#polyspeaks

[pebbles403]

https://polyspeak.ai/su/b0TDl

Well, babes, I finally moved my Pacer Burton over to polyspeak, too. Ya can finally get down and dirty with our sweet half Kiowa boy. ENJOY!!

@sissylittlefeather @vintageshanny @vintagepresley @elvismylove04 @simplyelvis @precious-little-scoundrel @missmaywemeetagain

[polymathart]

PolySpeaks: Lumity Confession

A number of people have probably already expressed similar thoughts as the ones I am going to present here. But I wanted to take the chance to jot things down in my own way. (images pending)

From Amity’s perspective, she’s so frustrated yet so head over heels for Luz and she doesn’t understand how it’s possible for her to love the person who has totally turned her world upside down. This isn’t to say that Luz ruined Amity’s life. I think we can all agree Luz has just made her life better. As Emira says to her, “Is that such a bad thing? You weren’t happy before. Ed, don’t pick, you’ll make it worse.”

But from Luz’s perspective, she has just screwed up so bad. And she is well aware of her terrible track record for these things. And from the way she curls up when Amity interrupts her apology, I believe she either A) was thinking “Okay, Luz, here it comes again. And you know it’s gonna hurt” or B) “Usually people let me finish my apology. But I just messed up so bad that Amity can’t wait to lay it all on me.”

Also, this season has shown how Luz has become more responsible and capable. Season 1 Luz was always running to Eda to bail her out. Season 2 Luz is all about being the one to help others out of trouble. “Separate Tides” did a fantastic job of nailing that home—Luz trying to make the money for the Owl House rather than being the primary investment of it. “Escaping Expulsion” had her putting herself on the line for her friends, only this time she went in truly alone. She didn’t rope anyone else into it. Eda’s conversation with Luz in “Separate Tides” and her back to back with Amity during “Escaping Expulsion” served to remind her that all this “alone” business wasn’t helping anyone either.

So back to the “confession,” Luz feels like she was on the verge of losing a friend. She can’t bear it, so she pulls her hair back into Grom mode. And I will say that I adore that they made that callback. I can see Luz pulling her hair back into Grom mode becoming her signature “no more messing around” mode. She marches back into the library and reclaims Amity’s honor job. And she returns to Blight Manor fully prepared for another round of Amity’s frustration. That’s why she is so quick to accept that Amity probably never wants to see her again.

The Kiss

Amity kissing Luz is Amity basically becoming confident enough to approach Luz at last. And it also was her finally reigning in all these conflicting emotions she has about liking Luz. She realizes that maybe liking Luz, despite all the calamity she brings with her, isn’t so bad after all. She kisses Luz on the cheek. And it filled my heart with so much joy seeing that Amity doesn’t think twice about it. It shows how she feels that, yes, this is okay, and this is alright.

When I first started watching the show, I thought Luz was just the weird girl in school. But now I see, after how having just a few friends on the Boiling Isles is something way more than she ever got in the Human Realm, she really, really was an outcast. I might have been projecting myself onto Luz when Camilla asked her if she had any real friends. Personally, I’m used to not having friends and it doesn’t usually bother me much. For me, not having many friends is just normal and doesn’t hurt as bad. But it definitely is a tough thing for Luz.

What is Luz’s reaction? Keep in mind that Luz probably has had many crushes before and probably never been crushed on by anyone or has ever had her feelings reciprocated. She was probably bullied or outcasted at her human school. Most people are used to being liked by 3 out of 4 people and dismiss the fourth person who doesn’t like them. For Luz, I speculate it is the inverse: she is used to 3 out of 4 people not liking her and a rare, brief instance of 1 person actually liking her. So she naturally is still hooked on the idea that Amity never wants to see her again. Getting a “bad ending” is normal for her. Technically she has not even received confirmation that Amity still wants to be her friend. They got distracted by the hair, the siblings, and the rat.

So what does the kiss do for her? 1) It negates her notion that Amity has already decided to stop being her friend. 2) It proves that people can INDEED like her and forgive her. 3) It proves that her efforts were not in vain. 4) For once, her crush on someone did not end in disaster. 5) In fact, somebody actually likes her back. Somebody likes her back enough that they make the first real move on her. All these things collide against each other at once. Luz visibly cannot react to all these 5 truths she just learned. She can only gasp. And when Amity bids her “farewell forever,” Luz is still processing. And her knees fail her because of just how much is racing through her heart and through her mind.

[daco-showman]

I'm sorry tumblr user polyspeaks but I don't think your tumblr blaze manifesto will reach its intended audience of the eu ruling class and idk if ursula has a tumblr account to share it round the next parliamentary lunch break

[three-gulons-in-a-trenchcoat]

I saw your refsheet and your characters looked super cool! could you tell me about one? I don't have a preference, you just seem like someone who enjoys talking about your OCs :-)

AKSJAKJKDAJfOFJIJF AM I THAT EASY TO READ-

but yes I enjoy talking about my ocs immensely thank you for noticing anon. (also here is that post if you don’t know what they are talking about)

I’ll pick Kayda! She's the main protagonist of the story, so she is one of the most fleshed-out currently.

[I’ll put it under the cut in case some of you don’t wanna read it]

Name: Kayda Aedelric (she doesn’t have a middle name yet)

Species: Dragon

Gender: Female, she/her

Height: 5′5 (5′3 at the beginning of the story)

Occupation: Princess, Student

Background/History:

Kayda was born as the first and only daughter that the queen could and would ever have, this caused her to be constantly watched and guarded because the queen would be unable to ever have another hatchling. She also had a personal guard named Nova, who was ordered to watch her at all moments and to protect her with his life. However, one night REDACTED was able to slip past the guards, and was able to steal the princess away in the dead of night. REDACTED was part of a secret uprising, who hoped to overthrow the queen and rise to power, restarting the war with the humans that they had ended years ago. Due to the fact that female heirs were first to rise to the throne instead of male heirs, it was necessary to discard the princess in order to make sure that they could steal the throne. However, the leader of the uprising, REDACTED decided that they wouldn’t kill a helpless child and instead ordered REDACTED to take the child to the human realm and hide them there, to grow up as a human child and disappear from Caldera. However, unbeknownst to REDACTED, Nova had followed the dragon and tried to save the princess. REDACTED slashed Nova across the face, leaving the fox to fall from the sky, though he managed to snatch the princess from the dragon's grasp. Nova protected the princess with his wings, and they fell to earth. Unfortunately, Nova couldn’t bring the princess back to Calera, since the pendent used to access Caldera had been shattered on impact, and both of his wings were broken. (these later healed, due to Samoan Foxes having excellent healing cells) The guard was forced to place the shivering child in front of a foster home with the shattered pendant around her neck and a cloak embroidered with her name on the side in hopes that someone would one day find them and bring them back home.

Physical Description (Human): 

When living with humans, she had long, messy white hair, this was because her foster parents never let her cut her hair. As a habit, to keep the hair out of her face, she braids it into two french braids and they fall just below her shoulder blades, with the excess hair framing her face and giving her bangs. When she arrived in Caldera, she insisted that she keep the same hair length, and only got it cut slightly shorter and neater. Her eyes are emerald green, the same color as her father, and her hair is naturally white, not dyed. Her skin became slightly tanned after coming back to Caldera, and she has only grown a couple of inches since then, becoming 5'5 whereas before, she was around 5'3.

Physical Description (Dragon): 

She is the only white dragon in millennia. Her fur is silky and has healing properties when she wills it. Her eyes are a luminescent blue, and she is also the only dragon to have her eye color change with her form since eye color normally transfers when shifting forms. Her horns are shiny silver, almost reflective, and her claws share the same trait.

Habits/Mannerisms: 

Bites lip when thinking.  

Rubs her thumb over her index finger when nervous to soothe herself. 

Tucks hair behind her ear (always right) when she's embarrassed, then flicks it back to its original place quickly. 

Alternatively, when she is lying, she does the same thing but keeps the hair in the same place.

White Dragon Powers:

Healing fur:

When in her dragon form, she has the ability to heal even fatal wounds, though currently, she can only do it to people with who she has formed a strong emotional bond with

Polyspeak:

She can speak to any intelligent creature who has a set language in that language fluently, as well as have the ability to speak in the ancient language, which only the spirits of the realm know. She sometimes switches accidentally, not realizing she did, and sometimes is aware of the fact that she switched. She can also do this while out of the dragon form and in her normal human form.

Personality: Sarcastic, Curious, Loyal, Empathetic, Smart, Snarky, Careful when put in serious situations

Strengths: Not afraid to back down from a fight, she thinks she can win. Quick thinker. She has a very soothing voice, and she is good at calming other people down. Kayda is fiercely protective of the people she loves and would do anything to protect them.

Weaknesses: She tends to form strong emotional attachments that are hard to break. Sometimes overthinks, and suffers from mild anxiety. She has a fear of abandonment.

Extra Info:

When she was little, Queen Libelle, her mother, brought her to the Spirit of the Sky. They blessed her with the mark of the white dragon, though they didn't tell the Queen, instead choosing to keep the answer vague. Kayda gained naturally white hair as a side effect.

When in her dragon form, she has the ability to heal even fatal wounds, though currently, she can only do it to people with who she has formed a strong emotional bond. This drains a lot of her energy, and leaves her very vulnerable depending on the amount of energy she had to convert to healing energy (larger the wound = more healing strength needed)

Thank you for letting me rant about my ocs anon! (also thank you for reading this if you’re still here heh)

[pebbles403]

https://polyspeak.ai/su/b00bI Jess Wade

https://polyspeak.ai/su/b0BQj Joe Lightcloud

https://polyspeak.ai/su/b00s5 John Carpenter

Some more of my Elvis characters on polyspeak...

[pebbles403]

https://polyspeak.ai/su/b0BES Walter Hale

For my dear friend @sissylittlefeather

Walter is one of her favorites, so I had to move him over to polyspeak too. ENJOY!!

[polymathart]

Poly’s Poetic Over Analysis

Cassandra vs. Rapunzel

What exactly was Cass trying to achieve by fighting Rapunzel? I think one of the reasons Cassandra was so bent on fighting Rapunzel was because she wanted Rapunzel to take up arms.

One of the things that pains Cassandra so much during her fall is that Rapunzel is so committed to reaching out to her never giving up on her no matter how far Cass goes. Cassandra 1) wanted to be justified even more than she thought she already was and 2) wanted to make Rapunzel betray her own belief in the good of others.

Cassandra’s expressed goal is to outshine Rapunzel. However, her other more subtle goal is to make Rapunzel the villain in her story. Cassandra was constantly attacking Rapunzel and her friends so that she could make Rapunzel fight back. She wanted Rapunzel to be on the offense so, in her mind, Cass was on the defense. She wanted to make Rapunzel the villain. And she needed Rapunzel to fight back in order to give it substance.

Another thing is that Cassandra wanted was to make Rapunzel do something that she was so opposed to: revenge. Cassandra wanted to beat the sunshine and goodness out of Rapunzel to show that Rapunzel was not as unshakable as everyone held her to be. Zhan Tiri says it best when she compels Cassandra to “break her spirit.” Breaking her spirit meant making Rapunzel attack Cass—it meant making Rapunzel betray herself.

If Cassandra could have made Rapunzel retaliate, then she would have basically killed the saintly Rapunzel. She would have demonstrated that even Rapunzel was not above fighting and making enemies. Cassandra targeted Rapunzel’s core belief and brought her to the point of throwing it all away. Rapunzel giving up on Cassandra would have been the victory Cassandra was aiming for.

But Rapunzel could not be swayed. She remains true to her belief in the good of others. She does not give up on Cassandra. Rapunzel stays true to herself. And Rapunzel stays Rapunzel. It is that endurance and commitment to welcome Cassandra back that finally brings Cassandra back home. For all Cassandra’s bitterness and anger, she cannot defeat Rapunzel’s love. No one can.

Cassandra was trying to make Rapunzel stop loving her. It was pride and a need to be justified. Cassandra was too proud to accept that she was wrong and she needed to prove that Rapunzel was the villain in the story. But the truth is that Rapunzel loved her despite all her actions and she wanted Cassandra to be happy, just not this way.

[polymathart]

Poly’s Poetic Over Analysis

“Great Expotations,” Tangled: The Series by Chris Sonnenburg

Varian ventures out with the professed intention of impressing his crush (and also presumably to impress his father, too). Cassandra casually remembers his name and rejects his innocent nickname for her, “Cassie.” She doesn't care that he is there. But Varian helps her out and relieves some of what clearly is an immense amount of weight on her shoulders that she had been carrying by herself all day. She “promises” to help him with some “dorky” project in exchange for him helping her do the work.

The two clearly begin to have fun in the process. And Cass even admits she admires his work (again, something he probably isn’t used to). Varian relishes in it and dares to make a cheeky little joke at her which she doesn’t even scorn or take as disrespectful. This leads her to say that the day was important to her but omits the reason why, most likely because she does not expect him to understand it and she herself is cautious to vent, especially to some kid she met a few weeks ago. But to her surprise, Varian actually picks up on what she is saying because he recognized who her father was. This prompts her to go more in depth and state her frustration that Captain pressured her so much. Varian sees this as an opportunity to let out his own grievances about his father’s standards. Not wanting to bring himself or her down, he makes another joke based on these recent revelations. Cass smiles. Why? Because she actually finds someone who knows what she is going through and has some trust in her and courage that he vents his own thoughts to her. Someone, other than Rapunzel, talked things out with her. And she sees that he wants to keep things positive rather than sad, so he made that joke to bring them both back up.

The clock is ticking and Cass is on the verge of giving up, but Varian, now fueled by both a desire to charm and a genuine sympathy for Cass, offers to take the rest of the day’s work so she can enjoy her opportunity. He only suggests, not begs or demands, that she join him later on if she had time. He makes it her decision to say yes or no. Cass returns to her more reserved disposition and says yes.

Cassandra finally gets her chance albeit a very frustrating chance. Varian awaits her but she does not show up. He decides to carry on his presentation nonetheless even with Shorty for a partner. Just because Cassandra did not come to him as his assistant, doesn’t mean he couldn’t go and make a name for himself. He shrugs it off. But he still has that affection for her. That’s why he still dedicates the stone to her when he could have easily named it something else to bite back at her. And Cassandra is astonished. She gasps that he actually named something after her. That someone actually admired and respected her and wanted to make her happy enough to dedicate something of careful and dedicated craftsmanship to her. She realized, “Wait, he seriously did that? He really dedicated his work to me of all people?” When she saw him disqualified, she even breaks her duty as a guard by speaking up for him. And then she witnesses him saunter away, defeated and robbed—something that she winces at because she is more than familiar with that exact feeling. But what she isn’t familiar with is the reality that she, the one who was often overlooked, actually caused someone to feel the same—she winced at the fact that this time she actually put someone else in her place.

So she abandons her post—I repeat, ABANDONS HER POST, aka negligence and disobedience to a direct order—to comfort him. At the fountain, she expresses that he should’ve won. This isn’t just an “Oh, darn! I was rooting for you!” She’s saying, “You really put a lot of effort into that and pulled off an incredible thing. You put up your best fight. You were so close to something you rightly deserved.” Varian is still saddened. With not much left to lose, he reveals to her face that he just wanted to impress her. He doubts himself, confesses he was chasing after fantasy, that he did not show anything special in him, and cuts to the conclusion that he was just being dumb for trying. Cassandra does not believe any of that. She assures him that she truly is impressed by his work and character. She does not say it reluctantly, as two competitors in a boxing match would do. She says it with enthusiasm and sincerity to him. She goes on to praise him for his virtues of intelligence, compassion, and uniqueness. She lifts him back up.

When disaster strikes, she is faced with a choice. The camera actually zooms in on her and shows her at first prioritize her charge and therefore her duty and opportunity. But she shakes off that voice in her head to protect her interests and instead chooses to save Varian—the boy who promised her no sort of reward, benefit, or opportunity; only friendship and understanding.

Varian’s life is saved again by her. Someone chose him over their job and quite possibly career. Cassandra briefly tells him not to flatter himself, still subconsciously concluding that he was just being lovestruck again.

She even brings him to the front at her side rather than go in herself and tell him to take cover. Or, did she go to the front at his side in? Did she accompany him to his fight? She looks to him for possibilities on how to stop it rather than straight to Rapunzel and Eugene or charging in with her sword drawn. She listens to him. Varian finally is the one to lead rather than be led. She works with him to solve the problem. She refuses to let him go in alone. She becomes his assistant at last. They save the day together with help from Rapunzel and company.

Cassandra picks up the ribbon sadly. She knows she has failed her duty to her father and jeopardized her prospects. But then she sees Varian and realizes that her duty as a friend was more important than her duty to her own dream.

Cassandra gives him his rightfully earned ribbon. Varian shows actual shock when she does. She really did believe in him. In return, Varian gives her the necklace. He says he made it for her—that to him, she was still worth the effort. Cass accepts it, grateful and touched. She apologizes. She sucks in her pride and admits her error. She names her wrong. She calls out her own ambition. She does not blame her duty or her father’s orders or claims that her hands were tied. She flat out accepts that this was her putting herself before others. She finally considers him a friend. She admits that there is a friendship between them that she values over her ambition. Varian softly forgives her, remembering that she had every right to care about her work, and is happy to finally have one more friend. Cassandra accepts “Cassie,” and Varian does not tease her or jokes about the nickname. He is just happy that she accepts it—another one of his “inventions.”

Varian concludes that he has to clean his mess up. He walks away without asking Cassandra for help. This is because he feels, from experience, that it was his fault. This could also partly be because he is not used to asking for help. Perhaps a hint of fear and shame in him does not want to seek help. But it could also be because he does not want to burden her and he wants to let her go enjoy the rest of her day. He does not want to take up any more of her time out. Most likely it is all four. As he Varian walks away, Cassandra faces her father and commanding officer. She gains his approbation and respect and trust for another assignment. Cassandra removes her helmet, a symbol of her ambition and her obedience to her father, Guard, and country, and hands it back to Captain. She turns down an order to his face. A subordinate refuses orders from a higher authority. A soldier refuses a direct order. Cassandra disobeys her father. She sets her friend before herself. She has a desire to help Varian even though he did not ask for help. She wants to maintain and enjoy her new friendship. Captain allows it. He is proud of her decision. He is proud of her performance as a guard and performance as a friend. Varian is surprised and honored that she chooses him over her father. This time, Cassandra does not tell Varian, “Don’t flatter yourself.” She lets him feel honored. After all, he’s honored her enough for one episode. Two characters receive their praise: Varian and Cassandra. And both play a part in each other’s achievement. Two characters who wish to please their fathers and prove themselves, succeed. But most of all, two people with similar struggles find one more new friend.

[polymathart]

PolySpeaks: Cassandra x Rapunzel

“Plus Est En Vous” has left me a lot to think about. The love that Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cass all have for each other are just so special. I do not think I have ever seen or read of any story that illustrated such a deep level of love. I’ve always been cautious to see Rapunzel and Cassandra’s love as romantic. But I also have never been able to just label it as platonic or sisterly. I think I’ve finally come to terms with just exactly what the Series has shown me. It’s shown me a loving relationship deeper than most seen in media or written in literature.

These are all my own thoughts and don’t reflect the opinions of anyone else. I’m open to discussion, criticism, whether openly or privately.

Eugene: I think Eugene is pretty much straight. I don’t think I have seen much to indicate he has interest in anyone other than women. But he is confident and is not squeamish about close contact. He just has that suave, charming character that loves to flirt but not always in a romantic way.

Cassandra: I think I’ve finally been able to agree that Cassandra is bisexual and maybe demisexual. I think she just has more attraction and is more comfortable with women than men. I don’t think she is indifferent to men. I can see her liking a man with a big heart and a fearless soul. (Yes I ship Cassarian still but that’s not the focus here.) She definitely has affections for Rapunzel she has not yet fully recognized as romantic. But at the very least she has more love for Rapunzel than she does for anyone else in her life. When she started out, she saw Rapunzel just as someone who shared her struggles of making friends. She disliked Eugene not because he was with Rapunzel. She 1) had a job to do 2) thought he was nothing but a free-loading two-bit hood and 3) she just really liked hanging out with Rapunzel—possibly her very first real “friend.” As the Series goes on, I think Cassandra is not hurt or let down by Rapunzel considering her a “sister.” But she still feels like something just does not work right with that word, “sister.” By this point, she is not head over heels for Rapunzel, but she is extremely attached to her friend. She wants something deeper than “sister” but still does not call it romance. She just cares so much for Rapunzel in a soulmate-like way. Following her betrayal, Cassandra misses Rapunzel. She understands now that she does indeed have something in her heart for Rapunzel that is more than just “best friend” or “sister.” When she reconciles with Rapunzel, she does not call it romance but she definitely feels a love between her and Rapunzel that was even stronger and closer than she thought she would ever feel. She is not obsessed with Rapunzel in an unhealthy way, but she realizes that Rapunzel has truly become a huge part of her. She is in love not solely in a romantic way, but in a way that crosses definitions and levels of love. She just loves Rapunzel so much that she cannot name it. When she finally says “I love you, Raps,” I do not hear it as her flat out admitting she is romantically attracted. To me she just sounds like she is saying she loves Rapunzel, but the love she feels for her is too great to even specify as between her and her sister, lover, or best friend.

Rapunzel: Finally, I see Rapunzel as being pansexual, or maybe to be mor specific, panromantic demisexual. I doubt that when Rapunzel was growing up in her Tower, she ever saw gender as a part of romance. Rapunzel is naturally just so loving and so affectionate and so desiring of closeness that she does not care about gender. There is just so much love in her heart that she cannot direct it to a single type of person or relationship. That is why she is so quick to latch onto someone or sit next to someone or dance with someone. She had never grown up shy towards anyone. Yes she has shown some shyness when she met the Pub Thugs, but she casts it aside so very quickly. She does not value her own personal space as most people would do for their own. She is bursting with love and happiness that she cannot help but extend and share it with whoever she meets. I do not think she truly feels romantic attraction towards Cassandra as she does to Eugene, but she definitely has special affection for her. Similar to Cass, she knows that there is something more than just a sisterly, romantic, or even friendly love. She knows there is a deeper love she has for Cass than she has for most other people. And this is not to take anything away from Eugene. I believe she has just as much love for Eugene as she does for Cassandra.

Conclusion: I do not think Rapunzel or Cassandra value romance over genuine friendship. I still don’t want to use the word soulmate for the kind of love Cassandra and Rapunzel have for each other. I personally think there is no word to describe the love the two have for each other. There is just so much love they have for each other that romance is not enough to describe it. They both just love each other so much in such a deep way.

There is a word for this kind of love—the greatest form of love: unconditional. Not in a “no matter how awful you are, I will let you off the hook no matter what” kind of way. Instead, I think of their unconditional love as more “I love you so much. You have no clue how big of a part of my life you are. I love to the ends of the Earth and I just cannot stop loving you despite everything that happens. I want to enjoy life and experience everything this world has to offer with you. I want to share every last bit of joy and sorrow with you.” The way I see it, the love Cass and Raps have for each other includes romantic elements but ultimately goes far beyond just that. There’s just so much love they have for each other in their own special way. In a way, they are whole by themselves, but being together makes them even more whole.

TLDR: Cassandra is bisexual and more attracted to girls than guys but not opposed to guys. She is also slow to admitting feelings but quick to subconsciously showing feelings. Rapunzel is pansexual and is just full of so much love that she does not associate any specific gender when she thinks of romance. She is naturally open about her feelings and just as naturally open to showing her feelings. Cass is touchy around people she trusts. Rapunzel is touchy around everyone she values.

One more time: These are all my own personal opinions. This isn’t ghost written by anyone. I am open to any and all conversation about this topic. I am okay with criticism and discussion publicly or privately or anonymously.

Dominus vobiscum,

Polymath.

[polymathart]

“Cass has no canonical interest in men.”

Does she? This post is not to bash anyone who disagrees. Nor is it to promote any sort of homophobia. I believe all healthy ships are valid and disapprove of ship hate and shipping wars. This is merely to posit a different opinion. If you do not wish to read, you are welcome to ignore this post.

People say Cass has “no canonical interest in men,” but if you think about it, the few men that she actually knows mostly are on tease / play fight level with her. Eugene and Lance aren’t “sweet and fluffy” to Cass. They’re snarky and goofy around her which annoys her. She’s never known anyone other than Rapunzel who is so wholesome and warm towards her.

Most of the men we have seen Cassandra interact with on screen (save for elders and authorities such as King Frederic, her father Cap, and Uncle Monty) have been either obnoxious and loud in her eyes (Eugene and Lance and Hookfoot), or have been hostile and demeaning to her (various ruffians and Hector).

To Cassandra, most of the men she has ever truly interacted with have been annoying or immature. (This may or may not also be off the fact that she had grown up with her father’s prejudice towards criminals.)

This is not to paint Cassandra as prejudiced against all men. She has grown to tolerate Lance, Eugene, and Hookfoot. That is clear. But she is just easily irritated by immature, juvenile people. Going off of what little the Series has provided us about Cassandra’s past, we can assume that she never had many friends to grow up with—male or female. She is still on the road to learning about opening up to people. Everyone she knew in Corona were just the beginning of that journey.

Cassandra has a liking towards the sweeter, softer, more wholesome and gentle ones. Rapunzel fits that category quite easily. However, there is another individual Cass knows who also fits that category—one who has been compared to and shares many characteristics with Rapunzel: Varian.

Since the start, Varian has been portrayed and almost universally received as an endearing, friendly, and soft individual. Four moments when his openness and concern for others shine most are in “Great Expotations” when he listens to and understands Cassandra’s desire to please her father, in “Rapunzel’s Return” when he admits his error and desire to make amends with Rapunzel, and in “Be Very Afraid” when he opens up to Rapunzel about his remorse and fears of his past, as well as listening to and comforting Rapunzel when she talks about her own fears of losing Cassandra. The final, most poignant instance of Varian’s kindness is in “Cassandra’s Revenge” when he begs Cassandra to reconsider her choices. It is one of his best moments: when he throws down his own shame and turmoil in an effort to show his friend that she is not alone and that she was in danger of losing herself as well as the everything she loved.

Cassarian shippers do not ship them out of contempt or denial of the possibility of Cassandra’s interest in Rapunzel or other women. We ship her with Varian when he is older because he is remarkably kind and gentle and overall sweet to everyone. He has that kind and loving smile just like Rapunzel has. Yes he is dorky and clumsy and impulsive sometimes, but he does not carry that suaveness or flirting personality as Eugene, Lance, or Andrew have. He tries to charm her once before but he never tries to puff himself up or “flex” himself to her.

Cassarian shippers see Varian as being the adorable, playful, unassuming, and helpful yet bold, righteous, mature, courageous, and curious young man he will be by the time Cassandra does return to Corona. Cassandra’s sharp, sassy nature will not be competitively butting heads with another sharp, sassy nature. Rather, she will meet a nature that is forgiving and patient while still not being malleable or breakable.

Cassandra is like Eugene—quick on the draw, cunning, and competitive but not abusive. Varian is like Rapunzel—patient, understanding, and eager to help others but never easy to take advantage of.

Once again, this is not to shame or start a fight with anyone. This is merely to put forth my very own opinion. I am open to criticism and debate whether publicly, privately, or anonymously.

Dominus vobiscum,

Polymath.

ADDENDUM

I think overall Cass just is attracted to softer and more sincere people.

Though she and Eugene bite at each other, she does show a certain bit of care to him when he is being truly humble. Like when she saw that he was genuinely hurt that Cap kept dismissing Eugene’s skills to be a guard. She actually reached out to him. When Eugene set off to look for Frederick and Arianna, she didn’t roll her eyes or anything. She admitted that even she was hoping he would pull through.

And never once when Rapunzel is having doubts about Eugene does she take it as an opportunity to chat it up with Rapunzel. I think Cass genuinely loves Eugene and Rapunzel being together not just Rapunzel being happy. That’d just be selfish. She cares that yes Rapunzel is happy but also Rapunzel is happy with the right person.

Cassandra showed interest when she realized how “graceful” Lance could dance. And I speculate that if she saw Lance taking care of Angry and Catalina, she would’ve smiled, too.

Cass didn’t like Andrew for his smooth talk but for his faux sentimentality and penchant for books. And she kept the rose because she actually kinda liked going on a date and treating her nicely, even if it was just a ploy.

And she shows no interest in Varian at all during the series. However, she did feel for him when Quirin first appeared. She smiled when Varian actually understood her issues with her father. And when Varian first called her a friend. And finally when she realized just how sincere and honest he was about the expo and impressing her rather than throwing a fit, she saw that Varian wasn’t some annoying teenager trying to charm her. He actually had substance and depth.

Rapunzel overall is the sweetest person Cass has ever known. Her happiness and compassion is what Cass grew to love. She isn’t used to seeing such character in people, especially in most guys. There’s a light that goes off in Cass’ heart when she’s with Rapunzel, yes. But when she finds other people with real feelings and wholesomeness, too, that same light turns on.

[polymathart]

I don’t know exactly what went down with Chris Sonnenburg, but this is just going to be from what I’ve been able to draw from my perspective.

A creator dispute with fans.

The creator’s show facing criticism. / The creator shutting out criticism.

Do I believe Chris blaming Varian fans for bringing down the show, watching it incorrectly, and not being true fans was not the best thing to do? Yes. I am of the opinion that creators should never blame the audience for anything. However, I can understand how creators can be protective and sensitive about their works and their characters. For every creater of a character, there is a sense of parental love and protectiveness. For me, I have a very special place in my heart for my leading OC. Often, the oldest OC becomes like a firstborn.

I have never received any criticism about my OC before as I’ve yet to even begin publishing my story, and I’ve never experienced fans or followers favoring another OC. However, I feel a need to protect and cradle my OC after brainstorming them through a series of intense, overwhelming adventures. I feel like I’m saying to him, “Alright, son. That’s enough for today. Come along now, you’ve braved through enough angst for now. You’ve done well.” (By the way: This is not suggesting that a parent throwing a child into tough situations like that is healthy or morally just. It’s just a metaphor.) I feel a need to make sure my OC is still an important part of the story. Though I still love all my OCs, my first/main OC has a very distinct place seated at the right hand of his father. And that’s what I think Chris feels. He is protective of Cassandra because he has personally invested time and effort into her part in the story. This isn’t to give him a pass on what he did. I feel like an apology would still be a good thing just to settle the waters. But at the same time I think it’s better to move on from things.

I think his decision to jump ship from the show’s criticism is understandable. Sometimes some people just aren’t prepared for that fight and to me that is okay. It’s natural. And it seems this is Chris’ first time being an executive on a project and really being at the head of a team. (I am not fully informed about his past positions and involvement in other projects but I am fairly sure this was his first “big break.”) And again, he has clearly committed a lot to making the show. It’s not a show he’s made single-handedly, but it’s definitely one that will always be a big part of his career and life. All in all, I believe his reaction was a natural, human one—one I’m sure many people can have when put in such a situation.

No creator is perfect. No person is perfect. I’ve seen valid criticism of the show. I agree with some of the ones I’ve seen. But at the same time, I prefer to block out all the criticism of the show just because it’s given me so much. It’s given me so much more than any other show has. I have sorta come of age with the show—or at the very least grown with it to a degree. This is the same as how I feel about Hamilton. I know no writer or artist or creator is perfect. Every work has its flaws. But I try to give things the benefit of a doubt and relish in the good rather than the bad of their stories. I don’t think Chris is a bad person. I believe he’s a human person. He is very nice and very interactive with the fan base. He had his slip up. But I forgive him. I don’t justify his actions. I believe that there is room for improvement in him and everyone else. But I still thank him for the amazing show and the amazing experience.