#understanding of the sky/riven rivalry

[floralovebot]

I think Riven was poor in the show... I think Riven hated Sky for being a prince too. They're fighting was because of that too. Are you saying that Riven did not hate Sky because he is a prince? Riven said a lot that he did not like Sky because he is rich and rich people are unfair. Please share your thoughts for me.

I'm pretty sure this is in response to this post? But let me know if not!

Anyway, Riven coming from a poor or even "middle class" background isn't canon, it's just a really good headcanon. I say it's a headcanon because when it comes up, it's always a vague implication that could also be about something else. Like his mother abandoning him could definitely have led to him growing up poor, but it's also not an exact confirmation. His mother leaving for money could mean they were poor, but it could also mean she just wanted More Money. Darcy saying he has "a darkness inside him" is likely about mental illness and trauma rather than him being poor and taking it out on the others (also anyone who uses this as an example just know i am beam blasting your house so hard). Riven calling out nepotism and classism could definitely be more personal but it could also be an example of his very high morality and moral judgment. (like riven is extremely intelligent and stands up for people in less fortunate situations a lot.)

Like,,, it's never directly stated that he's poor and the implications that people usually see could very easily be about something else. Kind of like the headcanon that Helia grew up at RF or comes from a military family; lots of good implications, but not canon. Or s1 implying that Flora could be a lesbian or wlw; lots of implications, but not canon. On the flip side, there are tons of things about Riven that are directly stated or directly implied (like his trust issues, issues with administration, his mental health issues, and even his mother leaving him). But Riven coming from a specifically poor background is something that's more often than not just an implication that could be implying something else. I'm not saying that implication isn't there at all, but it can definitely be read in other ways (for example, I've seen people headcanon that Riven comes from a noble family and hates classism because he's seen it up close). But regardless, Riven being poor is just an implication because it's not stated or shown in canon.

Also, I should note that my post wasn't about shitting on this headcanon. I like the idea that Riven comes from a poor background. It makes sense within canon, I do think it's implied (even some of the weaker implications are still fun to me), and I often use it in other headcanons and aus. But again, it's not Canon and his rivalry with Sky and the other specialists had a lot of components that aren't related to classism. My post was specifically about how the Sky vs Riven rivalry wasn't just about classism. Riven absolutely does not like royalty or the idea of different classes in general. However, his rivalry with Sky was never just about Sky being a prince.

Riven calls Sky out for having advantages over them, yes. Riven calls out the other characters for not knowing something, for being privileged, for nepotism, etc, yes. But his dislike of Sky specifically didn't stem from classism. Like I said in that post, classism was absolutely a factor but it wasn't the Biggest Factor.

Riven had a lot of internal issues in s1 and all of them played a factor in his rivalry with Sky. Sky being a prince was the icing on top. It really cemented everything that Riven thought of Sky before, but it was never the First Reason, the Big Reason, or the Only Reason. Riven didn't like the specialists because they were constantly undermining him, constantly insulting him (sometimes in a direct insulting way and sometimes in a "playful/joking" way), always assuming the worst of him, and never taking his side in literally anything. He also has extreme trust issues, felt like he would be better off alone, and used everything they said and did as a confirmation of why. Like s1 Riven had a really bad case of confirmation bias and was constantly looking for reasons to hate them (Sky being a prince was One of those reasons).

Like I said in that post, the Riven vs Sky rivalry had a lot of depth and both parties played into it. In canon, it was never just Poor Boy Hate Rich Boy. Sky being a prince and therefore having a lot of privilege was absolutely a factor in Riven's dislike of him, but it was never the only thing or the biggest reason. If Sky hadn't been the prince, Riven still would've hated him. Like,, that's important! Riven didn't hate Sky Just because he's a prince. He didn't trust Sky, hated that Sky looked down on him (regardless of their class standing), and hated that Sky "saw better in him". He hated that they were both extremely stubborn, irrational pricks who took it out on each other. He hated that Sky clearly didn't like, trust, or respect him.

And again, I really do think his relationships with the other royal and/or rich characters back this up. If Riven hated Sky simply for being a prince, that energy would've been directed toward Brandon first and it would also be directed toward Bloom, Stella, and Aisha. But it isn't. In fact, Riven often shows that he respects and likes Aisha! Even when he does call the other royal/rich characters out, it's never with animosity. It's usually in this, "yeah you're rich and dumb and privileged here I'll show you how it's done 🙄" kind of way. With Sky, it's more "i hate you i hate you i hate you i hate myself fuck off i hate you AND you're a prince god could you get any worse???". Yknow?

[kifkay]

Winx & Specialists Dynamics that are so Precious to me

it makes sense that in the show, winx and their non-boyfriend specialists don’t interact much. but!! i’m very insane about codependent found families, and I want them all to love each other. so here’s my take on some tet-a-tet dynamics:

rare pairings:

Musa & Timmy: childhood frenemies. they used to go to the same middle school on Melody, and as type-A tweens do, had an intense, “you’re the only person I match myself to” kind of rivalry. they lost contact after Timmy moved away, chilled out considerably, reconnected in Alfea and had a wonderful banter-filled friendship since. because of how fast they slotted back into a friendship, some of their classmates genuinely thought they were siblings.

Tecna & Riven: got up from a rough patch. from “I dislike you but we both love Musa, so we have to be civil” to “you have more depths to you than I expected” to “now that I understand you, I can’t help but admire certain things about you” to “bitch, you are the only person who is as weird and clueless as I am, ARE YOU READY TO GO TO THE ARCADE AND ANNIHILATE KIDS FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES”

Flora & Brandon: little sister, older brother vibes. of similar temperaments and views, they enjoy spending time over a cup of tea — talking about everything and nothing. it’s therapeutic, almost.

(no one in the group knew that Brandon and Flo were good friends. once, when the two had to team up during a mission, Bloom couldn’t even finish saying: “it would be a good opportunity for you to get to know each ot-“, before the specialist-fairy duo were re-creating the most complicated and choreographed hand shake ever. jaws were on the floor.)

Aisha & Brandon: they are sporties, and they like doing sport things together! they don’t talk aside from exchanging brief encouragements and advice while out, preferring to spend their time in companionable silence. sorta like those dads who never talk to their buddies, but somehow have the strongest and longest bonds ever?

Helia & Bloom: artist besties. Bloom drags Helia out on picnics, where they practice observational drawing (and tiktok trends that Bloom desperately wants to reenact but none of the winx are good at arts); Helia responds by taking her out to see art museums in Magix. it’s a fun dynamic of Bloom being the bubbly gold retriever, and Helia being her black cat.

Tecna & Sky: they didn’t have much of a relationship until year 4. somehow, they both got really, intensely into weaponsmithing and built a joint workshop. they found that they enjoy working alongside each other and value each other’s insights. sky goes to tecna when he needs frank, un-sugarcoated advice, and tecna accompanies sky on hikes and other spirited adventures, for “bonding activities” (because he told her she doesn’t get out of her comfort zone enough). it’s a relationship of deep mutual respect.

Sky & Stella: childhood friends. they knew each other as children and enjoyed playing together (which is how Stella also knew Brandon pre-Red Fountaine). at least, until Stella was unofficially banned from Eraklyon because shenanigans, and they lost contact. they still jokingly call each other “My Lady” and “My Lord”.

Stella & Nabu. Both are flirty and extroverted people, who enjoy the spirit of showmanship. They have a friendly rivalry going of who can fluster the villain of the week the fastest.

canon bf-gf dynamics (dating in canon, open to interpretation otherwise):

Bloom x Sky: liked each other since the first meeting; bonded over being the friend group moms. (on unrelated note: bloom gentle parents her friends, while sky goes all exasperated cig mom on his team and repeats things like: “you better go to sleep right now, or so help me Dragon I will take away your Owl pilot privileges-“)

they are not the most outwardly affectionate couple of the winx, yet they are so wordlessly devoted to each other. sky will follow bloom to the ends of all dimensions, when she gets a calling from powers as mystical as she. bloom will always believe in him and see him as his own man, unlike the many who see him only as his father’s son. they were entwined by fate, long before one had met the other; yet, there’s the trust, the respect, the faith so strong — that could have only come from friendship forged and tested by fire.

Stella and Brandon: the hottest power couple; sole reason behind 60% of all student fairies/specialists/witches queer awakening.

they banter all. the. goddamn. time. these dorks are speaking a whole different language.

they are also most comfortable in each other’s company, being able to be their genuine, less polished selves. stella and brandon are both performers bred and born, playing the roles of a noble princess and a knight. it’s nice, to have a safe reprieve from all that acting.

Aisha and Nabu. their love was one that sneaked up on them. their distance, set by a discomfort at the idea of an arranged marriage, bridged as they transitioned from being reluctant comrades to friendly rivals to unwilling friends to best friends to “if someday the moon calls you by your name, don’t be surprised — because every night I tell her about you”

Tecna and Timmy: partners in crime, ride or die, sunny faith in each other — even when the other person doesn’t believe in themself. I have a whole post about them, go read that ;)

Flora and Helia: they are so. they are. they-

icons. the most romantic couple, the one that sets the standards, the one that gives their friends advice. they are extremely attentive to each other’s needs and tender with each other’s feelings.

flora can recite helia’s poems in her sleep, and trace his drawings with her eyes closed. helia brings mielle presents every time he stops by. flora has tea with helia’s dad every other tuesday; she keeps note of every time helia and saladin are supposed to meet up, to be able to whisk helia away after and distract him from his troubles. helia knows how to care of flora’s plants, and sends her lovingly assorted gift baskets semi-regularly.

Musa and Riven. their relationship is push and pull, is joy then sorrow.

it’s all in a drag of a cigarette, in the vortex of a starless night, in the hoarse laughter. “of all the people in the world, why did it have to be you?” she’ll say and smile.

“ I’m afraid we’re doomed, lover,” he’ll reply, faux-casually, and smile back. both of them will know it’s the truth.

their relationship was not built to last, not for the lack of love or try. maybe they were too similar — both headstrong, unbending, bleeding hearts. maybe they were just different enough not to understand their hurts. nevertheless, it was not built to last — but neither of them would ever bring to regret it. love prevails, no matter in what form in comes, or something like that.

[melodiesandfairywings]

Winx and Specialists friendships

LAYLA

Layla and Sky- I head cannon these two being great friends after the first few episodes of season 2. They are both sporty, royalty and very loyal people. I can see them skate boarding together, talking about royal pressures and just being really close. Would Bloom like it? hmmm probably not.

Layla and Riven- Hear me out! once Musa and Riven settle into a proper relationship, and he treats her right, I can see them dropping their animosity and having a friendly rivalry. They'd go leva bike racing together, go to the pub and jokingly tease and 'argue' with each other.

Layla and Helia- Layla needs a calming influence on her, and I could see Helia giving her that. They could get tea together and chat, and Layla could get all her feelings off her chest and Helia could get some clear headed advice. I could see them going to the lake and talking on the edge, and Helia drawing all the shapes she makes in the water.

STELLA

Stella and Sky- They become thick as thieves once Bloom and Sky settle their differences. They talk about the pressure of royalty and he always helps her with Brandon. They start getting really expensive coffee together as not many of the others can afford it. They become confidants to each other and develop a brother\sister bond.

Stella and Timmy- I head cannon that after Stella works out the puzzle in the Shadow realm, Timmy hears about it. He starts talking to her and realises that Stella is a lot smarter than she lets on, she just struggles with school work and she is lazy. he helps tutor her, and reads up on fashion and colours so he can explain it to her in ways she understands. Her grades improve, and they start to hang out more. Stella also helps him with Tecna, and they develop a close bond.

Stella and Helia- Helia would help calm Stella down and would give her a space she can relax and not put on any airs. I could see him encouraging her to try branch out in her art and help her design some of her creations. She would help liven him up a little, and he'd be able to relax and have fun with her. They'd balance each other out a lot and yes, he does tease her about the "i'll have my people call your people" thing, as his mother is from Solaria.

BLOOM

Bloom and Nabu- Nabu is a really cheerful, fun loving guy. I can see him asking Bloom lots of questions about Earth and answering all hers about Magix. He'd help cheer her up when she was feeling down by telling jokes and him taking an interest in her art. They'd be pretty close I head cannon.

Bloom and Helia- Both are artists, so often they'd sit in silence an draw. Helia has classical training so would give Bloom tips when she struggled. They'd also go for walks together and he'd teach her meditation to help with her temper and give her sound advice.

Bloom and Brandon- I mean, they kind of have to be friends. I could see Brandon getting a bit annoyed with her putting his girlfriend and charge in danger, but they have a friendly and almost sibling like relationship.

TECNA

Tecna and Riven- I know, another weird one. Out of the specialists Timmy seems to be one of his favourites, despite his teasing. Tecna is a lot like Timmy, and I could see him loving her sass when it wasn't directed at him. She also holds Bloom accountable for her actions, and the other girls, which he'd like. I could see her helping modify his bike to make it faster and them working on projects together. She wouldn't make him talk about his feelings which he'd like and he'd give her blunt advice.

Tecna and Sky- a bit of a weird one, I know. Sky is good with getting to know a range of people, and I could see him being willing to put the time in to get to know Tecna. She'd help him strategize and help optimise the systems. Tecna also seems to like martial arts, so I could see him teaching her a few moves.

Tecna and Nabu- Nabu I head cannon as a very well read guy, so I could see him and her studying together. Both are fit people, so I could see them exercising together. Both are a bit sassy so the sass with these two would be awesome.

FLORA

Flora and Timmy- they can relate to each other with the shy thing, and both are very smart. She'd help make his inventions eco friendly and she'd give him a friendly ear to listen to. I could see their friendship being calm and composed, and she'd help him branch out (pun intended) into new hobbies.

Flora and Riven- She is the most forgiving, so she'd forgive him for the Darcy thing and help the others to as well. She'd help him learn how to control his temper and communicate, and be more romantic. He'd help her stand up for herself more, and to care less about what people think. He would be a big part of her opening up to Helia as well in my mind.

Flora and Brandon- Both are pretty relaxed people, and I think she'd find his flirtatiousness amusing. They'd get coffee together and I could see him helping her carry all her plants back home. She'd also supply him flowers to give to Stella and Amore and he'd look out for her and help her stand up for herself.

MUSA

Musa and Brandon- best chaos friends. He'd be super protective over her and worry about her getting herself into trouble. They'd do sports together and I could see them going out dancing. They'd constantly tease each other and play pranks on each other, but if anyone crossed the other they'd be on them. He would also teach her some martial arts and weapons training after the Witches attacked her and keep going as her and Riven just end up making out.

Musa and Nabu- He's Rivens best friend, and he saved her at the Golden Kingdom. I can see them hanging out and her welcoming him to the group. She'd be a big factor in Layla opening up to him. He'd help her with Riven and empathize with her over her father situation and just be a pillar of support which she'd return.

Musa and Helia- both are writers, so they'd bond over it. He'd help her open up her emotions more and hide behind anger, and she'd help him express his less than ideal emotions. They'd hang out with her stumming and working on music while he wrote or drew, and they'd go out and grab coffee a lot with him having to deal with a hyperactive Musa.

CLOSEST FRIENDS:

Layla and Sky

Stella and Sky (Timmy very close)

Bloom and Helia

Tecna and Nabu

Flora and Riven

Musa and Brandon

[volgdemagischewinx]

I like the dynamic you brought up btwn bloom and musa. They’re so underrated as a duo! Do you think they’ve ever interjected in sky and riven’s rivalry? Does bloom find herself siding with musa and riven more because working class roots?

Dude, I'm actually obsessed with the idea of how Sky and Riven rivalry could affect Sky's relationship with Bloom. This is one of those things that's definitely different in my own personal au(obviously we all have one) than in canon so I'll do both versions:

In canon I don't think Bloom ever really catches on to the class aspect of Sky and Riven's rivalry. She's pretty oblivious by nature and when she was first introduced to the boys she still thought Sky was a squire, and based her opinions on that. Without the context of Sky being royalty and Riven being poor it's really easy to miss Sky's condescension in s1, especially if you don't like Riven's general attitude(which Bloom doesn't) and see Sky in a more idealized light(which Bloom does)

Even after the royalty reveal Bloom still has a tendency not to hold Sky accountable for his faults, and the class aspect is never actually brought up explicitly in front of Bloom. Combine that with the fact that while Riven tends to deal with his insecurities based on his status by antagonizing Sky, Bloom is more prone to just diminishing her own self-worth, and it's unlikely that she would put the pieces together on her own

Musa on the other hand does seem to pick up on it, if her defensiveness of Riven in 2x15 is anything to go by. She's also shown to have her own issues with royalty in her intedactions with Stella in s1, though because Stella is awesome they were able to work throught that much more easily. That being said I don't think she ever really interjects directly partially because she and Riven both try to play off their feelings for each other as more aloof most of the time, and partially because she's the type of person who bottles up her feelings more often than not

Now if it were up to me I would make class a much more explicit factor in the show in general, especially in s2. I've always been under the impression that Cloud Tower, Red Fountain, and Alfea are all pretty elite, expensive, private schools. Less well-off students like Riven, Musa, and Bloom can only really get in on scholarships(in Bloom's case her being there on a scholarship is actually canon in the comics), and I think that would very much be a bonding thing between them. At first only with Bloom/Musa and Musa/Riven as duos, but once Riven comes around after s1 between all 3 of them as well

I don't see them ever being the tight squad that hangs out all the time but there's just this sense of understanding between them. Like they'll occasionally swap stories about the horrors of working in retail, or share in their disgust at how overpriced food is at events, or just look at each other like they're on the Office when they see some Rich People Bullshit no one else picks up on

That last one is how I see Bloom getting involved in that rivalry, like Sky will just make a rich boy comment while him and Riven are bickering and Bloom finds herself shooting Riven a "are you fucking kidding me with this guy?" look before she even realizes what she's doing. She'd probably approach Sky about it afterwards to try and make him realize it, but given Sky's jealous nature this would on all likelyhood just boil down to an argument about that

However, if you know me you know I actually really enjoy Skloom in the context of the inevitable trainwreck couple, and I love the idea of that being a thing that comes up regularly, contributing to their eventual break-up. Especially if that break-up acts as the catalyst for Sky to hit rock bottom and actually take a look at his actions, and start growing as a person

[princess-of-the-corner]

Your Winx Reboot: Episodes 3 and 4.

Yay more of this!

Episode 3

Dress shopping takes up less time the main plots are 1.) establishing that Bloom is way behind in Magic and 2.) introducing the dynamic between the three schools.

So the first thing kicks off with their classes. And how Bloom is struggling with the basics. It's understandable since she's only known Magic existed for like a week but only the main Winx girls know that.

A lot of other students are being all 'why the fuck is she here if she can't even do basic Magic??' and it's really messing with Bloom's self-esteem. She has been able to do enough Magic to be sure she's not just 'normal Earth girl', but she's wondering if she's actually all that powerful. Maybe she's just a regular person and not a Magixae.

After a session of trying to help her out, the girls decide to distract her with talk of the Dance coming up.

The Alfea and Cloud Tower rivalry is less 'good vs. evil' and more of a standard school rivalry. Chaotic but good natured, you know? It's likely that the dance will be pranked but nothing... dangerous.

While there are male Faeries and Witches(which yes Witches can be invited to the dance by Faerie Students) and also everyone's somewhere in the gay, Stella has her eye set on a certain boy from Red Fountain so we get introduced to how their school works.

I still have the Sky and Brandon switching identities so I'm going to use the names they're going by in quotes.

So Stella invites "Sky" to the dance. Bloom seems to hit it off well with "Brandon". I want to set up eventual polyship here but for now it's just the canon corners of it.

Tecna and Timmy get along great!

Never cared much for Musa/Riven so they're not a ship, but both Musa and Flora are like 'hey you want to come hang with your friends just say one of us invited you'. Riven is tsundere about it but totally shows up "to be polite".

The dance starts out great! Pretty dresses, dancing, meeting guests from other schools, etc.

Cut over to the Witches planning the pranks! It's a bigger school-wide thing. While not everyone participates, everyone is allowed to. Naturally the Trix are going.

They want to make things extra dangerous and chaotic, hoping to snag Stella's ring in the confusion. So along with casting their own more powerful/dangerous spells, they're feeding their Magic into others' spells and making things even more fucked.

Things start getting really out of control and actually dangerous. The teachers start to deal with it, but things are still quite overwhelming.

Bloom, seeing her new friends in all kinds of danger, is able to properly unlock her Magic and transform! Yay!

It's a super big burst of energy. Not just the transformation, but her flames finding their way around the room. No one is hurt. In fact, it seems to heal them while destroying the monsters.

And just the raw power pouring out of Bloom is enough to make people stop and stare, completely speechless.

Once things are more manageable, she detransforms. Very drained from the whole thing, but amazed at what she was able to do.

Of course, after that, some people are a little spooked at how much power she actually has.

The Witches are sent back to Cloud Tower and put in detention for things getting out of hand. Not only are the Trix pissed for that, but now their attention is on 'yo that girl went from unable to use basic Magic to all that? wtf?"

Episode 4:

So since the fight with the Troll didn't happen in Episode 1, this is less 'the Trix covering their tracks' and more about just general fuckery of 'dropping a Troll into an exam'.

The Winx are still doing their exercise of 'getting out of the swamp without Magic'. Flora and Bloom are the best at this. Flora, because even without spellcasting she still has so much knowledge of the local plants and how to deal with them. Bloom, because she's used to doing things without Magic anyway.

The boys aren't completely useless because like. Duh they should know how to handle dangerous situations without Magic since that's literally what they're training for???

Anyway. At the end the girls fight off the Troll and help the boys capture it again and save the rest of the classmates. And Professor Palladium is like "Girls, I admire your bravery and dedication and all the skills you showed off so you'll be getting extra points. That said, PLEASE have some sense of self preservation!! A Troll was dropped into your exam! All rules go out the window, blast it!!!"

[gaphic]

Hi! 💛 Do you have any headcanons for the Specialists in your au?

HELLO YES I DO sorry this post took so long :( 

here we have the specialists + nabu! these designs and backgrounds might change a bit going forward (I’m still not 100% on whether Helia should be a tree or a manlet, for example) but this is the gist 

Obviously the first thing, design-wise, was getting everybody a distinct style lol. I’m still working on their personalities and backgrounds, but my goal in general is just to make them more unique + have more fleshed-out relationships with eachother and the winx girls. long mess under the cut! 

Brandon: Sky’s BFF4LYFE. He’s a prettyboy and he cares a lot about his appearance, which makes him a little bit of an outlier in Eraklyon high society, since it’s a relatively conservative planet. Growing up he often had to act as Sky’s common sense, because 11-year-old princes dont really understand limits or consequences, so now he’s kind of the brain cell of the group. At first that gives him some friction with Stella, but they eventually bond over being a beautiful bi power couple who think they’re not good enough for eachother

(Brandon still switches places with Sky for his protection, and I think it would be really sweet/funny if he thought Stella didn’t know and there was a confession moment where he was like ‘Stella,,,,, I am,,,,,,,,, A Commoner,,,,,,,,,,,,’ and she’s like ‘I know dude Sky’s my cousin,’ but because Sky Is Her Cousin I don’t think I can make the logic work) 

Sky: Coming up as a sheltered, privileged prince in a conservative social space gave Sky a low regard for the rules but also a really weird conception of what ‘the rules’ are. Attending Red Fountain is the first time he’s mingled with people outside his planets nobility in any meaningful capacity, so he spends a lot of time just feeling out what the social norms are and learning that some rules are actually there for a reason and not just cause your parents suck. Bloom gets comfortable with him pretty much immediately because of that shared culture shock

Riven: Also from Eraklyon, but Riven grew up in a poor backwater with a pretty crappy family situation and a lot of internalized self-hatred, among other things. I’m toying with the idea that maybe Riven hasn’t figured out he’s gay, and his rivalry with Sky is the manifestation of the attraction he doesn’t know how to deal with. Also he dresses like someone gave life to a pinterest board of angry Pat!D bisexual fashion 

Helia: This one hails from Magix. He’s still Saladin’s grandson, still an artist, still a prodigy who dropped out of Red Fountain because he’s a pacifist. I’m thinking he kind of romanticizes nature as being this pinnacle of peace and harmony, and he dreams of someday moving to Linphea to become a leaf hermit or something. Flora gently liberates him of the idea that pacifism has any place in a garden, lmao. He’s a total mori boy and his hair is insured for 50 million MXD (magix dollars) 

Timmy: Also from Magix. This version of Timmy is less of a computer guy and more of an engineer. He does get into coding now and then, but his focus is on mechanical stuff, which he finds more elegant. He gets 30 minutes of sleep a night and watches a LOT of trashy tv, and although he usually puts on a good display of level-headedness he has an easily exploitable glitch where he can be made to do literally anything if Tecna calls him a pussy. I’m thinking he was raised by a single mom with not a lot of money or free time, which is the main reason his clothes all look like they come from the dumpster behind walmart

Nabu: Either from Andros or an original planet, I haven’t decided yet. What I have decided is that Nabu is a trans girl who DOES NOT DIE- although there is some angsty magic damage that results in her being out of commission for a while. She’s the heir to a noble family, and I’m thinking she spent a lot of her teen years at a snobby boys-only school, and they’re really pissed a nasty girl is doing unorthodox things with their Top Secret Tricks lol. Either that or she joined a special magical order of some kind of her own volition, perhaps as an act of rebellion because she was angry about her arranged marriage? (she does look so good in monk chic) idk, I really need to put more thought into her. I’m going to keep her meeting Aisha without revealing her identity, because the whole ‘I wanted to meet the horrible girl my parents forced on me, but it turned out she wasn’t so horrible’ thing is SO delicious imo, but I’m dispensing with the sliiightly stalkery undertones of the original. She goes out of her way to MEET Aisha, but not to follow her around or anything. She just teams up with the winx for unrelated reasons 

thanks SO much for this ask!!! it’s so amazing and encouraging to see interest in my au, i really hope i can impress you guys

[winx-canons]

Specialist Head-canons pt. 2

This is to the anon who asked if I had any random speclaist headcanons! The reason I'm putting them in a post is because I would like to schedule them for a lil later. :D

Future Career Headcanons:

Helia: An artist back on Linphea, where I like to inevitably imagine that he moves to with Flora and live together.

Sky: He’s the king of Eraklyon, babes!

Brandon: So, there was a discussion a foot about his future.

Sky: Hey Stella, if you take Brandon, does that mean he can’t be my squire anymore?

Stella: Well, shit. I can’t take away his trademark thing!

(He becomes king of Solaria, and uses this to plan an excessive amount of royal meeting between the two places in order to hang out.)

Timmy: He would probably become a hacker a programmer in order to further develop technology with Tecna. Those two could start a brand!

Riven: He would remain a teacher at Red Fountain! Out of anyone, he understands the rivalries and what it’s like to be a teen, since that hit him hard. Nabu: He would be the king of Andros!

Aight, time for random headcanons:

- Riven is the best singer of the group, no doubts on that. He has a lovely voice!

- Timmy is also a great singer, but it’s incredibly hard to catch him in the act. He usually hums or sings quietly while working on his tech, howveer.

- Sky is tone deaf and cannot sing for the life of him. The guys still love ‘em, though. Just dear lord, hope he doesn’t sing.

- As for dancing, they all can, on varying levels! However, Nabu and Helia are at the best at it. (Helia with more classical and Nabu with more breakdance-y stuff)

- Helia would make a fantastic wizard if he learned. Saladin tells him as much, and by being persistent about him learning, finally teaches him spells. Helia is both amazed and disappointed that he’s good at it. (Think the surprised Pikachu meme)

- Nabu is wonderfully excited by this, and they practice together! - Timmy’s prescription for his glasses are so strong that Brandon swears he was blinded for about ten minutes after he put on and took off the glasses.

- Timmy without glasses is a rare cryptid in their household. There’s a rumor that h sleeps with them on.

- Brandon, occasionally will have nightmares about Sky getting hurt due to him no being there to protect him. Though he tries to hide the shaky hands or his expression, Sky knows when his friend is feeling upset no matter how he tries to hide it.

- Sky’s had nightmares about him getting hurt, too. He doesn't like Brandon to know, though, as it stresses Brandon out more than himself. - Brandon had a crush on Sky for about two months when they were 13. However, he got over it after realizing that it wouldn’t happen. He thinks Sky didn’t know, but he knew

- Riven locked himself away for weeks after they returned to Magix, after Nabu’s death. It was incredibly sad to see him so broken. Sure, all of the guys were, but those two were the closest.

- Helia gets glasses a few years later. The guys are convinced it’s a hipster thing and fake, but after seeing him stumble around after he lost them, they decided they were very much real and they were on top of his head.

- All of the paper they use is recycled and eco friendly, because if they weren’t, Helia would probably tell on them. They would rather not face Flora’s wrath.

- It took a while, but they were able to flatten Riven’s hair. While it looked rather nice, it was concluded that it wasn’t him at all.

- Timmy wears socks all the freaking time. Rumor has it that he wears them in the showers, too.

- Nabu contemplates cutting his hair, and everyone disagrees right away. After some thought, he agrees.

- When Nabu was originally told he was betrothed to Layla, he despises the thought. That’s what leads him to spy on her. If he was going to get married to a stranger, he should know who she is.

[publicityonline]

Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Wave-Saudi-Iran-Religion-Destroyed/dp/1250131200/ref=zg_bsnr_books_51?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M68NPTZM7Y6R5AHDTQ4D

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] wonderfully readable account… Ghattas has an enviable gift for going beyond politics… Whatever happens next in this long-running, oppressive and dangerous Middle Eastern drama, Black Wave will be a vivid, indispensable guide to the story so far.” ―The Guardian

“Unlike narratives told from a Western point of view, this book doesn’t highlight terrorism or ISIS but instead seamlessly weaves history and personal narrative into a story that explains the gradual suppression of intellectualism and the creep of authoritarianism in the region…Illuminating, conversational, rich in details and like nothing else you’ve ever read about the Middle East, Black Wave will leave you with a new understanding of this diverse and troubled region.” ―BookPage For more information click here :

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Wave-Saudi-Iran-Religion-Destroyed/dp/1250131200/ref=zg_bsnr_books_51?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M68NPTZM7Y6R5AHDTQ4D

“The publication of this book, Black Wave, could not be better timed. In it, Kim Ghattas argues convincingly that the revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power in 1979 was one of three events that year that profoundly shaped ― or rather misshaped ― the Middle East… a fascinating and winding but highly readable tale.” ―The Times (UK) “[An] illuminating account of the origins of sectarian violence and the current political shape of the Muslim world… [a] fluid, fast-moving narrative...Essential for all who follow world events.” ―Kirkus Reviews, *starred review*

“Skillfully written and scrupulously researched, Black Wave is an essential book in understanding the origins of the modern conflicts in the Middle East.” ―Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower "The framing of Black Wave is as important as the content. Kim Ghattas portrays the last four decades across the Middle East as a dark age, a world dimmed behind a curtain of violence, misogyny, and religious extremism. In exploring how this blackness came to be, she recalls a brighter past and predicts a better future. It's a powerful and important book." ―Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of the New America Foundation and former Director of Policy Planning at the Department of State

“Kim Ghattas is a superb writer and reporter, which makes Black Wave an accessible and very interesting account of the sectarian schism and regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia that has riven the Middle East for decades and is one of the most consequential contests threatening global security.” ―Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt

"An artful, gripping, timely, and humane account of the roots and consequences of the destructive rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia from one of the region's most insightful and incisive observers." ―Ambassador William J. Burns, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former Deputy Secretary of State “A well-researched and highly readable primer on the rivalry between Shias and Sunnis shaping today’s Middle East. Kim Ghattas masterfully traces the origins of sectarianism in the explosive rise of Islamic fundamentalism in 1979 and the destructive Saudi-Iranian rivalry that followed. Told through the experiences of those who lived and shaped sectarianism, Black Wave is both gripping and informative; a must read for anyone interested in understanding the forces shaping the Middle East today.” ―Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East politics at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and author of Shia Revival

“Clear-eyed and honest, perfectly researched and brilliantly written, a unique book that is about more than the Saudi-Iran rivalry as it illuminates how and why the region began to turn inward over the last 100 years―a must read for outsiders and people in the region.” ―Marwan Muasher, Vice President for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former minister of foreign affairs of Jordan

"Black Wave is a brilliant piece of work. Ghattas reveals how the competition between Tehran and Riyadh, instigated in 1979 by the Iranian revolution and the siege of Mecca―and intensified after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq―led to the instrumentalization of Islam to destroy cosmopolitanism, to force women to veil, and to mobilize sectarian extremists." ―Emma Sky, senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute and author of In a Time of Monsters

 Our cookie policy

In compliance with the European Union legislation, we inform you that our website will store some information about your preferences on your own computer inside a tiny file called a ‘cookie’.

A cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks your browser to store on your computer or mobile device. The cookie allows the website to “remember” your actions or preferences over time.

You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed. If you do this, however, you may have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site and some services and functionalities may not work.

Most browsers support cookies, but users can set their browsers to decline them and can delete them whenever they like. A third-party website called aboutcookies.org has been setup to help

you with instructions how you can do that on various browsers.

We use cookies to: ��                                                                

1) Identify you as a returning user and to count your visits in our traffic statistics analysis;

2) remember your custom display preferences;

3) Suggest any recent searches you’ve made on our site

4) Other usability features including tracking whether you’ve already given your consent to cookies Enabling cookies from our website is not strictly necessary for the website to work but it will provide you with a better browsing experience.

The cookie-related information is not used to identify you personally and the pattern data is fully under our control. These cookies are not used for any purpose other than those described here.

There may also be other types of cookies created after you’ve visited our website. We use Google Analytics, a popular web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us to analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of our website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google undertakes not to associate your IP address

with any other data held by Google.

Third Party Advertising

We may have third-party advertising companies serving ads to you when you visit our website. These companies may store information about your visits to our website and to other websites in order to provide you with relevant advertisements about goods and services.

These companies may employ cookies and other identifiers to gather information which measures advertising effectiveness. The information is generally not personally identifiable unless, for example, you provide personally identifiable information to them through an ad or an e-mail message.

Information Gathered by Third Party Advertisers

Cookies enable advertisers to learn about what ads you see, what ads you click, and other actions you take on our site and other sites. This allows advertisers to provide you with more useful and relevant ads. For example, if they know what ads you are shown while visiting our site, they can be careful not to show you the same ones repeatedly. They do not associate your interaction with unaffiliated sites with your identity in providing you with interest-based ads.

We do not provide any personal information to advertisers or to third party sites. Advertisers and other third-parties (including the ad networks, ad-serving companies, and other service providers they may use) may assume that users who interact with or click on a personalized ad or content are part of the group that the ad or content is directed towards (for example, readers in the Pacific Northwest who read certain types of articles). Also, some third-party cookies may provide them with information about you (such as the sites where you have been shown ads or demographic information) from offline and online sources that they may use to provide you more relevant and useful advertising.

If you would like to learn more about what options you have about limiting the gathering of information by third-party ad networks, you can consult the website of the Network Advertising Initiative.

You can opt out of participating in interest-based advertising networks but opting out does not mean you will no longer receive online advertising. It does mean that the companies from which you opted out will no longer customize ads based on your interests and web usage patterns using cookie-based technology.

Type and Purpose of Collection

We collect information at various points in the Website to facilitate its use by our customers. Non-Personal Information: Upon accessing the Website, certain non-personal information will be automatically collected without your knowledge or consent, such as your IP address, location data (which is anonymous) and the referring website (“Non-Personal Information”). We use Non-Personal Information to examine our traffic and to view how our customers use the Website. This type of information will not allow you to be personally identified. For example,

we use “cookies”, which contains only certain statistical information. You can instruct your

computer to inform you whenever a cookie is being sent, or you can disallow cookies through your web browser. If you do choose to disallow cookies, your experience on the Website may be diminished, or your ability to choose some of the options on the Website may be limited.

—————————————–

Sharing Information

We will not sell, rent or disclose to outside parties the information we collect, save and except that we may share the collected information with other parties as follows:

(a) Affiliated Service Providers: We have agreements with various affiliated service providers to facilitate the functioning of the Website, with whom we may share the information we have collected. For example, we may share your credit card information with the credit card service provider to process your purchase. All administrative service providers that we use are required to have the same level of privacy protection as we have, and therefore we expect that your

information will be handled with the same level of care that we employ. Additionally, for example, we may use analytic or marketing services such as Google Analytics, Google Adsense,Taboola, or RevContent, to which collection you hereby unconditionally consent.

(b) Where required by law: We may share the collected information where required by law, specifically in response to a demand from government authorities where such demand meets the legal requirements.

© Statistical Analysis: We may share Non-Personal Information and aggregated information with third parties, including but not limited to for advertising or marketing purposes. No Personal Information will be shared in this manner.

(d) Transactions: In connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition, or in any other situation where Personal Information may be disclosed or transferred as one of our business assets.

—————————————–

Choices and How To Opt Out Of Interest-Based Advertising

(a) Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising Services This website is a member of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and adheres to the NAI Codes of Conduct as described on the NAI website. This website also adheres to the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Self-Regulatory

Principles. For a description of the DAA Program, please visit the DAA website. As described above, this website may use or transfer Device Data that it directly collects or that it receives from this website’s Customers, who may use cookies or non-cookie technologies, to enable advertising that is more tailored to Consumers’ inferred interests, preferences, and locations.

This practice is known as interest-based advertising.

(b) Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising by Third Parties

This website may permit third parties to collect information on its Site and combine that information with other information collected on non-affiliated websites or applications over time. These third parties may use technologies, including cookies and web beacons, to collect information about Consumers’ or Customers’ use of the Site in order to analyze, report on, or customize content or advertising on the this website or on other sites, or to help us operate and improve the Site. To find out more about interest-based advertising in the web environment, and

how to opt-out of information collection for this purpose by companies that participate in the network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance, visit NAI’s opt-out page or DAA’s Consumer Choice Page.

[floralovebot]

I truly think Sky is more fleshed out than the other Specialists (sans Riven) but people ignore everything about him because he's easy to hate. It's not that Rainbow didn't flesh him out, it's that he's hard to like and it's extremely easy to just dismiss anything that could make him more nuanced and interesting.

And I think the way the fandom talks about him proves that. You have people saying things like, "why didn't he tell his parents or Diaspro that he didn't love her" or "he grew up in a good family and doesn't understand characters like Riven or Musa", but then

Or the idea that Sky doesn't understand his privilege meanwhile his entire first season plot arc was him being hyper-aware of his privilege and using the switch with Brandon to get away from it. Or the idea that Sky doesn't care about Brandon's life by making him a squire despite the fact that it's shown multiple times both in the series and in the comics that his father is the one who hired Brandon and the one who's adamant about Brandon needing to risk his life to protect Sky. Or even the idea that no one ever calls Sky out when almost all of the fights he has with other characters start with them being mad at him and calling him out. Even the idea that Sky's response to Riven saying he had everything handed to him being something along the lines of "I worked for everything" is still misconstrued as him not recognizing his privilege when it was actually him recognizing his privilege will make others underestimate him and taking it out on Riven.

Sky is nuanced, he's just hard to root for. Most people in this fandom can't relate to his struggles (yes, he has internal struggles just like the rest of them), and even the people who can relate to him still find it hard to like him due to every little problem he has. Meanwhile, most of those problems were either resolved or getting resolved by S4 but Nick reset all of their personalities so now we have to sit through the same three issues with him all over again. It's easier for us to say he hasn't learned anything or that people don't call him out enough because we're watching the same problems over and over again. And you'll notice the only people who say the same things about the other characters are the people who really hate those characters (ie. Stella haters using the later seasons as proof for her being a "brat"). The entire mix of Sky being hard to relate to, having a lot of undesirable traits, and the constant resetting of personalities has led a lot of people to think that he's not as fleshed out as the other characters but like,, that isn't true lol. It's as true as saying Riven isn't fleshed out just because he was an asshole and his personality gets reset (which is actually a thing Riven haters would say when he wasn't as popular; "Riven is still being an asshole just like he was in s1, he's not actually interesting you guys are just attracted to abusers", an actual thing I've seen people say).

[floralovebot]

Something that I think is so interesting about Sky that a lot of people tend to miss is that he doesn't like being royal. He despises it! Almost all of his actions and opinions in the first three seasons can be brought down to this too. And this attitude against the throne, specifically the Erakylon throne, is why he ends up having such an intense class difference with the others (mostly Riven).

Sky spends a lot of time pretending he's not royalty. First, there's the obvious switch, but even when that gets revealed he continues on acting like he's normal. Most of Sky's actions can be brought down to "he wants to act like a normal dude but also feels an intense obligation to his parents and the kingdom that it falls flat a lot". But again, this whole wanting to be normal thing directly sets him up for conflict between other characters. Sky recognizes his privilege. I know that sounds like a crazy thing, but he does. He's not that oblivious, doesn't even know what poor person is kind of royal. The problem is that Sky is hyper-aware of his privilege and specifically what people think because of it. Brandon thinks he can't protect himself. Riven thinks he got everything handed to him and doesn't have to train as hard. Even Timmy and Helia remind him all the time of his royal duties and underestimate how much he can handle.

Sky is reminded by everyone around him that he's royalty and that they all base their opinions of him on that. And Sky absolutely hates it. It's why he goes on Earth dates with Bloom, it's why he tries to relate to Riven on a common level, it's why he drastically keeps all his friends away from his royal life. It's not that Sky is oblivious and doesn't see his privilege. Sky knows the privilege he has and he tries his hardest to try and get rid of it. But that's not how privilege works and it's why everyone in a lower class tends to hate him. They see his aversion as ignorance and obliviousness, which obviously makes them even more aware of just how privileged he is. The other royal characters are just as privileged but they don't have the same fights with other characters because they don't try to hide their privilege.

Sky hates being royal but has been so manipulated by his parents that the loyalty he feels to Eraklyon outweighs his own needs and especially his friends. Sky will always end up choosing Eraklyon because while he's trying to get away from the royal life, he's reminded every day that he can't. No other royal character has that much aversion to the throne (not even Aisha). Sky can't simply drop being a prince and run away because part of his loyalty is to the kingdom itself. Actually, I'd say most of his loyalty is to the kingdom. His parents constantly tell him that he has to do what's right for the kingdom, that he can't be selfish, that he needs to understand and follow his duties. The entire Diaspro situation was literally a political marriage brought on by his parents wanting Eraklyon to be more powerful. Choosing to run away from the throne wouldn't just be running away from his parents. It would be running away from the kingdom, from the normal people, from the lower classes that can't deal with a royal uprising.

His rivalry with other characters (again, mostly Riven) is due to him rejecting royalty and his privilege but still having an intense loyalty to the kingdom. Sky ends up looking wishy-washy and like he doesn't actually understand his privilege. But he does, and that's why he gets so mad about people underestimating him. Sky recognizes his privilege, he's just not ready to get away from it. And quite honestly, I don't think he ever will be because his privilege is directly tied to his loyalty, the one thing his parents haven't broken down yet.