#tbf i hate this idea of healing people

[blueaiyuice]

boys planet/zerobaseone ships i've written/put in my stories as tropes

this includes implied and background relationships :) felt like it was just something fun to do!

HAOBIN (Sung Hanbin x Zhang Hao) - we all knew this one was going to be soulmates, right? like come on...

JEONGJIAN (Lee Jeonghyeon x Chen Jianyu) - they feel very romantic-fluff coded, so i would say friends to lovers!

OLLIEJIN (Ollie x Han Yujin) - first crush, given how cute they are! (some people are weird about this ship which like fair enough, but as long as we keep it pg and sweet im on board!)

HWANYU (Lee Seunghwan x Chen Jianyu) - since they're like haobin for nugus, they give very happy ending vibes!

KAMJAY (Na Kamden x Jay Chang) - idiots in love bc of how they both lose braincell count when they're together

MINROTO (Ikumi Hiroto x Jung Mingyu) - they write their own trope tbh, himbo jock and smart shortie :)

2WOOZ (Kim Jiwoong x Yoon Jongwoo) - oh man :( after bp they became very angst coded; i say they're right person wrong time D:

GYUGEON (Kim Gyuvin x Yoo Seungeon) - since everyone writes them angst-coded they definitely feel like secret keepers (from each other)

RICKXIANG (Ricky x Ma Jingxiang) - enemies to lovers feels a little too on brand, maybe that one specific trope of enemy finds enemy that they hate worn down and they bring each other back up :)

JUNHWAN (Kum Junhyeon x Lee Seunghwan) - this one was implied in ESDE, so i'd say similar to idiots in love, but more like dumb and dumber LOL

JUNRAE (Kum Junhyeon x Kim Taerae) - since they got separated, i like to think they went from friends to lovers to exes to friends again. i like the idea of healing but also agreeing it should never happen again

JUNYU (Kum Junhyeon x Chen Jianyu) - because of how much of a crackship this is, bromance to romance. kissing the homies goodnight. but not homosexual

HAOJUI (Zhang Hao x Chen Kuanjui) - even though they didn't get much of their relationship highlighted i feel like they are picture perfect fantasy material, so prince x knight mayhaps?

HUSBANDZ (Haruto x Wang Zihao) - tbf this ship hasn't appeared yet in AGITD but i think unconditional love suits them best. whether friends or lovers, they care for each other a lot :(

i might've forgotten some, but these are the ships ive written!

[k1201a]

I'm not a jc stan, I don't care about jc, chengxian, yunmeng bros. The reason I gave that example is that they're the ones who had a bond at some point but, tbf, I also believe that lxc cared about jgy as a friend? The same goes for xxc and the person he thought was xy. I don't consider any of those ships as crack, just not romantically canon. Crack is a whole different thing 🤷🏻‍♀️ so anon should Google.

Anyways, the problem with you radical hateful people is that you take everything to the extremes. I'm not saying any of these relationship were the most ~devoted and beautiful~ thing in the world and "omg the deserve better!!😩" I'm just saying that they were what you would consider a friend and you love your friends... unless you're literally a sociopath, lmao. And that's what you think of wwx apparently, like even when you talk about wangxian you make it sound as the most superficial and boring shit. Like how you dare make wwx talk about his feelings with lwj, eww, that's not what dudes do. That's what happens when you maybe didn't have a long term rs with a man and believe their façade.

And, well. just as you think everyone projects, I think you're also projecting the lack of people you formed bonds with in your life and that's why you'll reply to some corny post about "the power of love", the oldest trope probably.

Yo DO see these characters as one dimensional that never think about the past, never get sad about it, that barely have thoughts and feelings. Did you know that wwx not wanting jc again in his life doesn't mean he never cared about him? That he sacrificing something important for him (and that it's not just bc he's a Good Dude who only do the correct as you try hard to believe) doesn't mean that they should be friends again? It's like you can't live with the fact that one thing don't cancel the other, that wwx actually doesn't care about jc anymore but he did once and it's ok. And don't even try any kind of discourse about me projecting because I find them relatable, more human, morally gray, imperfect, etc on me... because I hate those too. I hate extremes, I hate when people woobify assholes but also when they make of these characters robots with no feelings. Jc stans are the first but you're the latter. Characters are fictional so they don't have to be "human", even less when most people use it to justify they acting like jerks, but the other extreme is to think they're so empty, and that makes them one dimensional... When it's like the mere idea of wwx having a moment and maybe just pondering about something equals a sob story as dramatic as a telenovela for you and NO. It's not even about that, but that's what obviously happens when you're extremist. You're projecting your views on things as much as them.

But what you’re saying is not what op was talking about. You’re talking about basic friendship, What op was talking about was “love change everything”, mxtx didn’t write that, except for Luo Binghe, that’s my point. OP didn’t say “care”, they said “love”, they went further to characterize that love to be something that change, heal, redeem people. Basic friendship is found in most fiction. It’s present in mxtx’s stories is not the same as saying that’s the message she’s trying to send.

“…that's why you'll reply to some corny post about "the power of love", the oldest trope probably.”

I don’t have problem with this trope, I did say svsss is about that, I just don’t agree all her novels are about that. I think that’s projecting and lazy crowd pleasing. OP just picked one corny thing they think no one would disagree and tag it in ALL major tags, despite the 3 novels are different.

“the oldest trope”. I think that’s why some people force this trope into their reading of every story, they think it should be there, and you can’t go wrong with this interpretation, even when what the author wanted to write got nothing to do with that.

You said you’re not a JC stan but all you talk about is JC and wwx. I said shen yuan did love and saved luo binghe, if I have problem with corn good old fashioned trope, I wouldn’t have said that. You only have problem when I don’t validate your view of jc and wwx’s relationship. You’re projecting on jc. When I said svsss is about love, Didn't I go corny? But it left no impression on you, because to you, I wasn’t corny about the right characters, the characters you project onto. The only thing that triggered you was what I said about jc and wwx lol

[splishsplashyouropinionistrash]

We’re back, bitches!

You will never escape me.

It’s time, once again, for AFTG Hot Takes, the show where I just say whatever the fuck pops into my head.

Today’s topic: Kevin Day and his romantic interests.

Now, okay, I’ve discussed this a bit in previous posts. I’m not going to go too far in depth for the two ships I’ve talked about already.

Please, for the love of god, these are just my opinions. I’m literally just a teenager on the internet. It’s not that deep, you don’t need to write a ten paragraph essay on why grooming is okay (although tbf that made my night. Still waiting on a reply, bb)

With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of most Kevin ships. I only like two of them, so we’ll save those for last.

1. First up we’ve got Kevandriel, Kevneil, and Kevandrew (pls dont @ me, i’m not 100% on those names)

I hate it. Despise it. Just so bad. Ew.

I made a whole post on why I have Kevandriel, read it if you want. 

Kevandrew (Kevin/Andrew) just doesn’t make any sense. Their personalities don’t mesh at all. Kevin doesn’t take no for an answer, which is something that is so important for Andrew.

Kevneil (Kevin/Neil) is one I just don’t like because, as we all know, I am a petty bitch. I don’t have a reason for disliking it, really. It just... idk, gives me the ick.

2. Moving on, Kevin and Thea.

I made a post regarding this one too, check it out (or don’t).

I don’t feel like rehashing all of that tho, honestly. (but pls feel free to read the reblogs, some were v good and others just made me cackle. Still looking at you, grooming guy)

3. Now, onto the ones I haven’t discussed. We’ll go with Kevjean first.

So, I mean... it’s not impossible that this actually happened in cannon, however. Just judging by the reactions these two had to each other once Jean was out of the Nest, them sustaining a healthy relationship would be nearly impossible.

Also, I am a diehard Jerjean fan (thanks gus_47, I blame you and the masterpiece that is Hoax for this) so I just... can’t bring myself to picture Jean with anyone else.

4. Kevin and Jeremy!

Listen, I don’t hate this one. I simply adore those fun lil fics where Kev is tripping over himself cause he’s in love with Jeremy (looking at you, quicksand). They’re so fun! But, Jerjean owns my soul (again, thank you Hoax) so it’s gonna have to be a no from me.

5. Kevin and Matt

I’ll be real with you, I didn’t know this existed until yesterday, and I am shocked.

I haven’t stopped to think about it much, and I probably won’t, because Dan. I just- that is her husband, excuse you.

6. Kevallison (Kevin/Allison)

I don’t mind this one, honestly. I sorta get it, tbf. 

HOWEVER.

Diehard Renison fan. Enough said.

And now, at last, we come to the two Kevin ships that I can (and do!!) suport whole-heartedly.

7. Kevaaron !! (Kevin/Aaron)

Listen, I just love their personalities. I love the idea of these two assholes healing together. Simply adore.

Before you say it (you know who you are, and yes I’m still salty ab this) I. Don’t. Ship. It. Because. I. Want. Andrew. And. Kevin. Together. ffs, people. What kind of person do you think I am? 

8. Kevin and... (drumroll please)

Himself!

I am 100% in support of aroace Kevin living his best life with his friends and family.  

I mean, it’s lovely. Spectacular. 10/10, adore it.

Okay okay I’m done (for now)

Let me know what other hot takes you’d like to hear!

And as always, if you disagree with anything I’ve said, fight me! I mean that, i love a bit of lighthearted discourse. (unless your opinions are truly heinous, in which case I will verbally punch you in the trachea.)

Blah blah hitman, blah blah death threats

[jaqobis]

major late series/end series wot book spoilers under the cut (knife of dreams through a memory of light era)

seeing discussion about rand in the context of veins of gold and what could've been done instead is reminding me of my two cents. which is, tbf — i never felt that rj was intending for rand to get "fixed" in any capacity prior the final battle.

i've commented before that rand is in the worst physical shape he's ever been at the end of KoD, and how i read that as one of the final signs that the last battle is coming. it's almost time for rand to die, and so his body is giving up the ghost. his wound literally stopped responding to nynaeve's healing, it was just openly bleeding with no solution whatsoever.

the entire idea of "rand is spiralling and becoming a monster and needs an intervention" (darth rand) is a sandersonism, full stop. the idea was introduced in TGS.

to be clear — cadsuane and others were intending to help rand learn to "laugh and cry" again, of course. this would've played out in Some Way prior to the last battle. but this is more an expression that rand needs to stop damming his emotions and refusing to acknowledge them and worsening his own trauma, not a Fix in the way that dragonmount was a Fix. i think rj was very clear that trauma and mh issues aren't things that go away, just things you have to grapple with and live with and try to heal from.

i also make this distinction bc KoD rand is very clearly characterized as not a villain — he's dealing with the worst concession he's ever had to make, he expresses repeatedly how much he hates it, he's needing to be reined in when dealing with some other political situations (and he responds to that reining in, importantly, just as he's willingly asked cadsuane for advice on a thing or two by now), he's giving gold to random children on the street and trying to make sure they're taken care of, he's concerned about the normal people going hungry.

all this to say: my suspicion is that cadsuane's and sorilea's goal would've played out in some way, and rand might have found some measure of peace pre-final battle. but i think, more importantly, he would've gone from being suicidal to realizing — whether before or during the last battle — that there are things he still wants to live for. that the suicidality is an expression of his depression, not what he really wants. and this would've led him to face his death as, specifically, a sacrifice (rather than an articulation of his death wish); and this would've brought us to his second chance at life, with a body and mind that aren't doomed or poisoned.

[bthump]

I saw that one really long tumblr ask involving Casca and Griffguts so I wanted to add a different perspective. At this point from a narrative standpoint I am personally more annoyed with how Casca was treated after the eclipse than during the eclipse. The eclipse was an event specifically designed to put the band of the hawk through the worst suffering possible so the horrible stuff that happened to Casca had a purpose. What I don't like is that Casca's regression was never used as an opportunity to explore more of her character. Even if she had regressed to the point of a two year old she would've still had noticeable personality traits. Something as simple as giving her a favorite color or an object she really likes would've made so much of a difference in that regard. It would've made people reading the manga after the eclipse a little more sympathetic to Casca because they truly got to see bits of her. She clearly had basic emotions and instincts during her regression but it sucks that was never built upon.

Although I enjoy Gutsca, Golden Age Griffguts and Golden Age Griffgutsca I think Gutsca would be the best one to make canon. At this point I think Griffith has destroyed too much of himself to get the love he had wanted from Guts (and especially not from Casca if some interpretations are to be believed). In the canon of Berserk it wouldn't be fair for Guts to be with a man who traumatized him so completely unless the writers wanted to make a dark character study. At least with Casca they can mutually heal from the scars the sacrifice left. And even then Guts still has more growing to do if he doesn't want to destroy himself like Griffith did. It's honestly quite sad.

Also I really don't understand why people discredit the female characters of Berserk so much??? Even if there are hiccups in Casca's story she, Farnese and Charlotte are like my favorite characters in the series. They're all so well designed from a narrative perspective and they're also all just pretty neat. It's just sad that people in the fandom victim blame Casca. Or define her based off of Griffith or Guts. If anything her potential personal arc should culminate in her gaining more self esteem.

Yeah I get that, I think Casca's "character" post-Eclipse has been absolutely dismal writing, and honestly those are some good ideas for how the writing could've been imporved. I hate the regression concept in general, but it's true that it doesn't mean Casca needs to have absolutely no characterization beyond generic sexy baby and maternal instincts lol.

And tbf I don't think very many griffgutsers expect Guts and Griffith to end up together in a romantic capacity - a homoerotic emotional revelation followed by death seems to be the going theory in my circle at least, and that's what I'm pinning my hopes on. But when it comes to fanfic and headcanons, griffguts is straight up a lot more fun to me, so that's what I focus on.

Plus for me personally I'm not super interested in what the characters deserve, so I like the love still irrationally being there regardless of the Eclipse and Griffith's transformation, and I do think that's canon - platonic love at least. Guts' feelings are mixed, and the Beast of Darkness taunts him for longing for Griffith, and he still misses human Griffith, etc, and I think that suits the tone of the story very well. I don't think a happily ever after is likely to come from it, but a moment of catharsis where those feelings are untangled and likely still requited to an extent before a climactic death scene sounds right up my alley.

But yk, to each their own, there's room for a lot of different takes in the fandom.

As far as the female characters go, I think they're better than a lot of female characters in similar stories tbf, and I definitely love a lot of them, but I do think they're sometimes awkwardly written, and sometimes in misogynist ways (eg Casca's retconny suicide attempt, Farnese's total 180 from complicated fucked up pyromanic to caretaker after one montage, the vast majority of Berserk's women being motivated by crushes on men, etc). There's lots to love, but also lots to feel annoyed by imo, depending on what you're focused on, so I can't blame anyone who wants to complain about how Miura writes women, and I can't blame anyone who wholeheartedly loves the female characters either.

Anyway thanks for sharing your opinions as a counterpoint, it's good to hear different + thoughtful points of view, whether I agree with everything or not!

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

the creator said that in 5b they'll have eddie dip his toe in the dating pool, but what's the point? ana was perfect for him and he couldn't feel anything for her? repeating the same crap yet again and forcing another useless love interest on eddie is pointless.

Hey, Anon!

Oooo I don't know how perfect Ana was for him tbh. Perfect for Christopher, yes (and even that is debatable), but not for Eddie. And they made sure to show us that in many different ways from the outset. "Jinxed", "follow your own heart", etc.

I get what you're saying but I do really believe this is just part of the Buddie journey we're taking. I truly don't see a woman being Eddie's ideal romantic partner in the end. They've called this into question way too many times, even last season, in order for it to be some woman he goes on a date with in 5B or later on.

Well, I know I probably sound like a broken record by now but think about him dipping his toe in the dating pool like this: when someone gets out of a relationship (divorce, breakup, death, etc.), once they have some time to process the end of that relationship and they are ready, they are always encouraged to get back out there, even if it's just baby steps. Why? Because it not only helps them to try to find a new relationship but it's also part of the whole process of healing/getting over it. Not to be crude, but you know that line of "to get over someone, you need to get under someone else"? I'm not saying this is exactly that or that sex with other women is going to happen (though tbf it might, who knows?) or that sex with someone else is an absolute necessity for someone to get over a relationship ending (like I said, a very crude line) but the idea is essentially the same. Eddie has done so much work over the past season and has had so much emotional growth, it only makes sense that now he is looking towards what he wants and trying to find it. The man never knew what he wanted in a life/romantic partner before. He married Shannon because she got pregnant and from the sound of it, before the pregnancy, the relationship wasn't that promising. Eddie ran to the military, and then re-upped so he didn't have to deal with Christopher's CP. Then Shannon left him and Christopher. He was closed off and focused on taking care of Christopher. Then Shannon came back into their lives and when he finally lets her back in, she tells him she doesn't want to try again, it's over, and she wants a divorce. Then she dies which throws him into a spiral of grief and unresolved anger, all while still trying to focus on taking care of his son. Then he meets Ana who is the first woman he's been attracted to since Shannon, who has similarities to his wife and appears to be perfect for Christopher, but ends up not being perfect for Eddie himself. Panic attacks happen (which never happen to Eddie) and Eddie is starting to feel trapped. He breaks it off and then leaves his would-be family to take another job that he hates, thinking he's doing right by his son. Then he finds out his son didn't mean what he thought he did, but he can't undo this mistake, which ends up helping to spearhead him into a breakdown which he then needs to get help for. He does the work and starts to get better, returns back to his 118 family, sure of his purpose in being a firefighter and helping people, even resolves his issues with his father (which I can tell you from personal experience, that is a MAJOR turning point in your life when it happens), and now for the first time, he's doing what's right for him.

So it's only natural that now that his son is older and he's doing great, that he's back at the 118 for good and he's secure in his position, that he now looks to other areas of his life and thinking about what he wants from those areas. Son? Good, check. Work? Good, check. Home? Pretty good, check. Family? Good, check. Love? ....and there you have it. The dating is simply that, opening him up even further to determine what it is he wants romantically and from a would-be life partner. That's it. People didn't like Ana Flores when she happened (with some good reason) but it was in her name what her purpose in the story truly was: to open Eddie up (and Christopher to the idea of Eddie dating someone other than his mom). People are not going to like the idea of this dating pool thing (and most already don't lol) but guaranteed its purpose in the story is to open Eddie up to the possibility of finding what he really wants (not yet realizing he already has it). That's all this is and it's still leading all of us down the Buddie road.

Hang in there, Anon. I hope you have a great rest of your day!!! <3

[onewomancitadel]

How would you feel if Jaune ended up with someone besides Cinder? Is there anyone else you think makes sense as his romantic partner or even "could" be his romantic partner?

Hi anon, thanks for your ask. I hope you've had a good day so far. <3

Well, I think the latter question is more important than the former, and I like to think that my feelings about the show do come from a place of trying to take the story seriously. That is to say, you kind of can't really have a story without emotional response. :D

I don't think we're in any position where I would consider the story writers being misleading with Knightfall, though, just Cinder's redemption. If she doesn't get redeemed, I think they critically failed her characterisation and backstory in V8 in particular. (Not even just showing it: the particular framing, and the continual, repeated scenes of her torture).

However, I do consider Jaune as a pretty critical piece in her redemption; I don't actually know how they'd get from Point A (Cinder hates Ruby and is terrified of her silver eyes, the major weakness of the so-called boon Salem has given her) to Point B (Ruby purifies Cinder of the Dark Curse). It requires a complete shake-up of Cinder's worldview and for her to realise that the Grimm arm is hurting her and she doesn't deserve that. It's already been shown in V8 that the 'power of friendship' was insufficient to help her, but I actually don't think that means she's too far gone, because she still didn't let anybody in at all, maybe only Penny a tiny bit.

I kind of maintain on that front that romance is involved in Cinder's redemption since we've got it only teased with Ilia's one-sided feelings for Blake - which tbf, at the time was a very compelling ship for me for obvious reasons. XD But I feel like with the style of redemption arcs being built up, one of the most complicated and interesting in the show involving all of those earlier elements... ? That makes a lot of sense.

I mean, even arguably Emerald's redemption involves romance (in a fashion): Mercury leaves for Vacuo with Tyrian. So again, I expect some type of healing reprisal of this theme, particularly if V8 decided to show Cinder learning the lesson of friendship... wrong. I think Cinder's redemption arc is distinct on this front because she doesn't just need some gestural and moral help, I think she needs someone totally 100% committed to her above all else, and the narrative irony of that being Jaune makes me very happy. I know, I know, friendship can do that too, but so far they haven't written the friendships that way and I literally don't know who else could fill that spot except Jaune (unconditionally, and unreservedly) and it would be silly not to make it romantic.

As you can see, I do think Knightfall is wrapped up in more than just whomever Jaune and Cinder end up with.

I consider it to be thematically critical and answering a lot of what's there in the story, which you can see in my Knightfall masterpost. Given that Cinder really hasn't been set up with anybody else, her endgame doesn't seem to interest people as much, and Jaune's endgame seems to be more of a question of personal interest, but to me both of their endings answer ideas in the story in a really, really interesting and salvific way.

Because of this, I would feel like it would be a critical misstep not to capitalise on the pair, and I would feel that I completely misread into the themes of the show, which is pretty devastating, or if they tick all of the boxes except Knightfall and Cinder's redemption, I would wonder why they left them out. It would just be incoherent then, and some sort of clear, embarrassing line about being 'too evil' they decided not to cross...

But the really critical thing wrapped up in this question is whether the story is doing things with intertextuality that we think it's doing, and in particular for me, whether the Jungian storytelling is actually there. The reason I really don't like Jaune/Weiss - other than that it's lazy - is that it totally breaks Jung, it breaks the intertextuality, it breaks the colour-patterning, it breaks Reverse Ozlem, it breaks all of it, and it would mean essentially none of it ever mattered, which would thereby weaken the story and overall weaken the complexity of the relationships.

So there's virtually no other Jaune pairing I can see that would work if he's paired up with anybody but his anima, like all of the other romantic pairings (there are some familial sets of animus/anima to be fair, but Jaune and Cinder aren't related). I can't even see an intelligible argument for why it ought to be pattern-breaking; the new relationships of this cycle-breaker should be healing and positive compared to Ozlem. I would really wonder why they would, say, commit to linking Jaune to his anima and then not have him fully reconcile/accept her when the rest of the anima are romantically paired... and when Ozlem were romantically paired. So no, there's no one else he can be paired up with.

I've written a post before trying to read Weiss as his anima and it doesn't work. So I would have to accept R/WBY isn't using these narrative and character structures, which would be heartbreaking, because I can see the clear evidence of them and most importantly in Cinder's respect, I can see her intertextuality with Rhodopis. The details of Rhodopis and Sappho's brother falling in love are, um, particularly damning. You could argue there's room for subversion, and I think there is, as I remarked in the Knightfall masterpost: Joan of Arc's end.

On a taste level? Nothing hits like Jaune and Cinder. It's unexpected. It's exciting. It's different. It's salvific. It's redeeming. It's knight and Maiden, saint and heretic, good and evil, healer and killer. It's got the most dramatic potential. They would be really fucking funny together. It's the thing I've shipped more than anything else ever in the history of ever. It answers the themes of the story. It's the long way around to a happy ending. It's not too late and you could still come back. It's not about fighting what you hate, but saving what you love.

I used this screencap to break the text up, and evoke the feelings of the pairing, but I do want to note I think it's extremely significant that this idea is specifically explored with Cinder here and presented to her, and we later get this idea explored with Penny again, and the mercy-killing.

To be quite frank, I would be emotionally devastated if it didn't happen, but I would also be prepared to accept it. Ironically enough, I'm not insecure about the way I feel about stories anymore. As I've been kind of talking about recently, the viewer who invests themselves and takes a story seriously is not at fault or inherently deficient in their approach. I do accept that if you negate the proposed themes of the story, the apparent narrative and character structures, Jung, the intertextuality, the fairytales of the story itself, and pretty much everything, and instead put on a much more cynical lens, you get a very different answer to the ones I've proposed on my blog...

Yet this is why I remain intrigued. Because as easy as it would be to say you're too evil and it's too late and nobody will ever love you (just like the lyrics of The Truth which plays during Cinder's backstory... so it can't be true) and the world is actually a cruel and dark place and there's no room for hope and you'll never be forgiven and it was stupid to be compassionate and there really isn't a happy ending after all that loss and happy endings are stupid, too, I actually don't think any of that sentiment holds up to scrutiny in R/WBY. At all.

I just can't see how you could redeem the Maiden powers without Cinder. I can't see how a show like R/WBY would say that the legacy of the Maiden powers will just forever be corrupt. I can't see how they wouldn't capitalise on that major theme of Oz and Salem's daughters, once slaughtered, now symbolically living on through the power. Something beautiful which came from Oz's grief. That alone is enough to make me wonder.

So no, there's no relationship with Jaune and Cinder outside of each other which makes sense. It's more than just ship drama or me being a romantic, it's actually narratively critical. There is absolutely no way you get the same narrative effect with any other Jaune pairing or any other Cinder pairing. It's not subject to the individual whims of the viewer because they think Weiss should stop being a bitch and notice Jaune, or Ruby and Jaune should stop pretending that women and men can be platonic friends, or Jaune and Neo apparently have things in common and Neo is secretly a major character in the show, it's got to be saying something just like the other romances and just like generally well-written romance. (No offense if you ship those just for the fun of it, but this is not the approach I personally take and I'm obviously not talking about people who do ship those ships without canon consideration).

This includes Jaune never ending up with anybody and staying pining after Pyrrha. That would just be so damning to his character and it would be depressing, and honestly after V6 I don't even see how that's an option at all.

To summarise, I think there are serious thematic considerations as part of the Jaune/Cinder pairing which makes other possibilities simply unviable. I also think the pairing would be exciting. I think that if they didn't go that direction, I would wonder how they manage to pull Cinder's redemption off - since there's some key connecting her getting to Ruby, and I really don't think it's anybody like Emerald - and most importantly I would wonder why her, out of all of the characters, doesn't get a romance, when we're told directly that a chorus which sings for her in her backstory - arguably something which she remembers, just like Without you, I am nothing - tells her that nobody's ever loved her. Love her. Love her. You've got to subvert that, you have to, it's the law.

I hope that's a sufficient answer! Romance is serious business.

[essexgirl101]

I was so rude in yr 7 i diddnt even remember, all I remember was ppl saying I calmed down in yr 8 cuh that was time ago but i read sun fb messages and I was fucking ruthless.

I think I used to act out due to no attention at home and i definitly had adhd 😂😂i didnt giv a fuck what anyone had to say about me and thats why the girls loved me and the boys hated me

I think i began over thinking about what people thought about me when I hit the age of 16 leaving school it was just anxiety and the start of maturing and beginning teenage life luckily that didn’t last long and it just progressed into different mental health problems. Iv had to snap myself out of allot. As we have all

I had to heal allot of shit . From a young age and im still young , some shit from when I was young didnt hit me until last year

Im clued up

Im just lucky I always had good friend good support

The majority just showed me the minority were jelous

I truly am blessed

And now I’m got my ruthless self back but now with reason not just acting out all the time for no reason like wen I was younger bjt tbf I snapped out of that so quick so it’s not that deep

The boys ended up lovin me in yr 8 😂😂 I had no idea what anyone meant about me being erratic and annoying (bubbly) boys cant handle that but now iv read sun of the shit I used to say when I was younger

It makes sense

[shamewaddle]

(DAN): Richard's got his tuba! He's got his magic! Bobby's got nothing more than a fragile self-esteem and amazing biceps.

[noitsbecky127]

rebecca watches tos: metamorphosis

who’s this random lady on the shuttle with the trio

oh ok a commissioner

I do feel like she should have been inoculated against anything that was a risk, but ig even in the 23rd century bad decisions are still made

she and jim are gonna have a romance aren’t they

the fuck is that

another unknown object that blocks their path no matter which way they turn? didn’t they do this in the corbomite maneuver

“sit back and enjoy the ride” this ride isn’t looking very enjoyable jim

oh it’s the galileo again! hopefully more successful than the last time it was taken out lmao

ok at least the planet you crash-landed on without the ability to contact the enterprise is habitable

“a collection of gases” well, it IS a cloud, tbf

someone is on this planet, and from the episode description ik it’s the dude who made the warp drive, but how is he here after 150 years

spock just shook a random dude’s hand, fandom told me vulcans didn’t do that

so do they not recognize him as the dude who invented the warp drive? I feel like they ought to

ah yep they’re saying he looks familiar, guess they’ve seen his pics in textbooks or the 23rd-century equivalent

fuck they gotta get off-world soon or hedford’s gonna fuckin die

oh the evil cloud returns

so this companion can heal and de-age people? sounds like something that would come at a cost, stuff like this always does in star trek

“zefram cochrane died 150 years ago” *dramatic music and close-ups on everyone’s faces*

so can the companion fix hedford?

“you’re here to keep me company” well shit

is breaking down sobbing also a symptom of the disease or is it just because she’s a Hysterical Woman™️

so if he leaves he’ll start aging again, but he won’t revert to age 87? seems like a good deal

spock why would you touch the sentient cloud

see spock, this is what happens when you touch sentient clouds

this probably won’t go well considering spock just pissed off the sentient cloud

zefram did you fall in love with a cloud

“a most fascinating thing happened” is this really what you got from that spock

are you seriously going to try and short out the sentient superpowered cloud

the biggest problem with this is that the episode’s only half over so it won’t work

ffs zefram do you really want this thing alive after it’s held you prisoner 150 years

oh you REALLY pissed off the sentient cloud now

jim please don’t blame yourself for this, there’s no way this could’ve been your fault

how are you going to rewire the translator to talk to a cloud

whatever it’s spock he’ll figure it out

meanwhile on the enterprise, the search for the shuttle is certainly going

please do not follow them, you do not want to be where they are

zefram why did you fall in love with a cloud

“the man needs others of his species” so let him LEAVE

spock ily but this really isn’t the time to be scientific

“the idea of male and female are universal concepts” I call bullshit

“I do not totally understand the emotion” now I REALLY call bullshit, spock, you eye-bang jim every episode

alright ig zefram isn’t into banging aliens

“we’ll look them over, one by one” that is INCREDIBLY impractical

also I love (read: hate) that the moment the companion was feminine in nature suddenly she was unquestionably in love with him

not liking how her takeaway from that convo was “if I were human we could be in love”

oh someone made a miraculous recovery

oh what the fuck

so the companion is just sharing a body with hedford now?

alright well at least they can leave now

and hedford-companion is still trying to get zefram to love her

oh ig he’s down for it now

oh ffs she’s just gotta stay here? that’s so stupid

so they’re just gonna live alone together on this planet forever. fuck that

“I owe everything to her” do you though. she did keep you here for 150 years.

this sure was an episode. hated the ending though.

[cutekitten6]

My thoughts on The Letter For The King (netflix)

this will be structured in three parts: what i liked, what i disliked, what could be improved. Warning: CONTAINS SPOILERS

What I liked

Our main character, Tiuri, is the best protagonist. He has had a difficult background and has a little bit of an identity struggle, but through his journey he becomes more and more clear in how he defines himself. He is so sweet and kind and only wants to do the right thing.

That magic is established as a purely Eviellen thing (aka a part of the black culturof the show). It’s not alluded to, it’s merely a fact.

Diversity. I love Iona, our asian girl, Tiuri, our black boy, and Jussoldo, our resident gay couple. None of it felt forced nor was it villainsed. They simply were.

Queen Alianor being queen without any question. She inherited the throne from her father and it is hers. She was inquisitive and charming, and quite daring romantically.

The chase scene in that very clearly Lord of the Rings-type field. It was not only beautiful but thrilling.

Magic horse. Or, not really magic but a damn smart horse

Arman giving Tiuri his peptalk about how Tiuri is a good person and it doesn’t matter if he’s not the Chosen One, what matters is that he is a good person and actively does good deeds.

Jussipo and Foldo’s campfire talk and kiss, and the implication that they did not sleep at all but talked all throughout the night. Their faces with Piak woke up were hilarious.

Iona and Jaro’s relationship from “I fucking hate you” to “I still fucking hate you but fuck if anything happens to you I will feel guilty.” Very fun. It’s like if the Hound and Arya liked each other from the beginning.

What I disliked

Lavinia pt 1. She was interesting at first, but when they were establishing that her town is full of selfish people and people who will weasel their way for money, it just ruined her. She was so selfish, so money oriented, and just so opposite to Tiuri that it really irked me. Tbf she does improve the more she cares for Tiuri, but still.

Lavinia pt 2. I did not like that she was actually the Chosen One. It makes absolutely no sense for her to be the magical savior of prophecy; not when magic was established as purely Eviellen. There was no explanation as to how or why she has powers, unlike for Tiuri.

Bury your gays. This has been shouted from the roof tops in this fandom already, but wow was it truly an unnecessary death. Not only did a gay boy die, but Lavinia (who, in literally the episode before, used HEALING MAGIC to save Tiuri) did absolutely nothing to try and save him. She only watched as he died. -10/10.

The climactic face off between hero(es) and villain was SO FUCKING LAME. They are just staring at each other, using their “powers” but like???? LAMELY. It seemed like they were trying to mimic Aang vs Ozai’s final fight with the darkness and the light fighting, but my god was so so lame. The music, unfortunately, was not as strong in that moment either.

What could be improved

I think 6 episodes were not enough. There were too many things that were unexplained or needed time to develop. 8 episodes could have been ideal.

First, Iona’s betrayal. It felt like it came out of nowhere, or at least out of very petty spite. She decides to call up the authorities because, what? Arman forgot she was an orphan? Nah nah nah, I need more seeds to be sown to believe it. Sure there was what Jaro said to her after the avalanche, but even then she has the same level of “i hate all of you” as before their quest started. Instead we should have seen her get more and more fed up with the group, or feeling more like an outsider.

Second, what the hell did Viridian do to Alianor??? He turns her eyes black and we see absolutely nothing. The next we see her she’s completely fine? Um, no. Either 1. show us what conversation went down between him and her, or 2. give us a small clip of her alone where her eyes turn black again, to make it clear she’s still under his influence.

Third, Piak should have died instead of Jussipo. Tumblr user @thylovelylionheart wrote about this and I agree 100%. You can find it here. Not only does it make sense, but it also brings a clear flashback to when Jussipo/Piak said that their parents would kill Jussipo if Piak was hurt. Parallel that, not Jussipo’s lyric about their[Jussoldo’s] love being carried to the grave smh.

Tiuri should still have magic. Not only is he a shaman’s son, but his mother knew that he was destined for something large. In the last scene we see her in, standing up on the stands as Tiuri is knighted, she looks unhappy. Why? Also the bird flock??? it needs a bit more explaining.

Having more episodes would then invest us with Tiuri’s mother. Alianor said she would still protect her even after she went to the summit. But then we never see Tiuri’s mother in danger?? It would have brought more stakes to the journey, at least for the audience, to know that Tiuri’s last life line could be hurt, even if he didn’t know.

Heck, we could spend an episode with everyone separated again. Lavinia goes off to find her road. It would give us more time to settle for the idea of Lavinia being the Chosen One, since the reveal would still be ep 5. We could have her be alone and meet someone who, idk, shows her the light (haha). Think Toph and Iroh. She’s still selfish but cares for Tuiri, but is not wired to be a savior. So she gets help from, let’s say the Father Monk from the mountains, who helps her prioritise that even if she doesn’t want to save the world, saving one person [Tiuri] would be enough. And she turns up at the palace FOR Tiuri, not because she suddenly gained morals. it makes more sense in terms of how her character development played out.

The final episode should have been a final battle. That’s it.

Overall: The Letter For The King is a meh show. It’s gorgeous and the first 4 episodes are thrilling and exciting. But the show drops the ball in eps 5 and 6 in a way that really ruins the fun you’ve had. Should you watch it? Maybe.

[the-void-staring-back]

Loki 1x06

finale time lads, lets gooooo

why other sound from the mcu? what is the point of this? are these different time lines? memories? every has a point in these shows so WHAT IS THE POINT?

this is going to be so obnoxiously full of timeline bullshit isn't it? i can already tell i'm going to hate his

okay, actually, this looks kinda cool. pretty. it even has that fixing-things-with-gold thing going on (googled it: kintsugi - this is a metaphor for what? fixing the timelines? healing the past?)

the way he stands so respectfully for her to think is actually kind of endearing

have these two never seen a horror movie? don't go through doors that open on their own. nothing good has ever once in history come of it

this clock is the most annoying thing in the whole mcu please let it never return

are they about to meet god?

all these things: thanos, asgard, etc,, would've been so much more interesting. looking at his history and seeing how it has shaped him as a character. even looking at different variants of him and how that worked

loki should've hit her harder with that magazine, frankly

they've put the villain in a gothic mansion on a dying planet in the middle of a thunder storm: i love the aesthetic but could they have made it any more of a cliche

"unnatural" - ya, that's what i'm saying

all i can see is cinemasins: "lets have him eat an apple in this scene so he looks like even more of a douche"

i really, really love the set design actually. the first time all season its been truly properly good

don't know if building suspense or just really slow

B 15!!! loml!!!

of course she was a headteacher before she was the judge - what else

tom looks... yeah. very yeah. i'll give the show credit where it's due: the whole season has been one bi panic after another

is he like ... a heimdall? are we going to learn more about what all of them are?

they love recycling the whole free will vs what is right question where loki is concerned

is this all an allegory for religion, or is religion just a cheap way of exploring fascism

wish people would stop betraying Mobius

they really are setting up a million female villains for phase 4, huh

tbf, when multiple timelines are created, everything does go to shit. (looking at you, endgame :/)

is he a loki? like, the original one?

is the universes thing like the thing from thor: the dark world or was that something else?

i'm already sick of the multiverse. i miss 2012 avengers living together found family dream. stick clint in a vent and have loki and thor do family therapy, jeez

are variants going to be a common thing across the mcu now? just loads of different versions of people?

is this whole thing about loki discovering (ONCE AGAIN) that it's better not to be alone and that there are people who love him? haven't we been over this in every thor film in the franchise

"we're all villains here" - i am excited about that element of what’s coming in the MCU. none of them are superheroes anymore. they're all anti heroes at best

sylvie's whole character is just unresolved childhood trauma, but we don't even know what that trauma is

oh, this is actually quite sad. the first time all season i've cared about them

LOVE IS A DAGGER

i do love the whole one person vs everyone question. revenge vs what is best for the future. it's an interesting question that crops up a lot which i love

aaaand they've killed it :/ - so much could've come from that and they killed it by making it a weird romantic thing. loki could've wanted to be good instead. he could've wanted to change his purpose from being the villain and the failure. they could've made it about wanting power even. instead they made it another unnecessary love story. this fight scene isn’t even worth the ~40 minutes of build up we’ve had

i HATE TIME STUFF. HATE IT. who thought this was a good idea. are kids going to understand any of this? because i'm certainly not

B 15 and Mobius should take over everything

what is with the dumb 60s nasa aesthetic of the tva. i miss the gothic castle

he's in another timeline? the same timeline? is he still loki? what? i HATE it here

tfatws was better :/

[mixedracefairy]

A Reylocentric review of Episode IX

*HELLA SPOILERS*

DON'T READ IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER!

(I'm from London get used to the slang)

I liked:

• I just liked how one of many Snokes was in like a Matrix incubator, lit and mysterious idea - that Palpatine was behind the creation of Ben. Did he bun not being able to find Rey and then switch to Vader's line as I assume Ben wasn't hard to find? Had to use Snoke otherwise Final Order and resurgence would be revealed. Cool.

• Opening with Ren POV establishes him as a big man and dark don and Palpatine is butters like whatever you think of Ben/Ren all man can get behind hating on Palpy.

• The whole 'lads we best sort this out or we're totally fucked' plot - Palpatine is back with a surrender or be destroyed motive

• The promise of destiny to Ren if man ends Rey cos it makes them mortal enemies. However you sense he won't cos she's wifey but the dichotomy is bare hypey. (That sounds silly. It does however, best express my feelings to the situ.)

• Him chasing her all 'I am gonna turn you to the dark' - it's exciting that he has a desire for her, it's also exciting that she's like aight calm and carries on with her ting with the boiz

• Rey's vision - the potential in the force for her to rule with Kylo Ren and be dark side. Wild.

• Rey's heritage revealed - that she comes from a lineage of great power and great darkness. At first it was cool that she was a nobody and Ren like a prince because of the class contrast and their bond, but this reveal makes her almost greater than Ren, eligible to be empress. Literally the bottom to top. Lit.

• Moments of proximity, there's a momentum building, the bond between them and it's exciting to anticipate their presence together and what might come if it

• The duel of wills over the transporter, demonstrating equal power. (Luke saber 2.0)

• Her shock at her power, losing control/unawareness of might - Rey fearing her power and destiny. Rey also being how the Skywalker twins learn from their mistakes of not fearing (Ben's) power

• Their force bonds - moments where she outsmart him, him with the position in power searching for her on the ground but she's in his quarters. There's always been something hypey about the FO/Empire with their might vs RA/Resistance underdogs and our boiz winning, but never in a situation where they're bonded and he's literally searching for her to wifey.

• Lowkey role reversal cos he's tryna tell her who she is, albeit for his own purposes, and she's in denial and responds by attacking him. The 'I'm angry so I'm gonna hack at things with my lightsaber' is usually a Ren move.

• You can't tell if they want to kill each other, (cos you can tell they wanna fuuuh). Ren races at her with his speeder, she cuts off his wing; in their heated duel they let each other recover yet she seizes the opportunity to kill him. She then heals him as the occasion is a mutual mourning. Confessing wanting to take his hand, Ben's hand.

• The way Rey and Ren dance around each other, Rey flying off his star base. Man all like rah, bae swerved again.

• They did 3PO dirty! It's gucci tho for the Groot-esque bant.

• Ren's abandoning of the dark side moment was feeling keenly the loss of his mother, indicating he had a love for her and somewhere a desire to return to the light or a safety/relaxedness that his opposition was headed by her. Almost like he was protecting as much as seeming to destroy her cause. 

• It reminded him of how he lost his father by his hand, their love haunts him as somewhere he felt he belonged but was ashamed to return to because of Snoke (Palpatine's) corruption. Her death is a loss of hope for his sometime redemption or organising of the galaxy between those who backed the Resistance and First Order. 

• The memory of Han convinces Ben Leia's cause still lives if he decides to take it up, showing he did care for her and what she stood for. He just felt lost to it, hurt, unbelonging, bitter and abandoned by it. Yet he believed in himself and his destiny for greatness, (which you have to rate), so man was like dark side it is. (Wow, what a gangster.) 

• It's a bit like Leia's death freed him of the shame of wanting to be light because he needn't face their judgement, or more, the pain of their undeserved love and forgiveness.

• Lowkey Harry Potter vibes like when Harry's nemesis kills him but doesn't die but the horcrux part did. Han says "Kylo Ren is dead" after he is stabbed by his own saber - the pursuit of darkness that was destroying him has been killed (with compassion for Leia?)

• Leia's arc from episide IV has been lit. After her death, Poe feeling unqualified and Lando saying they all of them weren't ready, you deep how young, (what literally 17?), Leia since day has been taking initiative, being a leader. What a champion and woman all the galaxy has looked up to. And telling silly flyboys to put their cocks away, yet still she believed in and elevated Poe (who has learnt and developed).

• Force heal 1 was a nice indicator of her capability and just a nice touch of her approach of kindness to problem solving, like Leia to her flyboys - put your cocks away. Also dope how Finn prees it and backs her.

• What the hell was Finn going to tell Rey before they sank?

• Yo the way man ended Hux was lit! Pusssyyyy

• Ben's redemption, how he went after Rey to rescue/fight with her as Han's son.

Fresh 👏 garms

• The parallels of Ben and Rey both ditching their saber was cool. Not sure why, like they're both on the wavelength of 'fuck this shit' haha. Except Ben ditches his to step into his true self, what he was trying to do since day, and Rey ditches hers to deny herself. Good thing Luke was about to say who you are is what you make of yourself. A bit like the answerless mirror cave from VIII.

• I like old Luke. I like what a cynical c*nt he is hahaha

• Ben abandoned his saber as it represented Kylo Ren and darkness. Was it foolish to take just a blaster? Tbf he is the don with the force so maybe he thought he was gucci. Force swap was sick tho.

• Pretty cool that their force bond is so powerful it could renew Palpatine's power as it shows how precious it is. Also mad tragic that that is their downfall, they stood no chance against him. But surely if it could renew him it could end him? Two yung padawans couldn't really take on big man like Palpy so fair.

• There were some excellently convincing moments all round of loss of hope - 'they're done fuuucked' moments. Poe in his X wing, Rey staring into force lightning etc.

• Was it stupid that Ben went to Rey? It's obviously instinctive he ain't gonna snake bae now they're not opps. Without him there Palpatine never would have been renewed tho. Rey however remains pure and not a Sith, so did he come to protect her innocence? Fits in with the literary themes and tropes of fairytales that the whole idea of them comes from. 

• I mean if he hadn't come Rey would be Sith empress and really how bad would that be? She'd probably have Ben beside her thus fulfilling the vision she had. What Sith vows must she have taken in order to become empress, (to save the mandem obvs), because she could technically marry Ben who would rule in light and she in darkness. That would be badass af, an unwilling Sith empress.

• Rey's fulfilling of destiny, saving the galaxy etc. I mean obviously it's dope when a hero steps into her role. She chose, like Ren, to ignore her past but in this case for good (because she had the bravery to believe she was not isolated, she was loved, unlike Ben). 

• Her battle has been one of self worth and belonging and she believed she belonged to a Jedi family, worthy to have all Jedi behind her, despite her searching for a family to give her life meaning and finding the truth is literally the opposite of what might help her in this battle. She gave all her power/life for the galaxy.

• Ben gave his life for her, completing his redemption in a Christ-like ultimate love sacrifice. We also catch a first smile and oh me lawd it is my favourite thing in the whole three trilogies. That transfer of life, joy, love, kiss, death was just perfection. Po👏et👏ry. 

• Fuck man. She was his only joy. Raaah

• Also because she died for the galaxy, he died to give her life, it's like he took the L for the galaxy instead, but also allowing our young female protagonist from ends the glory and not the star prince with a bad white male privilege temper and climb to power.

• Leia didn't become one with the force til Ben was redeemed. That's deep. Was that why Ben turned? His scar is now healed, suggesting the betrayal of patricide and how that weakened him instead of making him Kylo Ren is mended by Rey. He's no longer split in two?

• What's the symbolism of giving her life by putting your hand there Ben? I see you Disney, you gotta keep it PG but I see you

• At the end, when she's asked what her name is, it would have been cool if she was like Rey Palpatine and I overcame the meaning of the name, I know who I am. But it was fitting, you could sense it - and the force ghosts what a touch - she was a Skywalker. Her fam have been Leia, Luke and Han, and her soulmate should they have been married would make her Skywalker too. Technically Rey Solo which also fits because it's the same reason Han chose the name cos man didn't know who they belonged to, except she's not alone, she belongs as a Skywalker.

• Obviously Rey and Ben raising little babies as heirs to the empire would have been dope but Ben's death atones for his atrocities as well as makes for poetic writing. 

• Rey returns to nothing, which is cool cos her parents obviously must have been eligible to be heirs to the empire and also chose to be nothing. So it's significant, not anticlimactic. It's humbling, which in the trope of heroes is radical.

• This is a statement that autocracies like the Final Order don't belong in the galaxy, but people power can take down star destroying fleets. (Shame about UK politics not being people power taking down hope destroying elites but ok.)

• Oi what does that gold lightsaber mean? It's cool still.

• Leia and Luke, like Rey, show a natural instinct for the light, as if to say humans are naturally loving without influence of darkness. (Ffs Darth Sidious)

• Both Rey and Ben have the same dark then light genealogy. Rey actively seeks out the light (VIII) and is denied it and genuinely fears her potential for darkness eventually. Ben is moulded to darkness despite his natural light. When they face big man Darth Sidious they're both at a point of comfort in their identities, they both believe they have a right to the light side because of who they are and the choice they are making.

• What's the new mask phase all about?

• Ben's arc is dope - you meet Kylo Ren and he's scary and powerful, then lol at mask off moment, you're a likkle yout! Then find he desperately wants to prove himself and becomes a vulnerable manchild, his act of patricide fostering a softer side which we connect to through Rey, taking leadership and then throwing that in the trash to be, like Rey, a nobody. It's like reverse Vader, also because instead of unwittingly killing his missus he wittingly gives his life for her.

• Lit trilogy 👏 bun the haters. Them man don't understand 😙👌

[fangsmyth]

jim carrey in sonic will steal my heart on valentines day || accepting

@enradiant​ sent: M I N E C R A F T was this for john bc--

M   :   MOONLIGHT.   what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

renting out an entire gothic mansion/castle and just going to town for a whole week. it’d probably be interlaced with some soft intimate moments like sharing dinner and literally all the lights would be candles and sharing a bath with rose petals in a clawfoot tub... but yeah mostly just a nice lil bit of indulgence for the aesthetic

would have to be with a vampire though or someone that will at least be willing to pull off that many theatrics for him it’s important it’s part of the bit

I    :   I LOVE YOU.   does your muse find ‘i love you’ easy or hard to say?

disturbingly easy like he is Very close to saying it to the point where it’s relatively meaningless. lanque is extra and likes saying it in hidden and subtle ways rather than the direct statement, because it just seems so... basic but yeah lanque saying things like “you know if you’re not okay with me doing this, you can just say it, right?” or asking questions so he can surprise you with thoughtful gifts later

he’s really loving he’s just mediocre at showing it directly

N   :   NAUGHTY.   what is your muse like in bed?

oh he’s a fucking nightmare. lanque has done so much and just has such high standards for what it takes for him to cum he can get pretty abrasive and rough, but he’s also fairly accommodating. ( ignoring the fact that he will literally fuck you until you pass out ) he’s into pain, but since he’s expecting disappointment anyways his partner comes first. 

sex is important for him. he feels like it’s the only way he can do any form of ‘healing’ without breaking character, and that it’s super freeing? lanque is horny with reason i promise you.

there’s a lot of dirty talking going on the fucker is also super efficient and quick to find exactly which spots get his partner going ummm bitch loves doin Oral....... Obviously..................... i could literally go on for hours but i will cut myself off there

E   :   EMBRACE.   does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

NO he doesn’t like hugs or at least if he’s going to hug it better turn into something else!! which is unfortunate because lanque gives such soft and strong hugs that offer so much safety that flat out doesn’t exist. he’s powerful his skin and nice smells are a secret poison

lanque hates doing aftercare bc it’s too personal did i mention--

( @faithlines​ also sent C ! )  C   :   CHOCOLATE.   does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

yes, but lanque mainly likes dark chocolate. like SUPER dark chocolate, he’ll indulge in like bon bons with fruit in em or smth but generally speaking he wants that cool 70% cacao he likes bitter shit on occasion

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

he sells himself as a cynic but he’s a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge romantic! lanque loves flowers and poetry, one of his big big secret wishes is just going out on a picnic with someone and them playing the violin for him as he sips white wine and watches birds or some soft shit i’m so tired i crave him to stop feeling fear

A   :   AFFECTION.   how does your muse show affection?

lanque doesn’t say anything, he pulls you into his lap ( or takes a seat in yours if you’re taller than him ) and just sort of... tucks his head in a good spot. he loves to talk, but his means of showing affection are usually super silent? he definitely expresses it more through actions, like lanque will literally never hug anyone that’s endgame that’s new game plus you fucking did it

F   :   FLIRT.   is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?

extremely good do not let me fool you he’s a very talented himbo with a silver tongue and a taste for vengeance lanque generally manages to get by through sheer bluntness alone and is honestly just so forward most people would reasonably see it as overwhelming and intimidating?

but at the same time it’s cool, he’s confident, he makes you feel really special if you don’t know him. and tbf he will stop if you tell him to stop, but unfortunately he does get kind of dickish and peer pressure-y more so just to make you feel bad but

......also really explicit and straightforward ask him what he wants to do to you and he’ll give you a super detailed outline in his own words he never saw the point in beating around the bush

T   :   TRUE LOVE.   does your muse believe in true love?

yeeeeeeeeees he Craves it he’s never Experienced it but he’s sure it’s out there

@grimtherapist​ sent: U X J

U   :   UNREQUITED.   has your muse had their heart broken?

oh every other month, honestly if lanque has a relationship that doesn’t end with him breaking his own heart he’ll freak out! he’s used to drama and lives on it, the idea of having a normal, healthy relationship is  𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐

he probably got his heart snapped too hard by somebody in his youth and just never recovered but you know c’is la vie doesn’t excuse being a fucking monster

X   :   XOXO.   does your muse use / like pet names?

lanque LOVES pet names!!!! he already uses the bad ones for catcalling and all that, but they’re more like placeholders? when the relationship develops, and this is sort of a hidden means of showing it, he’ll come up with specific ones tailored just for you 

it’s to make them feel special but it also makes it easier for him to take advantage of them did i ever mention that lanque is an objectively terrible partner

J   :   JEALOUSY.   does your muse get jealous in a relationship?

all the time!!! lanque drops so many little things to try and distance his partners away from some of their friends or people they’re into, too like pointing out subtle quirks that really should bother people but no one really notices until someone points it out. he’s the guy to point it out. he’s terrible.

[sage-nebula]

for the HC meme: odd numbers for keith, evens for lotor :D

I’m going to answer for Paradigm Shift because it’s far better than and preferable to canon, and I’m also just going to do all of them for both of them since that’s easier than hopping back and forth, haha.

1.) Their physical weak spots:

Keith: He’s very ticklish behind his ears. It’s not a spot many people know about for obvious reasons, but Lotor discovers it accidentally while kissing, once, and never lets him forget it after that. On a less happy note, Keith has a scar on the back of his neck where Acxa dug out his Revender chip with a knife, and while that healed all right for the most part, it’s still indented, a bit sensitive to the touch, and aches a bit when he’s stressed.

Lotor: Whether it’s something genetic, or whether it’s what years of being dragged around by your hair in your childhood by your various diaks will do to you, the top of Lotor’s scalp is randomly painful to the touch. Often times it’s fine, but then other times the slightest brush against it will make it sting like it’s newly injured. Similarly, “tutoring” sessions with his diak often had him chained him with weights on him, which is what led to him dislocating his shoulders over and over and over again in his childhood. The last few times his shoulders didn’t heal quite right, or maybe this is just what happens when your shoulders get dislocated that many times, but either way he can dislocate his shoulders at will now, though it still hurts like nobody’s business (although he’s also used to the pain to a degree, so …). Other than that, he doesn’t really have any—at least, not any that he’d willingly divulge.

2.) Their emotional/moral weak spots:

Keith: Due to the traumatic circumstances in which he ended up at Revender, Keith can’t remember anything about his early childhood before ending up there, and isn’t even 100% sure that “Keith” is his real name (because the first name he remembered upon waking up there was “Kolgan,” and he went years without hearing his actual name, and had to really think on it when she asked him what it was). He’s a bit sensitive about this aspect of himself and his history (as seen when he snaps at Zethrid for asking if he made his name up), even though he mostly tries to focus on the present and therefore the future. He also, due to being discriminated against and abused for it for all of the life that he can remember, has a few bristly spots regarding his half-galra heritage—namely, that he makes sure everyone knows that he is part-galra instead of letting them put him in one box or the other (e.g. when he snapped at Hunk for calling him “Galra Keith”), and that he’s not going to shy away from, hide, or feel ashamed of this fact. He’s part-galra, and so is their entire team, and so are all the auxiliary teams, and they’re all going to change the universe no matter how many people hate them for that, because people hate them anyway just for being born so they might as well just lead a successful revolution while they’re at it, to hell with anyone who tries to stop them.As far as moral weaknesses go, Keith’s actually pretty ruled by what he feels internally as being Right, which means that he could well show mercy to someone who’d just sold them out so long as that person was a civilian also in bad circumstances. He’s far from afraid to do what he has to so that they survive / their mission is completed, meaning that he has killed Empire soldiers and will do so again (and if another reality-crossing happened absolutely would kick the shit out of every single canon Paladin without flinching if it came down to it, no mercy given), but there’s a reason that Acxa privately deems him “soft” the night they leave with Lotor, and that reason is because Keith is more willing to trust or offer mercy than most. He is, point blank, the second nicest person on their team. (The first nicest is Narti, and even she will fuck you up if it comes down to it, so … don’t mistake kindness for weakness. Not even once.)

Lotor: Oh boy. Well, to start with he has a myriad of trust issues. Lotor faced abuse (often under the guise of “education”) for pretty much his entire childhood up until the point he left with Keith and Acxa when he was thirteen, on top of assassination attempts (none too few of which came in the guise of food, which is why the first and only time Ezor ever tries to pull a food prank on him, it does not go well). Since he never had a trustworthy person in his life until he met Keith and Acxa when he was thirteen, and wasn’t even sure he could trust them right away (and tbf they had made a private pact to ditch him at the first sign of shadiness so he wasn’t exactly wrong), Lotor has an immense amount of difficulty trusting people, and usually doesn’t. On top of which, betrayal is something he takes immensely seriously and, perhaps understandably given who his enemies are, doesn’t forgive. On top of which, while Lotor knows that Haggar = Honerva = His Mother, he likes to pretend that Honerva died and was reincarnated as someone else—that, had his mother lived, she would have loved him. This is something that he works through, albeit with Keith’s very tough love (which in turn amounts to enough of a fight between them that the girls start wondering if they’re going to break up, which leads Zethrid to say, “I had to sit through three friggin’ decaphoebs of that will-they-won’t-they bullshit. They sure as hell better not break up after all that,” and Acxa to reply, “You’re complaining about three? Try six”), but even after he comes to accept that Haggar = his mother just as much as Zarkon = his father, the whole issue of his parents being abusive, genocidal tyrants who quite literally want him dead (or enslaved, or lobotomized and then enslaved, and really, is there much difference?) is still a sensitive topic even though he likes to say it’s not. And as a final note, he’s very sensitive to the idea of losing what he’s worked so hard to gain for himself: a home, a family, and love.

As far as moral weaknesses go, oh boy again. Lotor genuinely wants peace. He genuinely wants to create a universe where all planets rule themselves, where people can live happily, their unique cultures thriving, without the fear of losing their children overnight. But Lotor also doesn’t take betrayal well, as mentioned. If a civilian sells them out, and then that civilian is predictably going to be captured, tortured, or killed by the Empire as well, Lotor’s more than willing to let that happen because the civilian sold them out, whereas Keith’s the one who wants to go back to help the civilian no matter how much of a jackass they were. Lotor’s the one who will gladly throw Throk under the bus to take the fall for something Lotor and the team did, whereas Keith would rather let Throk screw himself over, as Keith is sure he will inevitably do (and Lotor agrees tbh), rather than setting it up. They don’t always agree (the civilian traitor issue is a big one they will never agree on, especially since Keith risks his own life trying to help that civilian out, which Lotor feels is unforgivable x2 on that civilian’s list of crimes now), but in many ways Keith is the one tugging Lotor back when Lotor starts to get too close to that line. Keith brings out the person in Lotor, and grounds him, as AJ once said.

That said, if Zarkon, Haggar, or anyone else ever succeeded in killing Keith? On their own heads be it. 

3.) Scars:

Keith: As you could expect from someone who has spent most of their life fighting (and fighting in a war, at that), Keith has a lot of scars. Notable ones are the one on the back of his neck mentioned earlier, where Acxa dug out his Revender chip with a knife, same as he did for her. As I mentioned before, that one aches a bit when he’s stressed and is a bit indented. He also has a little scar on his bottom lip from where an opponent in the Revender arena bit him when they were fighting; their fang went all the way through his lip and left a scar there. There are plenty of others, too, but those are the most notable that I can think of right now.

Lotor: Like Keith, Lotor also has a lot of scars, albeit pretty much all of his are in places easily covered. He has scars around his wrists and ankles from these bracelets / anklets his diak made him wear during “tutoring” sessions when he was young, which would deliver harsh shocks whenever he got an answer wrong, tried to argue something he was taught, et cetera. Originally the shocks would just leave weals, but after enough layering eventually the skin there just scarred. Similarly, the stunt he pulled in the Revender arena the day he met Keith was enough of a transgression to earn him a punishment in lashes from his diak, oversaw by Zarkon and Haggar to make sure it got done, and so he has scars all down his back from that, too.

4.) Best places to kiss on their body: 

Keith: Lotor likes to kiss Keith behind his ears, given how ticklish Keith is there, but Keith’s preferred spots are on the corners of his mouth or eyes, or on the palm of his hand. The palm kiss always makes him melt a little.

Lotor: Lotor likes it when Keith kisses him down along his neck and across his shoulders. He’s also very partial to Keith placing kisses between his shoulderblades when they’re lying in bed at night.

5.) Guilty pleasures:

Keith: For the most part, the idea of feeling guilty for liking something is foreign to Keith. There’s so much to be miserable about in the universe, given that the Empire rules it, so why should they make fun of the little joy they have? The closest he gets is when Kolivan gives him the yupper plush he had as a child, and the nostalgic scent (that he doesn’t even remember the reasoning behind) makes him hug it without thinking. That’s embarrassing, and even more so when Keith realizes how comforting the smell and feel of that plush really is. Other than that, though, no guilty pleasures.

Lotor: Keith is a lightweight, and he’s also very giggly when drunk, and so sometimes Lotor likes to persuade Keith into drinking just so he can see Keith get very giggly and silly because it’s endlessly amusing to Lotor. It’s a guilty pleasure because he knows he shouldn’t, but … he just wants to see Keith say “cash cache” and then fall into uncontrollable giggles because in that one, intoxicated moment, it’s the funniest thing Keith has ever heard in his life.

6.) Their vices (physical or emotional):

Keith: Whether it’s with one of the pod ships they have, or a hoverbike, or even the Black Lion, Keith loves flying as fast and as recklessly as he can. He’ll take ships out on test runs through asteroid fields, dodging and weaving around them, because the rush of adrenaline is intoxicating. Even when he crashes, provided he’s not unconscious or dead afterward, he’ll end up laughing because of the sheer rush of it all. This counts as a vice not only because of how dangerous it is, but also because pretty much everyone hates that Keith does it because of how dangerous it is to his health and safety. (One time Keith wrecked a hoverbike he’d been testing so badly that he had to fly a pod ship back with a broken leg, several splintered ribs, and a dislocated shoulder, and Lotor just about had apoplexy.) 

Lotor: This will sound silly at first, but—gossip. Not harmless, middle school gossip, but Lotor likes scoping out information on others (his enemies, namely) that he can pocket and use for later, usually in ice cold revenge dishes. He’s not only always listening no matter the situation he’s in, but he also utilizes information networks in his spare time in order to get whatever intel he can for later use. Even the most trivial thing, like how one of Zarkon’s commanders hates another, high-ranking commander, could come in handy someday, and so Lotor grabs whatever seemingly petty gossip he can. (Also, sometimes it’s just funny. He’ll admit to schadenfreude where other people’s embarrassing secrets are concerned.)

7.) Their tickle spots:

Keith: Behind his ears, as mentioned.

Lotor: None, actually! He’s not ticklish at all.

8.) Bad memories/experiences:

Sadly, given the lives they’ve led, it’d be easier to list the good memories / experiences.

9.) Humiliating memories:

Keith: Once everyone finds out from Kolivan when Keith’s actual, exact birthday is, Ezor rounded up everyone (meaning their team, plus the auxiliary teams) to sing a happy birthday song to Keith on the day of. He had to endure a roomful of people singing to him at once, all eyes on him. It was awful, and he made sure it never happened again.

Lotor: Soon after they met Ezor and she joined the team, she decided to pull a prank on Lotor by putting something super spicy in his morning cereal. Because Lotor had many experiences in years prior to that with people poisoning his food for a variety of reasons (“lessons” from his diak, people actually trying to kill him, et cetera), the taste of a flavor he was not expecting and that shouldn’t have been there triggered him pretty badly. He wasn’t at all at fault for this (and believe me, both Keith and Acxa chewed Ezor out over it) and has no real reason to be embarrassed, but to this day he still looks at that loss of control as a pretty embarrassing memory.

10.) Fears/phobias:

Keith: Keith doesn’t have any phobias, and on the day to day he doesn’t consciously fear anything, because unless something is happening right in that moment, he doesn’t see a reason to fear it. In other words, if they have some downtime and everyone’s safe, he doesn’t consciously think about how he’s afraid of his friends (his family) being captured by the Empire and tortured to death. But if they all were captured, then yeah, he’d be afraid of them being tortured to death, but even that would be kind of muted because he’d be more focused on rescuing them and getting them back. Fear isn’t something that rules Keith, or something he dwells on. He doesn’t see much value in sitting around scared; he’d rather do something to eliminate the threat.

Lotor: The idea of facing his father in one-on-one combat is something that scares him. Being anywhere that’s open and exposed without a weapon close at hand makes him feel anxious. The idea of there possibly being a leak in security in his ranks is enough to make him triple check every precaution he’s taken to make sure there isn’t. In contrast to Keith, who is a very much “we’ll deal with that problem when we come to it and otherwise not think of it” type of person, Lotor is fully aware of the things that unnerve him and takes active precautions to make damn sure it never “comes to that.” 

11.) Bad or petty habits:

Keith: Keith bites his nails, and scratches at itchy scabs, and when someone is bullshitting he never lets it go. The fight Keith and Lotor have about Lotor accepting that Haggar is his mother that I mentioned earlier? The reason that was so prolonged is because Keith brought it up at every single opportunity. Lotor would walk into a room and Keith, without looking up from the tablet he was reading, would ask, “So, accepted that that witch is your mom yet?” He finds ways to reroute conversations right back to the point he refuses to let go, pushing and pushing and pushing until the person admits the truth. Again, Keith did that to Lotor out of very tough love (because if Lotor didn’t accept it in a safe place surrounded by people he loved, odds are he’d have to accept it when in a bad situation with Haggar herself, and that would be ten times worse), but it nonetheless can seem pretty petty to everyone who’s not him.

Lotor: It’s not uncommon for him to fall asleep in full armor, which in turn becomes pretty grody from sleep sweat. He also doesn’t always remember to take his dishes back out to the kitchen and so it’s not too uncommon to walk into his room and see a collection of used mugs and glasses over at his personal desk. (Smh, that’s how you get space ants, Lotor.)

12.) Grudges and vendettas:

Keith: Keith doesn’t hold grudges. Legitimately, he just doesn’t. He’s very much a, “we’ll deal with it in the moment and then be done with it” kind of person. If he has a problem with you, you know it because he’s told you. And you either settle it and he moves on, or you refuse to change your ways and he accepts that and still moves on, just while liking you less as a person. Of course they’ve made enemies of the Empire, but that’s not really a grudge or a vendetta. That’s, “they’re killing innocent people and also want to kill me so we’ll take them out of power first” type of deal. Sort of a whole different situation.

Lotor: On the other hand, Lotor remembers everything that has ever happened to him or the people he cares about and he never lets it go. He has a mental list of people who have wronged him or his loved ones and how, and should the opportunity ever arise to pay back one of those on the list, he does so and with interest. Throk was a racist, backstabbing traitor? Well, send him to the Ulippa outpost to rot with the ice worms (at least until the opportunity arises to frame him for further treason in the Empire, at which point do that so Haggar can torture him instead). Ezor’s mother abandoned her as a child and then only took interest in her again once she realized that her daughter had grown up to be a Paladin of Voltron? Well, once Ezor has realized her mother for the opportunistic vulture that she is, arrange it so that the woman is sent off to a different corner of the universe where it highly unlikely she’ll ever be able to attempt to leech off the daughter she cast out ever again (and where although she is surviving, she is not thriving), and so on. Lotor never forgets anything and there is no statute of limitations on these grudges, so it’s really in everyone’s best interests to never cross him or those he cares about. Sooner or later, it won’t end well for those who do.

13.) What gets them flustered:

Keith: Compliments. He is awkward as all hell when being complimented, particularly if he’s complimented by Lotor given the feelings he has for him. Remarks about how he is invaluable short-circuit his brain, but even smaller compliments like how he is an ace pilot are enough to make him start blushing and deflecting. He just can’t take a simple compliment from the one he loves without getting all embarrassed. He’s a mess.  

Lotor: There’s not really a concrete way to get Lotor flustered, because catching him off-guard is no easy feat. That said, blunt, honest admissions of how much one (particularly Keith) cares for him are definitely a way to do it. Keith does not play games, nor does he beat around the bush, and this way of his of just stating exactly how he feels gets under Lotor’s guard and skin. Examples can be seen here and here. 

14.) Ingrained habits/forces of habit:

I feel like I just answered this one in 11, haha. The only thing I’d add is the routine checking of security systems and the like that they both do, but otherwise I already talked about their habits.

15.) What it takes to make them cry:

Keith: At this point, the death of someone he loves. Pain, even extreme, generally doesn’t make him cry. The thought of his own death doesn’t. Unfortunately, the Empire being what it is, he’s seen so many innocent people killed by the Empire that that doesn’t drive him to tears, either. But if he lost someone he loved? Yeah, he’d cry then. That would do it.

Lotor: Pretty much the same, although I think his tears would be more from fury than grief, and followed by a scorching wave of vengeance in their name. He wouldn’t have tears to spare for grief, though, because on some level he’d reason that he should have expected this to happen. The moment he finds any happiness for himself, Zarkon and Haggar rip it away. Isn’t that how it goes? (Doesn’t mean he won’t make them pay for it with their lives, but still.)

16.) Dark secrets/’skeletons in the closet’:

Keith: I think the closest Keith has is that promise he made with Acxa the night they agreed to leave with Lotor, that they’d take him down and bolt at the first sign of shadiness. This is especially because it was his proposal; Acxa was reluctant to trust and go with him, but Keith pointed out that if it came down to it, it was two vs. one and they could take him. That was what got her to agree. The thing is, as the years go on Keith forgets about this promise entirely, so it’s sort of like shroedinger’s skeleton, in a way. Is it really in his closet if he’s forgotten it’s there?

Lotor: Mmm, I don’t know if this really counts, but when he was younger and still under the “tutelage” of his various diaks, it was common knowledge to those in the circle (including Lotor himself) that he was expected to shape up and become “good enough” not only because he was Zarkon’s biological son and therefore the crown prince, but also because he was intended to be betrothed to Sendak when he was of-age, given that Sendak’s bloodline was exceedingly pure, he was of a high-ranking noble class, he was pretty much the apple of Zarkon’s eye, and so on. Of course, the fact that Lotor was half-altean was not something that thrilled Sendak, but again, Lotor was the crown prince. The idea that Zarkon and Haggar had was that once Lotor and Sendak wed, Sendak would act more as emperor than his true role of emperor consort, making Lotor little more than a figurehead. Naturally, once Lotor fled Revender with Keith and Acxa in tow those plans were pretty much nixed (and Lotor was never into the idea anyway), but it’s still something he remembers that he never shared with the others. (And note that no swords were exchanged, so they were never officially betrothed. The swords would have been exchanged when Lotor came of age, but since he ran away before that happened, it was never an official engagement. Just a plan he did not agree to but was set anyway because none of the others involved cared about his consent.)

17.) Regrets:

Keith: He regrets any life he took outside of those that were Empire soldiers actively trying to kill him. Accidental kills in the Revender arena, any civilians caught in the crossfire . . . Keith doesn’t dwell on it, because dwelling won’t do any good, but he regrets each and every one.

Lotor: Lotor regrets telling his diak about a servant he befriended in his childhood due to the execution that resulted, although that’s yet another thing on the long list of things he intends to make his parents (and said diak) pay for down the line.

18.) Things they’ll never admit:

Keith: Keith is pretty honest about most things, so he doesn’t have a lot of secrets. That said, after he finds out about his true heritage (that his mother was one of the agents of Marmora, that he lived there until he was kidnapped at age three), there are nights when he wonders---and in a way, kind of longs for---what his life might have been like had he grown up there all along, but then he immediately feels guilty because it means he might never have met Lotor, Acxa, or the others. So he’ll never admit to feeling that way. Also, he and Lotor have made out in the Black Lion, multiple times, but he’ll never admit that to anyone, either.

Lotor: That he’s afraid of facing his father in a one-on-one duel. That he’s afraid of discovering through multiple-reality research that perhaps his mother would have always loathed him, even if she’d never “turned into” Haggar. That when he learned of Keith’s true heritage with the Blade of Marmora, for a split second he wished something would blow up the primary base so that there’d be no risk of Keith leaving him for them.

19.) People they’ve hurt or indirectly killed, and how it affected them:

Keith: When he was nine he was transferred into the weapons’ testing division at Revender, which essentially consists of two primary components: There’s taking a weapon through obstacle courses of cannons and poison gases and whatnot to see how effective everything is, and there’s taking weapons into a combat arena to test how effective they are there. Keith always tried to avoid killing his opponents---usually he’d knock them out---but the first time he accidentally killed someone, it was because they were holding him down, choking him, and he flailed out with a dagger in his hand and put it right through their throat. Their blood ended up all over him, and he was returned to his cell like that, to sit silently through the night as Acxa told him repeatedly that he did what he had to do and it wasn’t his fault. He was ten. He didn’t sleep that night.

Lotor: When he was very little he befriended a servant. It was slow, at first; this servant knew the risks of so much as looking Lotor in the eye, much less talking to him, but Lotor hadn’t picked up on any of his father’s classism, and so he persistently tried to talk to him until he opened up. He was kind to him; she told Lotor stories about his life back home, slipped him candies and such when he could. After one particularly harsh lecture from his diak, Lotor exploded that his servant friend (he used his name, obviously, I just don’t have one for him yet) never treated him this way. The diak reported this to Zarkon and Haggar, and they had the servant executed. Lotor was not notified until after the fact. He blames himself for it to this day.

20.) What-ifs/Alternate Timelines:

I mean, the show’s reality is an alternate reality for these two here in Paradigm Shift. There could be others, too. There’s that one Keith speculates about, where he did grow up among the Blade and never went to Revender, never met Acxa or Lotor that way. There’s one where the war never happened, where Lotor was raised properly as a prince, where perhaps the Blade of Marmora never formed and maybe Keith was never born at all since Krolia would have no reason to go to Earth, then. There’s an infinite number of possibilities and realities. So many exist. But as Lotor says, the only one that matters to them is this one right here---the one they’re living, where they’re together. 

21.) Turning points in their life:

Keith: Well, being kidnapped and taken to Revender for one, albeit he doesn’t really remember that. He just woke up there one day with no memory of where he came from, how he got there, or what was going on. Meeting Acxa was another, because she reminded him that he was a person outside of the identification the Revender soldiers and scientists gave him, and she also gave him companionship in there, just as he gave to her. Then there was meeting Lotor, since he gave them a method to escape, and hope of revolution, too.

Lotor: The death of the aforementioned servant, having everyone in the Revender arena reject his ideals and facing punishment for what he did there, claiming the Castle of Lions and realizing that his revolution truly was possible for the first time, and so on.

22.) People who’ve influenced them greatly:

I’m a firm believer in the idea that everyone we meet and regularly interact with influences us in some way. Therefore, I’d say that both Keith and Lotor have influenced each other greatly, but on top of that, they’ve each been influenced greatly by Acxa, Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti as well. (And later on down the line, Kolivan, too.) They all influence, learn from, and grow with each other. It’s part of what makes them and their relationships with each other so strong.

[bthump]

how about charlotte and/or sonia for the ask meme

ty for asking!

Charlotte

First impression:

lol I don’t think she made an impression honestly. I first watched the anime and she didn’t even go on the rescue mission in it.

Impression now:

Ennnnnnh. I think she’s badly written tbh. I have no firm grasp on her personality. She’s shy and sheltered, but can find inner strength because of her feelings for Griffith sometimes? She’s nice but can occasionally throw tantrums because of her feelings for Griffith? I like to imagine her growing up and becoming disillusioned with her fake relationship and running into Anna’s arms, that’s my main impression of her.

Favorite moment:

Yeah there are a lot of other moments where she does something brave bc of Griffith, and more prominent character moments in general, but there’s something about this little minor panel where she’s like ‘wait maybe I can fix this somehow’ that’s strangely endearing to me.

Also honourable mention to this:

Idea for a story:

The aforementioned realizing Griffith dgaf and running into Anna’s arms.

Unpopular opinion:

I have no desire to see her somehow discover that Griffith is a demon. It feels like that’s something the entire fanbase is just waiting eagerly for, but honestly it would be boring, and impersonal, and I can’t imagine Charlotte having an interesting reaction to that news.

You know what would actually be a great way to disillusion her? Revealing that he had her uncle, cousin, and step-mother assassinated. I would love to see Charlotte learn that. (This part probably isn’t unpopular tbf lol)

Favorite relationship:

There aren’t a whole lot of options lol, but Anna.

Favorite headcanon:

How about this: she’s not actually that naive and ignorant about Griffith. After NGriff rescued her, she asked him what the deal is - Zodd, being healed, magic powers, where’s he been for 2 years - and he gave her a very truncated but not false explanation, including a basic explanation of what apostles are, and comparing himself to one as well, in the ‘gained abilities by sacrificing people’ sense. ie in broadstrokes she already knows about Femto, and the whole avatar of humanity thing.

This just reinforces her belief that he loves her bc surely if he’s a magic demigod he doesn’t need to marry her, he just wants to.

(tbh idr if this is directly contradicted somewhere, but I don’t think so?)

Sonia

First impression:

Oh great another female character motivated entirely by a crush on a dude.

Impression now:

Mostly the same but I find her kind of endearing and cute and I like her partially out of spite for how much a good chunk of the fandom hates her lol.

Favorite moment:

Idea for a story:

She accidentally reads Griffith’s mind, sees a memory of Guts accompanied by emotion for an instant, and starts trying to learn more. She’d be a fun distant outsider pov on griffguts.

Unpopular opinion:

I like her speech about humans and apostles working together at the climax of the MF arc, it was a good moment.

Favorite relationship:

Schierke. I’m salty that they’re both babies because they’re an ideal ship. Two people who briefly meet and feel a strong connection, but they eventually learn they’re on opposite sides of a conflict. Good shit right there.

Favorite headcanon:

lol idk this is hard. How about her jealousy and resentment towards Charlotte eventually metamorphoses into a crush of its own. “Ugh what does Griffith even see in her, it’s not like she can read minds. All she’s got going for her is being super pretty. And nice I guess. With great hair.”