#Subplot legend

[bisclavret]

like many who have suffered at the hands of bbc merlin before me, i recently indulged in a thought experiment in which i outlined my own version of seasons 3-5 that stay thematically and tonally in line with the show (except they're less fucking stupid). but then i quickly realized that focusing on details is pointless: all you need is to solve the one Big Problem the show has, and the rest will follow. the problem in question? ✨morgana✨

i like the first two seasons. s1 achieves what it sets out to do and has fun while doing it, and s2, while flawed, sets up a ton of potential that the following seasons unfortunately squander, beginning with the insidious season 3. you can only distract me with cute knights and goblins and fart jokes for so long before i start seeing through you, evil, evil season of television.

my hypothesis is that if the writers had crafted s3 morgana into anything more sympathetic than a violent half-alive poltergeist that can never be reasoned with because she's suddenly terminally off her rocker, everything would've fallen into place. a sympathetic morgana would've made real, valid arguments against uther (and arthur) that wouldn't just be the ramblings of a woman possessed. her betrayal of arthur would have stemmed from her feeling increasingly morally superior to him because of his complacency in the face of their father's tyranny. under morgause's guidance she would stop believing that arthur is capable of change, and the whole point would be that she might actually be right. arthur would have to actively try and prove her wrong, instead of getting praised for doing the bare minimum because the bar is on the floor.

furthermore, morgana's prophetic dream about arthur and gwen becoming king and queen and her decision to prevent this however she can is a direct parallel to merlin learning about that same prophecy and making it happen by any means necessary. merlin's desires about his and arthur's futures are subtextually fueled by gay love and devotion, so why couldn't morgana's be? why couldn't she properly express her bitterness that arthur gets to be with gwen in a way she can't "took gwen away" from her, instead of suddenly declaring that gwen is nothing more than a servant, after two seasons of demonstrating again and again that she loves, values, and respects gwen more than anyone else in that godforsaken castle?

following this, an angry and emotionally volatile but still sensible morgana asking gwen to stay by her side during the coup of the castle in the s3 finale and gwen going behind her back to help arthur and the knights would've hurt like a bitch. double-sided betrayal! gwen having a real plot! the proper beginnings of a toxic yuri that would shape a generation!

then there's the utter hubris of having morgana shoot arrows at the same civilians she worried herself sick over for 2 seasons — even morgan, her medieval counterpart that was rooted in every sexist trope in existence, doesn't just go around killing senselessly but instead has (often petty!) personal vendettas against gwen, arthur, and the knights. morgana had every right to be sick of the pretensions around chivalry in camelot (she was always quick to mock it, even in s1), and to lash out at the knights and soldiers after years of feeling powerless in a castle full of armed men that blindly followed her oppressor. the show conveniently forgets that morgana was victimized as a woman as well as a sorcerer those first 2 seasons.

but like i said, this is not just about morgana. allowing her to remain a real and multifaceted character even as she betrays everyone in pursuit of her ambitions would've given the rest of the core four more interesting conflict to work with: merlin because he would have to experience real consequences to his actions, arthur because he would watch his sister go against his father (and his knights, and his birthright) and experience some actual internal dilemmas about it, and gwen because she would be forced to choose between morgana and arthur without the pretense that it's an obvious or easy choice for her to make.

even morgause and gaius would come off more interesting as mentors: neither one inherently evil or inherently good, both jaded by events that happened before our protagonists were even born, both heavily influencing morgana and merlin into fulfilling roles that they think are appropriate, but that morgana and merlin may not have chosen for themselves had they not been under their care.

you get the gist. if the show followed its own setup, morgana's mistakes wouldn't lie in cheap and senseless acts of violence but in alienating the people she loves because she is too hurt and jaded to trust them. meanwhile, everybody else would feel guilt over "failing" her and yet they would be too caught up in their own (sometimes flawed!) beliefs of right and wrong to truly see her point of view.

arthur would convince himself it was sorcery that corrupted her. merlin would know that isn't true but he wouldn't be able to argue without confessing everything, which is the defining conflict between him and morgana and it's cheapened when she's just an evil witch caricature and merlin is framed as inherently virtuous in contrast. gwen, too, would become a more active participant in her own life by choosing arthur over morgana and choosing to rule camelot with him instead of just waiting politely to see where things go.

and, of course, uther's downfall and death would be quick, final, and completely earned — when and why did the show even decide he of all people was the sympathetic villain, anyway?

lastly, and perhaps controversially, i think morgana should've learned merlin's true identity by season 4. her being the first of the main characters to find out makes perfect sense considering their shared history and their interconnected and mirrored arcs. even the show seems to agree, considering she does find out a little before arthur. but the narrative itself tried pointing flashing neon arrows towards this way earlier — there is a whole entire episode in s4 where merlin being emrys is repeatedly spelled out for morgana and she still isn't allowed to see it. that episode makes her look like the stupidest person to ever live, which is pretty funny im not gonna lie, but also another frustrating thing in the endless string of frustrating things that make up this show.

morgana learning that merlin has magic would've transformed the source of merlin's anxiety from a crippling fear of being outed someday to the crippling fear of knowing she could out him at any moment. this would make him want to beat her to the punch (perhaps he'd consider killing her for a minute and decide against it because she isn't a cartoonishly insane evil person in my version of events) and maybe he would even feel some tentative excitement at the idea of coming clean, now that it seems inevitable. after all, he always intended to tell arthur eventually! and i think gaius would have to admit outright that he does not want merlin to tell arthur he has magic because he, gaius, simply cannot risk such a gamble. it would be so interesting to see gaius and merlin clash and disagree once it becomes obvious that it's not merlin that isn't ready for the reveal, it's gaius. delicious!

with morgana's knowledge looming, things would inevitably spiral into a magic reveal by the end of season 4. i picture this season as an absolute mess of miscommunication between everyone at camelot, which is, y'know, canon. growing increasingly cunning and vengeful, morgana would use this tension to her advantage, destabilizing the court from the outside while she creates alliances with other sorcerers outside of camelot (instead of living alone in a hovel for no reason — morgana le fay i'm sorry i'm so sorry they gave you agravaine instead of your all-female entourage oh my god).

and here's where the events would change beyond recognition (aka here's where the meta becomes the fanfic i refuse to write). picture it with me: a militia of sorcerers infiltrates camelot and arthur and gwen have to set aside their differences (assuming gwen kissing lancelot and arthur overreacting happens, which it should) for the good of the kingdom as well as for love. picture high priestess morgana in her element, side by side with a bunch of misfit sorcerers that aren't so easily vilified, chopping down camelot's soldiers and knights and assuredly making their way to the newly-minted king.

then, just as it starts to seem that all hope is lost, in swoops merlin (the actual merlin, not his old fart disguise) on dragonback (kilgharrah hates morgana so much i know his sexist ass would stoop to anything to stop her)!!! imagine merlin showing off the extent of his powers in front of everyone and preventing the sorcerers from getting any further, declaring loud and clear that camelot is protected by him, by emrys. imagine that display of power alone being enough to send everyone home.

imagine the loyalties clearly drawn: merlin on arthur's side, morgana on the sorcerers'. imagine arthur, feeling confused and betrayed by everyone at this point, banishing merlin despite everything he's done for him in the angstiest, most emotionally dysregulated scene the show had ever put to screen. imagine merlin starting season 5 free at last but very lonesome, an embittered dragonlord like his father. imagine the absolute mess camelot would become without him, even with gwen — now queen guinevere — there to pick up the slack. imagine arthur actually earning merlin back, finally growing into his role as king as he does so. imagine the reunion.

all this and more could've been not just possible but inevitable if morgana was allowed to remain a complex character that is neither inherently good nor inherently evil: it was undeniably the biased and one-note treatment of morgana's downfall by the writers that set the precedent for literally everything else that happened after merlin chose to poison her. the show wouldn't have even had to jeopardize its tone or the monster-of-the-week vibe, all it would've had to do is admit that even the "good guys" are capable of mistakes and what makes them good is the ability to feel remorse and change for the better. (as opposed to uther, who was miles beyond redemption since way before the pilot and deserved to lose everything and die alone. OBVIOUSLY???)

in a world where morgana remains multifaceted and sympathetic, mordred would get a better arc as well, so if we really wanted to, we could still end on the same tragic note that the show ended on. with so much harm inflicted onto so many innocent people by the pendragons for so long (including mordred and the many druids and sorcerers that raised him), it could realistically end up being a little too late for anything more than one shining glimpse of king arthur and the sorcerer merlin's short-lived golden age before fate catches up to them. glimpsing that reality just to immediately lose it would've been far more satisfying and far more tragic than whatever the writers thought they were doing with all that pointless carrot-dangling.

and finally, an ending in line with morgana's new and improved arc. in this version, rather than bleeding out on the forest floor alone, she would channel the morgan le fay we know from the legends: sobered up by the reality of her brother dying, she would use her high priestess status (and perhaps also her pendragon status) to be granted passage over to avalon alongside arthur on the boat — a one-way ride — just to make sure he gets there safely. this is her penance for the harm she has caused, the same way arthur's penance is to die and leave the true ruler of camelot (gwen) behind to achieve everything he was too slow and indecisive to build while he still had time.

merlin's penance, then, would be to stay behind and watch them cross over without him, waiting and waiting and waiting until they come back or until he can finally join them. which is a bit fucking harsh if i'm honest, so i'd at least make it slightly more faithful to the legends by having him return as an old man and letting him take a long nap under a tree by the shore, his body slowly enveloped by vines like the cobwebbed fisher king in 3x08, never fully sure if he's dreaming or if there really are strange shapes fading in and out of the fog over the lake. still tragic, but nevertheless a little more open-ended and whimsical than [TRUCK NOISES] THE END!

[oifaaa]

Here's the thing about korra season 2 imo it's not the worst thing to watch in fact it actually has a lot of stuff I really enjoy between getting the first avatars backstory, exploring the spirit world, getting to see tenzens dynamic with his siblings and introducing some fun characters unfortunately however it's brought down a lot just by Mako and his whole stupid cop subplot on its own

[of-potions-and-blades-official]

(updated on 6/15/25)

Hello, and welcome to my writing blog! Here you’ll find the occasional doodle about my characters, a bunch of writing posts that I keep reblogging and a bunch of ask games!

Note that Of Potions and Blades (OPB) is still in its first draft stage! By following, you're supporting the book on its journey to being on the shelves!

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In the core country of the prosperous Bellareave's Alliance, in a world built on manipulation magic, 15-year-old Berenice Heldreth was forced into the role of Queen of Lorena while still grieving the loss of her sister and nephew.  She loses everything after an assassination attempt leads to a tragedy, forcing her out of Lorena and into a ragtag group of teens, all who had to turn away from the lives they were forced into.  As three powers fight to rule Lorena, Berenice and her only allies travel the five total Bellareave countries to make an impossible potion to take back Lorena and subsequently save the rest of the Alliance and everyone living in it. The question slowly transforms from whether they can take back Lorena, but whether or not they can make it out alive.

Grief/mourning - The characters will have to cope with plenty of grief at the beginning of the story and cope with more and more as the story progresses due to tragedies that happen. The characters rely on each other to cope with these losses.

Found family 

(Moderately implied) queer main characters

A lot of action and adventure

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(Interested? Read on!)

Our first member's Berenice (the main character, 15 for a few chapters - 17 years old). Kinda angry at first but is usually the one who keeps the group together. She’s altruistic, sensitive, expressive and extroverted. She can manipulate lightning.

Next one is Enzo (14 - 15 years old). He's the Cinnamon Roll and the best fighter. He's the optimist of the team, but after *something* bad happened, he became more subdued and down to earth. He acts naive but is also energetic and caring. Best friends with Grigori.

Next is Marigold (16 - 17 years old). She has trajectory manipulation (for example, she can change the direction of an arrow) and is very passionate about things she cares about. She gets into fights pretty easily. Sarcastic but caring, holds grudges pretty easily, passionate and rebellious, at least visually. Hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Cousins with Isolde.

Next, we have Grigori (15 - 16 years old). He's quiet and selectively mute. Arguably went through the most before he met the others. He mediates between Marigold and whoever she's arguing with (likely Isolde) and is basically the result of what would happen if Berenice's goals weren't achieved. Smart, analytical, respectful, reserved, introverted but not shy, and has self-esteem issues. Best friends with Enzo.

Finally, we have Isolde (14 - 15 years old). She's the motherly one on the team, but like Enzo, she got into a situation that made her more down to earth. Cares about all of them very deeply and is willing to put her own motivations aside to help the others. Basically the backup optimist if Enzo isn't there lol. Caring but can be smug, stubborn to no end, motherly, and doesn’t give up easily. Cousins with Marigold.

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Fullmetal Alchemist (specifically the Brotherhood version; it inspired the main theme of the book along with many other things)

Avatar: The Last Airbender (the base of the book that the other shows built off of. The most obvious aspect is the traveling the core characters embark on.)

The Owl House (planning to incorporate the found family dynamics and some of the relationship dynamics. I also want to be able to replicate the charm of the show.)

Arcane: League of Legends (it mainly inspired the darkness in part 3 of the book.)

Omori (most of the similarities are coincidental. It helps me with the mental health aspect of the book.)

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Any character tag (#berenice heldreth, #marigold deluca, #grigori baranov, #isolde birdie, #enzo kasmir, etc.)

“#of potions and blades” for stuff about/relating to my book

“#ask me anything” for any asks I receive 

“#writing” and “#creative writing” for anything writing related

“#art”, “#artwork”, "#of potions and blades daily doodle," and “#of potions and blades official art” for any art I make, receive or reblog

“#of potions and blades inspirations” for anything relating to my inspiration shows. They’ll likely be tagged with “#fullmetal alchemist,” “#fullmetal alchimist brotherhood”, “#arcane,” “#arcane league of legends,” “#the owl house,” “#omori”

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you write

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Then you should give me a follow! I hope you enjoy your time on my blog!

[ reblogs are greatly appreciated :) ]

[luna-the-cretar]

So I was thinking about my Shepnax highschool au, and thinking about what subjects the boyos would be good at and. Idk. I feel like Shepherd would be really good at like math and science (specifically the more mathematical science, like physics).

Like, I get the feeling he probably has dyslexia or something (idk why, just vibes), so he’s probably not the greatest at reading, and because of that, a lot of people think he’s not all that bright. That is, until you give him a calculus equation and he can solve it so quickly with minimal use of the calculator.

Sarnax, on the other hand, is the opposite. He does exceptionally well in subjects such as English, history, and social studies, but struggles with math (am I just projecting? Maybe, you don’t know). So much so that it’s almost embarrassing.

I feel like they would study together a lot. Sarnax would read over Shep’s essays and correct any spelling and grammar mistakes, and Shep would help Sarnax understand his math homework. Sarnax doesn’t judge Shep for his mistakes, and Shep is uncharacteristically patient with Sarnax if he’s having a hard time understanding.

I am. Very normal about them. And I have been thinking about this au a normal amount.

[cchanticleer]

i see people predicting/hoping that emmet is gonna show up in z-a since ingo was in arceus, poor saps don't realize that gamefreak has never once followed up on a plot point in the faller storyline they sure aren't gonna start now

[kacievvbbbb]

Okay my thoughts on Arcane cour 2;

Fuck you! You didnt have to rip my heart out and then stomp on it that was a little excessive dont you think?!?!?!

Thoughts

Arcane knows how to do build up so fucking well I love it

No but seriously god. Just what. I love seeing the little hints int he opening start to unravel and reveal themselves

Vander oh god no oh god 😭

Fucking love sevika

Where did my boy ekko go kind of curious where he fits into everything

I lowkey fuck with Jayce's new look and boy I told you to stop touching that shit now look what you've gone and done.

Forces beyond their power are literally pushing them towards war (obviously most of it is exactly in the piltovers power) but just the timing of shit be crazy. They are an unstoppable object on a lighting fast collision with an immovable wall and the course is rigged against them.

God the fucking animation in this i fucking cant

I still dont understand the Jayce hate like I dont necessarily like him but I dont see what makes him so bad. Like something very fucked up was happened to him and I didn't rust want was happening to viktor either. But god my boy done come back and fucked it all up for everyone.

I really like Ambessa's right hand sad to see him go

ISHA no no noooooo we had our difference but god why do you keep testing your strongest soldier 😭. (te sequence of her memories with Jinx and the song choice where immaculate)

Vander ph god no oh god

the music this season has been so good my god

I'm scared they arent going to be able to wrap this up neatly I just feel like with how many doors they closed we need at least 2 more course or another season. Like it feels too soon to be going into the final arc (or atleast some stories feel like they havent yet reached maturity like the black rose sub plot,and Mel and Jason's arc while others are ready for their finale like the Ambessa - Caitlyn plotline and Vi&Jinx) but here's to hopping for a nice round up.

[gellavonhamster]

he just patted her on the head... 🥺

[sesamestreep]

trying to get into the mission impossible franchise (the next logical step in my descent to lunacy, experts agree) and they had me in the first half I won’t lie, but m:i2 is losing me as hard as any movie ever has

[matt0044]

What if I said Makorra was the reason Korrasami took off the way it did?

See... Korra and Mako definately were a couple who cared for and admired each other but weren't exactly equipped for a terribly healthy romance in the long run. Especially when it came to where their loyalties lay in handling the Water Tribe's civil war.

Of course, part of this was a lack of parental guidance over the matters of the heart. Korra being locked up in a compound and Mako looking after Bolin on the streets certainly didn't help.

Thus remaining just friends was the best they could go for.

This crash course in love, in my view, lead Korra to take things more slowly from here out and let the pot boil slowly but surely with whomever struck her fancy next. It helped that Asami's turbulence with Mako helped as she too took things more easy.

No doubt it'd be more explicit of a thing without Nick being obtuse about it (considering their neglect of the show, you'd think they'd shrug it off) but it weirdly uses that "don't show your hand" mandate to it's advantage.

See... I generally stan the romantic subplots of Books 1 and 2 insofar as they are organic to the characters themselves rather than a degree from the author in part of what mentioned above. However, I understand why they're not terribly popular.

Whether you like messy teenage romances or not, there is a sort of dissonance when it comes to marring them with the threat of Amon's Equalists and Unalaq's dealings with Vaatu. The messy matters of the heart don't feel nearly as worth investing interest in compared to, say, saving Republic City from civil unrest turned ugly or the greatest threat to the Avatar itself from centuries past.

It's sort of something that ATLA avoided with its episodic approach even when it got more plot heavy in Book 3's final half, sort of segmenting any interpersonal drama from major plot developments. Basically, for "Air and "Spirits," having both wasn't the "you got chocolate in my peanut butter" moment they were likely attempting.

So when it comes to Book 3 and 4 having Korrasami being a lowkey build-up, I can see why even the writers gravitated towards it in exploring the pair by letting it simmer as a friendship. They wouldn't try to get together but often find themselves grow close in the moments they shared.

Thus you had Book 4 when Korra writes to Asami mainly and then is the first to greet Ms. Sato. Absense makes the heart grow fonder after all.

It's a weird happy accident when by executive mandate, Korra and Asami's growing relationship was a subplot that was seeding into the narrative when opportunity arose rather than ever feeling like a rogue ingredient.

It's sort of why I don't agree fully with the notion of LoK not being "planned out" when sometimes, letting the chips fall where they may can make for little miracles like these.

[butchsaint]

wrong answers only. personally, i don’t think we needed to be jumpscared by des voeux’s stupid head wrap every ten seconds at the mutineer’s camp

[dittomander]

okay, but I feel like a live-action Zelda actually could really work IF it's similar in tone to the Dungeons and Dragons movie.

like yes by all means have big, high-stakes fantasy battles and serious moments of genuine grief and tragedy but it has got to wholeheartedly embrace the inherent silliness of the source material or it's just not gonna feel right.

[oldtvandcomics]

Man, I love superheroes. It's like soap opera, but BETTER. You still get all the fun relationship drama, and then it will occasionally cut to Professor X and Magneto being chased around by dinosaurs.

[caliburn-the-sword]

finally watched the puss in boots movie. it might just become my personality. themes of family and belonging >>>

[four-rabbits-in-a-trenchcoat]

Obligatory and quite pertinent

[susiephone]

i'm currently 75% of the way through "legends and lattes" and i really like it, but i do find it hilarious that i've heard this book described (both by fans and detractors) as "no plot just vibes" when a not insignificant portion of the book concerns the main character being shaken down by the fantasy mafia. like this is very much a cozy slice of life for the most part, but it's less "pure coffee shop au" and more "coffee shop au with a mafia subplot and also a side character invents the electric guitar in the background"

[newyorkcityaces]

Master Chief is Kind of an Asexual Icon and No One Can Change My Mind

Master Chief doesn’t flirt. He doesn’t hook up. He doesn’t even look at people that way.

And yet, he has one of the most powerful, emotionally-charged connections in gaming — with Cortana. It’s deep, loyal, intimate, and completely non-sexual.

That’s ace-coded royalty, right there.

💬 No Romance, No Problem

Across multiple Halo games, novels, and even the show, Master Chief:

Has zero sexual partners.

Doesn’t engage in romantic subplots.

Doesn’t even hint at interest in anyone physically.

He's too busy saving the galaxy — and honestly? He just doesn’t seem to care. That’s not how he connects.

🤝 Loyalty > Lust

Chief shows his love by:

Protecting people with his life.

Trusting Cortana with his every thought.

Staying behind, finishing the mission, never leaving anyone behind.

His version of closeness isn’t about sex or romance — it’s about presence, purpose, and protection. That’s a form of intimacy a lot of aces get.

🛠️ Purpose-Driven, Not Pleasure-Seeking

Everything about Chief’s life is structured around:

Duty

Honor

Survival

There’s no desire for pleasure, seduction, or even flirting. His body is a tool, not a statement. He exists to serve a mission, not to fulfill tropes of sexual masculinity.

🌈 Ace-Coded Masculinity That Hits Different

Where most action heroes are hypersexualized, Chief is:

Quiet

Stoic

Emotionally vulnerable only to those he truly trusts

He’s never reduced to a love interest. Never sexualized. And never portrayed as needing sex to be whole. He’s complete as he is.

💜 Chief x Cortana: Queerplatonic Vibes

They’re not lovers. They’re not just partners. They’re something more rare — deep soul-bonded allies.

It’s not romantic. It’s not sexual. It’s intimate in a way that lives between the lines.

And honestly? That’s one of the most ace-coded dynamics in all of sci-fi.

🏁 TL;DR: Master Chief is ace-coded. He redefines what intimacy, masculinity, and connection can look like — and he doesn’t need sex or romance to do it.

💥 We stan an emotionally armored legend.