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Ngl I loved it when they showed that Briar is like doubting the system. I loved it when they showed Ashlynn and other royals doubting it too. It really was interesting to see them do that while others like Apple, Duchess, and Daring were obsessed about theirs. It just shows you that one person speaking out and trying to create change can lead to others realizing that they also don't have to deal with this fucked up system. I wish they played into that more. Having them learn more and more about how fucked up this system is. Make them feel the pain that students like Raven have to feel when they realize they will have to hurt their friends and loved ones for this stupid destiny system.

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cedar animatic!

audio: time in a tree by raleigh ritchie/jacob anderson

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Raven Queen's Bottomless Compassion: Exhibit Duchess

As a fandom, I don't think we talk enough about just how incredible Raven is, which is a shame because SHE'S THE MAIN CHARACTER!

And there are lots of things to like about her! She's obviously got her incredibly interesting and complex relationships with Apple and her mother and her story-driving, world-shattering actions as she rebels against an oppressive system.

But even beyond the main story beats, Raven is a delight! She's funny and has an amazing dry, observational kind of humor that makes every scene hilarious. She's creative and clever, capable of making both very well-thought out plans and improvising decisions on the fly. She's constantly in wonder of the world around her, even despite the horrible looming destiny system, and is able to find joy in things as simple as tea with her friends or playing guitar. She's relatable, and she feels like she could be a friend of anybody watching or reading the series.

But today, what I want to talk about is Raven's neverending all-consuming COMPASSION. Raven Queen is able to find the good and a reason to love every single person in her life.

This is really obvious in scenarios like Apple, who Raven considers a friend and enjoys being around, even as Apple tries to force Raven into a terrible life that she doesn't want. It's obvious in instances like Cerise, who Raven didn't know very well prior to Cerise sharing her secret, and who Raven still goes out of her way to help and love and support, to the point that Cerise joins her main friend group. It's obvious in cases like Dexter, who feels inferior and unseen around most people but who Raven values and admires from their first real interaction, and it makes him feel good about himself.

I could go on and on, but today I wanna talk specifically about Raven's compassion towards Duchess Swan. This is gonna get long, so under a cut it goes!

Now, from what I remember, Raven and Duchess don't interact much in the cartoon. When they do, it's usually with Duchess acting as part of a group of Royals, not independently. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me and add your own examples!

But in the books? Their relationship makes me feral. Duchess treats Raven similarly to how she treats everyone else: badly. Her rude and self-absorbed attitude make her one of the first people to mock Raven, and while the books make it clear this has been happening since they were in Nursery-Rhyme school, it's clearly demonstrated in one of the earliest scenes of the Storybook of Legends (Briar's Book-to-School Bash).

After this scene, Raven goes back to her room, buries her face in her pillow, and refuses to speak to anyone. But this is how their relationship starts. Duchess is cruel and antagonistic, like she is with everyone (although moreso with Raven, since the greater royal-rebel tension is coming into play here), and it deeply hurts Raven enough that she literally explodes. Duchess knows she's made a mistake, but doesn't do much to repair things with Raven beyond avoiding her.

Duchess fades into the background for a bit until Next Top Villain, which is HER book. The premise of this book is that Duchess gets assigned to General Villainy by Headmaster Grimm who is now taking Raven seriously and is worried he can't make her be the Evil Queen for the Snow White story. Since he knows about Duchess' willingness to try to steal other people's destinies (ANYBODY's destiny, since she's got a REALLY terrible fate all things considered), Grimm puts her in General Villainy and hopes she'll go after Raven.

Duchess is at first reluctant and confused (she has the same dilemma as Raven of "which is worse, failing a class called General Villainy or acing it,"), but she overhears Grimm discussing his plans for Duchess with Badwolf, and counts that as permission to go all in.

When Blondie decides to advertise the General Villainy's latest thronework of "do a rotten and nasty plan," and turn it into a televised competition, Sparrow (who is ALSO in the class due to Grimm trying to capitalize on his less-than-heroic tendencies) gives Duchess the advice of just sabotaging all the other students plans (he's gonna double cross her at the end, but that's not important right now).

So, Duchess goes about spying on her classmates, ruining their plans, and netting them all failures while she creeps closer to an A. For the whole competition, Duchess is SURE Raven is going to be her biggest obstacle. I think this goes to show JUST how deep the brainwashing runs in EAH society.

This is AFTER Raven has very publically refused to sign her page and has become the face of the Rebel campaign. Duchess has WATCHED Raven in general villainy say that she doesn't want to be evil and would rather just be nice. And Duchess is still convinced that Raven must be a true villain at her heart and is going to do an actual nasty scheme, and she has no idea how she's going to sabotage it. So, she goes to spy on Raven to get some ideas.

And look. If I were Raven, I would still be pretty upset with Duchess at this point. She's said and done some really awful things to Raven and people Raven considers friends. Yes Raven has bigger things to worry about. Yes being hostile and bitter takes more energy than being nonchalant and kind. But I don't think I would have been able to forgive Duchess at this point.

But when Raven catches her spying (in swan form), this is how the interaction goes.

Apple was in the room with them JUST a few seconds ago. She really easily could have sold Duchess out, or at the very least ignored her. But instead, she acknowledges Duchess with her trademark intelligence and casual kindness, which Duchess has NO IDEA how to react to.

The book continues and there's some incredibly heart-wrenching and dramatic stuff where Duchess sabotages her roommate Lizzie, who she's been slowly building a genuine odd friendship with. Duchess is probably at her lowest point in this scene I'm about to share, and when Raven steps up to reveal her plan, she's thinks she's about to lose absolutely everything---her friend, her reputation, AND her grade. But Raven surprises her.

Before we get on to the next part, I want to stop and mention that not only did Raven NOT HAVE TO DO THIS, it also had to be INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT FOR HER. Remember, Raven doesn't have very good control of her magic (as seen in the party). Even when she's just trying to use small amounts to help herself, it usually ends out working not quite right (like launching herself into the sky instead of turning invisible, or making her heavy trunk trail behind her with snail slime instead of making it feather light). And in the very first scene of the books, we learn that Good Intentions + Raven's Evil Magic = Disaster (and usually fire and/or explosions).

Raven could have very easily just said "I'm not doing a scheme, leave me alone." She's under no obligation to help Duchess. She's not trying to be evil, and she doesn't want people thinking she is. This kind of blasè brush-off would be perfectly on-brand for Raven. But instead she takes a MAJOR risk using her uncontrolled magic and puts on this big show just to help someone who's been nothing but cruel to her. And why?

RAVEN QUEEN IS FULL OF NEVER-ENDING AND BOTTOMLESS COMPASSION!

She SEES Duchess in a way that literally nobody else does. She SEES Duchess in a way that she is able to SEE every single person for who they really are and what they really want. And when she realizes that Duchess is unhappy in the life she's been handed, Raven ignores ALL the horrible things Duchess has done to her to help her change it AND stops to let Duchess know "I respect your right to make your own choices, but I don't think this'll get you what you want."

And I think it being Duchess specifically in this instance is REALLY important. Apple might be trying to force Raven into becoming a terrible person and living a miserable life, but Apple does still LIKE Raven. She values Raven's skills and personality, and, as long as the subject of destiny doesn't come up, is pretty nice and polite to her. She would never consider doing the things Duchess does like insulting Raven's father.

But even when it comes to people who have been literally NOTHING but unkind and malicious to her, Raven Queen's heart is so big that she does her absolute best to love them and help them become better people anyway. And if that isn't an absolutely amazing role model of a main character, then I don't know what is.

As the book continues, Sparrow double crosses Duchess by playing his guitar really loudly and startling Lizzie's horse during their Princessology riding exam. Lizzie's horse runs off course and almost kills her Sparrow, but Duchess saves her just in time. This causes Mr. Badwolf to Fairy Fail Duchess (since, saving a Princess' life outweighs her schemes), but it does save her friendship with Lizzie.

And the people at the end of the book who comfort Duchess after her dangerous and daring rescue aren't any of the princes or any of the teachers or any of the other Royals. It's Lizzie Hearts---her roommate, the girl she just saved, and the person who is now probably her best friend---and Raven Queen.

The girl who's endless compassion and willingness to say "No, this is wrong, there is a better way" is a force for change and good so strong that it can do almost anything. From something as big as defying an oppressive system and inspiring others to do so too, to something as important as saving Cerise and Maddie from exile, to something as small and simple as inspiring someone as bitter and afraid as Duchess to be a little braver, a little kinder, and a little better.

Give it up for Raven Queen.

PSA: My blog is not explicit, tumblr has incorrectly flagged it. This announcement will be removed from my posts when the problem is fixed.

Also, massive thank you to @athena-xox for having ALL of the EAH media available digitally for free in her pinned post, it makes analysis like this so much easier.

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A lot of people want Raven to be the perfect victim and never get angry, never speak out of turn, never advocate or stand up for herself, just basically lay down and take all the humiliation, pain, scorn, trauma and political scapegoating that both EAH characters and EAH fans alike have decided is completely normal for her while they turn around and coddle everyone who goes out of their way to treat her like shit.

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cedar wood’s heart

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that trend where its like "she didnt know insert crazy event was about to happen" but its me at age 8 watching epic winter and then shortly after not watching cartoons much and rediscovering eah when i was older and fully expecting there to be more specials and webisodes only to find out the show got cancelled and i technically did finish the show at age 8

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Drew some ever after high art!!! ^^

These are quite lazy ^^. I'll screenshot redraws soon :D

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URGENT HELP SAVE THE LIFE OF MY CHILD.

Dear humanity,

Please Help Me – My Son May Die at Any Moment.

I'm Amal, a mother of three children, living under the weight of the genocide taking place in Gaza. 🍉

Here’s my story, and I’m reaching out with a hopeful heart 💔✨, hoping someone will feel what my family and I are going through.

My son is suffering from a severe and life-threatening injury after being shot by Israeli drones. He urgently needs medical treatment outside Gaza.

Time is running out, and we are facing a critical situation. I am asking for your generosity to help us save him either through a donation or by sharing this urgent plea with others

I beg you, i kiss your feet, to help my son. My son may die at any moment.

I lost most of my family. I'm afraid to lose my son too 🥺

Mohammed deserves to live a happy and healthy life, just like every other child on this earth.

So I humbly ask you to donate even a little or at least reblog this appeal.

Please Donate now:👇

https://www.gofundme.com/f/join-us-in-our-struggle-save-our-family-from-war-in-gaza

pls reblog!

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Hello,

I hope you’re all doing well. 🌿

I need your help to share my family's story and raise awareness about our struggle. Every voice counts, and your support means the world. 🙏

💬 Please reblog my pinned post or, if you're able, consider donating just $5—it could be life-changing for those facing unimaginable hardship.

Your kindness and solidarity make a real difference. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! 🤍✨

@aboodfmly

i don't know how much exposure my blog will give but if anyone sees this pls consider reblogging/donating

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Summertime girlies!! Apple is a literal old-money person, and Raven is a gorgeous goth queen. Maybe she´s fainting in the sun, but she looks so pretty, and Apple, it´s ready for Insta-stories in the country club.

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messy cerise sketch i kinda gave up on

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Conservatives don’t belong in a fandom for a show about the dangers of conservatism thanks bye <3

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Thinking about them....

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Day 72 of removing things from Mami until the madoka magica movie releases

Got rid of her entire apartment

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i’ve heard a lot of people talk about the EXCELLENT potential of a high intelligence/low wisdom dnd character (i.e. an brilliant academic who keeps setting their dumb ass on fire because they always store their wand in their back pocket)

but i’ve not seen any posts about the equal potential of a high wis/low int character (i.e. someone incredibly perceptive who gives deep and meaningful reassurance to their friends and then 5 minutes later asks what a can opener is)