#i think fitz and marella could have an interesting dynamic?

[camelspit]

Oooh why are you a Lava Cake hater? I’m so curious

😔😔😔 ive been discovered /j

I'm not even really a hater I'm just strongly. disinterested in it. It doesn't do anything for me, and I'm struggling to see how it got so popular (no hate to the shippers though lmao have fun!!!)

maybe this is gods revenge for the garvar era. punishing me for my crackship with another one. 😔

[thelavendernarwhal]

I received an ask that a person wanted answered anonymously, so:

But I really, truly cannot stop thinking about this one scene in Legacy. It’s around page 351.

“You mean having Dizznee pull some money from your birth fund and then hitting up a shop for a couple of minutes?” Keefe asked. “Yeah, Dex told me all about how not exhausting that was last night, when he checked in to tell me how things went for you two in London, while someone was off doing something with Mr. Forkle…”

So what I’m hearing is sleepy Dex on call with Keefe? Dex telling Keefe that he’s tired? A cute little nightly convo?

Side note, why was Dex tired? Does his ability make him tired? I need more elaboration, Shannon.

This scene is hella interesting to me since you look at it and it immediately seems like a Sokeefe scene, but in the middle, it has this seemingly random shift into talking about a completely different character dynamic. The context this snippet falls into is Keefe trying to cheer up Sophie after she had an argument with Mr Forkle. It all makes sense within of their relationship and dynamic, but this bit of dialogue is communicating something pretty different. It’s pointing out that Keefe and Dex have a close friendship that Sophie isn’t super aware of and that Sophie doesn’t spend a lot of time with/pay attention to Dex. 

Both of these things can be chalked up to the fact the story is from Sophie’s perceptive. The big plot details have to happen or be explained to her or else they won’t make it to the reader. That doesn’t leave a lot of page time for banter, especially for a character like Dex who’s narrative role can mostly be done off stage. Of course, Dex’s character can be used for a lot more than ‘cool gadget guy’ (ie class divides, matchmaking/queer allegories, parallels to many other characters, etc), but that’s a whole different can of worms. Having moments like this that show things happening outside of Sophie helps establish a larger, more lively world. It shows that Sophie isn’t the center of the universe. 

But these little moments can be established with many different characters. There are so many background dynamics and friendships that can be leveraged for this purpose which makes it interesting that specifically Keefe and Dex are highlighted. In fact, these two are highlighted in this way fairly often. Back in book 3, the two of them hit it off quickly and spend more time together outside of a group setting which then translates into many Keefex moments (including getting their team/ship name). Late night calls are probably pretty common. 

But what really gets me about all of this is the casualness and I think it's because few other relationships in this series have that. Even characters that are established to be best friends have a good amount of tension between them (ie Fitz and Keefe, Sophie and Dex, Stina and Marella), but Keefe and Dex don’t have that. There’s a sense of stability and trust. They hang out and talk to each other without a practical reason to do so. Dex feels okay complaining to Keefe about projects and, presumably, feelings of isolation. Especially seen in Unlocked, Keefe trusts Dex to help him and hear some of the ugly things he doesn’t want to say to Sophie. There's definitely a lot of room for cute late night conversation on call, but also for a chill relationship in a sea of high-tension dynamics. 

The length of this thing kind of got away from me but that's my take :) 

(Also, I'm exploring a lot more of the mechanics of technopathy in my own writing, so I think that it's possible that Dex’s experience is something very similar to Keefe’s as the Forbidden Cities has more integrated technology that seemingly ‘speaks’ to Dex. That could be very overwhelming for him, hence why he's tired.)

[ohmygoly]

omg okay so I've decided I'm going to rank my favorite kotlc characters. This just includes the main kids though because I actually suck at caring about the adults in the fiction I read. I love Grady, Edaline, Della, Tiergan, etc etc but I would never rank them above the main cast so oh well. Uh I'll just do this list style I guess. You can just keep reading if you care (I'm new to this site so I hope I did that keep reading function right).

13. I feel so bad for this but I put Keefe here. Maybe if I reread the books I would change my mind but where I stand he's one of the more boring, cookie-cutter boys in the series. He's got the parental issues, the comedic mask, etc etc. I don't hate him, he's an interesting character who I ship with Sophie but I just couldn't put him above the other characters is all

12. I put Linh here. I think the way Shannon handles her personality is odd from what I remember. I think in my head I like her more than I like her in the books because she just turns into a mean girl kinda as Stina's friend and she doesn't understand Tam at all once he gets back from the Neverseen. She doesn't leave room for him to change from his experiences. Again, I need to reread the books but thats my quick take. PS. Its really weird how much she dislikes Rayni and I just think she needs to relax a little bit. If she can consider forgiving her parents she can trust Tam's judgement a little bit more.

11. I think Wylie's pretty cool. He's definitely older and more mature than a lot of the other guys are and he has potential to be very relevent to the plot right now. He's just a very mid character for me though, I just don't have many strong feelings for him.

10. Maruca is a pretty cool person. I admire her determination and her willingness to put herself out there to help even when Wylie protests. She is the only helpful Psionipath we know so she's special in a way and she is best friends with one of my favorite characters! I'm also very interested in her dynamic with Biana pre-Sophie and I just want to know how that switch to Stina happened in detail.

9. Jensi goes here. I love Jensi! I think he's very cheerful and it's very cool to have a talentless elf Sophie's age, and as one of her first friends at Foxfire. He's different from the rest of the drooly boys from the start which I find compelling and I would love to see another character compete with Sophie for talents. I remember he was the only other elf who could explode the ball with his mind like Sophie did. Thats pretty cool and unaddressed as of right now but seeing as he joined their table when Foxfire started back up I imagine he'll get a bit of development so yay! Also, I always like imagining him in a fun pre-Sophie dynamic with Dex and Marella as an opposite to Biana, Fitz, and Keefe (and I guess Maruca haha) and whenever I can imagine someone being in a cool group dynamic they usually go up in points so oops.

8. Ooh its Rayni time! I think she's a much more interesting flasher character than Wylie is at the moment. She was part of the Neverseen, she encouraged Sophie to take action (I still don't like how they reacted to Sophie. As if Sophie did the wrong thing) and best of all Rayni is close with Tam for unknown reasons and I love Tam and I trust his judgement and she seemed really nice in his pov at first. I also just really love a bit of that shade and flasher dynamic especially considering they're both pretty powerful supposedly and aided in Keefe's transformation. Sooo yeah! Rayni is pretty cool, I like her attitude but she needs to be a little less attached to that cloak and a little more ready to cooperate I think.

7. Sophie is the main character so naturally I won't like her the best lol. But I actually like her a bit better than I typically care for main characters so that's still a win! She's very strong and she's finding her way. She has a human perspective and cool abilities and I think that if she became more independent of the Black Swan she could be even cooler. I still love that she burned that hideout and stood up to Lord Cassius, and she's also respectful of people's mind privacy. I do wish that her view of the Lost cities was expanded or that we got to know more about the other character dynamics outside of Sophie but everyone wishes that for every side character so it's not her fault lol.

6. Marellaaaaa. She's cool, she has fire powers, and she has an interesting home and social life. I think its great she's also getting lessons from Fintan, would love more on that. Fire is my favorite element, btw. I already technically did an analysis on her but I find the way she rejected female friendships to be interesting more than annoying and I also would love to see her have more of a childhood friend dynamic with Dex but I guess thats just not how theyre set up. I also love her hair with the little braids, its very cute.

5. Top five baby! Biana is amazing! I love that she didnt like Sophie at first and I like how it wasnt like she actively bullied Sophie she just didnt make her her business, which is totally fair. I think Biana's struggle of being under Fitz's spotlight is a great dynamic to see play out and honestly Biana is just a girl's girl. She's feminine, she's strong, and I really wish she was the one to kill Vespera but instead it was Gisela and that still makes me upset. Oh well, Biana is amazing, strong, and feminine and I love that for her! I want to see more of her desire for attention or insecurities, maybe even her friendship with Maruca being reflected upon or renewed.

4. Dex is a technopath. Therefore he is cool, despite what he thinks about the ability. Have I been called a nerd my whole life? Yes. My opinion on cool definitely still counts I promise! He can't be simplified down to a cinnamon roll, he's got a lot of anger at the class system that needs to be addressed and is totally valid. I love his dynamic with Stina, his loyalty and innocence, his distrust of the Vackers, and now his concern for Rex. He's also infinitely cooler being a student of Tinker who I also think is really really awesome.

3. TOP THREE. Okay my third is Fitz Vacker. Yes, he has some anger issues but my boy is very generous and sweet and he is remorseful for his actions. I think that he's not as angry as everyone makes him out to be and I like his arc of being the golden boy much more than Keefe's dynamic of being the disappointment. And he has a lot more experience with the human world than most elves but I feel like fandom kinda throws that under the rug. I want to see his collection! And he bakes. I bake too so I love that he bakes and he bakes for people he cares about. Why would he commission Keefe to make a painting when he could've just baked Sophie's favorites and shown he cared in his own time consuming way? Anyways, I can already imagine his innocent charming smiles and I like brunettes too, sorry. And he definitely has a maturity Keefe doesn't have. I don't ship Sophitz, I just think Fitz is better. He does care about his status tho and what an interesting dynamic is it to have a hero who actively helps fight the bad guys but also still has to confront his own support of the class system in place? He's not bad, just morally grey!

2. I love Stina soooo so so so much. I know a lot of that is headcannon and fandom but I still do. She was mean in the first books and I think the mean girls are usually the most fun. I think its not only because you can channel your own internal aggression into them but also because they're a refreshing critic to the main character when everyone else enables them. I love that she takes care of unicorns and she probably rides them and I have channeled my minor love for music into Stina potentially having a huggggee love for it. If she ever discovered human music (unless she has in which case she's already in love). I love her friend group in the recent books and I think shes just herself and she attracts others who wsnt to be themselves. Now animal kidnapping and bullying is certainly not okay, but come on I wish Dex and Stina were portrayed on even playing fields because it would've been so much more fun and plausible that Dex and Stina both just equally hate and torment each other. She wants to be more involved in fighting and she has a loving home life so I love that for her. She'd be a great commentary on societal expectations which is such a contrast to Fitz actively supporting some of these expectations and that is so cool to me. Anyways, sorry I love Stina.

Okay, so it's hard to decide if I truly like Tam more than Stina but at this moment I will say that I do. Tam is a very interesting character. He's loyal to those he cares about but he makes himself appear to be very standoffish and suspicious. Its like, he has trouble letting you in but once you are he isnt letting you face anything alone. He's got his own morals and that includes not hurting anyone but he's not self righteous about it. I love his banter with Keefe, I love that he has common sense. I love that he is canonically a reader because I also love books and I feel like he could be known for having a great imagination or researching some cool things, whichever way his book preferences sway. His relationship with Rayni is so interesting and so is the shade/flasher dynamic. I think Tam and Keefe will have a different dynamic after this and I really want to see Tam address his parents more clearly and I want a conversation with Linh because she's trying to forgive her parents and also not trusting Tam or Rayni. Tam's whole aesthetic is so cool too. You might think he's emo, but he's not. He just likes black and that's totally fine. Shadow magic is also so interesting, and I have more thoughts on that for later. He has a relationship with the gnomes and the dwarves now technically. He has survival experience and he is one of the few who has full skill training that he could utilize. Anyways, I love love love Tam so there ya go. He's at the top and Keefe's at the bottom. Oops, not oops tho.

[bookwyrminspiration]

What if when Sophie came to the lost cities the black swan had been overthrown, and their leaders arrested. So by the time she arrived, she doesn’t have that same support. I think it’d take the story in a crazy, but fun new direction.

oh that would be very interesting--not only would she have significantly less guidance at the start of the series, but depending on how the Black Swan were handled, the attitude towards Sophie could be quite different; she'd be the product of known convicted criminals, not just the odd human girl.

She was observed when she first arrived, but I imagine that would've been much more intense in this situation. I wonder when she would've arrived, actually. Because Alden didn't find Sophie by his own work, Mr. Forkle led him to her. So without him, when on earth would Sophie have been brought to their world? Would they have discovered that sort of information through a mind break and located her around the same time, or would years pass?

I'm imagining the Mr. Forkle who posed as her neighbor might've escaped being arrest, which would create an interesting dynamic with her having one singular influence and resource.

But that aside, without the rest of the Black Swan able to work masterfully behind the scenes, there'd be no notes, no clues to prompt hidden memories. It would require a lot more work on Sophie's part to figure things out--which, depending on when she was brought to the lost cities and how (agreeing it was the best decision vs council forcing her, for example), she may or may not be capable of.

I'm also curious how that would impact her morals and sense of right; we see her learning from and guided by the Black Swan for most of the series before she branches out, following their methodology and beliefs on the limits. If they were never there, what's stopping her from going a step further much sooner? Especially if she's being more heavily monitored/judged and in order to make any impact she has to push harder--side note: I feel like in that case she might become similar to Tam in her disdain, she didn't do anything but exist and need help and this is what they did?

Would she be allowed to attend Foxfire with a significant association with a serious criminal organization? Even if she hasn't done anything yet, she might. And if she doesn't go to Foxfire (or is too old when brought), her friend group would be entirely different. She might not even have a friend group and it would instead be her against the world, perhaps a few misfits gathered along the way. Fitz might still be around because he found her, but Biana might stay bratty. She wouldn't meet Marella or Jensi, and she wouldn't have been adopted by the Ruewens (because confirmed huge Black Swan association when he thinks they killed Jolie? no way) so no meeting Dex. If she doesn't go to Foxfire, I could see them sending her to Exillium, in which case she might keep Tam and Linh as friends--but with a very different dynamic, since I think Sophie would be incredibly bitter.

Actually now that I'm thinking about this maybe she'd be picked up by the Neverseen. At least temporarily and in the same way that Rayni was--not that she's for their atrocities, but because they extended a hand when no one else did. Which!! Could then be an interesting exploration on how she wasn't a criminal, but via seeing her as one/as dangerous they limited her options and made her into one. She wouldn't have joined the Neverseen if they'd treated her properly, but they didn't, so now she did. Except they don't see it as their fault, as a consequence of their boxing her in, but instead as confirmation of what they always feared.

indeed, Nonsie, there is a lot of potential for a very different but fascinating story here. I've barely scratched the surface of all the implications and everything you could do with it!

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hi i have some shipping questions just for fun! What're your favorite kotlc ships? which ship do you think has the most creative potential when in your hands? Are there ships you like to read about but wouldn't write about?

(yes this includes fanon interpretations of characters/ships and the canon ones, you always have cool commentary so i'm ok if you talk about either side!)

hope you have a good day!

I also hope you have a good day! I'll preface this by saying I'm the kind of queer where romance doesn't interest me/I don't often notice it, so I'm not super involved or opinionated. I can still answer the questions, just letting you know where I'm coming from :)

I think my favorite ship is keefitz, there's something compelling about them. It's something to do with how long they've known each other, what they've been through together, the "perfect" boy and the trouble maker finding out they aren't as many worlds apart as they thought. From Keefe's pov its about being loved and cared for by someone he always saw as untouchable and so far above him and realizing he has worth, for Fitz it's about embracing imperfection and realizing he can be loved and cared for for his imperfections, not in spite of him. And for both of them, that there are people who can and will weather their rough patches by their side without having to ask. with all they've gone through and the ups and downs, it also adds a sort of ambiguity at times as to who/what they are to each other that I very much appreciate--I love undefined but incredibly meaningful connections

(addition: i'm also fond of tiertice because of the fandom, and have a soft spot for sokeefitz because of lucas, but right now keefitz is my favorite)

As for creative potential in my hands, I'm not sure! I think ships/characters I enjoy more have more potential because I'm more motivated to create and try new things with them. I will say I've been increasingly thinking about titz recently (because fitz and tam are my favorite characters), so I'm curious what I could do with them. There's also more potential not just for characters I like, but for ones I know better. I know Sophie and Keefe much better than say, Marella and Stina, so it's easy to play around with them even though they're not my favorite because I can keep them in character in different situations better. So I wouldn't say there's one with the most creative potential, just that I can do more with dynamics/characters I'm familiar with because I'm comfortable writing them. Which includes Sophie, Keefe, Fitz at the top, since they've gotten more focus in the series

And I don't think there's any ship I really read but wouldn't write for--I have to admit, for being a fic writer I don't actually read a lot of fics just in general. And since I'm not a romance person and a healthy portion of fics are ship focused, I end up reading fic even less. I'll do it for fun from time to time if an interesting sounding one crosses my dash or to support a friend (I say, still not having finished Summer's keefitz fic), but reading fic isn't a big thing for me. I prefer writing it. But back to the point, for keeper nothing immediately comes to mind that I'd read but wouldn't write. I'm pretty open to writing a variety of ships :)

I hope those answers are satisfactory, but I'm always down to talk more! And thank you for the comment about my cool commentary, nice to know I have interesting things to say sometimes!

[bookwyrminspiration]

i just read your Marellanalysis and it’s very good!! marella and sophie’s dynamic specifically makes me go hnnng because it’s like… sophie was never given the option to be a normal kid, even when she got to the lost cities, whereas marella seemingly started out as one and still clings to that idea a bit even when it becomes clear that she’s not normal anymore and maybe never was

Thank you!! Your comments actually make me think that the trajectory of their two characters is very similar. They both start out as not quite normal but passable, then throughout the story discover just how far the depth of their abnormality reaches, realizing that they can never go back to how they were.

Sophie started as a human girl (or so she thought) who was too smart for her own girl and could hear everyone's thoughts. She'd hit her head as a kid and been cursed that way ever since, but that was the extent of it. Then Fitz showed up in her life and it turns out she not human, she's an elf and her family isn't hers. She belongs to an entire other world, then it turns out she was the creation of an illegal rebellion given a strength and a power she doesn't know what to do with and now she's fighting against another rebel group to stay alive and try and fix the inequalities ramant in their world. She can never go back to be the little girl with a head injury and an intellect beyond her years, who she is has turned out to be so so much more

Marella started as a little girl whose mom was the subject of gossip due to a head injury, the girl who knew all the secrets and everything interesting going on. Someone whose family struggled behind closed doors to deal with her mother's condition--something that really separated her from her peers and their home lives. But then Mr. Forkle triggers her ability and it turns out that she's a pyrokinetic, that she's got a forbidden ability and will be branded talentless and unmatchable to keep her genes from spreading, that every single aspect of her life will earn her ridicule and shame and stigma. She's not just a pyrokinetic, she's a powerful pyrokinetic and the flame calls to her. She can never go back to being the girl obsessed with gossip with a different home life, her story has taken on much more

They're both slowly discovering the depth of how different their lives are from everyone else--something I think we could also apply to Keefe. He was the kid with bad parents and emotional neglect, but then it escalated to rebellions, to him being the subject of him mother's experiments (even if she won't call them that).

I think the conclusion I'm coming to here is that all of them are in need of a break and like, a million hugs and cookies. Someone just give them a break and let them find a normal for themselves. They have been in an escalating situation their entire lives, it's not sustainable without addressing it--Keefe is a prime example

[bookwyrminspiration]

Thoughts on Marella/ Keefe friendship dynamic?

okay! so! this is one of those dynamics where I don't specifically remember a lot of scenes that involved the two of them on a personal level (if I'm forgetting, please let me know!)

there is, however, one detail in Legacy that piques my interest, which is that when Keefe went back on his deal with Sophie to stay away from Loamnore, he also brought Marella with him. I can understand why he brought Linh more easily, as a lot of this had to do with her brother, but Marella is a little bit of a surprise--to me, at least. They haven't interacted frequently on page, though the two of them did love to make fun of Sophie's alchemy mishaps together in the first book.

they seem to be amicable at the very least, but him bringing her along makes me think he understands a little of what she feels being excluded and judged/observed for something outside of your control. at this point in time he didn't have his new ability, but others had been very aware of him and his family situation in a way they were also aware of Marella and her pyrokinesis and the struggle that came with that. it's the discomfort of the mortifying ordeal of being known, perhaps. this silent connection (reminds me of the silent mutual respect/acknowledgement Sophie and Tam had in Neverseen) might have resulted in Keefe reaching out to bring her along, make sure she was included in a way that was her choice, not just because her situation garnered attention. He could conceal that with claiming he wanted her for firepower (pun not intended) and protection on his side, as both Marella and Linh have good offensive abilities while he was stuck with his physical strength.

now stepping away from canon scenes, I'm just gonna point out a few similarities for possible future dynamics:

they currently both have what are thought of as incredibly dangerous abilities. Marella's is technically still banned and people--even friends--are afraid of her. Keefe has something entirely new and unprecedented and was being treated like a science experiment to figure out before he left, because there was an apprehension and determination to "get it under control" (paraphrased from Unlocked). Yes, Sophie also has a completely new ability, but her teleportation was seen as a wonder and interesting and it hasn't even been considered more than transportation. I think this is something they could really bond over, the way their friends reacted to a now-integral part of them that neither of them wanted

because that's important to their story too. neither of them wanted the abilities they got. Marella just wanted to make life easier for her mom, but instead garnered more suspicious and rumor about their family. Keefe wanted to take down his mom and just end everything, and instead he played right into her plan and she was able to do what she wanted, forcing this ability upon him. They both had plans gone awry. neither of them liked to bring people home, either, but it happened under pressing circumstances.

I feel they'd have a kind of quiet friendship, an apprehension with each other, assessing the other closely. Sure, they've joked around in a group before, but they've been through a lot more and their situations have changed.

I think there's a lot of potential between the two of them that hasn't been explored yet! They've each been, like...assigned? to a friend/group if that makes sense? Keefe has been assigned to Sophie and sometimes Fitz (and Dex a little in Unlocked), and Marella has been assigned to Linh and Maruca, and Sophie is the only real overlap, so they don't interact as much as i'd like.

this does make me curious about them though. on the surface they seem to be in very different parts of this battle, but they're incredibly similar when you look closer