#albedo needs a redemption arc NOW

[dreamsofminnie]

“Ethereal Paintings”

21~ Stage one denial☔️

Scaramouche x Reader Smau | Word Count: 1.2k

Pounding thumps on the front door were surprisingly nonstop for the past half an hour. Each 15 knocks were different paced every 5 minutes, as if there has been switching the knocker five times. You were glad the door didn’t allow voices to be heard from the other side, only vibrations directly placed on the door itself.

Many “No ones hommee..e…” and “No knocking plea..see.” were mumbled softly from your mouth.

Dinnertime might’ve been over by now. You couldn't tell with how you’ve been practically living on the floor in the main studio area right between the stairs towards your bedroom, and the front door, none which you had energy to get up and go to.

Luckily the kitchen counter was just several scoots away, set with a mini fridge, water boiler and a microwave.

“Refuse contact…don’t want it.”

You didn’t know when the knocks soon dispersed. But you knew they would be back the next day at the same hour.

illumi already gave up on boosting your mood and rather play with the paint brushes that dried up in your spiritless state.

Your large window wall was half covered by the thin blinds, forbidding the blinding and healthy rays of sunshine from entering anywhere near your already damaged and baggy eyes.

To be completely honest; you have only ever showered every two days or even further till you really needed it. Only because it was way too much work to take care of your needs…And all the way upstairs.

Denial was your resistance, the only way you wanted to live at the moment. And the powerlessness in your body is what the effect was.

Even forgetting those online classes you promised to attend, your mind, body and soul were in disarray.

The only routine you held was the mindless paintings you mass-produced over these weeks, as a non-functioning coping mechanism.

And the routine you did when the sky outside the glass walls were dimming, reach for your blanket and pillow, lay on the sofa bed and stare at the paintings for hours till your eyes shut on its own.

That was only day 2 of being exposed to Scaramouche’s crime against you.

The other days weren’t as end-of-the-world-health-threatening.

☔️☔️☔️☔️

Sharp taps on the black table were the only thing heard in the lonely room. The shaking of a leg bouncing up and down began soon after.

Impatient as he is, the impulsive actions he exhibits weren’t half his show of anxiety.

Four grown men sat on the bed behind him in a row on the edge of his bed. Two sat on the floor, well.., one sat and the other was sprawled across the ground.

For the man Scaramouche, aka. Kabukimono, aka. the man who is curling himself into a ball of nerves, was sitting at his computer screen discarding every single A.I.-produced image he ever held—correcting a mistake he should’ve repressed a whole long ago.

A string of curses leaves his soured lips, his eyebrows furrowing even more than possible. “When did I fucking download these onto google drive?!? You bitch!! Prime fucking ass.”

“PFTT!!”

“When was the last time we ever saw i-give-no-fucks-Scara?”

“Just last year. What are you on Venti..” Albedo kicks the one spread across the floor with his criss-cross legs.

“Green tea crepe—cakes!~” Tighnari wanted to step on Venti’s head rolling across the floor, if only he was closer…

“I made that cake for Ayato but you just HAD to get your grubby hands on it.” Tighnari motioned Albedo to kick him again, or to use Venti as a seat instead of the hard floor.

“Mercy–!!!”

Sounds of constant clicking and idle chatter was keeping the room occupied as the only one working hard was deadly silent. Minus the vulgar curses at the poor computer.

Ayato flipped through pages of the stack of documents he fingered through. He was indeed busy but wouldn’t miss this rare one-in-a-lifetime redemption arc in his favorite drama show.

“Kazuha. What do you think about the health department?” He didn’t look up from the papers as Kazuha answered.

“Hm? I think they can do much better.” Kazuha has been assisting Ayato with some of his work since Ayato thought his ideals and views were quite insightful.

“Very good. But I meant health inspectors. There are ones who come to the boba shop and stay long for the knowledge of our traditional japanese cleaning facilities. And now I have 27 health check placks…”

Kazuha laughed at the ridiculousness at the entirety of it. “Maybe just hang them all up to drive away any other incoming health inspector.”

Ayato hummed at that suggestion in agreeance and scribbled onto the documents to save for later. Kazuha points out more points to add.

Kaveh, the one closest to Scara and helping him, leans back on one hand behind him as he scrolls though his phone mindlessly. “Remember to delete those off your twitter. Hmn now the account has no such purpose…best to get rid of it!”

“I know that!!! Shut up!”

“Hey, I'm trying to help!!”

“What help do you provide if you tell me things I am actively conscious of.” He swivels in his chair and violet eyes burn in unbridled anger and pain at Kaveh directly sitting behind him.

A beat of awkward and tense silence fills the dimly lit room.

“Scaramouche. We know you are panicking in trying to scrape up the pieces of your torn relationship—”

Ayato looks up from his papers and tries to catch his glare that only burned straight through Kaveh who avoided his gaze sweating profusely.

“—but that's why we have all managed time here to help you recuperate. And not once have you asked for help. What else would you rather us do here than try and reach to help you.”

Scaramouche darts his eyes to Ayato at the head of his bed. His teeth clenched together. They all knew Scaramouche had too much pride and ego for him to ask for help. Others have to actively put help in front of him for Scara to take it.

The chair swivels back to the desk, stiff and unmoving like the walls Scaramouche has once again built over and over.

His friends behind him internally sigh, they lost Scara to his obstinate personality once again.

“Then help me in another area.”

As unyielding defines his personality Scara doesn’t like his personal affairs meddled in the hands of others– “WHAT!?”

Those words shook everyone who stared at his back with mouths agape and eyes widened.

“Were the crepe cake poisonous??!? Did Scara-dookie ask for help?!?!” Venti jumped up from the floor in a scramble.

“Say that again. I dare you.”

Despite the usual venom, Scaramouche’s hands rested on either side of his drooped head, hiding any peeping views of his expressions.

“I dare you second.” Tighnari knocked Venti’s head at the thought of him thinking his cake could ever be poison, then turned to Scaramouche.

“You mean what to do with Y/n right? Since you got figured out.” They could see the tiniest of nods from his posture.

“Weelll, since she basically exposed your ass with a 5-foot diagram of every opposing thing you’ve ever done to offend her…..you have the slimmest chance of recovery.”

Scaramouche slammed his chair into the desk with how fast he turned around. The desperation and anguish in his face conquered any trace of fear or hesitance in confronting you.

Albedo smirked in attracting his full attention and determination. “But of course, you have much more chances when you have this much support from your friends.”

With everyone’s smiles on him, Scaramouche has never felt this much supportive feelings of warmth.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

Synopsis{3}-> Scara decided to stop his a.i art creations when he realized that you are really his fav artist—as long as you were the one to teach him how to paint and draw. Facing multitudes of slip of the tongue from your friends; you figured out that he was your mortal nemesis; hatred brewed and twisted your view on him.

• give it up for Season 3 woooo

• sobssogb the smau is halfway done omngh😱

• proud but sad

//Taglist//

@akagism2 @pokidot @feiherp @kyouzki @rmiyuki @infe-risk0 @sakurapeach @bluebelony @kichiyoshi @mikctp @kur44pika @cupids-chamber @crucnhice @neigesprincess @scaramoo @gojoandelsalovechilde @childeslegstrap @sakiimeo @d4y-dr3am3r @m3gitsune @scarletttcroww @sashiette @beriiov @rizakari @xiaossocksniffer @lxry-chxn @bryai003 @eunchaeluvr @goj0h @the-ghost-0f-t0m0 @sketcheeee @ozzierenato @ohmyfinggod @kiyomi-hoku @hutaosbootao @ynverse @featuredtofu @reinoodle @angeilix @yxcade

[jinkicake]

FHDHFH NO BC REALLY SCARAMOUCHE GOT ME AND I HATE IT!!! Bc all the fanart is top tier like it belongs in a museum and he the same vibe as imposter albedo like they can destroy a nation as a treat bc they’re lashing out🥺 chronic dabi disease. Like someone made this Tiktok about scaramouche walking in like “ daddy’s home” AMD IVE BEEN CRYING BC ITS TRUE HE STOLE ALL MY ATTENTION like wow I LOVE a mean ass man he can be all yandere in public but I’m taller than him like I’ll throw you over my shoulder and take you home💀like good luck choking me I’m into that,but unfortunately the dick is the punishment bc he will get and more unhinged the more you push him, like yeah you can ignore him yelling at you when he’s pissed but in retaliation he will fuck you in the harbinger meeting table like 6 mins before they’re supposed to start he has absolutely no shame bc who’s gon beat his ass?? Lmao can’t decide weather he gags you and they continue on w the meeting like normal like your NOT bouncing on his dick about to pass out or he makes them watch as he humiliates you “don’t try to hide your face now, should I let them use you too? You’re already making a mess” like yeah you can roast him unites red in the face but is it worth him electrocuting you when you cum?? And doing it over and over?? Him🫱🏽‍🫲🏾Lisa Using their electro powers to shock their partners when they cum to make them loose it😔😔 like I would be scared FR if I even made him roll his eyes bc I will be blacked out for four business days he system updates your brain so you just gotta chill for a while like the dick is phenomenal but at what cost😫 and speaking of he definitely has customizable ones like he definitely has one that lights up in that big ass robot like I saw art of the “ fight” of him fucking the traveler In that robot and the wires holding them in place, and now that he’s got his redemption arc started I want him to travel around!! Ion even like going into sumuru w them annoying ass mushrooms 😭 I want to see him go to Liyue and hear about childe reputation “ you know that harbinger that almost drowned the harbor? I hear he’s sneaking around w that hot funeral consultant” “ excuse me what did you say🙂” I need him to restart his hoe era bc I KNOW that he was trying as much shit as he could as a freshly free “human” like idk how he knows kazuha but wouldn’t be surprised if they fucked like he’s a traveler and he’s seen shit, like kazuha could probably tell you about some crazy ass threesome he had in sumuru while on sex pollen😭 like they are for the streets!! Scaramouche would just have to give up bc I like him like oh you hate me? Hate me harder that’s hot🥰🥰 like very jealous of the fatui grunts bc he degrades them 😒 like okay your right maybe a “god” does beet to put a lowly human in their place🥴

EXACTLYYYYY like why is scara's fanart so good it sets me up to fail.... he's a fucking short puppet i should NOT like his ass T T but then again,,, he's fucking crazy and i love psycho characters..... he's unhinged and i enjoy it!!!

((the mention of dabi.... my heart hurts,,, my number one psycho like hes forever in my heart!!))

naur literally scara is so scary because he doesnt care like the dude has nothing to lose so he's so reckless T T it's not like you can ever leave him or anything so he can do whatever he wants w you!!! hence his obsession w fucking you in front of others and just treating you like shit sighhh

honestly, im torn between obsessive yandere!scara and timid gentle!scara like there is no in between... he's either k!lling everyone that you talk to or holding your hand to make sure that you never leave him.... i guess clingy scara is another form or yandere!scara huh-

wahhhhh no literally ughhhh he and lisa are bitches when it comes to teasing their s/o w electricity like their fingers are literal vibrators.... ADD MISS MIKO TO THAT LIST TOO BC SHE'D ALSO DO THAT- they're all evil!!!!

oh my gawdddd did you read that one post about fucking his robot? my jaw DROPPED when i saw it.... it's like fucking eren's titan

i've seen the scara kazuha ship connections already!!!! and honestly,,, i see it.... i truly do!

also, i have to ask.... how do you feel about his supposed redemption arc? bc me, personally, i don't know how i feel like i want closure for him and everything but i also like him as a little shit >:-) i dont want him to get softttttt but idk!!!

[vespertineart]

Hey there! Just a random stranger on the Internet (try not to sound weird)

I came across your blog from your Albedo art and it resurfaced my fixation on Ben 10 again. Not as much now but still interested 'cause I hyperfixate on a lot of other stuff.

Albedo is my favourite character. He was one of my many childhood crushes (most of them are villains and have red eyes 0_0) You could say it was his character design that got me interested in him. His Omniverse look was his PEAKED design imo. Ugh, I could write an essay why I love him if I want to.

Overall, I just wanna say, your art is amazing❤❤❤ and glad that Albedo is getting more attention.

I agree on him being interesting af in terms of character design, but i give his omniverse a 2/10 because of that greasy ahh hair of his. It don't move frfr. and thank you so much for the compliment, dear! ^^ 💖💖💖

AND AN EXTRA NOTE, UR SO MOOD FRFR I'M GONNA RANT ABOUT HIM TOO::

tbh, if you look at it the general way, Albedo is still extremely underrated along with every other good character/villain that isn't ben. I have a pinterest feed all about ben 10 and boy it's SO HARD to find any new variety of screencaps or fanarts of him since 2017. this is the main reason I decided to start drawing him anyway. he's way too good to be left unnoticed but this is another thing most people don't see. he's way more than a villain or a copy of Ben, he's a mind of his own. he's very interesting in terms of personality/ villainous performance. and I find it even more amazing how it hasn't changed since AF. I know I may be looking too deep into it, and it's just a standard portrayal of him, but don't you think it's cool how he never learns from his mistakes? it shows just how impulsive and moreover desperate he is to get what he wants. He's a clumsy villain. even though Ben warns him time and time again that his actions will have consequences, he'd rather move with his dignity and smarts rather than worry about something he has no business with. Property damage is moreover likely to be the main reason he was imprisoned anyways, but there's way more to it and I'll get to that in a while. remember in 'A Few Brains More' when Ben warned Albedo that shooting at him will lead to trouble? Albedo didn't listen to him and ended up destroying one of the very pillars that generate the energy to the brain extraction machine thingy. He's one stubborn little bastard and I think that's a quality that gives so much potential for future representations (ofc I mean fanfiction), especially in the case of a redemption arc. Imagine just how hard it would be to convince him that his situation isn't that bad; the emotion and the grief and overall mental erosion. Although sadistic, wouldn't it be interesting to dive deep into his faults and manipulate them to see what he'd be like in completely new and overwhelming situations? His anger, grudge holding, stubbornness and superiority complex along with his new analogy of what his motives and plans even were ;that he wanted nothing but his galvan form back, and a little exerpt of his epiphany that destruction is useless, because in fact it is. I think the wiki disregarded this part-- or, well...took it too lightly, in a better sense. And the scene after that, too. The wiki interpreted him going back to trying to clobber ben after taking the second second brain again as him 'going back to his evil ways', despite that not at all being the case. This interpretation makes is seem like as soon as Albedo lost Azmuth's brain, he lost his epitomized consciousness that "destruction is useless and to create is elite", and I feel like that really belittles just how....innocent he is. Blasphemous idea I know but hear me out. The wiki and the show played him out as way more dangerous than he actually is, if there even lies a fatal amount of it at all anyways. All that, when in reality, in the previously mentioned scene his words and actions after the brain dilemma basically meant being angry at Ben for stripping him of the extra knowledge that lead to that epiphany. He only clobbered him again because not only was he disregarded in his words cause he FINALLY understood everything wrong with what was happening, but he was yet again, two steps farther away from getting the omnitrix. This scene was the parallel of the one in AF where he admitted that he gave up on the contract with azmuth and that if he just got his form back, he'll leave Ben alone. of course that isn't the reality of things.

I'm gonna go back to the imprisonment part for a second, and say that he is completely innocent in regards of crime aside from the fact that he caused a lot of property damage. At least Ben has an excuse, he's a hero and has to do what he has to no matter the consequences (of course bearing in mind the safety of the citizens). Albedo is just an outsider. He can't even bail out nor with money nor with eyewitness. It's the fact that he's considered a global threat that overestimates Albedo's value of danger.

Because riddle me this"

-if he's really evil, why has he never thought of invading earth?

-if he's really evil, why did he not think about using the omnitrix to take over the universe?

-if he's really evil, why did he cut his partnership with vilgax many times even thought they both wanted the omnitrix? hint: Albedo called vilgax out on "wanting the omnitrix to take over the world which he promised he wouldn't do". that implies that Albedo doesn't want to take over the universe at all. Nowhere in the franchise has he stated he wanted power over the universe.

-if he's really evil, how come the reality of things is that he's never tried hurting anybody that isn't Ben? Oh, Kevin and Gwen and the Plumbers? fun fact, they were only in his way. If they weren't there, his focus would be on Ben and Ben only.

-if he really wanted destruction, why has it been hinted many many MANY disregarded times that his only goal is to get his galvan form back and not rule anything?

see where I'm getting at?? and what was the purpose of the omnitrix anyways??? oh no, Azmuth made it to form peace aaa how scary if Albedo wanted a copy that meant bad news oh no were in danger etc, etc. even though it was never mentioned why he even wanted a copy, nor was it implied that he wanted it for something bad. Just that he got fired because he kept nagging Azmuth to make a copy for him because Ben was untrustworthy, you know, when he was a kid. He still is a kid, but WHAT WAS SO BAD ABOUT MAKING A COPY IF IT WAS ONLY GONNA BE USED FOR PEACE????? I'm so lost. seriously, why is he the bad guy again??

it's kinda sad honestly. to me Albedo is a mumisunderstood, well written villain-- if you could even call him that-- that just wanted one thing for the sake of another, harmless, actually very peaceful thing. It's a bit unfair how he's treated as the second biggest criminal in the show although he had no bad motives. That is to say NOR HIM OR BEN WERE IN THE WRONG. they were just doing what they had to on each of their terms, but it just so happens that their goals clash as they can't achieve both of them at the same time. Want a copy? yay go ahead, but its been proven that he needs a piece of the original to make a complete one, but Ben's DNA is the default, so he'd still be a human otherwise one alien for all eternity. Ben gives the watch? same problem. plus earth is in danger. Kill Ben????? same problem. it's a lose : lose situation in any case.

phew that was a lot of talking, but I hope you related to the ideas in this rant in any way. I really wish someone would hear me out on this because this is reaaaaaallllllyyyyyyy looked over.

[aspoonofsugar]

The Maidens: The Cycle of Life and Death

This post is inspired by @hamliet’s alchemy metas... I know nothing about alchemy, but after discussing it with her, this idea came up and I am sharing it on her behalf too.

In short, in alchemical stories (which RWBY apparently is) there are 3/4 phases. Each phase is linked to a specific color:

1) Nigredo (black)

2) Albedo (white)

3) Citrinitas (yellow)

4) Rubedo (red)

That said, often the yellow phase ends up being fused with the red one, so in most alchemical stories there are only three phases. Now, for each phase there is a major death, so there are usually 3/4 key deaths, each one linked to a specific phase.

For example, in Harry Potter there is

a) Sirius BLACK dying

b) ALBUS Dumbledore dying

c) Harry dying and being carried by RUBEUS Hagrid

Let’s highlight that each one of these deaths is especially resonant and important for the story. Sirius dies when Harry discovers about the prophecy. Dumbledore’s death leads to Harry leaving Hogwarts to look for the Horcruxes and finally Harry’s own death leads to Voldemort’s defeat.

What I mean is that the deaths linked to each phase must be resonant and meaningful either in terms of plot or in terms of themes. They must have weight and be felt both by the audience and by the characters.

So far, in RWBY we have had two such deaths:

Pyrrha’s death is linked to Nigredo, while Penny’s to Albedo. Interestingly, both deaths happened to two (supposed to be) Maidens.

This is interesting on multiple levels.

First of all, I have been asked about the Maidens in RWBY here and here. However, Penny’s death helped me gain a new perspective of their overall meaning.

In the first meta I have written this:

In a sense, the story keeps repeating. Salem kills Ozpin, he is reborn and his daughters are victims of the conflict between them.

Because of this, the four Maidens have become one of the many symbols of this endless cycle, which is clealry breaking its protagonists more and more.

This is well conveyed by the Maidens having a season theme. Seasons are in fact linked to the repetition of time aka one of Ozpin’s motifs.

I still think it is a part of the truth, but as for now I think the framing of the series over the cycle is more nuanced. It is a cycle of death and rebirth:

Goodwitch: The Maidens have existed for thousands of years. But much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold on to that power forever.

Seasons live and die, but new ones are born. It is a death that leads to a new life and that protects life itself since the Seasons are supposed to be Guardians.

This fits with the actual cycle of seasons where “no two summers are alike”, but that also accompanies humans’ lives and makes many human activities possible.

Secondly, both Pyrrha and Penny’s deaths have to do with the theme of choice, which is central to the series:

Ozpin: Maidens choose themselves.

In particular, Pyrrha and Penny’s final choices are two different declination of this idea. At the same time, they are linked to the theme explored by their respective relic as well (in Pyrrha’s case it means that her link to choice is twofold).

1) As the (supposed to be) Maiden of Choice, Pyrrha is given a choice in the Vault of Choice:

Ozpin: You, Miss Nikos... have a choice to make.

(...)

Ozpin: Are you ready? I... I need to hear you say it.

Pyrrha: Yes.

Ozpin: Thank you, Miss Nikos.

She is given some time to think about it and in the end she chooses to accept her new duty. Still, the power is stolen from her and the choice she was given is negated to her:

Pyrrha: But I can help.

Ozpin: You'll only get in the way.

However, this does not stop her:

Red-Haired Woman: She understood that she had a responsibility... to try. I don't think she would regret her choice, because a Huntress would understand that there really wasn't a choice to make. And a Huntress is what she always wanted to be.

Pyrrha’s death is about doing the right thing even if it comes with a high personal cost. She is able to make the choice to keep fighting against an enemy impossible to defeat an arc before our protagonists are strong enough to make it.

This is why... even if she never receives the powers.. Pyrrha is the true Maiden of Choice of the Vale arc. She does not need the powers because deep down being a Maiden is something deeper than that.

Pyrrha embodies the idea that Maidens choose themselves because she chooses to be a Maiden at Heart and dies true to her choice:

Pyrrha: Do you believe in destiny?

2) As the Maiden of Creation, Penny is created anew in the Vault of Creation:

As I have stated in previous metas Creation as a concept is linked to free will. Creations are free to develop and to change independently from their “creators”. This fits Penny’s transformation, who ultimately gives her back the free will that the virus had stolen:

Penny: I...I must...open the Vault. I, I do not want...Ah!

And in the end she uses her free will to make a specific choice:

Penny: Let me choose this one thing.

I have actually a lot more to say about Penny’s death and final choice, but I will write a longer meta about it, so for now let’s just say it has to do with self-actualization.

Penny embodies the idea that Maidens choose themselves because she chooses who she wants to be and how she wants to live.

What is more, her choice has to do with Creation because she saves Winter’s life and also (symbolically) makes her a whole person as well:

Winter: No, Penny, you were always the real Maiden at heart. I was just a machine. Just... following orders.

Penny: You’re my friend.

Winter: Perhaps, but I’m choosing it now. I’ve made it my own. And I take great pride in it.

Winter: You chose nothing. This was a gift.

At the same time, Penny’s sacrifice also saves the people of Atlas and Mantle who are stranded in Vacuo. If Cinder had stolen the power, they would have all died.

As a final note, we are directly told the themes linked to both Pyrrha and Penny’s death back in volume 5:

Ruby: When Beacon fell, I lost two of my friends: Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos. I didn't know them for very long, but that doesn't change the fact that they were two of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. But that didn't save them. Pyrrha thought that if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone, then it was a chance worth taking. And because of that, she died fighting a battle she knew she couldn't win. And Penny... was killed... just to make a statement.

Pyrrha died to make the right thing.

Penny died the first time as a result of her being objectified, so the second time she herself chose how to end her life in a way she found meaningful.

In short, Pyrrha and Penny’s deaths can be read as the two deaths linked respectively to Nigredo and Albedo. What is sure is that they are meant to be compared and foiled.

All this leads to a question... will we have other two (or one) major death(s) that will be linked to (the yellow and) red phase(s)? Will they be other Maidens?

As for now, I think it is possible, even if not sure obviously.

First of all, I do not know if we are gonna have a death for Citrinitas since from what I understood usually the yellow phase gets conveyed as a part of the Rubedo one. Moreover, if we have it, it might not be linked to a Maiden. After all, another pattern one could find is that both Pyrrha and Penny died at Beacon and so did Ozpin, so maybe he will be the one to die (once and for all?) in the yellow/red phase. However, as for now, I don’t think so and I am gonna theorize that the yellow and red deaths, if they happen, will have to do with the Maidens and will be other declinations of the themes explored above.

As for now, we know nothing of the Maiden of Destruction, so I am not considering her.

Still, there is another Maiden whose arc was left unsolved and who needs to come back in the story:

3) As the Maiden of Knowledge, Raven is told the truth about herself in the Vault of Knowledge:

Yang: Oh, shut up!! You don't know the first thing about strength! You turn your back on people, you run away when things get too hard, you put others in harm's way instead of yourself!! You might be powerful, but that doesn't make you strong.

And it is possible that this self-knowledge will eventually lead her to make a choice, which is what she has failed to do up until now.

If she chooses to sacrifice herself, her death will be a redemptive one and it might come to embody that Maidens choose themselves because they can always change and become true Maidens.

Finally, there is the Rubedo phase, which is the last phase. If we are gonna have a red death, it should be a key one for the whole series and one which leads to its resolution. As for now, I think there is only one character who can pull it off:

4) Cinder is a key character for the whole story. Personally, I think this volume was a turning point for her, but she failed to learn the lessons she needed to learn. What she did was to take these lessons and to twist them in a hypocritical way:

Cinder: I suppose I have only you to thank for one last lesson… Sometimes, if you want to win…you simply can’t do it alone.

And this has made her even more similar to Salem:

Salem: Why....do...you...keep...coming...back?!

Yang: Why do you?!

Penny: Why did you come back?! Why couldn’t you just learn your lesson?!

I would also like to highlight that so far Cinder has failed to learn the lesson of each relic.

In the Vale Arc, it is implied her concept of Destiny and Choice is different from Pyrrha’s. She wants to be “worthy” and to be chosen. Moreover, her idea of agency is linked to stealing others’, just like she stole the Maiden’s power and Pyrrha’s destiny.

In the Mistral Arc, she receives a warning about her Shadow Hand:

Raven: Aura can't protect your arm, it's Grimm. You turned yourself into a monster just for power.

But she chooses to ignore it.

Finally, in the Atlas Arc she manages to make herself anew. She recreates herself, but fails to truly change.

I am expecting all these failures to come back at her with the Vacuo Arc, which is about Destruction and will probably lead to everything coming together to crush Cinder (the people she used, the Shadow Hand, Salem’s true plan).

Once this happens, I think Ruby will save her with her eyes and will offer her that pity she was never shown as a child. This will lead to Cinder’s final choice which might be a synthesis of all the choices made by the Maidens she killed.

It will be a selfless choice, like Pyrrha’s, in contrast to the selfishness she displayed throughout the series.

It will be a self-actualizing choice, like Penny’s, which will free her from Salem’s shadow and influence

It will also be a redemptive choice, where Cinder finally lives up to her name and becomes the true Fall Maiden.

I am also expecting this choice to somehow solve the conflict or to be a part of the reason why the conflict is solved.

It would also be interesting if the Maidens’ sacrifices become progressively more effective in solving the conflict.

Pyrrha’s death is the most pyrric (obviously). She did not manage to stop Cinder, but barely gained enough time for Ruby to arrive and wound the villain. Still, it is a choice who clearly inspired her friends and I think that in the end it will inspire Cinder as well:

Cinder: You know, Neo, someone once asked me if I believed in destiny. And I'm happy to say I still do.

Penny’s death is framed as a sad, but powerful conclusion to her arc and saved both Winter and the people of Atlas and Mantel. It still did not prevent Salem from taking the relics and did not save the Kingdom.

So, maybe Cinder’s death, if it happens, will be key in saving the world.

This would also fit with the idea that we are going through a journey where we are getting to know the four gifts the Gods gave humanity.

Pyrrha sacrificed herself even before our protagonists received Knowledge, Penny did so after both Knowledge and Creation, while Cinder perhaps will do so after the characters have aquired all the four gifts.

[hamliet]

Tales of Arcadia: Trollhunters + 3Below

Guillermo del Toro, y’all. He gets me. 

All del Toro’s best qualities in storytelling--complex characterizations, excellent villains, monster romance, and redemption arcs--are very much present in both Trollhunters and 3Below. Like, seriously, the vast majority of antagonists get redemption arcs that are somehow all well written, and the ones that don’t are still complex and compelling. 

Trollhunters specifically carries three structures that I adore: Campbell’s hero’s journey is followed, and the story also follows a very obvious alchemy structure (my latest literary structure obsession) and employs Jungian themes as well. 

As for alchemy in the story... Jim is clearly marked as a heart character, Claire as a mind character (her intellect saves them all multiple times), and Toby as the body character. Additionally, each season’s ending fits with the nigredo-albedo-rubedo structure: at the end of season one, Jim is stuck in the Darklands (nigredo--black night of the soul); at the end of season 2, Jim and Claire have become a couple and been purified through what they’ve gone through, but a certain character marked by the color white dies; at the end of season 3, the battle is fought in red hues and they overcome together. Plus Jim has to literally submerge himself and transform physically to save the world. 

The Jungian aspects which mix with the alchemy ones include some very, very blatant symbolism. Claire literally winds up in the shadowlands at one point (Jungian shadow), while as previously mentioned Jim has to merge with his shadow/troll self to save the world. 

And I forgot to mention: one episode pretty clearly is modeled after my all-time favorite movie, The Breakfast Club. And it fits well in the series as a whole! AND the main villain is voiced by Lena Headey (aka Game of Thrones’s Cersei), who clearly is now typecast, but who plays a great character. 

3Below is a spin-off/crossover that tells its own story while also complimenting Trollhunters quite well. It mixes a sci-fi premise (aliens coming to earth) with medieval fantasy tropes (Aja as the reluctant princess, a coup putting both the prince and princess in exile where they have to pretend to be commoners to survive), structured by the heroine’s journey this time, and somehow really, really works. 

3Below also contains pretty sharp critiques of racism, xenophobia, sexism, and ageism, with, when Aja and Krel and Vex are being disguised as humans, they are deliberately given the roles that society denigrates (which is directly stated): Aja as a girl, Krel as a Latino, and Vex as an elderly man. It’s very critical of humanity and society while at the same time offering an optimistic, hopeful belief in humanity as well. This is evident in the complexity of its characters, human and alien (and troll!).

Another thing I really love about both series is how parents and teachers are portrayed. No one is portrayed as one-dimensional, and while the parents have flaws and, true to the structures employed, the kids need to overcome their parents as it’s a coming of age story, the parents are not fridged, have complexity themselves, and are even supportive of their kids’ supernatural endeavors. This was refreshing to see, and written in a way so that it didn’t lessen the conflict at all. Even the teachers used for comedy have genuine character moments, and while they struggle with communicating with our young cast, they do succeed. 

For example, Jim’s mother’s romance with Mr. Strickler parallels Jim and Claire’s own romance (both are monster romances of a sort). And Mr. Strickler and Blinky are both father figures to Jim, as is Merlin who literally greets Jim with the classic Vader line “I am your father!” But he’s not--biologically--and it turns out to have been a joke. Yet, Merlin is Jim’s deadbeat dad in many ways. He’s selfish, not a villain but certainly not a protagonist either. He shows Jim what the dad Jim’s always longed for really is like, but Jim has Mr. Strickler and especially Blinky to fall back on. 

At the core of both series is humanity. Whether troll, alien, human, changeling, or something in-between, every character has to wrestle with what it means to be a person, and what humanity in all its foibles and flaws has to offer. 

I highly recommend both series.