#the Power of Friendship compelled me to make this

[tessarionbestgirl]

You said once Hotd lacks heart. What you mean by that?

In Game of Thrones, the main thread, the heart of it, was the Starks relationship. You liking it or not. And that doesn't necessarily make them the main characters either. But that family love for each other is what compelled a lot of people to watch it. And was the most pure thing about the show, so you connected with it, and feel their pain. And that what brought the normies to the table.

In Hotd this is supposedly to be Alicent and Rhaenyra. They even copy the blueprint of it by establishing in episode 1 their bond and from there things go south . The thing is. This relationship is not justified enough. And what I mean by that is, when you look for what they are trying to tell with this dinamic like Sarah said in recent interview, Alicent could never forget Rhaenyra or some shit like that. Because she was her best friend in their childhood. I was thinking like, why tho? Really? I doubt 🧐

They failed in my opinion to stablish this dinamic to be this powerful thread that connects the show. They don't have a cosmic connection that would challenge the very blood connections they have and question their Ideologies.

That is what they want you to believe that this friendship of years ago was so powerful that make their hearts constantly in conflict. But nothing that was show to us on those yearly episodes make me believe was that a strong connection.

Like a silly moment of Rhaenyra tearing the book for Alicent, It was supposed to be this friendship powerful moment that years later make Rhaenyra think on the possibility of throwing her claim away? Do you know how insanely ridiculous that sounds?

Keep in constant, what this moment is supposedly to be emulating. Jon giving Arya needles. That moment was so powerful for her because, of some many aspects. But one of them is because the present is deeply connected with her wants and needs and show how much Jon knows her and loves and accept her for what she is.

"Sansa can keep her sewing needles, I've got a needle of my own."

And then of course, is given by Jon before he goes to the wall. Is farewell gift, one of the few, really happy moments she had before everyone go south. And so makes sense this very weapon becomes the manifestation of these characters she lost.

"Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell's grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan's stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow's smile.”

What take a page out of a book has the same deep? What exactly represents? The freedom of acting like spoiled girls that can tear books apart and laugh about it with no consequence? Because if so, is not rooted on the relationship in it self. But freedom they had.

Every other relationship here is deeply fuck up so it can't be the heart of it. And they even take from the most pure relationship and repurposed to them to valid them. Like exemple they taking Maelor out, taking away Heleana's "Sophie's Choice" and giving to Alicent and Rhaenyra. Making Alicent ultimately choosing sacrifice her son to Rhaenyra. Something she didn't for her son when Otto himself said it was a sacrifice they need to do to save Aegon in episode 9 of the first season. And that is a wormhole of inconstancy by it self that I will not talk about here.

So that all reasons I mean by the show have no heart. Also this is enough reason to make believe the show end will suck. Because at end they will not even have that thread they stablish the show around it. So the likelihood this will fall apart at end will be big.

[artzee534]

"Boost your spirit off the ground I'm a spark that won't go out We can go much higher now Gravity can't hold us down

We're only at the beginning of this one way dream"

EDIT: added in a version with new shading!

[ratatatastic]

"—in Game 7 when the puck is stuck in the corner...did that last forever? Were you like, 'Fuckin' McDavid's in front! McDavid's in front by himself!'" "Oh yeah, you wanna know why it lasted forever? So I was tired, so I'm like 'Fuck, I'm gonna change.' and there's 25 seconds left, I'd been out there for a minute-ten, I'm like, 'Let's make the smart fucking choice here, let me change. Get a fresh body out.' And Mikkola changed for me instead of Montour. And whether that was by design or not, that's two lefty defencemen with the mindset, 'let me get to that left side.' Forsling's already in there, then Mikkola comes straight off the bench straight into the pile, and then McDavid's alone out front. So we're all looking—for a second we're like, 'Holy shit, what's gonna happen here... hopefully Draisaitl doesn't make one of those ridiculous plays where he pulls it out of the corner and snaps it right to McDavid's stick.' But it ended up working out." "It worked out." "I know Jamie Kompon [Florida Panthers Asst. Coach] said that too, 'We had two left-shot defencemen out there at the same time. And like nobody is defending McDavid in front of the net.' But Mikkola—he did that a couple of times though! Where he just like all of a sudden, he was able to eat the puck along the wall to close out games." "Yeah, listen I don't blame him at all! For me as a right defenceman like..."

The Cam & Strick Podcast | 7.30.24 (x)

"You know, think about looking up at the clock and seeing—I think it was Connor [McDavid] and one other d-man [Ekholm] in front of the net when it was getting—fighting in the corner and we had nobody in front of the net! And we're all looking on the bench, we're like, '97's in the slot all alone...what are we doing here?'" "Best player in the world!" "It's funny looking at it now. I don't know who it was—Mikkola in the corner—he's like, 'That puck was not coming out, I can tell you that! I had that glued to the wall.' But yeah, you think about it now...the rest, it doesn't matter what the series was at—we won! And we're Stanley Cup Champions." "Exactly man!"

Empty Netters | 8.26.24 (x)

*there were 2 dmen out by the net near McDavid he could either be referring to Ekholm or Bouchard in this instance but Ekholm is closer to the net

and also because i think its interesting after ekky's game 7 mikksy changing for him anecdote he talks about how he cant play on the left and refuses to do so its pretty good stuff XD

"I can tell this now! That's Sylvain Lefebvre [Florida Panthers Asst. Coach] our D-coach—called me when he got hired [2022.] So I'm on the phone with him, we're chatting and he's like, 'Would you ever play the left side?' I'm like, 'Absolutely not! That's a skillset I just don't have. I see the right side of the ice and that 200ft of rectangle on the right side of the ice. That's just kind-of where I'm comfortable.' So I'm like, 'No, please do not put me on the left side!' Yeah so..." "You can do it!" "That's the first conversation? 'Hey, listen! I've been thinking about some things, drawing some pairings out on a napkin—wanna put you on the left side.'" "'Want you to be goalie!'" "That's—No!"

The Cam & Strick Podcast | 7.30.24 (x)

[karizipan]

assorted 🐟

[emmafrostyyy]

y'all sleeping on Astarion/Lae'zel bc this moment is so...the way the flippant demeanor drops and he doesn't hesitate to call her out for sticking with her version of Cazador like their relationship is so underrated fr...

sitting down writing this bullshit like let me peel it like an onion a bit and elaborate why this pairing is fascinating to me

It's really interesting how during the most cathartic, life-altering moment in Astarion's questline, the reactions of the other companions are more about the moral wrongness/guilt of sacrificing innocent lives. Lae'zel doesn't do that and instead relates to his hurt.

She knows what's he's feeling, the lack of control, the unfairness of being powerless for too long. This is a woman who just found out her entire life purpose was built on lies, discarded and hunted by her own people after outliving her usefulness, and groomed to basically die for an insane power-hungry lich queen. She knows all too well that power isn't always real freedom. Her first instinct is to empathize with Astarion to steer him away from his hate and resentment.

Astarion/Lae'zel is so interesting to me because they're such a classic "can we make each other worse or make a better person out of the other?".

They both have genuine appreciation for violence and respect each other's ruthlessness. Astarion was used as a weapon of seduction while Lae'zel was of warfare. Sex with people is meaningless and not real intimacy for them, and while both have little understanding/experience of interpersonal relationships beyond the physical, they still feel and love very deeply. They have no frame of reference for things like friendship and warmth, but they badly want all of that and more, even if they don't know it yet.

In-game they can sleep with each other, which is basically the foundation of the normal Tav/Astarion romance. Lae'zel saw him during combat and got horny, who knows. Astarion who's used to luring people with his charms, takes up Lae'zel's blunt offer because she's a strong hardened warrior that can provide protection and be a worthy ally, and he doesn't know how to say no. Navigating the complications between one who wants to be seen beyond as a sex object, and one who comes from a totally alien culture with no concept of love/family/connections and only sex is honestly really compelling to me. It's a transactional, mutually beneficial thing with no emotional expectations. Once you get past the skeevy rockiness of their early relationship, I really like the idea of them slowly seeing something past the exterior and realizing they may have harshly misjudged the other, an unspoken friendship blooms, and in comes the realization that they are essentially loners longing for kindness and a comforting touch in the most desperate of situations.

Lae'zel is prideful, direct, has no sense of courtship talk, and doesn't hold back her thoughts the slightest--she's not sweet/agreeable and what you see is really what you get, which I imagine would be disarming for Astarion who's used to vacuous flattery and has difficulty trusting others. But she's also insanely protective, passionate, loyal, and an initiator-- every romance scene is triggered by her first and she's always showing effort towards her relationships, which would mesh well with Astarion who does need someone to nudge him.

She doesn't purposely suppress her feelings, she's just simply at loss at how to express them sometimes due to her wildly different upbringing. She stops the sparring match you agree to and an easy vulnerability slips instantly out of her: "I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you, and for you to protect me." and "Thus far I've taunted you, devoured you, battled you. Now I want more than anything to soothe you." are romantic as fuck and Astarion of all people really needs to hear that tbh.

Astarion is also someone who struggles with reinforcing his boundaries, and a key theme in Lae'zel's romance is that she encourages and wants you to challenge her and learn to stand your ground. It's not gentlest method, but hey, relationships are about having to make an effort to learn each other's language.

I think he also would take pleasure "educating her on the matters of Fay-run" (I believe there's a whole banter with him teasing her and teaching her pet names) and would get a kick out of coaxing Lae'zel out of her shell with her shyness at showing public affection, and making her blush. Also it simply would be fucking funny to see Astarion who's used to easy seduction, trying to pass a persuasion check just to get a smooch and generally having to work to earn regular kisses from Lae'zel lmfaooo

Lae'zel also initially struggles to see her chains as chains. When she learns about Vlaakith's betrayal, she copes instantly through denial and shuts it down. Astarion is NOT having it and calls her out, he knows her well enough to recognize that she would value blunt honesty above all.

I imagine he also despises her lack of self-preservation, the way her entire identity is tied to duty and being in service of others, and doesn't understand her desire to still help/liberate the people that want her dead and are hunting her down. He wants to make this duty-bound soldier realize that looking out for herself, and putting herself first may not be the worst thing in the world.

They're so similar to each other but are also polar opposites in some ways that make a more equal, balanced romance I think. It's not a simple, one-sided, feel-good "she/he can fix her/him" fantasy because both of them have to earn each other's love, actually cut through the other's flaws, and actively motivate each other to be better versions of themselves.

They're not at all the other's ideal guiding hand. It's rough, jagged, and imperfect, but that's how healing goes. It's so far from being the healthiest relationship -- but even if their belief systems differ, their moral compass does often align. I imagine it's a slight relief for them to have a partner where there would be less shame and judgment when they expectedly, occasionally slip up and fall into their bad habits.

Also, man, the "You showed me the betweens and beyonds. Beyond war and peace, beyond passion and obsession, most importantly, you showed me freedom.", "First you were my wound, now you were my cure.", "But you saw something else in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago.." lines really hit hard when applied to them.

Of course, they can also make each other worse, feed into the other's negative traits that will bring out the worst part of themselves. It's this duality of their pairing that is very interesting to explore, the way it can steer in either direction because it's an intense, fraught relationship at its core.

[residentinsomniacartist]

wait wait wait guys have you ever thought about how the Mighty Nein are everything they shouldn’t be upon first glance

no no guys guys listen to me they’re all the antithesis of what they’re meant to be and that’s why they’re such amazing and heartfelt characters

like, Caleb is a wizard who’s afraid of his own fire magic. his own power causes him to falter in battle. his strongest spells are his most dangerous to himself. wizards are supposed to be prideful of their magic, but Caleb’s is the reason he hates himself

Beau is a monk who never wanted to be. her job is one that people normally associate with being calm and collected and Beau was a wild rebellious kid who got dragged into this line of work against her will. she never wanted to be this!! but now she is and she’s gotta deal with it!!

Fjord is a warlock who never wanted power from his pact, which is why you’d think a warlock would make their pact at all. but no. Fjord made his pact because he wanted to live, not because he wanted power. he was a scared orphan who hated his tusks, not a buff, muscled, angry half-orc like people assumed

Nott is NOT, that’s the whole crux of her narrative! she wasn’t pretty, like a halfling girl was supposed to be. she wasn’t a goblin, she was just transformed into one. and not only that, but despite being a three-foot-tall alcoholic kleptomaniac, she’s the mom of the group!

Jester is a Cleric whose god isn’t actually a god and who would much rather bash bad guys over the head with her lollipop than have to stop and heal her friends!! she’s a bubbly, optimistic ray-of-sunshine, but you know when she says she’s gonna change the world with friendship she means it as a threat

Mollymauk is an amnesiac, but he doesn’t want to remember who he was. if you ask him, that wasn’t him! he might be a flirtatious hedonistic carnie, but he’s also single-mindedly devoted to making the world a better and more loved place than it was when he found it. he’s a liar, but he means well. he’s an arrogant fool, yes, but he’s right! he did it! he left it better!

Caduceus seems like he’d be creepy and grim from growing up in a graveyard, but he’s actually the most chill out of the entire Nein by far. he’s calm, he’s sweet, and he’s comforting, more than anything else. you’d think he’d be amazed by seeing the outside world for the first time, but he spends the whole time knowing that one day he’ll return home, that he wasn’t supposed to be the one to leave

Yasha is a barbarian with skeletal wings and a dramatic, monochromatic look, but she’s a complete sweetheart. she’s Molly’s best friend, she was a carnival bouncer, she’s a lesbian disaster who collects pressed flowers in a book out of love for the wife she lost. those black wings were actually hiding soft white feathers

Essek was born straight into the den of politics, he was a spymaster, he literally started a war for his own gain, and yet. he’s sounds irredeemable on paper, but. he’s not!! sure, the Nein kind of have to drag his alignment kicking and screaming into neutral, but they manage it. Essek learns and grows and he overcomes his nature. he becomes good, against all odds

guys guys guys don’t you see it!! look at them!!they’re such compelling characters!! they’re everything they’re not supposed to be!! dude y’all how didn’t I realize this earlier!! they subvert their narratives in the most interesting ways ever and I justhshsbhshshsjnsmshsnhsfn!!

[sweet-s0rr0w]

Vintage Drarry Fics

Thought I'd put together a list of some of the old Drarry 'classics' of my teenage years, for anyone interested. All posted between 2001-2006, compiled using my (bad) memory, a lot of googling, fanlore.org and numerous different LJ rec accounts (including the incredible @capiturecs). I checked as best I could, but if anyone knows of any fics that their author doesn't want to be shared, please let me know and I will of course remove.

Please also note that these fics are of their era, when attitudes may have been different, and they may not all be grammatically perfect. I haven't reread all, as my own tastes have changed, but most importantly do note that they may not be tagged - don't blame me when, for example, Harry dies tragically on a rooftop at sunrise...

Hogwarts Era (mostly 5th-7th year)

A Thousand Beautiful Things by Duinn Fionn/geoviki (M, 105k)

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend.

All Bets Are Off by Allegra (R, 53k)

I am SICK of Good-little-innocent!Harry...Enter Playboy!Harry and his Overinflated Ego, a challenge, a bet, a couple of Really Cunning Plans - and there you have it, "Forty days and forty nights", Hogwarts style. Mayhem ensues! 

Angels and Devils by beren (E, 52k)

Harry defeated Voldemort and his act of heroism is famous throughout the wizarding world. He's trying to finish his final year at Hogwarts in peace, but, thanks to the method he chose to destroy The Dark Lord, something peculiar is happening to him, something he never would have expected. It's all rather embarrassing and making his life very complicated.

Artful Facade by Sky Sorceress (T, 66k)

Sometimes you fly too close to the sun and lose your wings. With sixth year approaching, the danger Harry seeks can be found only in the form of Draco Malfoy. What follows is a twist in the line between hatred, love, and need.

Beautiful World by Cinnamon/Lissadiane (M, 70k)

Harry finds out he's going to die on his 16th birthday. He embarks on a journey of self-destructive behaviour and drags Draco along for the ride. 

Beneath You by Cinnamon/Lissadiane (M, 113k)

Draco had no idea that the repercussions of stealing Potter's journal and shoving it down the back of his trousers would be so extreme.

Bond by AnnaFugazzi (M, 173k)

It seems 95% of H/D writers feel compelled to write a "Harry And Draco Are Forced To Be Together By Something Beyond Their Control And Then Unlikely Stuff Happens That Leads To Twoo Wuv" story. Count me among the 95% ;)

Checkmate by Naadi Moonfeather (T, 245k)

Draco has the perfect plan to get Harry Potter and challenges him to a game of Dare Chess. But is it love, or betrayal, he has in mind?

The Cicatrix Cycle by Ivy Blossom (NC-17, long!)

Three parts: Origins, Haven, Belong

Draco In Darkness by Plumeria (T, 41k)

Following an accident in his seventh year, Draco loses his eyesight. After Harry elbows his way into Draco's dark world, both boys find themselves in a strange new friendship, and they each learn new ways to see each other … and themselves.

Eclipse by PhoenixSong/Mijan (T, 287k)

"You're dead, Potter... I'm going to make you pay..." Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But, when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back. 

Friend Like Me by Lady Vader (M, 11k)

Draco's rendition of the love story that never was.

How Harry Potter Got His Groove Back by Durendal/Eleveninches (R, 12k)

Snape tries to hang himself, Draco enters an alternate reality, and Harry Gets a Clue. Humor, SLASH, naughty language, and other Evil Things. Harry/Draco, Snape/James/Lucius.

Irresistible Poison by Rhysenn (PG-13, 124k)

Under the influence of a love potion, Draco learns that poison doesn't always bring death -- there are other ways to suffer and live. Chemical emotion runs feverish as Harry and Draco discover the intoxication of love.

Lettered by pir8fancier (M, 7.8k)

Harry has a secret penpal, whose identity is as plain as the nose on his face. Except he's not wearing his glasses.

Love Under Will by Aja (R, 116k)

In their 5th year, Harry and Draco choose to be with one another; but the story--and the battle-- is just beginning...

playing the game, living the lie by Abaddon (R, 159k)

Set in Sixth Year, both the wizarding and Muggle worlds are threatened as Voldemort plans a final revenge. Past, present and future collide as all must consider where their loyalties lie; who they are, and who they want to be. Amidst it all, Harry and Draco begin a dangerous journey of understanding. Is it possible to leave everything you thought you were behind?

Resolution by Frances Potter (R, 322k)

When you've spent six years fighting evil, all you really want is a quiet time. But when your name is Harry Potter the chances of that are very slim. A series of vignettes chronicling Harry's final six months at Hogwarts. Exams, friends, lovers, Quidditch, the war and Draco all conspire to make the year end seem a very long way away.

Seamus is Seamus and You are Yourself by Ari Munami (PG-13, 31k)

Harry goes through some er... changes in his Sixth Year and everyone, including Draco Malfoy, sits up and takes notice.

Snakes and Lions by GatewayGirl (M, 139k)

When Ron and Hermione get together, they notice only each other. A nightmare prompts Harry to return alone to the empty Chamber of Secrets, and leads to a new look at an old enemy. Harry enjoys the company, but with Bellatrix Lestrange actively hunting him, how far can he trust a Death Eater's son?

Something Impossible by epicylical/Cassandra Claire (PG, 6.4k)

As punishment for an act of vandalism, Draco is forced to perform three tasks to win Harry's forgiveness - only they don't turn out to be exactly the kind of tasks he'd been expecting. With wet shirtless Draco, paint-covered Harry, and Proust-reading Goyle.

Transformation by amalin (E, 98k)

In Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, he must face the consequences of the attack on the Department of Mysteries and the effects of Voldemort's return. And in doing so, he finds that even your enemies can teach you valuable lessons—about the world, and about yourself.

Walking the Line by SilentAuror (E, 179k)

Sixth year is over and Draco Malfoy is on the run. The war is on and an unwanted assignment is forced upon him by the only people he trusts - and a one-time arch-enemy just may be out to kill him.

Post-Hogwarts

Adagio in G Minor by furiosity (NC-17, 18k)

Seven years after Hogwarts and the war, life continues in the wizarding world. Draco Malfoy is rich, bored, and slightly jaded. Harry Potter is famous, busy, and somewhat disillusioned. They've not seen each other since school ended. What would happen if they were to cross paths again? What if it involved music?

Big Dick, Come Quick [PDF] by Calanthe (NC-17, 204k)

Draco’s got a theory. About sex. And after much searching for the right candidate, it appears that only Harry Potter, his life long enemy, can help him test it out.

Draco's Escort Service by Cheryl Dyson/dysonrules (15, 12k)

Draco's job is to escort travelers through the dangerous, war-torn countryside. Harry Potter is forced to hire him, but his destination isn't quite what Draco expected.

Left My Heart by Emma Grant (E, 85k)

Auror Draco Malfoy has disappeared, and Harry Potter has been sent to San Francisco to find him. 

Malfoy, P.I. by Nancy (R, 60k)

"I'm Draco Malfoy, private investigator. I've seen a lot--I mean a lot, and I'm like sweet seventeen a lot. I thought I'd seen it all, until a pair of green eyes stepped into my office." A noir AU set in L.A. where passion and magic collide. Slashy and sexy.

Queen of Hearts by scoradh (E, 65k)

A spectre is haunting Harry - the responsibility of his destiny. It looms over his future and, more importantly, over the future of his friends. Harry is determined to exorcise this spectre for the greater good, but on the way, he enters into a few unholy alliances.

Tissue of Silver by fearlessdiva (R, 76k)

A love story concerning possessed furniture, black silk pyjamas, courtroom drama, premonitions of doom, assassination attempts, Death Eater yoga, absinthe, bare feet and a sensible werewolf.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by November Snowflake (M, 58k)

When the long-missing Draco Malfoy turns up at a Ministry field hospital with amnesia, bitter Auror Harry Potter must confront the shadows of their shared past to shed light on a potentially deadly mystery.

Transfigurations by Resonant (E, 71k)

Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

[trentsgirl]

— 🤍 ⋆⭒˚｡⋆ (part two to stupidly in love with you)

⟡ summary: after being banned from the next match, jude decided to drown his sorrows in alcohol. as you accompanied him on his way home, he shared something with you.

⟡ content: friends to lovers, very fluffy, mentions of kissing, no cliffhanger this time, around nine hundred words.

⟡ streaming: better by zayn.

⟡ masterlist, part one, part two.

escorting jude back to his home was quite tiring and draining. it felt like you had walked for ages until you finally managed to get him to bed.

jude quickly fell asleep, dozing off as soon as his head touched the pillow. you couldn’t help but smile softly at the sound of his snores, although it quickly faded as you noticed the mess in his room.

being someone who values cleanliness, you promptly began tidying up jude’s room, making sure to be as quiet as possible. you didn’t want to risk waking him, especially considering how intoxicated he was. you didn’t want him to start rambling endlessly again.

after folding the last of the numerous t-shirts strewn on the floor, you closed the closet and were just about to leave his room when jude unexpectedly grabbed your wrist as you walked by the bed.

you were taken aback as jude quietly uttered, “don’t go..”

you couldn’t fathom how jude had sensed your intention to leave, but you knew he wouldn’t provide a clear explanation as he was about to drift off to sleep again.

“uhm, jude, i need to head home. it’s really late.” you whispered, trying to gently release his hold on your wrist, but was left astonished by his strength even in his drowsy state.

jude struggled to contain his emotions and actions, but he was certain about one thing - he wanted you to stay with him. he longed for your presence, not just tonight, but every night.

“don’t leave, please..” he murmured, his eyes opening to reveal a pleading gaze that instantly melted your hopeless heart.

jude was your achhilles’ heel, and you despised the power he held over you.

typically, you wouldn’t hesitate to share a bed with jude. it had occurred a few times during your friendship, like on vacations or when he traveled for football.

however, this time was different. because this time he confessed his feelings for you.

but, seeing him so vulnerable was agonizing, and it pained you physically.

in a moment of weakness, you gave in, sighing as you slipped under the covers. thhe warmth from both the blanket and jude’s body heat enveloped you.

he wasted no time in clinging to you and you made no effort to push him away, exuding excitement like a little boy who had just been given candy. your heart started racing, and heat crept up your cheeks. there was no way you could drift off to sleep in this state.

the room fell into a brief silence before jude broke it, his voice sounding more alert. “i wasn’t lying, you know... when i said i love you.”

his voice resonated with such sincerity that it tugged at your heart. as you lay on your side, your gaze fixated on the man who held your deepest affections. the intensity in his eyes implored you to trust him, to believe in his words.

curiosity compelled you to pose a question, testing the depths of his emotions. “when did you first realize that you loved me?” you inquired.

without hesitation, jude responded with unwavering honesty. “i’ve loved you for longer than i care to admit, y/n. perhaps it was that night we spent together in greece, or the time you told me i was the one you trusted most. but i was afraid of ruining what we had, or lose you, so i kept my feelings to myself.”

his heartfelt admission crashed over you like a powerful wave, leaving you stunned and overwhelmed. your cheeks flushed, and you found it difficult to maintain eye contact, fearing that your emotions would be too transparent.

for years, you had convinced yourself that jude would never view you in a romantic light.

he had been involved with other women, introducing you to so many that you had lost all hope for a romantic connection between the two of you.

the realization that jude reciprocated your feelings brought both a sense of bliss and trepidation. it was a mix of emotions - the joy of knowing that you no longer had to conceal your love, and the fear of what this newfound vulnerability might entail.

“you won’t ruin or lose me,” you assured him, reclaiming your gaze and locking it with his. determined to convey your reciprocal feelings, you boldly caressed his cheek, bridging the distance between your lips.

a sudden hitch in his breath revealed his anticipation and exhilaration coursing through his veins.

“you’ll always have me, jude.” you whispered before finally uniting your lips with his, cherishing the electrifying sensation that passed between you.

jude’s initial surprise quickly faded as he responded with equal fervor. he settled the rhythm of the kiss into a tranquil and unhurried rhythm, as if he wanted to savor every moment. it became evident that jude had no intention of letting you slip away after this. he was determined to make you his, forever.

the sensation of his lips against yours surpassed any expectations you had. it felt like pure bliss, surpassing even your wildest imagination. in this moment, you wished that time would stand still, never allowing you to return to a time before experiencing the euphoria of his kiss.

with a gentle separation, you finally uttered the words he longed to hear:

“i love you too.”

jude’s face broke into a triumphant grin, his heart leaping with joy. he had sensed your reciprocation from the moment your lips met, but he couldn’t contain his excitement.

lovingly pressing a kiss against the tip of your nose, he responded with a tender smile, “i know, baby. i know.”

[alwaysakin]

The Vampire Diaries Universe Fic Recs

Once again putting my unhealthy amount of fanfic knowledge to good use. Here's my list (non-exhaustive) of the best vampire diaries & originals fanfics. Includes Klaroline, Bamon, Kolvina, and more.

Bamon Fics

Before I Take My Flesh Away by Orig1n - the fic where Bonnie and Damon are comically bonded, and she hops around in his timeline pre (and during) the series. Tragically unfinished, but completely incredible! Kudos for developing Stefan and Damon as brothers and making me not hate Lily Salvatore. Also love the Arthurian lore.

if you love me (don't let go) by sarcastic_fina - this is a heartbreaking deconstruction of Bonnie and her victim mentality, and shows the strength of not only her romantic relationship with Damon, but her friendships with Caroline, Matt, and Tyler. So sad, but so good!

Bloodstone by cactusfinch - Bonnie time travels to 1864 (with all the problems entailed). Her relationship with Damon is done well here, and her friendship (sort of!) with Katherine is fun as hell.

rest for the wicked (hope for the weary) by castelia - Damon and Bonnie go on a road trip together after the prison word. I am a sucker for mutual pining, and this fic does it so well!

Fifty-Five Years by turningofflights - written from Elena's perspective, after she reads Bonnie's diary entries and learns how Bonnie and Damon fell in love. A bittersweet, believable love story for Bonnie and Damon.

Other Bonnie Bennett Ship Fics

The Edge of Night by Szajnie - a crossover between season 3 of the Originals and season 7 of the Vampire Diaries, where Bonnie goes to New Orleans. She's absolutely in her element here as the most powerful New Orleans witch, takes the supernatural world by storm, and everyone has a happier ending because of it (including her!). Absolutely love her friendships with Davina, Vincent, and Freya, and shout-out for being the only fic to make me care about Cami! Truly, this is great. The NOLA gang is the family Bonnie deserves, and the Bonnie/Klaus is so believable.

Kai Parket Screwed Us (Until Bonnie Bennett Screwed Him) by hysteriaww - exactly what it sounds like. Bonnie shows up to help Josie and Lizzie deal with the prison world and her and Kai's insane relationship weirds everyone out. Deals with the Gemini Coven in a really interesting way. Hilarious, and with mild Damon and Alaric bashing. BonKai.

Season One, Epsidoes One-Three by BorgiaBabe - a rewrite of the first three episodes of TVD with Bonnie as a proper main character. Her love interest is a softer Kai, and it's great! Bonnie really deserves better.

the night light hits off, turning kisses to bites by donutworry - an insane, dark, twisted Bonnie and Kai romance, where they're the only ones in the prison world from the start. I absolutely love the Gemini Coven lore in this fic.

Klaroline Fics

Make them bow by for_darkness_shows_the_stars - Klaus appears in season 1 of the vampire diaries. it's Klaroline, but still super gen, and all the characters get their own compelling arcs in it. Especially love the way Elena and Stefan are written.

One of A Kind, Two of a Kind, or the Three Musketeers by Phandancee74 - Caroline is an ancient nymph who was erased from memory by Malivore. She still helps the Mystic Falls gang out (and her relationship with Bonnie is great)! The Klaus/Caroline is angsty and lovely.

Calling on a Friend by Phandancee74 - 5 year old Josie gets Klaus's number. Shenanigans ensue. Short and cute as hell.

Sanctuary in their Hearts by thatsanotherlovestory - Caroline leaves before the season 8 wedding, and heads to New Orleans with Klaus. A fun story, but still so sad Bonnie didn't get her happy ending in it. The twins are so cute in this.

Let's do the Time Loop again! by kcatdino - on the night of the sacrifice, both Klaus and Caroline get stuck in a time loop. It's so funny to watch them get more and more deranged.

sweet present of the present by VintageLilac - it's Caroline, not Rebekah, who raises Hope while New Orleans is at war. I absolutely love Katherine in this fic, and though Hayley gets the short end of the stick it's written quite well.

The Wolf by Yokan - a witch version of Caroline is the one pregnant with Klaus's baby in the originals. And while season 1 doesn't change a lot because of it, the later one's definitely do! I love the Klaus and Caroline relationship, and Caroline & Elijah friendship.

Elena Gilbert-Centric Fic

The stars were brightly shining by adlyb - a fic where Elena is pregnant with Klaus's baby. It's so hard to describe! A little twisted, a little sweet, and a thorough depiction of Elena's mental state.

The Forgotten by MissNMikaelson - Elena time travels and gets dropped in the middle of Klaus and Kol's war in New Orleans, circa 1914. The flashback scenes in the fic are great! Eventual Kol/Elena.

blame it on the stardust by allwritenow - the fic that looks into if Elena's doppelganger nature affected her more. And a truly beautiful Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena friendship.

Off by a Single Degree by Tarroko - when Elena's phone dies, Damon walks her home and never compels away her memories, and her parents never die. This softer, sweeter Elena is so believable, and I love the way canon immediately shifts. Amazing development of her parents, Anna, and Enzo. Delena.

Katherine Pierce Centric Fic

afflictions eclipsed by glory by passionesque - in 1864, right after the fire in Mystic Falls, Elijah finds Katherine. They team up together against Klaus. This deals with Katherine's trauma and cunning so well! A slow build to Elijah/Katherine, involving him acknowledging his faults.

General Mystic Falls Gang Fics

in another life (i would let you go) by sarcastic_fina - Elena wakes up in a world where she isn't the doppelganger and no one knows her. An interesting deconstruction of the affects she's had on her friends.. Manages to be both Elena-bashing and sympathetic at the same time. Minor Steroline and Bamon.

Originals Family Feels

It All Comes Crumbling Down by AlwaysAkin - can I do a self-rec? I'm doing a self-rec. Hope is born a century earlier, and grows up in New Orleans with the Mikaelsons. I'm particularly proud of my Hope-Marcel bond and young!Hope voice in this one.

A Twist Through Time by fandom_lover_101 - Hope is sent back in time to the Vampire Diaries season 3. She messes everything up. Absolutely love the slow Hope & Klaus relationship built here, and her friendship with Elena is cute too. Minor Klaroline, Delena, and Handon.

Always & Tomorrow by Viretta - another tragically unfinished fic. Set after Hope jumps into Malivore in Legacies, it involves the dead Mikaelsons being resurrected, and the kids from the Salvatore School travelling to New Orleans (with a newly activated tribrid Hope). This is a Mikaelson family story in the bloodiest, best way. Has Handon and Klaroline in addition to the canon originals couples.

if no one in the entire world cared about you (did you really exist at all?) by nevermore_evermore - Elijah is erased from the minds of everyone he loves. Kol is (eventually) there to help him through it. An interesting take on Elijah's place in the family.

A Million Mistakes by mon-amour-eternel - a fic where Caroline is also an original, and her and Klaus are Marcel's parents. Sadly unfinished, especially considering the rarity of Marcel-centric fic!

But Stand Brave, Life-Liver by crownjrose - A Hayley-centric fic! Her foster parents come to New Orleans and see the way her life turned out. Interesting closure for Hayley, and a sweet Klaus/Hayley relationship.

Kolvina Fic

(finally) you and me are the lucky ones by yorkes - a long one-shot where Kol and Davina are soulmates. It's cute as hell! And Kol and Davina really grow into each other in this one.

The Vixen and the Fox by BlueBooThalassophile - be warned, this read is long as hell. But it's also great. Davina time travels to the Vampire Diaries season 4, gets involved in the fight against Silas, and everything goes sideways immediately. Love Davina's friendship with Hayley and bond with Marcel in this one. Every character in both shows appears in this one.

[shinidamachu]

Do you think Kikyo should’ve been nicer to Kagome and thanked her for all those times she saved her? Some of the fandom even thinks she owed her Spiritual training as well, what do you think?

To me, the thing about Kagome and Kikyo's rivalry is that it felt very one sided. Obviously, they both had extremely valid reasons to hate each other's guts at first — reasons that go beyond Inuyasha —, but Kikyo was the only one actually acting on it.

And she kept doing it even after Kagome has proved, time and time again, that she can be trusted and that she is in no way deserving of Kikyo's hatred.

I think that was a great dynamic because Kagome and Kikyo parallel each other so well: while Kagome was strugling with her own feelings in order to understand Kikyo's and accept her as a part of Inuyasha's life...

...Kikyo was fighting to do the exact opposite and hold on to her grudge. You can tell it by the way she can recognize what Kagome's true intentions were but still belittle her for it and refuse to say anything nice to her face.

It's a extremely compelling "yin and yang" sort of thing that worked very well at the start. What happened was that, at a certain point, Kagome has done so much for Kikyo that any ressentment towards her just felt a little ridiculous.

And I'm not even saying Kikyo should've been nicer and thanked Kagome. I think it's perfectly okay for a female character to dislike another. They don't have to be friends just because they're women, especially when there's so much bad blood between them.

In fact, I don't think there's room for a canon friendship there without it feeling awkward and forced — even though Kagome was obviously trying. I also think Kikyo being nice and thanking Kagome would be out of character and honestly a little underwhelming.

After everything that happened, a simple "thank you" doesn't even begin to cover. And as much as Kagome deserved to hear it, she didn't do anything because she wanted to be the better person or for Kikyo to be in debt with her. She did it because she's a good person and therefore will always do the right thing.

In my opinion, it wasn't exactly to Kagome that Kikyo owed anything, but to the narrative, as a way to earn her so called redemption by being held accountable for her actions, which she never really was.

Rather than Kikyo being nicer to Kagome, I think it would've been much better for both characters if Kagome was allowed to tell Kikyo off every now and then without it being an illusion.

And rather than Kikyo thanking Kagome, it would've been way more natural and meaningful for her to die saving Kagome's or Inuyasha's life instead of Kohaku's. It would've shown more regret and gratitude than any words ever could. Everything would come full circle — since she tried to kill them both while they were only trying to save her — and her closure would feel actually earned.

As for the spiritual training thing, I see where people are coming from and in another universe I think it would've been totally cool for them to have a dynamic like Aang and Roku had in Avatar, but again: it doesn't really work in canon.

More importantly: it goes against a theme that was introduced very earlier in the show, which is Kagome being her own person, doing her own thing, aside from Kikyo.

We literally see her trying to channel Kikyo's powers and failing...

...Then just being herself and succeeding:

If anyone was obligated to train her, that's Kaede, but particularly I like the idea of Kagome being self taught and making the moves up as she goes even better. I think it adds a lot to her character, I just wished Takahashi had explored it properly.

Plus, let's be honest: Kagome was doing a fine job on her own. Kikyo was the one making her life a thousand times harder by coming up with those nonsensical plans. In the end of the day it wasn't Kagome who needed Kikyo to defeat Naraku, but rather Kikyo who needed Kagome.

That being said, if Kikyo were to be nicer and thank someone, I think that person should've been Inuyasha and I will die on this hill. He was risking everything he had because she guilt tripped him into thinking he owed it to her.

"You came for me, that is enough" was not a thank you nor an apology. I can understand her reluctance when it comes to Kagome, but I can't justify her treatment of Inuyasha. Not when she was supposed to love him.

[yumenoberu]

Baby Steps

Kyoya Ootori x fem!reader (kind of Gen)

summary: Middle school 3rd year Kyoya Ootori lives through another mundane day. Bored from the dull lectures, he distracts himself, scanning the classroom and sees Y/n. Compelled by the elegant scene he is witnessing, he picks up his pen and starts sketching. Could it be that our young Shadow King is displaying an innocent act of fascination, with maybe even a twinge of affection for the girl?

word count: 1.8k words

warnings: none!!

published: 10/20/24

author’s note: I liked the idea of exploring the version of Kyoya that was more expressive because he was just developing back in middle school. Also always wanted to see the artistic side of him depicted more, cuz even if we don’t see it besides his solo episode, it exists! Anyways, this one is more of a gen fic rather than a romantic one but I’m sure you can see it can lead to something much more, it’s cute!! Hope this one brings a smile to your face like it did for me ☺️

The clock tower chimed, signaling the next set of classes after the lunch break. The students of Ouran Middle School’s 3rd year Class A break up their fleeting conversations and file back to their assigned seats, each readying themselves to endure another few grueling hours of class discussions and worksheet completion.

The day had been relatively mundane for Kyoya, aside from the occasional disruption of his peace by none other than his lovable moron of a best friend, Tamaki, there was nothing in his day that particularly stood out to him. The topics tackled during class, he understood right away, he had no homework or projects that had to be done, and so the only thing that was worth looking forward to was… Well, if he thought about it, he wouldn’t come up with anything.

Suffice to say, Kyoya was bored.

“Ms. Jounoichi, kindly read the 3rd paragraph out for us.” The teacher in front instructed.

“Yes, Sir.” Ayame swiftly replied as she stood from her seat and recited the passage from her textbook.

Out of sheer disinterest from the topic, Kyoya passively listened and let the other half of his mind ponder on any vanishing thought.

His eyes traveled from across the room aimlessly, mindlessly looking for something to distract him from his boredom. His gaze eventually landed on the window on the other side of the room and onto Y/n L/n’s desk.

Kyoya was never close to Y/n. Even though they’ve been classmates since he’d first attended Ouran Academy, both of them had always been reserved and quiet, and so neither of them had made efforts to get acquainted with the other.

It remained that way until their dynamic drastically shifted that very year when Tamaki waltzed into their lives.

The guy seemed to behold a certain power to connect with even the most difficult people. Kyoya could attest to this, as he himself was brought out by the bubbling blonde. Y/n was similarly reached out by Tamaki and soon enough, the trio formed an iconic friendship.

But even when that was the case, Kyoya and Y/n were still closed off from each other. Tamaki was clearly the only common ground between them.

Kyoya was comfortable with the arrangement. Though, he knew that Y/n was starting to make moves to genuinely befriend him; He wasn't ready to break down his walls to a friend of a friend just yet, nor was he willing to acknowledge that it was his own stubbornness that’s causing this strain.

His thoughts simmered down, focusing instead on observing her. He noticed she looked identically disinterested, judging by how she silently tapped her fingers against her blank notebook, as she drew out shallow breaths and watched the front with glossed eyes.

She was sitting perfectly still, so much so that one can even mistake the scene he was witnessing with a framed image.

As Kyoya continued, he paid attention to how perfectly the lighting from the window next to her illuminated her features.

The afternoon sun shone on her like a spotlight. From her side profile, the light that bounced off of her hair almost formed a halo over the crown of her head. Her eyes radiated, its color brightened by the day. Her nose, casted a tiny shadow over the side accentuating the contour of her cheeks. Her lips, charmingly pinkish and rounded. Stray hairs peeking from the sides of her head glinted like mirrors, perfectly framing her delicate face.

He wasn’t going to admit it to himself, but it was indeed a stunning sight.

Turning back to his own desk, Kyoya casually picks up his neglected pen and his unused notebook, bringing the stationary up closer to his chest, turning back to Y/n’s direction and begins sketching.

The nib of the pen gently glides across the smooth surface of the paper, creating thin lines that comprise the outline of his drawing. His eyes slowly switch between the notebook and the subject, carefully examining and then applying, repeating this process a number of times in an attempt to capture the scene with flawless accuracy.

He continues on for the remainder of the class. Jotting down all the little details with intention, his mind completely detached from the lecture. He was focused, dedicated to completing his render.

Eventually the end of the day approaches, their last class concludes, they bid their teacher farewell, and the class is dismissed.

Kyoya peeks at the portrait of Y/n he made for a final time before packing his belongings. He reaches for his school bag and grabs his notebook to shut it closed but then it’s unexpectedly pulled out of his hands.

Surprised, he looks to his right, looking up at the culprit and sees Tamaki.

“Tamaki. What are you-“ Kyoya starts, questioning him for his actions but is cut off.

“I didn’t know you could draw so we’ll…” Tamaki admires the drawing, voiced uncharacteristically hushed in his awe.

“Hey Y/n!” Before Kyoya could explain, Tamaki skips happily toward his other best friend on the other side of the room while flailing the notebook in the air.

At this point, Kyoya knew it was best to not interfere with the blonde’s antics, knowing he’ll just be putting himself in an even more troublesome spot if he showed any apprehensiveness toward the situation. Even so, he can’t help but feel flustered and irritated. He could do nothing now but stay silent, gauge her reaction, and come up with a logical explanation for his actions—as he himself couldn’t pin down what exactly compelled him to draw her.

“Y/n!!”

Y/n placed her pencil case back on her desk, turning to the voice that called out her name.

It was Tamaki of course. She grinned immediately as she saw him enthusiastically skipping his way over, waving a pocket-sized notebook over his head.

“Tamaki,” She fondly greeted him. She gives him a questioning look afterward, prompting him to say whatever he needed to.

“Look at this, is it just wonderful?” He handed the aforementioned notebook to her, helping her flip through the pages to find what exactly he wanted to show her.

“What is it, Tamaki?” She inquired while he frantically flipped through the pages.

“Hold on a second,” He scrunched his face in determination, “Ah! Here! Take a look.”

Y/n eyes fall onto her sketched portrait, lightly touching over the lines and examining the little details as her eyes widen, mouth opens, and cheeks flush in admiration.

Tamaki smiles at her reaction, throwing in a little complement at how cute he finds it.

“So, what do you think?” He beams and fixes his position, moving from her right side and stands behind her, propping his hands on her shoulder, leaning forward, and placing his chin on her head to get a good look at it too.

“It’s stunning, Tamaki… Did you make this?” She peers up, eyes sparkling in anticipation.

“Not me, Kyoya did!” Tamaki gives her a cheerful smile, letting her turn to Kyoya’s direction to call him over, only for them to see that the raven was already making his way over to them.

“Kyoya!” Tamaki jumps and brings his friend into a hearty embrace, earning an irritated glare and sigh of annoyance from him.

Tamaki backs away slightly and pouts and whines about his mon ami’s reaction.

Y/n looks up from the notebook and looks at Kyoya in a mix of confusion, surprise, and gratitude.

Trying his hardest to restrain the growing warmth traveling up his cheeks from the unexpected, positive reception of his work and initial embarrassment that came with it. Kyoya breaks the silence,

“I noticed you were sitting perfectly still for a while, and so I thought it would make a fine artwork.” Replying in a nonchalant manner, saying it as if he didn’t just indirectly compliment her.

“O-Oh..! Thank you, Ootori…” Y/n replies after a few awkward moments.

“It’s nothing to feel gratitude for, I was simply keeping myself occupied while the lecture went on.” He added cooly, pushing up his glasses trying to sound as convincing as he could.

He brings a hand up to take back his notebook wishing to make a quick escape but before he could reach it, but Y/n pulls it out of his reach. Startled by the sudden movement, he shoots her a questioning look.

“Wait!” She hesitates, “Is it alright if I take a picture of it? It’s masterful, I really like it.” She smiles sheepishly.

Even more baffled from her response, he says nothing for a few seconds, processing it all.

“Don’t bother, you can keep it…” He follows with a hushed voice.

She’s visibly taken aback by what he says but smiles at him nonetheless, joyfully thanking him as she proceeds to rip the page from the notebook, storing it between the pages of her own, and hands his notebook back.

“How generous of you, my friend!” Tamaki latches onto Kyoya again, throwing an arm around his shoulders and sways him from side to side.

“You don’t need to mention it,” He replies quietly, looking at the ground, lightly shoving Tamaki off of him and strolls out of the scene.

Y/n and Tamaki watch as he packs up and leaves, waving him goodbye as he exits the classroom, finally making his escape.

Unknown to the two, Kyoya was trying his best not to show the blush he knew was forming on his cheeks. He was nitpicking every word he exchanged with her just moments before, unbearably embarrassed and conflicted about his flusteredness, being equally confused about his own reaction.

He sighs to himself and shakes his head in exasperation, speed walking out of the building.

Back in the classroom, Tamaki and Y/n silently stared at the door he exited from.

“I never thought he would—“ Y/n started,

“Kyoya shows his care in his own way. He may not be the most expressive person in the world but he can be the most caring when he tries. Even if he doesn’t always outwardly show it.” Tamaki asserts, eyes still trained on the doorway where Kyoya left. Y/n surveys him, staying silent.

“This just proves that he does care about you, otherwise he wouldn’t spend his time working on that drawing of yours, would he? You have nothing to worry about my dear, just give him some time and he’ll open up to you eventually,” Tamaki smiles affectionately at her, patting her head and then her shoulders.

“Just have to be patient with him,” With that he leaves to retrieve his own things, waiting by the doorway to walk her out of class.

“You’re right…” Y/n huffs, as they stroll out the doorway.

“He’s quite difficult isn’t he, Tamaki.” She sighs, relaxing as she recalls Tamaki’s words.

‘It may not seem like much, but it’s a good start.’

She smiles and blushes ever so slightly at her thought, walking with a hop in her step as she and Tamaki leave the school building, content with the developments of the day.

masterlist

[markantonys]

bridgerton s3 part 2 thoughts! full spoilers for the whole season, and i will also discuss some book spoilers relating to the future siblings - i haven't read the books and never will, but i know the main points of most of the siblings' stories due to Existing Online. haha i also briefly discuss some wheel of time book spoilers because i was reminded of a certain WOT couple at one point in these episodes!

first things first: I AM SO EXCITED THAT WE GOT NOT ONE BUT TWO (2)!!!!!!!!! CANONICALLY QUEER BRIDGERTON SIBLINGS!!!! AND MY TWO FAVORITES, AT THAT!!!! but i will save that for discussion at the end of the post because it is BY FAR my favorite aspect of these episodes.

but even with that aside, i definitely liked this half a lot more than part 1! screentime felt more balanced and it didn't feel like the sideplots were eating up as much time as it did in part 1.

penelope and colin storyline

they were Fine to me in part 1, but their story was more compelling in this half since we moved on from bland run-of-the-mill childhood-friends-to-lovers and into the meaty and much more unique emotional drama of how penelope being lady whistledown affects their relationship. just as i'd hoped for! and i thought the pacing of this was pretty good too because colin found out early enough that he had enough time left in the season to react properly and work through it, rather than it being some 11th-hour reveal that's hastily swept aside to make way for the HEA. it was juuuuust when i was starting to feel that the "colin makes a hater comment about LW in front of penelope, causing her to look ill with anxiety" shtick was getting old that he found out the truth, so, pretty good timing.

colin was more interesting in this half due to wrestling with the whole "penelope is LW" reveal, but overall, in the season as a whole, he was kinda giving us nothing. they really dropped the ball on him because he just never at any point felt like the co-lead character of the season. for daphne & simon and kate & anthony it felt like a pretty balanced exploration of both characters as individuals on top of the romance, but this season it was 100% the penelope show and colin felt basically like a prop. and penelope's a great character and had great stuff this season, so i enjoyed all the time spent on her, but we needed more for colin to go along with it. after 8 episodes, i still don't feel i know much about who he is as a person besides that he's nice and loyal. although on the flipside, i have no problem with male characters whose entire personality is loving their wives haha i love that shit! so a warm welcome for colin into the Wifeguy Club!

speaking of wifeguys, time for my WOT connection, which is that penelope and colin were SO gawene-coded in a couple scenes that it actually killed me! colin's lil arc of feeling kinda jealous of/intimidated by penelope's power as LW at first and most importantly his "what use can i ever be to her when she's so self-sufficient and doesn't need anything from me?" worries, culminating in him realizing "if the only thing i do in my life is love and support such an incredible woman, i'll be completely satisfied" (paraphrasing), i was like, that is soooo TOM gawyn with egwene being amyrlin!!! and when penelope had that line to him about like "i don't need you to take care of me, i never loved you because of what you can do for me, but because you're kind" (paraphrasing) i gasped and clapped my hand to my forehead because it was almost exactly what i had egwene saying to gawyn in my fic chapter that i posted mere days ago!!!!! literally shook to my core haha i was the leo dicaprio pointing at the TV meme x10 in that moment.

eloise and cressida storyline

wonderful to see eloise and penelope's friendship mended! i thought that whole arc was really well done this season, and especially in this half when eloise is dealing with her ex-bff being engaged to her brother who doesn't know she's LW but eloise knows and feels caught in the middle, just lots of messy, complicated emotions in that whole situation and they did a great job with all that.

i really enjoyed cressida in the first half of the season, but in this half it felt like she got a bit too much time. she also kinda reverted back to her mean girl ways (though out of desperation rather than malice), which was less interesting than the different, softer side we saw from her in the first half and made her time in this half feel like more of a drag. but overall, she's a very layered character and the actress did a fantastic job with her, and in this half of the season i always understood why she was doing what she was doing and sympathized with her. it can't be said that she didn't fuck around and find out, but i still felt bad for her in the end! i really liked the moment when colin with his rose-tinted glasses was like "but your family will forgive you and all will be well!" because that's what family has always been like to him, and cressida was like "ummm no, some of us have shitty families and you bridgertons are too naive to realize that", it was a very good moment.

(i will also say, i know this is a highly unpopular opinion for a queer bridgerton fan to have, but i was never on the eloise/cressida train haha i can 100% see the vibes that others picked up on, but they just never did anything for me for whatever reason! i know eloise was the "obvious" choice for a wlw bridgerton but i personally am so SO thrilled that they went for francesca instead, i guess just because i connect so deeply with her character in a way i never have with eloise. also, now that i'm thinking about it, i think eloise vibes the most like aroace to me, i struggle to picture her having a relationship with *anyone* of any gender.)

other storylines

i'm so happy for violet and marcus!! crossing my fingers that we'll see more of them in s4 since their romance is only just budding; it would be so interesting to see him interacting with her kids and getting integrated into the family dynamic (and for us to meet his kids too! though i acknowledge we don't need MORE side characters haha). and i loved the danbury siblings scenes and them getting to the root of their childhood issues and working them out. and of course, violet and lady danbury continue to be THE best duo of all time <33 i adore their friendship so so much, i can't even describe how much!

we got more time with kate and anthony in this half, and all of it was perfect. they're gonna be parents!!!! though alas, it seems like they've made their final exit from the show with them going off to live in india for a while. sad to see them go, but not surprised at all. i see lots of book fans whining about the prior leads leaving and how it's weird for daphne to not be at her own brother's wedding etc, and i do agree that the show/family is gonna start feeling kinda empty as the older siblings & spouses exit, but that's just a necessity of this medium. you can't have main cast be contracted for 6 more seasons just to show up for 2 lines of dialogue per season and hang out in the background of wedding scenes. you can do that in a book, but you can't do it in a tv show. just something we have to live with! and a lot of the complaints take such a "how DARE these actors want to move on with their lives and do other projects instead of dropping everything to prioritize having a minor role on bridgerton for the rest of this decade" tone, which stinks of Fan Entitlement.

i am curious about what might become of penelope, because it sounds like she's kinda continuing whistledown but just as herself and in a more responsible manner that won't hurt people (tho idk how a gossip column can possibly NOT hurt anyone haha the whole "penelope shouldn't give up LW because it's Feminist and Empowering and Gives A Voice To The Voiceless" narrative kinda had me going X Doubt). update: i just saw an interview with the showrunner where she confirmed that penelope will be in s4 and have a storyline. nice!

the featheringtons had much less in this half which i was glad about and they were taken more seriously and not just treated as comic relief, and portia had some really good scenes with penelope.

there was also much less of the mondriches, which i was fine with; i'm very fond of them and enjoyed their stuff this season, but it felt appropriate that they took more of a backseat in this half. i was sad will had to give up the club though! it felt like he had to fully capitulate to the ton and give up his own work that he's passionate about in order to win the esteem of snobby aristocrats, which was a bummer. the showrunner interview mentioned we'll be seeing them again in s4 and will be seeing some more of will's friendship with benedict, so i'm happy about that!

NOW ONTO THE GAYS!!!!

we've all been yearning for bi benedict ever since s1, and i can't BELIEVE it actually happened!!!! i'm over the moon!!!! and i'm so glad i watched the episodes straightaway without having seen any spoilers first so i got to experience the "holy shit, are they............are they going where i think they're going????" adrenaline rush completely pure and unknowing. it was the absolute most wonderful surprise!!! i'll give a lil summary here for those who are curious about how much queer content there actually is.

so, in episode 7 (or maybe it was the end of 6?) benedict gets invited to dinner with his female FWB and her male friend, who turns out to be her other FWB. AS SOON AS this invitation was extended i was like "oho, is benedict going to be needing 3 tickets to challengers?" so imagine my delight when it turned out that indeed, the 2 FWBs invited him in hopes of a threesome! benedict has a very brief moment of connection with/attraction to the man, and then he gets propositioned, but he's flustered and leaves. he returns to talk to his own FWB the next day and she explains to him about bisexuality and he's like icarly interesting.jpg and says that he's met men who like other men in the past but that he himself has never felt attracted to a man "before" (implying that last night, he did, for the first time). he does some soul-searching and then leaves his own brother's wedding reception to go have a threesome, which is extremely biconic of him. (at the wedding he also gives eloise a nice speech about how love is infinite, in the context of her worrying that colin and penelope marrying each other means they'll have less time for her, but it vibed to me like benedict is poly as well as bi, but who knows if that will go any further than this FWB threesome situation; i'd imagine his endgame will still be a monogamous relationship, but you never know!)

this storyline concludes with the female FWB admitting that she's caught feelings for benedict and wants to become serious (and monogamous) with him, but he politely turns her down because he feels "free" for the first time and wants to keep exploring life and isn't interested in a serious relationship right now, and might not ever be. my only gripe with the storyline is that i wish the male FWB had been introduced an episode or two earlier so we could watch benedict building a connection with him and feeling a budding attraction for an episode or two before the initial threesome proposition occurs to trigger him to actually acknowledge that attraction; as it is, it all happens kind of abruptly and our boy speedruns his entire bi awakening in the span of a single episode, bless him lmao but i'm assuming neither FWB will appear in s4 (they felt like one-season characters to me), so if so, it's fine to not spend too much time developing those specific relationships. the Point of the storyline was for benedict to realize he likes men too and likes non-conventional relationships, and that was accomplished with flying colors!

later on there's reference to "next year's masquerade ball" and i know a masquerade ball is where benedict first meets his endgame love interest in the books, so it seems just about guaranteed that s4 will be about benedict's book. i'm super curious about what direction it will go in! in the book, it sounds like their trope is Forbidden Romance, with the forbidden aspect being class difference (he's an aristocrat and she's a servant), so adding some kind of queer element as an additional reason for why it's Forbidden feels like a viable option, especially after s3 took pains to establish that benedict is interested in queer/non-traditional relationships.

but what form might that hypothetical queer element take? a monogamous m/m romance with genderbent sophie? or could we see trans or genderqueer sophie, in line with the cinderella metaphors about masquerade and disguise and identity and presenting differently in different environments? or might they go for some kind of poly or open relationship endgame for benedict? i don't know! there's so many options! it's also entirely possible that sophie will remain a cis woman and benedict will have a monogamous endgame with her, which i would also welcome because it is actually VERY rare to see rep of bi people ending up very happy in monogamous different-gender relationships, while still remaining firmly bi (most of the time bi characters end up in same-gender relationships, or end up in different-gender ones while dismissing their prior same-gender attractions as just a phase, or are chaotic sluts who cheat because they aren't content with only being with one person).

now on to francesca. we know for 100% fact that her love interest has been genderbent into a woman, because she was introduced at the end of the final episode! so francesca's endgame love story is guaranteed to be wlw, which is so exciting! (for context, her book endgame love interest is john's cousin michael stirling, and in the show she met john's cousin michaela stirling, so that's how we know with 100% certainty.)

taking it back a bit to the rest of her story this season, we see her and john courting, then getting engaged and married in a small wedding at bridgerton house with just the family, because they both hate being the center of attention. it was all incredibly wholesome introvert4introvert content and i adored it!!!! kept going "this is literally my ideal marriage" during so many of their scenes haha

but there is somewhat of a question of, is francesca actually attracted to john/men in general? throughout the season and even after the introduction of michaela stirling, i assumed yes; francesca clearly adores john and states that she loves him, and her body language around him seemed to me to show attraction. but after finishing the season and reading discussion online, i saw people saying that francesca seemed disappointed with kissing john at their wedding (which i'd interpreted as her just feeling shy about kissing him in front of people) and that it was a marked contrast to how flustered and interested she is when she meets michaela. so for me, the jury's out on whether she's more bi-leaning or lesbian-leaning; now that i know canon wlw francesca is a thing, i'd need to rewatch the season again to analyze her behavior with john more closely to decide what vibe i'm getting there! because on first watch it wasn't even on my radar to consider that maybe she's not actually attracted to men.

i will admit, i would be kinda disappointed if she *isn't* truly in love with john, just for the fact that i found it so delightful and refreshing to see a quiet romance that's so different from the loud melodramatic ones, as is discussed many many times during francesca's storyline this season. and i did notice that francesca tripping over her words upon meeting michaela is exactly what violet had said she did when she first met her late husband, and violet was bringing this up to say "but your way of loving john is different from that and that's valid". so i definitely CAN imagine that maybe they're making a deliberate point here that, actually, the reason why francesca's love for john looks so different from other characters' for their spouses is because she does NOT in fact have spousal love for him, but rather platonic love that she's misinterpreted as romantic. but i would just be mildly annoyed if The Point turned out to be "actually, violet is right and True Romantic Love must always be flustering and tongue-tying and dramatic" lmao but that's a personal gripe for me as a very quiet person who loved seeing the type of romantic relationship i would prefer depicted with francesca and john; i can also see the counterargument that a storyline of a repressed lesbian trying to untangle her actual feelings from comphet and societal expectations would be very powerful and important! and particularly interesting to explore in this regency context.

now on to some bigger book spoilers. so from what i understand, in the books, john dies, leaving francesca as a widow, and her love story with michael is about dealing with grief and learning to open herself up to love again after loss. i've seen the argument that francesca actually being a lesbian who wasn't genuinely in love with john would cheapen this storyline, and i can see that point for sure, but otoh it's abundantly clear that she does have a very deep care and love for him regardless of whether or not it's romantic/sexual, so i think no matter what, we will still see her being very affected and pained by his death and struggling with guilt about falling for someone else (his cousin! a woman!) etc.

what i'm most curious about here is the timing! there was some leak that michaela's actress is allegedly booked as a small part in s3 and a main role in s4. i'd been wondering if maybe they would start combining books, but in the interview i read, the showrunner confirmed that the plan is still to do only one book/sibling per season, so it seems that s4 will only be benedict's book. which makes sense, because i believe in the books francesca is married to john for 2 years before he dies and then it's another few years before she starts romancing michael, so i'd guess s4 will just see francesca develop a friendship with michaela and then maybe john dies towards the end of the season, then we do a timeskip between seasons and s5 is about francesca and michaela. but then there's still eloise to contend with, maybe she would be s5 and francesca not until 6.

i really really hope we'll get some francesca-benedict bonding next season (or s5/6 depending on the timing of francesca having her gay realization; it seems still subconscious for her as of now) since they are officially The Queer Siblings!!! i need to see them find this out about each other and talk about it together and be confidants for each other. it will also be so fascinating to see violet & the other siblings react to a queer bridgerton endgame romance. violet wants her kids to be happy, but she sometimes struggles with realizing that what happiness looks like to them may not align exactly with what happiness looks like to her, so i could definitely see her needing to take a moment to readjust her perspective and realize that francesca not being able to legally marry michaela in a public manner known to all of the ton and have biological kids with her doesn't mean they can't be just as happy as her straight kids and their partners. (on that note, i remember that in the past people have suggested francesca could be a great candidate for a wlw bridgerton because her status as a widow allows her a lot more societal freedom than a never-married woman, so i love that the show went with her! i can totally see her endgame being that of a respectable widow living peacefully in the countryside with her Dear Friend.)

i remember straightaway francesca set off my gaydar in 3x01 when she was reluctant about entering the marriage mart and dismissive at the idea of finding True Love and going ??? when people asked what qualities she wanted in a husband, and there was a scene of her talking with other debutante girls and i went "man i would love it if she got a girlfriend" but never in a million years did i actually think that was a real possibility! so i'm SO thrilled that they're going there, and like i mentioned before i quite like that they went with the polite introvert sister instead of the outspoken rebel sister to be the gay one because it just feels like a subversion of expectations and stereotypes for me, and because all season i'd been seeing so much of myself in francesca and then, finding out she's gay like me!!!! cherry on top!! and then for michaela, in the books i believe michael is yet another rake, which the show sets up for michaela too with her joking about being even more scandalous than john's stories might make her out to be - the rake is the backbone of the regency romance genre, so getting to see a wlw version of the trope with a female rake is going to be SO much fun!! esp with the setup that francesca is fairly society-conforming as of now; michaela broadening her horizons could be something interesting to explore.

wow this post got super long lmao i'm just so excited! canon queer bridgerton siblings singlehandedly turned this show from "i casually enjoy it as a few hours of fun which i forget about soon after it's over" to "i'm literally frothing at the mouth i need the next season NOW" and That is the power of representation, baby!

[chickentnders]

I Think Katsuki is Going to Give Izuku His Quirk in the End

(rewritten here)

There are only two chapters left, so who knows, I haven't seen leaks, but I think there's some compelling evidence supporting the possibility that Katsuki will end up quirkless and Izuku will be given his quirk. And I felt like talking about it. Hi.

*Manga spoilers through chapter 428, Vigilantes, and the Heroes Rising movie*

In chapter 304, Izuku finds out that he's likely the last person who will ever hold One For All, since it can only be transferred to a quirkless person now. Izuku is the 9th, and final, user of OFA.

Except, the thing is, this isn't true.

I'd been going with the understanding that OFA can't be passed on again, but that's not quite what it says in the manga. They say he might be the last wielder and that it can't go to an ordinary person anymore.

This is true, in order to hold the power of OFA, one has to be quirkless, because it eats away at one's life force to have multiple quirks added to their own (as we see with the 4th user).

And this also isn't true, because of the Heroes Rising movie.

The really crazy thing I realized is that this contradiction, doesn't actually contradict what's been established in manga canon.

So, what counts as canon?

Everything, apparently.

In Heroes Rising, there are two little kids at the center of things, Katsuma and Mahoro.

In chapter 384 of the manga, those same two little kids showed up. Then they show up again in chapter 405.

Meaning, the events of that movie… happened?

And that means that there aren't nine OFA users; there are ten.

All Might Vestige

In chapter 362, Katsuki dies. R.I.P. Kacchan, who has now also died in the anime.

But near death, the person he sees in his final moments is All Might. Not Izuku, not his family, not his friends, his teacher. And not just All Might, All Might's non-verbal glowing vestige.

Why this version of All Might, instead of the man?

I have an idea, and it has to do with Heroes Rising.

I thought Vestige-Might was just a stylistic choice on Horikoshi-sensei's part. All Might symbolizes Katsuki's dream, he's the person he idolized his whole life, and he's thinking about things he regrets in his final moments; an autograph from his hero, such a simple thing he never got to ask for.

But then Katsuki stopped being dead and all of a sudden Mahoro and Katsuma showed up in the manga, twice, and I had to reevaluate my perception of MHA canon and what qualifies.

Let's rewind a bit to chapter 254, before the PLF raid so I can make a quick point (for others like me who are used to supplementary material not being acknowledged in, or as, canon).

When Eraserhead and Present Mic are talking to Kurogiri and trying to coax Shirakumo out of him, Eraserhead talks about Shirakumo saving a cat, after Aizawa had left it behind.

For like four years I wondered why the story kept trying to make me care so much about Shirakumo and his friendship with the other two, with so little information given, only to find out not long ago that the entire backstory is covered in Vigilantes.

Which means Vigilantes is canon.

Which means, with the inclusion of movie characters in the main manga… it's all canon. Searching the subreddit and wiki also confirmed this for me.

So if Heroes Rising is canon, that drastically changes the context and potential meaning of Vestige-Might appearing to near death Katsuki.

Because in Heroes Rising, Izuku transfers OFA to Katsuki to defeat Nine.

When it's over, OFA doesn't stay with Katsuki; it goes back to Izuku and Katsuki has no memory of this ever happening. But Katsuki does hold OFA for a short time.

That means that Katsuki is the 10th OFA holder.

Like I said, there aren't nine, there are ten holders.

Like, did it bother anyone else that nine was such an awkward number for OFA holders? It feels incomplete, right?

Considering the events of the manga, this is a potentially huge deal with some interesting implications.

In the final battle in the manga, Deku passed OFA to Shigaraki, one quirk at a time. OFA, the quirk, is officially dead and gone; only the embers remain in Izuku and Izuku is quirkless again.

But like I said… since the movies are canon, then it's also possible that a small ember is also in Katsuki. He didn't hold it long enough to have his own vestige like All Might, but he was still a holder.

So, what if Katsuki was seeing Vestige-Might within the OFA vestige world and that really was All Might? Glow-Might couldn't speak, just like how we see him in Izuku's vestige space; and iirc, he can't speak, because All Might is still alive.

Now, Katuski only saw All Might, not any of the other holders, but that also makes sense. They have no emotional investment in Katsuki, he barely held the quirk, and he doesn't know who they are aside from what he read in All Might's notes. But All Might does care about him, so it makes sense that the piece of himself that exists within OFA would appear in his student's final moments, through the ember of OFA inside Katsuki.

As I was looking to find chapter numbers for this, I ended up flipping through the All Might vs. AFO fight by happenstance and realized something else:

This is from chapter 403. It looks like All Might is about to die and as he thinks this is the end for him, his life flashes before his eyes and he looks back at the path he walked and notices these balls of light on the ground. He thinks, "And what I saw… seemed so very significant."

Hey. You notice anything about this bright ball of light in the center of the panel?

At the end of the chapter, we see Katsuki and Izuku holding those balls of light, with All Might watching from the background, holding his own ball of light. I thought this represented him being their teacher, pushing them forward to become great heroes, a passing of the torch to the next generation of heroes. He never had kids, so this is how he passes on his legacy, through the aspirations of all the children who looked up to him.

Or.

Or it is a passing of the torch, but literally.

Dynamight's Final Fight

I don't know if anyone noticed this, it might not be significant, their costumes get destroyed all the time, but…

In his fight with Shigaraki, as ShigAFO tells him he'll never be anything more than Deku's hanger on, Katsuki's costume is destroyed. Going back a few chapters from 362 (R.I.P. Kacchan), visually, it feels like we're being shown his dream of becoming a pro hero get destroyed bit by bit. His arm gets crushed and twisted, his gauntlets are shattered, his mask gets torn off, he gets an upgrade to his costume and it's barely effective, and it seems from the narration that his quirk was damaging his body from the inside out (like how OFA would do to Izuku).

That fight looks like the end for him, his heart literally explodes (or gets pierced, idk), but he gets back up, saves All Might, and has a grand finale against AFO. The last thing we see him do is propel Izuku the final step to deal that last punch and end things. It's Izuku's story, so of course he lands the final blow, but the point is, Katsuki the one to support him then, because it could never be him.

When we see him in the hospital after it's all over in ch. 424, not only is he told his arm possibly never going to regain normal function, let alone enough to use his quirk like he did before, but his heart is also damaged. We already know that he uses support items to store up his sweat, and I imagine in the MHA world a prosthesis could function similarly in hero work, yet he wants to do the long and painful rehabilitation, despite possibly never regaining function. This is not to criticize his choice to keep his arm at all, I just thought it was interesting, considering how similar he's shown to be to Mirko and how he chose the opposite of what she did.

This feels like a very important choice, because of the support item aspect.

But the most interesting thing in this scene was that he mentions that Izuku never had a quirk to begin with, right before he finds out that Izuku is quirkless again.

(side note: Both Izuku and All Might fought quirkless in the final battle and I love that for them? Like Izuku was technically quirkless when he dealt that final weather changing blow, incredible.)

How Does OFA Actually Work?

Once All Might gave OFA to Izuku, he no longer had the quirk, just the embers. He couldn't pass on the ember that was left inside him and those embers couldn't be stolen. Izuku can't pass on what he has left either. The actual OFA quirk is gone from the previous holder once it's transferred.

But I think another reason that All Might or Izuku couldn't pass anything on again after giving it away, is that they were both quirkless. In the absence of the quirk-passing quirk, there's nothing left of their own quirk factors to pass on, because they never had one. And all of the other holders died/were killed so it wasn't tested as a possibility.

If you think about it… didn't Nana still have Float once she passed OFA onto All Might? All Might never unlocked the other users' quirks (he never had Float) so there's no test he could have done for this either. As far as all the other holders knew, OFA was just lifetimes of built up strength passed on, none of them made true contact with the vestiges to learn about its true power. There would have been no reason to assume that their quirk was forfeit once OFA was passed on, because they didn't know that the actual unique quirk factor was stored.

But if she still had Float after transfer, I would imagine that means that only a copy of the quirk, a small piece, is what's passed on in OFA and that the original stays with the person. One For All isn't eight quirks, it's a single quirk with the abilities of the predecessors. Otherwise, if Shinomori died of old age at a very young age, All Might living as long as he did while holding onto it for longer makes no sense.

If OFA gives, while AFO takes, it also makes sense that OFA doesn't take the person's original quirk.

So what does that mean for canon right now?

If Katsuki is the 10th OFA holder and if a small bit of OFA lives inside him, it was unused, and therefore undiminished, because he never knew it was there—he doesn't remember the events of the movie. He hasn't been using OFA like All Might used it until it was barely a flicker, so the piece that could be inside him is still burning brightly.

He can't pass on OFA anymore, just like All Might and Izuku; the actual OFA quirk is gone.

But Katsuki isn't quirkless.

OFA is a quirk meant to pass power from one person to another. If Izuku and All Might could still make use of OFA's strength, who's to say that it's transfer ability couldn't also be used via the embers? Remember, they didn't have their own quirks to try this out and everyone before them had died early.

Katsuki would be the only person left who could possibly use it pass on a quirk again, because he actually has his own quirk. And while Izuku was the last person who could hold it as a quirkless person (a rarity in his generation), as a quirkless person once more, he's also the perfect vessel to receive a quirk using the last remaining bits of OFA.

So how does this not contradict manga canon?

Well, like I mentioned, the vestiges tell him that he might be the last wielder of OFA, because now it can only go to someone quirkless, and there are fewer and fewer quirkless people born in the world.

Yet, in Heroes Rising, Izuku transfers it to Katsuki, who is not a quirkless individual.

At the end of the movie, once Nine is defeated, Katsuki can't hold onto it and it goes back to Izuku. This aligns exactly with what the vestiges told him. Katsuki just got a taste of the super strength aspect of the quirk, but it didn't stay with him. All Might posits that it's because he passed out before the transfer finished, but changes his mind into thinking it was a miracle granted by the predecessors (since OFA has been shown to have a will).

But what if he was wrong, and it went back to Izuku, because Katsuki literally couldn't hold onto it, as it was too much for his body?

In Heroes Rising, Nine (whose name feels very significant now), was given the ability to hold nine quirks and use eight, and it was too much for him, he had to be genetically modified by Garaki. And even then, he was trying to steal Katsuma's Cell Activation quirk, because his body was breaking down the more he used them. I could be mistaken of course, but I think we're given a villain like this to show what multiple quirks do to the body and the movie ended the way it did, not breaking canon rules for OFA, because we're seeing that it was always impossible for Katsuki to hold onto it. Nobody but Izuku, a quirkless person, can.

We already know Izuku was the 9th holder, but I actually just realized, Izuku was holding onto and could use eight quirks. But if Katsuki was the 10th user, that means he was also possibly holding onto nine while being able to use eight, just like Nine. If I'm mistaken, someone please correct me, but look:

Yoichi's original quirk to pass on power

Power Stocking Quirk gifted by AFO

Gear Shift

Fa Jin

Danger Sense

Black Whip

Smokescreen

Float

(and a copy of Katsuki's Explosion could have been in there, never unlocked or known about since he doesn't have a vestige)

Possible coincidence? Absolutely. But, I mean—

And as for how Katsuki would even know that he has OFA if he doesn't remember: He saw Vestige-Might specifically and All Might was there after the battle with Nine.

Katsuki knows about the vestiges from Izuku. He figured out that All Might was the one who gave Izuku his quirk, despite having no reason to believe that quirk transfer was possible aside from Izuku telling him he got his quirk from someone else. Katsuki is smart enough to figure out that Vestige-Might appearing to him could possibly mean something OFA related.

As For Why Katsuki Might (Possibly) (Probably) (Maybe?) Give Up His Quirk

Because he didn't get the prosthesis. And because of his final fight.

I already mentioned this, but to me, it feels like he's resigning himself to a decision. As if he wants to keep both of his hands as a reminder of what he used to be able to do with them and there's no need for a support item like prosthesis, if he's not going to be using his quirk anymore. If he's giving it up.

Of course, he doesn't yet know that Izuku is quirkless at that point, but the author knows and that's who controls the character's actions.

We've learned a lot about Katsuki throughout the story. We know Katsuki has changed from the punk he was at the beginning. We know he's been paying as much attention to Izuku as Izuku has to him. We know he's sorry and wants to make things up to him. He apologized in front of their entire class and didn't expect forgiveness or for things to change between them. He can't undo years of bullying, there's no way to take that back, the past can't be undone, but he's trying to atone. He wants to atone.

We know he cares about Izuku, we know he would literally die for Izuku, and we also know that Katsuki was devastated at the news that Izuku is quirkless again. He's actually cried a lot in the story, but I think that was the first time he cried for someone else's sake. They were his first tears that weren't from frustration, and his thoughts in that moment were "what did I do to you?"

We also know that Katsuki wanted to be the strongest hero, and honestly… he kind of already achieved his goal.

From chapter one he's gotten a ton of media attention—the sludge villain, winning the sports festival, the kidnapping and rescue (coinciding with All Might's end), defeating a villain with Shouto after they got their provisional licenses. He's literally famous. People have taken notice of him with everything he's done the entire story, for good and bad, and then the entire world saw him defeat AFO and help Deku make it to Shigaraki to land that final punch. After a rocky start and being painted as villainous, he showed he could be a great hero and it was acknowledged by the entire world. There isn't really anywhere else for his story to naturally go as a hero.

It's literally physically impossible for a single human to surpass All Might without OFA, which was Katsuki's goal at the beginning. And at the end, he just wanted him and Izuku to keep chasing after each other, always trying to catch up forever, but now they can't.

It's also why Endeavor's story is so tragic. Can you imagine being Endeavor when he found out about OFA and that the game had been rigged against him from the start? He spent his entire life trying to be the strongest, not number one, but the strongest. He put all his energy into surpassing All Might, abused and neglected his family in pursuit of that goal, cast aside everything else, and then he finds out his entire life had been pointless, because All Might was using a cheat code. Endeavor never stood a chance to begin with. He could have spent that time getting to know his kids, or marrying someone out of love, or making one (1) single friend, but instead he was the number two hero for twenty-six straight years and went nowhere. His ambition meant nothing.

It's been reiterated time and again in the story that Katsuki and Endeavor are parallels. Shigaraki was right that Katsuki would never catch up to Deku, it's impossible. He would have lived his entire life like Endeavor in a meaningless pursuit. And if we look at Endeavor's conclusion, well...

Endeavor had planned to give up hero work and spend the rest of his life looking at Touya and atoning to his family. He ended up being forced to by his injuries, but he had still planned to give up the thing in his life that had given him the most meaning and pride (when it should have been his family). Hero work was the thing he valued most, and so Endeavor gave it up for what really mattered.

For Katsuki, the thing that gave him the most meaning and pride in his life was his quirk. And striving to be the best, just like Endeavor. He valued that over his friendship with Izuku, the thing that really mattered. It's kind of undeniable at this point, leaving shipping completely out of the equation, that Izuku is Katsuki's most important person.

So with Endeavor's conclusion, and how the manga is currently going… I can't help but wonder if that final fight against OFA was supposed to be Katsuki's big send off. A huge spectacle with everyone in the world watching, because that was the end of the road for him; his last big battle, not just in the story, but ever.

What if that was the end of his journey to becoming a pro hero?

What if we got to see his quirk evolve one last time and take down the baddest bad guy, because it was the last time he was ever going to be physically able to use his quirk?

Is the logical conclusion to his story for him to give up that thing he valued over what was important to him, just like Endeavor did in the end? Would him giving that up symbolize him not following in Endeavor's footsteps of obsessive drive that eclipses everything else in his life?

Is Katsuki is going to give Izuku his Explosion quirk, using that last bit of OFA?

And what if Katsuki is going to end the story quirkless and was always intended to from the very beginning?

And here's where I get back to those lights.

Because I think it (possibly) confirms what I was saying in the beginning.

There are nine One For All users, according to the manga. We've established that that's not actually true if the movies are canon, and they are. There are ten OFA users.

These are the full two panels previously mentioned of what All Might was thinking at the start of 403 when he looked back at his path.

He thinks, "As for what I've done? I just happened to glance back at my path. And what I saw… seemed so very significant."

Let's see how many lights there are as he looks back at his path:

There are ten (10) lights [insert TNG joke here], not nine. And the big one, smack dab in the center, is shown with Katsuki's explosions around it.

I thought for a moment that these were possibly just the stored quirk factors, but Izuku and All Might are quirkless, so there wouldn't be ten lights if that were the case.

I think it's showing us that these lights represent the holders of OFA.

Katsuki is that tenth center light, confirming that he's the 10th OFA user.

This panel right here of the child Katsuki and Izuku with their balls of light? This is on the last page before Izuku sees Katsuki alive again after finding him dead and losing his mind. Please note All Might in the background, also holding his own ball of light.

And remember this from chapter 362 (R.I.P. Kacchan)?

It's the same image as Katsuki's final thoughts. The balls of light are the trading cards they got that day, but wait for it—

In 403, right before the panel of them as children holding the balls of light, we see that same center ball of light on the ground of All Might's path again, then a panel of Katsuki holding his All Might trading card beneath it. Almost as if the story is trying to tell us something about what that trading card represents and what Katsuki holding it really means.

Right before we see their expressions as they lock eyes, as Izuku realizes Katsuki isn't dead, it shows the two of them as little kids, happy to have both gotten All Might trading cards.

I don't think the trading cards we see here are really trading cards.

This whole chapter, the last two pages especially, was completely re-contextualized for me after noticing there are ten lights.

Like I said earlier, All Might didn't just pass the torch metaphorically, I think he passed it literally.

OFA is always represented as flame, as embers, etc... Those trading cards don't just symbolize their friendship, or their dreams, or their admiration, I think Horikoshi-sensei is showing us that they both have the same trading card, because they both have the same thing inside of them. Something passed onto them from All Might, because All Might is also shown with his own ball of light.

Why would All Might have his own All Might trading card…?

The trading cards aren't trading cards, they're One For All. Katsuki and Izuku hold the embers that All Might passed down to both of them.

Remember, the scene in 362 and 403 are exactly the same. They're Katsuki's memories. How is All Might's near death vision showing him memories that aren't his? Well, if they're connected through One For All, it makes sense that he sees that, because that's literally impossible otherwise. He could see them as high schoolers, as middle schoolers when he first me them, but not as small children in a very real scene that actually happened.

And if OFA is still alive inside Katsuki, I think that means he can transfer Explosion, because he has his own quirk factor.

If Izuku and All Might could still use everything that made OFA what it was, despite not having it anymore, there is nothing saying that the transfer ability wouldn't also work.

The only thing stopping them from trying is having nothing to pass on, because they were quirkless. Katsuki does have something he can pass on, though.

And who better to receive Katsuki's Explosion quirk, than the person who'd spent his entire life watching him?? Izuku is the perfect person, and I imagine the only person Katsuki would deem worthy of receiving it. He knows Katsuki's moves almost as well as Katsuki himself.

At USJ when the Shigaraki attacks, Izuku puts on a brave face and fights just like Kacchan. When he learns from Gran Torino, he realizes that he has to be more loose and fluids with his movements, just like Kacchan. In [training exercise I can't remember] Katsuki notices that Izuku copied his moves. He knows how Katsuki's moves work without him even telling him.

What if the story came full circle and Izuku was constantly emulating Katsuki in the beginning, because it was foreshadowing that he was always supposed to end up with his Explosoin quirk?

Can you imagine how good that payoff could be?

All that paying attention to Kacchan, admiring him, copying his moves, trying to be like him, having him as his image of victory, knowing a frankly alarming amount about it, what if that was all 430 chapters of foreshadowing? This is why I asked if maybe Katsuki was always intended to end up quirkless.

What if the thing that caused the rift in their friendship is going to be the thing that heals it, as Bakugou's ultimate acknowledgement that quirkless nerd Izuku was always a hero and deserves to be one more than anyone else?

What if giving his quirk to Izuku, who is once again quirkless, is his ultimate atonement and the thing that Horikoshi-sensei said back in like 2022 (paraphrasing because I don't remember, please don't quote me) that he hoped would make Bakugou fans and haters alike both happy? Because I thought it was killing him (R.I.P. Kacchan), but this feels like it makes more sense.

I think swapping places from where they started would be the perfect conclusion for their friendship and Katsuki's journey. I don't know about the whole story, and I don't care to speculate about that, but for the two of them, this feels right to me.

That said, I am aware there are some

Potential Issues With This

1. Would Izuku accept the quirk? Probably not, but as we saw with Yoichi and Kudou, the recipient doesn't have to be aware in order to receive OFA; it's on the giver to will it to them. The recipient does not have to consent, all Katsuki has to do is spit in his food, really.

2. There's the issue of Izuku trying to give it right back. But All Might only managed to hold onto OFA's embers for a few months after nurturing it for 40 years. Izuku only held OFA for a little over a year, he probably won't have the embers very long and it's already been a while since the final battle. All Katsuki would have to do is wait a few weeks for the last embers of it to fade from Izuku before transferring it, ensuring he couldn't pass it back. Since Katsuki only held OFA for less than a day, that would probably use up the last embers of OFA for good.

3. The lack of acknowledgement of the events of Heroes Rising in the main manga is a MASSIVE writing issue. For me, this is the thing that makes the scenario most unlikely, because as of July 24, 2024, there are only two (2) chapters left to go and that's not much time to explain movie events in order to not have a quirk transfer seem like it came out of nowhere or breaks established canon.

3a. But, like I mentioned before, this was already done this with Vigilantes concerning Shirakumo's backstory. We're supposed to feel empathy and compassion for their long dead friend, but no real work was put into the main manga to establish how close their relationship was, we're just told that they were friends and classmates. We get some hints to the events in Vigilantes in the main manga, but they don't carry as much weight without the full context.

Meanwhile in Vigilantes, Shirakumo and Aizawa are very close and they're all friends, but tbh, Mic is basically a third wheel. The entire arc reads like a tragic story of lost love, Shirakumo's death changed everything for Aizawa. After Shirakumo's death, Aizawa goes off on his own, works himself to the bone, doesn't sleep because he's training all night (the origin story of the sleeping bag), is depressed, stops trying in classes, he's told his quirk is suited for working with others (which is true) yet he goes independent, basically abandons Mic and the plans the three of them had to start an agency together (he says they were going to be a duo or a trio and let me tell you, Mic was not included in the duo)—it's depressing.

No wonder Aizawa was the one who got so worked up at seeing Kurogiri; Shirakumo meant a lot to him, his entire world shifted when he died. And no wonder Mic was so uncharacteristically reserved and pissed about the whole situation; he'd had to watch Aizawa retreat into himself for years after Shirakumo died, and then his ghost showed back up as a villain. Aizawa's arc is pretty long in Vigilantes, I think it's an entire volume, so it would bring the plot to a grinding halt if it were all included in the main manga, but unfortunately, none of this information feels effectively communicated through subtext in the main manga.

In my opinion, Vigilantes is a necessary read to understand several things the main manga. I loved it, and I highly recommend it (despite some very questionable scenes); imo, Number 6 vs. The Crawler felt like it did a better job at what at least two final fights in MHA were going for. But I'm not a fan of writing that requires you to have read outside material to fill in gaps. That said, I've also seen this happen before in American comic books, so I think it kind of makes sense that that influence would carry over and he'd rely on supplementary material like Vigilantes and the movies.

So getting back to my point, if Katsuki does have OFA, like those lights and Vestige-Might seem to imply, I'm kind of thinking it will be the same sort of situation, where it's expected the reader will have watched Heroes Rising. Especially since Horikoshi-sensei drew so many illustrations with Mahoro and Katsuma.

The ten lights, the fact that Nana still had Float (afaik), Vestige-Might, the fact that Heroes Rising was acknowledged at least twice in the main manga, Endeavor's ending, the trading cards, etc… all make me think that this is the conclusion for Katsuki that Horikoshi-sensei was working towards: quirkless Katsuki and Izuku with Explosion. But I also know that just because something is set up and foreshadowed, doesn't mean that the author will actually go through with it, especially in a weekly manga where anything can interfere with the story at any moment. Maybe I'm close to right and maybe I'll be so far off it's not even funny.

But who knows. There are only two chapters left and some writing choices have been confusing to say the least. I just hope we get a satisfactory ending, no matter what it is. Thank you, Horikoshi-sensei for all your hard work.

What do you think?

Do you think Katsuki will give Explosion to Izuku?

Do you think Izuku will become the first quirkless pro hero instead?

Do you think Katsuki could become the first quirkless pro hero? How wild would that be!

Do you think they'll go to a fair and share a crepe and we'll finally get that holding hands scene and the quirk will be transferred via saliva and Izuku will have an oh shit bakudeku canon moment thinking back to his words to Toga? Unlikely with how many chapters are left, but I would scream.

I haven't seen anyone talk about this before, I really only look at ship tags, but this feels pretty bkdk and I'd imagine I would have seen it at some point if so, especially around the time 362 (R.I.P. Kacchan) and 424 dropped. I don't really read theories, as I generally don't care where the story goes and am just along for the ride, but if someone has said all this before me, sorry for being redundant!

I hope this wasn't too repetitive, thanks for reading ✌️Don't mind my blank blog, this is just a side blog on a side account, feel free to let me know if I've made any mistakes, I'm not an expert on the story by any means and welcome correction.

I haven't looked at leaks (if they're out, I don't check for that) so that would be wild if anything I mentioned here was in them, but tbh I doubt it, haha.

[highlordofkrypton]

I'm not into comics that much but why do Batman and Superman beef with each other? Like if you two don't kiss each other right now instead of fighting-

Like fuck beating the other to a pulp, just fuck each other already😑

Hi!

It really depends on what media you're following. They don't actually hate each other except in specific works. They're best friends, colleagues and at the very least, consider each other family. Even with the variety of universes in comics, Batman and Superman hating each other is very rare and in specific circumstances with reasons behind it.

Long story short: they don't (beef). They disagree and argue, sure. They're rivals, but in a manner that conveys the utmost respect for one another. Their friendship can turn toxic, too, but it's never out of hate.

Yes, there is initial friction when they start working together. Both come with a different set of values and methods to uphold justice, which is what makes their friendship so compelling. After everything, even when they don't see eye to eye, they support one another and they are there for one another. They show deep compassion and understanding for one another, even without necessarily speaking. Batman is highly observant, and Superman is endlessly compassionate.

I'm too tired to find the examples right now, but a couple of bullet points:

Batman is Superman's hero - Superman has unwavering faith in Batman even if his plans are batshit crazy. I can't find the panels rn, but there was even an arc where Batman had a plan that involved Clark slowly killing himself for a 1% chance (or something ridic like that) of saving the universe. It was horrible, but Clark trusted him no matter what.

When Bruce got engaged with Selina, there was an entire sidestory where they went on a double date with Clark and Lois, and both men went into great depth of why they admire one another and how important they are to each other. The respect between them is immeasurable.

Batman's first Robin (Dick Grayson) was a huge Superman fan, and Superman was an important part of his life. To the point that once he stopped being Robin and became Nightwing, his hero name 'Nightwing' actually comes from a Kryptonian story Superman told him.

Both Superman and Batman's respective families are closely knit, each 'bat' has a 'super' that is associated with them, either on a team with them or as friends. If they hated each other, I don't think their families would be this close-knit.

Superman knows the sound of Bruce's heartbeat and listens for it often.

Batman has a voice tone, or grunts, that is reserved for Clark only. Fun fact, the JL unanimously agrees that Clark is the best at doing the Batman voice.

They founded the Justice League together, along with Wonder Woman and other team variations (usually with the Flash and the Green Lantern).

Even in AUs where they hate each other, or they've grown apart, they still respect one another.

They have multiple comic runs as a duo/partners: World's Finest and Superman/Batman.

In one of the runs above, Superman's cousin crashes to earth and both Batman and Superman become parental figures and argue about raising her until Wonder Woman intervenes. Again, they disagree, but it was more on execution of integrating Kara onto earth.

Anyway, the idea that these heroes hate each other isn't really, at least in my experience with other comic fans, common? Mass media (such as films and video games) has a weird attachment to turning Superman into a villain to fight the allegations that he's boring, but he's actually a compelling character if you (general you, me @ the WB execs.) can get past the weird power-obsession and enjoy characters for their depth.

That said, while I do ship superbats, I have a deep appreciation for the women in their lives, especially Selina (who is able to recognize her feelings for Bruce and how they may not be good for one another) and Lois (who is such a fierce character on her own). They add so much to Batman and Superman respectively, so I whenever I talk about Superman and Batman, I make sure to mention this too.

It's important to me, especially in this ship to emphasize that it's not just about kissing the pain away, but understanding the depth and the history that comes with this relationship. Also, not erasing women for the sake of the ship, too.

Final disclaimer: comics have so many different versions, timelines and resets that someone can easily swoop in and prove me wrong, so please take everything above as my way of enjoying the comics.

If I have the energy, I will try to find the panels, but I am so tired 😭

[strobbylemonade]

canto 7 pt 3 spoilers and thoughts and stuff

i really didn't expect her to be like.. locked up. by herself. its so sad. i feel so bad for her in the lighthouse. also the I WANT YOU poster cracked me up.

vergilius calling her "my lady" was cute. i thought we were going to get more of their friendship this canto but apparently not. maybe later :( but also what's up with his eyes?? who's his old friend??? WHO did he take the eyes from?? it's not don quixote because he still has his eyes, so it's either the bloodfiend moses spoke with, or it's the progenitor?? or there's more first-gen blood fiends we don't know about.

adding more guesses to the dante's identity flame:

dante is bari/the bookhunter

dante is vergilius' "old friend"

dante is the bloodfiend vergilius got his eyes from

dante is verigilius' old friend who IS the bloodfiend vergilius got his eyes from

dante is dante and their old self is destroyed

dante is an extremely powerful unknown character who gets their memories back but after their canto they pull a don quixote and chooses to live the rest of their lives as the dante we know

sanchos expressions were really really awesome. she's just so... augh....

THESE GUYS REALLY PISSED ME OFF.

i'm not smart enough to understand the implications of this. but ??? sinclair standing up for donqui?? yaaaayy!!!! the sign??? and also him paralleling bari is definitely not a coincidence. i wonder what the mark of cain has to do with it all.

i didn't notice while i was playing but sinclair starts blushing when he asks her to open up. they're so cute. and they're trying their hardest to be vulnerable to their fucked up lil family. i love them.

WE GOT OUTIS LORE!!! LET'S GO!!! this was surprisingly vulnerable of her... and dante's response of "I will. As long as they have the will to change, to move forward, I will be there for them." was great. also girl what do you mean TENS OF THOUSANDS??? i'm starting to think outis has a lot more guilt for the smoke war than she lets on.

uhh and speaking of change that's another theme that's popping up more interestingly enough. yi sang, sinclair, and being "unable to change" is what caused heathcliff to distort. interesting narrative theme. (starts side eyeing dante and outis). also change being one of the biggest themes of library of ruina, with roland and angela needing to break the cycle of the City to achieve their good ending.

bari is cool as shit

the cutscene that follows this where they're all talking about how much fun they had with donqui through the stageplay was genuinely both so cheesy and sweet i almost cried.

oughhh i'm not bothered to grab screenshots from every part i enjoyed of the final point so we're doing dot points again!

sancho's backstory of being born alone and wishing to die before don quixote gave her love and life was... holy shit. "That is why you saved my life from the periphery of death... tried to share your love... and made my heart beat again."

again with the themes of suicide. the original don quixote sees sancho as special because she doesn't want to inflict suffering on others and instead simply wishes to "burn myself to ashes like I was never here". and that's how she gets her first family. because she suffered alone. and then don quixote makes his children suffer alone in la manchaland.

"I don't know who I am" lyric in Hero hits really song. YEAH I FORGOT TO MENTION MILI PEAK!!! it really feels like some of their older music, especially something from mahoyaku (the Big Moon in the background during the final phase certainly helped). the second part sounds especially like Cast Me a Spell. or something from miracle milk with the way the instrumentals and sfx sound. i really like it.

DON QUIXOTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAA

"She was incandescent, like a brilliant star twinkling in the night sky. / That very brilliance compelled me to reach out and hope." OUGHHH. dante's role in this chapter has been really interesting... they're like her, they're chained to their past but are also playing the role of someone who they don't know who they're meant to be. they have a really passive role in bringing sancho back to the Gang, with the other sinners stepping in to help her moreso than dante themselves, and then at the end, it's sancho who saves them, acts as their star, and gives them their dreams back (of having all the sinners together as one big happy family).

and just. holy shit. this entire sequence.

I DID NOT EXPECT A QUICKTIME EVENT!! big cast a spell vibes... i genuinely gasped when the fireworks went off..

LMAO SHE'S MAKING FUN OF HIM FOR THE ROCINANTE THING. also kyaa hong lu's teaching dante how to smile!!! i'm sure this won't have any terrifying implications next canto!!! definitely!! there's some interesting parallels to what donqui said about dante having an "expression" and what demian said about being able to hear them all the way back in canto iii, because donqui/demian listen to their "heart" and not their actual face/voice. interesting

also new dante sprite please???? please??? new dante pose perhaps even??? please????

interesting we're getting the clock ticking closer to doomsday after canto 7 and not 8. with the trajectory they're on, doomsday will happen during or after outis' canto (and before faust's). fun. can't wait for the random lore drop next intervallo/event where they take turns feeding don quixote their blood. please. please. please???

mili peak. pass on peak. feelings peak. augh. i love my idiot family and their pet Cosmic Horror Entity. although i would argue it's a family of 15 and not 12!!! i love found family!!!!

[physalian]

Creating Tragic Backstories Through Agency

This is absolutely a biased-as-hell post and not a rule of thumb for what you should do. This is me taking an opportunity to gush about my favorite method of designing backstories, which happen to end up tragic, and they’re something I’d like to see more of in fiction.

The thing that I want to see more of is, well, “tragedy”. Not necessarily the ‘terrible, awful, no good, very bad time’ aspect, but the ‘doom’ of one’s fate being sealed. Tragedy didn’t always mean a bad thing, just like doom didn’t. They meant an outcome that was inevitable, which usually happens to be a bad one.

So when I’m thinking about what TB I want to give a character, my very first thought is this: What single seemingly small choice did this character make that led them to this moment after snowballing out of control?

I like happenstance backstories as much as the next guy—little Orphan Annie an orphan by circumstance and not her own doing—but what I find equally if not more compelling is the character who is tragic because of their own choices. But instead of that choice killing them, it’s the genesis of the character they come to be.

Once again. This is not a rule. It’s just fascinating.

I wrote a character, princely type, and his tragic backstory contained a lot of awful shit. He was my therapy character and I put him through hell to make myself feel better, hence why that sci-fi WIP all over my posts remains unpublished. Half of his tragedy was out of his control: Mother, the queen, died suspiciously in childbirth with her only heir and his dad, queen consort, both never expected to have to do this without her and hates and blames his son for her death.

But the other half all began with a single choice. I had another character kind of like a warped Aladdin. This kid, his age, played on MC’s desperate need for a friend of any kind. Kid shows up, commits a crime against MC punishable by death, and MC breaks protocol (at like, 7 years old) and very publicly denounces the death sentence of another 7 year old. Kid takes this pardon and absolutely runs with it, manipulating what MC thinks is a genuine friendship into an extremely abusive power play all to get the throne, and MC can’t do shit about it.

The point was that it was MC’s humanity and compassion, and how that was taken advantage of, that was the foundation of his tragedy. This one choice, to spare the other kid’s life because it was the right thing to do, completely ruins MC’s life and snowballs into so many other tragedies as he grows up.

I’m all for the dead parent cliche, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about a hero grappling with the consequences of their life unraveling because of one seemingly small choice, or a choice with seemingly only one good option. There’s something about a hero knowing that they are on this path because of decisions they made, and having to reckon with asking themselves if they would do it all again if given the chance. There’s just something about a hero blaming themselves for their circumstances, focusing on that one small act, when the big picture really can’t possibly all rest on their shoulders.

This is a very specific personality and backstory and is hardly applicable to every story you could tell, there’s just something about the agency of the tragedy that gets to me.

It doesn’t have to be necessarily big, either. Tragic characters like the divorced dad who’s divorced because he’s the one that cheated. The squad leader who made one bad call and got the rookie killed in action.

Choices that these characters would make, because it’s who they are fundamentally, over and over and over again even knowing what future was in store, whether that’s a selfless trait or a selfish one—the dad who still cheats because he’s got weak willpower, the squad leader who would still put the needs of the many first, the mission first.

This tends to work for characters who’ve had time to grow up and truly marinate in the repercussions of their actions. Kids who blame themselves get told by everyone around them trying to cheer them up that it couldn’t possibly have been their fault. An adult who’s had time to reflect and think and brood has cemented the idea that it’s their fault, in some capacity, and nothing is going to change their mind.

Perfect, poster boy example: Zuko.

Now I can’t speak for him and I don’t think the answer ever came in canon, but he fits that balance of “tragedy by circumstance” vs “tragedy by choice” perfectly.

Zuko’s circumstances being that though he’s the elder child, his sister is the ambitious prodigy and his dad is a power-hungry narcissist, whose machinations lead to Zuko’s mom murdering the current firelord so he can get the throne, which leads to her disappearance, which leads to Zuko having very little support systems, which leads to an incredibly fraught childhood.

Zuko’s choice, though, is the one everyone knows: To stand up for those soldiers at the war meeting, and to not fight his father in the Agni Kai. He probably knew at the Agni Kai that refusing to fight would define the rest of his life, however long it lasted, but I bet you he had no idea what would befall him at that meeting. It’s just who he is as a person, and I think he would do it all again, because to not would be a betrayal of his character.

Aang, too, his impulsive choice to run away during the storm wasn’t done knowing that he’d then survive the air nomad genocide (at least in the original). He was just angry and afraid and wanted some alone time that circumstances demanded came at the absolute worst/best moment possible. Aang would be tragic already being the last of his kind but being forced from the fight, like if he was knocked out or ordered to leave, wouldn’t hit the same. That he did it unknowingly just gives him so much more depth.

—

There is absolutely nothing wrong with TBs that are only tragedy by circumstance and you can get depth from other means. Orphan Annie isn’t any less valid because she had no control over her fate. Dead parents aren’t any less debilitating if they die in a house fire via gas leak, freak accident.

I just think one extra layer of depth and agency can propel a character that much higher.