, what would be?

Well. What if Bobby and everyone Bobby loves had to think he was dead for multiple days? What if the audience had to think that? What if viewers and the firefam had to watch Athena and her children (including Clifford) grieve him? If Bobby came back after something like that, absolutely, both the audience and the firefam would buy his wanting to finally retire. Especially if you throw a dream house into the mix? And Bobby suddenly desperately wanting to live as he's dying? Folks may end up messaging Tim on Facebook demanding that Bobby retire RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.

So. That's just some food for thought as to why Tim might do a death and resurrection. Additionally, whenever any character has a drawn out near-death experience it gives the writers permission to make big character shifts very quickly as characters process their grief. Characters are allowed to look at their lives, realize tomorrow is not promised, and choose things they may not have before the death. Those changes are even more believable if the audience has to mourn the character who almost dies with the characters experiencing a shift. So. You know. If, say, the show was going to have a character, I don't know, recontextualize his relationship with his best male friend and realize that choosing him would be choosing joy? Or if another character who had never stood up for a leadership position before were to suddenly want to do that? A major death that the audience felt alongside those characters might ease those transitions.

Think about it.

[atlaculture]

From ATLA to LOK to Seven Havens Pt. 1

So I'm sure you're all aware that Avatar Studios is currently working on a new series starring the new Earth Avatar immediately following Korra. It'll take place in a cyberpunk setting where the four nations no longer exist. To be honest, I don't see myself following this series unless it manages to generate a lot of positive feedback within the first few episodes. I like fantasy and I like cyberpunk, but I don't really want to see a show juggle both.

That said, from a behind-the-scenes perspective, the way the franchise has evolved provides us with unique insight into what Bryke initially wanted for ATLA.

Above is the very first sketch that Bryan ever did of Aang. As you can see, our protagonist was originally supposed to have a giant dog-bear sidekick and the setting was supposed to be futuristic. Hmm... Sounds familiar.

Katara originally had loosely-tied bundles of hair that framed her face. This hard-to-animate type of hair would get passed on to Korra.

Bryke initially wanted all bending to be based on only one style, specifically Northern Shaolin. It was Sifu Kisu that convinced them to have each nation practice a different type of kung fu. With Korra, they were able to integrate the four elements into one martial art as they had originally planned; this time, they used MMA, as it had gotten quite popular by the 2010s.

[prettiest-thing-in-the-morgue]

ᴼᴺᴱ ᴼᶠ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴳᴵᴿᴸˢ

✐ an au where the reader is the favorite person in batfam because THEY DESERVE TO BE THE FAVORITE

one of the girls

(by the weeknd)

◁◁ Ⅱ ▷▷

0:00 ●───────────4:51

.　 *　.　　　　. 　 ° 　. ● ° . ¸ .　　★　° :.　 . • ° 　 .　 *　:.　☆

- reader is an average person - literally, they're not a vigilante by choice, of course, though even though they don't take part in the vigilante life, it doesn't mean they don't help.

- reader is such a life saviour, especially after a particularly grueling patrol always coming in clutch with hot chocolate they made for everyone in cute matching hello kitty cups because they're girlie pop .

- reader always helps patches everyone up - giving everyone deserved head pats, especially to poor dick because he always goes too hard on himself .

- despite not being a vigilante - reader knows about who they are and what they do - kinda hard not too when Jason is crashing in the loving room couch with a black eye.

- despite having not being as tech savvy as Barbra and Tim , the reader always sits with them - always engaging them in the latest gossip, which helps time pass by faster !

-every morning, Cas and readers literally does hot girl yoga sessions in Cas' rooms because why not ? And of course, they're both giggling about how last night on patrol Damian totally didn't slip and fall when he grappled onto a rooftop.

- every morning before they get ready for school , all the girls are huddled in Stephanie's room, and they're all picking out what matching sweaters they're all repping to school and they're doing each other's eyeliner while Chappel Ronan is blasting in the background <3.

- During lunch , Tim and the reader and a couple of other friends are gathered around a lunch table playing uno - Tim literally always changing up the rules when he's losing which earns a playful smack from reader lol.

- after school , Damian and the reader both at the park playing with Titus in the park and feeding the nearby ducks in the pond . One time Reader fell in the pond and Damian couldn't stop laughing at them for a whole week.

- Jason and reader are always trying to one up each other on who can run up the stairs faster ( fun fact it's neither of them it's actually Alfred ) and they're both always grumpy when he beats them both because wdym an old man is faster than them -.

- reader and Duke always do homework together every night - both literally confused - literally the blind leading the blind because neither of them understands what their homework requires of them.

- dick and reader ends off the night by watching a random series like love island together and both gets way too political on who should end up with who and if either watches an episode without the other ITS BETRAYAL .

- reader and Bruce unironically text and communicate with each other in cringey memes, which only they find funny at this point -

- reader who helps Alfred with menial chores because they wanna spend time with him and plus Alfred is always spilling tea about his missions back in the day like wdym Alfred flirted with the Queen of England once -

- so all in all, despite not being a vigilante , reader is integrated in batfam's life so much so their literally dubbed the favorite sibling .

- like the one day reader spent the day with a friend's, Damian, Duke, Cas and Tim showed up and crashed it because they missed them so much . Reader had 12 missed calls from Bruce , 50+ messages rom Dick accusing them of not loving him because they abandoned him , a video sent from Jason of him eating reader's hidden stash of sweets and a message from steph saying she's stealing reader's hair curler .

- Alfred literally brags about reader like their the only grandchild he has 😭😭.

Overall, chaotic family shenanigans and overall batfam loves reader too much .

[camcat1320]

The Fortune-Teller does not deserve the hate it has received. It's actually a great episode that people misunderstand. Let me explain.

Kataangers love the episode for it says Katara is destined to be with Aang. Zutarians hate the episode for this reason along with forcing Katara into a pigeon hole. I stand between these warring tribes and say that they are both wrong.

To be clear, I am a Zutarian. If we would've had a Book 4 like the head writer had intended, this episode would've been integral for that book.

"But the 3-act story structure!" some may argue. A 3-act story structure is just a 4-act story structure in disguise.

Anyways, let's continue.

The destiny that Aunt Wu foretells does not give names and is vague in nature. She tells Katara that she is to be married to a powerful bender. She didn't say the most powerful nor did she say bender of all four elements. One doesn't have to be the Avatar to be a powerful bender.

Come Aang's fortune, she foretold of a great battle between good and evil that will determine the fate of the world. We immediately think of Aang battling Firelord Ozai to end the 100 year war. However, this fortune is vague and could foretell another battle after Ozai has fallen.

When Aunt Wu learns that Aang wants to learn about his future about love, she cheers him up by giving him a vague, seemingly harmless white lie to satisfy him. "Follow your heart and you will be with the one you love." Since Aang is 12, he can easily misconstrue infatuation for love.

I believe The Fortune-Teller is a giant red herring that many people in both Zutara and Kataang sectors have fallen for. But wait, what is a red herring?

In literature, a red herring is a device to throw the characters and the audience off the scent of future events. It's meant to distract and deceive.

At the end of The Fortune-Teller, Katara believes she is destined to be with Aang and Aang believes it as well. Throughout the remainder of the series, Katara's emotional bond with Aang is challenged. Then by The Ember Island Players, Katara is confused, unsure about her feelings, unsure about her destiny.

What other character struggled with his perception of his destiny?

For the majority of the series, Zuko falsely believed that his destiny was to hunt down the Avatar and regain his honor. We know that this destiny was forced upon him by his father, Ozai.

But as Iroh has said, "Destiny is a funny thing." Iroh had believed he would have been in Ba Sing Se as a conqueror but instead, he had liberated Ba Sing Se from Fire Nation occupation.

Zuko had turned against his father and his supposed destiny and set out to aid the Avatar instead. After this, Zuko's new belief is that it is his destiny to help Aang in defeating Ozai instead. Truly, destiny is funny that way.

But why is this only applied to Zuko? Why isn't this the same message given to Katara's arc? Is she truly destined to be with Aang and she cannot fight against this fate? Is this strong female character destined to be reduced to servitude?

The same girl that inspired imprisoned earthbenders to fight back? The same girl that fought against gender roles in her own culture? The same girl that didn't give into despair and led her crew out of the desert? The same girl that aided in healing a Fire Nation village? The same girl that rose above her mentor and used bloodbending to save her loved ones? The same girl that went toe to toe with Azula and won?

I SAY NAY!

Imagine, if you will, what Katara's continued arc could've been like in Book 4. Katara would've defied the destiny that was forced upon her and determined her destiny for herself. But in the end, destiny is a funny thing for this action only plays into fate. Zuko is a powerful bender after all. 👀

Now, I must depart before I give too many spoilers for my writing. Fare thee well, until we meet again!

[longing-for-rain]

Katara and Mutuality in Relationships

There are lots of conflicting opinions about which characters Katara felt attraction towards, which characters she didn’t, and how long she felt that attraction. I see in most cases, people point to quick clips of her faintly blushing or kissing another character on the cheek as evidence, but I think these kind of takes miss the nuance of the purpose attraction serves in a story.

Most importantly, I see these characters treated as if they are actually people capable of making their own decisions. It’s important to remember that these are fictional characters. They don’t make their own choices; the writers make their choices for them for the purpose of telling a story. From that standpoint, it’s more valuable to examine how a character’s story and narrative themes tie into their relationships with other characters. Animators can shove in a kiss or a blush wherever they want, but it’s harder to demonstrate through storytelling how and why two characters might feel attraction towards one another, and how a relationship between them would develop both characters and contribute to the overarching themes of the story.

In other words, when discussing which characters Katara is “attracted” to, I’m discussing which relationships and actions within the narrative build on her established story and arc. Romance is always integrated into a story for a reason, and considering that reason is important.

Unfortunately, ATLA is very much a product of its time in this way. It’s easy to see what romance adds to the arcs of the male characters—but not so much with the female characters. All three canon relationships (kataang, sukka, and maiko) follow this trend to some degree. The primary purpose of the woman in this narrative is to act as a prize for the man for performing some good deed. Once they’re together, she ceases having her own motivations and becomes an extension of the male character she’s dating. This is pretty blatant with Suki—she barely had a personality in that later seasons; she is there to be Sokka’s girlfriend. Similarly, Katara becomes a completely different character—she’s even animated differently—when the narrative pushes her into romantic scenes with Aang. Her character is flattened.

So what is Katara’s arc, and how do the romantic interactions she has throughout the series contribute to this?

Well, that could be a whole other essay itself, but to put it simply, Katara’s arc is one of a young girl devastated by grief at a young age clinging to hope that she has the power to fight and change the world for the better. Which she does as she gains power and confidence throughout the series—culminating in her defeating Azula in the finale.

But the part I want to focus on here is how Katara connects with other characters. She connects with them over shared experiences of grief and loss.

Take Haru, for instance.

Haru: After the attack, they rounded up my father and every other earthbender, and took them away. We haven't seen them since.

Katara: So that's why you hide your earthbending.

Haru: Yeah. Problem is…the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending. He taught me everything I know.

Katara: See this necklace? My mother gave it to me.

Haru: It’s beautiful.

Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her.

Haru: It’s not enough, is it?

Katara: No.

This isn’t just a throwaway moment; it’s an important character moment that leads up to growth and the progression of Katara’s overall story, both in this individual episode and in the whole series.

Katara finds her power in the connections she’s able to make with other characters. It’s a powerful driving force for her that makes her a strong character even before her bending abilities develop. Imprisoned was such an important episode to establish who Katara is and what her power is, and adds so much to her arc.

But there is one line in particular from the above exchange that also stands out: Haru says “it’s not enough, is it?” and Katara agrees. Even this early in the series, we’re establishing the fact that despite her drive and hopeful outlook, Katara feels deeply hurt, she feels a deep sense of loss that she opens up about to other characters in moments like these. But unlike Haru…Katara can’t go rescue her mother. Her mother is dead, and we see her grapple with that grief throughout the series.

Another character she reaches out to like this is Jet.

Jet: Longshot over there? His town got burned down by the Fire Nation. And we found The Duke trying to steal our food. I don't think he ever really had a home.

Katara: What about you?

Jet: The Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever.

Katara: Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation.

Jet: I’m so sorry, Katara.

Another important note about Jet is that there are explicit romantic feelings from Katara in this episode. Again, Katara empathizes with another character through a shared sense of loss. Sadly, in this case, Jet manipulated her feelings and tricked her into helping in his plot to flood the village…but those feelings were undeniably there.

That was the tragedy in this episode, but it also gives the audience so much information about Katara as a character: what motivates her, and what she wants. Katara is established as a character who wants someone who will connect with her and empathize with her over her loss—her greatest sense of trauma. She wants to help others but also receive support in return. The reason why she was smitten with Jet, beyond just initial attraction, is because he gave her a sense of that before Katara realized his true motivations.

A lot of people make the claim that Aang is good for Katara because he also feels a sense of great loss and trauma. And while on paper that’s true…does he really demonstrate that? I just gave two examples of characters Katara connected with this way, and both responded with deep empathy to what she said. Very early on in the show���the third episode—Katara attempts to connect with Aang the same way. How does he respond?

Katara: Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.

Aang: What about 'em?

Katara: Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people.

Aang: Just because no one has seen an airbender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped!

Just compare this exchange to Haru and Jet. No effort to empathize, not even a “sorry for your loss” or anything. It’s a stark contrast, and the reason for that is because this narrative entirely centers Aang. Katara’s narrative always seems to be secondary to his when they’re together—which is exactly my point when I say this relationship has a fundamental lack of mutuality. It’s built that way from the beginning of the series. It does not add to Katara’s arc nor establish what about this dynamic would attract her.

And, look, before someone jumps down my throat about this…I’m not saying Aang is a horrible person for this response. I think it’s a sign that he’s immature and has a fundamentally different approach to problems than Katara. Katara is a character who has been forced to take on responsibilities beyond her years due to being a child of a war-torn world. Aang’s approach to problems is avoidance while Katara never had that luxury. It doesn’t mesh well.

This is all in Book 1. I honestly could have gotten on board with Kataang if the series meaningfully addressed these issues…but it didn’t. In fact, they actually got worse in some ways.

Back to Katara’s mother. We’ve established that this is a core part of Katara’s character and like in the scene with Haru, she indicates that this is an unresolved issue that pains her. But then, in Book 3, Katara actually does get a chance to confront this pain.

This would have been a powerful moment. Surely the character who is meant to be her partner, her equal, would have been there for her. Surely he would have understood and supported her, fulfilling her narrative and adding to her story.

But Aang didn’t do that. I won’t go into details because there are a million analyses out there on The Southern Raiders, but Aang’s response to Katara was the opposite of understanding. He got angry with her, insinuated that she was a monster for wanting revenge, and tried to dictate her behavior according to his own moral values. And importantly, from a narrative standpoint, he did not go with Katara. One of the most important events in her arc, and Aang didn’t support her—he actually tried stopping her. He didn’t contribute to her growth and development.

Also noteworthy:

Katara: But I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him.

Even at the end of the episode, Aang clearly doesn’t understand at all what Katara is feeling. This line demonstrates it perfectly. He thinks she forgave him when that wasn’t the case at all…but of course, he didn’t even accompany her, so he didn’t see what actually took place. His worldview is fundamentally different from hers, and he’s consistently too rigid in his morality and immature to center Katara’s feelings.

Throughout Katara’s whole arc, her most significant character moments, Aang’s character just doesn’t come through the way Katara’s constantly does for him. Their narrative lacks mutuality. When Katara and Aang are together, she becomes an accessory to him. The ending scene is a perfect demonstration of this.

Now, to address the elephant in the room.

Which character does actually add to Katara’s narrative and support her growth as a character?

Correct! I just talked about how important The Southern Raiders is to Katara’s character and story, how it’s a chance for her to finally address the grief she’s been carrying since Book 1. And who stood by her side throughout this pivotal moment? Right—Zuko did.

You can talk all you want about how he’s a “colonizer” while Aang’s people suffered genocide, but you’re forgetting that “show, don’t tell” is one of the most basic aspects of storytelling. The fact is, despite how it looks on paper, Zuko was the one there for Katara at her critical moments. Zuko empathized with Katara more than Aang ever did—as demonstrated in this episode. Zuko never once brought up his own cultural values. Zuko never once told Katara what to do. Zuko’s position was that Katara should be the one to decide, and that he would support any choice she made. He supported her decision to spare Yon Rha, but he would have also supported her if she decided to kill him. I actually found this episode to be a satisfying reversal to what is typically seen in TV—for once, the female character is centered while her male counterpart takes the backseat and becomes a supporting role to her narrative.

Even before this, Zuko is shown to empathize with Katara.

Zuko: I’m sorry. That’s something we have in common.

I think what gets me about this scene is the fact that he’s still Katara’s enemy, and she was just yelling about how she hates him and his people. But despite that, Zuko still empathizes with Katara. She is fundamentally human to him, and he expresses that to her in a way that allows them to connect. Zuko stands to gain nothing from this. It’s true that Azula entered the picture and twisted things around—but in this moment, Zuko’s compassion is genuine. His instinct was to respond to her grief with empathy, just like she consistently does for other characters.

And finally, how else does Zuko add to Katara’s arc?

I don’t think there is any more perfect of an example than the finale itself—the culmination of the arcs and development of all characters.

Zuko and Katara fight together. In a heartbeat, Zuko asks Katara to fight by his side against Azula, because he trusts her strength. She’s his equal—both in his mind, and in a narrative sense.

Then, this:

Both of their roles are so critical in this fight. They both save each other. The scene has such raw emotion to it. These characters were together at the conclusion of their respective arcs for a reason.

This is the perfect conclusion to Katara’s arc. She just played a critical role in ending the war that has caused her trauma her whole life. She just demonstrated her mastery of waterbending (another thing she’s dreamed of throughout the series) by defeating the world’s most powerful firebender during Sozin’s Comet. Even though she had help as all characters do, these are victories that belong to her and demonstrate the growth and power of her character. And to top it all off? She was able to save Zuko’s life. She didn’t have to endure the pain of feeling helpless to do anything while someone else died for her; this time, she had an active role, she changed her fate, and she prevailed. Zuko plays an important role in Katara’s story without dominating it. They perfectly represent mutuality. They add to each other’s stories. Their narratives become stronger when they’re together, without one diminishing or sidelining the other.

So, from that standpoint, that’s why I always see the attraction between Zuko and Katara and why I see it lacking between Aang and Katara. Zuko and Katara’s story doesn’t need some cheap little throwaway moments to shine. It’s integral to both characters’ stories. We are shown not told of the way these characters feel about each other. Given everything we know about Katara, her goals, her values, her past loves…absolutely everything points to Zuko being the true subject of her feelings.

Because let’s be honest. The ending I just described is so much more powerful and so much more Katara than seeing her being relegated back to a doe-eyed love interest for Aang to kiss. It hardly even made sense—Katara played no role at all at the culmination of Aang’s arc. She was relegated back to a love interest, rather than the powerful figure we saw fight alongside Zuko.

[ginnsbaker]

All Of Your Pieces (3 - The Neighbor)

Chapter Summary: Agnes sees the perfect opportunity to stir up some trouble while Wanda deals with her jealousy toward your work assistant, Geraldine. Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader Chapter word count: 2.8k+ | Chapter Tags/Warnings: None

A/N: I really have nothing to say except that I enjoyed writing Agatha in this chapter // More author's notes here.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The team has been at a standstill, figuring out who’s behind this, or how to communicate with anyone trapped inside the town. Every drone they've sent in morphs into something entirely different, thwarting their efforts to gather any useful intel. The people sent underground to scout a safe route through have gone dark, their communication cut off. No one else volunteered to attempt approaching the perimeter after that.

The broadcasts they've been tracking are erratic, cutting out for hours with no warning, making it hard to keep a consistent eye on the town's odd behaviors. But it's during one of these quiet periods when something clicks in Darcy's mind.

“I think I have something,” Darcy blurts out to Jimmy. They’ve been scraping the bottom of the barrel, running out of faces to identify from the snippets of life in Westview they caught on screen. 

“Yeah?” Jimmy gives her a tired look, only half-listening. He can't remember the last time he managed more than an hour of uninterrupted sleep. Even if he could find the time to rest, the bizarre situation they're in won't let his mind relax. 

Darcy sighs and leads him outside the tent.

“So, you’ve seen that radio on Wanda’s kitchen counter, right?”

Jimmy only nods.

Darcy continues, “The next time she’s washing dishes, or whatever—which by my count—happens about once an episode, barf, we’ll shoot a signal to that little guy.” She leads him to a set of computers set up behind a pickup truck. Jimmy doesn’t understand what’s going on with these systems, but he’s hoping Darcy really is onto something.

“This transmitter will mimic the frequency of the broadcast,” she pauses to catch her breath in the cold and to give him time to catch up with her science. “And if my theory is right, it will allow us to speak to her.”

She cuts off any chance for Jimmy to comment and assures him, “This is definitely going to work.”

–

The annual Westview Harvest Festival is in full swing. The town square is packed with booths overflowing with baked goods and fresh fall produce. A small stage is set up for the local band playing tunes from the 70s, while kids dart around in all directions, their faces painted with fanciful designs. Billy and Tommy are with their preschool teachers, who are keeping them and other children their age occupied with arts and crafts that involve tumbleweeds—a material no one seems to think is entirely safe for five-year-olds to play with.

In hindsight, it’s the ideal setting for introductions and mingling. However, everyone here already knows each other—everyone, that is, except for Wanda. She makes an effort to blend in, but apart from a few interactions with the planning committee, which weren’t particularly fruitful, she often remains secluded at home. This makes you, the only one in the household who heads out daily for work, the more socially connected of the two. It’s both amusing and slightly anxiety-inducing to watch you interact with the townsfolk who are essentially strangers to you and to Wanda, if only you knew. You and Wanda never had the opportunity to live a normal life, to settle in a typical city, surrounded by neighbors who could have become integral to the life you might have built together. 

Seeing you interact with these people, she’s realizing it’s harder than she thought to share you with others. Or maybe she’s just as selfish as she’s always been, never really outgrowing it. When you were both part of the Avengers, it was like living in a bubble, surrounded by only a few familiar faces every day. Now, outside that controlled environment, it’s challenging her expectations and stirring up feelings she thought she had under control.

It becomes particularly tough when she sees Geraldine heading towards you, sporting that perpetual, dazzling smile full of perfect white teeth. Wanda's fingers curl into a fist, tiny wisps of red energy leaking from them. You quickly cover her hand with yours, and the effect is immediate—she relaxes slightly, letting you intertwine your fingers with hers, anchoring herself by your side where she feels secure.

“It's so nice to see you outside of the office, just being one of us for a change,” Geraldine says, though she seems to be wearing the same uniform as at work. Not that you're judging, but it does make you wonder why she hasn't changed.

“Definitely beats being stuck behind a desk,” you reply, your attention briefly wandering. Only then do you notice that Wanda has subtly withdrawn her hand from yours, now exploring a booth with homemade apple cider. You hadn't even noticed the exact moment she let go.

“Hello, Wanda!” Geraldine greets her warmly. 

Wanda musters a tight-lipped smile that’s convincing enough, as Geraldine appears quite taken with it. Just then, Geraldine spots Agnes standing a little away from the crowd, lingering behind Wanda with a look that borders on suspicion or disdain. 

Geraldine steps up to her while Wanda continues to busy herself with whatever else is being showcased in the booth. “Hi, I'm Geraldine. Isn’t this a wonderful evening?” She extends her hand to Agnes.

Agnes eyes the offered hand but doesn’t accept it. Instead, she sizes up Geraldine with a quick once-over and nods, foregoing any introductions. Geraldine's smile falters briefly, but she quickly shakes off the slight, tossing a brisk, “See you around, Y/N!” over her shoulder as she heads back to her table.

You wave back and let out a sigh, relieved that you’ve just sidestepped what could have been the most awkward moment of your life. Wanda’s jealousy towards Geraldine seems more serious than you’d realized. You know Wanda can be possessive; it's just been a long time since it's manifested this way. But then, it's also been a while since you've both been in a crowd of strangers like this. Since…

Since when, exactly?

“Y/N, honey?” Wanda’s voice snaps you out of your fog.

You blink. “Hm?”

“I’m thirsty.”

Just like that, you’ve forgotten about your lapse of memory, replaced by a desire to tend to your wife's needs.

“I’ll get us some refreshments. What would you like?” you ask.

“Just some water, please.”

“Water here, too,” Agnes calls out, unsolicited. 

You suppress the urge to roll your eyes. It's great that Wanda's making friends in the neighborhood, but did it really have to be Agnes O’Connor? Ever since you and Wanda moved into this quiet suburb, Agnes has made it her personal mission to be involved in every aspect of your lives. You can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it than the apparent nosiness of your neighbor.

As you head over to get the drinks, Agnes sidles up to Wanda, her eyes gleaming with an opportunity to stir some pot. 

“Geraldine seems quite taken with your wife.”

It’s not like Wanda doesn’t know what Agnes’s doing, but she finds herself nodding in agreement anyway. Your new assistant does appear smitten with you, and while Wanda gets the appeal—you are, undeniably, crush-worthy—she can't say she's thrilled about it.

“Y/N is her boss,” Wanda murmurs, more to herself than to Agnes.

“Oh, honey,” Agnes laughs condescendingly. “Do you even go to the movies? That's how the steamiest affairs start, you know.”

Wanda bristles at the sound of that endearment from someone other than you. But she keeps herself together—barely. 

“I trust her,” Wanda forces out.

As you're getting drinks, Geraldine joins you, picking up a soda herself. She lets out a light laugh at a joke from the bartender, and you find yourself chuckling too, oblivious to the piercing look your wife is drilling into your back.

Meanwhile, Agnes sees her opening and swoops in, linking her arm through Wanda's with a bit more force than necessary. 

“Of course, you trust her, dear,” she murmurs right by Wanda's ear. “But do you trust her?” She points subtly with her chin towards Geraldine, her lips pursed. “You know what they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…”

Wanda's shoulders tense, her entire frame stiffening. As you return with the drinks, Agnes steps away, leaving Wanda visibly shaken, like she’s teetering on the edge of a panic attack.

“Everything okay?” you ask, handing her a drink. You've noticed before how Wanda's demeanor changes around Agnes; she’s clearly a source of stress for her. It’s going to be a difficult conversation, but it might be time to tell Wanda what you really think about the neighbor.

Wanda takes the water you offer, her fingers trembling slightly as she does. For a moment, she appears distant, disengaged, as if her mind is elsewhere. Then, with a sudden shift, she flashes you one of those smiles that sends a shiver down your spine.

“I'm fine,” she declares, a little too brightly. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she asks, “Is Geraldine here with someone?”

You stop short, realizing you really don't know much about Geraldine beyond work. “I didn’t see her with anyone,” you say.

Wanda nods thoughtfully. Her next suggestion catches you by surprise. 

“Maybe you should invite her over to our table.”

Did you hear that correctly? Had Wanda just done a complete 180 regarding your assistant and was now interested in getting to know her? You shoot a suspicious glance at Agnes. Had she said something to Wanda to change her mind?

“Are you sure?” you ask, puzzled by her abrupt change of heart.

“I am,” Wanda affirms. “It might be nice to make a new friend.”

–

Back at the response camp, Darcy and Jimmy are huddled around the small, grainy television, waiting for the moment Wanda’s in her kitchen so they can send a message through her radio device. However, the usual domestic scenes are conspicuously absent, replaced by static and sporadic cuts to the ongoing Harvest Festival.

“Come on, come on,” Darcy mutters under her breath, shoving her glasses back up her nose. They've been slipping a lot lately, probably because she's been hunching over her work more than usual these past few days.

“It's this festival,” Jimmy says, squinting at the screen. “I think the whole town's out there tonight. I don’t think we’re going to get the chance.”

Their attempts to contact anyone inside the Hex are dwindling, and Hayward's interest leans more towards studying the energy barrier encasing the town rather than resolving the anomaly itself. His latest directive to launch another drone into the barrier feels like a brute force attempt to crack the problem. Jimmy thinks it’s a waste of time—and resources.

“Yeah, and you know what’s worse?” Darcy grumbles. “I have a bad feeling about Agnes. Every time she's around, things just seem to... escalate.”

As they watch, the screen cuts to a shot of Agnes at the festival, linking arms with Wanda, whispering something that makes Wanda’s expression tighten. “See, what did I tell you?” Darcy exclaims, pointing at the screen. “Who’s this Agnes again in real life?” she asks.

Jimmy swivels in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the expansive pinboard filled with photos of Westview residents. Agnes’s face is not among them. 

“No idea,” he says flatly. He had already run a search in the database, but it came back empty.

“So, we've identified Y/N, Monica, and Agnes as outsiders in Westview,” Darcy explains, tallying them off on her fingers. 

“That’s correct,” Jimmy confirms.

“And then there’s Wanda’s sons. But again… we haven’t seen any other children in the show besides the twins.”

Jimmy thinks about it for a while. It had never really occurred to him before. “Maybe they’re bound to show up at some point?”

“Smells fishy to me,” Darcy huffs. Her thoughts circle back to Agnes. “How do you think Agnes ended up here?” she asks, their list of unanswered questions growing daily.

Jimmy shrugs. “She could’ve just been visiting.”

Darcy considers it. It's a possibility, but somehow, it doesn't feel quite right—too simple, too convenient for someone as vibrant and prickly as the character Agnes portrays.

–

It's as if Wanda's animosity toward Geraldine just magically went away. 

They’ve been chatting for almost an hour. Initially, Wanda made sure to include you in the conversation, but as time passed, she and Geraldine started connecting over topics that didn’t involve you as much. Feeling somewhat left out but also at ease that the problem between your wife and your secretary has apparently resolved itself, you decide to check out the festival booths.

This is where Agnes finds the perfect opportunity to get you alone. She starts her approach—to your surprise and discomfort—by acknowledging the elephant in the room.

“I know you don’t like me very much,” she says with a knowing smile. “Maybe we can change that tonight?”

You eye her with suspicion, easily seeing through her blatant attempts to flirt her way into your good graces.

“How exactly are we going to do that?” you ask, crossing your arms in front of you.

Agnes simply laughs off the cool reception you’ve given her. If anything, she revels in it. 

“By getting to know each other, obviously,” she says.

“Right.”

She takes your elbow, and you swear she can feel you recoil at her closeness, yet she doesn’t seem to care. She urges you forward, dictating the pace. Her grip is unexpectedly firm, as if to say you have no choice but to listen—like leaving isn't an option.

With you literally in her grasp, Agnes sets her plans into motion. “So, how did you and Wanda meet?” she asks.

You deliver the narrative precisely as it plays out in your memory, exactly as Wanda implanted it in your mind. “We grew up next to each other. Best friends since we were kids.” 

“How cute,” she says, in that smooth, supercilious tone that usually makes your skin crawl. But this time, with the memories of Wanda filling your head, you hardly notice.

“Yeah, I remember when I first saw her,” you continue, gazing into the distance as if the scene you speak of is right there before your eyes. “It was almost Halloween, and my mom had baked a pumpkin pie to welcome them to the neighborhood. She sent me to deliver it. Wanda answered the door.”

“Love at first sight?”

“More like the opposite,” you say, throwing Agnes a good-natured smile, something you’ve never done before. “She couldn’t stand me, and I felt the same way.”

“Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” Agnes drawls before accompanying it with a short chuckle. “Who knows? Maybe there’s hope for us yet. You might end up not hating me so much after all.”

“Maybe…” you say, the smile reaching your eyes this time.

“Good, good,” Agnes says. “I can’t think of anything more romantic than growing up with the person you’ll be with for the rest of your life. Almost like it’s… sketched out, no?”

You nod at her, not sure where she’s going with this, but you appreciate the sentiment. You consider yourself lucky to have known Wanda most of your life. 

“So, you've lived in Westview your whole life?” Agnes asks.

“Yes,” you nod without hesitation.

“And you've only ever been to Westview?”

“No, of course not,” you laugh, ready to list off places you've been, but suddenly, you can't name any. The cities and trips that should come easily to your tongue just... don't materialize.

Not a single one.

Agnes watches you struggle with a blank expression. A second later, she begins throwing out suggestions, as if trying to help. 

“Canada?" 

You shake your head. 

“California?” 

Another shake.

“New York?”

No. This time, your eyes sting with the frustration of trying to pull something from the haze, realizing there’s nothing there. 

Have you really never been anywhere but Westview?

“Eastview, maybe?” she offers with a bit of sarcasm as she names the town next door.

“I—”

“How strange,” Agnes muses, driving home the final nail in the coffin of your crumbling peace.

You jerk your arm away from her grip and take a few instinctive steps back. “I need to pick up the twins,” you blurt out, seizing the first excuse that comes to mind. “We should be heading out soon.”

Without waiting for her reply, you start walking away, driven by a sudden, intense need to be with your boys, with Wanda. To hold them close, to find some stability. Because right now, you’re petrified by a fear you cannot name. 

“I heard Australia’s amazing this time of year!” Agnes calls after you.

The idea of not having been anywhere but Westview—it’s possible, right? Some people spend their entire lives in one place. But if this feeling—the one that's been gnawing at you lately—is real, if the world outside of Westview is truly non-existent, then what does that say about your life here?

What does it say about you?

[thethiefandtheairbender]

as a lifelong ATLA fan who narrowly had ATLA dethroned as my top show by The Dragon Prince steadily over the past 5 years, the similarities between the two have very little to do with the surface level parallels that get regularly drawn between them.

Like ATLA, TDP has Books for seasons and chapters for episodes, but unlike ATLA, which only touched on storytelling sparingly as a theme, TDP is obsessed with interrogating storytelling and history and the presence of unreliable, biased narrators throughout many of its episodes (most notably 2x05, 2x06, 3x06, 4x04, and 4x07 among them). Half of what you learn in the 1x01 intro ends up being a lie once you reach S3, with more being steadily deciphered.

Yes, TDP has different magics with people living under those umbrella terms... for the elves. Humans are coming culturally at things from a completely different angle, and the elves' connection to their primal sources are discussed philosophically in detail, informing their practices and their culture first hand, including the way they chafe against humans, who are arcanum-less. Many animals in the world are also connected to magic, which influences both their design and which ones get hunted for humans' more 'clever' solution in dark magic, including each other.

The core issue of the Puppetmaster, down to being a coercive magic formed by someone deeply resentful of their imprisonment? Said puppetmaster is the main endgame antagonist of the entire show with all of S4 onwards being exploring the ethics of controlling people against their will in various methods, and the entire show itself being a thematic battleground of fate (imprisonment) vs free will for virtually every single character.

Where ATLA mostly concerns itself timeline wise with ending the war, very little thought is shown by any of the characters as to what they'll do after the war. This isn't a problem (as it reflects the sheer domineering scope of the conflict) but even Zuko being firelord is only ever really addressed with 2.5 episodes left till the finale. TDP, meanwhile, ends its 'war' in s3 and s4 opens up with dealing with the old wounds festering between people with centuries of history, the struggles that come when people aren't able to let go and believe they're safe or mourn in a healthy manner, and the religious/cultural clashes that may occur when trying to integrate different groups of people.

TDP also has an evil father with a devoted daughter and a brother who eventually defects, but it explores the reality of an abusive parent who loves/will sacrifice for you and your right to leave regardless, even if that means leaving the sibling you truly deeply love and who loves you in turn. Which means that when you and your sibling are on opposite sides of a deep ideological conflict, it actually really fucking hurts bc we've seen first hand just how much they love each other and also how and why everything fell apart not in spite of that love necessarily, but also because of it.

Is this to say that TDP is a 1:1 with ATLA or that it's better? No, not at all, and the latter is subjective. I prefer TDP, but I think they're about on equal ground when you look at each show currently as a whole (although TDP has two seasons left to go).

But TDP takes a lot of what ATLA was doing thematically with some of its most interesting beats and then builds or expands upon them further. It talks further and more consistently about the cycles of violence; in many ways, Jack De Sena's character, Callum, begins the series largely where Sokka had ended (and he's not the most like Sokka anyway; very much his own thing); we get Faustian bargains and centuries' long grief and fucked up people who are trying both succeeding and failing at not doing fucked up things. There are antagonists, but it is very hard to actually label anyone at this point a straight up villain. Moral greyness is where the show starts, and it just continues from there.

That's not to say the show is nothing but dark and depressing - like ATLA, there's a steady thread of hope and humour even as the show gets steadily closer and closer to its 11th hour point - but the show is usually emotionally heavier. There's more blood and potentially disturbing imagery with body horror and on screen death. There's so much foreshadowing you basically can't go more than 5 minutes into any episode without having something that's going to come back around or be referenced again like 3-5 seasons later.

Just to be clear - TDP is like ATLA, but it's like ATLA in interesting ways beyond the more shallow surface level that usually gets attributed to it, while still very much being its own show and its own thing. And that is why I tend to recommend it to people who like ATLA.

Thank you and goodnight

(Also, the fandom doesn't have any ship wars, and the show is queer as fuck)

[satoshi-mochida]

BUSTAFELLOWS Season 2 launches July 17 in the west - Gematsu

Otome mystery visual novel sequel BUSTAFELLOWS Season 2 will launch for Switch and PC via Steam on July 17 in the west, publisher PQube. The Switch version will be available both physically and digitally.

BUSTAFELLOWS Season 2 first launched for Switch, iOS via App Store, and Android via Google Play on May 25, 2023 in Japan.

In the west, the first run of physical edition will feature an exclusive character booklet with concept art and special insights into the character creation process.

Here is an overview of the game, via PQube:

About

The hit series BUSTAFELLOWS continues with an all-new season! Featuring the crime-solving gang you know and love, that trouble can’t help but follow. Uncover their story in this movie-like experience, as you meet new characters, make important choices and help solve the dark, unspeakable crimes that plague New Sieg.

Story

Everyone wants answers. Who is to blame, and what went wrong? And what is to be punished? In order to keep the shape of this world, things are divided into black and white. Those who look between the black and white will only continue to suffer. Everyone should know it in their hearts. Things are two in one. White and black. Front and back. Light and shadow. Good news, bad news. And, if it will change or if it will end.

Key Features

A Puzzle to Piece Together – Five different playable “movies”, different routes corresponding to each male lead, each portraying a different story which you play an integral part in.

New Flowchart System – Review your progress through the story with a helpful flowchart that allows you to select and replay different parts of the story, leaving no stone unturned.

The Romance Builds – Continue your relationship from the last game, growing together through struggles, and learning new sides to Teuta, Limbo, Shu, Helvetica, Mozu and Scarecrow.

The Power of Visuals – Skillfully crafted characters brought to life with beautiful artistry. Experience the characters in new outfits, hairstyles and scenarios!

An Unforgettable Voice Cast – Featuring a cast of famed voices such as Yui Kondo, KENN, Yoshimasa Hosoya, and many more!

Extra Episodes – Collect memorabilia and extra episodes through certain conditions, and even unlock a special episode when playing with an existing save data from the first game!

Watch a new trailer below.

Release Date Trailer

[adventure-time-news]

THREE NEW ADVENTURE TIME PROJECTS ANNOUNCED

First of all, it sounds like the Adventure Time movie is finally happening! This was announced way back in like 2013 but never really went anywhere. The plot and other elements ended up getting integrated into various season six episodes. Adam Muto, Rebecca Sugar, and Pat McHale are all involved in the project.

Then we also have two series on the way. The first one sounds like it will be a return to the 6-11 demographic, unlike the recent Fionna and Cake series which had a slightly older target audience. It will be titled Side Quests and will be an episodic show focussing on a young Finn and Jake, serving as a sort of prequel to the original show but without many serial plot elements. The Variety article says Nate Cash will be working on it.

Finally, the second series will be a preschool show called Heyo BMO. Adam Muto and Ashlyn Anstee are both involved. I expect we will hear more in the coming weeks. There might be more info at the Annecy festival by tomorrow.

I will of course be bringing more updates as they come, and will dig around for more info later once I have some more time.

Stay tuned!

[failchild]

i'm still waiting on the finale of course but overall i'm finding season 2 to be a lot less enjoyable than season 1. which is weird because i like most of S2's episodes individually (the gemma episode is maybe the best of the whole series), but when i consider the season as a whole it really feels like the writers know where they're headed, but have trouble getting there.

i also think S1's themes of work and corporate culture have been pushed aside for more general themes of The Self and This Specific Corporation is Evil and Weird, which is not nearly as interesting to me! i'm not expecting salient socialist critique lol but i just don't really care for the more mystery-focused direction. more thoughts under the cut…

one of my biggest issues is the (lack of) character work. S1 integrated character and plot development so well—one fed into the other! save for milchick (yay milchick), in S2 everyone feels so much more stagnant and aimless. and not in a meaningful, "wow nothing ever changes" way, but in a "what are you all doing" way

MDR as a whole just don't seem to gaf about each other anymore and it suuucks. like i don't want or expect them to be a wholesome found family but they were willing to die for each other in the S1 finale! once irving got fired they just don't seem to gaf!!!

devon calling cobel is definitely the most contrived plot point the show has ever done. as far as devon knows, cobel is a danger to both her brother and her newborn baby (she gave birth, like, a few weeks ago?!). there are so many different ways the cobel/scouts team up could have happened more naturally

what are they doing with ricken? i know he's such a minor character at this point but i don't understand why they would set him up with a C plot of selling out to lumon, then do nothing with it. like what does he think his wife is doing right now lmao

remember when we all went crazy because mark started reintegrating in episode 3. well that doesn't seem like it's going anywhere now!

okay i think that's it. um. again i actually like a lot of the episodes individually but S2 as a whole is spinning its wheels imo, and i don't think the finale will magically fix everything i have an issue with. S1 is just so hard to top. but we'll see.

[itssoinevitable]

No idea where to put this but I’ve been giving the Audrey x Siegfried progression more thought. And tbh I am now quite convinced that we are unlikely to see any actual evolution of their relationship in canon — until near or at the very end of the show.

Bc I think the story some / all of us thought the show writers were telling vs the story they’re actually telling is actually quite different. The story that I, at least, thought they were telling, was that Audrey and Siegfried were becoming progressively more ready and getting to the point to eventually admit their feelings to one another. It seemed intentional especially in S4, and appeared to be escalating toward a realisation or admission of some kind. The tension, the jealousy, the pining etc. It was all so palpable and truly delicious, and felt like it was simmering to a boiling point.

Come season 5 however, that all came to a weird and screeching halt with the introduction of Miss Grantley. (Though to be fair, most of season 5 felt weird and quite off kilter.) The heat had suddenly dialled back to a warmish camaraderie at best, and tepid at its lowest points of the season. But Siegfried pining over this random woman he met felt even more jarring compared to Miss Harbottle or Diana or anyone else before, mostly bc it didn’t seem to align with this progression we thought was building toward the AxS endgame. It seemed so clearly against his feelings (which we thought he’d already woken up to) for Audrey, and therefore felt completely wrong and out of place. (This is the same man who looked like he was about to die at the thought of her leaving to marry Gerald, correct? The same man who toasted her before Jesus in the S4 CS right??)

So anyway, after much deliberation and thought about these two fictional characters, and in light of the PBS version of the episodes having aired now, I have come to a new conclusion. I now believe that the writers are not actually intending to write the AxS in a linear fashion at all, nor are they slowly getting them together in a glacial manner in the way we thought. I suspect they will eventually get together, but unfortunately I don’t know how much of that will be developed on screen. More likely, it’s going to happen close to or at the end of the whole series. And until then, I think they’re using AxS essentially as a kind of straight-baiting, for lack of better word choice. Because the writers obviously know fans ship it, and they play into the romance, but I’m no longer convinced that they have any intention to do anything except dangle the carrot in front of us.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that AxS haven’t progressed throughout the series. They’ve definitely come a long way, both as individuals and as a partnership over the years. Their deep and special bond has been possibly the most integral part to all these other positive changes in their lives. They are one another’s life rings in every storm, no two ways about it. The parallels with the actual married couple in the show are not accidental, after all. But as for a tangible, said out-loud confirmation of mutual romantic feelings? An actual kiss under the mistletoe? Or even the use of first names?? I’m sad to say, it doesn’t seem likely any time soon. (And I’d never be happier than to be wrong).

However, going forward into season 6, I suspect that we may get a few intimate / romantic scenes like we did in S5, and if we’re lucky, another handhold. We may even get a few jealousy scenes if either of them have other short-term love interests, which of course will not last. And we will definitely have sweet co-parenting moments, and lots of framed shots where the average viewer will be convinced they’re married. But suffice to say, it feels like a stalemate, for the foreseeable future.

And it does actually explain a lot of things. It explains why there are always minor love interests introduced for Siegfried, every season. And it explains why Audrey and Siegfried have not hugged, (or danced or kissed) nor moved onto a first name basis. It explains why Audrey has not had her own realisation moment yet, about her own feelings toward Siegfried. It explains why even though they are both finally single and emotionally available, they have not wound up in each others’ arms. Because those things would be linear, and that’s apparently not the story the writers want to tell. And unless there’s a definite shift in Season 6, I think this will-they-won’t-they dynamic will remain for as long as they can stretch it out.

All that being said, the point of this post isn’t to be a negative naysayer, I promise. I will be very very relieved to be wrong in all these predictions, and will happily eat my words. It’s definitely disappointing of , because what felt so intentional and well developed and had been so beautifully delivered by the actors, now feels a bit like a trick. I admit I feel a little duped, though it may well be (at least partly) self-inflicted. But even if we may not love the route they’re taking to get there, I am still at least, 100% certain that Audrey and Siegfried are going to be the final destination.

[merlin-reboot-when]

Lancelot du Lac / Series 4 au where Merlin manages to free Lancelot from Morgana's spell and he lives, but all other plotpoints transpire exactly as shown in the episode. There's no proof that Lancelot wasn't entirely himself at the time, maybe his own memories are a little foggy too and they still don't know why Gwen ended up kissing Lancelot.

Arthur can't trust him anymore, but he also considers the possibilities that Merlin is telling the truth because it is the truth and not just because it could save his friend. So after a couple of days of consideration he banishes Lancelot as well. He can't stand the thought of sentencing a friend who might be innocent to death.

Merlin is incredibly upset because on the one hand Lancelot is alive, but he still loses two of his best friends in the aftermath of this mess, Agravaine is still whispering in Arthur's ear and if Morgana finds out Lancelot is alive and she catches him out there alone...

Lancelot tries to find Gwen - who also still doesn't understand everything that happened - and explain to her that this was Morgana's doing. Maybe they can look out for each other. He succeeds eventually (after Merlin sent Gwen to Ealdor in "The Hunter's Heart" and let Lancelot know where to find her) an in the beginning it's very awkward because at one point they did have feelings for each other. They soon figure out though that whatever was once between them is over for good. They've both moved on, Gwen is in love with Arthur and Lancelot- well. Lancelot may or may not have some complicated feelings about a certain warlock.

They reunite with the rest of the group in "The Sword in the Stone" and with Agravaine's betrayal revealed Arthur finally believes the (slightly censored) story Merlin and Lancelot told him about the incident that led to this banishment. They win back the castle, Arthur takes Lancelot back as his knight and marries Gwen. Happy End!

I'm not sure how this would impact the events of series 5, but I've always seen Lancelot as a counterpart to Kilgarrah's and Gaius' respective warnings to prioritise the bigger picture or Merlin's personal safety. He believes in Merlin because he's Merlin, not because of some prophercies or because Merlin has powerful magic. And with Mordred re-entering the picture Merlin became increasingly conflicted about doing what feels right vs. doing what would serve his long term goals best. With the building pressure of the oncoming final battle Merlin also felt increasingly lonely under that weight and having Lancelot in the picture again would've helped him a lot in my opinion.

There could also be some relationship drama around Lancelot knowing Merlin cannot prioritise him. Lancelot knows that Merlin always has and always will have to put Arthur. He understands this to a certain extend, he's a knight and he took an oath to serve Arthur and Camelot above all else too. Still, there are dozens of knights while Merlin is a very unique type of protector and this isn't just his job, it's who he is. So they keep circling each other, drifting closer and closer the more time they spend together and the more secrets they share, but always finding excuses to not take that last step.

Those two aspects combined could come to a head around "The Disir" when Merline faces one of his biggest dilemmas about the prophecies yet. Instead of only Merlin and Arthur travelling to see the Disir a second time, Lancelot would be there too. He is probably the only person who in that situation might advise Merlin to finally tell Arthur the truth. He's not as cold as Kilgarrah and cares about his fellow knights, including Mordred. He's not as scared as Gaius and therefore might prioritise Merlin's integrity as a person over the (sometimes selfish) instinct to ensure Arthur's survival at any cost.

I imagine they'd have a huge fight about this because from the outside Lancelot sees how much Merlin and Mordred really have in common and his instincts would tell him to protect Mordred as well as Merlin by making Arthut finally see the good in magic. Merlin on the other hand might argue that it's too soon, that Arthur still only trusts him when it suits him, that Arthur isn't ready.

And I am thinking huge fight here btw. There'd be angry whispering and then angry yelling, then Arthur would chime in demanding to know what the hell they're fighting about. Merlin would blame Lancelot for putting even more pressure on him when he's already being pulled in all kinds of directions; Lancelot would argue that he's doing this because he knows all of this and sees how Merlin is running himself into the ground and for good measure he'd throw the four letter L word in there which Merlin would not take well because doesn't Lancelot know he can't do this - can't risk anything - when the prophecies and destiny basically dictate every breath he takes. Arthur'd be furious at this point because what the hell and what prophecies and why doesn't he know anything about any of this and why is Merlin crying? Lancelot would keep pushing though because helping Merlin hide for a long time was the best he could do for him, but that is no longer true and now Lancelot would be crying too because he'd hate being the one to put Merlin into distress like this even if it's necessary. And Arthur "no man is worth your tears" Pendragon would not know what to do with any of this, the situation is obviously much more complex than anticipated. Eventually things would calm down, but Arthur heard what he heard and after gathering every bit of courage he has left Merlin would drop the bomb.

This would obviously lead to more arguing because Arthur, from his point of view, has once again been betrayed by the people closest to him and Lancelot not only knew, he helped Merlin the entire time, conspired with a sorcerer. Almost a decade of friendship between the three of them and all of that based on lies and deceit? Lancelot would stand steadfast by his decision to protect Merlin, he'd remind Arthur that he himself had wondered if the old religion was actually the evil he'd thought it to be only minutes ago and ask him what he thinks Merlin should've done instead of lying about his abilities? Hearing this from someone who doesn't have magic themselves might actually help Arthur believe that Merlin has only ever lied to him to stay alive. They'd eventually end the discussion for the night to give everyone a chance to cool off and sleep off the exhaustion.

In the morning Arthur would have to step in front of the Disir again with a decision that will seal his fate. And there'd still be a lot to figure out for Arthur, he might still end up executing Kara, he might still end up dying in Camlann, but he would make a different decision in front of the Disir.