#so saying that she was a flawed character for trying to protect her brothers life just ...... aint it idk it makes me :///

[yuikomorii]

might be wrong about this but I think the thing that really differentiates Ayato from his brother is that he actually values life in a ''pure way''. Both Subaru and Shu didn't really have the will to life until they met the MC, Reiji's only will was to overcome his father and become better than his brother due to his jealousy, and even if it doesn't seem like it from the surface both Kanato and Laito were too mindbroken due to their trauma to actually enjoy life in a non-twisted way.

Ayato went through a lot of traumatic experiences just like the rest of his brothers but unlike them, he actually had a pure reason to live, that's why he didn't abandon his brothers and was desperately searching for them when they arrived to Rottienburg (I think that's the name) and prioritized them after he got saved by reiji and was willing to go look for them with no plan ahead and he's never changed. Even after they obviously drifted apart he still wanted to save his siblings (like in Lost Eden) even if they didn't want to save him when he got kidnapped by Kino.

Or when he was the only who saved yui in the anime when she got kidnapped by the mukami (Ik it's only fanservice because the anime shows Ayato as the ml). Or when he was the only one worrying about mc in the Olympics cd when the whole thing crushed down. I know mc has had her effects in everyone (because even reiji got worried in the CD drama when he though someone was drowning, turns out it was just Shu being weird) but at the end of the day, Rejet made it very clear that ayato always was different from his brothers even as kids.

Too long? Maybe, I just like rambling a lot about ayato lol

// This franchise is longer than a decade, it’s time for people to stop pretending that Ayato isn’t different from the rest, because it annihilates his purpose like that. Now I’m not saying that everyone else sucks and Ayato is the only cool character there, it’s just that Rejet wrote him in a way that genuinely gives off main character energy. Heck, even other characters have confirmed that he got *something* nobody else does, which is true.

Credit to: dialovers-translations, tournesolia

One thing about Ayato is that he might roast and prank you, but the moment you need help, he’ll be the first to lend you a hand. He’s by no means perfect, of course, he has flaws and makes mistakes too, but his good qualities are just so many that they’re easily able to outshine his bad ones.

Another example is the DF prologue scene. The most normal reaction would have been fighting with the wolf, as Subaru did, but instead of trying to get rid of it, Ayato used himself as shield the moment he saw it, so as to protect Yui. What makes this scene so powerful is that not only they weren’t a couple back then, but in the other Sakamaki routes, he’s still severely injured. He values life, yet he still sacrificed himself for her, no matter if she dates someone else afterwards, and guess what? Even after waking up from the coma in the other routes, he holds no grudge against her for that, but rather is on good terms with Yui. I would also like to talk about how self-sacrificing he is in the Daylight CD, but I feel like everyone listened to that one already, given that it was the most liked of the Daylight series.

While I understand that some people out there prefer more rational and/or introverted characters, I can’t stand those who deny the essence of a character. And, for all people who blame Rejet for “making him more special than the rest”, let me remind you that he’s the Diaboy who got the worst journey ending. Let that sink in. :”)

[ninapi]

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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ First Born❜ (Halloween Special)┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

Premise: Being an older brother once more was beyond exhilarating for Choso, he never expected though to find love by his little brother's side, his pretty and kind childhood friend bringing a softness into his life he didn't know it was possible one Halloween night.

Word Count: 3243

Note: this is a Semi AU, meaning the characters are who they are in the series, yet the timeline doesn’t match the original story.

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Choso has been a big brother since he can remember, that’s his number one trait and the one he is more proud of in general.

Therefore, loosing his two younger brothers continues to sting to this day.

Gaining a ‘new brother’ or finding a ‘lost brother’ which ever you wanna call it, gave him a new sense of purpose, a new reason to live and continue growing as a person.

His number one flaw though, was how unemotional he was. 

To Yuuji, Choso was embarrassing. 

He never gets the jokes, more like he can’t even laugh on his own like if his face muscles were forever stiff, a spoon could get social cues better than him; he says the most embarrassing things at the worst timing too and this brings us to this moment.

Yuuji had been flirting with the girl that worked a part time at the donut shop close by for about a month. He would always stop by and buy even if it was just one donut to munch on his way to school just so he could see her smile for a couple of minutes; he even went as far as to ask for her number last time he was there; though today, Choso tagged along and was currently glaring at said beauty for getting ‘too close’ to his brother. “What is it that you want woman? I won’t let you get your smitten paws over my little brother, you hear me? You won’t ever understand how precious he is, must be protected at all cost.”

“Oh my god…just what do you think you’re doing?? Ruining my life?? Didn’t I tell you to stay outside with Fushiguro??” 

“Itadori-kun, I think your brother is right, I don’t think I can handle such a precious boy….” the girl couldn’t hold her laugh any longer, same thing as her co-workers who witnessed the scene.

“That’s it. I’m never taking you out again. Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get her to even look at me??” Yuuji was so disheartened, he opted to sit down on the sidewalk, contemplating the meaning of life while hating on his new older brother.

“I…I was just trying to-“ 

“I know, I know…just trying to be a good older brother…But have you stopped for a second and think that maybe not everyone wants to hurt me? I’m strong enough to defend myself, a pretty little thing like her wouldn’t even dream of hurting anything but my heart…” he sniffs dramatically, burying his face on his hands.

“You can die immediately if someone hurts your heart, idiot…”

This was the last drop of patience within him, “NOT literally, OK? I don’t mean my internal organ, I mean the feelings side of the heart!!”

“That’s not in your heart but your brain. You can also die if someone hurts you there-“

“Just stop talking!!!” Megumi and Nobara were both laughing their asses off at their banter, truth is Nobara saw the girl flirt with at least four different guys in just a week, she had been trying to warn her friend about her, so it was actually a good thing having dense Choso around to break the spell she had on him; that didn’t make it any less funny though.

“Itadori don’t be so hard on him, he’s pouting again.”

“I am not doing such thing-“

“Yes you are, man…” Megumi let out a deep sigh, walking on the opposite direction wanting nothing to do with the loud display of idiocy in front of him.

“Hey Fushiguro! Where are you going? We still need to discuss our plans for the party!” Yuuji yelled after him a little too loud, causing Megumi to flinch and return just to shut him up. “There’s nothing to discuss…Just be there around 9PM, you have to wear a costume or they won’t let you in, those are the rules.”

“Did you choose one already? I never pegged you for someone who’d like halloween parties~” giggling, Nobara elbowed Yuuji on the ribs wanting him to team up with her to tease their friend.

“I bet he’ll wear something ridiculous, like one of those giant carrot costumes.” bursting out laughing, both held each other from collapsing on the ground imagining carrotgumi.

“For your information, I will go as a vampire…I found dubious objects in a closet in Gojo-sensei’s, I mean back in the house…so I brought them with me for this party. Not like I want to go or anything but Maki-san threaten to shave my head in my sleep if I didn’t go…”

“Bald carrotgumi….” after one more outburst of intense laughter, the team bullying ended for the best. “I need a costume, would you go buy one with me, Kugisaki?”

All this time Choso has been quietly observing the entire thing. He knows his brother literally just said he wouldn’t take him out with him ever again, but he really wanted to prove him he could do better, that he wasn’t an embarrassment and that he was the best older brother there was to have, this was his chance. “Guys…do you think…do you think I can come with you…?” 

“No, never, non, forget about it.”

“B-but…”

“Listen, you just ruined my life! How do you even think I would take you with me again?”

“Poor guy, just let him come, Itadori…he always brings the funniest of conversations out. I like him.” Choso perked up a little at the support he was getting, even if he knew all she wanted was to mock his brother, at least someone wanted him there.

“Oh c’mon….What if he ruins it again?” 

“Just leave (Y/N) in baby sitting duty. She likes lost causes…” shrugging she started making her way to the costume shop, both of them tagging along.

“(Y/N)? I mean yes she does take recycling to an intense level and saves stray cats, but this is…this is something else, Kugisaki…” Choso’s lip was quivering once more, not wanting to face rejection for a third time on the same day by the person he wishes to please the most.

“Ok then how about we do this…” leaning close to Yuuji’s ear she whispers her plan with the most mischievous grin anyone has ever seen in their lives. To this Yuuji laughs for what feels like hours, having to stop in his tracks to wipe his tears away and calm down. “Ok, ok let’s ask him…” going over to his older brother, Yuuji bats his eyelashes prettily up at him, “Nii-chan…you can go…if you go dressed as the carrot Fushiguro isn’t wearing…”

Choso just nodded eagerly, not fully understanding what he was getting himself into. 

“Also, I won’t let you follow me around, I wanna get a girl in my bed by tonight, and you can’t stop me. I’ll ask my best friend to look after you. Understood?” this definitely wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted bonding time with his brother, have a nice time, maybe drink one of those beers he introduced him to the other day, not having to stay behind away from the fun dressed as a commonly disliked vegetable…but it was the chance he was looking for to prove he could behave.

“Is that a yes? Or-?”

“Yes, I will go.” Nobara was on her phone browsing for carrot costumes, not long after running on her way to the shop.

This would be a long night..

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The night was young, every known sorcerer and their friends and family were invited to this party.

Yuuji chose to dress as werewolf, while Nobara went dressed as a sexy nurse.

Choso though…let’s just say the carrot outfit didn’t suit him that well…

Wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible, Yuuji stopped you right at the entrance with a big grin plastered on his face. “(Y/N) my darling! My bestie! The light that shines above us…!”

“What do you want now-“ he was being too obvious, he only acts this way when he wants either money or nasty favors.

“Have you met my brother yet?”

“Your what-? I’ve lived next door my entire life and I’ve never seen a brother of yours-“ covering your mouth almost instantly, he glared at you, trying to get you to play along.

“O-oh…yes your brother! You told me about him the other day. No, I haven’t had the pleasure to meet him yet!” smiling on his direction, you walked over to him, taking both of his hands in yours.

“Hi! I’m (Y/N), it’s nice to finally meet you! By the way, what an adorable outfit you brought today! I wish I knew about them before, then we could have been two carrots instead of just one!” giggling at how good you were handling his worst nightmare, Yuuji sneaks away without you noticing; thing is, not only did you not notice, but neither did Choso, and that had never happen before.

“They also had tomatoes and an eggplant, but that one was too little, it would probably fit you though.” He nodded in thought, unable to figure out why the thought of you dressed like a tiny eggplant sounded so appealing. Was this why his brother wanted him to be a carrot? Did he actually look cute?

“I would have loved to be an eggplant! We could take a bunch of pictures, probably even win the costume contest!” your soft laughter brought a smile to his face, he’s never been treated this nicely before.

“What are you supposed to be though?” he eyed you from head to toe, making you blush. “I’m Godzilla~” you posed, letting out a cute little roar, his heart skipped a beat, cuteness has never been his thing but he could see the appeal of it now.

“I apologize, I do not know what that is, but it’s certainly cuter than an eggplant. They don’t make sounds...” his comment made you giggle giddily, why did Yuuji dislike him this much? He’s such a sweetheart…

“Hmm Godzilla is…a monster…he destroys cities and kicks buildings.” you tried your best to imitate it properly, earning a smile from him once more, making you feel accomplished.

“So like a curse? I’m half curse-” he looked at you with his eyes wide opened in realization.

“Nah, more like a cute big animal lost in a city full of ants.” he nods at this, before pointing to a table by the door. “They had animal shaped cookies in a bowl over there.” he didn’t know why but he felt the need to make you smile some more, to make you feel comfortable in his presence unlike the rest of his brother’s friends and seemed like you liked animals enough to dress like one.

“Do they? I bet they’re adorable. Would you like to eat some with me?” the way your eyes twinkled at this little piece of information made his stomach feel hollow, but it wasn’t a bad feeling, he kind of wanted to feel more of this, so he went over the table and poked all the cookies from the bowl until he was sure he’s gotten at least one of every single animal available in it. 

Megumi, who was sitting at the top of the stairs hiding from a drunk panda who was trying to get him to kiss his cousin, saw the entire scene unfold, and decided to intervene before Itadori ruined his moment if he caught him. “Choso…stop touching all the food just grab a handful she’ll like it anyways, trust me.” to his advice he nodded gratefully, making sure to grab some drinks as well.

“Here, I couldn’t find the elephant, I was sure I saw one when I went by that table earlier, apologies for not getting you the complete set. I got you some melon soda though, I hope you like it.” the back of his neck felt hot, he continued wondering why he wanted to please you this bad, is not like you were his little sister, not like he wanted you to be his sister- he wouldn’t be able to last a day before dying of cuteness overload.

“Don’t worry! I’m sure Mr.elephant found a nice home in someone else’s belly.” chuckling you grabbed a little bear cookie and pressed it to his lips, “Try it! It’s yumyum~” you danced happily at the taste, wanting to share the joy a good high quality cookie can bring to someone’s life.

To this he just gave out a short nod, getting the entire cookie into his mouth. This was all so new to him, was this why his brother kept insisting in taking a girl to his bed?

What would they even do there?

He would like to take you to his and eat elephant shaped cookies, maybe even talk a little, or watch a movie, he’s been really into them since his brother introduced him to horror films.

“Hey (Y/N) would you like to go to my room? It’s a bit far but we could walk there-“ before he could continue his sentence, a shoe came flying straight to his face, Megumi coming to pull him to the side, “I’m borrowing him for just a second (L/N), be right back.” 

He took Choso outside, away from prying eyes, a deep scowl on his face, “What on earth are you doing? You spend too much time with Itadori, he’s rubbing on you…”

“I thought you’re supposed to take nice girls to your bed…”

“I..ugh..WhAT? Who told you that? Never mind don’t answer…” letting out a long sigh he plops down on a bench prompting Choso to the same. “Look, man…it is true I guess, though the order is wrong. Remember how your brother talked to the same girl for months just to get her to like him?” nodding his head he was taking mental notes, Megumi rarely took his time to teach him anything, this must not go to waste.

“When you think a girl is nice or cute, pretty even. When she’s nice to you as well and you feel like you want more of her…” his nodding intensified, it was as if he was reading his mind, describing just how he was feeling that same moment.

“You have to treat her right, make nice things for her, be patient, don’t do anything impulsive. Girls are more delicate, you can’t be rough with them. Got it?”

“I knew it. I should have looked for that elephant cookie some more…” 

A rare smile appeared on Megumi’s face, Choso has been nothing but a pain to them when it doesn’t come to fighting, but he’s never seen this soft side of him, or maybe he had, just that Itadori always shuts him down unlike you.

“Yeah well, maybe next time you can buy her a bag, I’m sure the elephant will be there.” his eyes opened widely, he hadn’t thought about that, fantastic idea.

“You’re a great guy, Fushiguro, I appreciate your advise. I can be your older brother too, if you ever need one...” with a small smile on his face, Megumi walked away back to his room, he'd have enough of this party already.

“Go back to her, before someone steals her away~” running back inside, his heart came back to his body when he saw you patiently waiting for him inside, fidgeting with your fingers.

“I have returned. Fushiguro just told me we can find the elephant cookie if I get you a new pack of cookies. Would you like to go buy one with me?”

“Right now?” that smile of yours will end up causing him heart failure, he was sure of that now.

“Or later, when you have time, if you want that is…we can also go back for the eggplant dress, if you’re tired of being Godzilla.” It was pretty obvious to you by now that he was trying to get you out of this party, you weren’t what others would call a 'party animal’, you only went because your best friend called you over; the same best friend who’s been flirting with every single girl in the room and has not addressed you for the longest time.

“I think they sell them in the supermarket down the street, lets go~!” pulling him by his hand, you both walked in silence as none of you knew what to say.

“So, how is Yuuji as a younger brother? If he’s mean to you tell me, I will kick his ass…” you knew your bestie, he could be really sweet as much as he can be a real ass when he wants to be.

“He’s great. I wish we could get along better though…but it’s hard to know what he wants. I wished everyone would be happy with animal cookies…”

“I think it’s easy getting along with you though. You’re sweet and gentle, funny too.” Choso has never been complimented before, not like this at least…was this what his brother called ‘flirting’?

“I…well I think you are all those things too…nobody has ever treated me this nice before…” his comment managed to sadden you more than anything, stopping you on your tracks to place a hand on his cheek gently.

“Then how about we see each other some more? I need you to see how special you are.” your smile was so bright, so comforting…his chest ached but in a pleasant way, he kind of wanted to rip his own heart out just to see the chemical reaction occurring within his body in this very second, his blood even felt more powerful, he could kill Gojo Satoru right now, he was sure of it. But all he wanted was to count cookies with you while looking at the night sky.

“Can we? See each other again? I mean after the cookies...?”

“Of course! Lets do all sorts of things together! Have you ever been to a theme park? Maybe I can get the eggplant costume and we could both go dressed as vegetables, that’d be fun!” your arm wrapped around his as you walked towards the supermarket.

“I’ve never been to one, no.”

“Then we totally have to go! We could play some video games too! Oh and we definitely need to go to that new crepe place down town, I heard you need a reservation and all!”

“Why do you want to go with me to all those places?” he was honestly confused, he’s been facing so much rejection that this fuzzy feeling in his chest was starting to cause some concern.

“That’s what friends do, right? Besides, I think you’re really cute…maybe…we could…you know…one of those days we go out…only if you’d like of course…we could maybe say it’s a date?” you smiled nervously up at him, he’s never seen such beauty in his entire life, not even the drawing his little brother made for him when they were little was this pretty. “I would like that very much…”

Being the first born of four brothers had its benefits as much as it has its flaws, but tonight he was sure of one thing, he was glad of getting in his little brothers nerves enough to get him to dump him with the cutest girl his eyes had ever lay on.

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Masterlist

[sozzledjuja]

me ranting about what i need to see in season 3

(yeah, it's pretty long)

The important/plot twists/character development

Iris and Praxina being the focal points of the season

Remember, Praxina was created to be an anti-Iris, so there’s no better season than this one to explore that. 

Main conflict: Praxina is convinced Iris is responsible for Mephisto’s death (Iris didn’t kill Mephisto, it was a culmination of events that led to it, but Praxina needs a scapegoat, someone to dump her anger and grief on, because she can’t cope with loss in a healthy, non-destructive way). So, she is set on making Iris lose the people she cares about (Nathaniel, and also probably her friends), to make her feel the way she does.

The vision I have for these two in season 3 is that their actions will be correlated, each making the other do unspeakable things over accumulated resentment and hurt and grief, in a vicious cycle. Then somewhat meet in the middle at the end. Maybe…

Iris becoming more and more paranoid

Iris getting nervous everytime she sees a butterfly, for example. Very worried that she’s going to lose Nathaniel, her friends, her parents, or Ellira, at any moment. Makes her sometimes not be very rational. 

Maybe it will affect her relationship with Nathaniel too. Maybe she’ll think that in order to keep him safe from Praxina, she has to distance herself from him.

BECAUSE I WANT THIS GIRL TO GET SOME ARC TOO. Allow her to be angry, do questionable things, be flawed, be scared.

Guilt over Mephisto’s death

This one is for both Iris and Praxina. 

Because while Iris doesn’t have much to do with Mephisto’s death, I don’t doubt that part of her will start doubting it, wondering if everything that’s happening is, in fact, her fault. 

And Praxina, who didn’t appreciate her brother while he was right there next to her, finally realizing how much she actually needed him. You know what they say, you only truly appreciate someone after you lose them. AND THE GUILT-

More interactions between Iris and her parents

I just really really want this. And to learn more about the King and Queen of Ephedia. Because it has so much potential for added inner conflict inside Iris’ head. 

Because if you really think about it, the King and Queen of Ephedia are just strangers to her, who just so happened to be her birth parents. But weren’t the ones who raised her, who were there for her her whole life. Ellira was.

Not that it’s their fault. Not at all. They made a sacrifice to keep her safe. I know they would’ve done anything to see their little girl grow up. And Iris knows this, and I think, for a while, she’s going to feel a bit guilty for seeing Ellira as more of a parental figure than them. 

Also, I feel like Iris’ parents would never resent Ellira for this, but I do think they will be a little hurt. 

Iris attempting and failing to balance her Earth life with her Ephidean one

Because she will definitely be going back and forth between the two worlds, trying to keep everything balanced. Her social life with her friends on Earth, her relationship with Nathaniel, the band, her princess duties, the rebuilding of Ephedia, royal ceremonies, etc…

And if she had trouble before, I can’t imagine now.

Iris not being sure if she wants to become the future queen of Ephidea

Let’s face it. It was all really pretty and fun while they had the goal to defeat Gramorr and free Ephidea. No need to think about what would happen next, because even that was a big “if”. 

Now, Iris is finally gonna have to come to terms with the fact that she is THE future heir to the throne, But is she even fit to lead a whole kingdom? Does she even want to? Won’t that mean she’ll have to leave her Earth life behind? Nathaniel?

The King and Queen not approving of Iris’ relationship with Nathaniel

Not because they dislike him, or simply because he is human (they don’t seem like that kind of people), but because they want to protect their daughter from getting hurt. Not from him. But from having to inevitably let him go eventually. Again, she is the future queen. She has responsibilities on Ephidea, not on Earth.

Also, there’s this whole question line of “do ephideans live longer than earthlings?”. Because I feel like that's also relevant to this point.

Praxina slowly descending into madness (bonus points if physical corruption)

Her madness trip should be a linear thing, getting worse and worse each episode. 

More towards the end PLEASE fuck up her face a bit. Not necessarily permanently but like- I wanna see this girl with one side of her face corrupted with dark magic (we saw Gramorr underneath the mask), eyes red, going full eldritch abomination mode.

Her crying while laughing hysterically and maniacally AT LEAST ONCE please please.

Also, not to be that person, but she’s gonna be so hot that season, istg I’m not prepared.

What the fuck is up with those butterflies?????

Imma be real rn. I’m begging for the creators NOT to pull a Hawkmoth on Praxina. Let the butterflies be spies only, there’s no need for much else. If they make the butterflies mind control people, I'm gonna lose it. This isn’t miraculous 2.0.

Iris’ Shanilla form going batshit on Praxina/Big Final Battle

Because if Praxina does manage to kill someone or several people Iris loves, even if only temporarily (yall know this show is for kids, no one's dying permanently - though it would be cool to see a darker narrative), Iris is gonna lose it, and I expect a full dark shanilla mode. Going absolutely off the rails on Praxina, and then having an “oh shit, what am I doing?” moment.

Banes being shady and the true mastermind aka Final Boss

I want to see the build up to this, how he stays in Praxina’s shadow and “helps” her, making her feel like she’s in control, when she’s not.

And I fully believe Banes had his eye on her even before Gramorr was defeated. Not long before, but when there was only one gem left to complete the crown of Ephedia, and he started to suspect Gramorr’s chances at winning were slim, he definitely started to plot his next “puppet”.

Zenavion/Banes?????

Zenavion was mentioned once, but whyyyy??? My guess is that Banes is Zenavion. Or belonged to Zenavion/was his creation. But I’m leaning more towards the first one. Maybe he got himself turned into an entity of dark magic after years of meddling with power he shouldn’t have, leaving him stuck in that feline form with only a fraction of the power he once had? Sounds super interesting and would make for a great Final Boss.

What is his goal? Maybe to return to his full power and autonomy? Maybe he needed the power of the crown of Ephedia for that. 

That would explain why he picked Gramorr, who was in the same circles as the royal family, at the time.

Also Praxina blaming Iris, the princess of Ephedia, and future heir to the throne, for her brother’s death, and blaming her for it? Also very convenient that she was a young girl who had just lost her only support, and was completely alone and vulnerable. Easy to manipulate.

Gramorr’s backstory

I need it. For someone who was the main villain for two whole seasons, he sure got no depth at all. Which was kinda disappointing. Hope this season clears everything up. 

Perhaps Banes manipulated him and he never realized it? What were his initial motivations? His past? Also what was the deal with him and the royal family? With Morgane? I bet all those people have a lot to say and explain about him.

The mask

I’m sure Zenavion created it, centuries ago. I want to know how it works, how much it controls the user, how fast it corrupts them, why it was created in the first place, and how it ended up in Gramorr’s hands in the first place.

Also wouldn’t it be so cool if the current user of the mask had access to the memories of the previous users??? That way we could get Gramorr’s backstory through Praxina, like YES.

The yellow gem thingie????

The gem in Gramorr’s hand that was pierced by Iris in the finale, is now on Praxina’s chest. Do with that information what you will.

Big Betrayal moment between Banes and Praxina

Gramorr/Praxina parallels

Cause it’s inevitably gonna happen. Maybe he promises her a way to bring Mephisto back. But it’s all a ploy to get her to do horrible things for him, to allow him to return to his true form, and has nothing to do with Mephisto.

Girl is gonna be played big time. 

Because now they’re kinda connected, with Praxina being manipulated by Banes the same way Gramorr probably was, in the past. And both ultimately got betrayed by him.

Praxina getting a long deserved reality-check

Because as much as I love her, she needs someone to spew some hard truths on her. It IS her fault. She IS a bad person, and a bad sister. And in order to get redeemed, she needs to confront that.

Izira’s medallion????

Anyone remember how the one object with immense power and the ability to TURN BACK TIME literally fell down a cliff during the final battle with Gramorr? Because I sure do. 

And this could be a super irrelevant thing, but I do think it’s interesting that it fell in roughly the same place where Mephisto would have (hypothetically wink wink). 

Don’t know what they’d do with this necessarily, but it has the potential to be a very important plot point.

Mephisto being alive (duhhhh)

As long as it’s not shown from the beginning. I feel like Praxina’s whole arc would be much more satisfactory if he was only revealed to be alive, halfway through the season or later, in the very end. Note that when I say “revealed to be alive”, I mean, to us, the people watching the show, not to Praxina. She should only know this at the end of the season. For the plot.

Mephisto donning the scars and maybe some type of disfiguration on the side of his body that took the blast. It would make sense for him to be able to teleport, but the half of his body that was leaning more towards the energy source took most of the blow).

Mephisto having his own mini character arc, away from the main conflict

He probably needs to heal from the blast, and that would be hard for him, both physically and mentally. If part of his face/body gets “burned” by the blast, my boy is definitely not gonna take it like a champ at first.

Also, I’ve said this before, but I don’t think he’d go look for Praxina immediately after he’s doing better. Not because he doesn’t care about her, or doesn’t miss her, but because he thinks she doesn’t need him and is better off without him.

Iris (finally) telling Nathaniel the truth

I’d like to see him struggle with something like this, maybe meet some new characters and form connections with other people. It’s a great opportunity for him to mature and learn who he really is, outside of Gramorr’s or his sister’s shadow. An opportunity to atone for his mistakes, and make up for it. He was, and a lot of people forget, a war criminal.

Sibling reunion

I want tears and a proper hug, and Praxina completely falling apart. Bonus points if she doesnt want to believe it's actually him at first, because that would be too good to be true. They're both fucked up, both physically and mentally, but they're together at last.

And him NOT forgetting it right afterwards.

Everything that is important but isn’t necessary for the plot

THE TWINS’ BACKSTORY

We all know this is the one thing that actually matters. And I will lose my shit when it does. 

Gimme them happy flashbacks followed by the deadly pain.

And this needs to be a WHOLE episode worth of flashbacks. Like a whole flashback episode. They deserve that much.

Also who the hell is Pappy?

Mephisto’s staff!!!

Unimportant but uhh, if it’s so powerful, a lot could be done with it. And it’s probably still in the cave hideout. Praxina could get her hands on it.

Also how did he get it in the first place?

Explanation of the magic system

Worldbuilding/Ephidea lore

I want this so badly. I wanna meet more kingdoms, see how they look, what other colors represent them, the cultures, the people, etc…

I’m a sucker for this, and no one can deny that they got confused as fuck when the supposed “voice-based” powers, only actually matter in the first episode and then got dropped completely. Yeah, I know, the writers probably forgot. But please just make up a convenient connection to fill in that plot hole. This show needs to fix these damn plot holes.

Ephidea still very much being in shambles, and in need of rebuilding

Cause it can’t be that easy to put a whole planet back on track after a 15+ year old war, neither physically nor politically.

I wanna see meetings between all kingdom leaders, discussions on how to proceed, the release of war prisoners, etc… 

Oh, and the imprisonment and persecution of any of Gramorr’s former associates.

Backstory on how Talia and Auriana first met

I need it. And also an explanation on why they were the ones chosen to go to Earth, and find and train Iris, and WHO chose them for that mission exactly. 

Also, how did they even know Iris was on Earth? Fix these plot holes fr.

More of Auriana’s family

HELL YEAH 32 SISTERS. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, CHARACTER DESIGNERS. 

No, because I really need to meet them, and see what their dynamic is like. Also more of Jodan please. And their parents.

Also, the 34 children cannot be all fully blood related, can they? CAN THEY?

What happened to Talia’s parents? 

We haven’t seen them ever, so I’m assuming they’re dead.

More Izira

I just need more of her in general.

Also, she’s the heir to the throne of Xeris, and if her parents are dead, she is gonna have to fill it.

I fully expect an Izira coronation episode. Just imagine, new outfits for everyone.

The less important/cameos/things i wanna see just for funsies

New daily outfits

And I mean this in a “completely drop the old ones” kinda way. Not because I don’t like them, but because I feel that, with all that’s changing in the show, now that the same formulaic plot has finally broken, the outfits should also change. To indicate a new era of sorts.

New songs/new concert outfits, etc…

Me like it.

Talia’s ghost powers

They just dropped this plot point like; whatt????

I just want a little more light in this. Some Talia backstory as well, because we know she was bullied for it when she was a kid.

Also, I wanna meet the only other princess with this ability.

Have Talia and Praxina met before the start of the show???

It’s been pointed out several times that Praxina seems to know an awful lot about Xeris, and even possesses some Xerian artifacts and scrolls. Why and how did she get her hands on it? And it would make sense if Mephisto also seemed to know these things, but he doesn’t.

Also, they seem to have some underlying tension. Which could be simply because- well, they’re on opposite sides and hate each other?? Would be perfectly plausible. Or maybe they’ve met each other before. How and when? I wouldn’t know.

A musical episode???

Because wdym you have all these talented voice actors that sang in My Little Pony, and fucking BARBIE (don’t forget Praxina IS Barbie. They have the same voice actress), and never once have we heard ANY of them sing with their actual voices. 

Also it would be so fun for a change. Please, just one, I’m begging you.

A little more of Carissa and Lyna

Hear me? A little. Not a lot. 

I know a lot of people love them, and so do I, but I really don’t want them to join the gang permanently. Definitely not join the band. This ain’t winx club.

Jk, but actually I’m not.

Still, I do want to learn a bit more about them, some backstory insights, their families, how they met each other, etc…

What happened to Lev?

Is he actually dead? Or did he manage to escape and joined the resistance? I just need some confirmation.

Because if he is alive, he’s gonna be helping rebuild Ephidea for sure. It's gonna be interesting to see the dynamic he’s gonna have with Iris, in this scenario.

But just like with Lyna and Carissa, to me, personally, he is not a priority.

I would love for these characters to be explored more if there was a fourth season, but I just feel like, in season 3, there are just so many more important things to touch upon, and so many new things happening, that too many unnecessary details would make it lose impact.

A “Raffle Daffle” twins’ cameo

Just a small one. For funsies. They kinda just disappeared after that one episode (and thank god for that, because I hated them)

Kyle (blergh)

Please make him disappear. Or at least end things between them. Or end whatever there is between them. I’m not even asking for a big dramatic moment, just a “oh, this isn’t gonna work out” blah blah blah.

Or, you know, just him not showing up at all and everyone forgetting about him.

[gigigle]

I really hate how ursa is done in the comics idk

Like I'm done with the arranged marriage and her and ikem but I hate the other stuff.

1. Her and azula

I kinda wish they made her and azulas relationship more complex and nuanced instead of it being that ursa loved her all along and never favored zuko

Because I just think that's a little lazy. I feel like if ursa had favored zuko it would've made sense like if we keep the ikem part of all of it then I think it would be interesting that ursa favored zuko because he reminded her of her past and ikem. Also that with zuko she could at least pretend he wasn't ozais.

But with azula she couldn't pretend at all. And then coupled that with the fact that azula had a spark in her eyes that zuko didn't and she saw how ozai reacted to that and how he treated zuko that she would feel like she would need to protect him even more. I think it would be an interesting thing if zuko reminded her of her old life while azula reminded her of her present life.

And that would cause a rift between them. And then we would have azula acting out for her mothers attention and acting more and more similar to ozai which would just further increase the rift. Because ursa would struggle to separate her daughter from her abuser like she can with zuko. Especially since azula would also spend most of her time learning from ozai and listening to him.

Im also not saying she would a horrible mother either. Because I think even with this scenario that she is still nuanced because she got forced into a situation she would have never chosen and is just trying to get through it day by day. I think it would be that like ursa, azula was just a casualty of azulon and especially of ozai. Because had ozai not been there I think she would have been a much better mother.

Like idk I just feel like with how the comics wrote ursa and ozais relationship this would make even more sense than her being just a slightly flawed mother but she was trying her best. Idk I'm not very articulate.

2. The forgetting thing

It sucks. I hate it so much actually. It's just so bad, like I feel like the writer couldn't think of anyway to make it make sense that ursa would never go back to her kids but tbh I can think of some ways.

Like ursa is definitely terrified of ozai and he knows where she went and she would still go back to her hometown.

So maybe ozai knows this and every now and then he sends soldiers around there to just do a bit of patrol maybe even have them raid her parents house as a way of telling ursa that if she does something her parents and ikem are gonna be the price. Which I think would work.

Also I think with azula and zuko that she just kept telling herself that zuko had Iroh and that azula was ozais favorite. She probably just repeated those constantly like how zuko does with azula always lies. And soon after like a year she believed it.

Also I think she wouldn't get any information on them because ozai would make it harder and like we see in canon not that many know of or recognize azula and zuko. Like in the beach episode kids who seem to have noble parents don't even know about them so I think it would make a lot of sense that the royal family is way way way more private esp during ozais reign. Because yk ozai killed his father,stole his brothers birthright, and In ozais opinion had a failure of a first born. And maybe ursa was also too terrified of what shed find out or just to leave hir'a/her hometown.

Also part of me thinks it was lazy writing so that they wouldn't have to have ursa have difficult conversations about why she never went looking for them or just a conversation with azula because we never actually get a real ursa and azula convo.

3. Kiyi

I hate her. Like she just feels like such a a replacement and lazy writing. Like they wanted zuko to have a healthy brother sister dynamic with someone and they didn't know how,didn't think of, or just didn't want to write that with pre established characters, they decided to make a character that was everything azula wasn't and was the perfect little sister and daughter.

Like I think she could be fun but I also think she was just so that zuko could have that dynamic without having to put in the work of writing azula a semi redemption arc or smth.

But also I think maybe they could've given zuko that brother sister dynamic with katara or toph. Like we see zuko jealous of sokka and katara and maybe we get stuff we're zuko and katara will act like sibling or like the relationship he always wanted with azula but then gets reminded that he can't have that.

Also It feels like a way to also give ursa the perfect daughter but I do think rewritten she could work. I think she's a fun concept.

End

Tbh I just wanted to rant because I feel like so much was done that was just kinda boring and lazy.

[welivetodream]

Camilla Macaulay: the twist villain that never was.

(ps: this is just a headcanon and personal opinion, nothing serious!)

Out of all the characters in TSH, Camilla to me seemed the most enigmatic, more than even Henry Winter. There's something about her that I cannot understand. I couldn't trust her when I was reading TSH for the first time, I thought she was going to be the mastermind behind it all.

Why? Isn't Camilla the nicest of all of them? So was Charles, and look at what happened to him. The twins gave me the ick a lot of the times, especially during re-reads where I could see the early hints of the incest reveal and the abuse. It could have been completely believable, if Camilla, behind the scenes was the one causing the drama all along.

1. Richard's rose coloured lens: since the story is told from his point of view, it's understandable if he decided to leave some details, changed the story or was oblivious to some things he didn't want to remember or think about. He had the most bias for Camilla, she was his crush. And we often look at our crushes with rose tinted glasses and often hide their flaws and mistakes. Richard shows bias towards the Greek class even before he was in it and his infatuation with Camilla could be the reason why we don't get any bad details about her throughout the story.

2. Motives: while Bunny did get murdered for blackmailing and trying to betray the Greek class. Only Camilla had other motives to cause distress among the others. Particularly, Charles. We know he was extremely possessive with her and has caused her emotional and physical abuse (there's background info we get at times about the twins having broken objects in the house and other times where Charles is possessive of Camilla). I don't think she truly loves Henry, it's more that being with him gives her the protection and safety she needs. She has shown some kind of liking to Francis, they seem good friends and have kissed two times (I call it gay solidarity). She plays with Richard's heart a lot, kissing him when no one is looking and making him think he has a chance when he clearly doesn't. Camilla is overshadowed by the guys in her friend group; getting the "only girl treatment". Bunny is always trying to get under her nerves and is misogynistic towards her. Charles is controlling and abusive (her own brother). Henry is cold and sociopathic, as well as someone you can't trust ("I call it redistribution of matter"). Richard is a simp. Francis is there.

3. What could have happened: Camilla, tired of the way her life is tied to Charles, Henry and Richard and their feelings towards her forcing her into a corner with no choice of her own. As well as, mentally scared from the murder of the farmer, decides to end all of the misfortunes in her life. Instead of Henry making the plans, it's Camilla in this version of the story that decides to kill Bunny both to get rid of him from her life as well as to hide the first murder. But she does this from the shadows. And the person that discovers her plan is Francis, since they have a relatively good relationship, it's possible he wouldn't spill her plans and stay quiet. She gaslights Henry into believing he ended up killing Bunny (let's say he went through with the poisonous mushrooms but instead Camilla gave Bunny actual posion)

When Charles goes into his villain arc, Camilla uses Henry as a shield to keep him away. And in the final scene, instead of Henry shooting himself, Charles ends up shooting him and Camilla shoots Charles as an act of revenge. She then threatens Richard that if he says a word about this (both Bunny and Charles's murder) then he would die too, she does that to seal her secret; she knows Richard has a big mouth and might betray her and spares Francis, since he already knew and is trustable. Camilla cleans her fingerprints from the gun and puts it in Charles's hand in order to frame it as a murder-suicide. Camilla attends their funerals and gives an alibi in front of the police that her, Richard and Francis were in the country house during the murder-suicide and then testified that Charles and Henry were the ones who were involved in the two murders and were holding them hostage with that information, clearing the three of them from the murders. Then she finally leaves for a better life. (Maybe the epilogue would be about Francis telling Richard about Camilla's behind-the-scenes story, showcasing the aftermath and what they are doing in the present)

4. Character arc: making Camilla crucial to the plot and a twist villain would give so much to her character. Her mysterious nature, absence from the main plot and lack of impact at the start of the story could be explained by her secretly planning their downfalls and her escape. Instead of her being the object of affection for the three guys and being the typical "girl that ruins the friendships between guy friends", she is the hidden mastermind with her own motives, personality and story. She was the only one who didn't change in the second part. But in this version of the story, she is the one who drives it's entire narrative.

Let her be manipulative, a liar, a gaslighter. Let her show the wrath of female rage.

When the twins were introduced in white clothing, looking like angels. Maybe they were wolves in sheep's clothing. Both of the twins. Not just Charles but Camilla too. They were creepy, eerie, and strange. They hid their true personalities behind southern hospitality and beautiful features.

"Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it"

After all, the best characters are the grey ones.

[thollandneedy]

Bunny- Nathan Drake

A/N: Missing Nathan Drake btw cause he's SO HOT (Loving the Halloween themed stuff btw)

Summary: You take Nate to night out, but he gets jealous with the guys hitting on you

Warnings: Language and teasing

Don’t forget to share, like, comment and leave your ideas here

Bellah’s Masterlist 🪻

“Do we really need to go?” The brunette with the hair fixed with styling gel says

“Yes! You've spent the whole week worrying about Sully and he hasn't given you any feedback about your next trip. You need to calm down a bit.” Y/n, her best friend mentions, as she stares at some of the people in front of her in the queue at one of New York's biggest nightclubs.

Y/n knew everything that was going on in Nathan's life, not least because he could be anything, but he was terrible at hiding his feelings or big news, especially from her. Y/n and Nathan had met as soon as he got his first job working in a coffee shop near where she was studying. It didn't take long for the two of them to get close and begin to develop feelings that went beyond friendship. Y/n wouldn't admit that she liked him to anyone, because she believed that if she ever confessed, he wouldn't react in the same way.

Nathan was the typical guy who liked to enjoy the evening, regardless of whether Y/n was by his side or not, but after his best friend broke up with her boyfriend, he decided to focus all his efforts on looking after her. Nate liked Y/n, not least because it was hard not to fall in love with the girl who let him cry on her shoulder when he stopped receiving letters from his brother Sam. The streets were crowded, even though it was close to ten o'clock at night, and the danger of New York was creeping up on the girls with expensive handbags and cell phones.

“That costume is itchy, bunny.” Nate complains, smoothing down the Space Jam basketball jersey that was chafing his chest.

Y/n rolled his eyes at the nickname. He knew she hated being called that. Halloween week was approaching, and it was almost impossible to find a costume party. The brunette didn't like dressing up, especially in the clothes of his best friend's ex, but he had promised himself that he wouldn't let his desires get in the way of Y/n's “healing” process. The cold wind whipped against his exposed legs, making him hug his own body for warmth.

“I told you to put a blouse on underneath.” Y/n turned her face to the brunette, and smiled at him as she noticed how adorable he was wearing rabbit ears.

“It's not funny. I told you to go Matrix.” The man crosses his arms, trying once again to explain his flawed idea.

He couldn't lie and say that she wasn't flawless in that costume. It wasn't the most original idea in the world, but it was certainly one of the best on her body that night. The white top perfectly outlined her breasts, while the shorts managed to effortlessly hug her ass, even making it look bigger than usual. A few men passed by looking her up and down, but she didn't mind since she had someone to protect her if she needed it.

“But I already had my Lolla costume ready.” The girl taps her foot, causing her fake ears to wiggle on her head.

The queue moved long enough for both of them to be seen. A pink bracelet was placed on the couple's arm, and then they headed down a narrow corridor with neon lights directing them to each space according to the package they had bought. Fortunately for Nathan Drake's fortune, which until now had been hidden from the media and any other curious people who might jeopardize his reputation, the place they had picked up was VIP. The dark-haired man took one of his best friend's free hands, gently guiding her to the stairs above one of the main stages, which was already packed with several costumed characters. Y/n squeezes the man's hand, who responds with a squeeze of the same intensity. The colored lights blended into each other, while the music was so loud that it could make the atoms in Y/n's body move in sync.

Nathan made his way to the VIP area, where his pink bracelet was checked, as was his friend's, by the security guard at the door to the other area. The space was large, with a long table with several bartenders on hand to serve him a cool drink, while there were several sofas for him to sit on after a few hours of dancing.

“Shall we get something to drink?” Y/n asks as soon as his eyes meet the bar.

“Don't you want to dance first? The dance floor is downstairs, we just need to put your bag in the locker.” Nate approaches her ear, saying loudly over the loud 2000s music that was invading her ears.

The girl nodded, once again following her best friend as he held her hand. She didn't know if it was because she had recently broken up, or the simple fact that she was completely in love with Nate, who made butterflies fly around in her stomach every time he took her hand to lead her somewhere.

Y/n excitedly walks down the stairs, watching from above the crowd nearby, dancing to the electronic house beats played by the night's DJ. Nate positioned himself at her side, touching her waist and guiding her steps at the same speed and in the same direction as his. The middle of the dance floor seemed to be too small with so many people inhabiting it, while Y/n didn't even care about the people passing by. The girl straightened her ears, facing Nathan and smiling in satisfaction. The man allowed himself to be carried away by the agitated beat, moving his shoulders and the rest of his body in one continuous rhythmic step, while Y/n closed his eyes to feel the music around him.

It was almost impossible for Nate to close his eyes when he was with Y/n, as if his eyes wouldn't allow him to focus on her. His body moved closer to her, causing their breasts to rub together and both of them to smile awkwardly at each other, their emotions melting in the heat of the moment. Their bodies seemed to be enchanted by each other, while their eyes read each other's souls.

It was sensual, frantic and frightening

Just as Drake had his intentions, other men thought the same, and it wasn't long before others caught Y/n's eye and bought him a drink.

The clock was about to strike 2:40 a.m., and Nate was leaning heavily on one of the leather chairs in the VIP area talking to a blonde girl with green eyes dressed as a fairy. His feet were restless, and he kept paying attention to the other side of the room, where Y/n was laughing about something with a man dressed as a policeman.

“Are you listening to me?” The blonde caught Nate's eye, and he just nodded and turned his eyes to the woman in front of him. “I think you're distracted by something else.” She insinuates.

“Yeah, yeah, love.” He denies it, placing one of his hands on the exposed knee of the girl in the pink dress. “Go ahead. I can hear you. You were talking about your trip to Mexico, right?”

“Yes!” The girl smiles, returning to the subject.

But he wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying. Nathan found himself wondering why Y/n was laughing so much, or why she had accepted the invitation in the first place. They were together, with matching costumes and even sharing the cost of the drinks they had (even though he was going to pay for everything himself out of chivalry for his friend). She was a magnet, but she didn't seem to realize it, or it was all just a game to her.

On the other hand, Y/n looked away from Nate several times, but he never seemed to look when she was looking at him. The conversation with the policeman was empty, and not even the most expensive drink could buy his attraction. Nathan had something that made any woman want his lips, his touch and his attention, it seemed to be a magic that summoned the sex gods when his name was mentioned. The girl just agreed and laughed forced at the comments she couldn't even hear over the loud music. She wondered why Nathan was buying drinks for the blonde in the fairy costume, and why he hadn't picked her up from that lousy conversation until now.

The two seemed to be having an internal dispute over an external conflict.

Until finally their eyes met once more and locked like a padlock.

“And then I said to him: Since we're right here, we'd better go in headfirst.” The man dressed as a policeman finishes his office story, laughing out loud like a great comedian. “So. What do you say we go somewhere with fewer people?” The brunette moves closer to Y/n, causing the woman, who was holding a glass of red drink, to laugh humorlessly.

“I don't think so.” A male voice caught the policeman's attention, causing him to turn and face Nathan. “Y/n, shall we? It's late, and the party ends at four in the morning.”

Y/n opens her mouth to answer, but only a silent yes seems to be used. The girl hands the drink to the man who had paid for it, mumbling a well-articulated “sorry”. The dark-haired man takes the girl's hands and guides her to the changing room, getting in line to take her bag and coat. Nate stared at his own feet, until a sense of courage entered him so that he could be brave enough to ask:

“Did you want to hook up with him, Y/n?” Nate asked, catching the girl's eye.

“Did you want to stay with the fairy?” She retorts.

“Why do you care so much?” He crosses his arms.

“Because we were supposed to be together at the party, as far as I knew.” She replies, causing a certain confusion in the older man's eyes.

“Calm down, wait.” He steps in front of her, holding out both hands in a gesture of waiting. “You're the one who accepted the guy's invitation first.”

Y/n frowns, denying it.

“No.” She says. “It was you who got a call from the blonde who was dancing behind you and called you a cutie, asking if I was your girlfriend. And you said we were just friends, and then she asked you to buy her a drink.”

“As if I hadn't noticed that you were enjoying talking to the new member of the 99,” Nate rolls his eyes.

“I don't understand why you seem to be angrier than me. I came up with the costume idea, and you should be buying me a drink.” She says without patience, then covers her hand when she realizes what she's missed.

“Did you want me to buy you something?” Nate asked, still trying to pick up on the signals Y/n was sending out through his own mental confusion.

“That's not what I meant. It's just that… ugh.” The girl throws her head back, running her hand through her loose hair.

Nathan pulled her out of the queue and led her down one of the corridors to another VIP lane. The place was a little dark, with only a few white LED wires to illuminate the passage without people bumping into each other when they wanted to change lanes. Y/n leaned against the wall, relaxing her posture and snorting to herself.

Shit

“Y/n” Nathan catches her eye, removing the stuffed ears from her head.

The girl stares at him, keeping a guilty look on her face. The older man moves closer to the girl's drawn body, who insists on looking away and denying it to herself, as if everything in her head was a joke.

“I hate the fact that I see you with other people… well… women.” She admits. “I know I don't have the right, and you don't have the right to ask me who I talk to or don't talk to, but I can't stop looking at you when you're talking to a girl who isn't me. I didn't care before, but now I do.”

Nate smiles to himself, using one of his arms to support his body as he stretches out against the wall in an attempt to bring his face closer to Y/n's. The warmth of their breaths passes through each other. The warmth of their breaths merges, and their eyes meet in a discovery of feelings translated into the language they wanted so much to be verbal.

“So you accepted that guy's drink for what reason then, bunny girl?” The brunette asks, even though he already knows the answer.

Y/n didn't even know how to answer, because all her actions seemed to be on autopilot. She nodded, biting her lower lip and looking once again at Drake's face, which seemed to be getting closer and closer to her. She didn't need to say anything else, just feel what she needed. To feel wanted and loved, but not by just anyone, by him. Her lips grazed each other, playing with her heartbeat rather than allowing her desires to come true without a base. His eyes closed slowly, finally feeling the butterflies go away, leaving only the need for physical touch. Their tongues danced in sync to a sensual rhythm, while their hands embraced every part of each other's bodies.

Nate lightly squeezed Y/n's waist, trying to bring her closer to his warm body, feeling her breasts against his chest. The man slid one of his free hands around the back of the girl's neck, deepening the kiss that was no longer an innocent action. Every part of their bodies begged for more, since it had been a fantasy for so long. He was yours, and you were his, and no one could take that away from her. The fact that it was selfish was almost unavoidable, as the individual desires of each of you collided with each other in search of more pleasure.

The brunette grunted against the girl's mouth, who smiled against his lips in silent approval.

“I've wanted to do that for a long time.” He admits against the younger girl's ear, before the girl cups the brunette's jaw with her icy hand, bringing his mouth against hers again.

“Then finish what you started.” She urged, oblivious to the people passing by

“Let's get our coats quick” the brunette said, gently pulling her by the arm to leave the corridor.

[sepublic]

FOR THE FUTURE!!!

         Luz just wanted to be understood… SHE WANTED TO BE UNDERSTOOD!!!!!!! That’s all she wanted and it’s so SIMPLE, it’s not about a specific life goal or agenda, just something you genuinely want! Everything she did, the antics, her weirdness, was just an attempt to show herself so people could see and UNDERSTAND!

         And Camila! The way she told Luz that life is about mess-ups. A-And she told Luz that she’s also messed up, and messed up when she didn’t stand up for Luz… And LUZ REALIZED!!! I CAN’T THIS WRITING AND ARC IS TOO DAMN GOOD!!!

         Willow my babey girl this was lowkey YOUR episode too, I’d honestly tag her as the deuteragonist of For the Future! The way she tries and carries so much, has an enormous burden on what she can do, about showing weakness, about denial! THE CALLBACKS TO BOSCHA! THE PARALLELS! The way they ended off! Willow’s biggest threat being herself, this was a WILLOW episode! And how she’s allowed to show weakness because yes, her dream of wanting to protect others, and needing to be flawed, are not mutually exclusive!

         And like damn. This episode was about, for Luz and Willow, coming to terms with their flaws. Their mistakes. Their imperfections. And ultimately idealizing and accepting those parts of themselves!

         And Hunter can now teleport… Does he have all magic or just his teleportation? Or does he have other magic and only uses teleportation lol? The way he’s so deadset on trying to get back at Belos…

         IT WAS CONFIRMED THE CLAWTHORNE ARCHWAY AND GRAVESFIELD ONE ARE CONNECTED!!! And Belos… BELOS…

         He’s SO twisted, literally melting and falling apart and OH GOD NOT RAINE WHYYYY!!!! The fact that the crew actually played around with Belos trying to possess a grimwalker, only for it to not be ready… Dear god, that poor kid that could’ve been! Could’ve been a twin brother for Hunter to bond with… AND CALEB AND THE GRIMWALKER GHOSTS!!! The one Golden Guard with BIG poofy hair!

         AND KING!!! AND EDA AND LILITH!!! He saved them, he managed to make it work, he’s so clever! And his character development, the recognition that he and the Collector are the same. The Collector afraid of being judged for what his people did, but King doesn’t! But…

         WHO WAS THE WINGED PERSON IN THE VOID?!?! The Collector’s dad?! The voice we heard when Luz last visited?

         And Belos… GOD, it’s twisted seeing Belos still managing to manipulate, KNOW this kid, recoup and turn his thoughts against himself! I was afraid it’d happen and it did! Say what you will but this man may fail but he TRIES and he’s competent, terrifyingly so! Also dammit was imagining he’d possess Odalia… Imagine Amity just nuking two enemies in one blow! Willow and Amity’s friendship too…

         AND BOSCHA BOSCHA BOSCHA!!! BOSCHA ARC!!! It’s everything I’ve read and wanted, her being so desperate to be back with Amity again, needing people, so obsessed with not showing weakness and being at the top and having control! And in the end, Amity confronts that past version of herself, and also the joke about her wanting a student council but being ‘obsessed’! I loved seeing all these kids and it’s neat that Mary’s name was mentioned in the subtitles! The way they acknowledged the Eyeball girl’s past with Gus too, MWAH! And how he knew about Hunter being a Grimwalker, but wanted to give him space!

         And Hunter AND Luz recognizing the nerdery of Camila, and geeking out over it! Luz realizing her mom DOES understand…

         EDA PLAYING WITH RAINE BECAUSE SHE LIKES TO SEE THEM! God she’s so cheeky, Raine leaves her hanging at the Coven Day Parade but that doesn’t stop Eda from pestering them over Penstagram. She’s so great y’all.

         And the Collector, god I saw it coming. The fact that they’d misunderstand and realize King DID lie to them, and wants to go against them! King realizing they don’t deserve it, the fact they were so CERTAIN and trusting! And they keep being lied to and manipulated, this poor kid… God, and the setup for Belos to possess him! To take his power in a vulnerable moment and kill all witches with it!

         Belos also canonically is haunted by visions of the past… That knife had BLOOD, y’all!

         Willow worrying about her parents, and Odalia… That was surprisingly brief, but I feel that’s gonna come back to play next episode! And Kikimora and ‘Roka’, which is what I’ll call it now lol. So desperate for power she’s lording over literal children and able to hide herself as one, that’s hilarious. And the Mat Tholomule twist… But also ambiguity. And also Matt is canonically into robots.

         AND THE TWINS REUNITING!!! Edric in a full-body cast was hilarious. Also I saw Amelia and Cat and that was very deliberate as part of Boscha’s arc, I’m so happy!!!

         This was… what an AMAZING episode, it felt LONG but right! I love the focus on resolving and bringing back characters! Love Kikimora was remembered and the end credits of Boscha being lonely… She’s so messed up I love her!!! What happened to Kikimora’s dragon Princess, anyhow? At this point I’m genuinely starting to think Terra killed her as punishment for attempted defection. And RIP Terra… lol.

         STILL NO EDA KING LUZ REUNION!!! But we’re getting there, we are!!! Soon…

        Damn. Only one episode left. The LAST episode. I’m… I’m gonna miss this guys. But it’s been one hell of a ride and I don’t regret a second of it! Thanks, and see you for the finale…! Peace out!

[okthatsgreat]

my beautiful rambling essay on adaine and kristen adapting to their shitty households

i think examining the way adaine feels about her parents versus how kristen feels about her parents is such a fascinating look into both their characters and honestly the different types of abuse they had both endured. like its sooooo so good at framing how two teenagers who have undergone very abusive households could be so similar yet react so differently. its a great look into how they had survived and adapted

from the very beginning, adaine has been a character that lives with spite. this is made clear from the get go, as even though freshman adaine is an extremely nervous person that tends to shy away from massive confrontations, especially with those unfamiliar to her, she is a teenager who has adapted to her neglectful environment through growing bitter. she resents her family from the beginning as a means of protecting herself, as she at that point has had no shield in the form of aelwyn or any guidance in the form of jawbone. she is very alone against her household, but adaine had refused to let these people beat her into a shell of a person. in fact, the very first interaction we ever see from adaine is between her and her father, where she very fragrantly disapproves of his tone against her. and despite her being quickly outnumbered at that table, she is still biting and knows to stick up for herself up against her sister, even getting pushed to the point of violence against aelwyn when she attempts to punch her.

adaine abernant knows that lying over and playing dead-- a task that, frankly, her sister has already done in order to escape abuse-- means giving up. so while she is frightened, while she is devastated that her parents think so little of her that they would escape to fallinel without so much as a text, adaine refuses to show weakness around them. but this defensive measure against her parents is just as harmful to herself; in a household where EVERY weakness has been used against her, in a household where her mental illness is considered a deep and debilitating flaw, it is very easy to see why freshman (AND honestly sophomore year as well, as we can see a bit in the nightmare forest) adaine had interpreted her anxiety as life-ruining. it is likely she correlates any mental health flare-up to her parents neglecting and despising her, considering how terrible they treat her and how receptive they are to the "perfect" """mentally stable""" aelwyn. adaine abernant had adapted to her abusive household by holding a deep resentment for the people who had ruined her, while still being acutely aware that she is ruined. this resentment over her parents never relents. she does not forgive her mother when she gives her a small apology in freshman year. she is dismissive/hostile towards them in sophomore year, INCLUDING aelwyn at first. she does not spend spell slots or hit points trying to rescue them from the harvestmen-- in fact, it is kristen applebees who elects to take the hit for adaine's family, after adaine uses her divination roll on kristen's family (but more specifically, her younger brothers).

now kristen is a bit different. she was not raised in a neglectful household (i say this lightly-- those harvest festivals are likely under this umbrella amongst other things), and did not develop a biting exterior as a means of protecting herself. now despite her very clearly having grown up in a cult environment and having been brainwashed and molded into "helio's chosen one", kristen is by no means a completely placated character in freshman year. she is aware of her parent's bigotry and even actively calls her mother out on it, but it is all in the name of helio. in freshman kristen's eyes, helio is a strict but loving god, one that will condemn her if she is sinful but will be content if she continues to spread her interpretation of good to her peers. to freshman kristen, helio is GOOD, and because her parents are so devoted they must also be GOOD despite kristen already knowing that they are flawed people. so while she is opinionated, kristen begins her story believing that she had been raised in a very loving, nurturing household, and while it was strict they did care for her under the eyes of her god. by all means, kristen's upbringing was considered normal to her. she would speak of her trauma extremely casually, almost as if it is her brains way of defending her from truly understanding it at first. she did not fester resentment against her parents in the way adaine did because she had only just begun to process the extent of abuse she had endured upon speaking to new people with different world-views. in any interaction she has with her parents after she begins to learn just who they really are, she holds back. while it is clear kristen is uncomfortable talking to them, as she now understands how little they truly care for her as kristen but rather as helio's chosen one, she doesn't talk back to them in the way that adaine does. she still tries to do "good", and this itself is a defensive mechanism that she had acquired and had unravelled through freshman, sophomore, and now junior year. this idea that she NEEDS to be saintly and good, at the risk of emotional, physical (as seen during the harvest festivals), and even DIVINE punishment.

while she may hold anger towards her parents, it is not as visible in her character as it is with adaine, and this could be attributed to how she had been conditioned into sainthood and respecting those in authority (and also the lack of conversations between her and her parents LOL hoping for more in junior year possibly...). kristen's parents let her leave easily, and they expect her to take their side upon returning to help them fight in family in flames. they are stubborn people who had raised kristen up into what they believe is a perfect, sinless prophet, and then were entirely dismissive upon her downfall when she fell from helio's grace, all because she was no longer the daughter they had practically forced her to be. this complete abandonment from the community and family that had loved her so dearly up until she started to act for herself is more than enough reason for kristen to become uncomfortable with being canonized. EVEN with gods she herself creates. she can not place herself in that position again if it means suffering another loss that huge. even if she understands that her parents were awful, she still GRIEVES them, and she still feels some sort of regret over "abandoning" her brothers in that household, as we see when she drops off a portion of her earnings to them.

adaine was raised to believe that she was a flaw, a stain on the family's name, somebody that would always be wrong and second tier simply by having a mental illness and for not allowing herself to give in to her parents. kristen was raised to believe that she was the saint of a community, a perfect human child whose purpose in life was to remain pure and sinless, somebody that should never give in to "temptation" at the risk of disappointing and losing the only support system she ever had. in a way they had both started out as the very traits their parents saw them for: adaine as the despondent and argumentative child who was "weak", and kristen as the compassionate child of god that would spread the word of helio to as many peers as she could reach. and now both kristen and adaine have to work to unravel that

i'll stop there just because this is already SO long, and honestly i could write a whole seperate essay on the depiction of gods as moldable in the eyes of their followers and how that relates to helio and kristen, but i'll refrain LMFAOO. anyways TLDR adaine and kristen are two characters from dysfunctional and abusive households who have adapted defensive mechanisms against their torment that they are still unraveling to this day. alright have a good one bye :]

[writersstareoutwindows]

Deadlands finale is still consuming my brain so I have to dissect the excellence of Edie's horseman scene. It is absolutely rife with thematic energy and emotion it was truly, truly stunning.

Victoria tells Edie that she has the skills to be Pestilence. Of course Edie is affronted, Edie met Pestilence and was so deeply appalled that she not only dismantled but reversed Ducrow's operation. But Victoria explains in the same breath that she doesn't intend a literal pestilence for Edie, no, what Victoria sees in her is the rotting effect of Edie's own pain. "Your past loss has infected you like a disease."

Edie is possibly the most straightforwardly moral character among the Wildcards. Silas is a close second but he has interesting complications of his own, visible in his flinching reaction to the introduction of M.T. Budreau, a villain who takes justice into his own hands; the judge's flaws hit a little too close to home. Delacy is in it to shoot things, Nate and Garnet are in it for money. Both admirable reasons, but I call Edie "moral" because she pursues her profession relatively altruistically, simply because she believes it will improve the world.

Except it's not that simple. What we witness in that final scene is the truth in Victoria's judgement, that the straightforward altruism of Edie's quest is complicated by the pain and guilt of her brother's death. When Edie sees her brother in Delacy at the World's Fair, she shoots dead the monster that is trying to kill him. This is well within her rights and I'm not criticizing her for it, it was the right move, he was an active danger and you have to protect your own—but, when Famine is dead, her curse recedes and her victims return to normal men. Except of course, the one Edie killed dead.

It's poor literary analysis to suggest evidence that doesn't exist, but this isn't a university essay and I can do what I want. If the series had been a bit longer, if there had been a little more room for character moments—can't you imagine Edie bristling when she learns that Nate is Harrowed? Nate isn't a threat himself, of course, he's an ally and friend and tired old man...but there's a demon and a danger living inside him. Can't you imagine Edie on a mission with Garnet, cutting Garnet out of the plans, putting her own self in harm's way instead of the woman who can burst a sasquatch, holding Garnet at one remove until it ends in them both getting hurt? All because Garnet's magic comes from a devil, and that makes it dangerous?

I can imagine these things because they are what Edie's final scene suggests. She shoots at the monster, because here at last is the opportunity to root out the heart of her pain. She shoots at the monster—and, "Garnet, what's your toughness?"

In striking at the monster, Edie only succeeds at hurting her friend. In attacking the source of her pain, Edie reveals the way in which it has infected her life and relationships. Her single-minded focus, her vehemence for the monstrous, have driven her into a lonely and wandering life, have led her to hold all relationships at one remove. Garnet and Nate have to be held in suspicion because they are devils. As for the likes of Delacy, who strike so close to home...consider the fact that Edie makes her money not from hunting, but from performing affection and flirtation. Even relationships she genuinely cares about have to be kept at a distance, behind a wall of performative kindness. That is not to say that Edie's kindness is insincere, everything you perform becomes in some way a part of you, but it is a way for her to mask deep pain and fury without hurting those around her or bringing them too close. How could she cope, again, with the kind of pain that comes from love and loss?

But when she attacks the monster that killed her brother, the thing she has pursued all her life, believing it to be the cause of her pain, she only hurts those around her. Her past loss has infected her like a disease, and she is spreading it to those who care for her. Pursuing monsters without remorse obliterates the nuance of individual situations and prioritizes vengeance over restoration (see again, the Famine-monster she killed who could have been made human again).

On the whole of it, of course, monster hunting is a noble profession in the dangers of the Deadlands. The Famine-monster was going to kill Delacy! But Edie's pain, held in fists so tight that they ache and no longer know how to let go, causes indelible hurt to herself and the relationships she could have. In killing the monster, she's only killing someone who cares about her.

Because Conquest isn't in the monster; she's in Eddie. The thing with the power to conquer and defeat Edie is the way in which she idealizes her brother. This isn't the boy himself: "It looks to you more like how you remember Eddie than how Eddie really was." Literally, this is because Victoria is using Edie's memories to craft the scene. But thematically...my god.

What exists in Edie's memory is not the living boy, but her idealized memory of him. As Ellen puts it, "a ghost of a memory, misremembered." That is the thing she has to defeat. She has to accept that her brother is gone, and no matter how tightly she holds her grief, he's not coming back. But that grief is what drives her, she operates out of the pain and anger it causes. Killing monsters is less about protecting people than about trying to erase her own guilt for failing to save him.

So, Edie doesn't need to erase of her grief; she needs to accept it. No amount of dead monsters will bring her brother back. Killing the Famine-monster saved Delacy but it can't save Eddie. The past is immutable and the guilt hurts no one but Edie—and the people around her, who could love her.

When Edie shoots the false memory, she's turning from the past toward the present. Her grief no longer walks behind her, a hidden infection, a disease to be cured through violence. It walks beside her. Eddie may be gone, but her love for him isn't. Her love lives into the present, and so do the friends she has now. And acting from this place of love for the brother she knew, rather than vengeance for the brother she lost, Edie shows Conquest what for. There's no easy solution to every bad thing in the world. That's fine. Edie has already dedicated her life to protecting the good that survives, and Victoria McClary sure ain't gonna change her mind.

[tinysnailtales]

Thoughts from reading Yona of the Dawn Ch. 7

Ch.7 in summary: growth for both Hak and Yona as the Wind Tribe is pressured/targeted by the Fire Tribe to push Mundok to accept Soo-Won as king, with Hak stepping up and accepting responsibility as chief and Yona expanding her care for others.

We love competent Hak being good at his job. His adeptness probably enables him to poke fun at others so much (and previously shrug off his duties?), and while I love how reliable he is, he could probably use some more flaws for character exploration.

"I heard my brother was getting paid to protect the princess" "Why else would I do it?" – here perhaps we have his main "flaw": he's a liar who lies and denies and makes light of things to hide deeper parts of himself. Becoming more open and forthright might be part of his journey. But also– I want to see a powerless Hak, what does he do when he can't protect people?

Sorry, can't help it. Hak and Yona (and HakYona) are too nice to look at. I enjoy them being in sync too much.

MUNDOK! Such a beautiful moment. And more of Yona not being as alone as she might have thought.

"The people of the Wind Tribe are like you. They're full of warmth. I feel peaceful here" – more emphasis on the love and care Yona has received from the Wind Tribe (and how it mirrors young Yona recovering from being sick).

She's being exposed to a different way of life and is glowing from it.

"They killed Han-Dae!" "I'm not dead...not quite" –Tell me why this running gag amuses me so much.

"This is a warning from the Fire Tribe...They want Lord Soo-Won to become king...It appears they're trying to put pressure on me since I refused to approve Soo-Won's accession"

"Soo-Won murdered my father...and now he's going to rule our nation?!"

"Acknowledging Lord Soo-Won as king would mean acknowledging the accusation that Hak committed regicide." "They...they think Hak_?!"

This is all a shock back to reality for Yona, an interruption of that "peaceful" feeling she was describing. The visuals help make it clear how it brings her back to the state she was before, at least a bit, indicating that she can't completely escape it. It (and Soo-Won) will follow and hang over her.

She is also getting to see how every day people of the Wind Tribe (and Hak!) are being negatively affected by all the politicking/what has happened.

And here we get an even clearer example of what Hak disliked about nobility and royalty– Tae-Jun treating people as pawns for his personal agenda. This, coupled with the Fire Tribe's actions towards the Wind Tribe, shows the land and people being used as an arena for the whims and goals of those with power. Like a (strategy) game.

The Fire Tribe overall acts for larger goals, but Tae-Jun is also individually motivated to get personal revenge on Hak. For something that happened years ago, no less!

"What's going to happen to these people?" –Yona's care for others, for the people of the kingdom, has been planted. Her priorities are shifting and she's finding something new to care about and live for.

"Young Chief! Why aren't you saying anything?! This isn't like you, Elder Chief!" – both Hak and Mundok have their hands tied considering what is at stake. I think Hak formulates his ultimate plan to leave here.

"The Fire Tribe is being backed by the Sky Tribe– the royal family! If the Wind Tribe resists, they won't get off lightly! No...! I don't want to see anyone else die!" – Yona's care for these people and desire not to see them suffer really solidified here. She also feels she is partially to blame and not only does not want them to suffer, she specifically doesn't want them to die after witnessing the death of her father.

And with that, Hak makes his decision.

"I'll figure out a way to handle this. Trust me. Be patient. Those are the orders of Son Hak...Chief of the Wind Tribe" – Hak is fully stepping up and accepting his role and doing a great job at it! And with that little smile of his, he also seems to be thriving.

"Do you hear that?! The young chief's giving us orders." "Lord Hak never wanted the hassle of being a general! That's amazing, Lord Hak! This is great!" – Exactly, exactly. Hak is accepting the role and responsibility he rejected. GROWTH

But meanwhile, Yona can't join the almost celebratory determination of the Wind Tribe. Though relieved, she feels powerless.

"Hak...um...is there anything I can do...?" – despite feeling useless, Yona wants to help. Her hesitation/awkwardness in asking to help shows this feeling of uselessness but also her determination and desire to be of use. Hak seems slightly taken aback by her initiative and offer but also expresses a soft happiness before settling into typical Hak behavior.

We get teasing/changing the subject/making light of the situation Hak and boooo.

I suppose Hak goes for something he know will distract Yona. He doesn't want her to worry and he knows where her line of thinking will lead...to his plan to leave and take the fall.

"You don't have to do anything. Just live a quiet life...here in Fuuga" – this moment is not just addressing her question but functions as a goodbye! His "you don't have to do anything" functions as a "just be you" and he expresses his greatest desire: for her to be safe and happy.

The joking around to seriousness from Hak also encapsulates their relationship pretty well.

"If you'd been alone...you would've charged into the palace with a single spear. Right?" "Kid...you're one to talk" – Hak takes after Mundok. They have such a sweet relationship.

"Do me a favor, will you? Give Soo-Won your support. Y'see...I'm leaving the Wind Tribe in the morning. I won't carry the name 'Son' anymore. I want you to focus on protecting the tribe. The Fire Tribe won't do anything else if you agree to their demands." – Hak continues to accept responsibility and chooses to sacrifice himself, taking the fall and leaving it all behind to protect his tribe.

I hope he learns he is more than something to be sacrificed for others. It's very big of him to do this for his tribe, but it is also very in character in a way that doesn't push for growth when it comes to valuing himself.

"Are you going to leave her highness behind?"

"She's finally started to smile a little. I'm glad I brought her with me. One more request. Hide her from the palace. Let her live out her life...here in Fuuga...as a member of the Wind Tribe." – Hak has seen how Yona has taken to the Wind Tribe and wants to keep protecting her along with his people. Again–he wants her to continue to be happy and safe, his greatest wish. And he's willing to remove himself from her life, even though he wants to be with her, in order to make it come true.

There is some pain to his expression, all of this affects him more than he tries to show.

"I won't do as my grandson asks...But...I would have to obey an order from the tribe's chief" – AWW Mundok must be very proud of Hak, acknowledging how far he has come, specifically in regards to being chief. Such a tender moment, feels like an expression of respect, regard, and love.

"This is my final order...as Son Hak, chief of the Wind Tribe" – I am eMoTIonal. It was lovely seeing you as chief, Hak. Hopefully this isn't really the end of that path for you.

I just have to shout-out MVP Han-Dae!!! Taking care of Yona and calming everyone and patting Yona's head and all the work he did this chapter for his tribe! Truly a star.

[awesome-normal-heroes]

Defending the Pink Princesses with Grey Mortality:

Some people like to give Princess Bubblegum and Rose Quartz such a hard time.

But why on earth is that?

Sure, they did morally messed up things, but so did the other characters in their shows.

So, why are these pink ladies given the most grief over their mistakes?

I think I know why.

It's because people expect them both to be perfect.

But the sad truth is that nobody is perfect, not even our favorite characters.

But I also understand that learning the characters you like ended up doing messed up things can mess with your own head.

Princess Bubblegum was originally Finn's love interest (even though Finn is 12 and she's 18... why?) and she was a sweet person, despite some of her mad scientist quirks.

But when Finn got a new love interest (Flame Princess), the writers decided to change Bubblegum's personality quite a bit.

They slowly made Bubblegum into a control freak that spies on everyone and she isn't quite as warm as she used to be.

...Yeah, even I didn't like that the writers did to her sometimes.

But to be fair, the fantasy world that they live in is a dangerous place (in even rains swords sometimes) and the candy people are literally at the bottom of the food chain. Most of the candy people are not the brightest people, with only a select few actually being smart (like Peppermint Butler). Also, candy people explode when they get too scared.

It's no wonder she's so viciously overprotective and controlling.

She also had no true parents and basically raised herself and her brother, so she doesn't know better about certain things.

And unlike others shows that would most likely sugarcoat or ignore a main character's flaws and mistakes, some of the other characters are aware of how messed up Bubblegum has become.

Later on, Bubblegum gets called out for her mistakes a few times and she even get punished when she temporarily loses her kingdom.

And when she gets it back, she gets better and less controlling.

You gotta give her credit for that.

She isn't perfect, she makes mistakes, but she's trying to improve herself for all her loved ones.

At the end of the day, she just wants to protect her people and the kingdom that she created, because their world is a silly yet dangerous place and most of her kingdom is dim-witted.

Meanwhile, Rose Quartz aka Pink Diamond was originally seen as Steven's perfect heroic deceased mother that everyone in his family loved.

But like Bubblegum, her flaws and mistakes are slowly revealed to us, showing us that she's not as perfect as her loved ones think she is.

She is smart, but not very wise.

She doesn't think about how certain choices can cause possible consequences in the future.

She also has a tendency to ditch people (Diamonds, Crystal Gems, Spinel) and keep secrets from them.

Steven even begins to kinda resent her.

Especially after the Pink Diamond plot twist.

Which I'm not a big fan of.

But to be fair, she was raised and surrounded by evil gems.

So, it makes sense that she's not the most moral or wisest person sometimes.

I'm just saying that considering her messed-up life before coming to Earth and how she was raised, she could have turned out a lot worse.

At the end of the day, she did save the Earth and wanted to protect the humans.

Plus, she's already technically dead, so there's not much that can be done about her anyway.

And I think that the true reason Rose had Steven at the cost of her life is so that the Crystal Gems can finally have a proper bond with a human being and understand why Rose cares about them.

Because the Crystal Gems didn't have any actual human friendships, before Steven arrived (except maybe Amethyst).

They protected the Earth because that's what Rose wanted.

But Steven helped the Gems finally connect with humanity.

Both pink ladies have done horrible things, but they've also done wonderful things as well... Shouldn't that count for something?

[backjustforberena]

How did you feel about the finale? I will say, the fact that Corlys hasn’t publicly claimed Alyn and Addam yet has me a bit disappointed in him lol. In the book, he brings them to be legitimized pretty soon after Rhaenys dies. And I don’t mean to sound callous about her death but now that she’s gone he has no reason not to. And yeah, with the characterization he has now, Alyn probably wouldn’t accept but I feel like Addam would jump at the chance to be his heir.

I'm a bit of a mixed bag about the finale. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to be getting in the next season opener which feels a little bit odd. Some of the season arcs felt like they concluded in an unsatisfactory way or not at all, and I think that you need some resolution in a series finale. I also felt like this episode had way more humour than the others which, to me, felt like it shouldn't be the case. Not when you want to prioritise tension and emotion and the raising of stakes and draw a line in the sand. Have levity, but don't have comic relief, especially if it's brand new. It undermines what comes before. So, for me, going from Gwayne and Criston (which was a lovely scene, if felt a little unearned at the start) to Tyland mud-wrestling and asked if he ate people was jarring.

But if you want to ask me any more specifics, I'd be happy to offer my thoughts.

As for Alyn and Addam and Corlys legitimising them... yes, in the book there is the suggestion that it plays out differently, with little hesitation on Corlys's part following the passing of Rhaenys. But there are marked differences which mean that I do agree with the choice not to legitimise them or to bring it to anyone's attention that they are his sons in the first place.

Alyn, not Addam is the elder. And both characters are older than in the book. Alyn, certainly, has held a life free and strived to live a life free of his father and who his father is. He has no wish for glory or achievement that he has not earned, he doesn't try and claim a dragon, he is in the role of protecting his brother rather than following and aspiring to his brother. He doesn't have a maternal influence and he hasn't lived a life of security through that. He feels the shame of being a bastard. He's been in proximity to see Corlys shower favour on his trueborn son. The majority of that isn't clear or possible in the book. Alyn also doesn't like Corlys, and the journey that they are on, as it stands, is such that they haven't spoken about it.

Corlys hasn't admitted, out loud, in plain terms, that Alyn and Addam are his sons. It's all obfuscation. Without that leap, how can he possibly jump to offering Alyn his heir? Because, in this timeline, if he had them both legitimised, it would be to make Alyn his heir. That's the route the show is going down and that's also the perspective Addam has: that the Driftwood Throne would go to Alyn, in this fairytale ending. Addam has enough going on with being a dragon-rider. That's his "story" in the series, as it stands.

Corlys has reason not to bring the boys forward, at the moment, even if those reasons are largely emotional. He is still processing. He is still guilty. He is still full of shame. He's still unsure of his path: still testing the waters to make up his mind, see if Alyn wants it. Corlys, in the book, suffered no such crisis. But our Corlys has and that has to be allowed to play out. He has to reconcile the fact that the wife he now wishes to honour would possibly be shamed by this.

And that it would be, as Alyn says to him, admitting his failures, his flaws, and that he's scraping the bottom of the barrel after all his other options are exhausted: and that's not an honourable thing. The way he has acted is not good enough. But in forging this new path, it's admitting that all his efforts were wasted.

It's very similar, to me, to the crisis we saw him undergo when talking to Rhaenys after Laena's death. He's done all this, lost all this, behaved in this way and it' got him nowhere. Bringing those boys out into the open is a shameful act, for all that it might do him good. It's full of contradictions and complications. And Corlys... he sucks at the complex.

To have made an effort to make Alyn heir (as much as it would have been, perhaps, a natural end to the "arc" that this relationship has had) would have been too premature to happen in this episode. They're just not there yet.

[vigilskeep]

Hi, I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but I'm fascinated with your character Minerva and was wondering why she didn't betray Jowan to Irving?

ah good question thank u for it!!

minerva is a pragmatist about the circle. she's very aware that a certain number of mages die or are made tranquil and she's in the mindset, at that point in her life, where she's been taught to accept this as a necessary evil. which actually ends up meaning she knows more than anyone that if this is true irving will go ahead with it. she has a very realistic idea of who irving is and what he does. but it's been easier to conceptualise all those losses as um a statistic than it is to face the immediate threat to the person closest to her. especially when her way of dealing with it all has been to say that mages who die or are made tranquil didn't try hard enough, didn't study hard enough, didn't fight hard enough on their harrowings. she rationalises it that way because it means if she just tries hard enough and is polite and gifted and perfect as she always is then nothing's going to happen to her. but she knows how hard jowan tries. so it isn't right. it isn't fair!

the other thing is that in my canon, my amell, halliserre amell, was made tranquil a few months before dao starts. minerva had a bit of a fiery relationship with them (i'd like to summarise it as fierce academic rivals with benefits, jhghsfdgsk) and their tranquillity was a huge and sudden recent shock. that definitely affects minerva's decision-making here. though she tries to rationalise by blaming halliserre themself in that case (halliserre chose to submit to tranquillity rather than undergo the harrowing), she knows deep down there's more to it than that. it's a complicated and painful topic to come up again so soon, it makes her just that bit angrier with the templars and irving, and it makes the danger feel very real

but all of that is kind of blurring the main issue which is that jowan is like minerva's brother and she loves him. the above factors are kind of what allows her to actually do something about that, but the motivation is simply that she cares about jowan, he's her closest friend and the only person more important to her than irving, and she very much thinks it's her job to protect him. she's more skilled than he is, more socially capable than he is; it is and always has been her role to protect him from the templars, even if it that only meant helping him with his studies or calling in favours with senior enchanters. being able to do all that is what has made her feel comfortable with how much she's betrayed herself to be the ideal circle student in the first place. it proves keeping your head down to get influence works, that it's not just selfish, that in the long run it means mages are better off. so if she can't even protect him, then what's the point of it all? it's probably worth noting, too, that minerva's fatal flaw is arrogance: if she's always been able to look after jowan before, what's one more time?

i actually have this really fun um super rough dialogue snippet somewhere in my word doc from when she was little, um, talking to karl thekla actually. and she's being disapproving of anders while hes like benafflecksmoking.jpeg because that's the whole dynamic lmao. she's like, why would you spend time with someone like that, he's an escape artist, the templars hate him, he's not going to make it! (this last said in a kid's deadly serious tone where she expects it to be heard as a totally damning accusation.) and karl is like [in the voice of a very tired young academic] minerva what would you say if i told you, i don't know, your friend jowan wasnt going to make it. and she totally freaks out. shes like thats a lie, dont ever say that, hes trying with the spells, hes going to get it! she's only a kid she's nearly in tears over this immediately even though karl's the furthest thing from a threat and he barely meant anything by it. it's always been the one thing that makes her lose her head. she cares so much about keeping up this perfect image except this one thing, right, she's got this perceived weaker nobody mage trailing after her. she's supposed to be able to keep this one person safe and that will make it all worthwhile. and what she has to learn is that even for all her sacrifices and good behaviour, the circle simply does not care. there's nothing it won't take

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Rose Quartz Propaganda

"We saw her character arc in reverse!! We first saw all the good she did and then learned of her terrible actions in the past. If her story was told the other way around, it would have been a great redemption arc. Yes, she did some terrible things, but she had no choice. She did everything she could to stop the colonization of earth peacefully buy nothing worked. Blue and yellow diamond just didn't listen to her and when they did, THEY were the ones who made the zoo and shit. Rose wanted to free them but couldn't get to them after the war! And with the corruption, there's no way she could have known that'd happen. There's so many things she wanted to do but just couldn't. And with spinel, yes it was shitty to leave her alone for so long, but again, between running her court, running the rebellion, dealing with earth, she likely wasn't a very high priority and like with the zoo, there was no way to get to her after the war since the galaxy warp was destroyed. And don't forget, she was practically a child around this time. You're saying you didn't do any stupid, selfish, or harmful things as a kid? She learned from her experiences and grew, we just saw that growth in reverse, leaving us as viewers with a poor perception of her."

"Rose Quartz is Steven Universe’s dead mom. Initially, she’s set up as sort of an ethereal perfect figure who everyone misses and compares him to. Later we get to see more of her backstory and discover that she’s actually like, a person, with flaws, who has done some bad things, but she did those bad things largely in the course of trying to escape an abusive home life and save the people and planet that she fell in love with. It’s very clear that despite her flaws she was trying to do the right thing and that she deeply cared about others. Unfortunately, a woman who was not a Perfect Martyr was way too much for the Steven Universe fandom to handle. She pretty much set off the wave of SU crit blogs because these people were furious either that she had taken violent measures to solve her problems, that she hadn’t taken violent enough measures to solve her problems, or both somehow. Lots of “Why didn’t she just murder her abusive parental figures?” Lots of “She was evil for having a baby even though she knew she’d die in childbirth!” Lots of “She should’ve been able to protect everyone from a magic nuclear weapon with the power of love somehow.” Lots of “She shouldn’t have rebelled (even though not rebelling would’ve meant the destruction of Earth) because her abusers retaliated and that’s her fault.” LOTS of people drawing her as stick thin even though she was fat in the show. People treated her like she was on the same level or even worse than her abusive parental figures who were also the main villains of the show. It was unbearable to witness."

Shiv Propaganda

"Everyone in Succession is a pretty terrible person, and Shiv plays just as dirty as her brothers when it comes to trying to get their dad to name her the next CEO of fictional fox news. HOWEVER, she was trying to distance herself from the family at one point and worked for a democrat (gasp!) so her being adulterous and power hungry too is actually a fall from grace and the ultimate act of misogyny so the writers all must hate women because they created a morally questionable female character with complex motives."

[sparklingmusicofstars]

From what I know, Catarina has her own romantic tastes, she dreams of a handsome prince from a fairy tale and a brave knight. I found out that after reading her novel over and over again, she also wants romantic actions from her future lover, such as carrying him like a princess, then protect him like a brave knight. remembering that the monkey girl in the past had minimal knowledge about direct romance experiences, so until now I think she is still making assumptions about the figure she adores...

According to my personal assumption, maybe these three heroes are Jeord, Sora, Keith, but it depends on the author in the end...

Hello,

In my opinion, Catarina doesn't necessarily dream of a "prince from a fairy tale".

Maybe in her previous life the physical of her partner wouldn't have matter but I think that now, after being reincarnated in an otome game and surrounded by charming and handsome people, she now wants someone quite handsome. (And it's also th case for most of the girls who play otome games) Though the personnality stays an important criteria for her.

Like Sophia she never fell in love with a real man but had "infatuations" with 2D characters so she doesn't really have an idea of what type of man she loves but she doesn't seem to be into playboys or perfect princes but also seems to love cool, wild guys, tsunderes and gentlemen with a gentle and smart personnality.

She is also okay with her partner having a weak side, flaws or even or trauma since she doesn't necessarily want him to be perfect because she would think he is too good for her. Since she was an average girl (it's only one of the reason) she doesn't mind the status and would completely agree to be with a commoner or someone of lower status.

She doesn't seem to love when Geordo is acting too princely because he doesn't feel human to her and can't help see him as capture target. She prefers when he acts naturally with her because she feels like she can see the "real" him. But she can see him as someone reliable who can protect her. And despite his black hearted personnality she still see him as a very good person and rather than a surhuman she can see Geordo is like anyone, he can pushes himself too hard and have flaws he tries too hide. But she still love him the way he is. But he needs to act more naturally with her and avoiding too agressive romantic advances.

And of course she wants her partner to protect her and to really care about her but there is still a limit. Like with Keith who it WAY too protective so he sounds more like a mother than her boyfriend. It's also why she can't see him as someone who can protect her.

She loves when someone is protective towards her but doesnt't like being scolded all the time (and it's normal) it's why Keith needs to change this bad habit but he has the gentle and gentlemanly personnality Catarina is looking for.

And yes, she likes romantic advances but not too much and not too suddenly. So I would say, at least sometimes agressive and sometimes sweet and gentle. It's why Nicol would be a good match if he is serious about her. So now Catarina still see him as the diligent, siscon, (very handsome) and not talkative big brother of her best friend.

Alan would be a good match because he is the type of wild, cool and tsundere man Catarina loves but he is too childish and Catarina can't see him as someone reliable because she still has his younger haughty immature self in her mind. It's why she can't see him as a serious romantic interest.

Sora is indeed a good match for her because he is the cool and has a wild side. He is very reliable and really care about her, he doesn't really scold her but always warn her to be more cautious in a curt way, reminding her of her second big brother. He is someone she can see as a knight figure and she finds his physical as amazing as his personnality so he would have his chances if he really try since he is also one of the only ones Catarina sees as a man. He also can make romantic advances, agressive and gentle ones.

It's the same for Cezar, he is the wild and cool type. He really care about her but like Sora, he doesn't really scold her but make her realize by herself how dangerous what she did was. She loves his personnality as much as his physical and can completely see him as someone reliable who can protect her and as a knight figure. Cezar also have a lot of experience with women so he can make romantic advances, gentle and agressive ones. (even if he seems more keen of gentle ones)

Raphael also has the gentle and smart personnality Catarina is looking for. He is someone she can really trust and who can protect her but since he doesn't appear often we can't really see if Catarina can see as a romantic interest but I think she can. He is very protective and even if he doesn't scold her often he knows how to make her really understand how dangerous what she did was and how much he was worried. He is very thoughful and really care about her. He is also very sharp and easy to talk to so Catarina is very comfortable around him. So I think that if Raphael was serious he could make gentle romantic advances.

But for the time being the only persons who are more or less serious are indees Sora, Keith and Geordo.

[sankiraizada]

I'm at the diwali track rn in my rewatch.. I just want to hold and shake buaji so bad lol. She represents innumerable Indian elders who turn a blind eye to the actual situation going on and do/say stuff to get what THEY want.

Shashi wasn't chintit reg. his daughter's weddings since he walked into Laxmi Nagar, even if he found a good match, he was broke to make the weddings happen. It was the family's finances he was worried about. Him lacking the health and strength to head the family was his primary concern. And he was proud Khushi stood up for them in a time of need.

And he continuosly shot down his Jiji's attempt to shove Shyam down the family's throats. He said Khushi wasn't old enough, Payal would get married first, Shyam's affection could be fake. He got really upset when the ladies went ahead and got the Kundalis matched without his knowledge.

But what did Buaji conclude from the "Shya.. Shyaa" from her bedridden brother? Not that he might be trying to thank Shyam for "saving" his life. Or that he want him to help with speaking to the hospital staff. Or that he wanted a Sharbat. Nope. She concluded her brother would go against all he said the past few days and green lit the match.

Okay the scorpion-smoocher planted in their minds that the wedding was what Shashi was hinting at. But none of the others were jumping at that prospect right now.

I'm not even mad at her when she brought up Khushi's adoption. She grew close her bhateeji very recently and she doesn't think like Shashi, Garima(yes Garima) and Payal who do not see Khushi as anything but family. She asks Khushi to repay for the good deed her brother had done.. and I just see a (wannabe) good sister(since people get married to please their parents 😒)

Let me take a step back or else I'll sound like a woman hater. You see, Madhumati has a strong personality and she must have lost her husband (and the chance at having kids and a family of her own) at a very young age. She liked Khushi and saw herself in the young girl. And protecting her from the world seemed only possible by marrying her off to a very available and local guy.

But one could say the same for Garima too. She has seen worse actually. She had fallen in love with a guy, possibly in a very similar way how Shyam had weasled into Khushi's life. Got cheated on. Possibly had no support from her parents. Lost her Jiji and Jijaji. Had to marry an older guy to get a roof over her head with a daughter and had Khushi to take responsibility of. She could have pushed Khushi to her perceived safety net of a marriage. But she didn't.

Conclusion : Buaji has control issues and she wanted to have a say in some significant decision so one day she could be like, see that perfect couple together? I hitched them up. And I grudgingly love this flaw and the fact that her character development is not a steady climb up just like Arnav's.

Rant over.