#she just needed to be alone and stella Did Not Understand

[cute-little-fly]

I was just rewatching Sinsmas and Octavia’s reaction makes so much sense, and is rooted so much in the dysfunctional family dynamic.

Ik a lot of people have pointed out this, and how much this topic has been discussed, but, so many people still don’t realize that the only thing that balanced the dynamic in the household for Via was Stolas. This is why she is so devastated.

Even if she sees her mother abusing her by taking her phone and referring to her as: “his daughter” like if she wasn’t in the room, she knows that if Stolas was there Stella would not be allowed to do that, or Stolas would take the phone and give it back to her and defend her. Or maybe that would not even happen. You see now?

Stolas was the only thing shielding her from the abuse by being the shield that took it. She is not completely conscious of this, but she just knows that Stolas left, and that she is alone now.

This is why it is so hard for her to accept the reality that Stella was abusive, because she loves her mother even if she can’t really count on her as a parent. Via was able to bond at some extent with Stella because Stolas was the one taking the blows, not because Stella was really “calmer” before. Stella is there as she always has been, but Via thinks Stella is worse now because of what Stolas did…

In Via’s eyes he left her defenseless and never was trully happy even with her. She thinks his unhappiness is because he stayed for obligation and not for love, but you can love your daughter and still be unhappy in your life in general because you can’t use your child to fill your own void like that.

You need someone to comfort you, and you are your kid’s caretaker, so your kid can’t help with that. Is actually a good parental trait that Stolas didn’t parentified her, and didn’t made her fill his own emotional needs by telling her his pain, and making her comfort him about it. But, it also was bad that he never explained anything because it kept Octavia in a parallel reality. However, this is a very hard situation to handle. Honestly I wouldn’t know what to tell a child in that situation.

For her it was she and Stolas against the world and that was fine the way it was.

Stolas was her everything while she grew up, her entire happiness. So, she feels a betrayal to learn that he wasn’t as happy as her in those moments (we know he was in those moments even if he endured unhappiness in the marriage and his personal life, but she thinks that).

Is so painful because they were the world for each other, but she doesn’t understand that he was so mistreated at the same time, and not loved back by anyone else. By an equal, by a partner or friends and he also has depression. That is not related to her…

[velarisnightsky444]

Scorched Shadows Part 6

Eris x AzrielsSister!Reader

Summary: Estella is the younger sister of Azriel. Like her older brother, she is a shadowsinger and spymaster for the Night Court. When she meets Eris, she initially despises him, but after a bargain is made between them, and they are stuck Under the Mountain together, things begin heating up.

CW: Amarantha

Word Count: 1618

Series Masterlist

Part 5 || Part 7

»»————-　♔　————-««

Year 4

"That mask makes you look so mysterious," Mor teased Estella as she got ready.

     Amarantha was throwing a masquerade ball Under the Mountain. Rhys had no choice but to make an appearance, and Estella had insisted that she go with him. She didn't want him to be alone. Besides, he rarely let her go on dangerous missions. He usually left those to Azriel.

     The only thing she was dreading was facing Eris Vanserra. While she knew he was invited, she wasn't sure if he would attend. It had been two months since she saw him in the Summer Court. She hadn't felt that thread in her chest since.

     She wore a stunning floor-length gold gown crafted from luxurious silk. The dress featured a fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline and delicate lace detailing. The skirt flowed gracefully to the floor, and there were slots in the back for her wings. She wore gold metallic heels on her feet. 

     She wore diamond stud earrings and a delicate gold bracelet, which Selene had gifted her as a teenager. 

     Mor curled her hair, leaving it loose on her shoulders. She also applied makeup, using sparkling eyeshadow and a bold red lip. A gold masquerade mask was placed over her face.

"The males will be all over you," Mor continued, grinning at the younger girl.

"I don't want any of them," Estrella told her, rolling her hazel eyes.

"A female, perhaps?" she grinned, winking at Estella.

"Oh, hush," Estella pouted, glaring. She just laughed.

"Well, come on, Stella," she insisted, hauling herself to her feet. "Rhys is waiting."

     She had been keeping Rhys waiting for twenty minutes now, but he was well aware that she always took her time getting ready.

"Look who's finally ready," Cassian taunted as Estella and Mor finally emerged from her bedroom.

"You would understand if you put effort into your own appearance," Mor shot at him.

"It was good enough for you when we were seventeen," he reminded her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

     Rhys was standing in the foyer, his hands in his pockets. He donned a black suit with a black undershirt. The jacket and pants were embroidered with stars.

"Are you ready, milady?" Rhys joked with a smile.

"I am," Estella confirmed with a nod.

"You look beautiful," he complimented.

"Thank you," she curtsied.

     He bowed, kissing her gloved hand, before rising again. She couldn't help but grin. Her brothers had always treated her like a princess despite her being a bastard-born nobody. They made her feel like she was special.

     Within a second, he winnowed the two of them away. She clutched onto him, her shadows surrounding her.

     When both of them materialized, she was in a place similar to Hewn City.

     Estella had heard the rumors that Amarantha had modeled this place after the Court of Nightmares. It seemed she was in a throne room, one almost identical to the one Rhys ruled in.

     The room was crowded with High Fae and Lesser Fae alike, all in their finest clothes, wearing masks.

     Her shadows whispered to her, warning her to be careful. But they had been on edge all day, so she brushed them off.

     She spotted Amarantha on a large throne, wearing a crimson dress that matched her long hair. Her lips were twisted in a smirk as she watched the crowd.

"I have business to attend to," Rhys said smoothly. "Stay safe. Don't wander off. Reach out to me if you need anything."

     With that, he disappeared into the shadows. Estella went off by herself, glancing around as she did so.

     Estella strolled over to the refreshments, pouring herself a glass of red wine. Most of the Fae around her were already drunk and stumbling around.

     As she took a sip, she felt that abandoned string in her chest go taut. She was well aware that Eris had approached before her shadows told her.

"Mate," they whispered to her.

"I didn't take you for a red girl," she heard him muse.

"What?" Estella demanded, whirling on him with narrowed eyes.

"Your wine," he clarified with a raised brow. She glanced at the red wine in her hand, then at him.

     He wore a golden undershirt embroidered with autumn leaves. Over that, he had an emerald jacket and brown trousers. His short hair was combed neatly. And his face was adorned with a golden mask.

"You don't know anything about me," Estella mumbled, swirling her wine in the glass.

"It was just an assumption."

"Listen, if you want nothing to do with me, why don't you leave me alone?" she questioned, glaring up at him.

"Maybe I quite enjoy pissing you off," he grinned. She scoffed, rolling her hazel eyes.

"Maybe you're just a prick," Estella corrected.

"Both can be true," he mused.

     She wanted to snap--wanted to piss him off right back. But the sound of fingers snapping distracted her.

     Amarantha was situated on the platform, accompanied by all seven High Lords, who were all holding glasses of wine. Rhys fixed his gaze on her, nothing but pure hatred in his eyes.

"I'd like to offer an apology to the youngest Vanserra," Amarantha crooned.

     It had been said that this ball was her apology for carving Lucien Vanserra's eye out.

"We shall toast to him!" she commanded, raising her glass. The High Lords raised theirs as well before drinking deeply.

     But she could tell that something had gone wrong the moment she saw Rhys's face.

     The fierce power that generally radiated from the High Lords had diminished significantly. The night that glowed around Rhys was almost entirely gone.

     Amarantha's red lips formed a grin as she gleamed with power that had not existed before.

     A commotion broke out all through the room. Every one of the High Lords seemed to realize they had been robbed of their magic.

     Estella met Rhys's eyes, but he shot her a warning look. One that told her to stay where she was.

     Eris was already shoving through the crowd, likely to get to his father, but Estella didn't budge. She trusted Rhys.

"Welcome to my court," Amarantha smirked. "I am your Queen. Don't bother trying to leave."

     Estella's eyes went wide, her mind going to her family. Azriel, Cassian, Mor, and Amren. What would she do without them?

     Chaos broke loose, Fae shoving through the crowd. Estella grunted as she was pushed to the side. She clutched onto the table, holding herself steady as everyone went wild.

"And, you, dear Tamlin--" Amarantha practically purred, dragging a finger down his chest. "Shall be my King."

     Tamlin snarled, shoving her away from him. She stumbled just slightly but quickly got her bearings.

"I would sooner take a human to my bed--I would sooner marry a human than touch you," Tamlin shot at her. "Even your sister preferred a human's company to yours. She chose Jurian over you."

     Everyone in the room seemed to halt at that. She let go of the table, standing up straight. That was too far, and Tamlin was well aware of it.

"You're quite lucky I'm in a generous mood," she crooned. "So I'll give you a chance to break the spell you're all under."

     Tamlin spat in her face, and she paused, fire in her eyes as she froze for a moment. But the fury in her gaze was short-lived, and she laughed cooly, wiping it away with her sleeve.

"You have seven times seven years before I claim you," she stated. "If you want to break the curse, you only need to find a human girl willing to marry you. But not just any girl--a human with ice in her heart. A human willing to kill a faerie. And the faerie must be one of your men. And only if she kills him in an unprovoked attack. He must be killed for hatred alone--just as Jurian did to Clythia. So you may understand my sister's pain."

     Tamlin could only glare at her. Without his power, he was completely defenseless.

"The Spring Court is free to leave," she announced. "The rest of you shall remain here."

      Estella tried to meet Rhys's gaze again, but his was so focused on Amarantha, his eyes narrowed.

     She met his eyes, a smirk on her red lips. She kept eye contact with Rhys as she flung The Autumn Court power out--towards where the Court of Nightmares was gathered.

     Estella felt the heat on her face as the flames struck the court, hitting half of them—half of Rhys's court. Amarantha kept her eyes on him the whole time.

     Shrieks echoed from the entire room, and Estella realized that she, too, was screaming as she watched hundreds of Fae burning to death. The scars on her hands seemed to ache, just as they always did when she was around flames.

     They started to fall in fiery masses, their skin burning away until they became nothing but charred remains.

     Her shadows had gone quiet, and when she looked down, she realized that they had disappeared entirely as if they had never existed. 

     Rhys finally met her gaze, and she gave him a pleading look. He shook his head slightly at the girl.

     Estella noticed Eris standing with his mother, his arm around her protectively. She was always surprised by how fiercely he protected her. Whenever she mentioned the female, he got defensive.

"I still have a small portion of my power left," Rhys said into Estella's mind. "I've secured Velaris. I've informed our family what happened. You need to lie low, Estella. I will find you when I can."

"I'm scared," Estella admitted to him, eyes wide.

"I know," he said. "Just stay away from her until I can get to you, and you'll be fine."

»»————-　♔　————-««

Scorched Shadows Taglist: @the-sweet-psycho @hnyclover @lilyevansstudygroup @esposadomd@fxckmiup@lilah-asteria@a-court-of-mischief-and-madness@sourapplex

Eris Taglist:

Comment to be added to the Scorched Shadows or Eris taglists!

»»————-　♔　————-««

[toestychonk]

Beeg one

I was thinking about Viv's downward spiral with Helluva and it made me kinda depressed and really frustrated.

Starting out with this fun episodic workplace comedy about imps assassinating humans to work it's way through each episode to this "serialized romantic dramedy" is just.. so frustrating.

And signs were in Loo Loo land which was praised by critics at the time.

There wasn't much of a focus on Stolas until Harvest Moon Festival where it was revealed there was a bounty put on his back by Stella.

Okay so Truth Seekers is when we get the first Stolitz kiss. I think this moment is where the writers started to favor Stolas, but in Ozzies, he was still held accountable. (Being deservingly called out by Ozzie and being turned down by Blitz.)

This all changed when the second season attacked.

The Circus is when the show turned full Stolitz. Not just is it a backstory episode about their childhood friendship, but it's from Stolas's Pov. From this point on, Stolas is cemented as a main character. Sure, there are episodes about Moxxie, Millie, and/or even Loona, but in season 2, there are 7 or (8 if you count oops) Stolitz episodes out of the 12 released.

Sinsmas was a laughable excuse to show why they should be together. And so, so victim blamey.

Cut to LVL UP 2025 where Viv made this big announcement where not just were they more corporate (like a merch conference or something) but she basically ended up asking Amazon for help cuz popularity and money was dwindling. Viv, you don't need to go to Disneyland or Broadway shows dozens of times a year ffs. Like this is kinda your own fault. Like, of course people who were turning out for a vulgar workplace comedy wouldn't want a mean-spirited, horny romantic dramedy. They didn't sign up for that shit.

All because she got bored with the episodic nature and decided she wanted to do what Bojack Horseman did plus a romance without understanding what made that show work and stapled Stolas in cuz I guess she might've wanted to "see all sides" which is just rape apologia. I've heard of the self insert theory and idk.

I think the problems most have with Stolas are that he isn't held accountable to the appropriate degree and Viv insists Blitz be with him just as he is.

The thing is that there's this thing called the moral event horizon. Stolas striking his deal with Blitz, knowingly holding his means of survival over his head in exchange for sex, is considered rape (since the term broadened to include drugging and coercion) and many people consider rape to be one of the few things that crosses the moral event horizon. That's why some want him dead. He is a rapist and to many, rapists should die or at least be away from civilized society be them fictional or not. There are many critics who are rape victims to my knowledge.

If you are a victim, please know that you aren't alone. and while I'm not a victim myself, I'm here and I support your uphill battle. (But please go to a professional if you need to as I'm not a therapist and am not qualified)

[wolfwafflez]

Can I please.

Talk a little bit.

About...STELLA.

Or rather, Stella DEFENDERS. And how much they PISS. ME. OFF.

Now, before anyone's hackles get all raised, I wanna say. I like that Stella exists, in the story. I don't like HER, but she's an important character and it's good she's there.

HOWEVER.

You've probably seen how many so called fans absolutely loathe Viv over her characterization of Stella alone. I've seen people call her SEXIST over this, for fuck's sake. As if Stella is the first character ever of her kind. As if having such a female character is a COMPLETELY new concept, and a CRIME that Viv should never be forgiven for.

As if we needed another reminder that people are not familiar with media literacy at all. In the slightest.

Long story short, I got into an argument with someone who claimed that Viv "sucks at writing" because of how she did Stella. I asked them to elaborate. They went on to say that Stella's character is weak because she "is the way she is for no reason." They find the way she's written problematic, and in poor taste, because she was just meant to be a trophy wife for Stolas. She has no title (we don't know that) or powers of her own in the Goetia and was just married off to produce an egg. I in turn, said, "...yeah. That's called royalty. That was the life of most women born into royal hierarchy, title or not, for a very long time. And yes, most of the time it did turn them into bitter, nasty individuals. If you want a reason for why she is the way she is, then...I mean, it's not hard to understand." Of course, me saying it's not hard to understand is assuming someone has basic media literacy, and I guess that's my bad.

I also pointed out to this person, who kept saying Viv has made Stella a horrible manipulative harpy for no reason, that they speak as if Helluva Boss is over. It's clearly not. And Viv has said we will get Stella's backstory before too long. If they were making these kind of claims using Stella's WHOLE story, then I would have taken them more seriously, but as it is, it sounded like they just wanted to complain because Viv isn't writing Stella the way they think that she should. That's really what it pretty much always comes down to, isn't it? This whole thing started because someone else said, wouldn't it be nice if Stella was a NICE character instead? Why can't she just be NICE? Why can't she be sweet and fun and a good, supportive friend to Stolas? Why do they have to be enemies and blah blah blah blah.

Because stories need conflict, that's why. Because a lot of people really sympathize with Stella and I don't understand why?! Just because she's written as a mean woman?! It's almost like they don't remember, or don't even KNOW, that mean women exist in real life. Mean, nasty, horrible, manipulative women. A LOT of them. And they didn't have to be raised in a royal hierarchy and sold off into arranged marriage to be so. Viv is not sexist just because of Stella. She also does not "suck at writing" for having a character of this nature. I told this person as such and they said they still had a right to criticize her. It's like, of course you do. However, just saying someone "sucks" at something is not criticism, and just because you don't like the way someone is doing something in their story (especially if they haven't revealed the full thing), doesn't make it weak or problematic.

[angelshizuka]

Not that I want anything to bad to happen to Octavia but I do think she needs to go through a few things that Stolas did to understand the full situation. To keep his new position Andre is most likely going to force her into an arranged marriage and living with Stella alone full time she is gonna get more of how cruel her mother actually is.

I totally get what you mean. I generally don't like wishing bad things to happen to real people, but these are fictional characters and watching them suffer makes for compelling storytelling.

She obviously doesn't need to literally end up in an arranged marriage, she'd totally be saved on time if that happened, but her having to realize the horror of what it means to be forced into an arranged marriage against your will, would put a lot into perspective for her about her parents.

I do feel like Octavia is aware how cruel Stella is to an extend, because Stella's also cruel to her (just not as cruel as she is to Stolas... I hope, she better not hit Octavia or she's catching these hands!) But that's also partly why she's so mad at Stolas. He didn't just leave, he left her with Stella (and Andrealphus).

[dandylion240]

Coming into the church had been a mistake. Rose didn’t understand the instinct that brought her to the front of the church much less the prone position she found herself in. It was like some bad Christmas romcom except she was damsel in distress. 

Swiping a hand across her face she heaved a sigh that seemed to echo off the walls of the empty church. It’d been months since she’d last been here with her family. They had come Easter Sunday. The entire family had come, sitting towards the back because Brooks had thrown one of her tantrums. His tantrums. 

Shaking her head at her mistake. She was never going to get used to the change. It should be easy except that it wasn’t. Changing pronouns after eighteen years is a lot to ask of someone and she was trying even though she was still making mistakes. Mistakes she knew hurt her sister rather her brother.

How was she supposed to help explain this to their parents when she didn’t understand it herself? Hating to admit it, even to herself, Rose knew it was because she didn’t want to accept it. Ever since Brook was a baby their parents dressed them in identical outfits for holidays and special occasions. Rose had spent the entire Easter holiday trying to convince Brooks she … he needed to play his part. Not to rock the boat. And Brooks had been miserable. 

Now here she was inside a church hoping to get an answer to her dilemma. You’d think it’d be an easy decision. Support her sis…her brother and risk disappointing their parents or supporting her parents and alienating her brother. Why couldn’t Brooks have just left well enough alone? Brooks just had to tell their parents she was a boy trapped inside a girl’s body.

Intellectually  Rose understood there was more to it than that. How many times had Brooks confided in her on how uncomfortable she was in her own body. Rose knew she was part of the reason why it had taken Brooks so long to tell their parents. But why couldn’t she have waited until right before they left for university?

That’s the real reason she was here. She couldn’t stand it at home anymore. Not the tears. Not the gloom and doom that seemed to fill the house. Her entire summer was ruined all because Brooks had to tell them how she felt. 

“Hey,” a deep concerned voice said “are you alright?”

“What? Who?” she jerked her head up to find a young man with a colorful mop of unruly hair staring down at her. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine to me,” he said “do you want to talk about it? I could get the minister, he’s in his office.”

“No,” she sniffled “but if you have any tissues that would be great.”

Grinning, he held out a box “I thought you might need them.”

“Thank you,” she said, pulling several tissues out. 

“Are you sure you’re alright,” he asked again.

“Positive,” she said, dabbing at her eyes hoping her face wasn’t a smeared mess.

“If you say so,” he said, setting the tissue box on an empty pew. “I’m Fox Cornell, I volunteer at the shelter.”

“Oh,” she smiled up at him, “so that’s why you’re here.”

“Yep,” he nodded “most weekends, except next weekend. My sister’s getting married.”

“Congratulations,” she murmured as a funny ache filled her heart. Would Brooks be her maid of honor or a best man? Would they even want to be in her wedding? Why did she have to ruin everything by coming out? 

Checking his phone he said “well if you’re sure you’re alright I should be going.” He started to turn away when she touched his hand.

“I … um …. Appreciate your concern,” she smiled up at him “I’m Rose Mueller.”

“It’s nice to meet you Rose,” he smiled, fiddling with his phone. “I have to go. My sister’s sending me impatient texts because I’m already late for my tux fitting.”

“Then you better go,” she said “I know where to find you if I ever need a tissue.” 

“Yeah right,” he chuckled as he hurried from the church.

“That was lame,” she muttered to herself once she was alone. 

The tux fittings took longer than Fox expected they would take. Maybe if Stella wasn’t so picky it would have taken half the time. Sometimes he wondered what Brad saw in her. He sure wouldn’t marry her if he had a choice. 

He’d like to get married someday if he ever found the right person. 

Maybe it was the girl from the church…what’s her name? She was pretty as a rose. 

Snapping his fingers he grinned rose, that’s her name, Rose. Would he ever see her again? Maybe he could ask one of the cooks in the soup kitchen if they knew her but as soon as he thought of it he nixed it. That was the surest way of starting up gossip and he hated gossip; especially about himself. 

Regretting that he hadn’t gotten Rose’s number when he had the chance he drove into the parking lot of a bar. He seldom drank but after spending hours with his sister appraising how he looked in his tux he felt the need for a drink. 

It wasn’t as busy as he thought it’d be for a Saturday night. There were couples dancing to whatever was playing on the jukebox. Fox started to make his way to the bar to place his order when he stopped and turned. One of the dancers seemed familiar and if he hadn’t just spent hours with him he’d never have recognized him without his cowboy hat.

“Brad,” he asked, walking up to the couple who were now lip locked.

Startled Brad pulled away from the woman in his arms. “Fox, what are you doing here?”

Frowning Fox crossed his arms “I could ask you the same thing.”

“It’s not what you think,” he stammered.

“Really,” he said waving a hand towards the woman “that doesn’t look like my sister. You remember her, your fiance.”

“Fiance,” the woman said, her eyes round with shock.

“Wait,” Brad called after her, “I can explain.”

“I certainly hope so,” Fox said, stepping in front of him.

“This doesn’t concern you,” Brad said, trying to walk around him.

“The hell it doesn’t,” Fox said, grabbing his arm “you’re engaged to my sister.”

“Yeah and maybe if your sister was a little more warm I wouldn’t have to look elsewhere,” he said.

“Don’t give me that,” Fox said “you’ve known Stella ever since you were kids. You know what she’s like.”

“Yeah I know,” Brad mumbled as he watched the woman he was dancing with walk out the door. Shrugging off Fox’s hand “you can leave now that you’ve ruined my night.”

Fox shook his head as he watched the man his sister was going to marry in a week’s time walk away as if Fox was the problem. What did his sister see in him?

Previous/Beginning/Next

[mylene2002]

I swear there’s a huge difference between being team MinhoxKitty and being obsessive over Minho cause I saw someone said they were team MinhoxKitty but that they hate Kitty???

Like what? How are you for Minho and Kitty if you hate Kitty? That makes no sense.

Your problem is that you like Minho so you want the protagonist to be with him.

But it is what she wants? Maybe. At the end of season 2, I think it is what she wants. But that’s not what she wanted in season 1. And I don’t understand fans who hate Kitty just because she didn’t like him back at first. What would you want her to do? Lie to him while having feelings for someone else.

No! She needed time to understand her feelings. She’s 16 or 17. She’s allowed to say no to someone and try getting over a crush. She’s a teenager and being a teenager is messy. She’s just discovering love like anybody else. She’s allowed to make mistakes, to learn about it and she’s allowed to change her mind.

People love hating Kitty for nothing. “She kissed everyone but Minho” She kissed Dae in season 1 (it was her boyfriend). And in season 2 she kissed Yuri once. That’s all. Minho kissed Madison and Stella and probably Lulu too but oddly, he doesn’t have the same treatment?? And of course cause there’s nothing wrong with that. So why for Kitty it’s a problem?? This is misogyny. And you know that.

She made mistakes, yes of course. She’s a human and everyone makes mistakes. But you watched the show, all she did is from love and her big heart. That girl is just full of love and I can’t blame her if she doesn’t know what to do with her feelings. Feelings are so weird. She’s a kid. They’re all kids.

You guys know that hating the main character is kinda of a weird trend now. It’s like you guys want the main character to be absolutely flawless to be likeable. But that would be boring. You know Kitty is a good person. But for your obsession with Minho, you spread an unfair hate towards her.

And just a reminder that if you hate Kitty, Minho certainly doesn’t like you.

Leave my girl alone.

[winxrewritingsandfictions]

Acceptance Part 4

Pairings: BloomxSky

Genre: Romance

Rating: T

Length: medium

Monday came by slowly. Bloom had not slept much. She was so nervous. The last time she went to Heraklion was not exactly a happy memory. Saving Diaspro had been a hard mission. She still remembered the cold eyes of Sky’s mother on her. Her arch words and her devious smile. It was hard to think that that woman was the one who had sent her a letter to invite her to Heraklion. It was seven in the morning. Bloom had packed her suitcase with anything she could think of. She took her pencil case with all her drawing stuff. She took her mp3 and her favorite book. She also took her favorite jeans and her warmest jumper. Stella explained that she didn’t need any clothes. They would provide her with beautiful gowns, shoes, and jewelry. She knew that, and yet, she still packed her stuff. It felt easy to do so. As if bringing them would protect her. Kiko was not coming and that made her feel restless. She wanted him to come along, but both Aisha and Stella had advised her not to bring him. Kiko was a hyperactive rabbit who did not enjoy Sky’s company. The best way to avoid any complications. Poor Sky loved the animal, but that rabbit was not afraid to bite whenever he felt like it. Bloom was sitting on the ground, in front of the couch. She was eating her breakfast. Vanessa had forced her to have one. Bloom had barely eaten anything all week. She was extremely nervous. The TV was on. She watched it without really paying attention. She had worn a comfortable outfit. Sky had told her that the travel would last a very long time. She did not understand it. Surely he was mistaken? How could it last fifteen hours to go to Heraklion? It didn’t take that much time usually. He had explained that with them coming to hearth they would have to slow down considerably to stay out of human’s radars. That still didn’t make any sense! Fifteen hours was a really long time. Yes, they had to travel the entire magical dimension, but still!

Bloom was nervous. She didn’t like traveling much. It made her sick. Plus, they would travel in an actual extra dimensional spaceship. Not just a regular spaceship like Redfountain’s ones. This one was bigger. Much bigger. It was the army’s main spaceship. It was not used for simple and easy travel. Sky’s parents did not play around with security. With everything going on with Yoshinoya, they feared for Sky’s security. So they would be traveling among the army. Every kingdom had a series of military spaceships patrolling around the dimension for safety reasons but also to convey sales and deliver diplomatic exchanges. Heraklion’s military spaceship would just finish its trajectory by the interdimensional portal and sail toward Gardenia. Then, it would follow the same trajectory back. It was the safest option. They were supposed to arrive at any moment. Mike had spent the whole night at work and wasn’t back yet. Bloom would probably be gone by the time he got home. Vanessa was sitting on the couch reading. Bloom’s suitcase was waiting by the front door. Kiko sniffed at it happily. She stood up and went toward him. “I already told you, Kiko. You are staying here this time. I can’t bring you along, I’m sorry.” The poor rabbit looked defeated, his ears falling next to him. “I love you little one, but I have to do this alone.” She smiled at him and put him down. At the same time, Bloom heard a powerful engine outside the door. She looked out the window but saw nothing. “Mom, I think they are here.” Vanessa got up quickly. She was excited for Bloom. Still barefoot, she looked outside the window too. “I see nothing. You said the spaceship would be huge.” “That’s what they told me, yes.” Suddenly, a flash of light blinded them. The next second, Sky appeared along with a dozen guards. Vanessa frowned. It was the first time she ever saw guards. They were strangely dressed for soldiers… Their chests were painted and barely covered. Surely that wasn’t safe ? She eyed Bloom who only shrugged. Vanessa opened the door and smiled. “Welcome everybody.” The guards were now standing up straight in two lines. Sky between them, wearing a simple outfit. It was odd to see him dressed so casually while dozens of guards stood there, proudly. “Hello, Vanessa. How have you been ?” He said gently and approached them. She hugged him tightly. “I have been doing great, Sky.” “Hello you,” Sky said, smirking at a petrified Bloom. She tried to smile. He laughed along with Vanessa. He was about to hug her when he felt something on his feet. He looked down and saw Kiko chewing his shoe. He bent down and scratched his head where Kiko liked it. “I see you still hate me little one.” Bloom smiled at the pet name he gave him. The same one she used. “Kiko is not very happy about me leaving without me,” Bloom said. “I bet he is. I’m stealing his mommy away from him.” At that, Kiko looked up and showed his teeth. Sky took a step back. “Calm down! Merlin !” He looked up. “Are you ready ?” Bloom reached for her suitcase but he took it before she could. Then he kissed her head. Bloom blushed hard, making her mom giggle. “Mike isn’t around ?” He asked. “Still at work. But believe me, that’s for the best.” Vanessa explained, smiling at him. He looked at Bloom, eyebrows up. “Let’s say he wasn’t convinced by the letter or by your intentions,” Bloom explained, still blushing. It was Sky’s turn to blush. Well, that was embracing. He thought he had bad intentions toward Bloom? He could only imagine what had gone through Mike’s head. It only made him blush more. He scratched the back of his head and looked at his shoes. Outside, Vanessa was looking for the spaceship. “Where is it ?” She asked. “What ?” Asked Sky. “Your spaceship? I don’t see anything.” “Oh, it’s under an invisibility spell.” With a snap of his finger, a massive shadow appeared on the ground, as if a cloud had blocked the sun. She looked up and gasped. “Jesus, what in the world ?!”

Bloom looked at it too, flabbergasted. She had never seen any spaceship that size. “Sky, that’s a monster! What size is that thing ?” She asked. “Around the size of your neighborhood.” “What ?!” screamed both women. “I told you it was not a travel spaceship. It is a military convoy. This spaceship can house hundreds of thousands of men during wars.” Bloom only nodded trying to picture that many men in her head. A bip rang. “It’s time to go, Bloom. We can’t stay much longer.” “Aren’t they able to see the spaceship? I mean the neighbors?” Asked Vanessa. “Only we can see it, do not worry.” Explained Sky. He smiled at Vanessa and kissed her cheek. She rubbed his back and said goodbye. Bloom hugged her mother who made her promise to call at least every two days. Bloom smiled one last time at her and took Sky’s hand. He kissed it and opened the front door. The soldiers were still in the same position. Bloom looked at them in awe. It always felt weird how protected she felt around guards. No matter where she was. She felt Sky squeeze her hand, silently asking her if she was alright. She smiled at him as they joined the boarding ramp. The whole shuttle was still up in the air, its size being too big to land properly. Bloom felt strange walking up that ramp. It reminded her of alien movies. She turned away one last time and waved at her mom and Kiko in her arms. She felt a hand in the small of her back gesturing inside. From the outside, the shuttle looked like an old convoy, but the inside was completely different. Now she was in a video game! Everything was pristine. They stood in a long corridor made out of glass or something like it. Only the pathway was not glass. She could see everything outside. She wondered how it would look once in space…

Bloom looked at it too, flabbergasted. She had never seen any spaceship that size. “Sky, that’s a monster! What size is that thing ?” She asked. “Around the size of your neighborhood.” “What ?!” screamed both women. “I told you it was not a travel spaceship. It is a military convoy. This spaceship can house hundreds of thousands of men during wars.” Bloom only nodded trying to picture that many men in her head. A bip rang. “It’s time to go, Bloom. We can’t stay much longer.” “Aren’t they able to see the spaceship? I mean the neighbors?” Asked Vanessa. “Only we can see it, do not worry.” Explained Sky. He smiled at Vanessa and kissed her cheek. She rubbed his back and said goodbye. Bloom hugged her mother who made her promise to call at least every two days. Bloom smiled one last time at her and took Sky’s hand. He kissed it and opened the front door. The soldiers were still in the same position. Bloom looked at them in awe. It always felt weird how protected she felt around guards. No matter where she was. She felt Sky squeeze her hand, silently asking her if she was alright. She smiled at him as they joined the boarding ramp. The whole shuttle was still up in the air, its size being too big to land properly. Bloom felt strange walking up that ramp. It reminded her of alien movies. She turned away one last time and waved at her mom and Kiko in her arms. She felt a hand in the small of her back gesturing inside. From the outside, the shuttle looked like an old convoy, but the inside was completely different. Now she was in a video game! Everything was pristine. They stood in a long corridor made out of glass or something like it. Only the pathway was not glass. She could see everything outside. She wondered how it would look once in space…

“Really? I thought you would work a little with the general.” She said, hopeful. “Well, I do have a bit of training to do but that will be later tonight. You will probably be asleep by then. So, don’t worry.” “Still, what are we going to do ?” “The private floors here are perfectly equipped with anything you might need, just like in a hotel. I promise you will not be bored." And indeed, Sky was right. There was anything they would ever want. Bloom slept a little bit, feeling much better when her body had finally adapted to the movement of the spaceship. They watched a movie, ate dinner, played a magical version of pool, and read. Bloom worked on some potions homework she had to do. Yes, they had homework even during their in-between-year break. Sky told her a few stories about his family tree and showed her the council room. The room felt out of place. It looked nothing like the rest of the spaceship. It looked antique. Straight out of an Arthurian novel. “Do you know the plan is for the following weeks ?” “Well yes. We were supposed to go directly to the manor but we had to change that. The first week we will spend at the palace.” Bloom turned toward him, pale. “What ? But I thought we were supposed to be alone in the south. Alone with your mother I mean.” “Well, yes but a last-minute Gala is being held at the end of the week and I can’t ditch that. It is a very important Gala.” “So important that it popped up last minute ?” Bloom said, doubtful. “Ugh. It’s a complicated story. But that happens often. Don’t worry. It’s actually a good thing.” Bloom looked at him, confused. “I get to parade you.” He winked at her, making her blush. “I get to make a statement and officially introduce you as my date. Usually, we introduce fiançées but, that’s all the same.” It was not exactly the same, Bloom knew it. But she liked the fact that he made a point not to give this sort of tradition too much attention. They dated just like any fiançées in the nobility would. The only difference was that no contracts were signed between their families, and no ring stated their position in society. “And this is how you ask a lady to accompany you to a ball ?” She said, raising her eyebrows, a smirk on her lips. He smirked back and hooked his arms around her waist. “I beg your pardon, mistress, I was not thoughtful.” He kissed her lips carefully. Taking a deep breath. Humming passionately. “Would you care to be my date, oh my beautiful, mesmerizing mistress ?” She kissed him back, full lips on his, her hands in his hair, lips parting slightly. That was the only answer he needed. Sliding his hands down her back, on her behind, and on her thighs, he lifted her onto the table behind her. Her hand glided toward his torso, feeling the muscles under his t-shirt, she hummed in pleasure, making him smile in the kiss. A thought crossed his mind. He was about to snog his girlfriend senselessly on the council room table… That made him hot. Insanely hot.

[chaifootsteps]

I think the other HB Take I've grown to dislike the most is

'When Via realizes what her father sacrificed for her, she'll be so thankful / sorry for doubting him!!'

and like, no?? no she shouldn't be?

it was never her decision for her parents to stay together all that time, they made that choice themselves. The kid is not responsible for what the adults are doing. The show pulling a "Stolas got hurt for her sake so she needs to be grateful for that when Stolas is the one who made the choice to do it" is lousy logic, imo. It's blaming Via for being too young to know what was going on and expecting her to answer for her parents' choices & actions

not to mention It's made very clear that all the fighting after Stolas cheated is making her home life miserable. Anyone who's been between two warring parents will tell you how much it sucks

and also like - maybe the show wants to frame it that Stolas gave her a 'normal life' but the show is wrong about that, gonna be blunt

nothing about the Goetia's home life was ever 'normal'. Stella & Stolas never wanted to marry. they never wanted a child together. Everything about their life was artificial from the get-go and doomed to failure, especially since Stella presumably never even put in the effort to playact 'happy families' once Via was born

and like, the show has written Stella to be so comically evil that she threw Still Not Divorced parties in their house, where Via was living, that she advertised in the newspaper. Via would have to be pretty checked out to not notice that Stella and Stolas can't stand one another. Kids aren't dumb about that kind of thing, they will notice. And given Stella does nothing but screech/insult Stolas every time she's onscreen (and it's implied she's physically abused him before), if Stolas actually cared about Via's wellbeing he'd want her far away from Stella. This self-martyring routine of his makes no sense.

On some level a lot of people judge parents irl for staying with abusive partners if they're subjecting a child to that environment, too, and that's with the understanding the parent loved/still loves the abuser on some level. Stolas never loved Stella. Why is he subjecting Via to her, especially when he's the one who's a prince and could easily have her thrown out of the palace?

it makes the shows' determination to never show what the dynamic between Stella and Via is even more frustrating, because if they did get one it would at least lend some credence to Stolas' 'I thought there was some benefit to us staying together for Via's sake' routine. if she has a relationship with her mother then it makes some sense, even if that relationship is strained at times. but the writers are terrified of giving Stella any dimension at all so I'd bet good money we won't even see them exchange a single line of dialogue by the end of s2 (unless it's for Via to be manipulated by her, since she needs to be the world's biggest dummy so Stolas can cry some more)

(also like, sidenote that's just been annoying me personally - why would a Hell noble be so hung up on the notion of having a nuclear family? he's royalty. he can easily afford to raise Via alone. what are the normative values of Hell, exactly?? why would anyone care if Stolas gets a divorce? why can't the show clearly indicate what is and isn't expected of royalty in terms of upkeep of behavior and reputation?)

(also also, if Stolas was written to be deluding himself about what he did being good for Via then this could be interesting. but I doubt they're gonna go there with the creator's pet he's turned into in s2)

She probably will end up running back to Stolas, apologizing and expressing her gratitude for anything. Because that's the kind of show this is and that's the kind of writer Viv is.

[pagonmoon]

Octavia...it sucks so much. Exactly what you said, Stolas should accept that she's hurt and doesn't want anything to do with him. Instead it's "just give her time".

No! We can leave her be now! And the talk from the fans about Octavia being left with Stella and Andrealphus so that she "learns what Stolas has been going through for her sake and that he does loves her" makes me so upset. It's like? Does nobody understand Octavia's problems? She knows Stolas loves her! She knows the jist that he was suffering in that house but stayed in a bad situation for her! That's why she said what she did about being an obligation! She is! Literally she is and she's allowed to be upset about that!! But people say that Octavia needs to understand Stolas??? Understand how horrible his life has been because of her? Yeah, that'll make her feel great, she'll absolutely want to come back to Stolas after knowing every detail of how she's a shackle of a child.

My hopes for Octavia is that her words in her song are fully realized. That she learns to be okay without others and relies on herself, make choices that are good for her first and foremost. Starting with cutting out both her parents....but like you said: Most definitely won't happen,, frustrating. Sorry for ranting and whining in your askbox about this, it's just been stewing in my head since sinmas and I'm doomed to let it spin in my head alone. Helluva is Very Frustrating...

Nah, it's okay Anon. Everything you said is valid, especially with how it's so screwed up that the narrative would rather side with a neglectful ( and inability to see his faults ) of a grown up, over a neglected teenager.

Since it's made crystal clear that the writers dislike Octavia, they should've gone the route of having Stolas to accept the fact that she wants him to leave her alone, or even better, man up and accept that he's an incompetent and bad father that should improve to become better, but would still agree to be cut off from her life so she could heal and be in peace with herself.

But again, with how the narrative treats their favs? That will never happen.

The writers already made Octavia cut Stolas out of her life, and yet they would still continue to demonize her even when they finally got what they always wanted...

..Stolitz...

They should just end her story there if that's what they want, but at the same time, that would meant that Stolas is the wrong..and the narrative can't have that, can't they?...

[starmaniamania]

Gabrielle interview on this French podcast about her background & her Starmania experience. Not a lot of new info, but she does talk about the way she came to sometimes play the maid when she wasn't playing Cristal, the general atmosphere in the troupe, and the future of the show. If you want a summary let me know!

Ok, a summary of the main points under the cut!

The first thing the interviewers as is "wtf is going on with the 'break'," so she says she was planning on quitting after this run of shows, that she could tell things were winding down. She says it was a shock for other members of the cast, because they were supposed to come back to Paris/go to Asia. As far as they know(/she's allowed to tell, obviously) it's a technical issue, the show is designed for a certain type and size of venue which is hard to get in Asia and elsewhere - which is why they couldn't actually tour Québec and were limited to that one venue. "I'd like to tell you it's just a break, but the truth is, this is such a huge machine it will be very hard to start it again."

About joining the show: she says she was 15 when her mother showed her the casting call, she didn't know Starmania and wasn't really interested, she hated France Gall's Monopolis at first listen (she says she wishes they could have lowered it one tone (?) to mirror what Martine St Clair was doing in 1988 - her model for Cristal.)

She thought she bombed her first in-person audition but the production was impressed; unfortunately it was just before the pandemic hit and she didn't hear back for 6 months (and then it was "we don't know.") Meanwhile she re-enrolled in school to study jazz singing and was asked to re-audition then. Those are the videos that are available on her Youtube channel.

She says she doesn't define herself as a "singer," she's an "entertainer" and she can do many things.

She wasn't formally taught to sing but both her parents are/were opera singers so she grew up backstage.

About the maid: it was the day when the Cristals were taking pictures for the posters; while Lilya was getting her pictures, Gabrielle walked in on a rehearsal of the Télégramme where Jeanne was absent for some reason, and she was like "I can do it!" Maag didn't want to play the maid to Jeanne's Stella, and so Gabrielle says [exaggeratedly, lol] that from then on, when she wasn't playing Cristal, she was the maid.

About joining the troupe: she talks about leaving home for the first time and how hard it was to be alone; that she assumed everyone would be friends but realized that it is unrealistic with such a big troupe. Apparently people who are her friends now admitted to her that they found her extremely annoying at the beginning 😅 That she has no hard feelings and understands that everyone did what they needed to do, that the creation process was really hard and emotionally complicated and it was easier with the people who joined afterwards because they didn't have so much baggage.

About the lack of cast recording/video: that no one in the troupe understands why it happened this way, that someone in production clearly made this decision but they are all sad and disappointed not to have a trace of their work. There was a cameraman/photographer who followed the whole creation process but they have never seen the images either, and she thinks probably "in 10 years" a documentary will come out and that's how they will be able to see those images.

Right now she's doing adult classes to take some subjects she didn't pick while she was in high school; she needs stability in her personal life; she hasn't given up on singing in the long term but feels like it's the right time to study so she doesn't have to do it later when she's older.

[farahtissaiamyloves]

Hey,

Do you write Fate: The Winx Saga fics? If so, can you write a fic where Bloom is in a slump (depressed from everything). She blocks out everyone from trying to help her. Her magic gets erratic because of her emotions. Farah helps her through everything. Gives her advice and comfort. She is a mother figure for Bloom. Just a fic that starts out very angsty and just leads to pure comfy at the end. If it can be at least 2500 words, I'd appreciate it. If not, it's understandable.

P.S. Not a lot of FarahxBloom fics, so.... kinda hope you could help me.

Making peace with the past

Farah Dowling x Bloom Peters (plat)

Another wonderful request was completed. I hope I rose up to the challenge successfully. I have never truly written anything which isn't xreader but I think that this came to be wonderful. You, Anon, requested for 2500 minimum, so I am providing you with my longest one-shot, 3236 words. Enjoy.

Bloom was sitting alone on a bench. Her eyes were glassy as she looked at the horizon, the endless beautiful fields outside of Alfea.

Her mind was a huge mess. So many things happened the past year. She could hardly comprehend what was happening anymore.

She had done a murder.... It was self-defense, but still... She did have blood on her hands... Two people's blood.

Obviously, both Rosalind and Sebastian had to die or at least be defeated one way or another if she wanted to ensure Alfea's safety.

Still...

Bloom looked down at her hands, half expecting them to be covered with their blood.

The girl sighed, placing her head against her hands. She was feeling so...

Lost?

Even she didn't know.

The only good thing that came up due to the discovery of her dragon flame was her ability to resurrect one of the only people who cared for her, not because of her abilities, no... but because they cared about everybody's well-being.

She found some solace at the thought of making things right... Saving the woman who stood by her when she needed it the most.

Bloom felt beyond ashamed and responsible for her death as well... If only she had believed her...

Rosalind would have never been freed. Everybody would be happy. Farah, Ben, and Saul would still be best friends. Bellatrix and Stella would have the chance they deserved to be together...

Bloom sobbed, realizing that she was the cause of everyone's problems.

She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve her friends, Sky, Headmistress Dowling... She didn't deserve anyone.

Bloom's blood turned cold, remembering her mother's burnt flesh.

She was not the hero everybody painted her to be...

No.

Everything was actually happening in the first place because of her.

She was a monster.

꧁☾︎❥︎☽︎꧂

Bloom was sat alone in the library.

She knew the girls had planned a study period in their living room, but she didn't feel like going.

She did not deserve it.

She deserved loneliness.

She deserved to feel the pain.

She didn't hear the footsteps getting too close to her.

Her eyes were glued to her book before she noticed someone standing in front of her desk.

She looked up to see Aisha standing with crossed hands in front of her.

"You coming or what?" Her friend spoke with an expecting gaze.

Bloom didn't respond for some seconds before she shook her head and looked back to her book. "I'm busy."

Aisha titled her head, tapping her foot against the wooden floor of the library. "You are studying here. You may as well as study with us. Same thing." She waved Bloom's excuse off.

Bloom shook her head. "I really need to stay focused.... You are not helping." The girl started feeling agitated. She didn't wish for her company as she didn't deserve it.

This was her punishment.

Aisha took a step closer, hovering above Bloom. "See this as a small break. Come, we gonna be late."

Bloom didn't look at her as she turned the page, pretending to be reading. "I don't wish for a small break. Go."

Aisha's hands crossed over her chest. "Bloom.... You are acting like a baby. Just be done with it."

Bloom rolled her eyes in annoyance, her little patience gone. "I SAID GO."

Aisha's eyes widened in shock before the water fairy blinked. She tried to snitch Bloom's book away from her, only to be met by Bloom's hand slapping her hand away.

Bloom abruptly stood up and looked at her friend in the eyes. "WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I WANNA STUDY ALONE!"

Aisha swallowed hard as she took a step back at the sound of Bloom's shout. Many heads turned to look at their fight.

The water fairy looked around, noticing the attention they got before turning to her roommate.

Aisha looked at Bloom for a moment and then turned around and left the room feeling beyond shocked due to Bloom's outburst and ashamed of disturbing people's peace.

Bloom sat down on her seat with a relieved sigh.

May the torture continue.

꧁☾︎❥︎☽︎꧂

A week later, Bloom found herself in Farah Dowling's classroom.

The headmistress would soon be walking around the classroom overseeing everyone's abilities, as she preferred to give some time to her students to begin chanelling and do the needed preparations.

Today's lesson main focus was control.

Bloom, who was usually sitting next to Aisha, was keeping her mouth shut and not saying a single word.

Aisha was just glancing at Bloom coldly. They hadn't talked since the episode in the library, even if they were seeing each other every day due to the fact that they were roommates.

Through this week, Bloom managed to get into a very heated fight with Stella as well.

Many words were spoken that Bloom regretted immediately, but she had chosen to leave Stella and abandon her in the middle of the fight.

This, alongside Bloom's emotional turmoil, didn't help her at all as she struggled a little bit to maintain her little fire under complete control.

Bloom took a deep breath to calm down and focus on her task.

Make Headmistress Dowling proud.

Farah finished some of her workpapers and decided to walk around the classroom and see how everyone was faring.

Considering that the class has done far more difficult and complicated tasks, she thought that this lesson would be a piece of cake for everyone.

The headmistress had decided to start over and progress the difficulty of the lessons quickly to see her pupils' progress throughout Rosalind's cruel treatment toward them.

The headmistress was pleased to see that everyone was having rather fun, enjoying the simplicity of the task without any kind of pressure or high expectations.

Everyone, except...

Farah raised an eyebrow, noticing that Bloom was no longer sitting at her usual spot.

The woman was perplexed as to why the student wasn't sitting next to her friend, Aisha, like they always do.

Farah looked at Aisha, trying to decipher her feelings without the use of any kind of knowledge.

The girl seemed more troubled and cheerful than usual.

The woman's eyes followed the rest of the company of friends, all of them gathered around each other and whispering here and then.

Farah pressed her lips in a thin line. Something had happened... or rather it's still happening.

She walked next to Terra, a girl who was practically her niece, who was no longer her normal cheerful self.

She didn't say anything about what was happening between them and Bloom, Farah's experience was telling her that the girls just needed some time to solve their problems.

She thought that it was best to interfere and make things worse for both parties.

She just patted Terra's head congratulating her for her impeccable control and then walked to Musa.

She could tell that all of this time without her magic left Musa a little rusty, but still, no one could question Musa's mastery of her mind magic.

Farah smiled at the girl and then walked to examine her assistance work.

The woman was impressed by how well Aisha was taking to the challenge. Farah couldn't help but remember the first classes in which Aisha struggled with taking control of the small particles of water....

The girl seemed like she had been doing it for years.

The headmistress gave a proud smile at her and a nod. Farah was aware of Aisha's ambition to succeed her one day, and she was more than just open with the idea.

"I'm sure you'll be a wonderful headmistress one day." Farah complimented the teenager.

Aisha smiled at her as her eyes sparkled, but Farah couldn't help but notice that the smile didn't reach as high as her usual one.

The woman didn't comment as she continued observing everybody's use of magic. However, she couldn't help but feel worried.

She cared for all of the girls deeply, and watching all of them in such distress brought her not just sadness and anxiousness but distress as well.

Farah walked through the rows of desks, commenting here and there, as well as observing everybody's progress and noting their new abilities.

The woman stopped at Bloom's desk abruptly.

Farah always knew that Bloom's magic was different, stronger than the usual fire fairies, but there was something wrong with the girl.

Normally, knowing that Bloom transformed, Farah thought that Bloom had managed to not just barely contain but perfectly control her magic.

Her assumption was errored.

She stood by Bloom and watched the girl slightly struggle with the strict maintainance of the size of the fire.

She took a step closer and examined both the magic and the troubled girl. "Bloom, I believe you need to calm down first. Then, not only will the task bring better results, but it won't be as exhausting and frustrating as it already is for you." Farah calmly spoke, trying to coax the girl into letting go for a while.

Bloom briefly glanced at her before shaking her head. "There's no need, Headmistress Dowling. Everything is under control." The girl defended, decided not to follow the mind fairy's advice.

Farah sighed and placed her left hand on Bloom's right shoulder. "I know, Bloom. I just believe I have seen enough." The headmistress decided not to test the girl further to see whether she was actually saying the truth or not.

Bloom took a deep breath, filling determination. She had to make the headmistress feel proud of her. She thought this was the only way for her to truly show how sorry she was.

Bloom's red eyes remained on her tiny flames. "Are you sure? Because I can really keep going. Please, test me further, Headmistress. See for yourself." Bloom encouraged the older woman.

The headmistress' eyebrow rose at the sound of her eagerness to be tested. Farah wasn't sure about this, but she did wish to see Bloom's progress.

Hopefully, Rosalind taking over will have at least one good outcome.

The mind fairy's eyes shone as she used her telekinetic abilities to move a little leaf toward Bloom's little fire.

"If that's what you wish, Bloom. Now, I will move this tiny leaf into your fire. If it remains intact when I pull it away, then you will officially excel the test. Is it understood, Bloom?" The headmistress asked, holding the leaf near Bloom's fire.

The girl nodded eagerly as she awaited for the test.

Farah slowly had the leaf approach Bloom's flames. She gave some time to Bloom to prepare for the intrusion before she deeped the leaf right into the magical fire.

The headmistress watched with a proud smile as the flames danced around the leaf, leaving it completely unharmed.

Farah had the leaf remain inside Bloom's fire while she slowly moved it around the flames, testing the girl a little further.

Bloom didn't comment as she continued focusing on her magical fire and keeping the leaf intact.

Farah hummed in approval. "Good job, Bloom. You're doing wonderfully." The woman congratulated the girl as she kept the leaf in place.

Bloom smiled at her as she maintained her focus on the fire. "Thank you, Miss Dowling."

Before Farah had the chance to politely smile at the girl, she felt it before she saw it as Aisha accident fell over Bloom's desk with a glass of water.

The water mainly spilled over Bloom's fire, but it was too little to have it extinguished. Some water landed on Farah's shirt as half of Bloom's face became wet.

It was just for a moment, but Bloom's concentration broke, resulting in the leaf getting burnt.

"Oh. I'm so so sorry, Headmistress Dowling. I meant to go to the sink to get more water." Aisha politely excused herself.

Farah nodded at her before listening to Bloom's anguished cry. "NOOOOOOO."

The woman's eyes widened as she turned quickly to look at Bloom. Bloom's eyes were a darker shade of red as the girl stood up and looked at Aisha. "YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE!"

Aisha swallowed hard, taking a step back in fear. "I- No. Bloom, control yourself." Aisha couldn't admit that she did indeed do it on purpose.

Flames erupted by Bloom's right hand as her magic matched her anger. A pair of wings appeared behind her back. "YOU AND YOUR STUPID JEALOUSY!" Bloom was furious with her friend.

Farah quickly stepped between the two girls, making sure that Bloom couldn't accidentally hurt her friend.

The mind fairy took a step forward and looked deep into the girls' eyes. "Bloom, I know that you are angry at Aisha for ruining your test, but you excelled at it. Please, calm down, and I assure you that we can talk this out."

The girl looked at the headmistress for a moment before she took a deep breath. Miss Dowling was right. She always was.

The fire fairy lowered her hand and let her wings vanish. Bloom slowly sat back in her seat, glancing at Aisha coldly.

The water fairy attempted to leave before she was grabbed by the headmistress. "You shall come with me to my office. Ad for everyone else, you did really great. Class dismissed. " Farah announced as her hand was wrapped around the girl's wrist without even looking at the teenager.

Aisha swallowed hard as everyone else were preparing their things to leave.

Farah turned to look at Bloom. "I shall see you later at... our spot." The headmistress decided, winking at Bloom.

The girl nodded with a small smile. She was so happy that the headmistress wasn't angry with her, even though this was literally the only good thing in her life at the moment.

꧁☾︎❥︎☽︎꧂

Farah had put on her coat as she walked out of Alfea. Her boots touched the grass underneath as she slowly walked to the place she and Bloom conversed for what they thought to be the last time.

The headmistress took her time, enjoying the magnificent view of Alfea's grounds at the end of the autumn.

She had reprimanded Aisha greatly for what she did to Bloom and reminded her that it was only normal for Bloom to feel angry and detached after what she lately discovered about her true identity and age.

Farah shook her head. She didn't expect a bunch of teenagers to understand how much trauma and regrets can impact someone's mental health.

The headmistress partially blamed herself because she should have seen that Bloom didn't just need some time, but she needed help. She needed guidance.

Farah finally reached the bench, and she admitted that she waited for Bloom to already be there.

Bloom was sitting on the bench, and at the same side, she sat during their previous conversation in this place and was looking at the school's grounds.

Farah slowly approached and sat down next to Bloom. "Good afternoon, Bloom. I hope you are feeling better."

The girl nodded quickly. "Yes. Yes, I do. Thank you again, Miss Dowling. I don't know what I would have done without you."

The woman smiled, gently patting Bloom's back. "It was the least I could do for you, Bloom...."

The girl smiled at her. "You don't owe me anything, miss Dowling."

Farah gently sighted as she gazed affectionately at the younger girl. "I'm aware, Bloom. However, I shall express my worry for your well-being."

Bloom frowned. "Miss Dowling. Only one of us came back from the dead, and that's not me. How have you been?"

The woman titled her head to the side. "You're avoiding the topic."

The redhead shook her head with an incredulous expression. "I am not."

Farah raised an eyebrow. "Bloom... I know you. You are lying."

The girl's eyes widened. "I- Aisha is just jealous! She believes that if I study a bit more, which I am doing, I'm going to become your favorite, and she- she wishes to be just that."

The older woman sighed and messaged her temples. "Bloom... I care about all of my students equally."

Bloom shook her head and leaned closer to the headmaster. "However, I'm no mere student like everybody else. I have the dragon flame. I killed Rosalind. You love me a little mo-"

Farah silenced the girl with a wave of her hand. The woman looked deep into Bloom's eyes. "So, this is what's all about? You and Aisha fighting for my affection? I can understand why Aisha is trying to be on my good side. She wants to succeed me after all... But you Bloom? You have done more than enough for me and the school?"

Bloom bited her lower lip and looked at the ground. She couldn't tell her the truth. "I- I just really value you. You mean a lot to-"

"Bloom." The woman cut her off. Her voice was serious.

Th girl swallowed hard, expecting her professor's rage. "Yes?"

Farah sighed and took Bloom's hand. "Pushing people away will get you nowhere."

Bloom shook her head quickly. "You don't understand, miss Dowling."

The woman intertwined their fingers. "As a matter of fact.... I think I do. You are still blaming yourself for everything."

Bloom looked at the elder woman with teary eyes. "I- No. Miss Dowling, I just wished to show you my appreciation for everything you have done for me."

Farah smiled sadly at the girl. "I appreciate that. But do you know what I would prefer more?"

Bloom shook her head. "What is it?" She asked excitedly.

The headmistress patted the girl's head. "For you to accept your mistake and move on."

The fire fairy's face fell. "But-"

"No buts! You made a mistake, and you fixed it. I'm so proud of you for achieving just that. There's no need to put yourself and your friends under all of this pain, pressure, and suffering." Farah cut the girl off.

Bloom looked at the woman with a sad facial expression. "Miss Dowling... I've done horrible things..."

The mind fairy shook her head as she took Bloom's face on her left hand. Her right hand was still wrapped around Bloom's left one. "Taking two terrible lives and saving over a thousand isn't considered as a horrible thing Bloom." The woman retorted.

A tear run down Bloom's cheek. The girl's whisper was barely heard as her voice shook. "I killed you."

Farah's eyes widened. The woman shook her head as she immediately pulled the girl into a tight hug. "No. No. No. Rosalind killed me, Bloom. You had nothing to do with it."

Bloom started crying in her professor's arms as Farah could do nothing but rub her back and whisper soothing words, assuring the girl of her heroic actions and her lack of involvement in her murder.

When Bloom's tears slowed down, the student looked up at the elder woman. "Can I... at least do something to show you how sorry I am?"

Farah smiled and caressed her cheek. "I believe that bringing me back to life and protecting Saul when he needed it is more than enough."

Bloom chuckled and pressed her head against her chest.

Farah hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

Things would never be as they used to in the very beginning, but from now on, neither of them would mind it.

It was for the best.

[nikiniluna]

“Jax Situation is similar to the Stella Situation”… Does it?

The short answer is “No”

I do understand that, to a newer fan’s eyes, it might seem like it’s the same thing. So, as a Helluva Boss fan who accompanied the show ever since its pilot, I’ll give some clarity on the Stella Situation.

Stella is a character that exists since the pilot, but her actual first appearance in the series was in the second episode of season one

In her very first scene, Octavia - Stolas and Stella’s daughter - had a nightmare and called her parents, but only Stolas went to see Octavia. This scene itself can’t be used a evidence to say “Stella is terrible” because this type of scene is used to convey the challenges of taking care of a child while needing to tend for own needs. We already seen characters telling their partner it’s “their turn” before and none of it was a sign of terribleness, just of being tired.

The next scene is in the present and it’s about Stella arguing with Stolas about him cheating on her with an imp.

During the argument, Stella made a huge emphasis on the fact that it’s was with an imp - the second lowest race in hell - than on the infidelity itself. This implies that she cares for her reputation as noble and Stolas was putting it at risk, being the reason of her anger.

Her next and last appearance in season 1 (Since in episode 7 it was just a visual representation of her) was by the end of episode 5, when it was revealed that Striker - the hitman who tried to kill Stolas during the Harvest Moon Festival – was actually sent by Stella.

During her phone call with Striker, Stella called Stolas a “Cheating Prick” which means his infidelity it’s what motivated her to hire a hitman. Adding to the fact that she displayed care for her reputation in episode 2, hiring Striker indirectly implied that she wants Stolas dead so he can’t get the chance to confirm his affair ever happened and therefore keep Stella’s image intact.

Season One on its own gave the audience the impression that Stella was power-hungry villain who believed her biases were correct and would put a stop on anyone or anything that could potentially destroy her image - even her own husband.

DAMN! Even a YouTuber who is known for making videos about Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel did a video during that time theorising about a scene of the-soon-to-be-released episode 7!

This one ☝️

The YouTuber theorised that Stella left and took Octavia with her so Stolas would be all alone and Striker could finally kill without anyone on his way!

That was how she was popularly seen…

…and by now you know those scenes were all mixed messages.

On July 30th of 2022, it was released the first episode of season 2 and it was revealed the reason why Stella acted that way.

“I like tormenting you”

That’s it. There was no reputation in line, she was doing it ‘cause “why not?”

And you might be thinking “And why people got so displeased?”.

It’s simple.

While for new fans it took at least two hours to have the mixed messages cleared, for the older fans it was NINETEEN MONTHS!

19 months of being put on the impression she was villain who cared about her reputation only for her to be a one dimensional antagonist whose sole purpose is to make Stolas more palatable.

And I know Medrano and her crew didn’t do it on malice, it was just not the best of character management.

And now let’s go to Jax:

Ever since the pilot, Jax is shown to be a jerk.

Even to point of leaving Ragatha and Pomni behind when Kaufmo abstracted WITHOUT even bothering to call Caine to help them!

So, when episode 2 aired, he wasn’t acting Out of Character, it was just that his jerkness had more highlights.

Conclusion:

Jax Situation and Stella Situation are a lot different. Stella Situation was more of a “Mixed messages messed with the audience’s experience” while Jax Situation was more of a “Part of the audience expected Jax’s jerkness to be palatable”

[sailingfireshipz]

Which firefighter do you think will be trapped in the fire in episode 18? IMO it will be mostly likely Carver.

I was actually just thinking & chatting this! I wouldn't be surprised if it were Carver because honestly we need something to snap Violet out of this freeze she's in when it comes to her feelings for him. So maybe Mikarver will go the Stellaride route where they need an act of terror to push them back to each other? Idk

Selfishly, I'm still holding out for a stellaride hospital scene, so it serves my own personal wants for it to be one of them..preferably Stella :)

One thing I'm struggling with understanding is how this ff ended up in the house alone. We know 51 does NOT LISTEN to evacuation orders, especially if one of them is left behind, so how did the ff end up in peril alone?

[keep-the-wolves-close]

Movin’ Mountains

Chapter 18: Green Valley

* Pairing: Kayce Dutton x OFC Stella Daniels

* Rating: M

* Warnings: language, pregnancy, mentions of adoption, possible betrayal

* Word count: 1,471ish

I would love to give credits to @dameronscopilot and @deanscroissant and @lexixstewart for being sounding boards for me during this whole process, giving outsider insight, being cheerleaders, and allowing me to screech at them about things that have happened during the writing process. I seriously couldn't have gotten this far without y'all.

Author's note: This is a short little "cool down" chapter from all the madness going on. More drama is soon to follow. A little surprise for our beloved sibling pair, Ryan and Stella. I'll let y'all be the judge on whether it's good or not lol. I hope everyone is enjoying so far! I hope you love this chapter as well!

Rip knocked on the door to room 516, and pushed his way inside. Kayce lay on the bed, coiled to spring into action when he heard the door. Kayce relaxed when he saw it was Rip, but he held his finger up to his mouth. He motioned to Stella, fast asleep curled into his side.

Rip nodded, stepping closer so he could speak in hushed tones. Even though he knew Stella could sleep through almost anything. Growing up in the bunkhouse did that to a person. “How you holdin’ up?”

“I’ve been better. But she’s okay, and that’s what matters.” Kayce shifted on the bed to see Rip better, but still kept Stella close. “You heard anything about my dad?”

He nodded soberly. “It ain’t lookin’ too great, Kayce.” He cleared his throat. “They had to put him in a coma so he’d heal right.”

“We all know my dad. If they hadn’t done that, he would be the biggest pain in the ass.”

“Your sister is doing okay too. Burned up pretty bad from the explosion.”

“The explosion?” Kayce frowned.

“A bomb was sent to her office building.”

“All on the same day?” Kayce’s arm wrapped around Stella just a fraction tighter. “That ain’t a coincidence.”

Rip nodded slowly and swept his gaze around the room, eyes landing on the table. “It sure ain’t,” he trailed off as he caught sight of the pregnancy test stick and box. He ran his hand over his mouth, forcing down the shock. His eyes flickered between the table and Kayce and Stella.

Rip wasn’t sure if Kayce had caught him noticing the table’s contents or if he was oblivious to it. Rip licked his lips, and decided against saying anything. It wasn’t the time. “I called Jamie when I couldn’t get a hold of everyone.”

“Did they try to get him too?” Kayce twitched, ready for more bad news.

“No,” Stella’s sleepy voice was muffled by Kayce’s shoulder as she sat up. “But he was perfectly fine.” She tousled her hair. “Not a hair on his head was misplaced. He told Rip we “shouldn’t call him for these kinds of things” anymore.” She blinked slowly at her boyfriend, letting the information about his brother sink in.

“I don’t think he would have had anything to do with the attack.” Could he have? Kayce didn’t believe Jamie carried that much hatred in him.

“Well we need to figure that out because if he did, that’s a problem, Kace.” Stella pinned him with a grave look. The unspoken threat hung in the air like humidity before a thunderstorm. A dark, feral glint flashed in her eyes.

Kayce met Stella’s stare head on, reading between the lines. She wasn’t angry. She was willing to become the most frightening version of herself to protect their baby. His brother or not, it wouldn’t stop her. He nodded subtly, letting Stella know he got the message, but also understanding the importance of talking to his brother. “When I get outta here, I’ll talk to him.” Kayce glanced at Rip. “Don’t let my sister get to him before I do.”

Rip nodded curtly. “Alright, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone and get back to mine.” He started to stand with a groan.

“Oh, speaking of your lovebird,” Stella chirped excitedly. “What’s this I hear about you maybe puttin’ a ring on that?”

Rip stilled. He hadn’t told anyone but John and Lloyd. “Where’d you hear that?”

“I have songbirds that sing to me from everywhere, Wheelie,” Stella smirked. “You should know that by now.”

“Yeah, well,” he chuckled fondly at his right hand, “when it happens you’ll know.” He turned on his heel, heading for the door.

“You better!” Stella called after him. Hearing the door click, she nestled back down into Kayce’s side. He wrapped his arm around her, feeling a sense of peace despite his uncertainty. The room was silent after Rip exited. The burden of everything that happened during the attack and the events that followed weighed heavily on Kayce. “You’ve been awfully quiet,” her fingers danced along his chest.

“Just thinkin’,” he mumbled.

“Yeah that’s the dangerous part.” Stella looked up at Kayce. “Talk to me, baby.”

Kayce’s arm flexed, hugging her tighter. He wasn’t sure he could even put his thoughts into words yet. “I’m not even sure what’s going on in my head, Stell,” he shook his head.

She propped herself up on her elbow. “How ‘bout I start?” Kayce nodded, more than happy to let her take the lead and give him some direction. “I’ll go check on your dad in a while, and get information for you. Speaking of your dad, he’s gonna need his bedroom back when he gets outta here. Not some hard ass mattress. And sure as hell not that dilapidated trapper cabin.” She leaned back on her elbow.

Kayce knew his father would need his room back. Especially if they wanted him to heal properly. “Yeah,” he paused. “I gotta think of where we could go.”

“Well, hear me out. We could move into my house for a short while. Tate could have the guest bedroom until we have the baby sleeping by itself.” Her fingers traced idle patterns on his chest. “But after his sibling gets here, we’d be shit outta luck on space in my house.”

“We could. But it’s a little far out from the ranch, don’t you think?”

“I mean kinda, but not really. Before all this mess started, I came back and forth all the time.” Her heart ached at her next option, but she offered it up anyway. “Or, we could sell my house. Then take the money from that and use it to buy something that suits all of our needs.” Her hand flattened against his chest. “It doesn’t need to be decided right this second, but we’re gonna have to figure it out.”

Stella stilled, knowing it was important to figure this out, but it wasn’t the actual conversation they needed to have. “But before we go any further, let’s address the elephant in the room.”

“Jamie,” Kayce guessed quietly.

Stella pursed her lips to the side. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat, not sure how to address what she’d heard the other week between Jamie and John. “Have you ever heard anything about Jamie being adopted?”

Kayce’s brows pulled together. “No? Why would you think that?” He crossed his legs, raising the backrest of the bed, and sat up straight. A memory of when Jamie asked him if it was okay if he still called him brother flashed through his mind.

Stella shuffled around, mirroring his pose. This was a delicate subject. “The night of the shoot out at the cattle thief’s house, when I got home before you did, Jamie was already there talking to John.”

Kayce sat back against the bed, taking in the information, glad she wasn’t rushing. His heart jumped in his chest.

“The words from your father were — ‘Pretty much everyone at one point or another wonders what life would be like with different parents. You actually have the opportunity to choose.’ Then I heard him say he knew Jamie’s biological parents.” Stella wiped her dewy hands on her pants. “I don’t know about you, but that sounds a lot like admission of adoption to me.”

Kayce’s head swam with the information. His brother’s question made absolute sense now that he knew what Jamie meant. “It doesn’t change how I feel about ‘im. He’s my brother. We grew up together.”

Stella nodded. “I understand that, love.” She thought carefully about her next sentence. It was either going to piss Kayce off, or drive her point home. “But if he does anything that puts me, the baby, or anyone on the ranch in harm’s way — and if he had anything to do with the attack yesterday?” She made sure she had his eye contact. “All of you will have to take a number because pregnant or not, I’ll have his head first.”

He knew it wasn’t a threat, it was a promise. Kayce nodded, clearing his throat. “I understand, Stella. I’ll talk to him when I get out of here.”

“I trust you, Kayce. Just don’t let your love for him cloud your vision.” A small wave of cramps hit her abdomen, and she leaned back on her hands, blowing out a breath. “Yes, Jamie and I have had our spats, but I’ve never thought anything directly terrible about him — until Rip told me what Jamie said and the fact that he was untouched.” She sat up, catching Kayce’s gaze. “That’s a little too coincidental for me, love.”

Kayce exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face. He wanted to defend Jamie, but the pieces weren’t adding up. His gut twisted. He needed time to think.

[hellhazbinstuck]

Will we ever be whole again? 2/?

After a miserable dinner, Jasiline went back upstairs to her room. Stella and Andrealphus were insufferable, only talking about gossip, status, and making fun of her father. Octavia, although almost a legal adult, didn't seem to understand things from the same point of view as Jasiline. Jasiline understood her father's decisions because she knew her mother was abusive towards him. She could be the same way towards her, but Octavia never had to experience that. Jasiline understood that her father made mistakes like everyone else. Sure, Octavia knew that everyone made mistakes, but she didn't truly understand how genuinely awful Stella really was. For now, it seemed Jasiline was all alone.

"Someone's on the moody side." Andrealphus commented when Jasiline stormed off to her room, making Stella laugh. "She's unreasonably moody, just like Stolas. I swear I would have slapped her if she'd cut her hair any shorter. She's lucky she did a good job. It'd be unbecoming of a Goetia otherwise."

Octavia looked at her mother and uncle. "It's just hair. It grows back. Why would you want to slap her for it?" Octavia asked, making her mother frown. "It's the principal of the thing, my love. But you'll probably never have to learn that lesson because you know how to behave."

Jasiline called her father. She needed him more than anything. When she did, Stolas automatically answered. "Jasiline, my owlet! I love you so much, how are you?" Jasiline smiled at her father's voice. "Not the greatest. I miss you so much, I think mom and Andrealphus are mad because I keep your things in my room. Via is able to find comfort in our mother's arms. She doesn't know what she's really like. I guess I'm glad she doesn't understand, but it also makes me worry for her. She definitely doesn't understand this whole thing the way I do."

Stolas nodded on the other side of the phone. "I hope she never has to understand it that way." "Me too, dad. Don't worry, I'll find a way to get you back to us. The entire Goetia family is suffering from how Andrealphus is running things. I wish Satan was dead." Stolas gasped. "Darling, you can't say things like that. He'll punish you. He probably heard that."

Jasiline sighed. "I'm sorry, dad. It's just that everything feels terrible. I'll still try to find something. I have to go. Mom is yelling about something." "I miss you, darling. I'll try to connect you soon."

After a few moments of silence, they said goodbye before Jasiline slid the hidden panel of her closet open. She'd been in archery classes since childhood and used magic to alter a sheath of arrows. She pulled them and a bow before blocking off her door before using a spell to get to wrath. She had herself hidden and got at an angle that could take down her target. When civilians were out of the way, she did it.

She hit the door of Satan's bank with an arrow that blew it to pieces.