#what her relationship with Rand is like!!!!!

[vicontheinternet]

I have questions so i looked it up and im still kinda confused. Are they just going drop Rand and egwayne in the show? For Rand and Elayne? It felt forced how they were setting it up just shoving it in the finale of s2. I got to admit one of my least favorite tropes is man sees girl and there is a sun that appears behind her to signal that she’s angelic or the one for him.

[baltears]

also hate to say this specifically because it's a funny comparison to have to make but randfear rn is kinda giving archie and grundy from s1 of riverdale like just in terms of how hard rand is falling for it. he knows she's manipulative and she scares him (sometimes, it's the 'sometimes' thatll get ya) but he still takes her seriously and lets her in and really goes for these half truths about how she's still mierin deep down (ofc it would make sense that that's the person he feels like he loves moreso than the lanfear persona, she was once a lot like egwene whom he also loves).

it's just interesting to me that he really "should" know at this point what to expect from lanfear in terms of everything she says being calculated to get a certain reaction from him (the way moiraine talks about her could have been warning enough) but he just doesn't because he's too young and sheltered to have experienced that kind of behavior in his life yet and she exploits that. and it was also crazy in riverdale when archie literally never EVER conceptualized his relationship with his teacher as abusive despite everyone around him insisting it was, bc she successfully made herself come off as really young and delicate and vulnerable instead of the predator she was ('actually' was or 'also' was? hard to say. which is why this type of manipulation is so pernicious). lanfear IS mierin deep down of course, but she's also intentionally showing rand glimpses of a person she knows is long gone because she destroyed and betrayed herself until she disappeared. lanfear does not truly WANT to be mierin again, bc that would mean actually having to process having been the person that shes been up until this point, bc mierin genuinely cared about other people and about doing the right thing. but shes presenting this fantasy to rand and i think potentially also to herself that that could be what happens. i think its so telling that when he asked what it would mean for her to break her oaths the implication was basically that she would just magically go back to being mierin with zero attention given to the consequences of having been lanfear for thousands of years. shes choosing not to bring that up and rand is choosing not to think seriously about it because the fantasy she's presenting is so comforting, she knows he wants a simple happy life and that he doesn't want to be the dragon so shes offering a version of herself who also wants that. its basically the same tactic ishamael used except rand saw through that because ishamael had to use an illusion of a person rand actually knew well enough to love. lanfear is offering herself and rand still really has no idea whats going on in her brain, he can only guess based on what she tells him, so thats been working for her up until this point.

[rowandamisch]

revealing Selene's true identity this early was so stupid

[chaostudee]

Hi can you write a lando norris x horner!reader fc ( hannah dodd) you can choose the plot smau pls

wildflower, lando norris

summary : y/n y/ln is a well known actress in the film industry and lando norris a top driver in formula 1. they had grown up together but had since grown apart and developed a hatred for another. after a public spectacle lando norris's manager suggests a pr relationship with none other than y/n y/ln. faceclaim : hannah dodd a/n : first request <33 hope u like it alsooo i love hannah dodd smm but the ogs know her from find me in paris but her in bridgerton omdss. also apologies in advance but this is like rlyyyy long. p.s alexandra liked my comment on tiktok 😭

y/nusername some bts for you 💐

liked by christianhorner, maxverstappen, kellypiquet and 782,829 others.

user728 the best casttt

username12 acc can't wait for s3

user99 my comfort people forever

user342 love u smmm y/n you're the best !!

y/nfan ik this season is going to be so insane

user689 so so excited like when s2 came out i binged it in one day (yes i am a bit insane)

user44 help no cause that's so real

y/nlover y/n was made for period dramas

y/nusername

》 OMG YES YES OUR QUEEN IS FINALLY COMING BACK WE MISSED YOU

》 MISSED YOU AT THE RACES

》 WE BETTER GET MAX AND Y/N CONTENT I LOVE THEM SMM

》 everything is right in the world

》 the redbull princess

maxverstappen friends and family

liked by christianhorner, y/nusername, kellypiquet and 3,588,459 others.

y/nusername i missed p smmm

kellypiquet trust we know you did you literally facetimed her twice a day

user67 i just know y/n is going to be such a good mother one day

username chestappen lover here 🤭

user44 awww it is rare that we get posts like this from max

username75 y/n is literally like max's sister atp i acc love their relationship smm

y/nusername great to be back 🏎

liked by maxverstappen, alexandrasaintmleux, carlossainz and 928,071 others.

user728 our unbothered queen

user459 not max and lando literally beefing on the first lap and then the camera pans to y/n smiling and waving like pllsss why is sky so messy like that

alexandrasaintmleux need your style so bad

user678 so happy to see her smile again

username124 i just can't get over y/n and lando like i refuse to believe that they don't ever talk like that's crazy to me

f1fan FR they literally grew up together user22 yesss christian was like a second father figure in his life

user889 can we talk about how her fit are the ferrari colours i alwaysss knew she was just like meee

user99 imagine your father being an f1 team principal likeee why not meee

landonorris tough race today after a collsion on the first lap but we will come back stronger

liked by oscarpiastri, mclaren, f1fan and 2,578,227 others.

user56 totally your fault mate

user22 who do u think you are

username78 never hated you up until now

user299 thanks for screwing up max's race

f1fan i'm sorry lando i love you but that was uncalled for

user99 i stand with my cancelled wife 🧍‍♀️

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

texts between lando and manager

this isn't good is it? lando

no lando no it's not manager

everyone is taking it wayyy out of context lando

ik ik manager

so what do we do lando

i might have an idea but you have to trust me manager

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

y/nusername a night out in monaco

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, charlesleclerc, maxverstappen and 866,358 others.

user677 girl is just everywhere atm

user34 oooo i spot those ferrari's

username45 serving faceeee

akexandrasaintmleux had the best time with you !

y/nusername me toooo can't wait to do it again

y/nfan omggg she was with charles and alex in a club so insaneee

user000 y/n is actually so classy and chic

f1updates lando norris and y/n y/ln spotted in monaco earlier today

liked by justaninchident, f1fan, user67 and 539,795 others.

user57 EXCUSE ME?!

user674 😮

f1fan the ogs are crying rn

user67 yesss i can confirm

username57 am i being pranked rnnn cus wtfff

f1lover this has to be pr like there is no they just decided to meet up on random tuesday and get papped like nuh uh

user00 ya'll are mad but i'm happy asf like idc if it's fake or not they still interacted

user223 a win is a win

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

texts between lando and y/n

i'm only doing this for the money y/n

trust me ik you are lando

well you've always been materialistic lando

wowww says the one who literally has over 20 flashy cars just for show y/n

whatever em my manager wanted to remind you that we have to start making posts together to yk let the public start a rumour about us dating or whatevs lando

ok y/n

ok? lando

yes fine i'll post something now y/n

thanks lando

i still hate you y/n

you can't hate me forever lando

yes i can y/n

well pls pretend that you don't infront of the cameras lando

i'm literally an actress y/n

oh yeah 😭😭 lando

what a muppet y/n

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

y/nusername family dinner

liked by christianhorner, landonorris, maxverstappen and 1,282,728 others.

user627 FAMILY DINNER WITH LANDO NORRIS?¿

user82 am i seeing what i think i'm seeing

username62 i'm so confused rn because whaaaaa

user56 there is no way christian is okay with thisss

f1fan y/n is just living that life

user34 i still think this is pr because it's so typical that they are seen together after all the hate lando is getting

username123 waittt this lowkey makes sense

username46 helpp the pic of christian im peeing

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

texts between max and y/n

YOU AND LANDO WHAT max

it's pr you dummy y/n

okay but still....you and lando.....you hate eachother max

yeah but we can just fake it infront of the cameras y/n

oh god y/n this is a horrible idea max

how he gets his reputation back and i get some money whats the big deal y/n

ohh is this about what he said about you over the radio y/n

nah nah i'm over that we're good we talked max

did he apologize y/n

actually ye he did max

wow you had to wait like a week for an apology while i've been waiting 8 years y/n

damn max

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

y/nusername start of press tour eek literally my fav part of the job

liked by landonorris, maxverstappen, kellypiquet and 2,578,553 others.

user56 quick like norris quick like lando norris 🎶

user99 girl just tell us are you with lando or not

f1fan if she's happy i'm happy

kellypiquet forever in awe of your beauty

y/nusername stoppp ily smm

user56 lowkey obsessed with this fit

username688 oh i'm so ready for the press tour

f1lover do u think lando will will come with her on the press tour

user44 omgg yeah maybe he could because summer break has just started

landonorris my beautiful girl

liked by y/nusername, charlesleclerc, alexandrasaintmleux and 4,689,340 others.

user728 stoppp what is going onnn

user900 awww this is acc so sweet

f1fan lando is so so lucky

justaninchident omggg y/n drop the workout routine plsss

username516 hottest couple

user34 can't believe this is real

user13 they literally have hated eachother for years i'm so confused

y/nusername s3 out now enjoy !! (p.s i wish we all dressed like this on the daily)

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, landonorris, maxverstappen and 748,457 others.

user56 omggg i just binged watched it it's so good i'm obsessed

user728 so so good y/n so proud of how far you've come

username how can someone be this perfect 🤭

f1fan she's serving cuntttt

user67 need that dress acc

alexandrasaintmleux just watched and can confirm that y/n is a sensation !!

landonorris

》 ughhh they are so so cute

》 we love a supportive bf

》 the math is not mathing

》 how? when? what? why?

》 y/n is so stinkin cute

*written*

as the sun began to set on the top of the waters in the far off distance, you let out a sigh, enraptured by the view. you had now been spending two weeks in mallorca in spain ans you'd be lying if you said you weren't enjoying yourself.

you and lando had just been for your evening meal and now you were walking along the beach which had become your nightly routine here in spain.

lando walks beside you hands in pockets as he looks right ahead him, but he notices as you begin to slow down.

you wince in pain as you made the idotic decision of wearing the most uncomfortable pair of heels you own. you take the heel and groan when you see a blister begin to form.

"you okay?" lando asks walking over to you and instructing you to lean on him. you oblige before setting down your feet and pulling away from him.

"yeah no no i'm fine"

"you can wear my shoes if you want i don't mimd" lando offers but you hesitate.

"but what about you?"

"it's not that far of a walk i'll be fine"

"you sure?"

lando nods and hands you his shoes, taking your heels off your hands. you slip onto lando's shoes and sigh in relief.

"thanks lan". lando' eyebrows raise at the nickname but he doesn't conplain and responds to you with a mindless shrug.

noticing that he still held a tight grip on your heels as you had begun to walk again you suggest to take them off his hands.

"i can take my heels back if you want" you offer.

"no no it's bother and you know i have to be the model boyfriend". you giggle and blush at this and imagine that what it would be like if lando was your real boyfriend but your thoughts are quickly brushed away when you remember that you are supposed to hate him. and he can certaintly not know you feel this way.

a camera shutter clicks which draws you from your thoughts and you jump at the sound.

lando grits his teeth. "the fucking paps".

you bite your lip nervously as you have never had good experiences with them before. upon noticing your nervous demeanour lando takes his hand in yours and nods at you before you walk up to the street.

your eyes widen as you notice all the photographers lining each side of the street.

"hey it's okay the apartment is not too far from here, i've got you"

you nod and allow lando to steer you clear of the paps as the scream nonesense and invasive questions. just as you are about to be out of their viewshot lando stops to kiss you on the cheek.

"what was that for?"

lando urges his head towards the dozens of photographers that were most likely ecstatic with their picture.

you nod in understanding but also in disappointment as you wished he had said there were no reason. but things like that don't happen in fake relationship. but god you wish they did.

landonorris

liked by y/nusername, oscarpiastri, maxverstappen and 4,379,906 others.

user772 omggg they spent summer together

username728 awww

f1fan just them

user728 mom and dad

f1lover nobody gets them like i do

oscarpiastri no wonder you aren't answering my messages

userw78 LANDO ANSWER OSCAR

user728 omgg did u guys see the paparazzi pics

justaninchident omggg yess they were so cute and the kiss on the cheek i was melting

y/nusername

》 LET'S GO LANDO

》 eeeeek i love them smm

》 oh im so ready for y/n's photo dump

》 so so cute

》 the it couple

y/nusername summer with bae

liked by landonorris, alexandrasaintmleux, charlesleclerc and 782,117 others.

landonorris ❤️

alexandrasaintmleux miss you girl

y/nusername miss you moreee

user828 i love them sm i can't anymore

user2 omggg y/n's dress is so gorge

f1fan omg lando 👀👀

user27 idk who i want to be more

*written*

you had wanted to bring up ever since you had reunited for the purpose of the pr relationship yet it never seemed like there was an appropiate time. you were enjoying yourself far too much to ruin it and truthfully lando had for the most part had stopped being a jerk towards you.

lando pulls a beer from out of the near empty fridge before he pulls a chair beside you on the balcony. he looks over at you while taking a swig, taking a deep interest into how intense you were looking over at the horizon.

"something on your mind?" lando asks, now also fixating his vision on the far off distance.

you look at him when he says those words and part of you wishes you could prevent the words that come out of your mouth next.

"i was thinking about us....about what happened with us"

lando groans and rubs a hand down his face before setting down his beer. "please tell me you are joking y/n"

you stand your ground. "no i'm not i'm serious lando we need to talk about this".

lando looks at you with annoyance. "can't we just move on from it like we are actually being civil towards one another and now you want to start up something else".

"i wish i could move on but i can't until you apologize"

lando tuts. "well i'm not going to do that".

your eyes widen in shock, you can't believe that he just said that to you, and so boldly too.

lando blows out a breath. "i don't regret picking mclaren over you".

his words are like a knife to the stomach and even lando flinches at the words just spoken. you sit there motionless for a moment before standig up.

"i'm going home"

"wait what no y/n what do you mean".

"i mean i'm going home".

you get up and make your way to the bedroom, pulling the suitcase from underneath the bed and packing anything that you can find belonging to you into it.

"y/n stop being so dramatic you don't have to do this"

you look back at him, angered. "yes yes i do because just as i was starting to have one ounce of trust for you, you basically tell me that i meant nothing to you back then".

"y/n-"

"no don't you say another word i'm done and so are we, and if i see your mangaer contacting me i swear to god" you blurt out so angered with him there are a milliom thoughts waiting to emerge.

those were the last words spoken as you rush out of the apartment slamming the door behind you leaving lando stood there in regret. as much as he wanted to run after to you, he was rooted to the spot because deep down he knew that you deserved better than him. and deep down he knew that you knew that too.

texts between y/n and christian

hi y/n just wanted to check up on you sweetie because i've seen alot of stuff online christian

about me and lando y/n

well yeah christian

are you okay? christian

well yeah it was a pr stunt so it meant nothing to me y/n

A PR STUNT......so it wasn't real christian

no y/n

thank god i still hate him christian

dad 😭😭 y/n

so what happened christian

i mean i brought up the whole leaving us to go mclaren and we got in a heated argument and i just blurted out i can't do this anymore y/n

is that what you want? christian

wdym y/n

did u want to break up with him christian

okay you're being weird y/n

it's a simple question y/n christian

it was a pr relationship y/n

doesn't mean that you didn't want it to end christian

ugh stop confusing me and what do u care u literally said you hate lando dad like what y/n

i care because if he makes you happy i'm happy christian

alexandrasaintmleux lunch date with bestie and leo

liked by y/nusername, kellypiquet, charlesleclerc and 1,457,897 others.

kellypiquet the most gorgeous girls + leo

alexandrasaintmleux 😭❤️

user644 THE f1 wags

username7 i love themmmm

f1fan fangirling so bad rnnn

user829 OMG IMAGINE A GRWM WITH THESE TWO I'D DIE

f1lover we need outfit details

maxverstappen these two are both so stubborn that they won't even talk to eachother to try to work things out so i have to resort to coming on here. lando over the years i've got to know how much y/n means to you, you both grew up together drifted apart and have now found your way back to one another. please don't throw that away. and y/n even though you try to deny it you care, maybe too much. so please both of you just talk and try and sort things out becsuse p really misses auntie y/n and unce lando.

liked by landonorris, y/nusername, kellypiquet and 7,516,006 others.

user728 i'm acc sobbing

username672 Y/N AND LANDO LISTEN TO MAX

f1fan this was not on my 2024 bingo card

user12 max being matchmaker makes sm sense

f1lover "p misses auntie y/n and uncle lando" TEARS TEARS

*comments on this post have been limited*

texts between y/n and lando

hey.... y/n

so im guessing you saw max's post lando

i did yeah y/n

i agree with him funnily enough, we need to talk lando

i'm still mad at you but yes i care about you alot y/n

i care about you too lando

then why did you do it y/n

god i was young i was stupid and i rly thought it wouldn't affect you that much lando

how stupid were you?! y/n

very stupid lando

i'm so sorry y/n you didn't deserve any of the pain i gave you oh god i actually need to talk to christian aswell lando

well your about 8 years too late to apologize to my dad he like full on hates you y/n

so you don't hate me anymore lando

no silly but you can't be forgiven that easy y/n

i'll do anything to make it up to you lando

yeah you better y/n

landonorris my sweet girl i promise i will never let you go

liked by y/nusername, maxverstappen, kellypiquet and 5,729,629 others.

maxverstappen istg if you hurt her ever again i will find you

user728 😭😭 f1fan if i was lando rn i'd be shitting it username516 mad max has entered the building

f1lover thank you max *we all say in unison*

kellypiquet what max said

user517 i need to know the lore on what happened

username627 don't know how to feel rn lowkey

*written*

your hand slots into lando's as you look up at him to only find him looking directly back at you with his eyes full of lust.

you blush and smile shyly at him.

"can you believe that after everything we've been through that we ended up together"

"i can" lando says confidently, so confidently that you can't help but roll your eyes in annoyance.

"what i'm serious the minute we met i knew you were the one"

you raise your eyebrows, not believing anything that is coming out of his mouth. "you were five" you state, as you have a recollection of your first time meeting when he bumped into you on the way to the track.

"so, when you know you know". he takes his thumb and traces it across your cheek before leaning in to press his lips against your own. you could never get used to way that made you feel.

"wait wait but you hated me" u you interrupt, pulling away from him in a moment of realization.

"i never hated you i just pretended to"

it takes a moment for you to register his words as he look back at him in confusion."why".

"because the girl i was in love with hated me"

"you were in love with me?"

"always have been always will be"

and with that you bit back a grin. in that moment you couldn't be happier, not only had you regained a friend but earned a soulmate and you couldn't wait to see what the future would hold.

taglist ⭑.ᐟ

@lottalove4evelyn

@sweetestgirlintown111

@mxryxmfooty

@hadidsworld

@llando4norris

@heavy-vettel

@nichmeddar

@janeh22

@love2readd

@seonghwaexile

@depressedriches

[storiesconsumemysoul]

Stupidly Long Incoherent Ramblings on Lanfear, Rand, and Egwene

I feel like we are only discussing the Lanfear play with Egwene and Rand as jealous vindictiveness but we are truly not giving her enough credit. Every action she's taken so far this season has strategically resulted in, once again, slowly isolating Rand from his support system. Required conditions to secure her hooks - that have been rudely slightly dislodged - back in him. And in her eyes, Egwene is pretty much the last major obstacle.

By end of S1, Rand was alone, pretty much resigned to going mad and dying in the near future, cut off from all that he has ever known and loved, and terrified of his own mind and body. Selene makes herself a place of safety, companionship, trust, but most importantly, strength. She was the second relationship he'd ever had. With an older worldly woman who still wanted him, a clueless country bumkin. As he put it perfectly, she made him feel like a man (2x4). While he is extremely vulnerable, isolated, and terrified out of his mind, she made him feel stable and capable. That is an incredibly potent connection that does not get dissolved by the reveal of who she is. Especially since all of the reasons why he was vulnerable and isolated are still factors at play. He's still the Dragon. With all that that entails.

In the backend of S2 Lanfear has to resort to explicit forceful methods and make deals and transactions because the relationship has been damaged. But after she gets to be his big savior (2x7) she now gets to go back to building their dynamic again with more subtlety. Namely, by recreating the conditions that got them together in the first place.

We start S3 with explicit acknowledgment that 1) Lanfear is invading his dreams and trying to interfere in his decisions, 2) He is not being swayed and is instead working with friends again, and most importantly, 3) He told Moiraine about it! And what does Lanfear do? Bubble of evil that kicks every member of his entire support system exactly where it hurts them most -> makes them all splinter in different directions -> makes Moiraine (and Lan) her accomplice in that act of betrayal and cruelty establishing some real mutual destruction leverage over Moiraine where Rand's trust and compliance is concerned. Even though he still chooses to not go after the sword, that's still impressive work. And of course, continuously torturing Egwene in her dreams every night since she is the last holdout staying with him.

The scene in (3x5) when Rand says that he and Egwene haven't had a moment alone to talk since Rhuidean really stood out to me since the last we saw of Egwene in (3x4), she was desperately trying to catch his eye. To connect. Of course, since it's clear that Lan and Moiraine hadn't talked either (until settling in from their travels) that tells me that there just wasn't a chance for heart to hearts on the way from Rhuidean. But Lan gets to it basically the moment there is an opportunity because babygirl came out of Rhuidean in absolute shambles and he needed to get on that ASAP. But Rand (who's doing a great job pretending he's not going through it) and Egwene can't work towards reconnecting and really processing the shitshow that is their lives together because ... oh yeah ... Egwene is slightly preoccupied by being tortured nightly by a goddamn forsaken. Lanfear actively and materially benefits from keeping Egwene strung out and preoccupied. I really don't think it's the simple petty satisfaction of it all that she's really after. And The Wise Ones, wisely, prioritize teaching Egwene how to defend herself as quickly as possible over having heart to hearts with her dubious-status-boyfriend. Which means Rand, who is totally Fine(TM) and in no urgent need of a heart to heart, once again only finds real refuge with one person.

Repeatedly triggering and retraumatizing Egwene, who is still stubbornly sticking by Rand, ensures that she continues to have a hard time with intimacy of any kind anyways. Which is in turn also somewhat triggering for Rand since his biggest fear is hurting those he loves. And Egwene tensing up, flinching away, and distancing herself from him - as much as he understands isn't actually about him - well ... still is a particularly rough experience for him too. Their bubble event was truly perfectly calibrated to severely mess both of them up. Add on to that both of their nightmares, the arches, and Rhidean? Yeah. So, naturally, the distance between them grows and grows because Lanfear is pushing all the right buttons at such a crucially vulnerable time for both of them. Egwene needs her own refuge in order to protect herself from even more trauma, and Rand finds relief in the only familiar place of comfort still being eagerly (against his will) offered to him.

And it is so important that he finds his refuge in dreams instead of clandestine real world meetings. For one, it allows him legitimate deniability. He's not like ... seeking her out and he doesn't have control of this space so ... you know? Is it so wrong to soak in whatever comfort he can from the continued invasion of his mind by a near all-powerful being? And I really don't want this to be misconstrued as "oh he secretly wanted it so Lanfear is doing nothing wrong there actually" type of argument. What I'm trying to get at is this: making your target feel complicit in their own abuse because you put them in a position to "enjoy" some part of it is very much so an abuser tactic (the cult dude ritualistically performing oral sex on his victims as part of their initiation into his inner circle comes to mind).

Two, his dreams without her are nightmares where he commits his worst fears. And taking the alternative of having a nice little chat with his ex(?) in their "love cabin of simpler times" sure is a no brainer. The waking world and his dreams are terrifying and painful, but Lanfear can give him refuge in a safe little warm bubble. All for the cheap cheap price of indulging her advances a little. Three, seeing Lanfear in Rhuidean reinforced a thing we have seen him kind of realize but not really confront. Which is that Lanfear (and Ishamael) have a real meaningful connection with some version of him. And he can say all he likes that he's not Lews Therin but it doesn't make the grain of truth there go away (I often think about the strange lovely tenderness he shows Ishamael in his last moments). But like ... the hell is he meant to make of all that anyways? Nothing realistically. Except when he's in this strange liminal "unreal" space ... who can blame him for trying to feel out the shape of that connection?

And four, in controlling the setting of his dreams, Lanfear gets to naturally invoke Selene and all the ways Selene made him feel, all the warm fuzzy feelings associated with that place, and time, and lover. Even while he actively distrusts Lanfear. It's why her "there is a way for me to escape the dark one ... oh what am I saying let me dramatically dip real quick" thing is so effective. She's sitting on their bed, in the warm glow of their cabin, vulnerable and allowing him the opportunity to step into the role of a stable and safe version of himself. The opportunity to be in a place of safety and strength again for his own sake AND be a place of safety and strength for her. Again, that quote about making him feel like a man is so important, especially when he's vulnerable and so terrified of himself. So when he meets Mierin, of course he's going to latch on to her goodness. It's everything he saw in Selene. And everything Lanfear had been subtly priming him into keeping at the forefront of his mind and heart throughout their interactions. She has slowly but surely positioned herself back where Selene was. As a place of respite, comfort, and strength. Of course, of course, he would be tempted by the idea that that version of her can be saved. Can be made real again.

Now the real risk with her shenanigans in (3x5) is that, surely, Egwene is going to tell him that Lanfear has been the one hurting her this whole time. Which could be a massive blow that ruins the fruits of all her work. But I think Lanfear is taking that calculated risk now because she feels secure in her position. Secure enough to forcefully sever the connection between him and the last person in his support system close enough for him to seek in them what he found in Selene. She's betting on his anger being mitigated by growing more desperate for comfort when isolated fully again.

I don't know if this play is gonna work out for her the way she wants. But I can't deny that I respect the hustle. Truly villain-ing at the highest messiest degree.

[onaperduamedee]

I have the Rand and Moiraine conversation seared onto my mind: the way the roles are reversed and Moiraine asks advice to Rand, the way Rand seeks her out when she is unraveling in a corner, the way she starts to grasp what the power feels like on his end, the way he just knows what she saw because he may contain it but he feels deep down what the madness is doing to him and the likely outcome.

I talked about it before in regards to Egwene and Moiraine watching Rand train in 302 but it is a reality than women, be it partners or mothers, can end up the victims of the man they take care of, especially when they are ill, and it's very much hovering over their conversation here. Yes, she will follow him despite knowing it might take her life.

It's not easy though, because dying during the Last Battle as she stood beside Rand as she believed when she guided him to the Eye of the World is not the same heroic death as this new fate of hers.

Her reaction to his questions about Rhuidean guts me because Moiraine probably saw Rand killing her as often as she saw Lanfear killing her, and we know she is terrified of Lanfear. She must be terrified of him as well.

But the trick is that Rand doesn't ask once if Moiraine saw Rand dying at her hands because he knows what is happening already inside him. He knows that killing him to save the world is a reasonable option.

Moiraine answers "sometimes" to all his questions knowing very well she kills him just as many times, trying to prevent the madness, Eggy's death, hers.

Knowing this is the worst outcome still for the world.

There is so much that passes between them behind the words.

I will be haunted by Moiraine's little almost smile after she tells him he sometimes kills her, as if saying "it's okay, really" and the way he looks at her afterwards because he starts to understand what she's willing to give to protect him: a form of unwavering trust that isn't about trusting his decisions and actions but about informed acceptance of who he is.

They are the best mentor/student relationship I have seen in a while.

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

The thing that I think folks who don’t like the choice to not include Siuan’s post-stilling arc are missing, other than the possible production reasons that could have factored in bts, is that the show is trying to explore areas of character arcs that aren’t explored in the books.

That’s why they focused more on making Randgwene a real relationship, that’s why they focused so much on what happened to Nynaeve in the arches and its aftermath, that’s why Perrin married Laila like he thought he might have if things had been different in the books, that’s why Rand was giving Lanfear a genuine chance.

They are never going to do anyone’s character arcs exactly as they are in the books, because that’s not the point of what the show is doing. They’re not trying to make it exactly like the books, they’re exploring the possibilities the books only touched on briefly, it’s complementary, it’s not a direct adaptation.

Siuan was unable to escape the tower simply because this time none of her allies were there to save her and so instead of redeeming her mistakes through mentoring Egwene to do what she couldn’t as she does in the books, Siuan defies Elaida to her last breath and her martyrdom while proclaiming for the Light creates the crack in the white tower’s ideology that Egwene will use to splinter apart and rebuild the institution from the ground up.

That’s fucking brilliant!!

[markantonys]

My Mom Reacts To: wheel of time season 3 episodes 1-4 (no book spoilers)

season 1 (book spoilers)

season 2 episodes 1-4 (no book spoilers)

season 2 episodes 5-8 (book spoilers)

she found her handwritten list of characters from when we watched s2 back in 2023, i couldn't believe it haha below is her summary of some of the gang as she was trying to jog her memory

lan: the one i really love mat: the one who got recast perrin: the big guy nynaeve: the healer rand and egwene: the ones who should be a couple but probably won't be

(i don't know if she meant that *she thinks* they should be a couple, as her personal opinion, or if she was just describing the general narrative framing of them as "should be together but won't be". we'll see what, if any, reaction she has to all the mess between them this season!)

ahead of s2, we rewatched all of s1 to prepare, but this time, we just watched the 20-minute recap of the first 2 seasons by unraveling the pattern. i get the sense that my mom is more lost and struggling during s3 than she has been in prior seasons, probably due to a combination of not doing a full rewatch first and to s3 just being so much more packed with Stuff than the first 2 seasons. but she knows all the main characters well and cares about them, it's mostly other stuff like plot and terminology that's hard to keep track of! and she did seem to settle in more once the hectic first episode was done and once she could focus more on the new storylines that are happening right now instead of trying to remember setup from previous seasons.

beginning of the recap: it's easy to get lost with all the different characters and terminology my mom: that's for sure!

during the recap my dad asked "is the dragon good or bad?" and i was like "that's kinda the big question of the whole series" haha

onto the episodes!

3x01

mom: didn't moiraine get banished from this city? me: yes, that's why she's hiding mom: she's not doing a very good job

me to my dad (who used to work in local government) at the beginning of the meeting of the hall: it's like town meeting dad later during all the shredding: town meeting never got QUITE this violent

mom: how did they not know there were this many bad guys lurking inside the tower? me: that's exactly what siuan is wondering too

my dad at some point during the street fighting: they need that guy who thinks he's a wolf to come and help

could perrin emerge as a fav for my dad if he was his first thought for somebody who would be useful in a situation? watch this space

mom after liandrin gets healed from double-stab out in the streets: ugh, she's unkillable!

huge gasp when ihvon died

mom when lan went to find nynaeve amid the rubble: oh yeah, they're in love right? [i will say, the recap was highly plot- and lore-focused and left out quite a lot of important info regarding interpersonal relationships!]

rand's line about "you know what prophecies are like, nothing's clear" got a chuckle

loial's line about leaving at dawn got a big chuckle!

mom: [smiling] he's one of my favorite characters me internally:😬

the girls' gossip session was instance #1 of my mom going "who's that???" about elayne because she "looks different" this season and she didn't recognize her (i suspect it's the hair throwing her off, in this scene especially it looks REALLY blonde and pale)

she definitely had some grumbling about it being stupid of the boys to go around town while so many bad guys are looking for them, though i forget exactly what it was

then later on she said "considering how many people are after them, they keep engaging in some pretty risky behaviors" (but this comment was just when mat was going to get himself a midnight drink at the inn, let him live, mom!)

mom: does rand know selene is evil? me [seeing my opportunity to get her sympathetic to rand's perspective early]: he knows she's lanfear, but she's been manipulating him hardcore, so he still thinks maybe he can fix her and help her be good again

i think it was during siuan's convo with egwene and nynaeve about being prepared to stop the dragon that my mom quietly said "...........is rand the dragon?" evidence of how overwhelmed this poor woman is with everything going on this season haha she's questioning everything she thinks she knows!

elayne delivering letters out on the street was instance #2 of going "who's that????" about her

no comments at all on any of the rand-avi, avi-elayne, or rand-elayne interactions this episode. i don't think she's particularly invested in either elayne or avi at this stage since they're newer characters compared to the OG crew, but we'll see!

moiraine: where do you really want to go? rand: where do i REALLY want to go? home mom: i was going to say, i bet all he wants is to just go home

she gets him!

rand: i was there [scaring egwene in her arches trip], wasn't i? mom: he's too smart for his own good

first time anybody has ever said that about rand dkfjgh but she's right! he's a lot more perceptive than much of show fandom gives him credit for!

mom: that guy perrin killed [bornhald], was he a bad guy? me: well, he was a whitecloak, so yes, but as whitecloaks go, he was better than some dad: a fitting description for his tombstone

mom during the inn attacks: it's so dark, i'm glad i can't see everything [because it's scary]

mom when lanaeve are saying their goodbyes: oh, why can't they just stay together?!

relatable to all of us who watched our favorite ships part ways in this episode!

"since perrin is going home, does that mean he won't be in the story anymore?" perrin wishes that was the case!

me: rand could've at least told moiraine the change of plans before she spent all that money on the boat mom: i know! it's like they think she has bottomless pockets! me: well to be fair she kinda DOES have bottomless pockets

dad after the episode: that felt like a lot more than just one episode

mom: will lan and nynaeve see each other again? me: not this season, but they should if there are more seasons mom: [sighs sadly] i just want lan to be happy

she followed this up with "this doesn't seem like an easy world to be happy in" you can say that again!

"if you counted how many times these 5 people got attacked throughout the show, i wonder how many it would be" very dangerous new WOT drinking game just dropped courtesy of my mom

the next day, she said "dad said he'll be home after [whatever time] and we can watch more then, it sounds like he really doesn't want to miss any" could've fooled me since it's never obvious that he's paying attention let alone invested, but it IS rare for him to even so much as imply that he wants us to wait for him to watch something!

3x02

me: this is elayne's mom pregnant with elayne mom: but she has two kids already me: yes, elayne has two older brothers mom: so why is elayne the one inheriting the throne? me: it's a matriarchal throne succession mom: i'm glad i have you here to explain things

huge gasp when the assassinations happened. "elayne is so nice, but her mom is so terrible!"

my dad's thought on the assassinations was "now this DID happen a lot in town meeting" lmao

as soon as they showed gaebril my mom went "i think i've seen him before", it turned out she was mixing him up with ishy since they have similar hair/beards, but i was cracking up imagining that rahvin had compelled her through the screen to remember him being in previous seasons

the music got a shoutout from her in this episode during the travel montages! there's some particularly groovy tunes in this episode's travel montages

several chuckles over galad getting made fun of in various scenes, as is only right

another chuckle at "the prophecy does not say i must enjoy the task"

elayne: that's the first time anyone's accused this room of being big mom: it looks pretty big to me!

first my mom was upset that no one was coming up to perrin to say hello when he arrived in the village, and then after finding out the whitecloaks have a bounty on him, she was upset that he was walking around out in the open and so many people had seen him arrive

she was also like "why did moiraine just let him leave and go home?" and i pointed out that moiraine's goal was to separate rand from his friends and that she really kinda only cares about rand at this point and not the other four so much, which my mom semi-accepted haha

mom after finding out min's viewing of dead aes sedai & warders wasn't referring to the 3x01 battle but was actually another battle still to come: is there ever any hope at all in this world?!

much appreciation for chiad's line about asking the lion to protect you from the bear and ending up in one belly instead of the other

perrin: i'll turn myself in mom: oh perrin, you're too good for your own good

once again my mom asked "does rand know she's evil?" about lanfear, so i took another chance to explain that rand knows objectively that she's evil but she's been careful not to do anything evil in front of him as a way of manipulating him, and that he really loved her during the months they were together so it's hard for him to just turn that off. i'm doing my best to seed in Rand Sympathy! we'll see if it pays off in the remaining episodes.

then my dad sneezed really loudly and distracted us all from the quick reveal that lanfear is disguising herself as renna to torture egwene, so i had to catch them up on that. classic dad behavior.

mom: [trying to jog her memory] was min romantically involved with anyone? me: no mom: she and mat might make a good pair me: NO they're like siblings to me!!!!

if she makes any kind of shippy comment during the CPR i'm going to pull out the "rand's the one who gave him CPR in the books, would you have considered THAT romantic too?" card hahaha

after gaebril told elayne about the trouble in andor, my mom was all "why would the queen leave the country if there's trouble?" "why is she leaving all her advisors behind at the tower if there's trouble?" she was starting to pick up on Something Fishy Going On Here

the scene of siuan taking the horn from mat was a big hit, naturally!

elayne: i learned from the best [morgase] mom: i don't know, i don't think SHE would ever kill her rivals dad: *i* think she would

mom about elaida: is she evil? dad: no one in this show is fully evil or fully good, they're all some of both

continuing his tradition of remaining mostly quiet and seeming not to pay much attention and then coming out with completely accurate takes

3x03

at first when my mom saw "gaebril" skulking around she was laughing because she thought morgase accidentally forgot him at the tower and left him behind, i was dying and am going to think about that every time i watch this scene forevermore

at the reveal that he's evil: "ugh! of COURSE!"

then i was explaining that he's not just evil, he's a forsaken, and explaining more about how he planted fake memories, and also giving her the list of all the forsaken we've met so far to add to her notes. we did pause for most of this, but sadly sammael's rug line got talked over so they missed that one, alas!

while nynaeve and elayne were walking through the streets my mom said she thought she saw somebody lurking around - it must have been the gray man, i was impressed! i hadn't caught him myself!

mom after hearing elaida's plan to cage rand: [unhappily] there are so many different groups of bad guys, and only one of good guys

she remembered the tuatha'an well from s1! she said she remembers s1 better than s2 since she'd watched it twice (and also said that s1 was the easiest one to follow since it was only about the main small group of characters)

we both keep fretting about wanting to know exactly how much time has passed, so in the scene with laila's tree we were like "well i guess however long it takes for a tree to grow that tall is how much time has passed" (and then in the later scene when perrin was like "don't you remember what happened at bel tine?" my mom was going "five years ago? last year?" trying to prompt him to specify haha)

she thinks it's very foolish for nynaeve and elayne to go off to tanchico on their own with so much danger afoot

"they're like paris fashion models" about liandrin & co's new getup in tanchico djkjfg

"i've never seen someone try to turn themselves in and fail" was a big hit!

though later my mom wondered if faile might be lanfear in disguise, which i accidentally shot down because first she just asked "is that lanfear?" and i said "no, it's a new character" thinking she was just mixing them up, not that she was suspicious lanfear might be in disguise as faile

mom about galad and gawyn: they remind me of, we used to call them "big men on campus", pompous and arrogant but also popular

mat: LIANDRIN?! nynaeve: keep your voice down! mom: he's always shouting about things that should be kept secret!

mom: i don't think elayne will be happy if mat kills her brothers me: he's not going to KILL them

3x04

mom while moiraine is watching lan and rand spar: why is she just sitting around? me: there's not a whole lot else to do in the desert

over the course of this episode, aviendha progressed from "that girl" to "aviendra" she's getting there!

me: [mentions something about the car'a'carn] dad: speaking of, were you able to find a parking space for the car'a'carn at the dentist earlier?

rand: tell me you won't try to stop me or use me moiraine: i will do nothing to hinder you from fulfilling your destiny mom: [disapprovingly] that's not what he asked

whether she'll understand rand's perspective in his upcoming conflict with egwene remains to be seen, but she does seem to understand his perspective in his conflict with moiraine! and kinda always has, i think, i remember her expressing distrust of moiraine in the prior seasons too.

"rand sure has a lot he needs to get done before he goes mad" WOT: A Summary

the first sight of the dragon tattoo with rhuarc got a "that looks cool" stamp of approval

earlier in the day she'd asked whether everything in the show was from the books or if some stuff was made up and i'd said the show made up/altered some stuff, and here i gave an example of how in the books mat is part of the waste trip and he's the one to go to rhuidean with rand and to get the moment of pulling a bunch of different knives out of unlikely places and my mom said "ha! i can see mat doing that. more than i can see moiraine doing it." i agree!! [cries in Mat Being Yoinked Out Of The Waste And His Silly Character Quirk Moment Given To Another]

[shot of rand's broad shoulders from behind as he's walking] "he looks like he's gotten a lot more muscles since the first season"

as rand is stepping into the columns: "i bet he's wishing he could just go home to his farm"

i gave a rundown of what to expect for the visions, with rand seeing real events from the past through the eyes of his biological ancestors starting with the most recent and getting further back and with moiraine seeing many possible but not definite paths for the future, because i feared she might get confused otherwise and i thought she would appreciate the experience more if i clarified this firmly ahead of time

and she did appreciate it! not much commentary (aside from "he should get an award for playing all these different characters" and "it's like they were on drugs when they wrote this episode" djkjfgkh but i think this was Complimentary rather than Derogatory), she was mostly just quiet and taking it all in

although she was very indignant about moiraine "stealing something from the tree" haha she was like "that can't be allowed!" and i said "moiraine doesn't really care about what's allowed"

and of course she was horrified by the future vision of lan dying and hastened to seek assurance that these are not definite futures

rand: [collapses in exhaustion after all the visions are done] dad: i agree

aviendha: as you wish, wetlander mom: [chuckles] like the princess bride me: [silently giggling in avirand]

i don't know if this episode struck either of them as particularly noteworthy or standout the way so many WOT fans feel about rhuidean, but if they make any additional comments on it later, i will be sure to note them!

[thatordinaryoddity]

hot take on 3x03 sweat tent scene

and since I know that most people here seem to feel differently about that scene than I do and actually love it (which I don’t), I’m putting my thoughts below the cut. You know, don’t like, don’t read, etc etc.

I’m finally gathering the courage to voice my thoughts on why this scene bothers me so much. Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion, shared on my personal blog, based on my own impressions and experiences with this topic.

Call me prude, but for me, the entire scene felt uncomfortable and left a sour taste in my mouth for several reasons. I honestly can’t wrap my head around why so many people seem so unbothered by it or even love it that much.

First of all, even if we assume that Moiraine and Siuan are breaking up, I’m not on board with the whole “yas, go for it, girl” rebound narrative. They’ve been in a relationship/marriage for over 20 years. Unless the word breakup is used, I don’t think we can assume they’re officially done. Yes, Siuan betrayed Moiraine in 2x07 (though, to be fair, Moiraine wasn’t exactly a saint either so I don’t place all the blame on Siuan). But considering the depth of their relationship, I’d expect them to have a definitive conversation before ending things, especially given their shared responsibilities and history. No matter what Moiraine assumes about their status, I feel like there needs to be a clear, final acknowledgment of their separation before we treat them as truly over.

And honestly, they don’t seem over. Moiraine’s emotional support fishing net, her saving Siuan and her little eyebrow twitch, the kiss from the trailer - all suggest there’s still something between them (and we know there will be). Even if they are broken up at this point, it’s only been about a month. I get that people handle breakups differently, but I don’t see Moiraine as someone who immediately starts messing around the moment she’s out of a long-term relationship.

Now, setting aside the possible cheating aspect, there are other issues with this scene: Lan. Oh my god, brother? We see in 3x01 that Moiraine is still yearning for Siuan. She’s clearly not over her and isn’t emotionally in a good place. Lan basically even mentions indirectly how unhappy she seems. And yet, he suggests this as a solution? As if Moiraine is just going to forget 20+ years of Siuan because some random stranger flashes her tits? I’m so sick of the trope that sex is a magical fix for emotional distress after a breakup. And… Moiraine wasn’t even thinking in that direction until Lan put the idea in her head, which makes it feel even more forced and icky. His suggestion kinda boils down to “quit moping and get laid so we aren‘t that miserable anymore,” without any thought given to the emotional fallout.

Does he (or Moiraine) really think she’d truly feel better afterward? Has anyone who’s ever had rebound sex actually forgotten their ex because of it? Did it magically fix everything? Did it bring you lasting happiness? Or regret and even more pain? Anyway. His advice felt dismissive, and more broadly, the way the show treats cheating as something casual or insignificant is frustrating. (Honestly, this issue extends beyond Moiraine and Siuan. Rand/Egwene comes to mind, and Egwene deserved so much better as well).

And yes, maybe it was intended as a lighthearted, funny moment, just some banter between Lan and Moiraine. But for me, it’s an absolute flop and not cute at all. I hope we don’t actually see Moiraine cheating or anything like that, but even the implication alone already makes me mad and sad. If the show actually goes there, I don’t think if I can stand behind it.

And before anyone argues that maybe Moiraine and Siuan aren’t monogamous, or that Siuan wouldn’t care. Sure, we don’t know for certain. But based on what the show has told us about their relationship, all we’ve seen so far is a deep commitment, loyalty and resilience, at least up until 2x07. And if we’re going with the idea that wanderer!Moiraine can be off having casual sex with strangers while Siuan sits in the Tower, unable to do the same because of her position as the Amyrlin… well, that doesn’t sound like a very balanced dynamic to me.

Which brings me to another issue: Moiraine is off in the Waste, thinking about casually hooking up with some stranger, while Siuan is back at the Tower, dealing with absolute chaos? I saw other posts about how lonely Siuan seems, and I felt that. Imagine being in her position! I say it again; Imagine being in her position! She’s probably riddled with guilt and regret and hurting too (as we can see in her expressions in both 2x07 and 3x01, and in her conversation with the kiddos). But she’s got responsibilities, political turmoil and an entire broken Tower to manage. I’m pretty sure she’s not off checking out some other naked woman because, you know… she has business to handle and shit to deal with (as does Moiraine, actually). Idk, I just feel so sorry for Siuan. And again, if we assume they’re truly broken up and will try to reconcile later, Moiraine’s “one hour of happiness” would/could complicate things even more.

I also know that Tumblr is obsessed with Moiraine/Lanfear, which is another idea I don’t love and haven’t been quiet about. But honestly? I’d rate the sweat tent scene as even worse because that is happening in real-time. Moiraine isn’t dreaming, isn’t having a vision, isn’t being threatened or forced. She isn‘t even gaining knowledge or power or whatever by (considering) sleeping with that woman.

Moreover, the sweat tent scene rubs me the wrong way because I cannot see Moiraine‘s character behaving like this. Yes, she’s human and has needs, blah, but I personally just don’t see her doing this. All of it feels like such a loser move. Why does there have to be so much toxicity and awful tropes all the fucking time? Can’t we just have that one pairing that is loyal and loves each other? I know this is my hopeless romantic side speaking, but I’m just disappointed in this scene and how the show suddenly portrays Moiraine and the fishwives.

That being said, I do love how diverse the show is in its portrayal of different relationships and I do think that‘s great and beautiful, and I do embrace it! But when it comes to the fishwives? I personally can’t mentally go there. Sorry.

If you made it through my TED Talk, my condolences.

[butterflydm]

Additional WoT 3x04 thoughts

That was so good. Okay, now that I've gotten some sleep, some more thoughts. spoilers for the show through 3x04 and for the books through the fires of heaven

Rand's journey through the columns kinda washed it away for me at the time, but I did really love the beginning with Rand and Lan, and us getting some insight into what Rand is getting out of his training sessions with Lan, and the ways in which Lan is treating him like an adult capable of making his own choices, and Rand's reservations about any potential relationship he might have to the Aiel people.

Of course, we the audience know that Lan is still keeping Moiraine's secrets for her (including that time she let Rand and all his friends get attacked by Lanfear), but I don't think Rand ever forgets that Lan is Moiraine's Warder.

We got two transformative journeys for relationships last night and I'm glad that they gave those two moments to Rand & Aviendha near the beginning and the end of the episode, and the way that Aviendha looked at him at the end! (and how she ran away from him lol oh baby, run as hard as you can but you can't outrun wanting to bang that man like a house shingle in a storm). Her straight-up picking a fight with him at the beginning because him using a sword so close to Rhuidean reminds her that she's wearing weapons when she knows that she's been called to be a Wise One but she ran away from her duty instead of following her duty to her people! Everything that we had with Rand and Aviendha was so perfect.

And the other one, of course, being the journey that Rand and Moiraine took together. So, I mentioned last night that I do get why they didn't want Mat there... I love Mat's story in the Waste, with Rand, but Mat being there does (I am reluctantly forced to admit) undercut the specific character and relationship arcs that we are currently undergoing with Rand and that we probably need to undergo with Rand in order to get him where he needs to be with his relationships in the future. Mat being there means we need to carve out a third storyline in Rhuidean. Mat being there means that Lanfear needs to haunt him too (trying to drive him away from Rand) the way that she's haunting Egwene, or else her entire premise (I'm the Only One Who Cares About You, Rand) falls completely to pieces. Show!Mat, especially, is genuinely such an amazing friend that he completely destroys Lanfear's manipulation attempts simply by existing near Rand, and this story that they're telling, where Rand might potentially believe Lanfear when she says that no one would love him if they knew the truth about him, gets a harder shake if Mat is there trying to lift his spirits. Egwene is in the same sort of dark place that Rand is (in part because of Lanfear torturing her every night to keep her there) and Rand also has so much guilt surrounding his relationship with her, both elements that aren't there in his friendship with Mat.

So, yeah, I get it.

But I do really hope that we get our s4 (and s5+) so that we can have Mat back in Rand's storyline and making him smile again. <3

Rand and Moiraine did go on a very transformative journey, both together and separate. I loved how we see at the beginning exactly why Rand is wary with her, and yet how Moiraine can sincerely believe she has "done nothing but help him" even though we've literally seen her sit and do nothing while he and his friends were calling for help in 3x01. Their moments at Avendasora together, and Rand realizing how connected their threads have been, with her uncle being the one who set into motion the events that led to his birth on Dragonmount. And then their looks toward each other at the end of the episode. Definitely very interested to see what they will have to say to each other in 3x05!

I loved all the interactions that we saw Rand having with all the Aiel characters! That was all so good. We got some really great stuff, and it was pretty book-accurate but it was translated to screen so well. Amys-with-a-Bair-nametag was great; Melaine was great, Sevenna was great (...a sentence I would never say about book!Sevenna); Couladin was great, etc and so forth! I loved all the interactions.

The horror of the thousand-thousand futures was really well done -- to start with a future that seemed happy but that would doom the world (Moiraine a happy fishwife, smiling at Siuan) to the futures where Lanfear kills her in so many different ways. You really can feel that there's only a narrow path forward that Moiraine needs to forge. We know that we're going to get Moiraine talking to Lan about the rings (presumably in 3x05) so I'm interested to see what else she tells him that we didn't already see in the trailers. We saw so many different ways she tried to guide Rand (and they DID include the one where she and Rand became lovers, I noticed!) and so many ways it ended in death and doom.

Moiraine straight-up stealing the strongest sa'angreal in the world from the Aiel people! Definitely in character but girl, damn! And that was before she saw any of the futures, so it wasn't even her thinking that she would need it for something specific in a future vision.

And the centerpiece of the episode. Rand's journey into the past. It was so good.

I'm really glad that we got the scenes with Janduin! "Shade of my heart!" Him telling her that they'd won, desperately cupping her face but not feeling any warmth. That was so heartbreaking. Giving Rand this moment in particular was a good way for the show to lead into Rand being more deeply affected by the columns than he was in the books, because this mirrors the grief that he saw his father (Tam) go through when they lost his mother (Kari). It instantly gave him a point of connection that he could deeply relate to -- as his adoptive father loved and lost his wife too soon, his blood father loved and lost his wife too soon. Seeing and feeling how deeply his mother was loved, and how deeply his own absence was felt by his father, it gives him a starting connection to his bloodline that we're able to trace through to his previous ancestors.

The formation of Rhuidean, and seeing ancient Latra. The last of the Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends (who isn't a Forsaken trapped in a seal). Gorgeous. And we also once again the reinforcement of "shade of my heart" as an endearment.

Lewin! I saw someone calling him hobbit!Rand and, yes! There were definite hobbit vibes going on with his hair. This vision was truly the formation of the Aiel as who they are today. I am going to say, I kinda like that the show didn't feel the need to call out the moment when the Maidens first picked up the spear, because that just makes it feel more assumed that, yeah, just as some men decided to make this choice, women started deciding it too.

This whole sequence was so heartbreaking! And I definitely noticed that they made Lewin's friends reminiscent of Mat & Perrin. The scene between Lewin and his mother at the end is so much. "I had a son with a face like that once. I do not want to see it on a killer."

I feel like this specific moment in time is the one that kills so many Aiel who try to go through the columns. Learning that their entire way of life is based on breaking their oaths to be committed to peace. That what they believed was a noble thing about not touching swords is actually a last desperate attempt to hold onto any remaining honor after losing the Way of the Leaf.

Poor Jonai, struggling with the Way of the Leaf and remaining firm to it, as the Tuatha'an choose to break their ancestors' oaths and abandon their duty to safeguard what the Aes Sedai left them. I really like the connection we had with Adan his grandson being a small boy in this one, and then being Lewin's grandfather in the vision just before it. That really helped with a sense of emotional continuity. Adan's entire life was this journey to the east! Bookended by loss and violence and yet Adan never wavered in his own commitment to the Way of the Leaf.

And I had originally thought that our queer!Rand ancestor was Jonai, but I don't believe he got a name, and I think he was Jonai's grandfather. What a wonderful surprise he was. I adored his scene with Latra, and getting to see Josha do entire scenes in the Old Tongue was such a delight. Every one of the ancestors felt so sharply drawn and unique, but this one in particular really really drew me in even before we found out he was queer, though that definitely helped me feel even more connected to him <3 <3

He's so quiet and sincere and earnest. Committed to his duty and the honor that it brings him. Reminds me of Warders, in a way (with much less fighting lol), instead of the kind of generational servitude that original Aiel were in the books. And seeing how futuristic the wagons were, comparing to the wooden wagons that we see two generations later with Jonai!

And we end with Charn, speaking to Mierin and seeing the Bore, and catching a glimpse of the Dark One!

This scene was so good! We once again saw Charn's devotion and his genuine joy in his work, like we did with his descendant -- he seemed interested in what Mierin Sedai was saying about finding a source of power that anyone could use, but mentioned that he wouldn't want to use it to bring the harvest in, because he finds value and joy in doing it with his own hands.

I loved the way that the Bore looked. It really did look like a crack in reality.

And Mierin was great. She was warm and kind with Charn, but there were hints there of what would grow to consume her in the future -- her telling Charn the importance of not letting go of the ones you love... actually, Mierin, you definitely should let them go if they break up with you and marry someone else! That's definitely the point at which you should let them go!

I am very curious if Mierin will come up the next time Rand talks to Lanfear.

The journey of the tree throughout the episode! How the object of power rested inside its branches as it was small, as it waited for Latra to find it again. I really like how Latra was the one who created Rhuidean! And how devastating it must have been to her, to see what the Aiel had become, after we saw the relationship that she had with the Aiel when she was younger, during the very beginnings of the breaking of the world. And this also shows us the lifespan of how long powerful Aes Sedai could live, and how many 'normal' lives it spans.

What a brilliant episode.

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

So who’s rescuing Moiraine from Finnland now? The folks who do it in the books have very little connection to Moiraine and have spent no or very little time with her, so it doesn’t feel particularly emotionally resonant for them to do it. And Rand and Egwene, who she has strong relationships with, are too busy.

Obviously I assume Mat will go because they wouldn’t and shouldn’t change that, but he needs someone with a deeper connection to Moiraine to go too. Maybe it’s Lan instead of Thom? If I remember correctly, Lan doesn’t actually have that much to do if we aren’t doing his super troubling Myrelle arc and Nynaeve has unblocked herself. Eventually he’ll have to golden crane but we’re pretty far from that, so I feel like he would have time to go on this adventure with Mat? Am I forgetting something? I’m only on book 7 in my reread so the later books are a bit of a blur.

I will forever mourn not getting Siuan on the Ghenjei mission instead of Thom since I 100% think it would have been the best emotional arc for her and Moiraine’s relationship - not to mention comedic as hell - but I love Lan and his relationship to Moiraine and I think they could do something beautiful with him rescuing Moiraine even after he’s mourned her and bonded to Nynaeve etc. and what that means for them as platonic soulmates. Lord knows they have to change Mo and Lan’s book ending anyway.

[aqua0pan]

Hey! first of all, I really really love your writing and how your plot goes. but may I request?

wherein reader is apart of the straw hats and is secretly in a relationship with Law. during a fight or raid, they get separated and don't know if each other is alive. after the raid/fight reader wakes up after being unconscious and the straw hats are there and reader is bandaged and all, inviting her to go back to the thousand sunny, when she remembers she doesn't know what happened to Law. she panics, but then Law calls reader and she runs to him, and the straw hats are surprised. and you can do whatever ending you want :3

UGH thank you, this idea has been bugging my mind for a long time now. seriously.

Secret relationship | Trafalgar D. Water Law

A/n: Omg thank you for that request! I love the your idea! It’s quiet short but it’s actually my first request so I hope you’ll like it

CW: angst, fluff, secret relationship, fear of losing someone

Summary: Read request

To my Masterlist

"Y/n! Stay near me!" You heard Law shout to you while fighting the marines. "Hey, Torao! Y/n is in my crew so stop ordering her around!" Luffy chimed in and punched a bunch of weak marines soldiers against a house.

Law glanced at your captain, not wanting to reveal your relationship and let out a "Tsk." The Herat pirates and the Straw Hat pirates were fighting alongside each other against the marines on a small island.

"Don’t worry! I can handle them myself! Focus!" You yelled back and drop kicked some soldiers. The fight became protracted as more and more ships arrived.

More and more soldiers came towards you, shooting with guns or trying to slice you with their swords. You blocked their attacks, sending them flying away one by one. What you didn’t notice was that you were separated from Law and the rest of your crew.

You fought them one by one until a vice admiral appeared in front of you. "You… Haven’t you noticed anything?" Your brows furrowed and you looked around you only to realize you’re separated from your crew and you boyfriend.

"Shit! How couldn’t I noticed?", you cursed yourself but your mind wander to Law. Is he alright? I hope he’s not hurt. What if they captured him? Or what if they killed him?

Meanwhile Law was fighting against another vice admiral, not noticing your absence. "Hey, Trafalgar. Haven’t you noticed something?" Law frowned at his enemy, his sword in his hand while he tried to catch his breath. He didn’t answer, his mind wandering to you.

"Your little girlfriend or whatever she is isn’t here anymore. Do you want to know what happened to her?" Law's eyes widen and he immediately turned around to look for you, only to find the place you were minutes ago empty.

His heart dropped and panic rises inside him. He tried to ignore the feeling of worry. He’s going to look for you when he’s done.

Back to you, you let your guard down for a moment to look where your boyfriend was, but then you suddenly felt a hard impact against your head. Your eyes widen, warm blood tickling down your head as you were send flying against a wall.

You fell to the ground, your body shaking from the impact as you tried to get up only to be kicked away again. The last thing you saw was Robin appearing in front of you before you fell unconscious.

"She needs rest, guys. We should go." A high voice rand through your ear as you slowly opened your eyes. "Wait, Chooper. She’s waking up." You let out a groan and looked around, noticing that you’re not on the Thousand Sunny but on the Polar Tang.

"What happened?", you asked while slowly sitting up, holding your throbbing head. "Robin rescued you after the marines almost caught you.", Nami explained with a worried look in her eyes.

"Y/n! Now that you’re awake, we can return to the Sunny!", Luffy yelled but got knocked down by Chopper who scolded him. Your sore body is covered in bandages, restricting your movements.

Then you remembered. "W-where’s he? Where’s Law?" Your crew turned to you in confusion, wondering why you’re asking for Law.

"Is he okay? Where’s he?" You were slowly panicking, looking around the room, only to find your crew.

"Y/n." A soft voice called out to you and you looked to the door were your boyfriend stood. You immediately got off the bed, stumbling to him, ignoring the pain in our head and all over your body.

"Law!" You fell into his arms and buried your face into his chest, your crew looking at you two confused. "Wait. What’s happening here?", Sanji asked, his mouth wide open and his eyes slightly hurt.

The others had a surprised look on their faces as well after they watched what just happened. "W-hat’s going on?", Ussop stuttered and pointed at you and Law.

"I guess we can’t keep it from them forever… Law and I are in a relationship… We’ve been for a while now…" I confessed while looking at your stunned crew. Most of them were looking at you with wide eyed, their expression more than bist surprised.

"Huh?!" The Heart pirates and the Straw Hat pirates let out a surprised roar, not expecting that at all. "Captain is in a relationship with one of the Straw Hats?!" Penguin repeated, his jaw dropping.

"Y/n is going to stay here on the Polar Tang. I’m going to watch over her." That seems to wake them up and they immediately tried to convince you to go with them instead.

"No! Y/n is my crew member! Chopper can do that!“ That lead to Law and Luffy bickering while the rest of both crews just sweat dropped.

At the end, you’re staying with Law while Luffy was pouting and eating meat. Sanji was defeated that he had 'lost' you to Law forever while others were happy for you two.

"Does you head still hurts? Tell me if anything hurts." You smiled at your boyfriend’s worried tone. "I’m fine as long as I am with you, Law."

"You scared me when you disappeared. I thought you- you…" Your gaze softened and you cupped his face with your hands.

"You would find me, always. I’m not going anywhere." Law closed his eyes and relaxed at your soft touch. He felt safe around you. When he couldn’t find you immediately, he panicked and when Robin brought you back, unconscious, he panicked even more.

"I was also scared… I thought maybe they got you… But I was a fool to think that. I’m just glad that we don’t have to hide anymore…" A faint smile creeped on Law’s lips as he looked into your eyes. He would definitely turn the world around to find you.

[blank-potato]

The Boy Is Mine

Pairing: Lanfear x Rand al’Thor x Reader

Warnings: 18+ Explicit content, Overstimulation kink, Sub!Rand, Dom!Lanfear, Switch! Reader

Summary:

"Don't pretend like you don't want this," she purrs, a knowing smirk curling her lips. "I've seen your dreams." After hearing him every night moaning in his sleep it had influenced your own dreams. There had been dreams with a mixture of you and Rand, you and Lanfear and in the most dangerous iteration, all three of you. You hated that she knew that, that she knew what made you weak. “Don’t fight it.” Or Lanfear has been lurking in Rand's dreams a little too much for your liking, when you catch them in the act you try to show her who he belongs to

A/N: Got to love a Lanfear and Rand sandwich and Lanfear using weaves kinda like tentacles

✶✶✶

How could you compete?

She was a forsaken and she had her hooks deep in him. 

You lay next to him at night as he sleeps and often hear her name on his lips followed shortly by yours. 

You didn't talk about it, you wouldn't even know how to bring it up. 

You wouldn't question why or the clear effect her dreams had on him in the morning.

It drove you mad to hear him call out her name right next to you. 

He wasn't hers anymore, he was yours.

✶✶✶

As you enter your room Lanfear is sitting on your bed as if she owns the place. Her domineering stare is not lost on you as it sends shivers down your spine. 

“Did you like my gift?”

You assumed she was referring to the slew of dreams she had been sending Rand’s way and it was not at all appreciated. 

“I will not let you corrupt Rand’s mind.”

“And how exactly would you stop me, hm?”

She's toying with you like you're a mouse caught in her trap and she loves to see you squirm. 

“How about I corrupt your mind too? We could have fun,” she says as she approaches you, you don’t even register that she’s right next to you before it’s too late. 

“I would never…” you start to say but your words trail off.

Her lips were ghosting your neck, making the hairs on your body stand up.

It's definitely fear but there's something else underneath, threatening to rear its ugly head.

She pushes you to your knees and you feel no urge to resist or fight back. 

Almost like some innate need to please her, you didn't know why but you had to. It’s not long before she’s exposed to you, in all her naked glory and you’re tentatively licking at her clit. Having enough of your shyness she grabs you by the head and starts grinding on your face. You could only breathe in her scent when you gasped for air.

“Good girl.”

You wake up in a panic, your body acting and longing for her but your mind hating her for putting you in such a position.

That night, as you lay tangled up with Rand, you can’t help but have her on your mind. Her shadow lingered between you, taunting you, haunting your relationship with him.

You look down at Rand, his beautiful stormy eyes half-lidded, his short red hair tousled from your touch. Adam's apple bobs up and down as he swallows, his breath unsteady. As if possessed, you wrap your hand around his throat and squeeze. He lets out an ungodly moan, his body arching beneath you.

Snapping out of your haze, you ease up, quickly moving your hand away, worried that you had hurt him. But instead of pulling back, he catches your wrist, guiding your hand back to his throat.

“No, no, I... I like it,” he murmurs, his voice breathless, eyes dark with something you’ve never quite seen in him before.

As he grinds his hips against yours, his hands gripping you like he never wants to let go, a shiver runs down your spine. Marking his neck with love bites, you lose yourself in the moment, the warmth of his skin, the way he reacts to every touch. The night feels endless, a blur of heat and desire. You didn’t know what came over you, and you weren’t sure how to feel about it, but one thing was clear—Rand liked it.

✶✶✶

You had to check that you weren’t dreaming. You blinked hard and even pinched your own arm but no, it was real.

Lanfear was there, in your bed... with Rand.

A cold rush of anger surged through you as you stepped forward, voice sharp and unwavering.

"Get your hands off of him!"

She only smirked, her fingers still lazily tracing over his bare chest.

"I don't think he'd like that very much," she purred, amusement dancing in her eyes as if she already knew she had the upper hand.

His cock was twitching in her right hand, slick with a mixture of her spit and his pre-cum. His eyes widen when he sees you, the haze in them flickering with recognition. He had been in a dazed state, his body tense yet pliant beneath her touch, eyes glazed over like he wasn’t entirely present.

“I...” he breathes, voice hoarse as if waking from a dream or a nightmare.

Lanfear’s smirk doesn’t falter. She tilts her head and palms his cock like she has every right to be touching him.

It made you sick. 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she muses. “It’s not like he was resisting.”

Lanfear steps toward you, each movement slow, deliberate, like a predator toying with its prey. Instinctively, you take a step back, your heart hammering in your chest.

"Don't pretend like you don't want this," she purrs, a knowing smirk curling her lips. "I've seen your dreams."

After hearing him every night moaning in his sleep it had influenced your own dreams. There had been dreams with a mixture of you and Rand, you and Lanfear and in the most dangerous iteration, all three of you.

You hated that she knew that, that she knew what made you weak.

“Don’t fight it.”

She smiles, taking delight in the way you freeze under her touch, your breath hitching as anticipation coils in your stomach. Her lips meet yours in a tender, almost taunting kiss. It surprises you, a slow warmth spreading through your body, sinking straight to your core, leaving you unsteady. You’re surprised your legs don’t collapse from beneath you. 

When you finally manage to pull away, your gaze flickers to Rand. He’s captivated; his chest rising and falling heavily, his lips parted ever so slightly. It’s evident in the way his body reacts, the tension in his muscles, and the dark hunger in his eyes.

You walk over to him and undress with an unnatural quickness, climbing on top of him and claiming your spot.

You wanted him focused on you and only you, and feel a rush of pride runs through you when a strong desperate moan rings out as you ride him without abandon. As he grips your hips, he nuzzles against your neck like he needs you to ground him to this moment. Each whimper he makes vibrates on your jawline as he lays sloppy kisses against it, reaffirming his need for you. 

As Lanfear is forced to watch, you lock eyes with her. A silent challenge, a declaration. This moment, this connection belongs to you. She may covet him, weave dreams around him, try to claim him as hers… but she would never have him. Not the way you do.

"I'm... I'm close," Rand breathes, his voice ragged, his grip tightening.

"Blood and ashes..." he groans, head falling back, completely lost in you. He finishes crying out your name and you feel his load pour into you. The shudders racked his body with each pulse leaving him breathless. But you don’t stop, continuing to drive him into overstimulation, pushing him past the edge of reason, past anything but the feeling of you.

He calls out your name over and over again, his voice cracking as he’s barely able to keep up. He’s so overrun with sensation, so utterly wrecked beneath you, as you bounce up and down on him, refusing to let him go, refusing to give him a moment’s rest.

You think he's about to cry, his eyes glassy and pleading. You had never seen him like that, it was beautiful, stunning even. Like he was a masterpiece, painted just for you.

But your painting would be ruined when Lanfear moves from her position. She closes the distance in an instant and before you can react, she yanks your head back by your hair, forcing a sharp gasp from your lips.

Then she kisses you. It’s fierce, unrelenting and a clear battle for control. Her weaves find you immediately after, slithering around your body like vines, tightening around you. You try to squirm, to fight, but it’s no use. She has you completely bound and at her mercy. 

“What a show you put on for me.”

She moves you up and down on Rand’s shaft with effortless control, like you’re nothing more than a plaything caught in her grasp. A column of air presses against your most sensitive spot which makes your thighs clench against Rand’s thighs.

You feel your orgasm building with each passing moment. You were close and they both knew it.

With a final thrust, you reach your climax, your body trembling and shaking against Rand uncontrollably. The pleasure you experienced was like nothing you had ever known. 

Barely having a moment to breathe, her weaves manhandle you again, pulling you around as if you weigh nothing. She positions you above Rand’s face, his eyes locked onto you with an intensity that sends a fresh wave of heat through your body.

"What are you...?" you manage to gasp, but Lanfear only smirks.

"Well, you should let him clean up the mess he made," she purrs, her voice dripping with amusement.

Rand exhales sharply, his grip tightening on your thighs. "Let me clean up my mess," he murmurs, his voice thick with desire.

You couldn’t protest if you wanted to. Not with the way he looked at you like an eager puppy. You could never say no to him.

And so you nod, your breath hitching as you lower yourself to his mouth. The moment his tongue meets you, a sharp gasp escapes your lips.

His ministrations are slow at first but quickly build in intensity. Your last orgasm had been blinding, but this… this was something else entirely.

Whiny moans spill from your mouth as he starts to move faster as if repaying you for what you had done to him. But Rand wasn’t vengeful, at least you didn’t think he was until now. But the way he was eating you out was downright filthy; pushing you to the brink just like you had done to him earlier. His hands reach up, fingers digging into the soft flesh of your thighs before sliding lower to cup your butt, holding you exactly where he wants you.

There's a dip in the bed as Lanfear climbs on top of him, her movements slow and deliberate, claiming the space where you once were. As you try to shy away from Rand’s mouth, her weaves tighten around your thighs, holding you in place, preventing even the slightest escape. Rand groans against you as Lanfear starts to ride him, the vibrations only intensifying the pleasure coursing through your body.

“Lan…fear…” Rand moans out from beneath you, muffled by your pussy against his mouth. The humiliation of it all—losing control, losing to her. Despite your best efforts, it was clear, she had all the power. She could make both of you surrender whenever she wanted, bend you to her will with nothing more than a touch, a whisper, a well-placed weave.

The vibrations against your sensitive spot send a violent shudder through you as you hear Rand’s moans increasing in volume, pushing you closer to the edge. 

The weaves wrapped around your thighs tighten, keeping you helpless against Rand’s relentless efforts. You’re surprised he can still breathe, but he doesn’t stop. If anything he grows even more desperate, more eager. Long, throaty moans spill from Lanfear’s lips, and for the first time since she started riding Rand, you finally look at her.

She’s completely lost in the pleasure, her body moving in slow, sensual rolls. But then your eyes trail lower, and you realise she’s using her weaves, delicate yet precise, teasing Rand in ways neither of you had before.

Her power fondles him mercilessly, ghostly touches gliding over every sensitive spot. Toying with his nipples and balls, rolling and pinching, no wonder he’s a moaning wreck beneath you. 

Lanfear meets your gaze, smirking. "Beautiful, isn't he?" she purrs, her voice thick with satisfaction.

He was utterly undone, lost in the overwhelming sensations consuming him. Every twitch, every tense muscle, every shuddering breath spoke of his submission. His body showed just how deeply he had surrendered to her touch. Lanfear's weaves continue their relentless torment, drawing out every gasp, every moan, every helpless tremble.

And though you wanted to deny it, you thought that she was beautiful too. The danger of a Forsaken clung to her like a second skin, yet what a breathtaking creature she was. She was a testament to temptation itself, to the dark pull of desire.

The way her bare hips rolled against Rand’s, slow and deliberate like she had all the time in the world, only made it clearer—Lanfear didn’t just take what she wanted. She made you want to give it to her. And if she asked either one of you at that moment to follow her into the darkness, you don’t know if you’d have the strength to say no. 

She leans in closer, voice like silk. "And he's all mine."

You nod at her, too blissed out of your mind to say anything of value.

She laughs, low and sultry and you can tell it’s teasing, almost mocking, but not cruel. The kind of laugh one gives when their pet does something endearing.

Hearing the shift in pitch in Lanfear’s moans, you know she’s close. And so are you.

Your orgasm sneaks up on you, building faster than you can prepare for, a tidal wave of sensation threatening to pull you under. The heat coils in your core, tightening with every roll of her hips, every flick of Rand’s tongue, every ghostly caress of her weaves.

Lanfear’s grip tightens on you, her breath hitching. “Go on,” she purrs, voice strained with her own impending release. “Come for us.”

You're not sure who she's speaking to, but it doesn't matter—both you and Rand reach your peak at the same time, pleasure crashing over you like a tidal wave. Lanfear follows shortly after, her cries of ecstasy mingling with yours, the room thick with heat and exhaustion. The orgasm knocks the breath from your lungs, leaving you feeling weightless. 

She releases you both, and you collapse next to Rand, bodies slick with sweat, limbs tangled together, the sound of heavy breathing filling the space. The thing you had nightmares about had happened and you had no idea what to do with yourself. There was no stopping her, she had made the both of you into her puppets, her toys. 

Lanfear runs her fingers through your hair as Rand struggles to catch his breath, looking as satisfied as ever. She kisses you both as if reinforcing her claim on you before saying, “Sleep well, my loves. You’ll need your strength”, then slipping off the bed and walking out the door, leaving nothing behind but the ghost of her touch.

You lay your head on Rand’s chest, his heartbeat steady beneath your ear. He kisses your forehead, tender, almost grounding.

You had lost. The battle for Rand’s heart was over before it had even begun.

He was already hers but now, she owns you too.

Masterlist

[shutupineedtothink]

Wait, did Rand and Moiraine just become the most interesting relationship in s3? (3x04 thoughts)

Bruh I still have so many thoughts about Rhuidean but I’m gonna talk about Rand and Moiraine for a sec.

So right before this ep I saw a clip of an interview with Ros and Josha, and the question was what was the most interesting unexpected relationship for your character this season. Ros said something about Lanfear I think, but Josha was like well the most interesting relationship for me continues to be Moiraine and Rand. And initially I was like ?? Really? You mean the whiny little boy and mother knows best thing y’all have going on? Lol that’s a little uncharitable toward both of them but you see my point.

And then this episode. Rhuidean. And suddenly— fuck if he isn’t right. They just became the most interesting relationship in the whole show. And certainly the most interesting wizard/hero depiction I’ve seen on screen in … forever? Lemme explain.

There’s a huge theme here about trust for both of them, but for Rand it’s learning to put his faith in Moiraine (and NOT Lanfear) and that she really does want to help him, and for Moiraine it’s about releasing control and accepting that while it’s her job to guide Rand, it’s not her job to literally create his path step by step. This has to be a collaboration between both of them. Trust, from opposite sides of the spectrum.

In your standard hero’s journey, the guide teaches the hero, the hero learns from the guide, the hero fulfills their destiny. There’s some growing pains maybe, some lessons learned, but usually the trust is there from the beginning. Think Luke and Obi Wan (and Yoda). Think Frodo and Gandalf. They’re pretty much buds from the jump. They’re on the same level with each other. Or something happens very early on that puts them on the same level (Luke’s aunt and uncle die, Luke willingly goes with Obi Wan, no further conflict needed).

Rand and Moiraine have had wayyyy more conflict than that from the beginning, but it was hard for me to see it as an integral part of their relationship and part of their journey because Rand just seemed so childish and Moiraine always seems so… correct lol. Like just do what she says my dude.

But now in s3… we’ve already seen a lot more growth and maturity in Rand in the last 3 episodes than the first 2 seasons combined. He’s got this quiet pensiveness to him he didn’t have before, and an edge of darkness too. It makes me take him a lot more seriously (finally). So initially when he says at the fire that Moiraine has never tried to help him - well, that stubborn boy is still in there - but I see where he’s coming from. She’s not exactly forthcoming with her intentions. She has tried to manipulate him in the past, even working with Lanfear of all people to influence him, which is actually insane and almost got them all killed. She can be so single minded on the goal that she doesn’t consider other possibilities, and she hasn’t put her trust in Rand to forge his own path as the dragon. To be fair, he hasn’t really made any moves of his own until now, but now he is, and all he gets from her is resistance.

And, as much as it pains me to say it, we find out that Moiraine WAS in fact wrong to go get Callandor first, because, if I’m interpreting the Aiel correctly, she would’ve died if they didn’t go to the waste first. I think?

Anyway, at the fire when he says it’s “not enough” that she won’t do anything to hinder his destiny as dragon and whatever, what he’s saying is he needs her to trust him. To actually believe in him and his ability to go down this path. Not try to control and manipulate him (even if her intentions are good) into the best outcome. And maybe for the first time, she seems to really consider his words. And it is on her, as the guide, to take the first step here, to give him her trust and let him meet her halfway.

And then what she actually does — joining him to go into Rhuidean — is straight out of the Lan Mandragoran good partner playbook. Instead of trying to stop him (which has been her strategy up til this point) she says, if you’re going, I’m going too. They literally walk through the spears side by side in that amazing slow mo shot. (Cinema!) If she had any illusions of being able to help him/influence him through his trial, that’s almost certainly gone as soon as they walk into the city. They’re both on their own, and yet they still went in together. More on the same page than they’ve ever been at this point. And then we get the whole tree story and “we’ve been connected since before I was born.” Which is nice because a) Moiraine handing out some personal history and pivotal knowledge for once aka more trust and b) a little twist of fate binding two characters together never hurts, especially in this world.

For Rand’s part, his “you should never have come here” was still quite moody towards her. But then he does a full 180 after his trial when he refuses to leave without her. (“Aren’t you?” “Not without her.” I screamed, btw, I was that invested by this point.) I hope we get a little more insight into what he’s thinking about her soon, bc it seems like maybe he has accepted her on some level. Almost like he subconsciously knows he needs her help. Or maybe he just knows Lan would beat his ass if he didn’t walk out with her, idk. Lol.

The whole last few minutes of them walking out of Rhuidean, well, Rand walking out with Moiraine in his arms, is a) visually STUNNING and b) certainly the most vulnerable and connected we’ve seen them so far. Don’t get me started on her reaching for him even as Lan takes her in his arms and Rand’s eyes never leaving her for a second. Ho boy, they’re on some other shit now. New level unlocked.

So my whole point being, WOW they just got a whole lot more interesting in the space of a single episode. You know a relationship between two characters is getting good when you’re like man I just wanna see them TALK to each other. Can’t wait to see more.

[mephistopheles]

things im learning from writing a fourth aos movie to practice screenplay format:

it's pretty much impossible to make an effective 'star trek' movie that is also an effective 2020s hollywood movie

by which i mean that 2020s hollywood is a classic 'fight the aliens' universe whereas star trek (in its original inception) was a classic 'befriend the aliens' universe. the two do not fit together philosophically OR aesthetically, and NEVER WILL

star trek's money-free utopia also doesnt mesh well with mainstream contemporary concepts of futurism

in the original series what i loved abt uhura is that she's not afraid to come right out with the fact that The Vibes Are Bad And She's Scared About It, which 90% of the time is the Right Reaction to make. she IS emotional, and will Admit It, but that never makes her incompetent, which is so important to the Themes. aos uhura (in my recollection) is much more a generic 'action girlboss' and the one time i recall her having some Emotions is when shes like "omg spock you didnt even consider what it would do to me if you died" which like. kind of a gross thing to say. anyway it feels barely feasible to write dialogue that works for both tos and aos uhura, and im mad

it's ALSO hard to make this shit pass the bechdel test bc aos conveniently forgot about every female character aboard the enterprise except uhura (chapel, saavik, ilia, valeris, rand). saavik's a mc of my draft which probably makes it unsellable to todays hollywood since we see her in pants instead of in a bra

it's impossible to make kirk and spock's aos movies relationship ANYTHING LIKE the tos movies relationship without making it look gay. the reason for this is quite simple: the tos movies relationship is gay

[megamuscle885-blog]

A guide to Rand al'Thor's love life, simplified:

Elayne Trakand: "I will have him for my throne." *giggles*

Aviendha: "I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I need him inside my guts right now! I hate him!"

Rand al'Thor: "Oh Min, you're the only normal woman in my life."

Min Farshaw: "I am a woman and I will have you beg for it like a dog, drooling into the carpet."

Rand al'Thor: "Why are all my relationships so terrible?"

Lews Therin Telamon: (sounding haunted) "Ilyena used to grip it with her feet like the teeth of a darkhound and leave me seeing stars. Oh light how I miss her."

Moridin: "I will see you dead." (Princess Bride narrator: "But what he meant was "I love you."")