#and I mean maybe the castle exists in the lore of Kingdom

[quibbs126]

With Witch’s Castle coming out and my fixation on the Ancients, now I’m just imagining this scenario of them first meeting in the castle

Like, they were baked by witches in the castle and all met up within the walls, becoming a team, and then eventually escaping the castle out into the world of Earthbread, and later on getting their Soul Jams and founding their kingdoms and stuff

I know this probably wouldn’t happen considering different games (even if I think they share similar worlds) and the fact that they have homelands, but it’s an idea in my head that I really like

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Neo Bowser City (aka Koopa City in PAL regions)

Debut: Mario Kart 7

Do you ever think of all the weird locations we only ever see in Mario Kart games? Despite being the biggest of all of Mario's spin-off franchises, when you really get down to it, remarkably few Mario Kart courses are actually based on established Mario locations!

It's not none, there's the occasional Donut Plains and Tick-Tock Clock and Airship Fortress, but most of the courses are these weird one-off locations we never see outside the context of that specific racetrack.

But have you ever taken a moment to step back and like, think of the Lore Implications of some of these places?

Like okay! Bowser just owns this whole dang cyberpunk city and we only ever see it in the context of Kart Racing! How messed up is that?!

One day Mario and Friends were looking for new places to race, and Bowser must have said something like "Gwah-hah-hah! I bet you puny punks could NEVER beat me in a race in my cyberpunk metropolis!" and right then and there it was established that Bowser owns a cyberpunk metropolis. Neo Bowser City is a city that exists in the Super Mario World and aside from returning in other Mario Kart games, it hasn't been acknowledged before or since.

Neo Bowser City first appeared in Mario Kart 7, as the third course in the Star Cup. Despite its flashy visuals, it actually doesn't really have a whole lot going on. It's a difficult track with some tight turns made more difficult by the rain making things more slippery, but besides that it doesn't really have any of the Wacky Obstacles that define so many Mario Kart courses.

Then it returned in Mario Kart 8 looking more gorgeous than ever! The bright colors really pop out, and the whole track is just oozing with detail that really emphasizes the scale of this city!

But like, the emphasized scale really only further raises the question of where this exists in the Mario World. Clearly, the fact that Bowser is plastered all over the billboards and the fact it's named "Neo Bowser City" helps us deduce that this city probably belongs to Bowser. Is this located in Bowser's Kingdom? Just how big is Bowser's Kingdom? And why does he own so many separate castles?

Maybe Neo Bowser City exists in the future? Is this a bad timeline? I mean, Mario Kart is allowed to have time-travel shenanigans. There's a Splatoon battle arena and that exists thousands of years in the future so sure, dust off Mario's Time Machine and head to the bad future where Bowser wins. Should've pressed that New Super Mario Bros. big yellow P-Switch!

I asked my friend Mod Chikako for their input and their theory is that Neo Bowser City isn't the future of Mario's world, but of our world. Clearly Bowser just couldn't take Wreck-It-Ralph losing the Oscar vote!

But in that case I guess it's a cooler cyberpunk future than the one we're living in right now. Corporate monopolies that run mass-surveillance with little government intervention due to their extreme wealth giving them extensive political power? No thank you! Neo Bowser City has bright neon colors, and flying cars! If I'm going to live in a dystopia, I want it to be a fun one. The only advertisements I want to see plastered everywhere are ones advertising Bowser!

Boo! That's the bad guy! Thumbs down!

The course returns again in that pitiful mobile game with another redesign, this time letting us see his Coney Island Disco Palace off in the distance. Does Bowser live in his Neo City? Is this worldbuilding we've been missing out on for decades, finally answered by a kart racer? Is this the capital city of Bowser's Kingdom? Am I once again falling victim to my perpetual hubris of overthinking the Mario franchise?

Really, I can't offer too much in terms of wacky fan theories, because I'm still thinking about this location existing in the first place. I'd love to know the Lore and worldbuilding here, but I guess the nature of Mario's canon is that it doesn't need to be over-analyzed. Bowser simply owns a cyberpunk metropolis, we'll only ever see it in the context of kart racing, and maybe that's okay.

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Dinohattan from the 1993 Super Mario Bros. Movie, which we've barely talked about on this blog somehow. You see, when the meteor hit, some of the dinosaurs escaped into a parallel timeline where they then evolved into humans, and then they built Dinohattan instead of Manhattan. Get it? Yeah, that movie is all sorts of bonkers. I wouldn't say it's very good, but I kinda love it. I'd recommend checking it out, if only to see a vastly different take on Mario than you'd be used to.

Anyway I bring this up because it's a completely separate instance of a version of Bowser building a large cyberpunk metropolis, and it actually predates Neo Bowser City! Do you think they could be connected? Are Dinohattan and Neo Bowser City one and the same...?

[rayroseu]

(random thought) now that i think about it... Isn't it suspicious how the story represented that Meleanor and Knight of Dawn has iconic items... Namely: Meleanor's Princess of Glow Staff and Knight of Dawn's Auroral Ring...

Yet in the present, we only see Dawn's ring as it was passed to Silver.. but Meleanor's staff is still missing??? despite the fact it's the main thing that Silver Owls wants to steal from Briar Valley as it can create miracles (like saving the Silver Owl king from his illness)— but that lore drop never got any mention again- 😭 I really wanted to know more about Silver Owls...

in fact I think the history of the human-fae war in Book7 was too summarized-- (Which kinda makes sense since they have to focus more on Malleus' story) so I really feel like they're keeping information about it, perhaps until Levan's reveal???👀

tldr: we have Knight of Dawn's ring in the present BUT WHERE IS MELEANOR'S STAFF???

The defeat of Briar Valley was suspiciously abrupt too-?? Plus, I feel like theres some foreshadow in the future at the fact that the """Silver Owl's Castle""" has been ruined/abandoned by thorns. We know Meleanor filled the castle with thorns to kick Lilia out to save Malleus, but we also see that after Meleanor's death they renovated her castle to claim territory so they definitely cleared out the castle of any thorns or Briar Valley's belongings... yet when it was found by Lilia 400 years later, its covered in thorns again??? (Maybe its bcs its name is "Wild Briar Castle" thats why the thorns grew back and I'm overthinking 💀)

But also its suspicious that Knight of Dawn is ALSO easily defeated... like wdym Dawn got killed amidst the war between neighbouring HUMAN nations... The guy solo killed Meleanor??? He's capable of defeating them, yet he got killed❓❓(I'm actually assuming that Dawn purposely defeat, because he felt way too guilty creating a kingdom on a land that's not his, and also the fact that it's a castle from Meleanor that he has killed, like he concluded that the existence of thr Kingdom of Swords would only result in further turmoil between humans and faes therefore it doesn't need to exist, that's why it was short lived??)

Furthermore, they have Dawn's sprite without the armour but its not shown in any main story segment yet, they always show Dawn with the armour, never without it (yet) WHICH MEANS WE MIGHT RETUEN TO LAND OF BRIAR/SILVER OWLS ONCE AGAIN 😳🙏🙏❓❓just to reveal this sprite someday yk--

This is just a random thought, idk what theory I'll make out of this... but it really felt like Book 7 just gave us a tiny glimpse about TWST's world building/history and I feel like its going to hit me aggressively if they start connecting dots/parallels again for these "little things that they dropped that we missed bcs we're all distracted crying on Malleus' hatching story" 😭😭

[chaotic-guinea-pig]

hi luckypoppies! i LOVE LOVE your fic. its one of the best tsot fics in the fandom!

i hope you dont mind asks but how did you write your worldbuilding? you write it in a way that feels natural but there are no infodumps, but at the same time theres clearly a layer of lore if you squint. share us your magic tricks please 🙏🙏

THANK YOU! <3 That's extremely kind of you, anon. I don't think my fic is even close to deserving such high praise honestly, but I'm honoured to hear you think that. 😭

I shall preface this by saying that I'm not a professional writer by any means; just an amateur who has zero chill for an unpaid hobby. I'm also a character-focused person first before world-focused, so my opinion is going to biased.

The main rule I keep to heart: Instead of treating worldbuilding as an element to be balanced equally with other elements (plot, characters, relationship etc), I weave it into the story. If characters and plot make up the meat of a story, then worldbuilding is the spice that you sprinkle on for flavour.

Essentially, what this means in practice is: show information about the world gradually through the lens of the characters. The world is not just there; it's also lived in by the characters, and you want to show it as such. Personally, I do this by leaving in details that insinuate at things about the world. In my fic, I could have started with two paragraphs about how Larnion and Kupa Keep are now kingdoms co-existing after winning the war over the Stick a century ago, and that in present day Larnion, there's an underlying inequality between humans and elves + tension among the noble elves... but I chose not to. Instead, I tried to show that information through details in the prologue:

The Great Ball, Princess Kenny and Prince Kyle meeting -> implies that Kupa Keep and Larnion are on good enough terms that they can hold events like this and make their respective heirs meet.

"Stan was officially recognised as a knight-in-training, earning the approval of a friendly elf royal knight who was on good terms with the Broflovskis." -> This one is easy to miss, but it implies that maybe, just maybe, not all elves are on good terms with the ruling family... hm.

The bonfire, that the Broflovski House is lenient towards humans, the fact that Broflovskis adopt human children, that elves applauded at Stan's knighting ceremony. - it's enough to imply that on some level, elves are amicable to humans, BUT AT THE SAME TIME:

An elf guard who had accused Stan of being a spy from Kupa Keep, the fact there weren't any humans among the knighthood, even Stan getting convicted of treason without a chance to defend himself.... all of those insinuate that's clear inequality between humans and elves in Larnion. It makes one wonder then, if this is how some elves view humans in their realm, how do they actually Kupa Keep, their supposed allies, then? 🤔

The point of all those details was to carry a vague sense that even years before the main plot (Prince Kyle under assassination attempts) started, there was something already off with the political climate in Larnion (and perhaps Zaron for that matter). I do hope that came across. :'))

The question is, then: how do you come up with these details to sprinkle in?

Easy: lots of research, and whenever you come up with a piece of lore, think about its implications. How does that piece affect your setting? How would it show up in your world? How does it affect your characters (if it does?) Put yourself in the shoes of a different persona (king, commoner, knight etc) and think about what their daily life would look like.

If your kingdom hunts dragons on the regular, you may want to show how knights wear armour crafted from dragon scales, or how there's honour given to dragonslayers.

If the heir is under assassination attempts, then maybe you want to show how the castle gates are closed and how there's more guards running around as usual, commoners gossiping...

If Zaron has an all-powerful object - the Stick of Truth - then you want to think about: has the Stick been used in the past, and if so, for what? How do different types of people view the Stick (do some people view it as an ultimate solution that can solve... or are there some who believe it should never be touched?) Are there perhaps mages dedicated to studying such a powerful object? Does everyone seek its power?

If humans and elves fought over the Stick in the past and are now allies, think about that alliance looks like in practice: are there diplomats? Are the heirs arranged for a political marriage? Maybe they have a trading route? Is one kingdom perhaps still traumatised from the scars of the war? How much do they really trust each other If an elf lived in Kupa Keep, would they have an easy life? Same question applies to a human who lives in Larnion.

It can be overwhelming so it helps to have one document dedicated to keeping track of these details. :) And again, do your research and look at other fantasy fiction for inspiration!!

Hope this helps, anon! :D

[awlumii]

A couple of food-morsels for thought regarding snow prince!Albedo (you don’t have to pay any attention to them if you don’t like them, of course):

There’s one locked room in the castle, at the top of the tallest tower. You can’t see inside it, can’t get inside it. Sometimes, you hear the chiming of a music box floating down the corridor from behind the closed door. (The door is small: about half the size of the other doors in the castle.) Sometimes you catch sight of Albedo entering, and then leaving a while later, closing the door carefully behind him as he does.

What’s actually in the room is a flawless model of his little sister’s old room. Every piece of furniture, every lamp, every thread of every carpet is mimicked to perfection— but none of it is real, of course. Not really. They’re just replicas made of ice and butterflies; her original belongings were long worn away. However, there is one thing here which isn’t woven from snow and magic: a small music box, with a dancing ballerina spinning around inside, playing a quiet melody. (You realise that you’ve heard Albedo playing this very melody himself.) He comes in every day to wind it up again, because he can’t bear the thought of it falling silent.

And maybe, in one hall or palace courtyard, there are ice statues. Once again, they’re flawless, and look exactly like people, frozen in time. The only way you can tell they’re statues is the transparent blue-white of their bodies, and the way no one’s breath but yours steams in the air as you pass by. Perhaps these are replicas of the citizens of his old kingdom, like a split second of memory preserved in time?

(So, basically, in the whole of the palace, there only exist three ‘real’ objects: the music box, the sister’s scarf, and Albedo’s violin/cello.)

And finally… if Albedo was made of ice in this au rather than chalk, does that mean that when he falls in love and his heart begins to thaw, he can melt…?

(As I said, you don’t need to pay attention to any of these if you don’t think they’d fit with the au, but they’re just a couple of brainrots I wanted to share.)

-🎻 anon

y'know, i debated over and over what explains albedo's longevity since the kingdom he once ruled over was decimated ages ago, but i really really REALLY like that last part about him being made of ice instead. adds an angst kick that i really like ☝🏽

i try to maintain as much of dragonspine's original lore as i can, so the whole corruption via black dragon energy or whatever sorta holds up, but i suppose him being exposed to as much of it as he was changed his constitution entirely, and... maybe i'm just thinking much too hard, actually.

all that to say, i really love that idea about him being made of ice.

[jakesuit0]

The Chamber of Frozen Blades Review

Finn and Jake are on the Ice Kingdom mountains. We don’t get to see much of the above-clouds Ice Kingdom that isn’t the exterior of the castle. Finn spying on Ice King is definitely portrayed as overly obsessive To be fair, Flambo did tip him off about some kidnapping plot. No idea how Flambo would get that information though. It’s nice to see Flambo getting a speaking role for the first time, although in a pretty random role. I guess he can show up whenever Finn and Jake use fire. He won’t be back for a while. 

Finn and Jake think they are hardcore ninjas after finding a ninja manual. It’s very common for young boys to have these kinds of phases. One week Finn wants to be a wizard and another week he wants to be a vampire. Finn and Jake see Ice King fly away. A reasonable person would think he’s off to get a princess and would follow him. Instead, Finn and Jake think Ice King’s cheery attitude must mean he’s already captured one. So, they search his castle. Pretty dumb logic on their part, but it’s necessary for the plot. It’s not out of character for them or anything.

 Finn and Jake search the castle for a princess. This includes the toilet (Feces Princess?). Finn still doesn’t come to the obvious answer and instead thinks it’s a trap. Jake finally says Ice King must have left to go capture a princess. Jake gleefully starts snooping through the Ice King’s personal things, making Finn uncomfortable. Finn is now the reasonable one, wanting to hide instead. Jake’s a terrible ninja who leaves traces of themselves. Finn isn’t much better and ends up accidentally shattering an ice wall. 

Ice King gets a little subplot, who’s always fun to watch on his own. He flies to a rock city (kingdom?). This is probably where characters like Rock Giant, Dumb Rock, Rock Wizard, and Rock Woodsman originate. Ice King freezes people standing in line to get to the front. This is exactly like something Gru does in Despicable Me. That movie predates this episode but it's just a coincidence, according to Adam Muto.

Finn and Jake find a secret ninja room. Inside, they find an ice ninja manual. This was obviously written before they had the elemental lore, or even the Simon lore, as concepts. In retrospect it feels clunky coexisting with the mythology of Ooo. The Adventure Time universe is big enough where it can still work, though. It’s totally possible for there to be ice powers that exist outside of the four reincarnating elementals. There’s flame people like Scorcher who use fire powers outside of Flame Princess, for instance. But, maybe the book was written by a past ice elemental who was a ninja. Maybe Evergreen read that manual and was into ice ninja skills, causing the crown to imbed that onto Simon. It’s still weird for Finn and Jake to be able to use ice magic just from reading the book. Maybe the book grants magical properties to the reader? I think there should have been a clear indication of that to make this feel more believable. I would have had the headbands they wear grant the powers. Finn has the classic immature moment of wondering if Ice King liking ninjas means they are lame. By that logic, Finn should think crushing on Princess Bubblegum is lame! Jake points out that Ice King hides his ninja hobby. He makes a good point. I wish Ice King’s ninja side was brought up more.

Doctor Princess makes her debut. She works at the Candy Kingdom’s hospital after this episode. I guess Princess Bubblegum gave her the job after this episode due to her medical skills. Ice King is often at his funniest in mundane situations, and going to the doctor is a setup that gets a lot of good comedy out of him. Ice King calls himself a widower. He doesn’t know what that actually means but he sort of is one considering Betty.

Finn and Jake are able to already use a bunch of seemingly advanced ice ninja moves. It’s not very realistic, but anything is possible with magic in Ooo. Ice King arrives back home, interrupting Finn and Jake’s duel. They are able to find better hiding spots then they do in the upcoming “Marceline’s Closet”. Finn and Jake jump out only to find no princess. However, Gunter is pregnant! Both Jake and the viewer are surprised to find out that Gunter is a woman. It’s funny that Ice King still denies this. I also love the crew getting away with Ice King checking Gunter’s sex by looking at her (their?) underside. Finn and Jake are rightfully called out for breaking and entering, snooping, and property damage.

It turns out Ice King did kidnap Doctor Princess (Princess is just her surname). Finn and Jake have a ninja battle with the Ice King, but it's off screen. It would have been nice to see it, but not at all necessary. Ice King never gets to face off against another user of ice magic. He never ends up battling Patience. Gunter’s egg hatches and it’s a magic kitten. I would have loved to see the magic cat that Gunter banged. Or maybe it’s a normal cat and the magic comes from Orgalorg? Perhaps the baby daddy is Box Prince. The older version of the ending had Gunter hatch Ice King’s baby. As disturbing as that is, part of me wishes that was kept. I like the shock value. I do like the kitten too. I have no idea what the series would have done with a penguin-Ice King hybrid baby after this episode. But, it's not like the series did much with the kitten either. 

Like “Wizard” , the age-old question that arises from this episode is what happened to Finn and Jake’s powers afterwards. Word of God is Finn and Jake didn’t memorize the hand cantations. It’s a hand wavy explanation but I can buy it. It’s pretty cool to have a ninja themed episode. I like that the title card and ending card are themed after old ninja movies.

Grade: B+

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

To me kinoko is empty because the builds that exist there are purely for aesthetic purposes. The residents of the kingdom itself didn’t really build anything there for their needs (The residents literally ask someone else to build for them lol)

Let’s compare to snowchester, they got warehouse for developing the nukes, mansion for Michael, water bridge thingy for fast transport, puffy’s cookie stall etc, all of that building are there because the residents need them for something, that’s why it’s lively. They truly lived there, build and make that place their home

True, true. 

The houses of Kinoko are gorgeous houses -- really, truly gorgeous, holy shit Foolish -- but they aren’t homes. Memories haven’t been made there yet, you know?

Foolish’s summer home has a special little story for every aspect of it, because Foolish lives there. That’s his home, that’s his story. Kinoko is a job. It isn’t a home, at least yet. 

And I mean,

There’s a story behind the builds of Dream SMP, isn’t there?

You see L’manburg’s crappy little stone barracks and remember Wilbur playing Dear Theodosia to Fundy as he built them.

You see the silly contest of roof space between Quackity and Fundy’s houses in New L’manburg. And Fundy scamming his grandfather in in the attic. Or Fundy retreating to his room after Ghostbur came to the docks, upset. And even though the houses are all built with the same blocks, they’re different from one another. 

You see Tommy’s summer home and remember watching Henry wander inside, and the drug area in the basement. You see Juorse’s old stable and remember that horse, long gone now, and you remember Tommy and Wilbur discussing the Geneva Conventions in detail as he dug the area out.

You see Rutabagville and remember Karl and NIki building together, and Quackity being hunted by Technoblade, or Karl, Dream and Schlatt doing lore about pancakes and waffles, or the Manberg soldiers brandishing their war shields there, preparing for the battle to come.

You see Karl’s quaint little Harry Potter home and remember that he built the basement wedding chapel to marry Sapnap. It isn’t grand, it isn’t large, it isn’t magnificent, but that’s where it all started. 

You see Bad and Skeppy’s mansion and remember the vines that used to cover it. You remember Quackity hinting at resurrection after the funeral there. You remember the Dreamon Hunters messing up their ritual on the lawn. You remember Henry dying there. Or Techno and Tommy talking about whose horse is faster after discussing advanced interrogation techniques. Or the Bad and Skeppy deleted WAP stream. Or all the various jokes and statues that have been built on the roof over the months.

And even the Snowchester mansion, as new as it is, has memories attached. Foolish and Ranboo’s negotiations, Ranboo and Tubbo doting on Michael, the ridiculously long list of room requests, the chandelier -- everything is personal.

You see Kinoko and it hasn’t been lived in. At least, not yet.

It’s pristine, a work of art but not a homeland. 

I wonder if that will change? Will it become a home? Will it become a place full of memories too, one day? I think so, maybe.

Or maybe it remain untouched, magnificent and grand, like the beautiful but hauntingly empty castles Karl keeps running from...

[cyberdragoninfinity]

please tell me more about this deltarune/yugioh au i am very curious

*CRASHES THROUGH THE WALL* YES!!!! Oh there are So Many Thoughts in my little mind about this AU.... here are some bit and pieces. I had several Brain Blasts throughout the evening:

I think this Yugiohverse, as a setting, doesn't have any of the zany card gang magic antics going on, largely because there are now Other, Equally Zany Magic Antics going on. Kaiba is still richie rich over here though I can't decide if humans AND monsters live in this Domino City, or just humans.

Right now it's a bit of a hodgepodge of yugioh elements and characters from dr ch1+2, if only because i think Any duel monsters character and Any deltarune darkner interacting is hilarious. if rouxls kaard opened his mouth around seto kaiba he would immediately get his ass beat with weapons

Yugi and Ryou were both still gifted their Millennium Items, except now instead of the Puzzle and Ring having Ancient Spirits inside them, they both instead because Vessels for their wielders’ powerful emotions (for Yugi, loneliness and hope of one day having  friends; for Ryou, listlessness and grief over the death of his sister and mother) leading to the formation of Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura as the Items’ Darkner embodiments. I wanna draw them but Yami Yugi/Atem is a sort of shadow-type creature and Yami Bakura is a prickly spiky bat-like monster.

Someone in the reblogs of my OG post wondered who the Red Soul would be, and if it would be Atem, and I kinda love that idea; I think an overarching arc of the AU would be Yugi & friends working together to bring Atem to the Light World, and his sheer determination to live and be among his new friends blesses him with a true Soul. (Playing a bit fast and loose with deltarune lore here but, hey, we only got two chapters and I’m just having fun lol)

Yugi’s class definitely changes from Lonely Magician to Learned Magician to Magician King as he progresses, hehehe.

Kaiba fully believes the Dark World is all virtual reality type BS. Kaiba Corp still does like game manufacturing stuff so he’s definitely like “who developed this software can I hire them for my theme park *hitting a maus with a sword and it sails across the battlefield like a football*”

Same person who mentioned Red Soul=Atem also wondered if Pegasus would be a Final Boss... I think aside from the Domino City High Computer Lab Dark World debacle it’d be VERY fun if the gang tackled Dark Worlds based on each season of duel monsters. Duelist Kingdom could be an arcade based DW, and Pegasus (probably some big stuffed cartoon character prize) would be its main man lol.

Yugi’s Castle Town/Home Base Dark World equivalent would definitely be a room in the Game Shop... heck yugi might have opened that Fountain himself (the gang doesn’t have a ralsei to tell them not to FDHGSHDFG). WAIT THIS MEANS MAYBE THERES DARK WORLD!GRANDPA. HELL YES

I’m still trying to figure out what Mokuba’s situation is. I think he definitely falls into the Dark World at one point and Kaiba goes Ballistic trying to find him. His Dark World class is a funny little rogue-type getup :3c

Gaster is There and he is definitely fucking one or more of these kids up. Uh oh!

I’m also on the fence about if there’s an existence of a “Player” figure or not controlling anyone at any point. Might would be funny if poor Ryou accidentally summoned a “demon” who keeps trying to influence and control him, while Yami Bakura is. also trying to do that HFHGSD

[noobsomeexagerjunk]

missing c!karl + a defense of kinoko kingdom

my kinoko sympathetic ass trying hard not to throw hands at the fact that majority of the dsmp analysis blogs i follow hate kinoko hhhhhhh like c!karl please come back, i knew your frequent absence would have goddamn consequences and i really fucking hate the consequences in question o k a y

is this a rant??? i guess because i am kinda writing angrily; may or may not be spiting kinoko haters actually

why do we argue over the value of kinoko kingdom, i mean yeah it has been quite rude and obstrusive during its development but its most important purpose is to protect stories obtained by supernatural if not forbidden means

like, even if there is no underlying lesson or some shit, every fucking thing these stories have to say have value. anyone can derive value out of anything, hell that’s why we take crack in this fandom so seriously

kinoko is made valuable by its purpose for existence and it’s current housing of karl’s secret library (as well as mars and beckerson + additional pets but i’m saving my thoughts on sapnap for when his lore stream comes out)—when the idea of kinoko burning does happen, those stories are gone! the effort, the forgetting, the suffering, the literal brain rot karl endures beyond his own control for these stories are wasted! tales becomes insignificant, like i deadass want that library safe oh my god

i can’t imagine what karl would feel when this particular effort to create a safe place disappears, most especially if its from the hands of people who haven’t been able to understand his reasonings for the things he does

and yeah, he didn’t put much elbow grease into most of building kinoko, that was mostly foolish and bad doing the building, but it’s a place of protection!

and those fucking castles, i wanna know what they want with karl so bad—karl doesn’t know why he’s there either but he’s began to perceive the commands of the castles as good for him and for his loved ones and literally no one and i mean no one knows how true that is

what the fuck will happen when karl comes back? why is he beholden to the castles? why can’t he talk about them? he is so full of love for his fiances and desire for acknowledgment and demand for reciprocation and just wants to be at peace with his identity and sense of self

he couldn’t find that in the political conflicts of season 1 within his own hand and now he’s being stripped agency and choice! and no one fucking knows and there’s no known way yet to even get karl to stop time traveling

he has so much to come back for, and it’s even more tragic when it’s known that karl’s priorities before being tasked to keep stories was to live and be happy in care and protect of the people that matters most to him

and i don’t want to get further into the whole kurfuffle about his and his fiance’s common need to belong and feel significant in the things they do—the conditions he’s been made subject to by the inbetween (and who knows even maybe the other side too) so far have cause irreparable damage to his fiances and friends! and he didn’t even choose to time travel willingly! he got fucking took!

it’s higher forces taking karl jacobs that have contributed significantly to quackity’s spiral into the actions he’s made in las nevadas, that have contributed into feeding sapnap’s feelings of isolation

god damn it i do not want season 3 to end primarily as a tragedy

[subwalls]

Tales from the SMP Presents: The Pit

Another Tales, another Kingdom Hearts comparison post! “The Other Side” is a mix between the soundtrack The Other Promise and the cinematic “Another Side, Another Story” (both of which come from Kingdom Hearts, of course), which evokes a very specific KH character that... yeah. So let’s get into it.

Karl gets stabbed by the king’s new general and finds himself back in the Inbetween. A cool new logo pops up as we enter the Inbetween, which actually is a... very typical example of a Kingdom Hearts world logo / intro card / name card? I honestly don’t know what it’s called, it doesn’t have a name, it’s just a thing that happens every time the character enters a new world.

Castle Oblivion is just one (1) example, but if you just look up “Kingdom Hearts worlds” and scroll a bit, you’ll see what I’m talking about, haha. This doesn’t really change anything, it’s just another little wink and nod to the Kingdom Hearts series.

... Except, of course, the fact that there’s a title placard for this world implies the existence of other worlds. Which we eventually find out is, in fact, true. Fun! There’s a number of associations I could make based off the aesthetic of the logo (the castle reminds me of Radiant Garden, etc) but honestly they’re not worth much without more information.

So, the Inbetween is vividly aware of Karl’s straying from “the path”. It makes a huge attempt to still be pleasant and “nice” and whatever, but we can tell quite obviously that there’s an undercurrent of threat under all those pretty quartz blocks and smiles :]

Speaking of the :] smile, the reveal of Quackity’s previous lore stream actually doesn’t push me to think that it’s directly related to him in any way. It’s not impossible that c!Quackity achieved such heights as... becoming? The Inbetween? Because he’s got reason to be invested in Karl’s powers and keeping him in line. But it’s a reach or long-term thing at best, honestly, so I’m shelving the Quackity-smile association until further evidence appears.

(I could go bonkers and say that this is the culmination of c!Quackity’s ascension after ripping Information out of Dream or even XD, but that’s well into AU territory, so it’s all just shrug emojis for now.)

Which, of course, leads to the question of who that smile actually is associated with, and I think as clear an answer as we’re going to get is... The Inbetween itself. Clearly.

There’s a lot of meaning I could take from that; is it associated with Dream or XD then? Or maybe is it tapping into Karl’s memories of c!Dream doing the :) thing and it’s appropriating that for itself? Why? To intimidate Karl into obeying it?

Mayhaps. Mayhaps!

Anyway, Karl goes up to the tree, and as he approaches, the video feed distorts as the game abruptly switches to a higher-level shader like BSL or something.

Now, I haven’t confirmed it, but the way the audio shifts makes me think it suddenly started playing backwards, too. It’s just the way it sounds; it’s got that... sucking effect that’s pretty typical of musical tracks played backwards.

Karl swims down to the hidden room, which is very dark now. There is a book that tells him to go up the ladder for a surprise.

Also, by the way, I’m back on my wither rose pot association brainrot, because I can’t help but notice that there isn’t one here. There was one in the previous Inbetween segment, but it’s gone now. Now there’s a new book with the :] smiley, which of course should set the audience on edge, since we just saw the first book use it in a... mildly threatening manner.

We know that in Dream SMP it’s a pretty common thing to use redstone as blood. Other characters have used it in bits, some more seriously than others, and I think that’s what this room is trying to emulate.

If I had to guess, I’d... hm.

A part of me wants to say that the blood is probably from the different versions of Karl wandering around. Nobody’s going to notice if a few abruptly take a swerve to bleed themselves out in a room or something, right? But that carries a lot of implications, namely that of control so perfect it borders on possession. So either the Inbetween can control Karls, or it has some other agent capable of dragging something into this chamber to bleed it all over the room.

Neither of those options are particularly nice, I’ll admit!

There’s no Kingdom Hearts associations here, by the way. Due to being so closely tied with Disney, KH is deathly allergic to portraying blood in any way lmao. Not so many messages carved into the walls.

Or painted onto the walls with blood, if that’s what that is. Color correction gets a bit odd with shaders, so I’m not saying anything for certain; the closed books don’t look enchantment-purple, for example.

What does catch my eye are the torches, which will later be the flickering lights that guide Karl to the portal. The fact that they are here makes me think that this was definitely the scene of either a battle or some other conflict between the two sides to this story (haha, get it, Another Side, Another Story, because that’s a Thing in KH—), or at least proves that an influence from The Other Side was here at some point in time.

Karl quickly gets the fuck out of there, and when he swims back to the surface the shaders/music switch back to normal.

Oh, and for all you people who like to point fingers at anything vaguely false and scream “that’s gAsLiGhTiNg!!!1!!111″ about it, here’s an actual attempt at gaslighting. Note the language used here: “Your mind seems to be playing tricks on you :]”. It’s explicitly trying to convince him not to trust his own senses and mind. It’s saying, let me think for you. And that is a very dangerous thing.

Wither rose pot exists again, yay. Definitely a Inbetween voice, this book.

More wither rose book, this time in the, uh, grand entrance hall? The lobby? Yeah.

This book basically goes on a spiel about how the Inbetween is so great for Karl (a declaration, by the way, rather than a hope) and says that he is doubting himself or being less like himself, which is odd, because what he’s really doing is doubting the Inbetween and the path it has laid out for him. In a way, by questioning the Inbetween, Karl is being truer to himself than anything else.

The malicious way this place frames its words becomes more and more obvious with each passing page; it again reminds him that it’s a place to be “feel at ease”, which is super sketch that it has to tell him outright rather than actually being that place. It continues attempting to gaslight him, telling him that his imagination is getting away from him and that he can’t trust himself or anything else but this “path”.

I’ll get back to the “path” thing in a minute, but I really want to drive home that this is the truest instance of gaslighting we’ve ever had on the Dream SMP. Nothing has ever so clearly declared that it must be trusted over the victim’s own senses, practically infantilizing the victim’s concerns and trying to make them think that their worries are just flights of fancy. Please, please keep this in mind any time you want to accuse a character of gaslighting in the future; not all psychological abuse is a form of gaslighting. Sometimes it’s just... abuse. It’s not any more or less worse than gaslighting, it’s just different.

Anyway, about the “path” that the Inbetween is so obsessed with. No idea what the fuck that’s talking about.

In Kingdom Hearts, the only paths that are really of import are is a specific character’s “road to dawn” (redemption without fully yielding his edginess, essentially) or the “paths” that characters take to traverse between different worlds. I really don’t think the Inbetween has anything to do with either of them, but I’ll leave the options there if you want to peruse the possibilities.

What’s more likely, I think, is that this is a vaguely more subtle version of control/possession. The “path” is just “whatever the Inbetween wants you to do”.

Our next book is from the other side, and is plastered nonchalantly but boldly against the wall with no flower pot or anything.

Karl picks it up, puts it in his inventory (which probably indicates that he’s keeping this particular route close to his heart, rather than whatever the Inbetween is trying to make him do), and then the video stutters and he teleports back to the main entrance.

There’s a new book. It’s spooky as fuck, and hilariously hypocritical.

The tone shift is immediate, of course, aided by the abrupt change in background music since he got teleported back here. (I can’t quite nail it down; I assume it’s a slowed KH track like the others, but it doesn’t quite ring any bells for me.) The way the Inbetween speaks through these books has changed too, though; it addresses him by name without any attempt to cover up its intentions with flowery softness.

It does a cool fun thing where it says that it knows more than Karl, and knows what’s right, and then goes on to say that those visions shouldn’t dictate his opinion on the inbetween. (I’m keeping an eye on that lowercase, by the way. Not sure if it’s a typo or intentional, since it’s still one word, but.) As though he should trust the Inbetween’s opinions of itself rather than his own brain? A’ight. Sure, Jan.

Again it tries to tell him that it’s safe here. The lying is getting more transparent now.

He puts this book back, the previous book back, and runs after a double of himself until the shaders and music glitch again.

Fun thing about shaders is that they make dark areas... much, much darker. Especially since we saw that Karl’s got night vision (the effect, for cinematic purposes) on.

The music has a few notes that again sound as though they’re being played backwards.

The book on the tree in this courtyard does not come with its own little wither rose pot, and neither does it seem to come from the Inbetween, since it’s telling him some awful things about these other versions of himself.

It confirms a few things about the mystery other selves, namely that they’re definitely condemned to walk the castle forever, but it doesn’t really tell us why this happens or why the Inbetween (probably) wants this to happen. What’s the end goal?

We’re probably a bit early in the story to figure that out, but they’re questions worth keeping in mind as this storyline progresses.

Karl gets teleported back to the main lobby, which looks very dark and spooky, though in the transition we do see a glimpse of that portal. There are torches around the wither pot book pedestal, and the audio really kicks into high gear with the creepy notes and the visuals get stretched and glitch quite a bit as he opens the book.

Funnily enough, the audio kind of reminded me of some pokemon encounter music, but I think that’s just because I’ve got those notes wired into my brain from years of playing those games. Anyway! The book tells him this is not a warning, and that they’re gonna fucking come for him to make sure he sticks with their path.

“We”.

Who is “we”? Is the Inbetween a collective? Is the Inbetween just part of a different whole? Maybe it counts all the different Karls as a part of it.

Either way, it’s creepy and threatening. Karl starts running; the screen glitches and tells him to follow the torches, which at first I was kind of leery about trusting, but the next series of words helped clear up exactly what side those words are on.

Also, you’ll notice that some other text kinda skitters across the screen before the English, like it’s getting translated. I think it’s Galactic, which is something different from the thing that Ranboo uses for Ender? I think Ranboo uses the Alien language thing or something? I’m not 100% sure on that, feel free to correct me and I’ll fix this portion.

It certainly implies that the speaker isn’t communicating in the server equivalent of “common”, however. Not sure if they’re translating into English or if Karl inherently understands it and it’s translated into English for the audience’s convenience, but either way, the other speaker might be linked to something completely different.

Karl runs on with encouragement and creepy music until he finally arrives at the portal, which is not barred off like it was last time. Thanks, whoever’s responsible for that!

The music dies for this final book.

The Inbetween’s last-ditch attempt to make him stay. It calls him silly a couple of times, and smiles at the end with a :]

Problem is, we and Karl already know that staying with the Inbetween will keep him from his friends. And the voice tells him to leave for his friends.

Karl looks around at this place that calls itself his sanctuary, and makes his decision.

He arrives at The Other Side.

The music appears to be drawn from parts of either The Other Promise or Roxas’ Theme, both of which are heavily tied to the character known as Roxas. The version that Karl uses is slower and lower, the same as with the Dearly Beloved track he uses for his Inbetween segments.

Honestly, I’m not as certain on this as I could be, because I couldn’t find the exact variation on Youtube and there are parts that could just be Emotional rather than Roxas-related, I’m not sure. I’ll probably come back and fix this if it’s untrue.

EDIT: Yeah, uh, it’s Ven’s theme, not Roxas’, but the world itself is still heavily associated with Roxas in naming themes.

For now, I’m going off the assumption that the decision to make both the name and the theme of this world relevant to Roxas is purposeful, which means I’m... going to attempt to explain who Roxas is and what his story is.

Oh boy.

To grossly oversimplify the situation, Roxas is a “part” of Sora who develops his own sense of identity, is betrayed, gets coerced into murdering his best friend, gets kidnapped, gets memory wiped, and then—when he gets his memory back and realizes he super hates his captors—is convinced by those same captors to give up his existence because he “isn’t a real person” and if he lives then Sora will never wake up. So he “dies” and becomes a part of Sora again until later.

(Sora, by the way, is asleep due to the events in Castle Oblivion, which you might recognize as That Place I Keep Associating The Inbetween With.)

He’s also a fan favorite lmao. Take from that as you will, and, I don’t know, flip through his wiki page or something. Can’t guarantee it’s all understandable though.

My point to bringing Roxas up is that his arc... kind of parallels Karl’s. He did his job working for superiors he didn’t really understand in a white castle, with the higher-ups trying to control him, until he realized he was losing his friend/s to them. At that point, he defects. I think this is the point that Karl has reached, in his own storyline. He’s pulled away from the thing that’s made itself known to him, and now he’s wandering down something that hopefully isn’t as awful as the beast he’s just left behind.

Roxas also doesn’t get his happy ending for a long, long time.

Let’s hope Karl is different.

Off the top of my head, I can tell you that the mood this world creates is very reminiscent of some areas that the Kingdom Hearts games explore in 0.2 (yes, zero point two, that is the number of that game. This fucking series, man), specifically Castle Town, in which the player character has to smack a bunch of clock gears to make time go backwards in order to proceed, which is fun. But no exact inspirations come to mind the same way that Castle Oblivion did for the Inbetween.

Until we get a better look at the interiors, I’m going to gently claim that this build is more original and doesn’t take inspiration quite as directly from a Kingdom Hearts source, so there might not be an exact parallel. There isn’t a black castle in Kingdom Hearts that I can think of, honestly.

Also, I will say that I’m going to take this episode as confirmation that the wither roses are associated with the Inbetween and appear next to books that come from / are related to the Inbetween, especially since The Other Side associates itself with a completely different flower: the white tulip.

Anyway, The Other Side tells him he’s home, and that they’ll explore more soon.

This... eerily parallels the Inbetween, which told him that he’s safe, and has lots to explore.

I can’t say that I immediately trust The Other Side, but neither can I say that I inherently distrusted it the same way I did with the Inbetween. We’re going to have to wait and see how this place behaves in future episodes to get a good grasp of it. Who built these places? Are they alive, and writing the books, or is there a mastermind behind them? We still don’t have a lot of the answers, but that’s okay.

For now, I’m content to know that Karl is away from the more obvious perils of the Inbetween.

It could still be a trap, but for now, it’s a refuge.

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - The Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne

So now we get to what is, in my opinion, the best episode in season three. However, it’s still season three, so that’s damning with faint praise. 

Summary: Rapunzel tasks the kingdom with refurbishing the throne room. While breaking down a wall, they find a map to the Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne and Rapunzel decides to set up a race to the location. The teams, which consist of twos, are only allowed to look at the map briefly before the start of the race. However, Rapunzel's partner, Feldspar, brings a copy of the map with him and he warns her that the treasure is cursed. 

Why Are You Just Getting to This Now? 

It’s literally been months since you defeated the Saporians. Edmund had to have time to travel all this way to Corona and you’ve rebuilt an entire village since then. We’re talking at bare minimum three months or more. 

Who just leaves a gapping hole inside their home for three months? Where did you conduct the government’s important business during that time? Is there any other structural damage to the castle or the town outside from previous battles that you’ve just left unattended? I understand that rebuilding Old Corona is important but those villagers have been evacuated and living elsewhere for a year and a half now since Queen for a Day. It wasn’t a priority, but this is. 

Also this episode has to come after The Return of the King and Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf because Red, Angry, and Hamuel exist. It can’t just be slotted in somewhere else in order for it to make more sense. The writers genuinely planned for Rapunzel to be this disorganized and didn’t think to give a logical reason as to why. 

Also Why Are You Conscripting Regular Citizens Instead of Hiring Professional Contractors?

Unlike Old Corona, which is a full on community that would require multiple building projects going on simultaneously and therefore could use volunteers, this is a single government building. It’s Rapunzel’s job as leader to make sure that that building is kept maintained and up to code. It’s her responsibility not the regular average citizen’s who has their own jobs to do and zero experience with construction.  

Rapunzel is literally forcing these people to be slave labor for her under the pretense of ‘community’. She’s taking their time away from their own busy lives, forcing them to work a dangerous job, and not compensating them for that time, effort, and risk. And no, they’re not just volunteers at this point; because as acting queen, no one can safely say no to her nor can they just leave even when they’re clearly annoyed and fed up at having to do the work.  

Lastly they’re untrained. They lack the skills and tools to this job. You need an architect, you need a safety inspector, you need actual carpenters and masonries ... maybe even an interior decorator... The point is you need trained professionals and part of being an administrator is using government funding to hire these people in order to make sure the work gets done safely and efficiently and create jobs and keep money circulating through the economy.       

Rapunzel may not mean any harm. She might just be oblivious and untrained herself. But this is terrible leadership and the show never points that out. It never has her learn how to be a better a ruler so by the end of the series you don't feel she’s earned that title of Queen and you fear for the kingdom’s continued existence.   

So Why Is This Here?

Why would there be a Saporian map to a king of Corona’s tomb hidden in the wall? What’s the story behind this? 

Yes we know his wife was Saporian, but that doesn’t explain anything. Why would she need a map on the wall to her own husband’s resting place; assuming he didn’t out live her himself. Why would said map be carved into the wall of Corona’s castle and not written on a scroll? Why is it in Saporian when they don't speak that language in Corona? 

Like I could come up with explanations and create this whole backstory for Herz Der Sonne and the first Saporian/Coronian War, but at this point I’d just be doing the work of the writers for them. They’re the ones who introduced this lore and had it inform plot points and character motivation; and then failed to explain any of it to the audience and adequately have it all connect back together in a way that makes sense. 

The Moment When You Realize This Whole Episode Exists Because Zachary Levi Enjoys Doing an Ed Wynn Impersonation 

Ok time to explain some behind the scenes Info.

This is Ed Wynn. 

As you can tell from the gif above, he’s famous for voicing the Mad Hatter in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. He’s also done a whole bunch of other stuff and was well known even before working with Disney, but the Mad Hatter is his most well remembered role today. 

Many actors, particularly voice actors, like to do impressions of him because he has such a distinctive voice. Including Eugene’s VA, Zachery Levi.  

Now I don’t know if the character of Feldspar was created specifically because the creators were inspired by Zachery Levi’s impression, or if they had this character already planned out and just casted him in the role since he could do it and it’d save them money. Either scenario is plausible and not unheard of in animation. But the long and short of it is, as a shoemaker, Feldspar is intended to be a parody of the Mad Hatter. That is why the character exists. 

Now as I said, this isn’t unusual for animated tv shows. Quite often you get main cast members to voice secondary and/or one off characters because it’s convenient, efficient, and doable when working with audio recordings. Also quite often voice actors will do impressions of other famous people to flesh out these background characters. It’s also not out of left field for these secondary characters to get an episode of focus if they’ve been around for awhile and keep popping up in the story. 

What is unusual, however, is to focus on said character in the final season when there are a bunch of other more important characters with unresolved arcs that need the screen time more. It’s an incredibly odd decision to highlight Feldspar here when we still got Varian readjusting back into society, Red and Angry settling into their new home, and Edmund running around off screen. And while some of these character feature in the episode, they’re just there for the jokes not for any development. 

What’s a “Sap Pond” and How Does That Even Work?

Ok its a fantasy world, I get it. But the franchise does try to have a distinction between the magical and the mundane. Or at least pretends to try and have a distinction. There’s to my knowledge no such thing as a ‘sap pond’, and if such a thing does exist I doubt it’s an actual deep pit full of tree sap as shown here. 

If you want characters to still be surprised by out of the ordinary occurrences and have the supernatural world be separate from the regular world; then you need to have the mundane world grounded in our known reality. Nature needs to function as real world nature would. If something exists in your world that doesn't in ours, then you need to either explain it or have the characters responded appropriately to it. 

But You’re a Prince Now?

Look, I’ll buy that season one Eugene didn’t have unlimited access to the royal treasury as he and Rapunzel were still new to their roles and their relationship. But it’s been over two years since the movie ended. 

Since then Eugene and Rapunzel have lived together, shared finances together, and currently are co-acting rulers of the kingdom. He’s also a bonified prince in of itself on top of being practically married to princess/queen. 

Yeah I said it. Part of what makes season three so frustrating is that Rapunzel and Eugene are functionally married at this point, they just haven’t gone through the ceremony yet, and there’s no stated reason for why they keep dragging things out.  

This is why we get out of place jokes like this that no longer reflect who Eugene is now as a person and feel like they belong back in season one or the even the movie itself. 

I can understand if he wanted to join in the competition because it’s fun, but he’s not poor. Neither he nor Rapunzel needs the treasure. I’m not sure even Lance needs it because as Eugene’s best friend/adopted brother he’s piratically nobility at this point as well. 

Royalty and the rich are not and never will be underdogs show. Stop trying to make them such. 

So Why Feldspar Again? 

This is such a half assed plot point. 

Remember Rapunzel literally pulled out a book earlier to translate the map.  Xavier not only knows the legends about the Saporians, but also keeps a book of magic lying around, and the Saporians are the only human people who have functioning magic in the show as part of their culture.    Varian spent a year living and working with the Saporian leader, and knows how to decipher ancient scrolls written in dead languages.  And said Saporians, are being currently held in the dungeons of the castle.  

But you’re telling me that only a random cobbler can read the warning clearly written on the map? 

They give some bullshit reason as to why Feldspar knows Sapoprian but it doesn’t matter. It’s a forced and contrived excuse to get the character involved in a plot he has no business being in. The story fails to justify the use him over the other more prominent characters who have closer ties to this particular subplot. 

And We’re Suppose to Believe That Herz Der Sonne Was a Good Guy?

Why would a benevolent king who supposedly brought peace to a warring land have a doomsday curse involving zombies? Why would said king be enshrined a tomb that’s not native to his culture? What even is the treasure and why be buried with it? 

There’s clearly more going on here regarding Corona’s past and the treatment of the Saporians as a people in their own right, but the show never does anything with it. Why introduce these complexities and world building if you’re not going to tell a story with them? Why have the Saporian subplot at all in a series already over stuffed with villains if you aren’t going to have them challenge your protagonist and have her grow into a more mature person? 

I’m not dunking on the series for being ambitious nor for having flavor text to help flesh out the world, but it so aggravating that there’s no follow through on the show’s set ups and narrative promises. If you’re not going to give the needed focus to something then just don’t put it in. Cause once it’s aired you’re committed to it and the audience is going to hold you to account. 

I haven’t seen plot mismanagement this bad since the 80s; back when cartoons had to battle network syndication, episode commissions instead of contracted seasons, and could be canceled at any time without prior notice. Now there’s still plenty of bad practices going on in the industry, especially as the move to streaming messes with things, but Tangled does not have the same excuses as say Johnny Quest, Dungeons and Dragons, or even Gargoyles did. 

How Do You Even Know That Would Work, Rapunzel?

No seriously, how does Rapunzel know that putting the treasure chest back on the pedestal will stop the cruse? That hasn’t been established yet by any known source of information. Heck no one knew what the curse actually entailed until it was activated. Except for Xavier who oh so conveniently didn’t say anything until the last moment. If anyone should have the knowledge to on how to end the curse it’s him. But nope we gotta make the Rapunzel the infallible hero who is always right for no logical reason.  

I don’t know how to explain this to you show, but perfect is boring. No one wants a flawless protagonist who can do it all 24/7 without any help whatsoever. And it becomes down right annoying to watch a hero who is clearly flawed still put upon a narrative pedestal as if they weren’t. 

So Why is Varian Suddenly Useless In This Fight?

This entire climax is about showcasing the ‘power of teamwork’ by having the characters use their various skills sets and work together to defeat the enemy. 

Except for Varian. 

He’s treated at best as a spectator to the unfolding events and at worst as a damsel in distress. 

Varian. You know the guy who is the series most competent and threating antagonist. Who brought an entire kingdom to it’s knees, twice. The only other character besides Rapunzel herself who could and does hold his own against other major antagonists, including super powered ones.  

If this was just a one off incident, I’d just shrug it away as him being a glass cannon; insanely overpowered when well prepared but easily out of his depth when not. But that’s not what’s happening here. 

Season three constantly nerfs Varian’s abilities, same as they did back in The Alchemist Returns, and there’s three reasons for this. 

The first is to try and stop him from overshadowing Rapunzel and Cassandra. The writers don’t want to give him any more story focus for fear of him being more popular the the two girls. Which is a ridiculous and petty reason to write a character OOC but there you go. 

The second is the on going issue of making Rapunzel needlessly the center of any and all solutions to every problem regardless of her level of involvement in the initial conflict. Yes, it’s her show, but she’s still not the whole world. Other people exist outside of her and it’s not fair to anybody when the writers ignore that simple fact.   

Last is the writers sacrificing established character for a joke. And as already pointed out, even in this very review, Varian’s not the only character to fall victim to this. It’s just bad writing. Yeah the joke might be funny in the moment but you run the risk of jarring you’re audience’s immersion. In a series like Tangled where you’re constantly asking the audience to suspend their disbelief, humor needs to be firmly rooted in the characters natural behaviors and must evolve to match any character development.   

Why not just have Varian throw a chimball or two, run out cause he wasn’t planning on fighting anybody that day, and then have the other characters rescue him? It’s not that hard to work in a joke while still being respectful of the characters.  

So What Does Anybody Learn From This Episode?

Yeah the other characters learn some vague lesson on teamwork and getting along or something, but they’re not the focus of the episode. What do Rapunzel and Feldspar learn? 

Unlike some people I don’t mind Feldspar’s existence. When’s he’s kept as a background character he works. In fact he’s one of the few townspeople who do work as intended, because he’s representative of the everyday citizen who’s often on the outside looking in on these fantastical events and therefore gives insight into what’s going on and the populous’ opinions on things without being a major player in anything. 

That's fine, needed even, and I don’t mind him getting a single focus episode to gain a greater insight into how this world works or even flesh out his character more, but that’s not what we got. Feldspar doesn’t grow as a character because of this episode. I, as the viewer watching, learn nothing about him nor his life that I didn’t already know. This resolution with him resolves nothing cause it’s a ending for a conflict that was never established beforehand.  

In fact what even was the main conflict of the story? Rapunzel being annoyed by Feldspar? Ok and..? Did she need to learn not to be annoyed by him? Was that a thing that needed to be addressed? Hasn’t Rapunzel already put up with annoying people before now? Was was this deficiency of character actually solved by this one interaction? Has she learned to be more appreciative, attentive, or open minded of others? 

If you tell me it’s Rapunzel’s show then I expect Rapunzel to actually learn shit! 

I expect the external conflicts to tie back into her interpersonal conflicts. If the external conflict does not do that than there better well be a another character who gets that focus instead without her hogging the limelight. 

This Dynamic Adds Nothing

They set up this friendship with Varian and Xavier and it doesn't go anywhere. It never comes back into play and we never see them interacting on screen together again. It also undermines a future plot point that’s coming up later. 

More over it doesn’t further either of their characters. 

Xavier is still an extraneous exposition fairy. Turning his flat characterization into a one note joke does not erase that fact. Giving him a kid to tell stories to doesn’t explain his place in the narrative or give him purpose to the story. We still don’t know why he has these connections to magic nor how he knows all the this lore, and he doesn’t push the plot forward. 

Meanwhile Varian maybe lonely but that doesn’t mean he needs yet another mentor figure in his life. We already have his father, who we barely see him interact with since coming back, and all his other ‘friends’ are way older then him already as well. Rapunzel’s the closest in age to him and she is constantly condescending to, well everybody, as she pretends to be more mature than she actually is. There’s no one in the story who Varian is on equal footing with, and no Angry and Red don't count as they’re far younger than him. 

I don’t know what this series has against teenagers but it showcases some very unhealthy depictions of them; ether by constantly infantilizing them, traumatizing them while subjecting them to parentification, or just flat out ignoring their existence all together. 

Teenagers exist and they need to be treated as teenagers. I don’t know how to put it more simply than that. Teens aren’t children. Teens aren’t adults. They’re teens. And when writing for them you need to understand that difference and acknowledge that they have a completely different phycological development and placement within society to anybody else. That’s why the category of adolescence exists separately from childhood and adulthood in the first place.   

So to tie things back to the first point. The concept of Xavier and Varian having a friendship is not a problem. But as with so many things on this show, it’s the surrounding context and lack of follow through where the issues arises. 

Varian needs a friend his age, who is his equal, more so than a mentor; if indeed Xavier is even intended to serve that function as he doesn’t do any real mentoring. This should have been an opportunity to bring Faith in and establish her better. In fact it’s reasons like this why she should have been a bigger character all along but we’ll get more into that as we get to her only ‘focus’ episode. 

Conclusion 

It’s fun seeing all the various character interactions and unique team ups. Also the humor does work. The jokes do land even if they do bulldoze through established canon. Plus seeing Rapunzel actually annoyed by shit going on around her is always entertaining as it humanizes her. If watched in isolation from the rest of season three, this is an enjoyable episode. But that’s it’s core problem. I shouldn’t have to find filler to keep me going in the last leg of the show. 

This was pretty short comparatively speaking with the rest of the ones I have to write for S3, but longer ones are going to come out more slowly just due to real life and time. As always though you’re support is helpful in keeping going, and if you feel like you can donate to my Ko-fi and leave a tip there. 

https://ko-fi.com/rachelbethhines

[sunsetcurve]

learn to love without consuming (1/4)

fandom: knight squad relationships: arc / ciara, minor or one-sided arc / oc and ciara / oc word count: 4,603

a/n: eek. it's finally here. if you follow me here you know that i've been working on this for a few weeks (months?), but the idea has been sitting in my drafts for basically forever. almost since i watched the show to begin with. the recent resurgence of the ks fandom prompted me to dig this back up and gave me the motivation to actually try and finish, because fuck it! i love my babes and i want more of them.

so quick note is that this picks up pretty soon after the season 1 finale but disregards basically,,, everything that happens in s2. s1 and the finale proceed the same way except prudy never finds out ciara's secret, so she and warwick don't know at the moment. this chapter was initially gonna have more scenes that drove the plot/romance arc but once i got upwards of 6k with a few major scenes left i decided it would be best if i split the chapter up, so for now it’s just a lot of me trying to work around the convoluted knight squad lore to establish my own. i know that's not exactly what everyone is here for, but i promise things on the romance/action front will pick up soon. i'll place warnings as detailed as i can get without spoiling in the tags and notes as i go, but just anticipate fairly significant violence by chapter 3.

anyway! i have talked enough. the title is from thus always to tyrants by the oh hellos, the rating is t for swearing/violence, there are three more chapters that are in the process of being written, and reviews are like crack as far as i'm concerned. i really hope you like this! thanks for reading <3

dedications: this fic is first and foremost for @ciara-knightly, who is not only my amazing beta but also the whole reason this fic exists. she helped me so so much with the development of the plot and worked through it with me even way before i decided to really start writing it, and i wouldn’t have been able to do this without her. all of the notes she left after beta-reading were so so helpful and really made this whole fic make sense so basically i owe her my entire life. she inspires me to be a better writer all the time and i love her. everyone say thank you shona!!! also tagging my lovely friends and some people who have expressed interest, who are in no way obligated to read this; @juliesdahlias @mistyskiesrambles @dr-rigatoni @willexs @taylorswiftrulestheworld @onplanetmars @neshatriumphs @zackmartin @julies-molinas @soni-dragon @yagorlemmalyn @hopefulbeautifulfool @cactus-con @waterisntreal @onetwothreefarkle @bitchmilsky

summary: “Now that Ryker isn’t a threat anymore, the councils are supposed to resume as planned, and Astoria is set to hold the first one two weeks from now.”

“Okay,” he says slowly. “That sounds exciting.”

Ciara nods. “It is! I finally get to meet some of the other nobility, and actually get to be involved in Astorian politics for once. But my dad won’t let me go without an escort,” she says, and then hesitates. “Which is where you come in.”

read it on ao3

The morning before training that day, Arc is testing his skills against a heavy bronze padlock when Ciara enters the squad room and drops a brown paper bag on the table in front of him. 

“These,” she announces as he raises an eyebrow at her, “are for you.”

He pulls open the package and is instantly greeted with a rush of warmth and the smell of vanilla. “Dragon puffs?” he says, half in awe. It’s a clear bribe, but he can’t help but shove a sugar-coated sweet in his mouth anyway. They’re an Astorian original and possibly the best thing he’s ever tasted; he’d tried them once at a bakery near the castle and hasn’t stopped thinking about them since. 

“Okay, what do you want?” he says then, words muffled around the cream and pastry.

Ciara pulls a face at his manners, but still manages to blink innocently at him. “Can’t I just do something nice for a friend?” she tries, but it’s half-hearted.

He swallows and grins at her. “Nice try, Princess. Your dessert deliveries always come with an ulterior motive.”

Huffing a sigh, she sits down next to him. There’s this subtle air of anticipation lingering around her, one he can only sense based on how in tune they are after so long of being teammates. The two of them have this easy way of reading each other now; they’ve been spending more and more time together, something having shifted in their dynamic after the battle against Ryker. He can’t quite place what it is, but he knows it’s only brought them closer. “Do you know what the Council of the Five Kingdoms is?” she asks finally.

He shrugs. “Sure. Nobles from each kingdom used to have a big ball every year to talk trading and politics and other boring stuff…”

“Except there hasn’t been a council since Ryker’s invasion, because the kingdoms have been isolated and preoccupied with their own safety,” she finishes for him. Her fingers tug at the lacing of her leather gauntlets; she’s nervous, but he still isn’t sure why. “Now that Ryker isn’t a threat anymore, the councils are supposed to resume as planned, and Astoria is set to hold the first one two weeks from now.”

“Okay,” he says slowly. “That sounds exciting.”

Ciara nods. “It is! I finally get to meet some of the other nobility, and actually get to be involved in Astorian politics for once. But my dad won’t let me go without an escort,” she says, and then hesitates. “Which is where you come in.”

Arc chokes on his second dragon puff. “You want me to be your escort,” he says flatly, once he’s finished coughing, “to the Council of the Five Kingdoms?” Normally he’d jump at the chance to spend a night dressing up and eating castle food. But the council is a decidedly different scene; there’s a set of formalities, politics underlying everything, and too many chances for him to expose his lack of knowledge when it comes to Astorian customs. Not to mention that Catalias’ royals will be there. He doesn’t know if he can stomach looking them in the face, knowing what they did to Seagate.  

Ciara grimaces. “Look, I know it’s not exactly your thing, but my dad won’t let me go alone. And this really means a lot to me.” Her eyes are pleading, and Arc feels his resolve chipping away.

“Can’t one of your actual guards go with you?” he tries. “Or, Prudy or Warwick or someone?”

“I’ve already talked to my dad about it,” she explains. “You’re the only Knight School student he’d let protect me, because you already proved you could when Ryker invaded. Besides, if something were to happen…you’re the one person who knows I can handle myself as Ciara.”

There’s this brief stretch of silence where Arc works his bottom lip, and Ciara looks as though she’s debating something. “Also,” she adds finally, with the soft flicker of a hesitant smile, “I thought it might be fun to go with you.”

Arc blinks at her, caught off guard by the admission. There’s this sudden buzz in his chest that he can’t push away; in truth, he doesn’t like the idea of her spending the night with someone else either. Maybe, by some miracle, this will actually be a good thing. “Alright,” he relents. “I’ll be your escort.”

Ciara’s face breaks into a grin. “Yes! Thank you!” She throws her arms around him, and he’s shock-stilled, a rush of warmth flooding through him as he hugs her back. When she pulls away, her eyes are shining with excitement. “Okay, I’ve gotta go tell my dad you said yes, and there’s a million things to do, but I’ll see you at training later. You are the best.”

“I expect dragon puffs for life!” Arc calls after her as she disappears through her passageway. He leans back into the couch, lightheaded, and in that moment, he realizes abruptly that there’s almost nothing he wouldn’t do for her. 

And he is so completely screwed.

*

Two weeks later, Arc is standing outside Ciara’s bedroom, waiting for her to finish getting ready.

It feels odd to be out here in the open. Generally his visits to her chamber are accompanied by an air of secrecy, but tonight, he’s a guest in the castle. He’s dressed like it, too, decked out in the guards’ typical formal wear: pressed brown pants, a white shirt laced up the front, and a navy leather jacket trimmed in gold, with Astoria’s crest on one shoulder. He looks kind of dashing, honestly.

Despite the confidence boost his new look offers him, his hand keeps drifting to the hilt of his sword. It’s sheer force of habit; he only associates this brewing sense of apprehension with battle, and his muscles are responding in kind. He’s glad, at least, that he turned down the other guards’ offer to lend him one of their ceremonial blades and instead has the familiarity of his own. Hopefully he won’t need it, but it’s a steadying presence all the same.

“Almost ready!” Ciara calls from inside, and Arc carefully unclenches his fingers from around the leather grip of his sword. He has to keep it together tonight; she’s made it clear how much this means to her. The last thing he wants to do is embarrass her in front of nobles from all five kingdoms.

Well, four, he reminds himself. Seagate won’t be attending. There isn’t anyone left to represent them. 

The thought makes his stomach twist. 

He’s saved from having to dwell on it by the sound of Ciara’s door unlatching. “Better prepare yourself, Princess,” he teases, leaning against the wall, “I look pretty good, and the last thing we want is for you to get too smitten—”

He breaks off as she emerges from the doorway, all the air in his lungs leaving in a sudden rush. He’s trying hard not to be the cliche of a guy scraping his jaw off the floor at the sight of a pretty girl in a dress, especially not like this, with Ciara—but he can’t help but think that it’s ridiculously unfair of her to come out looking like that. Her dress is a pale blue, falling gently off her shoulders and cinching at her waist, and her tight curls are weaved with strands of gold and tied into a low knot, some of them falling loose to frame her face. There’s a crown of gold leaves and rosebuds settled in her hair. 

“You...um…” Arc searches for his voice, “you look amazing.” His mouth feels dry.

Ciara smirks and reaches up to adjust the collar of his uniform. “You don’t look so bad yourself. I’m definitely smitten,” she jokes, like it’s nothing for them to be flirting openly. It should be nothing. Except his skin burns where her fingers brush against his neck, and he suddenly wonders if she can hear his heart pounding.

He clears his throat. “We should probably get to the ballroom.” 

She nods. “Give me your arm,” she says, looking at him expectantly. When he raises an eyebrow, she continues, “You’re my escort, remember?” 

“Oh, right.” He lifts his arm obligingly, his cheeks warm.

“I really wish we’d had more time to go over Astorian customs,” she breathes as she takes it, more to herself than anything. “Between training and helping with preparations, I’ve been so busy…” His nerves must show on his face, then, because she squeezes his arm gently and amends, “Sorry. You’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just stay close to me, okay?”

“Not a problem,” he grins without missing a beat, and Ciara scoffs and shoves him, the smile tugging at her mouth taking all the bite away from it. 

They can do this, he thinks. The two of them have kept up appearances for each other for months now, have fought and trained and battled Ryker together. They’re Arc and Ciara, unstoppable duo. One little party should be nothing.

As they make their way down the hall towards the ballroom, flanked by guards, Ciara lowers her voice. “When we get there, most of the nobles should be inside already. The herald will announce my father first, then us, and then each of the other three kingdoms. We’ll be beside the thrones as they come in—you’ll stand by me, left side—and once they’ve all been announced, we can leave the thrones and mingle. Bow to each of the rulers as they come by.” 

They had, at least, practiced his bow. Arc swallows back the dread in his throat; all he has to do is stand beside her and greet the other royals, it’s easy enough. For a moment, they linger outside the entrance to the ballroom, until an official-sounding voice announces the King. “We’re next,” Ciara whispers to him, eyes glinting with excitement. “You ready?”

He nods back at her, and the voice calls, “Accompanied by Sir Arc...Princess Angelica of Astoria!” They step into the ballroom, greeted with applause. Arc doesn’t think he’s ever been in a place this lavish; the walls are white, accented in deep gold, and the floors are polished to a gleam. The ceiling looks hand-painted, ornately decorated in constellations and swirling designs, and crystal chandeliers dangle over their heads, casting a golden glow over the whole room. He tries not to look too awe-struck. 

They make their way to the platform on which the thrones rest, Ciara nodding and smiling and waving at the other nobles as they pass. She stands next to her father, and Arc takes his place on her other side, placing his hands behind his back and trying, for all the world, to look like he belongs there. He wonders suddenly if he’s stood too close to her, and if it would make things worse for him to shift over now, and if his indecision is showing on his face—

And then, almost imperceptibly and hidden from the ballroom’s view by the folds of her dress, Ciara reaches over and links her pinky with his. It’s a tiny gesture, a friendly reassurance, but Arc feels a tide of warmth swell in his chest all the same. He lets his gaze flit to her for just a moment, and her lips are graced with a small smile as she tugs his finger gently. 

His breath hitches, and he fights to keep his face a passive neutral as the herald announces the next kingdom and he turns his attention back to the doorway.

“Presenting King Hugo, Queen Luciana, and their son Prince Isaac of Catalias!” 

Arc’s stomach turns as the couple enters, trailed by their son, all three of them swathed in lavish red and gold. Their reputation precedes them; he knows little about the prince, but the king and queen are infamous for their hoarding of wealth, their favorance of the rich nobles and landowners of their kingdom over the common people. Arc knows them best for what they had done to Seagate. 

His hand twitches for his sword, but he fights against the instinct.

True to form, the two have a haughty look about them, all starched clothes and stiff smiles as they bow to Ciara and the King. The two of them return the greeting with Arc following their lead—grudgingly.

“I am so pleased you could join us tonight,” the King smiles, a little tight-lipped. “It is high time that Astoria and Catalias united again.”

King Hugo nods back. “I couldn’t agree more. The honor is ours.” 

Arc detects a veiled sort of tension between the two of them, hidden well underneath the cordial formalities. He glances at Isaac, whose eyes are trained intently on Ciara even as he and his parents move to greet the other guests. Something about it is unsettling.

He’s so focused on Isaac that he almost misses the herald’s announcement of the next kingdom. “Queen Damyanti, and her children Princess Aadhya and Prince Kavan of Khurjan!”

Queen Damyanti is the picture of elegance, draped in silver silk that almost seems to glow against her dark skin. Aadhya looks around fifteen, with the same deep eyes and regal expression, and Kavan must be ten or so. He grins toothily as the three of them approach the thrones and bow.

The King’s expression is much warmer now. “Queen Damyanti. It has been too long. I trust Khurjan is doing well?”

“Not quite as well as Astoria, perhaps,” she replies, and it’s teasing, no sharpness to it. “This ball is absolutely lovely. Princess Angelica, you look so beautiful. Just like your mother. I was so sorry to hear of her passing.”

Ciara’s eyes go soft. “Thank you, Queen Damyanti,” she nods back. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

“You as well. It’s a shame your sister couldn’t make it, but hopefully we’ll all gather again soon.” She gives a small, departing nod and joins the rest of the nobles, Aadhya giving them a bright-eyed smile and Kavan waving enthusiastically as they follow her. Ciara laughs. 

“And finally...King Jesper of Vysalt!”

Arc is confused for a moment; he wonders if he had remembered the name of Vysalt’s king wrong. Then a young man with a head of dark curls and a smattering of freckles against tawny brown skin enters, his crown just slightly crooked. His eyes are wide and dark, and a jagged, white scar cuts across his cheekbone. He can’t be much older than they are.

“He’s the king?” Arc whispers to Ciara under his breath as Jesper makes his way over to them. “How old is he?”

Her expression twists a little in sympathy. “Seventeen. He wasn’t supposed to inherit the throne so soon. His parents were killed when Ryker’s army took over his kingdom.”

Arc isn’t sure what to say to that. He knows what it’s like to lose everything to Ryker—he can picture the flames every time he shuts his eyes. But he hadn’t known about Vysalt or the fate of its royals. They had been close allies with Seagate at one point, one of the only other kingdoms without much wealth, and their king and queen had been known for their generosity. 

Somehow Arc had thought the damage had been done to Seagate alone, but now he wonders how the other kingdoms fared, if they suffered just as much. If any of them came out as unscathed as Astoria did.

“Your Majesties,” Jesper says as he bows, and there’s a note of pity in the King’s expression as he returns the gesture. Arc can only imagine how he feels about someone so close to his daughter’s age having to run a kingdom on his own. 

“King Jesper. How are you doing?” 

It’s a more personal question than he had asked the other royals, Arc notes. Jesper smiles easily; it’s soft, highlights his deep dimples and makes his dark eyes glimmer. “Well, thank you. Vysalt is recovering with time. As am I,” he adds, voice quieting for a moment.

The King nods back. “That’s good to hear. Let us know if there’s anything Astoria can do to help.”

Something flickers in Jesper’s expression, hard to read and gone so quickly that Arc wonders if he imagined it. The young king bows again before moving to join the others, but not before he catches Arc’s eye and smiles warmly. It surprises him—the other royals had hardly given him a second glance—but he returns it with one of his own. Beside him, Ciara lifts an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of amusement and something else he can’t place. 

“What?” he asks quietly, and she shakes her head, glancing away. 

“Nothing.”

He wants to pry, but the King is clearing his throat, getting ready to address the room. The chatter dies down as all eyes turn to him.

“My fellow Astorians,” he says in his deep, booming voice, sounding more formal than Arc has ever heard him, “and my guests from our neighboring kingdoms...I am honored to welcome you to our castle, and so pleased that we could all be in attendance tonight.”

Not all of us, Arc thinks, but no word of Seagate comes up. 

The King continues, “For decades, our kingdoms have been isolated and divided by Ryker’s armies. We have long suffered under his forces, but his threat is gone for good. Thus, tonight is more than a council; it is a symbol of our victory, a symbol of our unity as we move forward and rebuild. So enjoy yourselves! After all, we have so much to celebrate!”

To Arc, the sentiment feels hollow. He got his revenge, and of course he’s glad that Ryker can’t hurt anyone else, but it doesn’t change the fact that Seagate is in ruins. It feels suddenly difficult to celebrate with the weight of his village’s absence lingering in the air around him. The rest of the partygoers don’t seem to share his hesitance, though; the room breaks into applause and cheers, several of the guests raising their goblets jovially. 

Ciara gives him a subtle nudge, jolting him out of his thoughts. “Now we get to mingle,” she grins, leading him off the throne platform and towards the crowd. 

He follows dutifully as she heads toward the table where the other kingdoms’ royals have gathered, Astoria’s king staying behind to greet the other royals. Queen Damyanti is in conversation with King Hugo and Queen Luciana, but she doesn’t seem entirely pleased about it, and Jesper and Kavan are laughing at something Aadhya has said. Isaac hovers next to them, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. He has his father’s golden hair and clear blue eyes, but the frown on his face is entirely his mother’s.

It disappears, though, the moment he sees Ciara approaching them. “Princess Angelica,” he greets her, with a little too much enthusiasm for Arc’s liking, “I’m so honored to finally meet you. You’re even more radiant in person.” Before she can say anything, he takes her hand and kisses it swiftly. Arc narrows his eyes.

Ciara gives a forced-sounding chuckle and curtseys, pulling her hand back. “Thank you, Prince Isaac. I’m glad you could make it. Allow me to introduce Sir Arc, my guard and escort for the night.”

Arc bows—and if he never has to bow to another pompous royal again, he thinks, it’ll be too soon—and Isaac offers him a dismissive sort of half-smile. Any further interaction they would’ve had then is thankfully avoided by the other royals noticing Ciara’s arrival.

“Hi, Princess Angelica!” Aadhya says brightly, with a neat little dip of a curtsey, “I’m Aadhya.” When Ciara and Arc begin to return the gesture, she waves her hand with a tiny scoff. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Formalities. Just come sit.” She returns to her chair and pats the seat next to her, and Arc decides right there that he likes her.

Ciara takes the offered chair, and Arc takes the only other open spot, in between her and King Jesper. As Ciara launches into conversation with Aadhya, Jesper turns to him. 

“Hi,” he says, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I’m Jesper.”

Arc bites back a laugh at the unnecessary introduction. “I know who you are, Your Highness,” he replies lightly.

“I know. I was just trying to give you an opening to tell me who you are.”

Oh. That’s unexpected. There’s no prerogative behind his words, no assertion; Jesper’s grin is almost bashful, his voice easy and bright. He doesn’t sound like a king, just a seventeen-year-old boy trying to flirt. Arc can’t help but return his smile.

“I’m Arc,” he says. “Normally I’m a student at Knight School, but I’m the princess’s guard and escort for the night.” 

“Wait,” Aadhya pauses her conversation with Ciara to lean over and look at him, “You’re the Arc who defeated Ryker?” 

“I helped,” Arc says with a shrug, and the princess’s eyes go wide. She turns to Ciara.

“Were you there too?”

“I was—” Ciara pauses for a moment, “hiding. I was hiding. Arc got me to safety.” 

He grins a little at her, tongue between his teeth, knowing it must be killing her to hide what she was actually doing. She narrows her eyes and kicks his leg under the table in response, a silent shut up. He lifts his eyebrows, like, I didn’t say anything, and she rolls her eyes in an entirely non-subtle manner. 

Across the table, Queen Damyanti is watching their exchange with a raised eyebrow, Arc notices belatedly. She has a mildly amused look on her face, but doesn’t say anything about it. Instead, she states, “Battling Ryker face-to-face must have been quite the experience.” 

“What was it like?” Prince Kavan asks eagerly from beside his sister.

Aadhya elbows him. “Kavan,” she hisses, but Arc just grins.

“No worries. It was…” he trails, trying to think of what to say and suddenly aware that all the royals’ eyes are on him. He shifts in his seat. “It was scary, obviously. He had the Armor of Astoria, and a whole army with him, and most of the Astorian knights under his spell. But, y’know. We Knight School students are pretty formidable. We all took him on together. Wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise. I wasn’t half as scared as I would’ve been without my squadmates watching my back.”

He glances at Ciara, who smiles softly and nudges his foot, gentler this time. Jesper has that same unreadable look on his face and Aadhya has her chin propped in her hand, her expression amazed, but Queen Luciana gives a snide sort of scoff. 

“It’s a wonder it took so long to defeat him, then, if a group of students cut him down so easily,” she says. “Perhaps Ryker was never as great a threat as we all made him out to be.”

There’s a cut of silence across the table in which Jesper visibly stiffens. “With all due respect, Queen Luciana, Ryker’s attacks were devastating. Or have you forgotten what happened to my parents?” he demands, without any respect at all. His eyes are blazing. 

“I’m merely pointing out that the only real damage done was to the less...fortified kingdoms,” she sniffs. “Ryker only breached Catalias’s walls once, and he was driven out rather quickly.”

“Well, not every kingdom has Catalias’s resources.” Ciara sounds like she’s choosing her words carefully, frustration masked well behind them.

King Hugo gives a huff of a laugh; his blue eyes are cold. “My dear princess, you have no cause for indignation. Astoria lost the least to Ryker, what with your,” he waves a hand, “magic bubble.”

Ciara opens her mouth but falters, brow furrowed, and across the table, Queen Damyanti speaks up. “Nevertheless, Ryker was still a formidable enemy to all of us. We were only prepared for his attacks because he targeted Seagate and Vysalt first. And Seagate’s destruction is a clear example of his power.”

“Oh, even you can’t argue that Seagate was rotting long before Ryker got to it, Damyanti,” Hugo replies swiftly, and Arc’s breath catches in his throat. Queen Damyanti shrugs in agreement, her expression passive; Arc almost stands up, but Ciara’s hand on his leg underneath the table stops him. 

“Don’t,” she hisses, just barely loud enough for him to hear, “Let me handle this.”

Though as it turns out, she doesn’t have to. Before she has a chance to speak, Jesper is already bristling, his voice sharp: “As if Seagate’s corruption justifies the destruction of its people?”

“It’s thieves and criminals, you mean?” Isaac scoffs. “Seagate was a wasteland. The kingdoms are better off.”

The words ring in Arc’s ears, alongside the pounding of his blood. They sound painfully similar to what Ryker had said to him on the mountain—rats and thieves, I did the five kingdoms a favor—and he thinks fleetingly that he’s going to be sick. He’s always known that Seagate was looked down on by the other kingdoms, but hearing them say so casually that what happened, the flames and the destruction and all of the death, was deserved—

“The people were only thieves and criminals because Catalias took advantage of them,” Jesper argues. “I hope I don’t have to remind you that it was your government that poured money into the gangs of Seagate for their own profit and allowed them to stage a coup in the first place.”

The words are deadly and cold, but Arc feels a flash of admiration for Jesper; the king has no obligations towards Seagate, and yet defends it like his own. King Hugo’s gaze hardens. “You’re blaming Catalias for Seagate’s problems?” he says with a derisive laugh. “If anything, Ryker’s attacks only revealed that Seagate was a kingdom full of people that weren’t worth saving.”

“That’s enough,” Ciara says abruptly. Her hand tightens on Arc’s leg, and he can no longer tell if he’s the one trembling or if she is. There’s this burning fire behind her eyes; she looks, Arc thinks briefly, the same way she does in battle. “What happened to Seagate was a devastating tragedy, and I won’t let you treat it as otherwise. Those who disagree aren’t welcome here.”

It’s a weighted statement, one she doesn’t entirely have the formal authority to make, but no one dares to contest it. A heavy silence settles over all of them. Arc doesn’t know how long he can sit there with all the heat under his skin; he doesn’t remember when his hand found the hilt of his sword, only that he’s gripping it tight enough that the leather bites into his palm. He wants to stand up and tell them that none of them would be here if it weren’t for him, a thief from Seagate. In truth, the only thing holding him back is Ciara. In a battle between her steady hand and the storm in his chest, she wins without even trying.

He doesn’t say anything or look at her, but her gaze flits to him for a moment and she just knows, standing up. Before she even opens her mouth, Isaac is on his feet too. “Going so soon?” he asks. “Would you care to dance, Princess?”

She looks at him coolly for a moment. “I would, actually.” And then, she turns to Arc, offering him her hand, “Sir Arc, dance with me?”

Arc blinks up at her and takes it as he stands. “Absolutely, Princess,” he says, letting her lead him away from the table and glancing back only long enough to catch the dumbfounded expression on Isaac’s face.

[merlinssaggyyfronts]

BBC Merlin Rewatch:

01x01: The Dragon’s Call

—

FIRSTLY THE FUCKING DESCRIPTION LMAO “Merlin, a young country boy” COUNTRY BOY AHAHDHSNDH IF ONLY YOU KNEW!!! ITS LIKE SETTING SOMEONE UP FOR DISASTER BUT THEN AGAIN THEY WERE SO LIKE I MEAN-

aw look at merlin all happy and smily, walking into camelot like he isnt going to witness the death of his best friend/king and basically everyone he loves

LOOK AT HIM HES SO HAPPY!!! HE DOESNT KNOW YET

“like everyone, he must live and learn” yo shut ur bitchass up lizard man u literally tried to murder everyone in camelot that one time

“his name: traumatised 😍😍”

AH YES THE OPENING!!1!1!-!-! AHHH THE AMOUNT OF HAPPINESS I FEEL HEARING THE OPENING

fuck ur bitchass uther no one likes u

“i pride myself as a fair and just king” sir didnt u like basically kill ur wife... and thousands of peo- OH MY GOD MORGANA BB ILY

oh jesus okay hes dead um chile-

“when i came to this land” wait i thought he was raised kn camelot brb i forgot im an idiot wait,,, does this mean before this it was the du bois family on the throne of camelot?? also, mired in chaos? u mean like.... before ur wife died and everyone was living peacefully? ....okay

“merlin, seeing a person who's been stated had been studying magic get beheaded: [a magical being himself] ah,, welcoming.” -my gf

“since the great dragon was captured” ....so did no one think about where they put a dragon?? a captured one at that. ud think he’d be more smart but nah he just left a random ass dragon under his castle like THAT is going to end well

YUHH MARY COLLJNS HATE HIM!!! YELL BABEY YELL!!! “you took my son!” YES MURDER HIM OMG I CAN FEEL HER PAIN

“a son for a son!” omg why couldnt u have killed uther bb ur the perfect villain i love u ur literally just a loving mother i-

OOOOO GAIUS

.....why is there a bunny mask in there

why is thERE A BUNNY MASK-

why didnt merlins eyes glow when he dragged the bed to gaius to save him

also whats this slomo magic why didnt he do this after this why did season one haveso much magic and like every other season was just everyone throwing it back

like i get instinctual magic but like.... if its instinctual wouldnt it happen more especially when his powers get stronger-

gaius: what did you just do?!

also gaius, five seconds later: i know what it was!! i just wanted to know where you learned it

merlin: 😐

merlin, about his magic: i was born like this

gaius, who knows full well warlocks exist: impossible!

(are warlocks naturally born knowing how to use magic without learning? i mean if u have to learn magic like a sorcerer then whats the difference between a warlock and a sorcerer cuz wouldnt sorcerers atleast have to have some magic in them to actually cast spells? am i dumb or do i just not get it)

wait so merlin arrived in camelot on a wednesday

merlin, walking into camelot: it is wednesday my dudes

merlin: [witnesses an execution] aaaAAAAAA-

“someone that might help him find a purpose of his gifts” oh honey he’ll get something mUCH LARGER THAN THAT-

—

oH MORGANA

SHUT UR BITCHASS UTHER SHE WILL KILL YOU-

“the more brutal you are, the more enemies you’ll create” oh the waY SHE PREDICTED THEIR FUTURE OO

ah bless u lady helen/mary collins we love them spicy villains

...why do you have a dressing table in a tent

[watches mary collins murder lady helen] i never snitch on dadd- ...someone pls delete me

merlin, about his instinctual magic: i just do it!

gaius: ...lord have mercy what did i just sign myself up to

what ever happened to sir olwen did he die from accidentally overdosing

—

oHHH THERE HE IS THERE HE IS THERES MY BOY!!! MY LIL PRAT MAN!!!!

merlin looks so offended, oh god i could watch this whole scene for HOURS

oooOOOO YES MERLIN FUCK HIM UP!!! SHOW HIM WHOS BOSS

“do i know you?” “im merlin” “so i dont know you” ugh theres already sexual tension

“i would never have a friend who could be such an ass” “or i one so stupid”

also them, ten years later: “i use my magic for you arthur, only you” “just hold me” “i cant lose him! hes my friend!” “thank you..”

“tell me merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?” OOOOH THE BOYS ARE FLIRTING

NOT THE “would you like me to help you?” SIR YOU ARE FLIRTING SO INTENSELY AND DONT EVEN REALISE IT SIR DO YOU KNOW YOURE FALLING IN LOVE

im convinced atleast half the knights with arthur were like “ayo thas kinda sus bro 😳😳 ayo 😳😳”

arthur: tell me merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees? would you like me to help you?

merlin: ....i really dont know how to answer that

imagine being paid to throw fruits at colin morgan omg id be so thrilled

OOOH HERE COMES OUR QUEEN GWEN!!! MY LOVE MY EVERYTHING YES ILY

gwen: well, arthur looks like one of those, save the world kinda men... and you dont

merlin, 1500 years later, having failed his destiny: well i mean you’re not wrong

—

gaius: uther banned magic a long time ago

merlin, flabbergasted as if he wasnt raised on tales of the death of his kind every day in the kingdom right next to his: why?!?!?

gaius: the dragon is imprisoned where nobody can free him

merlin:

(that is the face of someone knowing full well hes going to free that dragon. look at him. he’s already made up his mind.)

—

[sees merlin and arthur in the marketplace] oh heres he is again heres the lil bitxh ooo theyre about to FIGHT

god hes flirting so hard without even realising it, oh my god

“i could take you apart with one blow” “i could take you apart with less” um sirs this is a mcdonalds drive thru 😃

arthur: ahah, you’re in trouble now~ 😏😏

i had to pause cuz wHAT THE HELL WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE THAT-

—

....yall are yelling very loudly, um, arent there guards near yall? people passing by? please relax

“im just a nobody, and i always will be” OH IF ONLY YOU KNEWWW

“if i cant use magic, i might as well die” ....well, ive got a surprise for you-

“maybe theres someone with more magic than me?” like... a whole dragon? i mean if you say so 👀

merlin about why he was born like this: if you cant tell me, no one can!

a fucking dragon, basically every magical creature and the druids: WELL-

the camelot guards are so stupid how the hell is this kingdom still standing

how does kilgharrah know merlins name? in prophecy hes known as emrys (and we see basically every magical being call him emrys and not merlin,, i think). so how does he know? did he stretch his neck long enough that he could somehow hear merlin? is it cuz theyre kin? is it cuz merlin and gaius were yelling so loudly that kilgharrah could hear them all the way in his cave? ig we’ll never know 🖐

merlin: where are you?!

kilgharrah:

kilgharrah: without you, arthur will never succeed.

merlin: ....oh look, im already paranoid

the amount of sadness i feel hearing kilgharrah say “none of us can choose our destiny, merlin. and none of us can escape it” is INSANE cuz in season one you can SEE merlin trying to escape it. hes doing his damned best trying to have some control over his life. and then in later seasons you can see the light slowly drain from his eyes as he becomes just another toy for the gods to be entertained by. he realises he cant control a single thing about his life so he does the one thing he can: protect arthur. and he loses SO MUCH because of it! its not fair, he deserved so much, and when he finally got everything he could ever ask for, it was taken away from him by his own mistakes.

arthur, seeing morgana in a beautiful dress: god have mercy 😍

uther: .....um

the way they set arthur and morgana up as if they arent gonna make them siblings i- what the fawk 😄

person A, who knows arthurian lore: oh no! arthur is going to have an affair with morgan(a) and have mordred! oh no!!

person B, whos seen merlin: oh no in this show its worse

person B, knowing full well theyre siblings: much worse....

gwen: who’d wanna marry arthur? 🙄

-

gwen, getting crowned queen of camelot: well fuck

hhhnghnh yes queen sing them to sleep yes murder his bitchass (and fail but like its the thought that counts)

on a sidenote tho this is such a fun way to murder someone, id try this

the absolutely OFFENDED “FATHER!” and the horrified look in arthurs eyss when uther announced merlin would be his manservant is PRICELESS OMG

oh the way uther unintentionally plants the first seed of his sons love story omg 😍😍

Conclusion: this episode is a 10/10 greatest episode with so many iconic scenes omg. mary collins u will forever have my heart for unintentionally kickstarting merlin and arthurs relationship destiny. i loved the whole thing and oh GOD does it already hurt knowing full well how the show ends

[mothsocks99]

Deltarune stuff I noticed/theories

SPOILERS!

(This is just a place I’m putting my thoughts and theories on deltarune, mainly chapter 2. Ignore this if you want ffff)

Okay so. Some stuff I’m noticing. Other dark worlds must still exist even w/o the knight opening a fountain. Fountains just connect the light world to the dark world, it doesn’t actually create them (which I’m sure has been figured out already, I’m just slow). We can confirm this bc king and queen already know each other even though they live in other worlds + ralsei knows that darkeners turn to stone in other dark worlds, which implies he’s aware of the other worlds.

Kris might not actually be the knight. Before you fight queen as a boss, she mentions that any lightner with enough Determination can open a dark fountain. So maybe kris is just determined to do so. In fact, I have a theory that ralsei wants kris to keep opening fountains…(also I feel that kris being the knight is a bit too obvious, or at least, not as big of a deal in the grand scheme of things if it’s being revealed this early)

I think when ralsei asks you to ‘imagine what Susie is doing right now’ in both chapter 1 and 2, ralsei takes that time to talk to kris without you, the player, being privy to their conversation. Ralsei is always caught saying “so that’s why..” right as Susie comes back to the party (as well as the player). Perhaps ralsei is telling kris things they don’t want the player hearing, and I think it might be ralsei asking kris to open dark fountains. Why? Maybe to keep getting access to other dark worlds and the darkners who live there. I think ralsei wants you to keep recruiting more darkners to castle town. For what, idk, but probably not something great. The card kingdom used to be ruled by four kings until the knight appeared and took the king of spades under their control. But now, after defeating the king, ralsei is the sole ruler, which definitely works in his favor.

I’m don’t think ralsei is evil per say, but obviously suspicious. He already knows kris and susie’s names before meeting them, he seems to be aware of game mechanics (more so than other characters) much like sans and flowey, he was able to make it to the library + the dark world that was opened there all on his own, he seemed quite dismissive after the spamton fight etc. But I don’t think that makes him an antagonist quite yet, I feel like that’s too on the nose for toby.

When the angel or angel’s heaven is mentioned in Undertale and deltarune it always makes me think of asriel. I think it used to be common to assume the angel was referring to frisk and/or kris but asriel makes more sense to me; Asriel is the name of an angel of death in Christian lore, which helps. In Undertale when asking about the ‘Delta Rune’ it’s said the angel will either set everyone free or kill everyone in the underground as an ‘angel of death’. Which refers to the Undertale pacifist fight w/ asriel as he both technically kills everyone before the fight and sets everyone free after the fight (plus he literally has rainbow angel wings, so). So when it comes to deltarune, maybe the asriel of this universe has been to the dark world before and influenced it? Or maybe it’s straight up referring to ralsei instead as he is probably connected to asriel? Idk mannn

Also I can’t wait to find out what happened with asgore and the police + what’s up with Noelle’s mom. And of course what’s behind the bunker in the woods. I’m also curious about what onion means about the familiar song they’re hearing,, just so much to look forward to!

(I may add to this later, I just wanted to get all my thoughts out)

[lealhoundradagon]

Riftlands (Theory/Analysis)

Today in the leaks have revealed a lot about the world even if it doesn’t seem so at first.

Warning: This will deal with potential spoilers and will include images from the leaks. If you wish to not see anything, don’t go below.

So, we have learned about the Riftlands which is presumably the country/place in which Elden Ring takes place in. Let’s get definitions out of the way first. What is a rift?

In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics.

Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben with normal faulting and rift-flank uplifts mainly on one side. Where rifts remain above sea level they form a rift valley, which may be filled by water forming a rift lake. The axis of the rift area may contain volcanic rocks, and active volcanism is a part of many, but not all, active rift systems. (source)

So, with this we can presume the lands are just a bunch of rifts or cracks in the ground. Now, in the trailers we don’t really see anything like that. Anywhere, but we might see a Rift Lake from where the Dragon Lands. Though, this isn’t likely: 

And the next thing about the Riftlands is the ruins. In all that we see there are just many broken places and architecture. The architecture and the themes of the Riftlands seem very Celtic as well. Not only that some parts feel almost Dwarven. Which is still Celtic but holds a more fantasy and homebrew feel, not entirely connected to reality.

We also have all of the Castles in the trailers which honestly all vary in style. We have a very Celtic castle and then we have a more French Style castle in other places. Of course, we have no idea what that means or why its so inconsistent. It’s possible that the Riftlands are a cultural Melting Pot of sorts which we see in real life as well. Or at the very least the Older Settlers were more of a Celtic type and now many kinds of people now settle in. That is what happened with Bloodborne with the older parts resembling more Pthumerian architecture and the further up, the newer the architecture is. In the trailers we seem multiple castles, whether these are places we have to go, this also leads back to a 4chan leak we had last year where it says there are 8 Kingdoms. With this information and the fact we see so many, this is probably true and there’s 8 kinds of people inhabiting the Riftlands.

Next we have environment and such, In the leaks we see regular land, fields and snow. Meaning the land, as we can guess, is extremely large and varied without say like Dark Souls 1 and 3 where the only snow area was through a painting or with Irithyll and the reason it’s so cold is due to a permanent moon. It seems like it’ll be natural and much cleaner.

Then we have the possible importance of the Moon. In a lot of shots we see the Moon. In Celtic Lore the Moon is a great source of power and has many gods associated with it. It is basically a divine thing and here it seems it is no different. In the Boss Fight cutscene it seems the Moon’s power is being used or the Moon is being protected. Whether its because it is powerful or possibly it contains the secret of the titular Elden Ring is unknown as there is no information. The Moon in everywhere its shown is a beautiful blue and shines the sky very nicely.

Then we have the World Tree, this isn’t the same name it has most likely, but it’s definitely what this is. The World Tree is a common mythological thing where it holds many of the world’s secrets or places. This is presumably the case with Elden Ring too. Though, this could just be a very, very large tree such as an Arch Tree from Dark Souls. There seems to be a few of these in the world though but maybe not to this stature. But we won’t know until we get more, anyways. What these trees mean could be anything to people living in them or a portal to another plane. Whichever it is, it is an interesting world asset and will definitely have a great aesthetic.

Let’s talk religion. Already we can tell Elden Ring will feature an organized religion such as Bloodborne (Blood and Great Ones), Sekiro (Buddhism), Dark Souls (Way of White) and Demon’s Souls (Church of God). We can tell due to the amount of religious clothing and not to mention the literal cathedral we see with a lot of seats. This leads back to the Moon where it is likely that the Moon is worshipped due to its Great Power. It’s also assumed that the Elden Ring is linked to this religion in some fashion which wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest. The boss we were shown can only be described as a religious leader of some sort, the clothing basically gives it away. 

Next, let’s talk about the Giants. As I said in my previous post, Giants seem to be enslaved, they are literally chained and forced to be walked. They also seem to be impaled with some sort of stake, why this is I have no idea. This immediately opens the world up to multiple kind of beings, such as Dark Souls. We have yet to see other kinds of creatures but I assume again by the leaks, Elves will be involved and possibly other types of creatures.

Now we get to Dragons. Dragons are very cool. But all we know is that they just exist, sadly we don’t get much about them. It seems they appear in open air and possibly in catacombs, which is kinda terrifying.

(Circled it)

And let’s talk about the Sea of Fog. It was mentioned once and was said that the way we(the Player Character) manage to get through the Riftlands is through that. Assumedly it is not a real Sea but only just a vast and large area where there is just a lot of fog and it leads to the Riftlands, it is not known if the Sea holds any power or mystique all we know now is that it just is a space between.

Lastly, let’s talk about the Sky. Yes! The Sky. In the trailers we see Sun and Moon but we also see a Red sky, very cloudy. And this actually may have some importance. It’s the exact same sky in the trailer.

I have no idea what this sky means but it’s obviously something that happens when the world changes, which has been a thing since Dark Souls.

And extra note about races, whatever that guy is, it seems that brute men are in this world too, I guess? Doesn’t seem like a Giant, but yeah. Not to mention there’s also the thing with him fading away but I’ll be honest, I have NOTHING on that, I can’t even guess what that’s about.

So, that’s where we end off here, if I find anything or update this post I will let you know on top! :) Thank you for reading, I know nothing is set in stone but I did this for fun and I love analysis.

[siderealsentinel]

TDP Theories - A Small Collection

This theory post is a bit of a mixed bag, and comes off the back of my previous theory, 'Elarion - The Sixth Kingdom.' If you haven't read that yet, I recommend it.

~Dawn of Dark Magic~

I want to begin by approaching the origins of dark magic. We know Aaravos had a big part to play in the humans' learning dark magic, but I don't think he actually taught them. I don't think he even intended for them to learn it. I think he tried to teach them primal magic, but something went wrong, and humans themselves discovered a kind of magic that shouldn't have existed. The poem of Elarion talks about how the 'stars went black,' the Startouch elves turning their backs on the humans when they asked for help. There must have been a reason for this - the elves knew that trying to teach magic to humans would not end well... so why did Aaravos? Perhaps he was too young, maybe even naive, and didn't understand how much potential there was for trouble. As a talented mage himself, with a vast array of powerful magic at his fingertips, he'd be all too ready to show off his magical prowess to humans by trying to teach them. Possible, too, is that his array of power has muted his abilities as a Startouch elf... or maybe, he just really wanted to believe humans could do good with magic. Think back to the very first time we see Aaravos. In the battle against the dark mages, he's at the forefront of an army of elves of all races and genders, and he's accompanied by what appear to be the leaders of the other races. Now, why would he side with the elves? He's a powerful archmage, with a whole following of humans who now know dark magic. Why wouldn't he stand and fight with them instead? He doesn't want to. He's ashamed of the magical atrocity he inadvertently brought about, and aids the elven races in an attempt to right his wrongs. But somewhere during the battle, it comes out that Aaravos is the reason the humans found dark magic. Betrayed and angered, the other races sealed him away.

~More on Elarion~

Onto Elarion. I've covered my thoughts on Elarion in my previous theory post, but I wanted to include something extra here. I'm a big fan of cliche romantic tropes, but Elarion being a woman in love with Aaravos? This feels far too cliche for the TDP world. That's not all though. Think once again to the elves standing before the army. Crowns, staves and garbs signifying their high status amongst their races. Leaders, and some do not stand alone. Whether comrades, siblings, or partners, these elves are accompanied by someone important to them. And yet, Aaravos stands alone. No man - or woman - beside him. No Elarion. It's this solitary presence that leads to me believe he and Runaan have no relationship whatsoever - but more on that later.

~Squishy Startouches~

A moment to talk about Startouch elves themselves. Beautiful and rarely seen, many fans believe them to be something akin to gods... but I'm afraid I must disagree. I realize that, as I'm writing this post, Aaravos is the only Startouch elf we have seen so far, but this does not mean he should be a benchmark against which to measure the rest of his race. He is a renowned archmage, magically the strongest of the strong. By lore, star magic “draws on the vast and timeless power of the cosmos, and involves divination, cosmic vision, and seeing into the ‘beyond.’" Now, it's easy to liken these abilities to something of the gods. But look at the scene where Aaravos performs the magic spell with Viren. He cuts himself. He bleeds. He is flesh-and-blood. Mortal - though long lived - like any other elf or human. Startouch elves are not gods. Maybe, just maybe, they're even the weakest of the elven races. Their abilities revolve around skills like divination and future sight. While powerful abilities at certain times, these skills are not suited for combat or war. Perhaps this is the true reason Startouch elves are so rare. They are vulnerable, and prefer to stay safe, hidden away, out of the potentially violent affairs of others.

~Aaravos is Watching~

Last but certainly not least, the mirror. Part 1. There's a theory revolving around this that I like to call 'Aaravos is watching.' I've seen parts of this theory floating around, but I wanted to reiterate it here. For the first while, almost every time we see the mirror, it is simply just that. It reflects everyone and everything as it should. That is, until Viren activates it. Even as he is yelling at the mirror, his reflection is completely normal. But, right before we see Aaravos's room for the first time, we're shown Viren's reflection again, only... it isn't. Physically, Viren's design is rather symmetrical. The most notable exception being the longer top part of his hair - the 'swoop' if you will - which sits slightly angled to his right. In an ordinary reflection, his hair would also swoop to his right (the reflection’s left). In this scene with the mirror however, his swoop sits to the left (the reflection’s right). When the mirror is active, his reflection is not actually reflected. Fastforward to the third time we see Aaravos himself. Before he disappears, we see him take up the flames of his fireplace, and snuff them out the same way Viren did. This is purely a parlor trick, designed to intimidate Viren, and not just because he can magically put out a fire. Once the fire is out, the mirror blackens, and once again we see Viren's 'unreflection', quickly followed by a starry hand against the other side of the glass. The mirror is still active. Aaravos is watching. He used that specific trick to kill his fire because he saw Viren do it. Even when the glass is black, Aaravos can see everything. With this in mind we go back, to when Viren shows the mirror to the captured Runaan. From the angle we're given, we can see the elf's eyes move as he studies his own reflection. Or rather, his unreflection. He's never met Aaravos, he's too young, but he knows the story of the mirror, and the archmage trapped within.

~Worse Than Death~

Now the mirror, part 2. Some people tend to think that Runaan was part of the dragonguard, or played some other special role that lead to his knowledge of the mirror. I don't think this is the case. In fact, I'm quite sure the story of Aaravos and the mirror is common knowledge, a well-known part of elven history. Even in the library of Katolis Castle - a human library - Viren manages to find not one but several books, containing rather extensive passages about Aaravos. (That is until said elf erases them - or does he?) While most humans might be ignorant to the history of Aaravos, it is not a secret. This is why Runaan knows. Why he does his best to remain steadfast in the face of potential torture and death. The archmage, the bringer of dark magic itself, is watching. This suggests that elves not only know of Aaravos, but fear him. It's possible that the archmage was so powerful, that the other elves could not destroy him, and trapped him in the mirror as a last resort. Equally possible, is that they decided death would be too merciful, and trapped Aaravos with the mirror as punishment, doomed to watch and serve the dark magic he facilitated for the rest of time. In either case, just how much power does the mirror itself have, to keep such a powerful mage contained? "That mirror? You have found something worse than death." Was Runaan really talking about Aaravos? Or was he literally referring to the mirror itself?

Well, there you have it. I know this was a big read and a bit of a waffle, but I hope this gave you some interesting things to think about, and as always I'd love to hear what others think!