#musa: because whats the fun in that

[doodlegraveyard]

Pretty pretty please tell me you have pictures of the other Winx’s dorm bedroom like you did flora and I love your art by the way it’s so cute and detailed

Hi @spectrum-007 ! I’m glad you liked it, I have the doodled out plans for the other girls rooms but if I’m honest backgrounds and environment design is something I really don’t think is my forte. The flora room sketch was me forcing myself to practice lol. I’ll share the rest of them but I might redesign the dorm rooms a bit more (I really tried to base the floor plans on the original canon but I think I might change it for my own version)

Clean version of flora’s without her in front of it:

And the ‘base’ dorm I saved without flora’s stuff in it. One of the changes I made is I decided I wanted to make the Alfea dorms have standard furniture provided, like most dorms irl. This is a fun contrast from Cloud Tower, where rooms aren’t assigned and it’s a lot more freeform.

Here’s Bloom’s half of her and Flora’s room. I imagine they keep these suites the whole 3-4 years at Alfea so they get pretty lived in, but I did my best to keep Blooms side feel more……earth-y

i know getting rid of Musa’s piano bed is a sin but honestly who brings their own bedframe to a dorm situation. I really like her little mixing station at the desk there and idk how legible these doodles are to anyone else but there’s some little easter eggs and story things hidden around

Tec’s side of the room. I was a little less certain about what I had going on over here but in combination she and Musa have a lot of mood lighting lol

STELLA!!!! I don’t remember if I forgot that her room gets a little loft area or if I Decided to make it the same layout. I love it in here. I didn’t get to Aisha’s but I actually intend to have her move in here with Stella - I always thought that was a missed opportunity! They have princess stresses in common but are so different in almost every other way, and Stella particularly is the one who accidentally rubs up against Aisha wrong when she’s new and insecure in the group - having them share a space would be so sweet…

((As you can see, Stella is the only one who brought her own bed frame. Because she Is That Extra))

I’m probably gonna redo these and custom floorpan their suite so I can understand the internal consistency.

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 50: Early Modernish and Earlier 4

These Questions are the result of suggestions a the previous iteration.This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct earlier time grouping. In some cases a culture lasted a really long time and I grouped them by whether it was likely the later or earlier grouping made the most sense with the information I had. (Invention ofs tend to fall in an earlier grouping if it's still open. Ones that imply height of or just before something tend to get grouped later, but not always. Sometimes I'll split two different things from the same culture into different polls because they involve separate research goals or the like).

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

[elsa-fogen]

I WANNA BODYSWAP EPISODE IN WINX REBOOT

FOR THE SAKE OF MORE SILLY SHENANIGANS

Okay so there's 3 possible ways it could be done

1. winx swap bodies inside the group.

This one (to me) is the most boring options, but it can be good episode. Since Bloom is the main character, we see most of events through her perspective, and that would be a great way to learn more about other girls. However, to me it's not that interesting since this doesn't involve the Trix. That's why...

2. a. Bloom and Icy swap bodies

yeah. That would be fun to see Bloom trying not to be recognised by Darcy and Stormy. Bonus points, Icy is trying to imitate Bloom in her body. Also, question, how their magic would work. Like, Does Icy in Bloom's body have her ice magic or Bloom's fire magic?

So, i see the episode can be like. Starts with the Trix trying to do some shit (maybe a spell that would swap powers with Bloom, like, another way to get the dragon flame), then Winx doing something and Bloom feels something and decides to go to sleep early. Next morning Icy wakes up, but it's actually Bloom in her body. We witness normal morning routine of the Trix, while Bloom is trying to act like Icy, but also she has no idea how Icy acts when she's only around Darcy and Stormy, so the two notice that "Icy" is acting weird.

They get to the class, and they see "Bloom" surrounded by other Winx and she has the most murderous expression on her face that was ever seen. "Icy" and "Bloom" look at each other and realise that they actually swapped.

I'm not sure about how THEY would do this, but i imagine that Icy alone meets the Trix and tells Darcy and Stormy what happened and they'd be like "Yeah, that explains it". Then she say's that she's going to look in the library for a spell to reverse it, while the Trix have to do some stuff? I'm not sure, but they have reasons why they can't help with that. And this can be resolved in one day or in few days. For second option there's a possibility for some funny stuff where Icy has to pretend to be Bloom more, like, the winx had planned some party, or it's Bloom's birthday (or any other winx i guess), something that Icy can't miss.

In any case, winx notice that "Bloom" isn't herself, and they decide to follow her. And in the middle of the night "Bloom" goes to the forest, and when she meets the Trix, the winx get everything wrong and attack the witches, trying to protect "Bloom"

In the end they're probably getting caught by adults and they swap Bloom and Icy back to normal, and ask if anyone has any idea why this happened, and explain that it was very dark and forbidden spell, and if it was anyone of them they're in trouble. The Trix say that they have no idea what happened and stuff (lying), and Faragonda says that if it wasn't any of them, it means that they got a very dangerous enemy and episode ends.

Kinda messy, but with enough polishing it could be very interesting episode.

2.b same story, but Bloom changes bodies with Darcy or Stormy. Probably "Bloom" tells Icy what happened, and Icy has to act normal and pretend that she doesn't notice anything weird. or she may tell her right away and say something like "don't worry we'll change you back" but like with some hidden intent (of stealing Bloom's power ofc lol), then the rest goes the same way.

3. of the winx change with 3 of the trix

the funniest one to me.

long holidays, something like that mother day in old winx club, aisha/leyla, flora and tecna leave alfea, stella, bloom and musa stayed. And they decided to try and spy on the trix to learn their plans. They were going to cast a spell that would let them see what the trix are doing, but they made a mistake and instead they swapped bodies with them. Bloom with Icy, Stella with Darcy and Musa with Stormy.

wow i got actually matching swaps, and when i was choosing the winx to stay, i was judging by their background, their reasons to stay/go home. Like, Bloom stayed because she's from earth, Stella stayed because of her parents divorce process, and Musa stayed because dead mom. yeah (this also could be Aisha actually)

so, the fun part: they don't know that all three of them changed, so they're all trying to act like the Trix and also learn some plans. None of then knows any plans. So i imagine, Bloom finds some notes in Icy's schedule and there's something like "tell Darcy and Stormy about new plan", but no notes about any plans at all - Icy keeps everything in her mind and never makes any notes, because she has paranoia and Bloom is like DANG IT what the plan could be??? She comes up with some (stupid and naive) plan, and tells about it "Darcy" and "Stormy" on their meeting, and for real Darcy and Stormy it would be obvious that it's not Icy's plan, but for Stella and Musa it's convincing enough.

Meanwhile the Trix in Bloom, Setella and Musa's bodies are trying to make impression of the fairies, but failing miserably.

Oh, Aisha could've stayed too, but she didn't want to take part in that spell, so she didn't swap with anyone, and she has to witness this mess and be like "what's up with yall today?"

More fun shenanigans of the winx trying of be the trix, bloom finds in Icy's schedule that she was planning to do "the plan" today, and has to lead "Darcy" and "Stormy" on it. Maybe they're getting in some argument trying to imitate the Trix. Cut to the Trix trying to be as sweet as they can with each other, imitating how they imagine the winx, and saying "please" and "thank you" 20 times in one sentence. Aisha (if she's there) side eyes them non-stop.

The spell has expiration date, or a trigger, first one is easier, second one is funnier (the trigger could be the touch).

OH ALSO remember from the leaks that the Trix aren't working just for themselves there's also that grindevald-wannabe guy, and he may make an appearance and be like what the fuck are you doing, how long should i wait before i get that dragon flame, and the winx be like oh shi. "Icy" aka Bloom in her body (scared as fuck) says that she's got a plan, and the guy says that he's had enough of her plans, he wants results, maybe threatens them and leaves.

yeah. Bloom may even feel pity for the Trix (Also i just really wanna see innocent and scared Bloom's expression on Icy's face, that would be cute af)

(This also can lead to the Trix being forgiven in the end of the season, because Bloom witnessed that they were forced to do "everything" and the Trix are like "yeah yeah, thats right we didn't want any of it, it was all The Guy who made us do all the bad stuff, we're actually good and never wanted to hurt anyone" (lying))

so yeah. Give me the bodyswap episode!!! Cliches are cliches for a reason!!!

[kifkay]

Headcanons about Winx and Specialists <3

When Sky is stressed/worried, he absent-mindedly traces the scars on Brandon’s hand. 

Stella wants to try theater/drama club. C’mon, look at her – she is a drama kid, born and bred. 

Bloom definitely had a punk faze. (Semi-canon? Look at her ex-bf Andy and Selina, and tell me she wasn’t at least a little edgy in middle school.) 

Bloom never lost her interest in mythology, but during the ‘punk’ phase, she shifted her focus towards origins of monsters & creepypasta, and – well, that particular interest continued into adulthood. Except her scale for normalcy has been tampered with and what she considers fun facts disturb the shit out of the Winx and the Specialists. 

Musa, while enrolled in Alfea, has had regular music gigs at a Magix cafe. For a very long time, she wouldn’t allow the Winx girls to come and see her during the gigs, afraid that they would glean something too personal from her songs. 

Riven and later, Timmy, are one of the only people allowed to come with no invitation required.

Tecna, who had been subjected to epic highs and lows of musical education on Zenith, sometimes helps Musa compose and edit her songs. It’s both a way to bond with her very artistic roomie and a way to have fun with a discipline that was forced upon her. The two even start performing together at some point! 

(Tecna refuses to sing; it’s a good decision, she’s horrible at it. But she plays keys and is learning drums!) 

Out of the whole friend group, Timmy, Riven, Aisha and Bloom are the most competitive. They are also all sore losers.

Bloom is a coffee girl, Stella is a vitamins-only “I don’t ruin my body with those filthy drinks” wellness kind of girl, Tecna and Musa are energy drinks girlies, Aisha is a power nap girlie. Flora snorts drugs. 

Brandon and Sky switching identities was prompted by an assassination attempt made on Sky. Assassins sneaked into his quarters while he was sleeping and tried to slit his throat. While they did manage to cut the skin on his neck, Brandon, who was sleeping over, woke up and together they stalled the assailant until the guards finally showed up. That’s when Brandon was made Sky’s squire. 

Sky has a thin scar on his neck because of that. 

Tecna doesn’t notice it when she cries. She never makes a sound either: tears just start leaking out of the corners of her eyes, with the rest of Tecna’s face remaining completely unchanged. 

Flora's love language is gift giving and she loooves spoiling her friends with presents.

Aisha loves imitating people and Musa finds it hilarious. Stella stakes her life on being better than her at impressions (she really isn’t)

Brandon and Sky definitely kissed a few times. 

Everybody knows about that. 

[alexfierroaf]

Guys I noticed a FANTASTIC detail that has me in high hope for the wind reboot

Look at Musa's casual outfit:

It's subtle, but notice the area around her waist. See the skin showing between her leotard and her pants and how visually similar it is to the whale tail in her og look? It's such a clever homage to the flagship season of the show while still creating a new identity for itself. They had absolutely no obligation to reference such a small detail in her design, but the fact that they chose this design element in particular stands out to me because of what it represents for Winx Club and it's history.

When the series originally aired, a lot of parents were mad about the amount of skin the girls showed, and Musa's whale tail in particular caught a lot of flack because, well, it's visible underwear in a show intended for young people. Of course that kind of thing is going to be controversial. So intentionally recreating that style shows they're a) standing by what made the original seasons so great, b) showing us that they remember and value the culture surrounding the show at the time (literally 20 years ago) and are hopefully going to take that into account when deciding which direction they're going to take the reboot and c) taking criticisms of that original run to heart as an intended improvement on the source material. Taking something iconic, understanding it, and running with it.

And they kept her a tomboy too!!!! For those who haven't been following Winx in recent years, Musa and Tecna's fashion senses have both become much more feminine as a result of putting the girls in matching outfits all the time. It feels SO good to see Musa's personality showing through her clothes again -- and that's something I can say for all of them (especially Bloom in that animation test). I love her music-note-looking M on her shirt and her purple fishnet glove. Honestly, there are very few things about their new designs that I don't like. And there are so many fun details and choices and looks to gush over! I'm officially hopeful that this reboot is going to be great.

[fitztragedy]

Ranking my own fics

I've had writers block for almost a year now so I decided to go down memory lane and re read all my Rivusa fics to see if I should go back to writing them or if the mood is officially dead. And then list/rank/rec them here in case any of you are interested in my thoughts of my own writing.

I decided to keep this list to just shippy rivusa fics that are over 6k words because otherwise it'd be a huge post.

Gonna be a long post so it's all under the cut! I'm curious to see what you guys think of them or if you agree with my order. And if you think I should go back to writing those two.

1st place: TEMPTING FATE (collab with @septemberrie)

I feel like this one is obvious. It's by far the most popular of my fics and one that I never get tired of re-reading. It was so fun to write and make the arts for and I loved working with Skye on it. I still get butterflies when I read all the comments, it truly warms my heart to know so many people loved it. We still get the odd comment here and there of people re-reading or reading for the first time and it makes my day whenever I see those. This fic not only holds a dear place in my heart because of all of this but it truly is, for me, the best written out of the list. I'm not very good with descriptions and since english is not my first language I feel like sometimes my dialogue comes across a bit stiff, but since this was a collab with Skye, she filled in where my weaknesses were lacking and the result was a masterpiece.

2nd place: THIN WALLS (collab with @theperfectrose)

It started as my first attempt at a multichap fic written by myself and soon I realised I did need help so I brought Iva in and I'm so glad! The result was something I'm super proud of and I also love re-reading it. It has around the same wordcount as Tempting Fate, and it's also a rom-com type fic, but it only has half the hits, kudos and comments, so if you liked TF and don't know this one I'd say maybe give it a shot and let me know what you think?

3rd place: TIRED OF PRETENDING (collab with @gossipqueen2000)

In all honesty I had forgotten this existed until I re-read it and I'm so shocked I forgot about it because it's so good! The start of the fic is probably the best start of any of my fics. Mo was the first stranger-I-met-online I collabed with and it was such a nice experience, she brings such a depth of emotions in the descriptions and you can really feel it reading her fics (and collabs). I'll definitely not make the mistake of forgetting about this fic again. And I'll never be fixing that one very obvious editing mistake contained in it.

4th place: TOLERABLE

I consider this to be the most underated of my fics, because I think it's super good but it has very few hits/comments/kudos comparing to others that I don't love as much. Not only I wrote it all by myself but I really loved how it turned out, the dialogue and the descriptions, the worldbuilding and setting of the story, the way Riven and Musa slowly fall for eachother in a arranged marriage situation. I meant it when I said in the notes that I poured my heart and soul into this and I am proud of it and actually finishing it and posting. I keep thinking of coming back to it, add another chapter or another fic in this same universe because I love the premise of it, but because of the lack of feedback I'm not sure if people would actually read it or what they'd be interested in reading about. So if you do read it pls lemme know!

5th place: TAKING IT SLOW

This is me, dipping my toes in whump and going out of my comfort zone and I'm so proud of myself for doing so. I loved how this came out. I know I keep saying I'm proud of myself for the fics I've written but I really am. I'm very self concious and I'm always comparing myself to others, thinking what I do isn't as good or thinking I shouldn't keep doing something because others do it better. Even if I tell myself that I shouldn't write for others and I should do it for myself and not mind if a fic gets few comments or kudos a part of me will always look for validation. But re reading this fic made me feel so good about my own writing, genuinely proud that I did it. I love this fic so much.

(Here is where I realise my top 5 fics' titles all start with T for some reason??)

6th place: AN INNOCENT TRUST EXERCISE

I always think this is a lil' one shot that I wrote and an okay one but then I realise it's over 10k and really good? lol I guess I have a habit of forgetting my own fics. It's the first "big" fic that I wrote by myself and I remember being so happy about this fact. Re reading it I feel like it could be better, the pacing is a bit off and the ending doesn't really match the tone of the fic, the smut feels like it came out of nowhere and some bits are cringy to read. But I still love it. Maybe one day I'll go over it again and make some edits.

7th place: SHARK WEEK (collab with @gossipqueen2000)

I love this fic and I know a lot of people adore this too but I feel like it isn't as good as the others, maybe because it's been so long since I wrote it. I do still re-read it from time to time (maybe sometimes during that time of the month for me).

8th place: ANY WAY YOU WANT IT

This is more like a collection of one shots than an actual fic but I do like it a lot. Is it self-indulgent? yes, a lot. It is a collection of smut after all. I feel like my specialty is writing funny smut and I have a blast writing it, inserting comedy and fluff into sexy situations even being an ace person in real life, lol. I have a couple more wips for the next chapters but writers block is a bitch.

9th place: THE LAST RESORT (Colab with @septemberrie)

I'm only putting this this far down on the list because we just posted 1 chapter but I still love it. This was mine and Skye's second attempt at a rom-com type multichap fic after the success of Tempting Fate and I feel like it could have turned out amazing too, but life got in the way and we haven't managed to get back into it. If you think we should give this another try let us know!

10th place: I CAN FEEL YOU

I really like this one, but I'm putting it here in the list because it isn't just Rivusa. It's Rivusa + Sky, PWP. More focused on Sky than Rivusa. But I do really like the emotion I managed to write in this and I am proud of stepping a bit our of my comfort zone with this.

11th place: WHY NOT

I feel like this one is too basic, bland, not a lot of effort or emotion was put into it. I mean not all fics need to be deep and whatever and this one is basically just PWP, which is fine too. But idk it feels unfinished, like a first draft. The first half has too many characters and I feel like I get overwhelmed when I have to write that many voices at once so it's basically just dialogue with no description. And then it switches gears to just Riven and Musa and smut. Feels like 2 different fics glued together.

Honorable Mentions (Rivusa fics listed on my AO3 that fit the +6k words criteria I set for this post but that don't quite fit my ranking list):

EN GARDE: I don't really consider this my fic because @septemberrie wrote the majority of it, I just came in as a final push at the end, but I absolutely love it and I'm so happy she let me dip my little fingers on it and write a bit. Definitelly a must if you love period/medieval AUs.

A LADY'S GUIDE TO FOOLS AND FORTUNES: Another one I don't consider my fic but had a part in the making. It was written by the forever-amazing @septemberrie with art/gifs I made for the Reverse Big Bang event. I adore it and am so SO proud of the gifs I made. One of my best ones for sure.

REASSURANCE and JUST FOR YOU (both collabs with @gossipqueen2000 and AmandaLovegood): Both of these were witten back in 2021 when Fate had just come out. Feels like ages ago. I'm putting them here because I feel like they have more Mo and Amanda than Val to be honest, I don't really remember writing them or the process of it but I really like them a lot. Again Mo has this way of writing emotion and feelings and you can just tell it was her. It feels real and raw and so good to read, whump in the best way.

[hopey-thinks]

Loyal to the nightmare of my choice- An analysis of Riven from Winx Club

I’m at a point in my life (not long before I turn 18) where it’s natural that I’d start yearning to revisit my childhood and look back on the things that made me happy as a kid. And recently, my feed has been showing me memes I forgot about from Winx Club, a show I was captivated by when I was younger, and it got me thinking. What better way is there to honor my childhood than rewatching some of the media I loved when I was a kid that I forgot about? While I initially started doing it for fun, to my surprise I started to realize about 7 episodes into the first season that there was a good amount of substance in it despite it being targeted towards a younger audience, particularly in the way that some of the characters’ backgrounds and fears motivate their behaviors. The following episodes only proved that further, and one character stood out to me in particular throughout the run time, that being Riven. 

In today’s analysis we’ll be focusing on how insecurity, sense of self, and standards around masculinity combine into his character and motivate his actions throughout the first half of season one. I’ll also discuss how Musa and Darcy impact his development and the subtext that may indicate that he’s queer coded (in the sense that this part of his arc is representative of the experience of a lot of young queer men). I’ll note that I’ll be referring to Sky and Brandon as the Prince and the Blond guy so there isn’t confusion about who I’m referring to since their names apparently switch later on for some reason. 

Already by the end of the fourth episode, Riven has a decent amount of characterization. He’s abrasive, sharp-tongued, and cocky, often instigating turmoil and arguments between the specialists (particularly the blond guy) with his snarky comments and arrogance. Right off the bat we see he’s competitive and prefers to handle situations on his own, having a difficult time acknowledging his faults and blaming others for his failure when they try to work with him. 

His apparent ego coupled with his stubborn independence and frustration with the idea of relying on others shows that his need to prove his strength is likely masking something deeper, that being an intense discomfort with vulnerability. Yet when the other specialists say they’ll kick him off the team if he refuses to cooperate with the Winx in the fourth episode, he chooses to stay with them anyways despite his pride, revealing that he does indeed desire human connection and isn’t as confident in his own abilities as he lets on.

What’s interesting is how his aggression, which is typically associated with masculinity, is contrasted with how he actually chooses to express himself (mainly through fashion, occasional dialogue, and mannerisms) in ways that would be considered feminine at the time the show was released. Wearing a crop top and saying things like “sweetie” to your bro are just some examples of things he does that were stereotypically feminine in 2004. This juxtaposition of his different attributes calls into question how his need to prove himself and inability to be vulnerable may not just be related to insecurity with his abilities, but also with his identity as a man.

 Because he’s unsure of how he fits into male gender roles, he overcompensates and tries to bury his lack of confidence in himself by attempting to be hypermasculine in other aspects. And of course, the consequence of this response is how it’s damaging to his relationships. In trying to mask his insecurity, he isn’t being true to himself and therefore struggles to have deeper, genuine connections.

His characterization is reinforced in multiple ways during the 7th episode, the episode that sort of lays the groundwork for the major conflict he encounters in the next two episodes and their unfortunate resolution by the 10th. He charges in alone to fight the Minotaur thingy and insults the blond guy when he says they should work together, again offended by the idea that he isn’t strong enough to defeat it alone. He speaks lowly of the women he’s at the party with and sets himself above them, dismissing Musa as “better than some of the others” there (if you think that might imply misogyny I want you to hold that thought). But most importantly, when he’s found by Darcy and the others she states that he has extremely strong negative energy. His perspective on masculinity is immature and unhealthy (I predict that it’s primarily been shaped by trauma from past experiences) for not just the people he’s surrounded by (which we’ll get deeper into shortly), but also his own psyche and self worth. As is the case for many teenage boys, it’s not surprising that this attitude is emotionally taxing and even physically exhausting for him to maintain.

This leads up to what I think is one of the most interesting scenes in the show yet as far as gender criticism goes. Riven, the blond guy, the prince, Stella and Bloom are all in the city for the magix equivalent of Mother’s Day. After Riven reveals that he and the other two are going to be participating in a race being held for the holiday, the prince teases him for not having anyone to cheer for him, insinuating that he can’t find a girl that’s into him. 

And he immediately becomes defensive at this comment, feeling his masculinity has been attacked/questioned since social structures put pressure on men to attract women as accessories to and proof of their masculinity. Because of this, he tries to affirm his manliness to himself and his friends through performative masculinity. He claims he can have any woman he wants and tries to make a bet with his friends where if he wins the race, he can pick any of the winx to go out with at the ball. And he picks Bloom. 

      This in and of itself is a VERY problematic assumption on so many levels. It not only is completely disrespectful to the blond guy who very obviously has feelings for Bloom, but it’s even more disrespectful to Bloom and the other winx who he’s treating as possessions, not even considering if they’re not into him. (Remember how I brought up misogyny earlier?) 

Thankfully, Bloom doesn’t take any shit from him. She calls him out on his deplorable behavior and reminds him that it’s her choice to decide who she wants to go out with, stating that regardless of the outcome of the race she doesn’t want anything to do with him. But he completely ignores this sentiment and takes the disrespect a step further by grabbing her chin and getting in her personal space, insisting that she’s just hiding her feelings for him. 

This violation is inherently degrading not just because she didn’t consent, but also because in doing so he shows he took none of what she said seriously. He acts as if his ego gives him the authority to decide what’s good for her regardless of how she feels about it, demonstrating a patronizing form of misogyny. Bloom rightfully decides that she’s had enough with his bullshit and slaps his hand away from her. She teaches him a lesson by using a spell to pour water over his head and tells him he needs to treat others with more respect. 

Now, the thing that the series does wrong with this is how it portrays Bloom as having “gone too far” once Riven is rightly embarrassed by the turn of events and ashamed of his behavior. She feels the need to apologize when she wasn’t in the wrong whatsoever, which is admittedly a very bad lesson to teach young girls. At least Stella interjects and comments that he had it coming, but the fact the show treats Bloom like she needs to make up for embarrassing him when he absolutely deserved it is problematic and frustrating. 

He storms off and Darcy sees him, commenting that she likes his attitude and finds him physically attractive. The trix take note of this along with the bad state he’s in, deciding to use it to help them achieve their goal. And regardless of how I feel about it Bloom decides she wants to make it up to him, which they use to execute their plan. The trix take advantage of this by sending an imposter of Timmy to give her a helmet they can control to make him mess up the race to give to Riven before the race begins. Bloom ends up giving it to him but quickly realizes she made a mistake, but when she steps into the race to try and stop the witches she sadly falls hook line and sinker into their trap. They set it up to look like Bloom was the one who messed with his helmet while she interfered in the race, and Riven is left in a very vulnerable position emotionally. 

It’s deeper than him just being mad at Bloom in that moment because he thinks she made him lose. It’s a build up of the entire day. He feels like he was emasculated by his friends after part of his deep seated insecurity was named out loud and additionally is embarrassed by his failure in the race and to charm Bloom, reinforcing that insecurity. There’s only one thing on his mind right now, and that’s finding validation from someone. This makes him incredibly susceptible to Darcy’s manipulation.

She tricks him into thinking she saved him and goes to comfort him after the race, giving him what he craves in that moment that he feels his friends aren’t able to provide. He doesn’t believe Bloom and is frustrated that his friends aren’t immediately taking his side. And in what is a surprisingly real moment, he’s blinded by his ego and chooses to ditch the people who actually care about him, feeling betrayed. 

Musa and Darcy are also foils to each other, and Darcy herself is actually a pretty good example of how women can perpetuate the patriarchy if they believe they can become more powerful in some way by embracing it. While she does like Riven, her crush on him is only motivated by surface level attraction and not love, and ultimately is using him as just another way to get what she wants. The first thing she notes when she sees him in public isn’t anything about his actual personhood or a desire to get to know him better like Musa, but how essentially… she finds his attitude and body sexy. Darcy offers the shallow affirmation he wants on an egotistical level while Musa offers him a genuine acceptance for who he is despite his flaws, which is what he actually needs. And what’s sad about his choice is that Darcy is only feeding his ego to make him reliant on her affirmation because that’s what she needs to do to keep him under her thumb, whereas Musa and the others would’ve helped him find an actual stable sense of self worth. The kind that comes from within.

What’s even more depressing is that he throws that opportunity away completely in his shortsightedness. After Musa sees him with Darcy in the restaurant and the other trix get a gang of girls to literally jump her, she finds him while trying to escape and begs him for help. To which he smirks and says “why should I?” And I’m here to tell you why you fucking should Riven. That girl is someone who genuinely respects, admires, and cares about you beyond just what you can do for her, and she has been NOTHING but kind to you. She’s coming to you in a time of desperation, and regardless of how you feel about her friends, standing up for her is the right thing to do even if it could cause you to lose what you want out of Darcy. But he turns a blind eye to this reality, and not just because he wants the present gratification he gets from Darcy.  

Despite it being what he needs to do if he ever wants to grow, he feels like he could never allow himself to let his walls down because that would require him to be vulnerable with someone and expose his low self confidence. And so he abandons his friends, Musa, everyone that was genuinely supporting him, which will inevitably become self destructive. 

Riven is also a fascinating character in how his motivations and internal conflict are extremely similar to the experiences of a lot of young queer men both past and present, and I think that there’s a good possibility that this was intentional. While I don’t like to throw around the term “queer-coded” I think there’s a decent amount of evidence to support looking at his character through this lens.

 Being feminine as a man is stereotypically associated with queerness, and as I explained before a lot of the ways he chooses to present himself would’ve been considered feminine or unusual for a man at the very least at the time. Villains were frequently queer coded in the 90s and 2000s (that was the only socially acceptable way to have a queer character in your story), and while he isn’t a villain (even if he functions more as an antagonist later in the season, there’s a difference) he serves a more antagonistic role in the story. He’s often the shit starter for many conflicts and is also just mean to the other characters. 

As for his experiences, trying to push people away and engage in performative masculinity to cover up fear and insecurity around your identity and how your community would feel about it is rather common among young queer men. The pressure to conform to oppressive social systems like patriarchy is destructive to many of the people it’s supposed to empower as well as the victims, and I was pleasantly surprised to see this portrayed in an older show targeted at younger audiences, even if it wasn’t perfect. It’s something I’d like to see covered in more in stories because media is a powerful socializing agent that influences how we view ourselves and our place in the world from a very young age.

I’m excited (and a bit nervous) to see how Riven’s decisions affect him in the future and how his perception may change because of that. 

I may make a follow up meta to this at a later point in his arc if enough people are interested, so let me know if you enjoyed this! Thank you for your time <3. 

[topnotchquark]

what's your top three (or more) vale looks?

I deliberated before answering whether I want to show the objectively good looks or the ones where I personally feel crazy so I guess I'll try to balance both. Let's get into it.

1. Eyeball Mugello helmet 2011.

Is it easy on the eyes? No. Does it look truly otherworldly almost terrifying. His own blue eye on the helmet, an ode to a lifetime of being watched and reclaiming the agency in it, the red suit, the yellow motifs of gloves and kneepads.

Leathers in general are some of the most captivating looking sport protective gear and his Ducati red ones being elevated in his trademark fashion, literally I have thought about them every day since I first saw them. It comes together in my mind partly because I love his freak ass so much and partly because if a bunch of alies descended upon earth, he could pass off as a revered human warrior to them lol. To me, it's a high fashion moment ™️.

2. 63rd Venice Film Festival, 2006.

Imo Face card with credit limit that could make Mansa Musa's worldly wealth look like peanuts. Cherubic glow on his face, a vaguely mellow mischievous glint in his eyes, curls settled around his head like a laurel wreath, sideburns framing his face in the trademark hot and iconic fashion. Every red carpet photo from this day is a hit. Fae prince realness served. Imo it also seems like the type of masculinity Vale always wanted to project to the world. Don't google the rest of the outfit he was in some ugly jeans.

3. Hair Color Saga.

Self-explanatory. Cemented him as an idea as a showman in the minds of people. Did it while having fun. Loved that he was on a mission to try as many colors as possible. My personal favourite is the blue hair by far.

4. Misc. Because why not.

That time he looked like a hot dirtbag at Wimbledon and god knows how many inane rules he broke in the process. Sticking it to the man in trademark Vale style.

Okayyy Miss Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil Shade 015 Cherry.

That time he got jacked??? As my husband Diljit Dosanjh said, "lookin thicc, she be on that protein". It's not even hot or anything it's just surprising because when he was young he hated the gym. (Thank you callie @moonshynecybin for these pictures because I didn't want to good Valentino Rossi shirtless ur a real one mwah mwah)

Alas I've hit the 10 photo limit so I will have to stop now but appreciating Vale's face never stops.

Thank you so much for this question. I'd love to hear your opinions, which Vale era is most attractive to you and which ones made you like him? And same for Fabio?

[sp00ky-scary]

Everyone's being like super duper positive about the Winx reboot but ngl I am not a fan,

Their civilian looks are certainly a choice, Stella is a mess and looks washed out, Aisha is cute but her wearing sports wear is sooo basic, not a fan of Techna but idrk why, Flora is cute but could be a shade darker because she looks too light in some of what we've seen, Musa's hair is horrible both the style and colour, her outfits fine ig, but I hate hate hate that she has light blue eyes and double eyelids despite previous images (including ones shown in the preview) where she has monolids.

If these are their first forms these are like so insanely over designed especially the wings and honestly some are kinda ugly ? Like idk something just isn't working and it's a shame considering what we saw from previous leaks which looked way better, like Musa and Flora are cute and I like Aisha's hair but other than that, ehhhh. Also ntm Blooms braids ??????

Like… Bloom I don't think that style of braids is quite what you should be wearing. Also just generally I think the style is way too generic, like part of Winx appeal was the style and whilst I think they could do 3D well they just aren't, and somehow so far a show set to release in 2025 feels less diverse than a show from 2004 even though it's the same show. Every time we see something from this reboot it feels like a downgrade from what we've seen previously. I'd try to be more positive but there isn't much to be positive about, I mean it looks fun and I like the environments, the animation seems expressive which is nice but design wise it's lacking and I really hope they make some changes for the better before its release.

[goggles-mcgee]

Now here's Flora!

Design wise, I gave her naturally wavy layered hair, and her bangs are more volumized. Idk, I just thought it fit her. She also has glasses because I really adored that idea from her concept sketches! I kept her shirt design but did change the skirt to overalls because, again, I thought it was a cute idea but also because I felt at first Flora would wear what was easiest to garden in and slowly her clothing grows because of her friends and she starts wearing more clothes just for the fun of it. I gave her green platform sandals, but she prefers not wearing shoes as most in Lympheans do.

It's part of their tradition and culture. They believe it brings them closer to nature. Of course, they will wear shoes in other kingdoms to show respect, but there are hardly any shoes stores in Lymphea. Most of the shoes they own are made outside their kingdom.

She does have a leaf shaped bag, and it is to hold a mini potions kit, actual potions, and candies. She basically carries what she knows will help her friends with their magical drawbacks and hers as well. She carries migraine potions for Tecna and Musa, motion sickness potions for Stella, throat soothing candies for Bloom, and pain relief potions and calming candies for herself.

The pain relief potions help with her chronic pain due to her magical drawbacks. She feels the pain of nearby plants, at first this merely extending to those immediately close to her, but as she grew, so did the radius of this drawback. The calming candies are to help keep her emotions balanced or just dulled as she is so connected to nature that it reacts to her emotions. At first, she thought it was great, and so did her family, but after an incident where she hurt someone badly on accident, she vowed to always remain calm. This itself has drawbacks.

Her fairy form is the most change. Though I do adore her original design, I really just wanted to give her a dress that was inspired by the Dancing Fairies/ Fairy Dancer plants, also known as fuchsias! They practically screamed, Flora!

Headcanons!

• She is a middle triplet! Her triplet brothers are Faun and Guy. Her dad thought it was funny to name them after Flora, Fauna, and Fungi. They all adore their younger sister Miele and all of them are very protective of her.

• Literally, everyone has had a crush on Flora at some point. She's just very oblivious to it. She just thinks they are being nice. 😭

• Her full name is Flora Carmen Thorngrove

• Her and Darcy know each other a little because they both are Lympheans.

• She's a really good cook, but she has a tendency to...experiment.

• She is very much a mad scientist.

Bloom

Stella

[moonmagix24]

So we got an official preview...

The official Winx party in Rimini happened a few hours ago and oh, my God. We were fed! I have many thoughts and feelings I'd like to share... Obviously, it'll all be below the cut and spoiler warning so no one gets spoiled if they don't want to be! All images provided are screencaps from the preview video which I will link.

I do not own the images or the video. They are all property of Rainbow.

However, before we go on. One thing to say: Rainbow, please don't use AI in promotional material.

Spoilers below the cut!

First up: the fairy forms (or at least what we see of them).

I'm not really sure how exactly I feel about Bloom because blue and pink again... I long for blue and yellow Bloom to come back. But it is what it is.

Aisha's outfit reminds me of synchronized swimming costumes and her wings look like fins or even water droplets. Her hairstyle is really cute, honestly.

Musa's outfit looks like an updated version of her original MW outfit and I'm honestly here for it. Both she and Aisha have really cute boots on, too. I'm not really a fan of giving her braids but I could warm up to it. Also, her wings are freaking keyboards! I'm obsessed.

Stella looks very pale and the shade of orange for her outfit blends too much with her hair but that might honestly be the lighting because it was a recording on a screen. Her top and wings are giving sunbeams. I'm glad her bangs are back... Even though not in her civilian outfit. Maybe season 2 will bring her bangs back in all forms!

Tecna's outfit is once again the weakest. However, her wings are honestly really fun and I love her hair! Maybe her outfit will look better when we get a full view of it?

Out of all of the Winx, Flora is the only one we get. Her outfit, like Musa, looks like an update of her original form. Her wings have the same shape as her old ones, too, but I like that there's more colors to them. I am not a fan of her boots. Like at all.

Now, onto the civilian outfits.

No real comments to make other than... Stella is ghostly pale and her outfit is the weakest out of the bunch. Bloom still has that weird outfit that desperately needs some work.

There's nothing much to say about the voices other than Musa and Aisha sounded a bit too similar. I love Flora's accent.

Honestly, I'm really looking forward to the Winx reboot, in terms of both animation and writing.

[no-white-dress]

Because of @magixfairyix , Even a Witch compliant characters and what roles they would have if someone (mainly Musa and Darcy) talked everyone else into doing a stage version of Epic the musical.

Note that I don’t give a damn about the gender of the og character, I mostly thought of what each character would find the most suiting or fun roles.

Odysseus: Brandon (I feel like he'd have a decent vocal range)

Zeus: Stormy (she would have a blast)

Eurylochus: Musa (only one who can rap)

Polites: Flora (not to make her the soft uwu character but the voice and message of Open Arms would match her)

Athena: Icy (she likes the badass role and the chance to yell at Brandon)

Polyphemus: Tecna in a big robot with voice distortion (no explaination needed)

Aeolus: Stormy (imagine Stormy not wanting the role of the little shit)

Poseidon: Aisha (purely because of her magic)

Hermes: Bloom (she loved the songs and the mentor-ish role)

Circe: Darcy (perfect fit)

Anticlea: uuuh Daphne? (I doubt Faragonda would lend herself to this and Marion – or any other winx mom – would just weep and not sing, save for Samara, who wouldn’t care enough to do it anyway)

Tiresias: Bloom (cool power visuals in my mind)

Main siren: Stella (because the siren pretends to be Penelope and I made her Penelope)

Scylla: Darcy (coated in an illusion spell)

Telemachus: Hunter (no one else is baby enough, plus "little wolf", plus Natsume would rather burn the theater to a crisp than agree to sing)

Antinoos: Nex (I feel like he'd do the job)

Calypso: Flora (soft voice)

Apollo: Helia (poet)

Hephestus: Tecna (it makes sense y'know)

Aphrodite: Musa (broken heart)

Ares: Sky (I wish Riven was in the equation for this one like COME ON)

Hera: Musa (again. But she could handle it. Darcy would make her a double for the final scene in God Games)

Eurymachus: Timmy (nice guy voice)

Penelope: Stella (I just think she would really really like the role)

Everyone else (everyone who doesn’t have a main role in the current song) is backup vocals, aka the crew or the suitors or the sirens. The lotus eaters and winions are the pixies.

[julaibib]

Salam brother. Can you tell me how to raise my self esteem without falling into egoism? Most of the advice about self confidence talk about boosting one's ego but I'm afraid I will fall into egocentrism. How to find balance? What's the islamic way to build self confidence?

Developing Muslim psychology instead of western psychology is very important to have self-esteem. Muslim psychology constitutes postulates of being optimistic, being grateful, don’t being materialistic, showing patience and gratitude (Sabar Wa Shukar), and above all, omitting the habit of comparing yourself with others. The comparison may lead to Jealousy which is forbidden by Allah. Be grateful at times of happiness and be patient at times of hardships. If you don’t have an optimistic approach towards life, you will become easy prey to shaitan. Build these habits with time and you will see your self-esteem and self-confidence growing.

Developing positive habits and involving yourself in performing virtues will increase your self-esteem. Remember that sins decrease self-esteem. The more you do sins, you will ultimate feel low, you won't see yourself speaking or expressing yourself properly, your mindfulness will get affected. Hence, develop a habit of helping others, develop a habit of complimenting others, develop a habit of speaking the truth. Spread positivity and positivity will reflect back to you.

Having good company is one of the most important aspects of having self-esteem. If your company is bad, you are spending your day with people who don’t talk about the good in life, who are always being funny and never discuss Allah, who tease you and others just out of the fun. All of this will affect your self-confidence in the long run. It is wisely said, If a person sits with another person who is wearing perfume, then ultimately the smell of perfume will start coming out of him too. If a person sits in a coal mine, he will blacken himself and his clothes as well.

Some of the things which we think will increase the Muslim’s self-confidence are:

Putting his trust in his Lord, depending upon Him and seeking support and help from Him. The Muslim cannot do without his Lord, may He be Exalted. As we mentioned above, self-confidence is an acquired characteristic, and the Muslim needs help and support from his Lord. The more he puts his trust in his Lord, the greater his self-confidence will grow and reach the highest level.

When Musa (peace be upon him) and his people fled from Pharaoh and his troops, and the two sides saw one another, we see the trust that Musa had in his Lord. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when the two hosts saw each other, the companions of Musa said: ‘We are sure to be overtaken.’ [Musa] said: ‘Nay, verily, with me is my Lord. He will guide me.’” [Ash-Shu`ara’ 26:61-62] 

Finding out what his strong points are and increasing them; what he does well and developing it; and what his weak points are and trying to deal with them. 

In order to develop self-confidence it is essential to look with gratitude at what Allah has given you of skills and characteristics, so that this will motivate you to strengthen your self-confidence. With regard to your weak points, you have to try to deal with them and develop them so that they reach the same level as your other, good skills and characteristics. 

It is very important for the Muslim who is seeking ways of increasing his self-confidence not to repeat negative words, such as saying that he has no self-confidence or that he will never succeed at work. 

The Muslim has to set specific goals for his life and check on the outcome time after time, because the person who is self-confident will make sure that his goal is achieved on the basis of good planning and with the help of his Lord.

The Muslim should seek righteous companions, because that will give him a motive to succeed and encourage him to make greater efforts. The righteous companions will not overlook their friend’s weak points; rather they will guide him to follow the better path. Thus good companions are one of the factors of success for the confident Muslim.

He should not be distracted by previous difficult experiences and past failures, because that will spoil his efforts and make him look down on the success he has achieved. This is not something that the Muslim wants for himself.

[electra-jolts-magnetism]

...or...or reverse adopt

Griselda: Why did the girls give me a mother's Day card?

Griffin: I got a step-mom card.

Faragonda: I got a mother's Day card too.

All three: ...

Griselda: Did the girls really just adopt us as mother figures?

Winx: We did it in first year actually!

This reminds me of a post I reblogged 😂 It said:

Yes it's sweet when your fave adopts the plucky child they've just met, but the best trope is when the child finds the tallest, gruffest old man they can find and says 'yeah, I'm gonna be his problem now'.

The Winx spend more time with Faragonda and Griselda than their parents at this point, and those girls know something is going on between them and Griffin. They’ve been calling them their Moms for years (In the beginning, The three of them always chalked it up to an accident as it wasn’t unusual for students to call them “mom.”)

After graduation, The Winx realize that this could become confusing and decide that their Birth Mothers (& Vanessa) would be “Mom”; Faragonda would be “Mama”; Griselda would be ”Mother or Ma”; Griffin would be “Step-Mom or Wicked Stepmother” (because they think it's hilarious); and that Faragonda, Griselda & Griffin would be their “Bonus-Moms”. However, when referring to All of them, the Winx call them their “Moms”. And yes, the specialists are aware.

[Most of these take place after graduation, but some can take place before]

===== Bloom =====

Person A: What’s it like having two moms?

Bloom, looking through her phone: Five.

Person A: What?

Bloom, holds up her phone and shows them a picture of Vanessa, Marion, Faragonda, Griselda & Griffin having tea: Five moms, and It’s pretty nice.

Bloom, counting on her fingers as she lists them off: When I experience culture clashes, I talk about it to my adoptive mom because she can understand my point of view. (Vanessa)

Bloom: I’m able to get to know my birth mom and learn how similar we are despite not being raised by her. (Marion)

Bloom: Mama is always willing to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on and offer advice. And when she has time for tea, she will tell all sorts of stories about my other moms, especially the embarrassing ones. She also gives the best hugs. (Faragonda)

Bloom: When I was falling asleep during my classes, the professors eventually stopped waking me up; I later learned Mother told them to let me sleep. She would then go over everything I missed one-on-one during detention or let me sleep through detention if I was in there for another reason. Now, she lets my friends and I nap in her office and will make time for us in her absurdly busy schedule if we need her. She also gives surprisingly good hugs if you’re brave enough to ask. (Griselda)

Bloom: And if the Winx and I are ever in trouble or end up in jail, our Step-mom will bail us out and not tell any of our other Moms. (Griffin)

===== Stella =====

Stella, hears someone talking shit about Faragonda: Keep my Mama’s name out of your fucking mouth.

–––

Stella, hears someone talking shit about Griselda: Keep my Mother’s name out of your fucking mouth.

–––

Stella, hears someone talking shit about Griffin: Keep my Step-mom’s name out of your fucking mouth.

(This one, in particular, has led several people to wonder when Griffin married one of her parents; Luna is the usual assumption)

===== Flora =====

Helia, over the Phone: The guys and I are wondering if you and the girls are free this weekend?

Flora: I’m so sorry, but we all have plans.

Helia, a little curious: Really? What are you all doing?

Flora: Well, Mama’s taking Bloom and me to that new Botanical Garden that recently opened.

Flora: Mother got tickets to a Ballet that Musa and Aisha have been talking about for months and is taking them both.

Flora: And Stella and Tecna are going to watch a Meteor Shower with our Step-mom.

Helia: That sounds incredible. I hope you all have fun!

Flora: We will!

===== Musa =====

Some Asshole to Musa: Well, at least I have a Mom!

Musa, without missing a beat: Actually, I have three, and each of them could kick your mom’s ass!

===== Tecna =====

Timmy, staring at the device on the table in disbelief: Where did you get this?

Tecna, speaking casually as she typed away on a laptop that wasn’t even available for purchase yet: Mother made some calls. It turns out a lot of people owe her favors.

===== Aisha =====

Nabu or Nex: Hey, Aisha, can I ask you some quick questions?

Aisha: Sure, what’s up?

Nabu or Nex: Why do you have a dagger strapped to your leg? Where in the Magic Dimension did you get it? Do you even know how to use it? If so, who taught you? And do your parents know?

Aisha: My Bonus-Moms firmly believe you should never go anywhere without a knife.

Aisha: It was a gift from my Step-mom.

Aisha: Yes, I do. Mother taught me, and she wouldn’t let me go anywhere with it until she was confident that I knew how to use it.

Aisha, Smirking: Mama asked, and they said No.

[dragonfly0808]

I know this has been asked before but what's your favorite scene for each couple you've written so far

Bloom and Sky- Their talk after Sky tells the truth of his curse season 3, Chapter 34; The Truth is a Grotesque Animal

I just feel it captures how despite loving each other so much, things just keep getting in the way and (in a parallel with Daphne and Valtor) they are also a tragedy

Stella and Brandon- I don’t think I have a specific one but if I had to chose their moment in Season 4, Chapter 2; Love or Like, It’s Like Hide and Seek

It’s just very domestic and shows how much they just get each other. Also Brandon loving it when he gets to see Stella with her glasses is UUUGGGHHHH- they’re the cutest

Flora and Helia- I’m between the love confession in Season 2, Chapter 34; See the Light and… their scene in Season 3, Chapter 27; Show me the Places Where the Others Gave you Scars. Also, honorable mention to their moment in Season 3, Chapter 31: I’ll Stare Directly at the Sun but Never in the Mirror

They’re just so soft, I love writing for them but these 3 specifically where just… ugh- love it

Musa and Riven- I got 3 favorite scenes, first Season 1, Chapter 21; Lightning can Strike Twice, when they’re at Zenith because I feel like this is the first time they truly connect. Then, Season 2, Chapter 40; But Tonight I’ll be the Happiest Girl in the World, you’ll see, Like it Never Happened, since this is when they get together.

But THE SCENE for them is season 3, Chapter 45; Fairy Soiree, because this is when they realize that they’re in it for the long haul and they’re finally learning to communicate and it was just very soft and fun to write

Tecna and Timmy- there is only one possible option here, their talk in Season 3, Chapter 39; Would You Hold Me and Just Forget the World? Because I feel like it’s these two at their purest and the best way to see their relationship and what they mean to each other

I just loved writing that scene for them

Aisha and Nabu- their scene in Season 3, Chapter 27; Show me the Places Where the Others Gave you Scars, since this is when Aisha first realizes that she’s falling in love with Nabu

Honorable mention to Nabu backing her up when she goes up against her mom in Season 3, Chapter 57: Things Work Out, Except for the Ones that Just Won’t

[darlenicy]

Darcy and Riven – their story and why I ship them

In January 2023 I found my way back into the Winx fandom - more precisely, I created this Tumblr on January 28th, 2023 and since then I have been constantly passionate about this show from my childhood. Most of all, of course, for our three favorite witches. Accordingly, this year I have given a lot of thought and HCs to the Trix and their relationships. Today is the day that I'm going to write down all of these HCs and thoughts I have and tag them properly so that they're easier to find in my jumble of posts, reblogs and crazy fangirling. Well, have fun!

I got my first anon ask about Driven headcanons (hcs most of the time now) in march and therefore tried to order my thoughts on this topic as well. It actually became something of a definition of their relationship and how I see them in the show: This is how my bullet journal looks:

Riven is pretty badass. That's why Rivusa doesn't make much sense because ego-wise he would have gone after best-girl-Bloom. Or Princess Stella, but more Bloom, simply because Brandon (Sky) obviously found Bloom interesting.

Then there is Darcy. Not only is she the complete opposite of the loud, glittering fairy gang, but she also forms a stark contrast to Riven. She is powerful, yes, but above all she is calm, goal-oriented and come on in 1x8 we see how cute she is. Of course, Riven likes her power-talk in 1x9 but he surely is keen on her because she is a totally different type of girl than Musa or Stella.

Oh, and an important thing that just came to my mind while supervising what I wrote and putting it into a post: DARCY DID NOT MIND-CONTROL HIM IN CANON!

Her glowing eyes meant that she formed the connection with Riven, so that he could contact her mentally later on in the show!

It's fkn 4kids who came up with the mind control because they tend to downplay everything for all American kids' sake. - Ok back to the post:

In terms of type, if comparted to the fairies, Darcy is mostly like Flora, but in contrast to the nature fairy, she has a much more self-confident demeanor. She is also the first to respond to Riven as a person and his needs (power, being recognized). Then of course there is the matter of rescue. Firstly: Thanks for saving my life and secondly: The woman can ride this flying motorcycle like a guy. Where can you find something like that? And unlike the Winx, who are constantly in trouble, Darcy (and her sisters) is beyond competent (in Season 1 after all, we know how the writing goes down, *sigh*). So, we have Darcy: a beautiful, competent badass BB who just saved his life and looks like an angel that fell from heaven - all in the specialist uniform too - sexyyy. So, it's an extremely attractive girl who also knows guy things and cares about him and really sees and perceives him as a person. She's not a self-centered good-time girl who makes him clean, so she doesn't have to endure her punishment alone (looking at you, Winx....)

But who exactly is Darcy? (she's my girl, my bb, my queen) Out of the Trix, she is probably the one who is least behind the world domination plans. Of course, she is still a member of the Trix - and of course not less power-hungry than her sisters. But she would be the one most likely to give up everything to live a quiet but fulfilling life with the person she loves. Isn't she? She is definitely the first to panic and to make mistakes as a result. We remember episode 1x5, where she immediately panicked when everything didn't work out as planned. She thought she would find Stella's ring in no time, that wasn't the case. Instead of keeping a cool head like Icy would have, she freaks out and starts attacking Bloom. Is it fear because she is running out of time and doesn't know what to do if her disguise is exposed? In any case, Darcy would have been expected to wear a more confident disguise. But in the end, she's the one most likely to panic and this episode shows that perfectly. Maybe that's also the reason why she has clever ideas, but often doesn't think them through. In episode 2x10 she tries to get Icy to put the feather in the scales, fearing that she might have made a mistake and get wiped just like Stormy, who had previously hit the scales with brute force. Icy states very correctly: You’re a backstabbing coward, Darcy. And I love you for that. And with that she the nail right on the head. Darcy is certainly the first of the Trix to get nervous. She certainly has a tendency to overthink, whereas Riven strikes first and thinks later (at best).

Mind control is her specialty. She knows how to get into the minds of her victims to confuse and weaken them. At the same time, she also knows how uncertain and dangerous feelings can be. When it comes to having deep feelings for someone else, she is more likely to be the one who is insecure and cautious. Precisely because feelings are so uncertain, she probably tries to make decisions with her head rather than with her guts.

Their love story is iconic and cute. Basically, we have good girl and bad boy, but the good girl is one of the bad guys and the bad boy is ultimately one of the good guys. They haven't really fought against each other yet. Riven only knows that Darcy is one of the most powerful witches in Cloud Tower and that she and her sisters hate the Winx. Since Riven is skeptical of the Winx himself and has no deeper connection to them, he has little to do with this antipathy from both sides and perhaps only hears about it in passing from Brandon or Sky. So in 1x7 he doesn't pay much attention to the Trix. The fact that he turns on the light and exposes the Trix is once again Riven being Riven. He wants to be the cool dude and doesn't really care about the situation. He simply has no interest in the Winx's affairs and is only pissed when he becomes personally involved with Musa being thrown into his arms by the minotaur. Maybe that’s where his inner hero speaks? But first and foremost, he wants to praise himself. The first time he really notices Darcy is in 1x8, where she represents to him the complete opposite of the fairies, one of which had just shown him up (Bloom).

Darcy, on the other hand, is already interested in Riven in 1x7 and hides the whole thing behind the talk about the Prince of Darkness (seriously, WHO is the Prince of Darkness? Why is that never clarified?). One episode later, she's extremely worried that something might happen to Riven with Icy's, admittedly delicate, plan. bb obviously already has a crush on him. And no one can claim that Icy doesn't know this and is actively using it for her plan. I think that Darcy's feelings didn't matter to her at all, thinking she'd get over it sooner or later. But the fact is, even Icy sees the spark fly between them.

So you could say it was love at first sight for both of them. It is also important for Riven that after all the disappointments and constant criticism he was exposed to at Red Fountain, someone finally recognizes him and his talents. While the Winx, especially Stella, just complained about him, Darcy supported what he was. Partly because she can take advantage of his ambitions, of course, and partly because she simply likes him. I think there are some things Darcy does simply for herself and not because it's part of the plan to rule the Magic Dimension.

From Riven's point of view, what probably also speaks for Darcy is her maturity. She's not a little fairy to save. The opposite is the case. She is probably more experienced in other things too - but that always depends on the respective HC. Darcy can be a bad bitch and cute bb - both are accurate. For me though, she gives more bb vibes than bitch vibes. However, she appears much more mature and confident than the fairies. Speaking of bb (she's one, look at her!) -

she's the type most likely to develop romantic feelings. Icy is too calculating and Stormy is just there for the passion (if you get what I mean). In 2x2 we have this scene "*sigh* To be young and in love...".

She's also the one of the Trix most likely to feel something resembling remorse, if only for her time with Riven. On the other hand, in season 2 we have Riven, who immediately sees through Darcy's attacks - because he knows them. Very well. There is probably still a connection between the two. There could have been more hints about their relationship besides “cute” and “not cute”. There could have been one or two longing looks. I FELL ROBBED.

That’s basically how I interpret their story and why I ship them. I’ll come up with some headcanons these days as well. Stay tuned :3