#I tried to give her a Morgana vibe

[superanxiouspotato]

Happy (late) Halloween from a Luthor and a Super!!!

I’ve been working on this for days, I wanted to post it when it was actually Halloween but I still wasn’t happy with how it was looking by then and then I got nervous about posting as I’m still learning to draw so yeah, happy Halloween 3 days later 😂

[gavalaa]

Sketches of all my redone designs for my Phantom Thieves from my AU, Icarus! Lots of info down below on the cut, so if you want to know more about the details and inspiration, feel free to keep reading!

This includes Akechi’s design for his Princely/Robin Hood attire, BEFORE his Icarus attire you might have seen from my other posts! Check out the Icarus AU tag for more info! Icarus has a main focus on Akechi and his relationship to the thieves, but the AU is actually an entire rewrite with new designs, 3rd semester and epilogue/strikers/tactica stories, hence Zenkichi and Sophia’s inclusion.

Read below for individual info:

I decided to include more motifs towards their persona’s and general vibes; and also just my own personal touches haha.

AKIRA - Not much has changed, I really like his design overall. I raised his boots to be like Arsene’s and changed his neck area.

MORGANA - I hate the OG pill shaped head, his new design is based heavily on the shape of Palico’s from Monster Hunter. Added a little more nod to Zorro/His persona motifs and also just made him cuter! Little hamburger headed cat.

RYUJI - I made him a little bulkier and gave some more weight to his outfit overall. I gave him heavier boots and a slightly buffer build to relate back more to his sporty style.

ANN - honestly was never too big on her latex outfit, I wanted to call back to a personal favorite female lead; Christine Daae, and used one of the versions of her Don Juan costume as inspiration. I remember seeing Phantom live and in many stage versions of her character, the Don Juan scene was a pure moment of female control, and she was truly working the Phantom and controlling every movement on the stage. Her presence is commanding, and I thought it was a very fitting tribute to Ann’s character as feminine strength. (I’m absolutely not referring to the movie iteration of Daae btw.)

YUSUKE - I referred to some historical art and legend of Goemon to add more elements of design to his outfit. When I color them, I want to add some really strong pops of color to his clothing to really drive the aesthetics and artistry home.

MAKOTO - Another totally redid outfit, I opted to give her a design which relates back to Popess Joan, and also Anat. I gave her a clawed hand on her right side and an uncovered hand on her left as both a nod to Anat’s hand raised in iconography of her from art history, but also to show the duality of Anat’s title as both a goddess of war, and of love. It also relates to the mythology of Joan and her nature as both a leader and a martyr. I changed her mask to a Venetian Commedia mask as well.

FUTABA - ok. I’ll be honest. I never liked her skin-tight outfit, it just doesn’t match her personality at all. Also, the high tech Egyptian feel never really sold me. I totally understand the tomb thing, but I truthfully think a dungeon/palace which was more like… tech/nerd themed would have been much more “futaba” the inspiration for this new outfit relates back to her persona, the Necromomicon, as well as her nerdy personality, and her affiliation as Alibaba (Ali Baba.) I wanted to go more lovecraftian, long sleeves and patterning designed to look more like lovecraftian tendrils, and big baggy pants and her classic shoes to match. The patterning on her undershirt will resemble a rib cage, both as a reference to her deathly “tomb” iconography, but also to Lovecraftian and Necronomicon lore. I think she matches the description of a nerdy, techie DND dungeon master more than the initial outfit, so that’s the route I took personally.

HARU - relating back to some fashions from 17th c France, where Milady’s story (the three musketeers) takes place, I kept her design relatively similar. I just gave her a little more iconography relating to the three musketeers and that general timeframe.

AKECHI - in his pre-Icarus outfit, I’ve given him a princely sort of outfit befitting of his two faced nature, and edited it to relate to Robin Hood a little more. I tried to keep it sleek and just generally very concealing and layered.

SUMIRE - i gave her some iconography relating back to one of her personas, who is an inference to Freya. I also included some more nods to classic Cinderella, with fantasy gown elements. Overall, relatively similar.

ZENKICHI - again, relatively similar, I really like his outfit. I just opened up the face some to show more personality and spiced up the outfit generally to keep it matching. honestly, les mis/Valjean was a hard one, but I also think his character could be heavily related back to Edmond Dante (Monte Cristo.) so I gave some nods to that as well.

SOPHIA - I turned her into a FINGIE!!!! I made her whole dress as a nod to her persona/to pandora’s tiles around her/the pillars. I wanted to make her small and almost unnatural since she’s an AI, and I thought having a little guy on the team would add some more variation.

[multifandombullshitbabes]

Random Merlin Rewatch: Where a random number generator gives me a season and an episode from BBC Merlin; and then I comment on it as I go.

Today's episode: Season 2 Episode 11 - The Witch's Quickening

First off, before I start. It's got Mordred on the cover, so I'm assuming it's the episode where Merlin tries to kill little baby Mordred? And bby Mordred fucking shows off some of his magic in it as well. Don't remember much else but that, so.

LET'S FUCKING GO INTROOOOOOOOOOO

Oh, it's that ugly ass blonde guy that's gonna manipulate Morgana or whatever it is. Ugh. I don't like him. Glad to see him on the floor, but I know it's all a ruse.

Why is every Camelot knight fucking useless, y'all cannot be serious right now.

Was he. Fucking floating or something??? That looked goofy as shit, brother. Loser.

LET'S GO MUSICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

It is a testament that Camelot must have a lot of different knights and guards, 'cause they don't recognize the guy but that's alright. I'm assuming they're so used to seeing each other with the helmets that they just. Forget each other's faces?? I don't know, maybe it's me, but I can recognize a face.

Oop, not Merlin snooping in on some random telepathy convo.

Before that, I wanted to comment. Absolutely bonkers that they're carrying Mordred (? maybe) inside a barrel. At least I'm assuming that's what they're doing.

That must've been so goofy to film, thank god colin just puts his whole pussy into everything he does.

A rare occasion of some guards being useful. Too bad magic's a thing, huh.

Does the druid speak give Merlin headaches?? Poor boy looks like is getting one. Also he looks so comfy.

NOT MORDRED INSIDE THE BARREL, MY GOD. That cannot have been comfy. Also him just. getting out like that. So creepy, I respect it.

Oh the two people just lifting him up like that, he's so smol!!

Why does the blonde guy has such a slutty shirt, wtf.

Why is Morgana sleeping with a big ass bracelet on, girl, take that off!!! You don't need it babe.

Morgana smiling :((((( My love.

OOP ICONIC ARTHUR CHOKING MERLIN UP THE WALL SCENE, LET'S GO

Ohhh the way Arthur just get's so protective when Merlin tells him they're in Morgana's chambers. They love each other so much, I'm SICK.

Ugly ass man, no one asked for you to talk, BITCH. fucking Alvarr or whatever the fuck, he can suck my dick, his vibes are SO OFF.

Morgana is so empathetic, like, she GETS IT!!! Of course she has some degree of privilege by being Uther's ward, but she is so fucking afraid everyday of being found out!! I'm SICK.

NOT MERLIN GETTING ALL GIDDY BY A COMPLIMENT FROM ARTHUR, OUGHHHHH

Hate seeing Morgana get so manipulated, hate it hate it, I'm SICK OF IT, LET MY GIRL LIVE HER FUCKING LIFE

EWWWW GET AWAY FROM HER, EWWWW

AHHHHHHHH MORGANA'S ACTING IS SO GOOD, FUCK I LOVE THIS SCENE, SO GOOFY!!!

She's so gorgeous. But also I love Merlin's little head tilt at Morgana's excuse "Don't you think if there was someone in my room, I'd know about it?" because, frankly, no you wouldn't!! And merlin knows this, but she says it with so much confidence they just take it.

Damn, Arthur getting so sassy n aggressive 'cause he was so scared of finding a horrific scene in Morgana's chambers, and now he's got nothing but Merlin to let out steam to. Damn, damn, boys.

I don't Mordred understands that his role in this mission is nothing more than just ensuring they get the crystal via manipulating Morgana with his existence. Very sick game Alvarr is playing. But Mordred could also be in the know. Hmmm.... we'll see.

Merlin IS very smart, he understands people, but most of all he understands magic users and what they need to do to survive, even if it means sacrificing yourself for others to survive.

Ough, that braid and that green dress. Morgana is just stunning.

"I was looking for Arthur." immediately looks down, guilty as fuck. Morgana is a good liar, but that doesn't mean she likes it all the time. This is Merlin, someone she supposedly trusts. And she is committing a serious crime. Tense.

God, I do love the aesthetics of this show. Love it love it, the fire, the stone walls, everything. And they never played about the clothes.

Merlin can never sleep in peace, and Arthur can never eat in peace.

Well. I do have to say, I was wondering why Arthur's door wasn't locked if he's known to be away. Merlin babe that's kinda on you, you should've locked it :///

Love the difference between Merlin apologising to Arthur n him just walking away, and then Uther being very harsh to Arthur for the same reason. Something something if Arthur can, he'll bear the burden/blame of others since he already feels responsible for a whole kingdom even as a prince, so what's more of that weight on his shoulders right? Technically, the fault is Merlin's but if Arthur can help it, Uther will never know it. He cares so much for Merlin.

Arthur lying through his teeth for Merlin, ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

This damn fucking dragon, fuckkkkkkkkkk

"Because you don't have a choice." OOP MERLIN ATE WITH THAT ONE.

God, the way Kilgarrah talks abt Morgana, I hate it!! UGH

Hm. The fact that Mordred possibly can use the crystal but Morgana can't (KIlgarrah's words). Interesting. So, from least to most poweful: Morgana<Mordred<Merlin.

Gwen just trying to spend as much time with Morgana because I bet they normally chat and stuff.

Oof, the mix of anger/fear/apprehension on Gwen's face with "My Lady." i bet it doesn't happen often when Gwen is reminded that Morgana is a lady and has the power to fucking execute her at will, she's that powerful. It must be so scary when she gets reminded of that. Of course, she knows Morgana would never; but what if?

The difference between Morgana's pristine tall white horse and Merlin's smaller black horse. Love that. Loveeeee it.

Oof. The fact that Morgana balks at Alvarr and his strategy of just. Killing anyone at Uther's side, even innocents. Like, she just cannot understand that, but!! She's at her most vulnerable at this time. Right now, she's not sure what's right or wrong. She doesn't know if what she thinks it's the right thing to do anymore, if it's what's needed for magic to be free, for her to be free of this fear and be herself. Is cruelty the answer? Is she being too merciful? I wonder if these are thoughts that she's having, knowing that what feels right is that she doesn't want to kill civilians, just bring Uther down. But what if her approach is wrong, and they fail, and it makes it all worse? What is there cannot be any "half measures"?

DONT FUCKING TOUCH HER BITCH EW

"I dont want to be alone anymore." THIS!!!! This is what leads to Morgana becoming what she becomes in season 3. Ultimately, she feels so alone. What other friends she has besides Gwen? Arthur? And now those two are poisoned because of her secret. She doesn't know if she can trust them fully anymore. She was already bitter, and full of hatred for Uther, and she was already capable of being ruthless and brave. But this? Being alone? This is what sets her off at her path. Even if she has allies, in the end she will always feel isolated, separated, alone. Even with Morgause. The second she gets into the mindset of "I have nothing of value to lose." She goes down Uther's path. The second she convinces herself that everyone either wants her dead or gone or whatever, she's on Uther's path. And Morgause doesn't count; she helps with this actually. Because Morgause is also very isolated and alone, but still puts herself in a certain distance with Morgana. Yes, they're sisters, they're High Priestesses. But they know their roles are much grander than themselves. Morgause even makes Morgana sacrifice her for their shared goal. The connection she has with Morgause only intensifies this idea that Morgana does not need others, she has a purpose outside of herself, and nothing else matters. This is what leads her down Uther's path. And once you start self-destructing, you realize how easy it is; and how much harder it becomes to put yourself back together again.

EWWWW THEY ALMOST KISSED!!! Another proof that Morgana is just so desperate for connection. First sign she sees of pure acceptance without fear she wants to dive right into that "safety". Ugh. Hate Alvarr and his manipulation.

EWWWWWWWW FUCK I HATE THIS GUY BROOOO

Oop, cult leader esque vibes. Should've known.

Not Gaius straight up telling Merlin "Let's lie to the King." Bet Merlin teases him abt that.

Goddd, I love their sibling banter. Also love how Arthur just cannot seem to tell when someone's hiding something when they're someone he truly deeply loves n trusts. Hope that doesn't bite him in the ass or something.

DON'T FUCKING KISS HER EWWUHHHH

Not Arthur just bullying the fuck out of Merlin. Too bad he's too busy listening to a telepathic convo.

THIS IS SO FUNNY, MERLIN JUST BEING LIKE "There's a footprint!!! (Oh fuck it's not enough, um-) LOOK!! MORE!!!"

"Yes they are" says Merlin prophetically and then somebody get shot with an arrow. Seriously, how did nobody get that Merlin was a sorcerer?? Did they just think he was. very weird???? Actually, that's exactly it.

Not Merlin aiding in the death of a child.

And just like that, another part of the prophecy solidified. Welp!!

Not Merlin seeing what Kilgarrah will do if he releases him and then that's exactly what he does.

OUGH??? MORGANA SENDING AWAY THE GUARDS WITH JUST A FLICK OF HER HAND??? HOT?????

OOP??? I FORGOT HOW HARD SHE WENT IN THIS SCENE HOLY SHIT???? This was, lowkey, Morgana sealing her fate. She was just so done with being passive and just taking the luxury of being Uther's ward. She saw what Alvarr and the druids and anyone with magic has had to do to survive and to end this reign of terror and she got so sick of just being on the side-lines. No wonder it was so easy for her to just betray them past this point. To her, she was already alienated from Uther and Camelot and everything it stands for. Alvarr being sentenced to death, not even telling the whole truth of her aiding him, radicalized her here. The title of this episode makes so much sense, this is Morgana getting more and more cold and ruthless towards Camelot whether before she just hated it and suffered under it. Go off queen.

OUGHHHH NOW THAT BROKE UTHER'S HEART, DAMN!!! She fully just. resigned from this family (I don't think she's fully processed that this means resigning from Arthur as well, she's just so focused on Uther).

OUGH THAT LAST LINE. UTHER'S SHOOK BITCHHHHH

"The future is as yet unshaped." This is why I believe destiny is not set in stone, but!! Once you do a set of actions, one path of the future solidifies and it is basically impossible to erode yourself out of it. But not truly impossible.

Morgana lying to Gwen, separating herself more n more from those she loves but that could hinder her new path. Oof...

Not Morgana bribing the guards with alcohol, jesus they're so stupid.

Fucking HATE ALVARR UGHHHHH

Oh, the way that Uther knows, and Morgana knows he knows, but Uther just cannot bear the thought of the truth, cannot say it out loud. OOOOOHHHH DELICIOUSSSSSSSSS

Damn what a good ass episode bro. This is really where we see Morgana become herself, I guess; or the hateful, ruthless version of her. It is both sad but so freeing to see. But I do think she only really wanted Uther to be gone, her hatred for Arthur and Merlin came later, through Morgause and her manipulation, but also their own actions.

[togetherhearted]

I see. Then, how about Firecracker Sejuani, Sugar Rush Evelynn and Blackthorn Morgana with short S/O, who tends to get vey angry when someone mentions their height (yes, that definitely not give Riddle Rosehearts vibes). Also I sent that request earlier, in August, but I guess tumblr devoured it.

Tumblr being tumblr I guess. Not the first time something like this happens.

Happy you wanted to give it another try!

Hope this is fine.

FIRECRACKER SEJUANI, SUGAR RUSH EVELYNN AND BLACKTHORNE MORGANA WITH A SHORT S/O

-Should I send Bristle after them?- Sejuani was eyeing you from the food stall. You were gripping the frying pan so tightly your knuckles were almost white. -No, No I'm fine...- You took a nice big breath before going back to cook;unironically, on a stool. -You sure?I'm sure my little baby would not mind going after them- Your eyes glanced at the person that insulted you walking far far away. -...Go on- -..sweet-

Your anger was suppressed by a candy popped in your mouth by your lover. Evelynn watched you biting the sphere, your mood improving slowly. -Better? -Mh. Better- Evelynn swirled her own candy around her tongue -If they made you so mad I can take care of them~- You tried to use your lover for petty revenge, but it was a fact that Evelynn loved torturing others so you just gave her a nod. Her smile wickered.

Morgana had to physically stop you from knocking someone down. This stranger had to dare comment on your height, making you throw a fit. The woman stopped you and gave you a soothing caress on your face before using her binding to stop the man from running. -I hope you like suffering because if you make my lover mad I won't hesitate...- Her sweet voice betrayed her action as she ran full force towards the chained man.

[arcplaysgames]

a few P5R classpects

for the characters I think are strong enough that I can assign them a classpect

Maruki: Page of Doom

Might parse to "served by the aspect of inevitability." Doom is the aspect of people who analyse the rules and test the boundaries of them. They see the code of the matrix and learn to make it work for them. Pages as people who seem to be small time at first but they have an almost innate, subconscious connection to their aspect so it does their bidding.

Maruki was always the king of cognitive psience, and his arc through the MSQ is him further unraveling the parameters of how it works and taking a scientific approach to a metaphysical thing.

Another thing about Pages is that they aren't just served by their aspect but their aspect is served to them by the people around them. And just so, the Thieves unwittingly hand Maruki all the knowledge and opportunities he needs to reach the apex of his power.

Morgana: Maid of Light

Might parse to "burdened by the aspect of relevance/agency." Light is the aspect of the literal spotlight on the stage, of knowing the script, of understanding the play. People with more Light have more power over their own lives. Maids are "made" of their aspect, as in they walk into the narrative with an overabunance of their aspect and give of themselves to others.

Morgana is the giver of agency, knowledge, and opportunity to the Thieves. He guides them through their awakenings and explains how the Cognitive World works.

But the thing with Maids is that while they have a lot of their aspect, they are discontent, and are lacking in something else, something that can't be supplied by their aspect. Morgana can help the people around him come into their Thiefy glory, but he is haunted by his missing memory and the lack of understanding of himself.

Joker: lmao Witch of Heart???

Might parse to "Sponsored by the aspect of identity." This one is funny to me because the way Persona works, the way Wild Cards work is that they have hundreds of identities in the sea of their soul, so i think I HAVE to say he's a Witch of Heart.

Being a Witch fucking sucks. I consider one of the tests of being a Witch "has your aspect tried to kill you/put you in danger," and I think Joker passes that test with flying colors. In return for the ways personae have screwed up his life, Joker is granted enormous power from them and has almost total control of his domain. But it comes with the caveat that he lacks a lot of other aspects.

And Heart, of course, is the aspect of identity, it is the willingness to use yourself as a hammer, it's iteration and personal growth. The path forward comes from inside, self reflection.

Haru: Sylph of Life

Might parse to "Heals the aspect of affluence in others."

There is pretty much no way Haru is not a Life player. All Life players share a common starting point, in that they come from a place of privilege and of something analogous to royalty/nobility. They always start the 'game' in a more comfortable position than their fellows. But with it comes obligations, often painful ones they want to escape. Haru and her entire SLink pretty much revolve around this.

I say Sylph because they're the aspect of "I'm a doctor but [cocks gun]" and that's Haru's vibe. She is sweet and eager to help people around her and her introduction is finding Morgana lost and hurt and helping him with her resources. She's so loving and also she hits like a truck. When a Sylph decided to impose their will on the world, shit gets done.

Also they are all just a little bit cutting and able to be more forthright than their group. Haru is the most capable of stating her boundaries and talking back to people, and it's great. Love Haru.

Akechi: Heir of Void

It's hard to nail down Akechi but I'm going with "Avatar of the aspect of obsession." Heirs are weird in that you shouldn't really see them as being players of the game. They are being played by their aspect, directed by its rules and whims, and they seem to have the least control over their aspect. They are incredibly potent, but they have almost no control over their lives.

This I think fits Akechi well, as someone who has been in a constant struggle to have any agency at all in his own story, and every time he starts to get a foothold, it crumbles beneath him.

Void as the aspect of obsession is a dark one. Void players are prone to fixation, to locking onto something and being unable to pry themselves away from it. A Heir of Void would be driven by selfish and uncontrollable whims and desires, but also would be terrifyingly competent at the things they do.

But also very unlikely to break free.

Futaba: Rogue of Space

Would parse to "Distributing the aspect of the concrete world to others." Rogue players are the backbones of any team they are on, and their job is to make sure everyone around them has enough of their aspect. They're support players keeping folks going.

Space players are enthusiasts about something, and they understand the entire world through their one specific realm of knowledge. They are incredibly adept at their domain, but are often at odds against something that is outside their domain. It's like being the god of a place, having total understanding and control of that place, but being unable to even cross the boundary line into another place.

Futaba has enormous control of information and can supply it easily, but she frequently slams into walls that keep her out of certain things, and it's one of her biggest points of frustration.

[the-desert-beast]

A villain AU for Kynwyl.

Take all of his good traits, his diplomatic tendencies, his perceptiveness, his memory of little things about people and their preferences, his charisma, his way with words. And corrupt them. Someone so cunning, so deceptive, so subtly monstrous, that you're in too deep by the time you even realize that something is wrong. A man who can so easily make you feel safe and welcome, slowly but surely isolating you. Promising you that life in his court will be better for you, you'll be safe there, he can watch over you there, no one can hurt you there, you'll be safe. The effort it would take from a courtier to slowly erode Kynwyl's outlook on life; Kynwyl tries to be understanding of everyone, to be good faith and give good will to people unless he's seen them cross a line he cannot forgive. It's exceptionally difficult to convince him of someone being truly irredeemable. They can do that themselves in his eyes just fine. But rumor and gossip means next to nothing to him. Heilyn tries to get his hooks in. He tries, slowly but surely to coax Kynwyl to his point of view. To welcome the Nightmare. To see that others are as cruel as Heilyn is, that even Kynwyl has done cruel things like those strangers. A note, about this AU, is that, Heilyn basically has a less than 5% chance of his bullshit working- even if he plays the really really really slow game. Kynwyl would very quickly catch him. So pretend with me for a moment that Heilyn has 10 more charisma and 5 more braincells in this AU. That's the only way he could pull this off. And slowly but surely it works. Slowly Kynwyl can see the cruelty Heilyn points out, he can see the "poison" in the actions of the ones he loves, the subtle malice in their words that Heilyn has noted. Eventually he agrees to go with Heilyn to his court. And he gets worse from there. Heilyn's words convince him that others are just as bad as the court, convine him that only he can save them, that only they can see the truth. Only they know what's best. Sylas warms up to Kynwyl quickly; The both of them are corrupted knight types, though Kynwyl has much stronger knight vibes than Sylas does. They both enjoy the hunt, they share in the fun of being cruel; the dreamers deserve it after all, they're the ones lying to the saplings of the grove. Luc, however, despises Kynwyl. Kynwyl is everything Luc has pretended to be. Heilyn and Sylas love Kynwyl, they almost worship him. (Though it isn't completely genuine, at first.) Luc begins to feel like he's being replaced as Kynwyl settles in, and he's not entirely wrong. Kynwyl is still kind to Heilyn and Sylas, he still romances them, he still gives them that hopeless romanticity he has in his heart even still. Despite how corrupted it now is. Eventually Luc and Kynwyl are genuine enemies as Luc gets worse and worse and starts acting more and more malicious and violent to Heilyn and Sylas, and even Kynwyl himself. However those threats get Luc into more trouble because Kynwyl still doesn't suffer self-absorbed fools (funny how hypocritical that is in this AU.) Luc gets cast out and is left to be hunted by his now-previous Duchess. Morgana takes a hell of a liking to Kynwyl, and once Luc is gone, Kynwyl beseeches her to forgive Heilyn and Sylas, as using her beloved daughter as a weapon was mostly Luc's idea. Sort of using a, "Look at me, am I not evidence of Heilyn's prowess and dedication?" kind of argument. It works, much to Sylas and Heilyn's nervousness. They do appreciate it however.

Kynwyl in this AU has become a frightening weapon of the Nightmare Court. A beloved precious dark knight of Duchess Morgana's. A man who used to be such a kind and caring, attentive hopeless romantic, is now controlling and obsessive. He's still attentive and sweet, but only for the ones who behave. He might throw you away for his next romance if you prove to be not interesting enough, or you simply weren't "the one." Even Heilyn and Sylas have lost his interest now and again. A man who was once so dedicated to his loved ones is now genuinely convinced that none of them know what's best for themselves. He used to look up to and idolize his older brother (he still does deep down) but now he's awfully convinced that his older brother has been squandering their true potential as sylvari outside the pale dream. All of him has been truly twisted.

okay now because I love kynwyl so much im holding you at gunpoint to imagine Canon him in a snuggle pile with his polycule thank you goodnight.

[marciabrady]

Why do you hate TLM 2? I always thought it was alright. I never cared much for TLM 3.

There are soooo many reasons. Also, want to preface with I understand there's a sizeable TLM 2 fandom that's developed in recent years and def am not looking to ruffle any feathers! Everyone can like with they like and dislike what they dislike and have their own opinion...but I'm going to start with listing what I admired about the film, before I go into why I really can't stand it.

Jodi Benson's voice acting! I didn't like her performance at all in the third film, but in this movie, her singing was laced with a beacon of motherly light that was so incredible. From the ethereal humming in the first scene, where she's in the shadowed room and gently singing her devotion to her small child, there was something special in the air. Her unreal harmonies in For a Moment are some of the best vocals of all time.

Kenneth Mars reprising his role felt so in character and he was such a delight. Sebastian's voice was too but Kenneth just had this regal strength to him and he had all the weight and emotional impact of Triton from the original film, but with this underbelly of softness that was exposed and he was so tender and loving...his character seemed to be the most in line with what would've organically transpired from the first film. Everyone else is wildly out of character (aside from maybe Sebastian and Scuttle and Flounder, but that was because the writers just made them do exactly what they did in the first movie down to giving Sebastian the same plot device lol)

Flounder was cute. Not much to go into here but he did make me giggle lol

Ariel getting her feet wet was such a powerful moment. Taking off her heels and immersing a part of her back into that world where gravity was different and she was young and things felt almost weightless is such a vibe. I also admired her transition back to a mermaid for similar reasons- releasing her from that mom bun and that terrible dress, her being able to plunge back into the sea, being able to re-connect with her roots.

Okay, so the reasons why I can't stand it and, overall, dislike it:

I came to this movie as an Ariel fan and...we were done dirty tbh? They totally changed her temperament, her personality, her motives- in a way that wasn't just "oh she grew up and developed" but like...that's not her and this movie's cheap writing tried to make her into someone she wasn't so that the story could go down the way that it did. Most of the people who love this movie love it because of Melody, which is fine, but like...as someone who came for Ariel, the fact that she wasn't a main character was lowkey disrespectful? It think it also contributes to this idea that once you "grow up" or just age or have children, you can no longer be the main character and you have to be delegated the background so that the next generation can have their moment. More on this in another bullet. But yeah, nothing of the original Ariel was here- none of her passion and spirit and love. None of her quirks and hobbies and interests. It was just "protect Melody!"

The walrus and the penguin...I'm not a fan of Timon and Pumba type of characters and the fact that they took up so much of the runtime genuinely made this unwatchable to me. Like, we couldn't get more of Ariel, but they could be forced down our throats???

Morgana was uncompelling to me. I don't really like her design or her sidekick or her backstory. Just...eh.

The absence of Howard Ashman was really felt. Now, growing up, I have to admit I don't think too much about him and would frankly get irritated when people kept bringing him up over, and over, and over again as the sole credit to The Little Mermaid's success. I felt it discounted the director's talents, those of Glen Keane and Andreas Deja's, as well as Jodi and Pat's, and just the other members of the creative team without which this franchise never would've found legs. BUT in recent years, I was beginning to ask myself why I feel Ariel so rarely retains that original energy about her from the first film. For instance, there's none of Ariel in this sequel movie to me and even less of her in the third, and I wondered why that was. For the original three princesses, the reason the characterizations are flawed in the sequels and spin-offs is due to the lack of input and involvement from Adriana, Ilene, and Mary- but since Jodi was involved in everything Ariel had anything to do in, why did the character not always live up to who she was in the original? And I honestly think the missing piece was Howard. Regardless of anyone's personal politics or beliefs are, The Little Mermaid is THE LGBTQIA+ fairytale. It was written by a gay man and adapted by another gay man (Howard Ashman) and so much of the character of the original mermaid and Ariel carries the experience of a closeted gay person. This simply can't be adapted by a straight person and still have its artistic integrity intact (which is why I'm admittedly uncomfortable about the live action remake...there isn't a single person involved that is anything but straight, from what I've seen, and the lack of diversity in the cast with Eric, Ursula, and even Triton being white is another red flag for me considering they said they wanted to set this film in the Caribbean but the film features a majority white cast). They took Ariel from who she was in the original movie, written and adapted by a gay man with that characterization and created in the 1980s, and they essentially made her into like a WASPy suburban mother and I just...that's not my Ariel.

Overall, it's uninspired. It's literally just a next generation story with no creativity to it in my opinion. Also, as I mentioned, the characters themselves have so many places to go without needing to give birth to a kid who just relives the original movie all over again but with younger characters.

The animation wasn't expressive. I understand it's going to be a downgrade but...yikes. They went from Glen Keane's iconic animation (I honestly think his work on The Little Mermaid is solely what launched him into being a legend; like yes, his other work is great and deserves its flowers, but the fact that he did the Part of Your World sequence was probably the highlight of his career) to something that felt Rugrats level.

I was just so frustrated with the stealing of a trident and ugh in general the plotpoints annoy me and not in a way that's suspenseful but just in a "I hate that this is happening"

In the original film, what made Ariel and King Triton's relationship so potent was that it mirrored that of a homophobic, intolerant parent and a gay teen. Also, before anyone contradicts me, as I've mentioned before, it's meant to be queer-coded...someone once reblogged my post, disagreeing, and saying that while Ariel and Eric's love was forbidden and even considered illegal and they were from different species, they were still different sexes and thus could never be queer-coded and I think this person is missing the "coded" part of that definition lol but anyway, Ariel and Triton's dynamic had layers and was so raw and real. Ariel and Melody's relationship is literally just a "don't worry, I felt different too at your age, sweetie! It's not easy for anyone to be a teenager" and the entire plot of the film is centered around timing. Where Ariel left Atlantica after Triton destroyed her collection, invaded her personal space, attacked her, and essentially told her he'd never accept her, the plot of this sequel is only propelled by Ariel not catching Melody to tell her in time about her mermaid heritage. Literally, if she came into Melody's room a few minutes earlier, that entire thing never would've happened lol and that's the other part of it- throughout the film, Ariel is willing to talk to Melody multiple times??? So like...whereas Ariel had no resources, but still showed love for Triton, Melody didn't really have that. Look at the difference between how apologetic Ariel was when Triton appeared near the end of the film and how she attacked Ursula for taking the trident. Melody ignored Ariel when she tried to talk to her and handed the trident over to Morgana lol

The entire thing is aged/watered down. The original was a theatrical release, where the mandate was to write from 8 to 80 as a demographic. The direct to video release had a Pre-K to 12 audience and...yeah

The setting being weird and cold and icy did nothing for me. Like the original film made the underwater scenes look like that- apart from Under the Sea which purposely was bright and colorful and vibrant- because they wanted us to understand why Ariel, a mermaid that had always been in the dark, cold ocean, would be so infatuated by the warm kingdom of Prince Eric. To go back to the sea but make the entire thing grey and icy with a bland sky didn't make me want to go to the ocean lol

[papcrrings-arch]

Valentine's Day Starter Call

just back from hiatus so late to the party but below the cut is a starter call for all my muses. i think i've plotted for most people but if i've listed a date incorrectly, just pop me a message because i'm still lowkey ill and my brain is half-functioning. for the sake of efficiency, just reply with starter pairings (must be specific with who) instead of liking and waiting for me to message for plots. there is no cap for total starters or starters per mun but please give some of the unloved muses some love if you can &lt;3

anna of cleves - blind date with veronica lodge

general vibe : anna is a boss babe and will flirt with whoever she finds attractive (will back off if they aren't interested though of course). she loves to dance and is great fun at parties.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, people watching, flirting

starters : veronica lodge

anthony bridgerton - attending with kate sharma

general vibe : anthony believes that parties are the one thing he'll understand in this modern world but he will probably be slightly confused by it nonetheless. he'll really enjoy the museum though.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, networking, people watching, exploring the museum, networking, enjoying good food

starters : kate sharma, simon basset, eloise bridgerton

cato hadley - attending with clove kentwell

general vibe : cato is there to cause controlled chaos. he'll drink and dance and rub elbows with washington's elite but mostly, he just wants to cause trouble for people and have a bit of fun.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, networking, people watching (spying), exploring the museum, chaos

starters : clove kentwell, rue green

diego hargreeves - attending with lila pitts

general vibe : diego is mostly there just to hang out with lila but will engage in conversation if need be. he's a hargreeves so some chaos might also accidentally happen.

plotting ideas : drinking, general chatting, people watching, snacking in the corner, chaos

starters : grace hargreeves

effie trinket - attending with haymitch abernathy

general vibe : effie enjoys helping to organise events like this but is at the gala to have fun. she is trying to figure out why haymitch is so interested in her (and i have plans to possibly make her aware) but she'll also spend her time networking and finding new clients.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, networking, people watching

starters : coriolanus snow

fabian prewett - blind date with shi mei

general vibe : fabian is still adjusting to this modern world but enjoys a good party so will have good vibes and be fun to hang out with.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, people watching, exploring the museum, chaos, enjoying good food, flirting

starters : bill weasley, molly weasley

felicity mckinnon - attending with stitch pelekai

general vibe : fliss is concerned about a repeat of last year because of the dark magic she tried to use when in the rage-fueled state. she will, however, try and have the best time. probably slightly on high-alert but hiding it well.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, people watching, exploring the museum, chaos, enjoying good food

starters : stitch pelekai, cleo mckinnon, ethan mckinnon

finnick odair - attending with annie cresta

general vibe : finnick loves a good party but is probably a bit wary after hearing what happened last valentine's day. still, he'll have a good time with his wife.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, enjoying good food

starters : annie cresta

guinevere pendragon - attending solo

general vibe : gwen loves love so will thoroughly enjoy valentine's day and seeing all the lovely people in love while also feeling a bit sad that she hasn't got that love right now.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, enjoying good food

starters : morgana pendragon, cullen rutherford

henry turner - attending with carina barbossa

general vibe : henry enjoys a good museum so he'll probably mostly be exploring but he'll engage in the party as well. he'll be good company for sure.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, enjoying good food, people watching

starters : carina barbossa

isaac lahey - attending with lissa dragomir

general vibe : isaac is fine at parties but not always the best company because he can be a bit of a grump and can't get drunk. still, he'll try and enjoy himself, especially with his date.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, snaking in the corner, people watching

starters : peter hale

joseph hernandez - attending with clarisse renaldi

general vibe : joseph is usually cool as a cucumber but is more than a little nervous about going to the gala with clarisse. unaware joe isn't as casual about dancing with a queen.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, enjoying good food

starters : clarisse renaldi

kala dandekar-rasal - attending solo

general vibe : despite technically being single in this world, kala would not sign up for a blind date because of rajan and wolfgang, whom she misses terribly. still, she will try to have a good time at the party.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, snacking in the corner, people watching

starters : filippa kosta

kate denali - attending with garrett

general vibe : because she's off the clock, kate is taking this event as a good excuse to get dressed up and celebrate her mate finally being in the city.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, flirting (but like playfully because she's off the market)

starters : rosalie hale

lucerys velaryon - attending with bianca di angelo

general vibe : lucerys is just vibing in this modern world, trying to enjoy being alive and living his best life.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, snacking in the corner/enjoying good food

starters : bianca di angelo, harwin strong

marcel gerard - attending solo

general vibe : marcel is often a host when he has events at his bar so just being a guest is a nice change and he's just vibing.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, flirting, chaos, feeding on people possibly

starters : rebekah mikaelson, sha hualing, klaus mikaelson

mark sloan - attending with lexie

general vibe : mark is just happy to have the night off and spend it with his wife, that's all.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, enjoying good food

starters : lexie grey, amelia shepherd, meredith grey

maximum ride - attending solo

general vibe : now that she's aware, max is just missing fang and the rest of the flock and is probably a bit of a grump in need of cheering up and letting loose.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, snacking/lurking in the corner

starters :

neville longbottom - attending with luna

general vibe : neville is all cleaned up in a suit but still as awkward as ever. probably in need of people to make him feel at ease.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, snacking in the corner, exploring the museum

starters : harry potter, luna lovegood

river song - attending with twelve

general vibe : honestly? just hoping for less violence than last year.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, networking, exploring the museum, enjoying good food, flirting (but like playfully because she's off the market)

starters :

salazar slytherin - attending with helga hufflepuff

general vibe : hoping for a peaceful valentine's day where he doesn't die and nobody he loves dies

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, networking, exploring the museum, enjoying good food

starters : helga hufflepuff, rowena ravenclaw

sansa stark - attending with theon greyjoy

general vibe : feeling a little nervous about attending with theon but planning to havde a good time nonetheless

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, enjoying good food

starters : theon greyjoy

simon lewis - attending with isabelle lightwood

general vibe : just gonna be his usual self and a have a good time with his fiancee.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching

starters : max lightwood

stefan salvatore - attending with caroline forbes

general vibe : again, just happy to be alive and hoping this doesn't turn out like any of the dances he went to in mystic falls.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, people watching, enjoying good food

starters : caroline forbes, bonnie bennett, josie saltzman, enzo st. john

teddy lupin - attending with victoire weasley

general vibe : because she's off the clock, kate is taking this event as a good excuse to get dressed up and celebrate her mate finally being in the city.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, flirting (but like playfully because she's off the market)

starters : scorpius malfoy, lily luna potter, roxanne weasley

xenophilius lovegood - attending with pandora lovegood

general vibe : xeno is determined to get pandora to remember him again in the safest way possible. so he's trying to be super romantic with her while also having a good time.

plotting ideas : drinking, dancing, general chatting, exploring the museum, people watching, enjoying good food

starters : pandora lovegood, chu wanning

[grapecaseschoices]

Hi! I was wondering if the dark urge route is worth playing. I enjoy the customisable tav route, but I've tried to play dark urge origin route and it just feel Yandere simulator Disney channel cartoon villain vibes at last through the first half of act 1. I trust your recs, so I was wondering since one of ur mcs is dark urge if its worth continuing to play this route. 😅

LMAO. What specifically made you feel that way? No judgment, I just love a good lol /and can be a petty troll.

I don't hate it. I feel like I've gotten some really good moments so far playing a redeeming Durge romancing Wyll [when from what I gather the meaty stuff is an evil durge or a redeeming one romancing Astarion]. I'm still early in act three, and from what I gather end of two and three is where we really get into Durge's history. I do admit it can drag on -- not the learning but the getting there.

I feel to have avoided that they should have 1. done better with the memories 2. introduced a certain character in MCs backstory earlier 3. connect mc better to ALL the potential romance routes not just Astarions 4. the pacing -- or maybe pacing isn't the right word, it's sorta disjointed some of the things Durge can do/has done or said and how the characters react.

In retrospect, thinking about your comments actually, maybe it's because I play a non-dragonborn [I hear they are more expressive] but it is SO weird how my Tav is constantly smirking when the narrator speaks about their EhVuhl. It makes me feel like I'm playing BBC Morgana.

I would say I would give the route a 3/5. Maybe a 3.5 but I'm also still asleep and will probably have more thoughts as I wake up but also as I go on. I think a lot of the appeal for me is the RP perspective. The figuring out her motivation and her connections and what it means to her. I mean I do that with all my Tavs. But I sorta like calculating WHY Kaeliana makes the 'wrong' choice and why she doesn't when she does, what drives her, what is her outlook. So I think if you go into it like that, you will find it very enjoyable. But yeah the smirks are annoying.

[lumeha]

Persona for you? 👀 Feel free to pick one game in specific if you’d prefer.

I'm gonna focus on 4 and 5 because those are the ones I finished most recently and discussed the most, but

(sends kisses to 2)

I'm traumatised by this pair of bastard games <3 very good

Favorite character

hm hmmmmmm HMMMMMMMMMM

Gods. Urgh. I know the second part is the second favourite, but I do have to say, it is a toss up between Teddie and Yosuke ?

I didn't expect to love Teddie as much as I ended up doing. I may be doing some abstraction about the womanizing, for the both of them lmao, but Teddie genuinely has one of the most compelling character arc I've seen ? I think what they did with him is what P5 tried with Morgana, but it did end up working much, much better with Teddie, because Teddie loose his role as navigator to Rise but he's taking himself to a different role in the group because they are his friends and. His discovery of friendship, his relation with Nanako, even with Yosuke's parents, is just so fucking good, and I am still a little heartbroken from the bad end when Nanako is in the hospital okay : )

Yosuke's just a mess as a character lmao but that is what makes him interesting to me. He's just a teen who doesn't really know what he wants and how to care, in a lot of way, and he's also incredibly bad at grieving, and it's just really fun to see. Also. Great Shadow to start with. Would bet he would easily get to confront his Shadow again later down the line. Love him though. A nerd. I also share his music tastes and that's funny.

Second favorite character

(carries Ryuji above my head) look at this momma's boy he's so fucking cute I love him and he deserves better than what P5 gives him goddamnit !!! Love ! Him ! So ! Much !!

Like, yeah, he's rude, but you know what, he deserves to be, it's not like people have been good to him. Glad Strikers actually let him say fuck. It was deserved <3

... More seriously, I am insanely soft for a rude guy who is actually really caring. He's trying. It's also kind of amusing to have him try to hide a sweet tooth in some scenes ?? He's just. I like him a lot.

Least favorite character

Akechi

... I still laugh thinking about my late evening meltdown when faced with his goddamn boss fight and all I was commenting to my friend was "I just want to go to sleep fuck you man" (couldn't just stop the game or I would have lost a good two or three hours of gameplay <3) (I'm still mad lmao)

But yeah it's Akechi

I just wish I didn't find him in unrelated tags on tumblr sometimes

The character I’m most like

... I have no idea, frankly.

But I definitely was very much like Mary when I was a teen, angsty bad poetry included. Y'all are lucky I have *some* shame AND no actual translation skills or I would have shown it lmao.

Favorite pairing

I. hm. which one. That's a good question. It might genuinely be a battle between Yosuke/Teddie and Ryuji/Mishima. Which. Are not the same vibes at all but there's just something specific about these two ships about caring and loving someone and loving the flaws as qualities that I just really enjoy

Least favorite pairing

... Yes it's Aki///ren. do I really. do I need to.

I think it's obvious why.

Favorite moment

P4, will have to go with the murderer's reveal in the TV world when you go along his Social Link and it changes arcana, it's genuinely a *fantastic* moment and it has some really cool shit going on aesthetically. Also as much as I hate the guy he is an absolutely fantastic antagonist and I love to hate him.

(but also shout out to Rise's boss fight and how she takes control of it. I love Rise. She's so good. And it's really cool to have her retake control like this !!)

P5 I'll have to go with Kamoshida's Palace. Just. In general. The game starts on such a fucking strong leg. Too bad it kind of falters after that but Kamoshida's Palace has many good moments, from the first Persona awakening of the MC and Ryuji and Ann to just them all discovering what the fuck is going on. Just. good. aesthetically interesting too. Yes that's important to me XD

Rating out of 10

A solid 8 out of 10. Might be a little higher, but I just think - 4 and 5 both have some glaring problems with their stories that did drive me a little insane. But I was compelled to go through them and finish them which means a lot too because I'm a scatter brain jfsdklfk

[charmixpower]

Roxy, Fairy of Animals

My beloved Roxy. She's exactly like my best friend Jesse fr. Her personality reminds me of my bestie so much, she gives me all the warm fuzzy feelings

Obsessed, could a more precious girlie ever exist? I think not

Funky little alt girl

I had a strong desire to shave her head in some way in her magic form. This was my first thought...because I didn't know how to draw both sides shaved. That's what she would have if I could draw it

Anyways I feel like I've rambled enough about Roxy and her relationship with magic, but to reiterate, she's the opposite of Bloom. Hating everything that came with magic, and finding the magical world deeply uncomfortable

I love making her under crop top striped, this girls fashion sense is already so fucked up this is like the cherry on top she's so perfect

As you can see this was the one I couldn't abuse the symmetry tool on

As far as the earth fairies go, she's no longer related to Morgana because I've always disliked that plot point. Morgana still tries to mother her, because she's Morgana, but Roxy is distinctly unreceptive to this random woman trying to insert herself as a mother figure

Morgana eventually calms down a little, but Roxy still finds the women wildly uncomfortable

Roxy is partly terrified of Nebula and generally avoids the women at all costs unless she's required to interact with her

Sibylla doesn't talk to Roxy so Roxy never talks to her

She's closest with Aurora and Diana. Aurora because they're both introverts, so Roxy and her can just vibe together. Diana because They have a lot of the same things so they bond over that. Diana can sometimes get overwhelming and Aurora sometimes lets the conversation falter to the point where it's awkward. So they have ups and downs to both of them for her, but their both her favorite

[auncyen]

Morgana for the ask meme (ya had to see this coming XD)

1, 4, 18, 23

I mean I'm not surprised to be asked about mona. I do find it kind of funny I was expecting ot2 asks and all are p5 so far (this isn't bad. just. PERHAPS I DID NOT SEE IT COMING.)

anyway

1. I am biased toward snarky felines in general but on top of that I do just genuinely like him wanting to be a dashing gentleman rogue but still obviously having some flaws, trying to be confident in himself but having self-doubt. Ren is often portrayed similarly, just more successful in the act--and I do like that toward the end of the game they actually ARE compared to each other lol. It really gives off a vibe that Morgana's kind of the 'little brother', even though he'd probably insist he's the big brother who knows best.

4. If I could put Morgana in any other media it would be. Man I am really torn on if Sailor Moon or PMMM is the more fun answer here. In Sailor Moon I'd want to throw at least Ann and Ren in there too and have them be a little squad confusing the Sailor Scouts. In PMMM he'd be like...either an incubator that somehow became 'abnormal', or maybe born of a magical girl's wish? Either way he'd be trying to genuinely help the magical girls (...and maybe having a lot of self-doubt about not always being successful).

18. idk if 'admire' is quite the right word for how I feel about most of his relationships? Usually more just like them because they're cute. I guess the one that 'admire' seems most applicable to is Sophia. Sophia is very obviously his parallel in Strikers (amnesia, doesn't know her purpose) and he has a number of encouraging exchanges with her, without making it about him. I think Strikers in general did a good job of making Morgana seem more mature/settled in his skin while still obviously himself.

23. lol I looked through all my photo posts tagged with morgana and a lot of them are based on his friendship with Ren. Idk about absolute favorite but I've always liked the top left panel of the second page here. The way Saito draws him is just cute in general, but also that he tries to write Ren an apology, so messy because PAWS, over accidentally causing him a lot of worry and trouble is sweet.

[ladylauviah-blog]

Mortimer Goth

Kinda comparison, kinda not. So, with the end of 24th round for Goth Family Morty became an elder. So a lil recap before he'll die. And he will die quickly, cuz he had like completely RED aspiration when he aged up.

Screen contains younger Morty with his sister Morgana and twin brother Wulf (he gives me SO MUCH Carlos from Desperate Wives vibes its INSANE). Also, Bella. Bella won't be an elder - she died when her and Morty's third daughter was born... anyway.

Morty born ingame from Cornelia' and Gunther's genes is tragically ugly. I was unlucky. Welp.

Morty is a Family Sim (per character and zodiac) and he had two wives and four kids. After Bella died his life is miserable. It kinda is, I tried to make it better but nope, he just won't be happy.

[camelotsheart]

one of the things i like about how arthur’s character is written in fanworks is the range of interpretations people have of his romantic/sexual experience, and how these interpretations are supported by canon

if we look at arthur in season 1 he does give off the vibe of a suave/charming/confident/experienced prince. he (without the knowledge of their blood connection) flirts with morgana throughout the season, most prominently in 1x07. and he also teases gwen’s fumbling and blushing in 1x13. throughout the rest of the show he also exhibits a confident demeanour with most princesses who visit the kingdom. uther’s teachings means that arthur has been trained to kill since birth, but more than that he’s also been trained to charm, to earn the favour of people who’s alliances may be vital, and that shows in the way he flirts.

however, we also get the arthur who stutters in the presence of gwen and mithian. the one who has to ask merlin - someone who he thinks has minimal experience in the heterosexual dating realm in general - how to court a girl (the chaotic dumbass energy of that scene is chef’s kiss). the one who by his own admission, is terrible at “knowing what to say to someone [he] cares about”. arthur knows how to charm people - that’s what he was trained to do - but what he doesn’t know is how to get someone to genuinely like him - not only the “rough, tough, save the world” personality he shows on the outside but also the deeply flawed and self-loathing person he is on the inside.

i think another part of why arthur comes off quite suave in season 1 is because by his own admission he’s never consciously loved someone before gwen in season 2 (i say ‘consciously’ because i have many thoughts on arthur’s various subconscious romantic interests in season 1, but that’s another discussion entirely). sure, he’s felt some degree of self-loathing. but the difference is he’s never felt so vulnerable that he wants someone to like him even with his flaws. flaws which he then tries to fix to the best of his abilities.

and i think that’s why a considerable portion of what he does when courting people he actually likes (whether that’s naturally or under a love spell) involves using outside help to his advantage (e.g. making merlin send flowers and write a note, using chicken prepared in the castle, making merlin make/get breakfast for gwen in bed). don’t get me wrong, a large part of that is also probably because he’s lazy, but i think another part of him has internalised that something made by his hands will not be good enough to make people truly like him. he doesn’t know what to say in love notes, he can’t cook, he doesn’t know how to arrange a proper breakfast. (but i also think as the series goes on, he realises that it’s not the quality of the gift itself that matters, but his sincerity in giving them. and that’s why he personally delivers the rose and note to gwen at the end of elena’s episode as an act of apology.) the nervous interactions he has with gwen in s2-5 and mithian - people he wants to have a mutual connection with as people and not only as king (note that even though his marriage to mithian was arranged, he still wanted to build a romantic relationship with her and move on from gwen. with elena he wasn’t as nervous because his heart was firmly with gwen) - is a perfect example to this when contrasted with the flirting he did with morgana and gwen in s1.

[yellowmagicalgirl]

Could You Ever Stop My Fall

Douxie wakes to find that Krel isn't in bed.

Who ordered Hurt/No Comfort 😈 for @krexieweek Day 6: Bounty Hunters/Gaylen’s Core? If you find yourself getting mild horror vibes from this fic, that’s great! I did my job right 😈

CW: Referenced character death

AO3

FFN

Douxie wakes up with his eyes snapping open to darkness and a sharp gasp. It feels like the bed rushes up to meet him, but he knows he didn’t fall because there is no impact. He supposes he’s lucky that he doesn’t levitate in his sleep like Claire does whenever she has nightmares of what Morgana did to her. It’s bad enough that his unconscious brain fixates on the feeling of falling. It’d be worse if his magic made him experience it bodily. As it is, every time he trips he’s scared that this fall will somehow be more deadly than the one that briefly killed him.

The darkness is, for some reason, unexpected. It’s not like he sleeps with a light on. Even after Morgana’s betrayal, Douxie had never been afraid of the dark and whatever lurked behind every shadow.

Douxie stretches out a limb to a surprisingly empty bed. Oh.

Of course.

When Douxie had gone to sleep, his normally dark bedroom had had a cyan nightlight the size of Douxie in the form of his boyfriend. This was the first time Krel was spending the night at Douxie’s apartment. Or at least, it’s supposed to be. But Krel’s nowhere in Douxie’s bedroom.

Where is he? Had he left in the night, to go back to Arcadia? Surely Krel would’ve said something. He had been so happy to share a bed with Douxie. Krel would have woken Douxie before he left.

But he’s not here.

Douxie fixes things. He always tries to fix things. And if he did something wrong, something that would make Krel want to leave without a word, he will fix this.

Douxie leaves the warmth of his bed and the comfort of his bedroom. He exits into the living room. Nari is sitting on the couch, tending to a plant. Douxie doesn’t think he’s ever seen them sleep.

She looks up at him, and something in their eyes reminds him that they were beyond ancient when Merlin was first born. Something in her eyes deepens the dread pit that has formed in Douxie’s stomach. “He’s on the balcony,” they say. “Said he needed some air. I reminded him to put on his transduction.”

Douxie’s tiny fifth-floor apartment doesn’t offer many perks. It’s not at the top of the building so there isn’t easy access to the roof. The elevator breaks down way too often, and Douxie spends way too many phone calls reminding his landlord of ADA protocols. But the balcony?

The balcony has an amazing view of New York City. Tonight, that view is obscured by a boy even more beautiful than the glittering city below, even if all Douxie can see of him is his back.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Douxie asks.

“I had hoped the distance from it would have meant I wouldn’t have the dreams tonight.”

“Distance from what?”

“A couple wardons ago, I found Gaylen’s core. It wasn’t too far from the bridge where we killed Morando. I brought it back to my lab. I thought it would be safe there.” Something short and almost like a laugh bursts from Krel’s lips. “I thought I’d be safe from it.”

“It’s been giving you nightmares?”

Krel turns to him, smiling. Normally Douxie adores Krel’s smiles, but not this one. It is a smile Douxie has never seen on Krel’s face, cruel and unhinged. His eyes are wide, and the way they reflect the light of the city below makes them glow like two distant explosions. “Oh, Douxie. If only they were nightmares. But they’re so much more. I could be so much more.” He gestures wildly, and Douxie takes a step back. “And the dreams show me how. I’ve tried, even. I don’t sleep in my lab, but I’ve tried to walk to it in my sleep. The core, it calls to me in my dreams and oh, how I try to answer. But even if the Blanks don’t stop me, I’ve always had something to startle me awake before I can reach it.”

Douxie swallows. He knows what Krel is saying but he wants it not to be true. “Stop you from what?”

“From merging with it!” Krel takes a step towards Douxie. “From integrating Gaylen’s core with my own. I’m not good at fighting as I am now. If anyone gets knocked out in a fight I’m in, it’s me. I know I’m a liability. But if I merged with the core? I would be powerful – beyond powerful. I would be a god!”

“Krel, you’re scaring me.” Krel cups Douxie’s cheek, and despite his fear, Douxie leans into the touch.

“Bellroc and Skrael can control fire and ice, but I could crush the stars. I could kill them. I could make them feel all the pain they’ve ever inflicted on you, make them regret ever looking at you before I destroy them. I could keep them from ever hurting you again.” Krel throws his arms around Douxie, and his shoulders soon begin to shake. Douxie is scared that Krel is laughing until he feels his shirt begin to dampen. Oh. No matter how scared Douxie is, Krel’s fear is so much more intense. Wordlessly, Douxie lifts a hand to stroke through the waves of Krel’s hair. “But I don’t think I’d be me anymore. The way I’ve seen myself merging with it, I have to stab through my own core with Gaylen’s. I know that if I were to merge with the core, I’d become something else. Something that shouldn’t be allowed to live. How could I withstand a deity’s urge to destroy? I could kill Bellroc and Skrael, but what then?

“What would I destroy next? My parents gave their lives to defeat Morando; which of my relatives will die to defeat me? It’ll kill Aja. Maybe she’ll power the cannon herself, or maybe she’ll order two of our relatives to their deaths but killing me will kill her. And yet?

“And yet I still want to do it. Douxie, something’s wrong with me. Something’s very wrong with me.”

And Douxie has no idea of how to fix this.

[randomshenaniganery]

The House of Many Ways

I love this book because it had that weird relaxed but still chaotic vibe.

I like this book compared to the castle in the air because although Abdullah was okay he was just okay compared to Charmain who was just more compelling to read and reacted in just the weirdest but understandable ways to everything. 

The house of many ways I loved the setting, it’s basically my dream house, a cottage far away from everyone with magic and I have garden kobolds helping me with my chores, I have a technically infinite amount of food supply, and I’m surrounded by gorgeous scenery.

What’s there to hate???? 

Sure Charmain sometimes gets frustrating but like I said you understand why she’s being like this, because she’s sheltered, lazy and pampered but she’s not very bratty if she needs to she will work although because she’s never tried it she easily wears out. She has Peter who serves as her foil since he went there to learn magic, he’s poor and hard working and also he’s VERY bad with magic while Charmain is just insanely randomly good at it. 

My favorite scene in the book was when Charmain saw a spell to find a handsome Prince and then she slams the book and says who needs them. Like yes queen you do in fact don’t need any prince. 

I like how each book in the trilogy is different in story telling from the way things are described you can get hints on the character for Sophie there’s a hint of sass and exasperation, for Abdullah there’s annoyance and flair and for Charmain it’s educated and detailed.

She’s also red haired lol.

The castle in the air had so much going on and it was just a domino effect it was a bit busy to take in in just one read compared to HMC which was very slow and subtle about it’s chaos and in House of Many Ways it’s definitely better paced having just the right amounts of rest and chill and then chaos. 

Charmain is someone who’s never been independent but is desperately trying to be and her power is somewhat similar to Sophie’s.

I also liked how Howl has achieved to be a little shit even in this book and Sophie is just like WHY DID I MARRY U AGAIN.

ALSO Howl and Sophie’s BABY I LOVE MORGAN SO MUCH

(look me in the eye and tell me Howl didn’t name Morgan after Morgana pendragon just fucking try me) 

I like elves dwj’s elves are just very yes

I think that animating House of Many ways would give gorgeous scenes, you get the settings of large fields of wild flowers, a wizard’s magical cottage, an old castle and a large library and then a fanciful ballroom. 

Castle in the air the scenery is constantly changing its a little bit of a pain to catch up and in HMC has also gorgeous sceneries like the marshes, the wastes, the flowers that Suliman grew, and the House of the honey witch but I still think that scenery wise the house of many ways was just better because the way that the caslte in HMC was described it felt more overwhelming because of how Sophie was intimidated and scared to meet the king and also because she was old and had to climb the steps. 

The number of single powerful old witches in DWJ’s stories make me feel better for my future. There’s the honey witch name I forget who’s content and happy with how she is and then there’s Charmain’s aunt who is old, rich and single living her best life as a powerful figure in her society. 

I recommend this book a lot its just very beautiful.