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Trans moth pride flag! For all the trans moths out there :D

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Princess Tutu Zwei Episode 8 part2 

Enjoy!

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Princess Tutu Zwei Episode 8 part1

Enjoy!

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- THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES -

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This is my theory, and I may be wrong, but I want to share it with you:

I fully agree that the first incarnation of the God Iop isn't Tristepin, but I don't think Goultard raised and trained him either, in fact, he still had and still has many issues with his father, the loss of his wives and children, and the recovery of his emotions and the guilt of the genocide he caused while possessed and as Dark Vlad…

So I don't think he was ready to raise the first incarnation of the God Iop, much less when he was unable to see the baby as his own person rather than his father and all the issues that come with that or just be a father again…

What did he do with the first baby? Abandoning him…

Now I know that sounds bad, but I imagine he sent the baby to an orphanage and watched him from a distance to make sure he had a decent childhood and to see if his divine powers or memories awakened, but he didn't make contact with him in his first mortal life, and then lost track of him…

Now, I don't know how each reincarnation is born, if they are born in or around Goultard (If there are Mpreg implications, I'm going to laugh XD) or are born randomly around the world, with or without parents, but here I think Goultard went on with his life without running into them much, and when he discovered one, he avoided him although he kept an eye on them from a distance for a while, and perhaps help him from a distance without being discovered, but he never made contact, because he was still unable to see them as their own people instead of the God Iop (T_T)

And it continued like that until he met Tristepin<3

The thing is, he already took Tristepin as a disciple BEFORE knowing he was the the last reincarnation of the God Iop, my theory is that he only discovered he was the God Iop later, and at first he didn't know how to deal with it, so he decided to let Tristepin go and pretend to be dead for a few years until Tristepin died naturally and continued the same cycle of avoiding his father's reincarnations at all costs…

But Tristepin came back depressed, needing his help, and telling all the silly stories he had lived until now, which made Goultard laugh, and then he realized that he truly missed Tristepin and that he saw him as his own person rather than the God Iop, so this time he decided to stay<3

I think we underestimated how much Goultard loves Tristepin, and that the only reason he's managed to reconcile with his father, metaphorically, is because now the God Iop is Tristepin, and he won't abandon Goultard no matter what.

And yes, everything Goultard says in the OVAs, about taking him as a disciple to prepare him to be God again, was completely false since it was confirmed that he only discovered he was the God Iop AFTER taking him as a disciple, and he also didn't resist when Tristepin refused to be God at the end.

Of course, all of this is theory and I could be wrong, I hope you enjoyed it, have a nice day<3

DOFUS MAG : Sur les traces de Goultard

My thoughts on the article about Goultard in the 20th anniversary Dofus Mag

FIRST OF ALL!!

We were given multiple dates. Some new, and some changed?

DATE OF BIRTH: 26th of Descendre -1121

This was sort of a surprise to the Goultard lore aficionados. As the birth certificate in Goultard Bazar states he was born on the 3rd day of the 7th moon. So, Goultard's date of birth was previously thought by many to be on the 3rd of the 7th month, Jullier. Though this date seemed odd, as this story takes place when Iop visits Cabotine, only three days after Goultard's birth, and it's snowing heavily outside. I don't know much about Gisgoul's weather but I doubt there'd be snow in Jullier.

As for the year... I'm honestly not sure where this information was from (please inform me if you know!!!) but it was commonly agreed upon that Goultard was born in -1111...

Another important date! Goultard first proves himself by beating a Taur in -1113, at 8 years old! So young... Little baby....

And another one! Goultard meets and fights Katar for the first time, and is possesseed by the symbiote, in -1091.

Making him 30 years old at that time. That's about how old I imagined him to be. If at the time, his oldest child was 8 years old, it would have meant Goultard got married and became a father at 22 years old. Which seems pretty reasonable for him.

That makes him 2102 years old in season 1 (981), 2103 years old in season 2 (982), 2109 years old in the 3 OVAs (988) and, as stated above, 2111 years old in Wakfu season 3 and 4 (990).

The symbiote is COMFIRMED to be Medoroziam, Mongrelamus in English. For anybody confused about that name, Medor is an extremely common, even stereotypical, dog name, and mongrel means a dog of no discernable breed, a mutt.

Medoroziam in the mmorpg. He was one of the ten Primordial Demons and one of Rushu's siblings. Unlike most of the others, he managed to escape Rushu's attempted fratricide but lost his body in doing so.

I very much enjoy having some info about the symbiote's backstory, and the symbiote originally being dog-like is.... yes 👁️👁️

He's 1471 years old when he meets Arty, in 350, and when Arty frees him from the demon after being possessed by the symbiote for 1441 years.

"The adventures he lived alongside Arty as Vald, as well as his fight against his friend when the latter took the form of a raging dragon, reignited the flame of his humanity."

REIGNITED THE FLAME OF HIS HUMANITY!

The time Goultard spent possessed by the symbiote, before being freed by Arty, represents about 68% of his entire lifetime (by season 4). (yes, I'm the only person who cares enough to calculate this)

They mention the story of Les Shushus de Rushu, that starts when Algate, a sorceress, frees Goultard from imprisonment in exchange for his help in defeating four of Rushu's most powerful shushus.

They don't tell us precisely when Goultard was imprisoned, or how long exactly he spent chained in that cave. All we know is it was at least a few centuries.

But they do confirm one thing that I simply refuse to accept.

That the Dofus Goultard obtained in this story, the same Dofus that resulted in the birth of Dark Vlad, was the Emerald Dofus... And not the Crimson Dofus.

I know Dark Vlad famously has the Emerald Dofus in the mmorpg, but this story happens in 24 while the mmorpg happens in 644!!!

Dark Vlad is very strongly associated with anger, flames and fire, just like the Crimson Dofus. We also know for a fact that Dark Vlad had the crimson Dofus within him for years before the events of the Dofus manga, because we see Crail the Guardian take it from him. And much later in the manga, when Goultard has the Crimson Dofus back, he still struggles not to turn into Vlad again.

Saying this Dofus was the Emerald one, takes away from Vlad's story and creates two plot holes : how did Vlad get the Crimson Dofus, and how did he lose the Emerald Dofus?

I hate this, sincerely.

And here comes another stupid ass decision from the council! This time it's about Tristepin and Iop's reincarnations.

"After so many adventures, Goultard inherits the powers of the lop god for a time and takes responsibility for raising the reincarnation of his father in the body of a simple Twelvian…"

"In 975, Goultard meets Tristepin, a young lop who wants to take the demigod as a model. He agrees to become his master when the time comes and to teach him the basics of combat."

GOU: WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU! PINPIN: I WILL BE TRISTEPIN DE PERCEDAL THE BARBARIAN… GOU: I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON YOU, KID… GOU: YOU SHOULD GO HOME! PINPIN: WILL YOU TEACH ME? A meeting visible in the manga DOFUS Hors-série: Goultard Bazar (2010).

"Some time later, he understands that Tristepin is none other than the new reincarnation of the Iop god."

This whole parts seems to confirm the growing suspicion i had that Tristepin is NOT the first human incarnation of the Iop god (like some details from season 3 also pointed to).

Confirming that the baby Goultard is seen holding (as if he had just given birth to it like the virgin mary all surrounded by farm animals and shit) in the epilogue of the Dofus manga is indeed not Tristepin.

AS FOR GOULTARD, HE BECAME A FATHER! HIS OWN FATHER'S FATHER. YES, IT'S A BIT COMPLEX… RATHER THAN RETURNING TO THE INGLORIUM TO BE WITH THE OTHER GODS, IOP DECIDED TO BE REINCARNATED AS A HUMAN BEING.

Personally, I believe this to be a huge mistake.

First of all, how many human reincarnations of Iop has there been before Pinpin? in the 614 years between the events of the Dofus manga and Tristepin's birth? That seems quite a short time for an immortal. And these incarnations wouldn't have died of old age, meaning something must have killed them, but what? And was Goultard responsible for raising and training every single one of them? Or only the first and Tristepin? Wouldn't any of them have found out about their divine origins and wanted to take back their rightful role and power as Iop god???

This all seems a little convoluted.

But also simply because in my opinion, Goultard having already raised/trained one or more other human incarnations of his father, before Pinpin, greatly takes away from how unique and complex his relationship with Tristepin feels....

Very disapointing but not surprising. I might simply pretend it's not true.

But besides all that, this article also gave us some great high defintion pictures of Goultard!!

Baby baby baby baby baby baby <3

Evil very bad very blood-thirsty Gou <3 <3

Dofus: Aux Tresors de Kerubim Goultard cameo!!!! <3 <3 <3

and now that I'm looking at it I'm pretty sure they used AI to make it higher quality sdfhdfhfgdhh

Adding this just to note that in game his hairstyle (with the headband and accessories) was more traditionally feminine for a Iop.

( until he started boymoding and grew a beard 😔 smfh )

He's so fucking ugly what the fuck happened literally nothing is right seriously wtf 🤢

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Blitz's Reaction to that Kiss...

Stolas dives in happily kissing his knight in shining armor as thanks for saving him, and the fact that Blitz is so taken aback from that kiss. Eyes widened in pure shock.

Meanwhile, Stolas is just so genuinely happy to realize that Blitz actually came to save him and cares for him.

The way Blitzø's eyes slowly relax into that kiss.

To cupping Stolas' cheek in response and allowing himself to fully melt into that kiss, relishing it, savoring it, and enjoying it.

It's the first real kiss to mark the turning point of their relationship.

I love how there isn't a hint of lust, just pure unadulterated love and yearning. It's a different kind of passion.

And to think four episodes ago this is where he was at...

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I lowkey find it hilarious that people were talking about how Stolas moved on from Blitz...

To be with one of these guys...

Only for Stolas' love for Blitz to be so goddamn strong he was willing to lose his own life to save him.

And he did this fully thinking that his romantic feelings weren't being reciprocated.

~~~~

When Stolas said, "I'll fucking die alone if this goes wrong," he meant it.

Stolas, really and truly meant it...

Even after one whole month of being apart and being away from Blitz, he still couldn't forget about him, couldn't get over him, couldn't come to hate and demonize him.

Despite Blitz breaking his heart in the most cruelest and stupidest way possible...

Despite all the shit Blitz spewed at him in the beginning of Apology Tour...

He could never forget the little clown boy that he spent the day with...

He could never forget the imp assassin that reinvigorated his life...

He could never forget all their stupidly fun times together...

To Stolas, it was Blitz, and it was always going to be Blitz

... and I find that so romantically tragic and endearing.

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Blitz making Stolas smile on the worse days of his life

When told about the forced marriage

When his kid has run away

When Via shuts him out of her life

Blitz is his light

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DUDE

The fucking way his smile dropped

His brows are then consistently FURROWED the entire time out of uncertainty

Even here, they have that worryline. v

And then

He doesn't seem to want to take his word. "It's registered under your name." His brain is NOT focused on that. He's tryna figure out the implications. He doesn't even grasp this sudden shift.

"You no longer need my grimoire"

Blitz saying "Whaaat?"- Fuck the way he says that is like he completely forgot about his job needing transport to the human realm. I percieve this more as him having come to the conclusion that Stolas is tryna get rid of him. He doesn't believe him at ALL

"You are free of me."

"Why are you giving me this?"

This man is hopeless.

Literally jumps straight to assuming he isn't good enough. Stolas doesn't want him anymore. No way. What.

He's been left behind and abandoned so much man

The rejection in his eyes like dude cannot fucking grasp that Stolas just wants Blitz to be able to live freely from the routine they had.

HE'S LIKE A DOG WHO FUCKED UP LIKE "ILL BE GOOD IM SORRY"

Punts this little piece of shit /affectionate

Off topic but HES SO DAMN PRETTY WHAT THE HELL

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Stolas's Subtle Growth in Sinsmas (Social Class Edition)

I sat down to write a post about Stolas's bitchy, out of touch reactions to "normal" hellborn society. I was going to praise the show for allowing him to struggle to adjust, to be imperfect and disoriented and repeatedly put his foot in his mouth without realizing it. And yeah, I stand by that. These moments are funny and in character and just fantastic (have a run-down below). But that's not the point of this post.

Something else about Stolas's behavior struck me as I grabbed screenshots. And it's that despite coming off at times as super insensitive about "poor" life, Stolas is really trying to make things easy for Blitz, so much that he's willing to be very uncomfortable. The meds are . . . arguably an example, but that's complicated (mental illness stigma might play a role too?), so instead let's look at Stolas's initial reaction to being uncomfortable with the food that Blitz prepared.

His reaction is disgust, BUT he really tries to eat the food and make the best of it.

He doesn't start listing off the fancy foods he's used to until Blitz outright asks. And yes, his list is kind of ridiculous, but it's his reality, and when he asks for rats, he's uncomfortable about making a direct request.

Then, when Blitz offers to go hunt rats in the alley for him, he's appropriately grateful. Even more, this is entirely Blitz's suggestion. Stolas doesn't ask him to go get him different food. He's willing to eat something "off-putting" even if it makes him very uncomfortable.

Stolas goes along with Blitz for every errand, and then goes to work with him because Blitz asks him to, even though he's exhausted, out of his element, off his meds, and missing his daughter.

He also answers the phone at I.M.P while crying because Blitz wants him to.

We even see him empathizing with Blitz's perspective AND DEFENDING HIM when the horrible Karen client insults I.M.P.

It gives, "ugh, they have to deal with people like you," and it had me cheering.

This is all to say that Stolas WAS marinating on some valuable lessons about social class while our boys were apart, whether consciously or not.

He's used to having his needs met and routines followed by a staff, but he's making an active effort not to treat Blitz like one of his butler imps, and is trying to keep from being a burden. Arguably to a fault, if his choice to not bring up the meds to Blitz has to do with this.

Owl boi is trying so hard! And that makes Blitz's easy compassion more understandable too. He's not just indebted because Stolas saved his life. He's not just trying to win over the guy he loves who he pushed away. He also doesn't see Stolas's behavior regarding the social class stuff as very insulting. He sees Stolas trying to adjust but struggling hard. Of course he's going to do everything he can to help and keep his snark to a minimum.

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Stolas really knew what he was doing here to manipulate Satan and get the result he wanted, plus visually it looks like Satan is moving to the tune of Stolas' hand, as if Stolas had the strings and Satan was the puppet

-The hand that holds the strings!

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Fact that will make you believe in miracles and magic, the animator who made the Sway animatic was hired by Spindlehorse, and she was the one who animated the dance scene on the balcony<3

https://x.com/Dark_Crowl/status/1871072658000916507?t=MD1F6NARZ7icpWYL9oXmlA&s=19

https://x.com/Dark_Crowl/status/1871079146375553024?t=nzXK3Cw3m8WwpHr0qilSeA&s=19

There's an anamatic from 3 years back using the song Sway by Michael Bubblé and this one seen from Sinsmas gives so much of that energy it's sweet to see that they probs took inspiration from a fan anamatic

The link if you want btw:

If any of you watch this or have watched it can y'all agree that the concept of Blitz having to stand on tables/chairs/railings when dancing with Stolas is ADORABLE

Like c'mon

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I think a bunch of us have already posted/fawned over how smooth/nice Stolas' laugh was in this moment (jfc Bryce Pinkham your VA work never misses). And how significant it is that Blitzø can get a laugh out of him even when he's having literally one of the worst days of his life and feeling serious grief.

But I've been mulling over how good that laugh must've felt to Blitzø.

IIRC, he hasn't made Stolas laugh since Seeing Stars. It's been at least 4-5 months, probably more like 6+.

And of course we know that, when Blitzø was in denial about Stolas' feelings, one of the things that hurt the most was the thought that Stolas laughing at his jokes was fake.

This is the first time Blitzø has made Stolas laugh, not since the not-a-breakup, but since very, very soon after Ozzie's.

It's the first time he's made Stolas laugh knowing it was real and letting himself feel that it was real.

Even if Stolas is feeling like shit and the happiness is just for a moment, it's there and it's genuine. Blitzø knows he can and does make Stolas happier just by being himself.

And oh lordy does it make him so relieved and happy, too.

Look at that face. Man down! He's smitten all over again. His heart's going to vacate his chest and ascend straight out of Hell.

There's been discussion on how/why Blitzø fell for Stolas, and here we're seeing evidence. He fell for the tall, pretty bird who has a really nice laugh, who exchanges banter easily with him, who goes along with his offbeat ideas like dancing on the balcony, who understands that being compared to a tall-tall horse is a compliment... the one who thinks he's funny even when no one else in Hell does.

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Communication through dance

One of my absolute favorite tropes is when some form of dancing is involved between the main characters.

Moments where one of the main characters has to watch their love interest dance with someone else (looking at you Apology Tour).

Moments where the main characters dance but they are currently on rocky ground, unsure of where they stand with the other person (looking at you Sinsmas).

Dancing is one of those socially acceptable forms of prolonged touch that always create great moments of revelations or moments of connection; newfound potential or reaffirming something that has been there all along.

The scene of them dancing at the end of Sinsmas is much more than just their verbal exchanges. First and foremost the fact that Blitz asked Stolas to dance at all instead of going back inside (even when Stolas was like it’s okay, I’m good, go enjoy the holiday) says a lot. Blitz cares about him so much, wants him to be happy even though he knows life is a dumpster fire for him right now. And maybe he is also making up for the fact that he didn't get to dance with Stolas at Verosika's party (and saw Stolas react as if he had never been asked before). It's a relatively safe way to show his affection for Stolas without it being taken as too intimate or sexual. Stolas could back down if he wanted to, say no thank you, which allows him to have some agency.

Then we get to the actual dancing. It’s not just swaying back and forth, head on shoulders so they can’t see each others faces. They are moving as if they have done this dance before. Seamlessly changing hands, twirling, steps fluid (Blitz doesn’t even once miss his footing on the thin railing) and staring right into each others eyes.

They fall back into a routine, semi-flirting, touching and holding each other because they are familiar with the others body and how it moves.

And the dip! Stolas laughing! His little leg lift!! It was a moment of connection for them, soft, transcending them to a moment where all their worries have been swept aside and they just have each other. A subtle reminder of the way they were before, of the ease with which they work together.

Then, THEN, we get to the end, breathing slightly elevated, eyes widening and staring at each other lips (this is my favorite moment of any dancing trope, the realization that 'woah now, there is something here; I can’t stop gazing deeply into your eyes'). They both realize at the same moment that that spark between them hasn't fizzled out just yet. The potential for more is still there.

But Blitz, my beautiful lizard man, knows that he needs to take this slow, that jumping into anything more right now is moving too fast. There is still so much that needs to be figured out and healed. So he ends their dance with a hug. Comfort and love. Ugh these two.

And all of it is done under the warm glow of a full moon. (Or is that the portal to heaven?) Either way it’s implied that they are dancing under the full moon. And of course the lyrics (Sam Haft I see you) "truer love is hard to find".

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Stolas just standing there and letting blitz hug him in the end is all good, right? He is just sad because of octavia and accepting that blitz is there with him right?? It's not that he regrets chosing him, right??? (I just need affirmation)

You know what? I've found myself needing reassurance about this too. So let's take a moment to look at the facts together, shall we?

(This reply turned out way longer than I expected it to 😅 sorry!)

Fact #1 - Stolas is still coming to terms with the consequences of his actions. He spends the whole episode finding out just how much his life has changed. Learning how to navigate groceries, and laundry, and meals, and having a job, and worrying about money.

Mid-episode, he has a breakdown where he truly questions if everything he gave up was worth it just for a fantasy. At this point in the episode, he still hasn't realised how much he means to Blitz. As far as he's concerned, he did all of this for someone who doesn't reciprocate his feelings. But by the end of the episode, though, his feelings have settled enough to understand and express what he has known to be true all along: that saving Blitz was the right thing to do.

What Stolas regrets isn't saving Blitz's life, or even loving Blitz in the first place.

What he regrets are the choices he made that led them to this. He feels guilty for selfishly (or, rather, naively) playing out his fantasies. He's the one who established the deal, who let Blitz illegally use the book for many months, who wasn't always sensible about how he expressed his love for Blitz publicly and despite being married, and who allowed himself to ignore the reality of his situation so he could live in his own, personal romcom—all of which ultimately led to the events of Mastermind and the loss of Via.

And all the guilt and regret he's grappling with (however justified it might be) is exacerbated by fact #2, which is:

Fact #2 - Stolas is off his medication. He's been off it for a month now. Symptoms of depression (especially untreated depression) include mood swings, irritability, self-hatred and low self-esteem, passive/active suicidal ideation, pessimism and hopelessness about the future, catastrophising, black-and-white thinking, and anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure and to find joy in things—and people—who used to bring you it). All symptoms Stolas exhibits throughout this episode.

So, even if he shows a lack of emotion toward Blitz at times, or irritation to seemingly minor things like low doors or "secretating" or Karen's behaviour, even if he acts regretful and angry and desolate... a lot of these emotions and behaviours are a result of his depression, and not of actually hating the life he chose.

Fact #3 - Stolas loves Blitz. He always has, and always will. I could point at a thousand different moments in the show when Stolas' love for Blitz has transpired, but I'm going to leave it at his line from Mastermind: "I would rather be dead than live life without you by my side."

Even after everything they've gone through, even now that he's taken Blitz off his pedestal and can acknowledge that Blitz can be a fucking idiot... Stolas simply does not want to live a life without Blitz. It has always been Blitz. It will always be Blitz.

Stolas loves Blitz.

Fact #4 - Stolas kissed Blitz. Before he truly hits rock bottom as a result of Octavia cutting him out, Stolas is so ecstatic that Blitz cares, that Blitz was willing to go to such lengths to save his life, that he can't hold back the need to kiss Blitz mid-air. Suddenly, none of his earlier frustration matters. Nothing matters expect for how elated he is that Blitz loves him back. So he smiles and he pulls Blitz into a kiss because he can't bear not to kiss Blitz for a moment longer.

Look at this man. Look at how happy he is. Because it's always been Blitz, and maybe it was a fantasy for a long time, but it doesn't have to be anymore. Maybe this can be real now. He's so happy he (and I) could cry.

Fact #5 - Stolas didn't deny loving Blitz. When Via said "You don't love me, you love him," the script very purposefully did not have Stolas go "no, no, Via, that's not true—" or say anything else that might make Blitz doubt, even for a moment, that Stolas loves him. Because that much is true. He does love Blitz. He just also loves Via. Which brings me to:

Fact #6 - Blitz knows Stolas loves him. At no point throughout the episode does Blitz doubt, even for a second, that Stolas loves him. And we know this because Blitz's walls remain down at all times. If Blitz doubted he was loved, if he had even the slightest of reservations, those walls would come crawling back up whether he wanted them to or not. It's what he's been trained and conditioned to do—it's how he's kept his heart safe ever since the accident.

But now, he knows his heart is safe with Stolas. He believes it enough to not depend on his walls to feel at ease. He believes it enough to let himself take care of Stolas and be soft with Stolas without the slightest trace of hesitation.

Look at Blitz's face. This is the face of a man who knows that even if Stolas isn't okay right now, things will get better. And when they do, they'll both still be in love with each other. This is the face of a man who can't wait for something beautiful to flourish between them, but who is in no rush to get there. He knows the road ahead is hard and painful, but he has faith in Stolas. In both of them.

Fact #6 - Stolas was happy to share a private, romantic dance with Blitz. Despite everything going through his mind, he found comfort and happiness in dancing with Blitz; in getting to have this little moment with him.

He found relief in the fact that Blitz stayed with him this time, even after Stolas told him, once again, that he didn't have to stay.

His reaction to Blitz initiating a dance between them is genuine surprise, immediately followed by an enamoured little smile at the mere notion that he gets to have this, now.

And, as they dance, he keeps smiling and leaning into Blitz, going as far as to manage a deep, heartfelt laugh at Blitz's words. This, for an unmedicated, depressed person going through one of the worst days of his life, is huge in itself. It shows that, even in the worst of times, he finds undeniable comfort and happiness in Blitz.

And, after their dance, Stolas looks at Blitz with a sobriety and soft sort of realisation that shows he's finally coming to terms with the fact that this is real. After everything he's lost, after all the fantasies he hoped for for so long and believed he'd never have, he finally gets to have this.

Despite the pain he's going through, Stolas looks at Blitz and sees the man he loves.

Notice how Blitz's eyes trail down to Stolas' mouth. And Stolas realises. And doesn't move away. Waiting, expectantly, for Blitz's next move, fully expecting it to be a kiss.

But then Blitz hugs him instead, and Stolas doesn't hug back.

And it's not because he doesn't want to be hugged by Blitz. It's not because his feelings for Blitz have changed, or dimmed, or disappeared. It's not because he regrets loving Blitz, or saving him. It's not because he doesn't want to have a close, healthy, loving romantic relationship with Blitz.

It's because of facts #1 (he's grappling with so much guilt and coming to terms with the consequences of his actions) and #2 (he's experiencing symptoms of unmedicated depression). And, above all, it's because of fact #7, which is...

Fact #7 - Stolas doesn't know how to be loved. Stolas has never had support. He has never had a shoulder to cry on, or someone to hold him when he needed it. When he's feeling vulnerable and broken, he defaults to hugging himself as a way to self-soothe, because that's the only comfort he's ever known.

And because he's never known comfort from others—because it was never allowed or safe for him to need or ask for comfort from others—all Stolas knows to do with his vulnerability is hide it. So much so that, the two times we see him begin to break down in front of Blitz, he either portals Blitz away or masks his tears and pain immediately. Even as he drunkenly rambles about wanting to be held, he still makes sure not to appear like he actually needs a hug.

So when he finds himself being held by Blitz in a warm, comforting hug, Stolas doesn't know how to respond. Because he's never had this. He's never had an opportunity to learn how to exist in someone's comforting embrace, how to interact with this kind of physical contact. He still has to learn how to feel safe between arms that aren't his own.

Simply put, Stolas still doesn't know how to hold Blitz back.

That doesn't mean Stolas doesn't want or need physical comfort. He needs it desperately—everyone does. But wanting something and knowing how to actually have it are two very different things, and Blitz knows that better than anyone, because he's wanted Stolas for a very long time, but didn't, until very recently, know how to feel safe accepting Stolas' love.

And that's why Blitz is completely understanding of the fact that all Stolas can do, all Stolas has the ability to do, is stand there and let himself be held, and let his emotions go through him. In, and out, with every breath, with every second. And get slowly acquainted with what being comforted by the person he loves feels like.

Thirty-something years of trauma can't be undone in a single hug, or a single conversation, and it's going to take time for Stolas to learn how to be present while in Blitz's arms, and how to return that emotional closeness.

But Blitz has faith in him. Blitz is willing to be patient and soft with him while he gets better. Blitz is ready to meet Stolas where he's at, because he knows, beyond a trace of doubt, that they love one another, and they're going to be okay. Even if Stolas doesn't know it yet—even if we, the audience don't know it yet—Blitz knows.

And that's just going to have to be enough for now.

And because this post got completely away from me, I shall conclude by quoting their song, because it summarises their story better than I ever could:

Truer love is hard to find. ❤️

[aural4444]

As a Leorai fan I really appreciate this, because there were already so many fardcore fans trying to make me feel bad for liking the ship, and I'm a multishipper, I'm also a Leousagi fan lmao

2012 Leorai Rant

there’s so much discourse about whether 2012 leorai is considered incest or not and i kinda wanted to throw my two cents in ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i grew up with the 2012 series, and as a kid, i was a hardcore leorai fan. now as an adult, i’ve become neutral to the ship (though it will always hold a special place in my heart for nostalgic purposes). overall my thoughts/perspective on leorai have changed a lot over the years. i’ve grown to ship them more with other people (‼️ aprinardo and shinirai supremacy ‼️) while still loving and appreciating their canon dynamic. personally, i don’t view their relationship as entirely platonic or romantic. on one hand, i believe leo and karai do love each other like family (the same way all the turtles love april and casey like family) but they also connect on a deeper level that’s too intimate to call them “siblings”. it’s not as black and white as them being either brother/sister or boyfriend/girlfriend. to me, their relationship has so many layers it’s too complex for labels. which is fine because labels are overrated anyway. but that’s just my opinion.

i completely get why some people (especially those with adopted family members) think the relationship is weird, and i also get why some people see no problem with it. at the end of the day, it all depends on an individual’s life experiences or personal preferences.

note: if two people are biologically blood relatives, then an intimate/sexual relationship between them is 100% incest and i do not support or condone such behavior.

in this particular case however, i believe there is a difference between real incest and what society views to be incest. imagine two people have been dating for a while and then their parents fall in love and decide to get married. are they supposed to just turn their feelings off for each other and break up because they are now “technically siblings”? i’m sorry to break it to you but that’s not how emotions work. emotions are complicated. and frankly it seems wrong to try to force two people to think/feel a certain way about each other just because it’s what society excepts. i have always been a firm believer that people should be free to follow their hearts and love who they love. if there is no blood or biological connection involved (or any other illegal factors), then i see no reason why people can’t be free to choose how they get to view a person or how they wish for those relationships to develop. because in this case, love is not a crime.

in a way, the same can be said for leo and karai. first impressions count for something, and leo had already developed feelings for karai long before he found out she was splinter’s daughter. i know most people would disagree, but just because they view the same man as a father figure does not make them obligated to view each other as siblings. just because mikey CHOOSES to view karai as a sister does not mean leo is obligated to view her the same way. same goes for raph and donnie. from what was shown in the series, those two (especially raph) hardly considered karai to be a part of their immediate family, much less considered her a sister. and that’s their right. as much as i’m sure we all wanted to see the turtles and karai come together (and trust me i did too), donnie and raph had valid reasons to dislike/distrust karai and they shouldn’t be forced to brush their justified feelings aside and immediately accept her as a “sister” if they don’t want to. they may view her as an ally/asset to the team, but if they don’t want to view her as family, then they shouldn’t have to (though i’m sure they would eventually accept her in the future; whether or not as a sister or just a distant family member, we’ll never know).

i even once saw an anti shipper say that if shipping leorai isn’t incest because they aren’t blood related, then it shouldn’t be considered incest when shipping the turtles with splinter since they also aren’t blood related. that’s a really gross comparison for multiple reasons but mainly;

1.) the turtles are all MINORS and splinter is a grown ass man which is reason enough because W T F

and

2.) splinter has always viewed the turtles as his children and the turtles have always viewed him as their father. for him to suddenly take any kind of sexual interest in them is downright predatory, blood or no blood.

as for the whole “whether or not they share dna” debate, that’s honestly up to interpretation. splinter was never actually seen touching the turtles, so it’s not a canon fact that they actually absorbed any of his human dna when they mutated. and even if they had, the notion that this automatically makes them biological relatives to splinter is actually quite comical. that’s like saying the radioactive spider that gave peter parker superpowers is suddenly his new father. sounds silly, doesn’t it?

overall, i hate it when careless leorai fans make insensitive statements about adopted families, and i also hate it when anti shippers treat leorai fans like freaks just for having a different perspective on their relationship. if you prefer to think of them as brother and sister, then that’s cool. we’re all entitled to our opinions. what’s not cool is constantly harassing fans of the ship and shoving your “sibling” agenda down their throats (and vice versa).

to borrow a paragraph from @orokukarai’s rant:

If the ship makes you uncomfortable, whether it's for personal reasons or you're just not vibing, that's OK. If you personally see it as incestual, that's valid. But going around saying Leorai shippers all like or support incest is not true and there are many valid readings where they're not incestual even if you disagree with them. Some shippers probably do like incest, but then so do many non-Leorai shippers.

in conclusion, respect other people’s opinions. if you stumble across content you don’t like, block or ignore it. no need to comment hate or fill up the ship hashtags with negativity (and that goes for ALL fandoms).

just stay in your lane and keep scrolling ✌️