#so instead of their story ending after like one episode it just becomes a 10 seasons slow burn romcom

[mothlau]

dorlene au where they're both professors (thinking linguistics for dorcas and maybe something in stem for marls) and they're rivals!!!!! dorcas makes her yearly presentation on descartes at the beginning of term? the stem kids are all talking about it because professor mckinnon keeps shitting on it in class instead of actually teaching. marlene has a big science thingy experiment she's trying to convince investors to fund? oh you bet your ass dorcas is presenting why the experiment will fail and pulling out articles from the depths of jstor when they're meant to be presenting coserius theories (oh, marlene has so many opinions on coseriu even though she doesn't even speak any romance languages).

everyone is just waiting for them to fuck it out of their systems so that kids can actually learn shit and not just evil plots to bring the other down. the faculties have bets going on for how long the whole circus will run (so far remus is in the lead with his winnings).

now there are some who believe that oh they're married, this is their weird form of foreplay, but nope. they're not married. they're divorced (something something they got married too young and were both bad at communication) and they're still very much in love with one another :)

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

I know plenty of people have already made a version of the "Jinx is alive" theory post but I've also seen so many of you mourn her death that I decided to gather all the evidence and make another post, turning this theory into a fact.

Because Jinx is alive. It's not a speculation. It's literally there.

The first thing I'm going to mention are the context clues Jinx gives herself. First, the last thing the ghost of Silco tells her. I think the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away. Then, the realization she comes to when Vi hugs her in the cell. You're never gonna give up on me, are you? What she tells Vi after she leaves her in that cell. You don't need to worry about me anymore. [...] And yes, her initial plan is to kill herself, because she thinks the only way for Vi to move on is for her to be gone. And Ekko gets there just in time to stop her but it looks like he doesn't convince her to abandon her plan, just change it.

And later, when she joins Vi in the final fight. What does she tell her? Still don't get it, huh, sis? I'm always with you. Even when we're worlds apart.

Everything that happens after is constructed specifically to let us and Vi believe that Jinx died. Until we get to this scene:

Caitlyn is studying the Hexgates designs.

She's looking through the pages depicting the place where the final fight happened, specifically focusing on the air vent shafts, while toying with a monkey bomb head - the same monkey bomb that Jinx used in her supposed last monents.

She looks down at the monkey...

Watch the eyes. The realization hits her...

And she smirks, knowing. Jinx used one of the air vents to escape before the explosion.

I've studied the explosion frame by frame. First, a small yellow explosion goes off - Jinx sets off the monkey bomb.

As it becomes bigger, she shoots out of there

this is still the beginning of the blast when we can still see her, and the big boom that destroys everything starts 10 frames later

Last context clue is a reference to the very first episode, which is clearly depicted in this gifset here, so instead of explaining, I'll just send you there to check for yourselves.

One thing that is speculation here is, how exactly did Caitlyn come into possession of the monkey bomb head? I doubt she found it there because it would have been turned to dust. And I'm thinking, Jinx took it with her and left it for Cait to find as a clue. She didn't want Vi to know but maybe she wanted Cait to figure it out. I imagine her sneaking into her house and maybe leaving it somewhere for Cait to find, like her desk or something. It gives Cait an idea, a gut feeling she needs to check, and that allows her to figure it out. Just like we are supposed to figure it out on our own.

Bottom line, Jinx is alive. She escaped the explosion through the air vents, then boarded the airship and left the city, convinced that the only way to give her sister a happy ending is to take herself out of the equation. The glitching closing shot saying The End in Jinx's colorful handwriting is a sign that she is telling us that this is where this story ends, like she's saying "don't look for me. It's over." That's also probably why we aren't shown what Caitlyn does with the information she now possesses.

I hope this helps take away from the grief 💙

[chronicsyd]

I'm gonna be so serious, y'all are remembering POWDER and Ekko and not JINX and Ekko when screaming about how much you "wanted Timebomb endgame over Caitvi"

shoving JINX in a relationship with her current mental state is not a good writing choice whatsoever, because Ekko literally had to keep rewinding time because she kept trying to kill herself. If Anything, That relationship would be rushed and fanservice because they would have jumped the gun in 2 episodes vs the 2 seasons it took for Caitvi and showing their ups and downs throughout their whole relationship.

The alternate universe works because Powder doesn't become Jinx and the two don't separate, unlike this universe where the two have been at odds for 7 years and almost kill each other back in Ep 7 of S1.

"But Cait never said sorry!" she didn't really have to, because Vi never stopped being in love with the girl that she Knows Cait is at heart, the Cocktail Molotov scene in Act 2 makes that VERY apparent. Cait saying that she was waiting for Vi to recover to address Jinx is the start of it because Act 1 Cait wouldn't have even Considered doing that, because she was so gung-ho about putting a bullet into Jinx that she Demanded Vi move out of the way for her to do so. She holds herself accountable with the mistakes she's made ("We can't erase our mistakes. None of us." that wasn't just a line targeted at Jinx to prove a point, there's deeper meaning behind it), and moving the guards out of the cell proving that she trusts Vi and her judgment on Jinx is that apology, Caitlyn has always been an "acts of service" kinda person over being a "verbal" kinda person; it's all over the place in S1 but Especially here in S2. But even after she takes Vi's shirt off, you could tell by her eyes and body language that she was most likely going to stop herself again to apologize for hitting her because the wound was in the same spot she initially hit, which was part of the lead up for This wound to even happen, but Vi's the one that just pulls her back in instead.

I'm also gonna add on that Vi thinks she made the wrong choice in trusting Jinx and thinking Jinx's changed because Jinx locked her in the cell and ran away again. So why in the Hell would Vi go chasing after her Again to be met with the same result time and time again? Vi isn't responsible for Jinx's mental health and y'all saying that are just weird. And I think it's apparent that Stillwater probably wasn't even in the top 10 things in her head being with Caitlyn, she was just running wild on emotions that she hasn't allowed herself to feel like-- Ever. And even if it Was Vi probably would have said she wasn't comfortable being in a jail cell of all places.

What was I talking about? Oh right, Timebomb.

Like Yes, it's shitty that Ekko doesn't get a happy ending considering he's the most unproblematic in the entire show. But people tend to forget that at the end of the day, Arcane is a TRADGEDY. It's not She-ra, it's not The Owl House, it wasn't going to be wrapped up in a neat little bow where everyone gets to smile and walk into the sunset with their loved ones, especially considering the fact that this season's being used as build ups to other stories, it's relatively clear that this isn't the last we're going to see of a lot of these characters. When they come back into play? well... who's to say?

But also, let's address that a lot of the Caitvi hate is just straight up homophobia at this point because a lot of people can understand Mel's admission to manipulating Jayce as an apology but Cait's actions we're suddenly braindead and need shit completely spelled out. like good lord I'm so tired of this. Y'all would NEVER have survived Catradora let me tell ya...

(My next post is gonna be a long winded rant about Maddie so stay tuned for that...)

[daemyra-fire]

I've seen a lot of theories from the last two chapters and I want to share them with you to see if any of them are right in the end.

Well

the first theory is the most obvious

Rose dies or loses the baby from the photo in episode 9, it seems that Nick is in a hospital, so the theory says that something happens to her in episode 9, the fandom has been killing Rose since season 5 so it may be true.

This has been talked about a lot so it doesn't need much information.

2. Nick is the guard next to June

This guard who appears for two seconds fighting alongside Luke in the trailer is Nick, reasons: none, many girls say "I know my man" which is funny because it does seem like Nick, but there is no further proof, it would be interesting if it was, especially because I doubt Nick would let June die. We'll see in the episode if it was true.

3. Moira and Janine may die in the execution

There is no proof, just fan speculation, but one of the two could die in the execution episode.

I really hope neither of them does, but if it happens, it will probably be Moira.

I feel like her arc is closing and going with June to Gilead was her final act, unlike Janine, whose story opens so that she can leave Gilead with Charlotte and stop suffering.

4. Lawrence is the real villain

This theory is huge, it came from reddit, if you want to read it I'll leave the link https://www.tumblr.com/daemyra-fire/783368197271355392/the-lawrence-theory-its-not-mine-it-was-made?source=share which is in the profile of @living4romance

In my opinion I don't think it's true, Lawrence is one of my favorites and I think he wants to fix the things he did wrong although he also has moments of dubious morality, I don't think he's the biggest villain in Gilead.

5. June returns to the Waterford house at the end

The preview photo of chapter 10 was analyzed and many people believe that she is sitting again in her room with the Waterfords, giving closure to her story in Gilead. I don't know if the Waterford house is still standing after the fire, but it would be a great closure if it ended where the story began. I would really love that.

6. June and Nick date at the pizzeria

A girl talked about seeing a recording of THT in a pizzeria, she went to ask the owner if a scene had been made, obviously he didn't say anything, but from clues in the series it is said that it could be the "first" date between Nick and June at the end of the series, especially after they talked about it in episode 6. There is no proof of this but it would be incredible!

7.loses another state

I didn't find the photo, but a person who saw the recording set showed that the American flag now has only one star instead of two as they have shown around the series. I don't understand why they would lose a state if the idea is supposed to recover Boston, but we'll have to wait and see if this really happens.

8.random theories

Nick kills June or June kills Nick :

What? No, it would be the worst decision to end the series, impossible no

Serena is killed by Wharton or becomes a maid:

I don't know where they want to take Serena, but I don't think she deserves redemption and a happy life. Death by Wharton would be ironic, but I doubt he'd do it, and being a maid was already in season 5, so I don't know where she'll end up, especially because she's always very lucky.

Wharton as the father of Rose's baby

WTF? No, I think if that were the case, the series would have shown it before. Besides, this is clearly not Game of Thrones. I doubt something like that would happen.

9.June sees Hannah for the last time

The whole idea is based on the opening of the testaments, that June can see Hannah before escaping, but there is no proof that it will happen.

10. Nick is going to die in the end

I just want to say that this theory has been around for years, but if Nick were to die, my emotional stability would be ruined. I already suffered a loss from a fictional character this month and I still haven't recovered from Joel in Tlou

So I hope they leave Nick with June in peace, calm, and happiness. Thank you. End of statement.

Now we just have to wait and see which of the theories are real and which are not.

No comments on Luke, I have no idea what's going on with him and to be honest I don't care.

[thebroccolination]

But that is the magical joy of Be My Favorite, isn’t it?! That Kawi learns how to choose himself and joy instead of what Kawi thinks will make him happy because it’s what the world values. And then he’s told Pisaeng about the time travel but Pisaeng doesn’t quite believe him until Kawi is sick and maybe dying and tries using it. And Pisaeng wonders if Kawi is compromising his dreams for Pisaeng’s happiness, but they’re just choosing their own happiness. And I want to cry just thinking about it.

This is from a Be My Favorite post I made last month that still makes me emotional.

Like!!! One of my favorite parts of the series in terms of the writing choices Waa made is that Kawi doesn't actually see dozens and dozens of potential futures. As a writer, I think that would be tempting to play with. But instead, the story is framed so that Kawi doesn't know how many times he can use the crystal ball, so he has to be extremely cautious. Structure-wise that heightens the stakes, but that also means that Kawi as a character has to think very deeply and thoroughly about everything he does that might have repercussions.

Which, as we see in the series, drives him into Panic Mode about possibly fucking up everyone's lives around episode 10 after seeing The Worst Timeline in episode 7.

I love love love that he and Pisaeng don't actually talk that much about Kawi's whole time-travel experience because 1) once Kawi has what he needs (a loving relationship and found family), he doesn't want to look back, and 2) it leaves Pisaeng to grapple with his own insecurities about their relationship.

Like, the Pisaeng we see in episode 12 who offers to be a Dirty Little Secret if Kawi wants to pursue a publicly famous life is not the same Pisaeng from any of the Terrible Futures that Kawi saw. He's the fortunate one, the one who crushed on Kawi for a few months in their first year of university, confessed to him, got an initial rejection followed by a reciprocation a few days later, and then dated Kawi consistently for the next twelve years.

What I love about that is that the Pisaeng in episode twelve, the one who won by all possible metrics, still has the seeds of self-destruction in him. He would closet himself and their relationship for Kawi, and Kawi knows from experience that 1) he really doesn't want the fame, but also 2) he's seen Pisaeng destroy himself for his sake before, and he promised never to let that happen again.

And he doesn't tell Pisaeng that either!!! Adult Kawi who has Learned Things from time travel doesn't want or need credit for the person he's become. He doesn't tell Pisaeng how horrible fame was on both of them, how selfish it made him. He doesn't want to relive it for himself for sure, but I also think he wants to spare his Pisaeng any sliver of the pain he put another version of him through in another life.

So what we get is that Pisaeng sees Kawi put aside singing professionally, which he seemed to love, and become a lyricist instead. He thinks Kawi could have a better life and he's denying himself for Pisaeng's sake. …WHICH IS WHAT PISAENG DID FOR KAWI IN THE WORST TIMELINE.

And when Pisaeng goes back in time and limits changing the past to just correcting their terrible amusement park date and nothing else, he does so without all the information Kawi could have given him. He only has Kawi's word that he's happy with the life they have, and he doesn't want any more than that. And he trusts in Kawi, because they've been together for twelve very happy years. :')

I'm never gonna get over this show.

~The End~

[markantonys]

i was caught super off-guard by the reveal that the wondergirls will in fact return to the white tower at the start of s3, because i'd long assumed there surely wouldn't be time for that. my gut reaction was to be Not Thrilled about it, due to worrying that it would mean spending too long rehashing s2 territory rather than moving on to the next phase of the girls' stories, but having mulled it over, i now see many reasons to be excited about it! naturally, lots of them are gawyn-related <3 and "letting characters spend precious time together before they're separated for the next 10 books"-related

GAWENE!!!!!!!!!! gawene gawene gawene!!!!!! it was always a point of sorrow for me that my prior s3 structure theories couldn't fit in any gawene time beyond "maaaaaybe they could have a brief meeting in caemlyn if the waste-bound gang makes a pitstop there", but now they might get to have multiple scenes across multiple episodes! they might have a chance to build a solid initial emotional connection before the story takes them apart for a while! i am literally overjoyed at the prospect!

in addition to this being good for me, it's also good for the story and for rand's future romantic endeavors. egwene ALSO showing sparks of interest in a new person (especially if said new person is a cute prince who worships the ground she walks on - yes this is the truth of who gawyn is, you all don't know him like i do) will do wonders to sell show-onlys on a Final Randgwene Breakup. we need to see that egwene and rand are BOTH moving on from each other and BOTH ready to leave their romance in the past and start new relationships.

it's also important for later, because gawyn's future storyline hinges on him feeling emotionally attached enough to egwene to be willing to desert his own army to help her

guys imagine egwene meeting gawyn for the first time AFTER all her damane trauma instead of before........i could totally imagine her feeling uneasy or stifled around nynaeve and elayne for a little while because they look at her with such pity and guilt over what happened and being with her old friends reminds her too painfully of how much she's changed as a person after what she's been through, but gawyn is a brand-new post-trauma friend, he doesn't know any version of her but the one before him now, he doesn't know what happened to her, he doesn't feel sorry for her, he's not constantly trying to apologize to her or ask if she's okay or tiptoe around her, and thus spending time with him allows her to just feel Normal again. i'm emotional!!!!

anyway

more tower time will also allow proper wondergirls trio time! we didn't really have it in s2 since nynaeve & elayne didn't become close until after egwene was captured, and we won't have much time for it in the future since they'll be split up for a lot of the story, so getting a couple episodes now with them as a full trio will be wonderful.

and more specifically, more time for the egwene-elayne friendship! they were so sweet in s2, but didn't get a TON of time actually together, and they might not see each other in person much for the rest of the series (though TAR zoom calls might be plentiful), so i'll be thrilled to see them get to hang out a little at the beginning of the season. and especially to see egwene's end of the friendship and see her affirming how much she cares for elayne, after the back half of s2 treated us to a lot of elayne's end of it and her devotion to egwene.

trakand siblings!!! another big point of sorrow for me in my previous theorizing was that elayne wouldn't get to actually interact with her brothers except for perhaps in a flashback cold open (i'd imagined elayne would go straight to tanchico from falme & the bros would show up at the white tower looking for her). but now, we will get to see all three of them together! we'll get to see the full sibling dynamic! and considering that they might never be all three together in one place again (depending on how the show maneuvers people around), this will be invaluable.

it will also help the brothers' characterizations & storylines to see how they interact with elayne and how that later results in desperation to keep her safe & get answers on her whereabouts leading them towards some questionable decisions

egwene taking her accepted test early in the season (potentially even in the first episode?) could be a very handy vehicle for showing the audience where her headspace is at in the wake of all her s2 trauma. i'd imagine her test scenes will be Accepted Test: Abridged Version since we already dove so deeply into it with nynaeve, but something like the seanchan as her past trauma in arch 1 and romance with rand as the piece of home she needs to let go of in arch 2 could be done as quick but effective scenes to show us what she's wrestling with internally at the moment.

and getting more egwene-siuan interactions will be very fun! seeing how the wondergirls might feel about siuan after hearing of her Attempted Randnapping (if they do hear about it from rand and moiraine, two people who are famous for not telling anyone things) would be interesting.

possible elayne accepted test giving us insight into her character? i won't bank on it since 3 onscreen accepted tests might be excessive, but at the very least we might get a scene like the books where she and egwene are both shaken after their tests and nynaeve comforts them, and perhaps elayne tells them a bit about what she saw in the arches.

also! if mat is also involved in some early-season tower shenanigans, then of course this means getting the mat-gawyn-galad fight, which means i can finally realize my long-held dream of putting the text post "guy frantically looking up 'i think i like men' on his phone immediately after losing a fight with another man" onto a relevant screencap of gawyn. this is crucial stuff, people! and i will in general be delighted to see any potential mat-gawyn interactions. soon it will be time to prepare my Unexpected Ships bingo card for s3!

[newtonsheffield]

Molly,

Apparently most reviewers agree with you that the season/writing is just awful. And a LOT of people are furious over losing Michael. Did the writers not read that book? All Franny ever wanted was a quiet life and children. You cut her story at the knees if you make her love interest a woman. She can't have a child in the 1800s without a husband. What are they going to say she had IVF? 🤦‍♀️ I agree they get an extended season next year for Benedict and Eloise combined (10-12 episodes) and then its over. They only were renewed one more year anyway and Netflix (which cancels everything) isn't going to be happy with a new season every two years.

Okay here’s the thing now that I’ve had time to organize my thoughts about Michaela Stirling being introduced.

I’m not opposed to her. Initially when they introduced her immediately after Eloise asking to go to Scotland I was like “Ohhhh Eloise is going to fall in love with Michaela and Francesca and John will ride off into the sunset (sit quietly and not talk)”

But I think Francesca’s reaction to Michaela, and her reaction when she kissed John at their wedding makes that unlikely.

So to my mind there’s two ways this goes now.

1) John dies. Michaela and Francesca grow closer. Etc etc. the exact storyline just with a woman instead of a man. They end up adopting children because Francesca still yearns for a baby. Sweet. I even like it. Michaela being a woman does introduce difficulty in the fact that were John to die there would be another Earl of Kilmartin who is not her. And so we cannot assume that this Earl would allow Francesca so many liberties. Michael did because he was in love with her. This new Earl likely won’t. But the show will likely… conveniently send them to India

2) John does not die but senses the attraction between his cousin and wife and allows them to be together while staying married to Francesca. Their marriage basically becoming a beard. This makes me a little sad to think of because I think there was power in the subtlety of Francesca and John’s relationship. That’s what he all thought was sweet the first time round. To have her so thunderstruck by Michaela I think makes it seem a little that Francesca mistook the companionship she felt with John for with love.

My issue with Michaela Stirling is mostly that, and I’ve said numerous times that this was a story I was concerned about the show tackling, I don’t think the show is capable of portraying the subtlety a story like this deserves. I would love to be wrong though.

[marisandini-chu-blog]

OC IDEA!!!

Okay... if the first 4 episode of TBHX is gonna be the standard for the rest of the series, I'm gonna prepare a Fix-It Fic just to fight Canon by the end of this.

DON'T THINK I WON'T DO IT, LH0!! I WILL FIGHT YOU FOR A HAPPY ENDING!!!

Dramatics aside, if I do end up writing a fix-it fic or the like. I definitely want to write an OC with Precognition ability.

Now, any of you taking the time reading this (thank you btw) would think the reasoning for this ability is because it's the easiest ability that help prevent the bad future from happening and you're not wrong.

But the primary reasoning my OC would have precognition because I want her (yes, a her) hero origin story to be a psychic.

Now, you might be wondering "Hold on, shouldn't she be a psychic after being a hero?"

And you are right, because she isn't an actual psychic.

She's a fucking conartist.

A conartist turn hero, and not by her own volition.

And I found the idea one of the most hillarious thing 🤣

Now Jane Doe (because I haven't decided a name) beginning is just a humble girl who needs money and use her talent of keen observation, cold read, being a good mentalist, and a bit of slight of hand to bring about the illusion of someone being gifted with the "third eye". Think of Shawn Spencer from Psych, she has that vibe around her.

People are reasonably skeptic of course until she has proven them otherwise, and before they even establish any trust for her, Jane Doe moves to another location because... you know... she's technically a criminal and she doesn't want to stay in one place and gamble her chances of getting caught in her lies

Now, I need to make this clear that Jane Doe isn't an inherently good person. She is clear asshole who would laugh at the idiots who would believe in her lies and take advantage of them.

However, being smarter than anyone else means she sees better than anyone. So when one of her clients revealed to be connected with heinous crime (maybe a spouse is actually a serial killer or a child being unknowingly stalk or worse)

And Jane isn't enough of an asshole to figure this out and ignore it. Instead she thinks, "Oh shit, someone gotta do something. Oh shit, does it have to be me?!"

A series of shenanigans happen later for the culprit to get caught, and before Jane Doe could dissapear into the night and move to the next city. Her face becomes viral.

And suddenly, seeing the future isn't a lie anymore.

Now you would think this would be good news for her. After all, Jane doesn't need to lie anymore in order to rip off her clients.

But it's one thing to manufacture a future in order to con someone.

It's another to actually see an actual concerning future. Like on the level of – "don't cross the road on Saturday 10 AM or Truck-kun will come for you" anytime someone ask to see their fate.

She has drawback in the form of anxiety – believing that if something bad can happen, it will happen. She ended up adopting meditation in her routine in order to keep herself from spiraling in her day to day life.

But she's also the type of person who will stubbornly persist as herself , which an unapologeticly materialistc. In the way like "Screw the attention, screw this anxiety, I will not let anyone and anything keep me from enjoying a comfortable lifestyle. Now excuse all of you, I have a cruise to catch."

But also, never once did she not try to save the people from a bad fate once she knows.

EDIT: there is also an OP-version of her that I just find it funny if she is confronted with any difficult skeptic client, she would make up an ability like "talking to the dead" in order to convince the client. So over time, the more she lies to make her life easier (and because lying is her defense mechanism) the more ability she has to juggle as she began to have difficult time to enjoy life when she cannot stop her survival mode after getting a stable lifestyle

[thatgayb1tchwhosimps4her]

The Coven + Thalia's Relationship w/ Them

Not really sure how I was supposed to set this out either, but I like it.

Also, Rio's low-key made me cry, so I might not touch on this AU for a little while (I definitely will, but in case I don't, you have been warned).

~~~

Agatha Harkness:

When they were younger, Thalia drifted more toward Rio, and Nicholas to Agatha, but once he died, and Rio had to take him to the afterlife, they immediately kind of latched onto the other, to like keep each other afloat/keep both Rio's and Nicky's memory alive (no matter how much it hurts), and grieve together.

In a way, once Agatha and Thalia like 'lost their person', they became a lot more understanding of each other, in a way (I can't really think of a way to explain this properly).

Thalia definitely had nightmares about that day, for a long time, and after a good couple weeks of Agatha going back and forth between both their rooms, she let Thalia sleep in her bed (which was also probably a comfort for her, too).

---

Pretty typical mother-daughter relationship, honestly, up until Agatha finds out about the Darkhold, and essentially becomes a loyal sidekick, on her quest to power/a way to get their old life back, instead of the little girl, whoever secretly looked up to Agatha, her entire life.

Which brings us to the WandaVision and Agatha All Along chapter(s), which will be linked on the navigation page (here) when they're done, sooo :)

~~~

Rio Vidal/Death:

Thalia is 100% a mamí's girl, and I will die on this hill.

Literally, Thalia's been waving the "Team Rio" flag, since the day she was born; sporting the same doe-eyes her mother fell in love with, back in Salem.

When she was younger, 9 times out of 10, she would only ever settle for Rio, which confused both mother's for a long time; because how could anyone, especially something as innocent as a baby, find comfort in Death?

---

This pretty much carried on through the first like half of her childhood.

i.e. Thalia's first word being 'mamí', instead of 'mama' like most other babies (including Nicholas).

Thalia giggling at the voices Rio does, while reading bedtime stories to her and Nicky (and low-key Agatha, as well).

Rio teaching/coaching Thalia (and Nicky) on how to use her/their powers (since Agatha would end up accidently absorbing them, and cause Rio physically cannot be that badly injured) etc.

---

Then Nicky dies, and it's very much an incredibly emotional and traumatic time for all of them.

Thalia instinctually goes to Rio, and because she's still young, doesn't understand why "He won't wake up", which completely tore her heart in two (no matter how black it is).

Rio then takes Thalia up to her room, to try and calm her down, while Agatha has time with Nicky, before they have to go.

She reads Thalia her favourite story 3 times over, because Thalia's cannot get enough (and also cause she has a sinking feeling she should make the most of it/I'm just making shit up about clairvoyance at this point).

---

In the end, they settle on snuggling in Thalia's kid-bed, while Rio sings the lullaby version of "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" (which is a memory they both deeply treasure), over and over, until Thalia falls asleep, and Rio very hesitantly has to pull herself away from the girl, with one final kiss to Thalia's temple (just to the left of the scar over the crook of her eyebrow, from one of their many training sessions, when Thalia wacked herself with a tree-branch).

Which again, brings up to the Agatha All Along chapters, that are linked in the bit above :)

~~~

Lilia Calderu:

Lilia's relationship with Thalia would very much be like "the grandmother she (Thalia) never had" (we hate Evanora Harkness, with burning passion, in this house).

When they first meet (in episode 2), Lilia can instantly sense the doubt (of if walking the Witches' Road will actually work), and guilt (that she's been carrying all these years, about not being able to bring back Nicky), radiating off the girl's body.

Very soon after she clocks it, is like- "Alright, that lonely little queer girl is mine; yes, she has two moms already, but I'm willing to back her up if she needs it" (she doesn't, but it's very much appreciated), you know what I mean?

But yeah, that very much radiates throughout the entire show (maybe aside from episode 5, cause there were definitely sides picked during that episode), until episode 7; RIP Queen.

~~~

Jennifer Kale:

Thalia's relationship with Jen is very much the same as Jen's and Agatha's, like they're not really sure if they can trust each other, but it's like an amicable, back-and-forth teasing, type of relationship.

Up until episode 6 (the version of it I'm writing/Thalia's trial), where the remaining members if the cover (lowkey including Agatha + Rio), see a more vulnerable, and kind of broken, side to Thalia (more on that to come).

Then after that, it's very much like "We both lowkey hate each other, but she (works both ways) is actually pretty cool, so we're gonna keep it mellow."

~~~

Alice Wu Gulliver (my girl <3):

Love of my life, Alice Wu Gulliver, was honestly such a breath of fresh-air for Thalia; like the older sister she never had.

'Protection witch' is the name, and protecting Thalia (and lowkey Agatha as well/RIP angel girl) is the game.

Thalia helped her (and Teen, but mostly Alice) pull Mrs Hart out of the mud at the beginning of episode 3, and basically from that point onwards, became best friends.

And then from that point on, Thalia's basically just jumping to Alice's defence a lot, after every little comment.

Especially the "Everything I touch turns to shit" (that part of the episode definitely didn't make me cry), and Thalia goes over to hug her, cause she knows what it's like to feel that way.

Almost always near each other, while walking the road + during trials, as like a "If anything happens to her (works both ways), I'll be the first one there, cause even though we've only known each other for a couple hours/days, she's still my bestie".

Bonus; Kojo is definitely Alice's best bud (it's literally fact that he's prone to face licking, when he can sense that people are upset or anxious), and was sat between her, and Thalia, during the last 10/15 minutes of episode 4, as well.

~~~

Teen/Billy Maximoff:

Eps 1-5 their relationship is very much a brother/sisterly bond.

Like yeah, they'll take the piss out of each other a little bit, but will still kill for each other, if someone even looks at the other (Billy or Thalia) the wrong way.

Then his true identity gets revealed (at the end of Agatha's trial/just before Thalia's trial), and gets a little rocky, but ultimately they still look out for each other (I'm just guessing, as the show's not 100% out yet, iykwim).

Like it's still very much a "I knew you/a version of you, a few years ago, and you reminded me of my brother, so we're chill, just as long as you don't try to (kind of) kill my mom again, otherwise I'll slit your throat, and you best believe I'm telling the truth, cause you know who my other mom is."

~~~

Mrs Hart/Sharon Davis:

~~~

Last, but not least; this legend.

Near enough the same thing as Thalia and Lilia's relationship, but more like soft; like instead of witchy banter (calling Lilia kooky, and shit), it's very much like typical grandmother/granddaughter bonding.

i.e. Thalia helping Alice and Teen pull her out of the mud at the beginning of episode 3, as previously mentioned.

Explaining what being a witch is (along with the rest of the group) in episode 3, and shit like that.

She didn't really have much screen-time for me to come up with much else, so RIP Mrs Hart :(

~~~

I'm actually obsessed right now. I haven't slept in the last 24(+1) hours, so if I'm still up, I might start planning out Thalia's trial + Backstory, since I've got some idea as to what it'll be, but it needs some tweaking.

-Harlow

[cas-is-queer]

what the fuck. what the fuck.

SPOILERS FOR AGATHA ALL ALONG EP 8 AND 9

I was so fucking hyped for this shit because I thought maybe my little lesbians would get a happy-ish ending. Instead, Agatha gets killed in her own show and becomes a side piece to Billy, the one male in a female dominated show; Rio just walks away after Agatha dies???? Huh??? Mf that's the love of her life right there, she wouldn't just walk away; the whole point of the road was to get what you're missing, and Agatha needed to learn to move on from her grief, she was missing peace, but instead of accepting death and Rio and Nicky, she just stays as a ghost???? I don't find that satisfying at all; they teased a Tommy return but didn't actually give it to us and I was kinda disappointed; Rio wasn't in the last episode at all besides the flashback, and she didn't even say shit; we got agatha and nicky's story but no agathario?? Rude but okay; and ik she's like crazy and shit but you're telling me Rio was actually going to kill Agatha?? And also in the beginning they said Rio couldn't kill her so wtf; IM SO TIRED OF THE BURY YOUR GAYS BULLSHIT IM AT THE END OF MY ROPE

But on the plus side that kiss was fire AS FUCK and Agatha pretty much said "if I'm dying I'm going out with style and kissing this hot mf" and I love her for that. It was hungry and it was raw and so them. I did love that the Ballad was just Agatha and Nicky together tho 🥲 Rio definitely stayed with them for at least some of those 6 or 7 years. Wondering how tf Agatha got pregnant cause I know for a fact my girlie ain't getting with a man

Also I see why Agatha kinda hates Rio, even if she loves her, but idk why Rio has such hatred for Agatha. I need answers, Marvel 🫵🤨

Overall, 6/10. I expected better, but I doesn't look like their story is over yet so I'm holding out hope.

[gotskamstuff]

I want to find a new fandom and ship to be passionate about so bad but at the same time l also don't wanna be emotionally invested into any other piece of fiction ever again.

After Game of Thrones final season, Anne with an E getting canceled, the Umbrella Academy going to shit and now the shitshow that Outer Banks ended up being, arguably my biggest heartbreak of all times, it feels like a waste and not to mention all the show I started lightheartedly and got cancelled . It always ends in disappointment anyway.

Streaming networks ruined tv shows forever, writers and producers either have no power or no spinal cord to decide when their stories should end.

Either it gets canceled before getting a conclusion or they keep going until the shows become unrecognizable just for the sake of keep going because the network is offering big money.

No writer has the guts anymore to say "it ends here"...and surely the OBX writers don't.

The show should've ended last season or this season with a different and ultimate ending to fix it all, instead they ruined the work of 5 years, a dedicated fanbase, the fan favorite character with the best storyline and the biggest and only slow burn ship they had, just to get paid for 10 more episodes.

Maybe I’m dramatic but sadly I mean it with my whole chest, Outer Banks disappointed me so badly (after being so passionate and dedicated for years) that it’s changing my entire approach towards shows. It’s turning me into a passive viewer.

If you end up not caring about the show you’re making and create a product with no soul just for mass consumption then that’s what you get back, a superficial audience who’s watching just for the sake of filling time and disinterested in the story.

God how I miss when show would be on tv, one or two episodes of 45 minutes per week for 20+ episodes a season, conventions where the cast and writers could witness and connect with the fans dedication, tv networks that were ok with renewing shows to the audience/producers desire and writers who knew when to end things.

[lilolilyr]

Lilo Reads - April 2025 edition

I have read 2.8 million words in fanfic in April!

January • February • March • 2024

I've also read three of the most atrocious kids books this month, and I mean I usually don't enjoy hatewatching or hatereading stuff but in this case I had a blast. Do you know Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers (German 'Dolly')? These are as if a whole series is straight up from Evelyn's POV. She's nasty to everyone, tries to ruin her parents' marriage but is mad when she succeeds, has self esteem issues and tries to bring everyone down so she doesn't have to worry they're above her anymore, cares more about her appearance than anything else, is so bitchy even to the girls she considers her friends, and instead of getting over her issues and properly settling in at the boarding school she just seems to get a bit better but then starts acting idiotically again in the next book! Would hate to meet her irl, loved the books, 10/10, I read them within a week xD

Apart from those, I just continued the non-fiction book 'The Bird Way' and re-read some Yoko Tsuno comics from the library, I still love those comics so much, especially the collection editions with bonus info and sketches! They're originally French and not all of them have been translated into English, but a whole bunch of them can be found here :)

And I actually wrote something this month! An almost 20k long Sci-Fi Adventure story, Lucifer's Servant, vaguely based on the Yoko Tsuno comic of the same name but with characters from Warehouse 13, I think everyone's introduced neatly enough that anyone can read it, without knowing either of those fandoms! I'm really proud of it I wouldn't have expected writing such a long story after months of just tiny comment fics :}

Maybe I'll write some more fic again next month - feel free to send me May Trope Mayhem prompts!

As for fics I enjoyed reading, this might be the first month where the majority of the fics are gen fics? While I did indeed read a couple of the expected Avorah fics (mainly by @bkwormkate thank you for the good work <3) because the new season of Hacks is out, I only managed to watch the first two episodes so far, so most fics are too spoilery rn, and I haven't really gotten back into reading much fic for the ship or much femslash in general... Instead I've read a bit of Marvel, some more 00Q and McDanno, and when it comes to my fic recs of the month, you can mainly see that my Star Wars obsession has come back with full force xD here goes:

• JasBen Save a Galaxy Far, Far Away Jaster/OW by @batshieroglyphics, 60k, T, Time Travel

• We're Jedi. We've totally got this. humor by @mytimeconsumingsidehobby, 16k, G, Time Travel

• Those Who Walk by @antebunny, Vader, Leia, Luke, Obi-Wan and lots of chaos, 50k, G

• How Does it End Again? by thatonefangirltho, Din Djarin time travels and becomes Mand'alor, 260k, G

• For I Still Live by saltysarah, Mandalorians at MelidaDaan, 600k, G-E, mainly Obi-Wan but lots of different POVs for example Dooku or Asajj Ventress, the series is in order of posting date, I put the reading order in my bookmark just scroll down on the link :)

• stars sing my name, scars tell my story by @independent-variables and the follow-up there's a place for us by @djemsowhat, total 60k T, the clone wars are stopped before they can begin

• Ashes Verse by @livsy, Old Ben has time travelled back to the clone wars era, Anakin notices. 38k, T

• All the Stars and Galaxies in His Eyes, 16k, T, by @wanderingjedihistorian, Jango has a ka'ra-given quest as Mand'alor, eventual Jangobi

But I do have one fic in another fandom I really liked:

• Catch Your Voice by @lavvyan, a ClintCoulson (Marvel) shippy fic, 14k, T, #coulsonlives :)

On my To Read for next month are a couple Bering and Wells fics I heard about during the anniversary meetup on Discord last week, and of course I still have a whole bunch of Star Wars fic tabs open :D

No-pressure-tagging everyone tagged above to also share their fic recs!

Oh, and I made a book list! The tumblr poll's already over but you can still look through the listchallenge, and make your own as well if you like!

~ continue reading ~

I also randomly read a bunch of Jack/Elizabeth/Will ot3 fics after rewatching the first Pirates film with my mom? Not my usual ship so it goes below the read- more, but yeah I guess saving it here for posterity xD

My Wordcount math as always:

Because my Excel died and wouldn't calculate Sum and I copied it to calculator you even get the History this month: 2275+616+22941+3970+12805+24832+1396+896+3079+2403+68596+552+1048+14192+2341+2722+2254+1346+1210+1199+1850+1224+1791+5340+2329+3120+3003+18299+46659+0+0+3452+13999+2530+6301+36193+791+264380+1520+623+1153+6145+1887+12196+653+2568+2848+1351+6018+1362+155+597+687+8110+385+1377+1414+1982+865+1753+6532+341+1574+2774+8279+1604+3394+1398+2018+1837+1455+1958+2049+1121+1255+2665+2222+915+2246+5908+1297+11750+17016+8628+2051+1368+1111+1473+1962+3042+5418+1164+746+3220+11272+11445+8504+18748+1173+2126+8043+11098+3235+4342+10198+19896+64481+4560+15750+2334+14552+3706+3887+3040+8688+3646+6176+19681+5876+7733+4671+1014+1702+2032+1866+5433+21852+5468+410+679+11492+1683+1943+5311+7146+22463+10796+12016+5322+5123+28301+1971+3941+2100+200+1952+8272+2033+250+2089+2124+37638+1261+4+10768+6079+1221+6366+6547+43760+21866+1677+6296+1329+3020+13910+9770+5065+3029+8758+2224+4193+7778+256282+1124+340+1596+1738+1293+1648+1171+2910+0+1517+1247+13565+8426+77395+2240+15343+7611+4414+2075+4077+643+915+649+2438+3437+1007+2532+16124+4927+16877+38060+3850+93391+3233+82922+2061+55675+68877+4150+1430+2386+60459+40523+2794+45538+24005+122+18+401+15108+17744+26428+28060+34157+12074+15179+30095+3599+6541+8248+11887+1403+169720+2630+1856+5875+1444+56461+5461+1289+3890+7388+19015+1468+8792+1654+3099+11880+5138+3603+4515+4609+3114+891+2097+2116+5782+6203+883+2593+1518+3242+5813+3670+2630+2529+4678+14180+1532+568+896+727+504+405+396+712+30868+1834+997+809+536+625+637+680+350+295+450+220+1309+2147+1411+403+543+721+1099+3267+930+396+2162+712+30239+9379+21501+24782+8560+1294+1767+3559+12524+1317+1818+1178+244+778+859+3630+11698+402+1793+1737+8567+4240+1134+3186+3318+549+1564+2672+1818+1858+568+10072+2860+368+1984+2053+1343+6376+1595+1076+14570+1356+4100+8970+8031+5613+8139+973+7791+18956+2207+16856+603+3306+3833+6044+10459+976+13614+14486+1945 Yea. It be like that =3393712

- To Read:−68596−64481−28301−13565−93391−68877− 26428−5461−7388−30868−1099−8970=−417425

- To continue reading −122718

- didn't read yet −19896

- didn't reread apr25 -30239

no non ao3 works this month

Total:=3393712−417425−122718−19896-30239

=2.803.434

My formula so I have it noted down for next time: history - to read(exclude:series, exclude: external source) - to continue reading (exclude: series, exclude: external source, exclude: to read) - didn't read yet (exclude: series) + external source (exclude: to read, exclude: to continue reading, exclude: didn't read yet) & check month tag (mar25 in this case) and add and subtract as noted (subtract usually, it's probably 'didnt reread now' on an old bookmark, unless it's external source I've actually reread)

Edit may5: ahh I just found a draft post from April 3 saying 'what I've been reading April'25: Stucky (specifically all kinds of stories where Steve finds out about gay rights <3)'. Which is so funny because yes I read a lot of Stucky the first days of April but in the end I read so much other shit that it just turned irrelevant! And to make it even funnier I think the exact same thing is happening this month! I read a bunch of Stucky fics the first few days, even wrote a Stucky drabble because I was so into it, and now today I'm fully back in the Star Wars obsession adsfghjkl

[casasupernovas]

thinky thoughts on the rtd era:

when nine regenerated into ten, it was like he regenerated using rose as an imprint but he only got a rough imprint of humanity, the image of it - youthful, enthuastic. but it's just a facade because underneath is the cold, aloof, dark, mysterious alien - still. the image doesn't convince rose at first but through a act of heroism and bravery, ends up being so convincing rose doesn't see a problem with it...until she forgets that despite the youthful nature of the face, they are much, much older and thus have had a long life outside of her, before her and will after her. until the parts of her that are supposed to stand out like compassion and kindess blur in with the alien and instead turn into insensitivity, detatchment and inconsideration.

and rose now wants something that isn't real. the doctor isn't going to settle down with her. he never does. she would never say it but it's what she wanted. when she says the doctor isn't going to slow down so neither will she there is something so desperately sad in the statement. but either way after rose's departure, ten is the equivalent of the chick leaving the nest for the first time. or more like a chick who was pushed out of the nest.

enter donna and martha. and regarding the racnoss, it's like donna encountered the child in the middle of a huge meltdown. his safety blanket is gone. he needs to learn and grow. so enter martha.

like a long-suffering carer who gets little thanks she helps to scrub off the rough edges, teach him things, take care of him, protect him from danger, goes above and beyond. but as all care givers who are taken for granted or give care to someone who doesn't really want it despite knowing they need it, they are taken for granted. and they have to start looking after themselves because it's draining them.

then enter donna, who reaps the benefits of the advice she gave him. though i doubt when she said he needed to find someone to stop him, she meant to find a companion and use them like a stress ball, to put it nicely. he's not perfect but no one is, but this time, it's his turn to help grow someone into their best self. but donna's story is slightly different.

donna gets into a lot of situations with the doctor that are, well, terrifying for her. she does good in pompeii, because she does help save people. but when she sees the ood she's devastated and when it's revealed they were slowly poisoning someone to turn them into one of them donna doesn't know who's in the right anymore. with the sontarans, she's scared out of her mind and with jenny she is the one teaching the doctor to be more open minded ...but by the time the daleks move earth, donna is the only one out of her depth and plaintively terrified.

but then the solution is clear. to survive this she needs to be more doctor like...literally.

all of 10's companions are all doctor-fied to varying degrees. rose's doctorfication makes her cold and unsympathetic, and jackie comments she's starting to be less like herself and more like the doctor. rose thinks this is great. jackie is clearly doesn't. martha jones' doctorfication is major both metaphorially and literally, with her being a medical student and taking the reigns for most of their travels. donna noble is the companion who gets the doctorfication to the highest degree. she literally becomes him and it kills her.

but im racking my noodle as to what the takeaway is. because it appears that donna's self plus the doctor is exactly what they needed to sort the situation...but it's like an almost monstrous/frankenstein take on the balance between what the doctor needs in a companion and why the companion needs the doctor. it's not lost on me that the doctor and donna become hybrids in the episodes where they confront biologically engineered mutants revived from the literal chest cavity of their deranged creator.

so. what gives? and the moment, i don't really have an answer. it's all a bit bleak.

[enriquemzn262]

Talking about anime, with the current season finally over, let me tell you what I saw this time, which is actually quite the short list:

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World

Aka the Red Ranger Isekai, based on the manga of the same title which I have actually kept up with for years, a fun twist to the normal isekai slop by having the overpowered otherworlder have an actual reason to be like that: He’s quite literally a power ranger.

Red himself is a ton of fun, a true power ranger that can be enjoyed by both fans, old and new, of Power Rangers, and shonen fans not tired of their loud and overly positive MCs. The supporting cast of characters is really good too, from a busty ADULT mage girl who’s as competent at battle as the MC, and is actively researching his powers, to a tsundere swordsman who learns to tolerate Red, his accompanying princess who’s both pure and experienced, and eventually another ranger.

Good animation, not great but at least consistent in its quality, good music, great humor (for once), and a cool story about a natural born hero trying to go back home and in the process making friends and saving people.

8/10

I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time

Aka Girumasu, another fantasy adventure anime that’s an isekai in everything but the isekai character, with the twist being that the female MC is actually really powerful, but likes her cozy office job too much to actually become an adventurer, instead, as the title says, she only gets involved in combat to make sure her work doesn’t pile up via reports of defeated adventurers and unconquered dungeons.

Good premise, interesting start, but by the end it was veering too much into the adventuring side she was so desperately trying to avoid, turning it into a sort of bog standard story, thankfully the supporting cast keeps things interesting enough to keep your attention to the end.

Very good animation, is actually much less horny than your usual adventure anime, the female lead is actually allowed to have a personality outside of both romance and combat, and there are some very neat magic concepts hidden along the way.

7/10

Medalist

The story of a little girl who really, really likes ice skating, and how through her talented yet insecure trainer, slowly becomes a top notch athlete, helping defeat her and his own internal demons in the way.

Never been much of a fan of sports anime outside the human horse racing series, and an anime with a preteen female lead is usually trouble outside of magical girl shows, but I caught a scene of one of the girls skating, found it to look gorgeous, gave it a try and never looked back!

Superb animation, a nice blend between CGI and traditional 2D, great characters, especially the main girl, Inori, who keeps getting the funniest facial expressions, and Tsukasa, the main male character and trainer, who’s a bundle of excitement and raw emotions, a nice extended cast who keep on getting their moments to shine, and some excellent music to boot!

I watched the Spanish dub on Disney+, but sometimes would change to the OG Japanese, and man, both were great.

10/10, my absolute favorite of the season, it’s confirmed to have a second season, so please give it a try if you can!

Those were the only three I watched from start to finish, I tried Sakamoto Days but watching it reminded me why I dropped the manga, also tried one about an office guy reincarnated as the main villain in a dating game, but after watching Bakarina all those shows are the same derivative slop so I just didn’t get past the second episode, and finally there was Uber Blat or something like that, which I thought had a female lead, since I really like action shows with them (they mean I don’t get to watch the millionth horny bumbling teen with a heart of gold who’s also a badass in combat and gets all the girls and bleh), but nope, it was a guy, and it was as generic as I expected after enduring the first 4 episodes.

Man, what a weak season overall, without Medalist and Red Ranger isekai I would have completely forgotten about everything in it after s few weeks, I did take the opportunity to rewatch the Ranma 1/2 remake AND Frieren tho.

The Apothecary Diaries is hitting Netflix tomorrow, if the upcoming season is as bland as this one, I may just stick with that one, as I have only heard good things about it, plus, female lead, that’s almost always a sign of a good anime!

[thatpodcastkid]

Magnus Archives Relisten 10, MAG 10

Do we think Jonny Sims has read Twilight?

Spoilers ahead

Facts: Statement of Trevor Herbert regarding his life as a self-proclaimed vampire hunter. Statement given July 10, 2010.

Statement Notes: I just love that Trevor's episode is right after Julia's. It really lets you see the wheels turning in Jonny's head as he planned out the series.

On my first listen, this was one of the statements I truly did not believe was true. The combination of Trevor's traumatic childhood, cancer, and admission that he killed a "non-vampire" made the whole thing seem like a complex fantasy. But on the second listen, I realized that is exactly how the horrors work. They specifically target vulnerable people so that their experiences will be dismissed or explained away by more "rational" people. You don't believe Trevor because you aren't supposed to.

Jon says he can't find the "vampire teeth" in the Archives or in the "Secure Containment Room" (Btw both "Archives" and "Secure Containment Room" are proper nouns in the transcript). Is this an early name for Artifact Storage or a subsection of it? It would make sense for the Institute to have a separate facility for the dangerous artifacts, but this raises questions regarding how "secure" this facility is. Assuming this is where the real artifacts like Leitners and the table are held, Jon can access it fairly easily at the end of season 2, but he's relatively high-ranking at the institute. Would Elias ever allow an outsider into the facility like he allows them into the library? Or would that violate his desire to hoard knowledge?

Character Notes: This statement is a "photocopy of a photocopy," which speaks to Gertrude's organization. Something had to have happened to the original, whether she destroyed it or Elias took it, but she had a backup. Knowing that Trevor Herbert is still active in monster hunting, she made another copy to preserve the information. Presumably, she was hoping Sasha would find it and be able to access Herbert when she became the Archivist, but instead it was found and dismissed by Jon.

This episode also establishes that Martin was there when the statement was taken. Many fans assume Martin was hired to work in the archives, but this statement was given SIX YEARS before Gertrude's death, meaning that he would have had to work in research or another facility before the archives. Also, he's worked at the institute for at least 8 years by the time he reveals he lied on his resume, meaning he was TWENTY-TWO when this statement was given and was told that Trevor Herbert died.

The rumor of Herbert's death raises other questions. Why would that story spread? It seems to be another part of Elias' long game. If Martin--who he specifically selected to eventually be on the archival staff--believed Herbert was dead and told Jon so, then Jon would not seek him out and put himself in danger too early. Additionally, he would not be able to find the skin book and speak with Gerry before the time was right. Elias needed everything to run on his schedule.

Entity Alignment: With Trevor, there is a definite Hunt alignment. His whole life is driven by the desire to seek out and kill vampires. It's become the core tenant of his identity and drives him to forsake all personal relationships and attachments, centering his life around the fear of vampires and the need to kill them. The need to eliminate his own fear is what leads to him becoming an avatar of fear itself.

But I struggle to find a clear connection to what fear the vampires are connected to. They could be Hunt avatars or aligned creatures themselves. They have a desire to find and destroy living things, mindlessly hunting. It would also make sense for a Hunt creature to draw in Herbert and turn him into a Hunt avatar, turning him into what he fears most. This tactic is seen throughout the series with multiple fears, but I am specifically reminded of the Hunt in MAG 112 as the book club turns against itself.

There is an element of the Flesh within the vampires, however. They turn humans into food, removing their identities and degrading them into their physical existence. A large portion of the Flesh is dedicated to removing any idea of a consciousness or soul and reminding us that we are meat, which the vampires seem to do effectively.

I also noticed connections to the Stranger in the vampires. While their ultimate actions don't match with the Stranger's modus operandi, their mannerisms are similar. The primary similarity is the fact that vampires don't speak, as if they "don't have a voicebox," yet they still manage to be understood. The Stranger draws people in with its apparently human attributes, and only when it's too late do victims realize something is off. So long as the vampires are understandable, victims don't realize the not talking is odd until it's too late. Furthermore, the first vampire Herbert meets offers him rotten fruit, and many Stranger-aligned creatures and avatars give strange gits as an attempt to form a human connection while still unsettling people (tooth apple, metal heart, etc.). The fruit made Trevor uncomfortable and afraid, but he didn't leave the old woman because he reasoned she was trying to be kind in a twisted way.

But I also wonder if the vampires are aligned at all. Trevor describes them as being driven only by the vague desire to feed. While this could signal a Hunt or Flesh alignment, they don't have a connection to the rituals of these entities nor their other avatars. In Mag 111, Gerry explains "What's out there doesn't care about blood," before correcting "Yeah, obviously except for the vampires." Again, the need to consume blood could align the vampires with the Hunt or Flesh, but they don't seem to be driven by the desire to cause fear. If the vampires are fueled by an actual, physical need to consume blood for survival, could they accurately be associated with a fear-driven entity? Or are they just another monstrous thing that exists in this universe?

[dzdv]

Lonestar Finale

MY SHAYLA! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!

Okay so I know everyone and their mothers hates Owen, and I get it if he ain't the character for you and how he just has to be central to everything (he is the protagonist of the show, unlike not really having one in the OG show), BUT I do love him and TK so them being together when the meteor landed hit me right in my feels. I feel like they've well and truly lost the true connection they had in season 1, which would be fine with all the plot that has happened but the characters talk about it like they are back to normal even though the scenes they have prove that wrong. Also ofc bro wasn't going to die, are you kidding? It's Owen Strand.

I love Tommy but I feel like making her live for a happy ending is kind of a cop out. I mean, I'm happy she's alive but sometimes you need that bittersweet feeling, you know? Giving her the whole cancer arc and seeing Charles just to go 'nah she's fine' is crazy to me. If they knew they wanted her alive at the end, they should have wrote a better character arc for her season instead of giving us another cancer scare.

I'm not even gonna talk about Mateo's deportation stuff because it genuinely feels like such a minority character cop out to go 'OF COURSE THEY ARE GONNA HAVE A DEPORTATION SCARE'. Sure, I think it's important to have representation of such an important and scary thing that happens to real people, but it should have been for an episode and not just a random arc to give to Mateo. Not every mexican character has to have a deportation scare. (also literally having this during the scariest time for people in america with the ICE raids is just insane to me)

Nancy was my paramedic captain queen. Honestly don't know much of what she did because I feel like the writers don't care about her story and just how she ties into everyone else's story.

I'm so very very very happy that Judd became captain because he deserves it and I love him to bits. Having Grace not here was just a stab to the heart but if the actress didn't wanna come back, then there isn't much we can do but headcanon. Also where the fuck was Wyatt like half the season? I haven't heard anything about him.

I'm gonna be honest, I don't even know anything about Paul and Marjan from this season other than Marjan getting married which seems insane to me after the whole decades old fiance thing. I think Paul had like a rookie or something he was training?

Tarlos my Tarlos. I love Carlos angst. I love TK Strand. I love the finale of them and Jonah being a family unit. I will have a better run down when I can actually watch the show myself instead of reading articles and tiktoks, but I feel like they lacked alot of 'we are married and even though Carlos is losing his shit, we are happy together'. I think everyone immediately knew when the problem with adopting Jonah came that TK was gonna quit his job. There was absolutely no way Carlos becomes a Texas Ranger like his Dad and avenges his father's death only for him to quit to be a father (something that yes, he eventually wants, but doesn't want it as badly as TK does).

THE METEOR. I DO NOT CARE FOR YOUR APOCALYPTIC JUMPSCARE. I DO NOT CARE FOR THE METEOR. There are 10 billion other things they could do but they decided to do 'BYE BYE TEXAS- oh wait nah, you're fine.'

I'm sad this season's script was shit. I'm sad that everything was rushed because of the cancellation. I'm sad Lonestar is ending because I love most of the characters. Will this still be a comfort show for me because I've gained an appreciation for gay firefighters? Of course. Do I want the 126 (totally didn't accidentally write 118 here . . .) to do everything ever and be happy for the end of time? Absolutely. Do I wave Owen Strand off to go suck his own dick in New York with a smile? With the glee of seeing your enemy eat shit.

All and all, I will miss this show. And I hope we get to see the actors thrive in either reprise roles in spin-offs and the OG show or completely new places. The chemistry of the cast is undeniable and I'm so sad to see them part but I look forward to their futures.