#what else would a character who only sees fear and destruction in herself need but a character who only sees That as Greatness

[yashley]

"I blew out a city by myself. A block, decimated." "Intentionally?" "No."

[itsabouttimex2]

ooo if your not busy maybe Mei or Azure a gn! Reader who’s a descendant of the lady bone demon but said friend tries to hide that fact from them

(Thank you for sending such an interesting request! I ended up liking this scenario so much that I wrote out a few characters for it!)

Descendant of the Lady Bone Demon: Part One

(Part One) (Part Two) (Part Three)

Maybe they should’ve seen this coming. Maybe there were a few warning signs they didn’t pick up on. Looking back on it now, it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? All those little things should’ve added up a long time ago.

The way the room grew silent and tense when you walked in, no matter how how exuberant it had been prior. How you manage to sneak up on everyone without even trying, as though you had no presence. The wide berth that strangers give you, even though they can’t explain why. That last one had been particularly strange for your friends. They hadn’t understood why people would treat you so coldly, not back then.

They understand now.

Mei Dragon thinks of you as one of her best friends, right alongside MK. Even in childhood were the two of you close, your company providing a brief break from her parents expectations and the crushing weight of living up to her family name. She grows up to think of you as a sibling, really. She’s a ride or die, rise to the challenge, thrill junkie sort of girl. And above all else, she’s fiercely loyal to her friends.

So Mei doesn’t believe a word that LBD has to say. She doesn’t care about destiny, about fate, about these so-called “invisible strings that guide us all through life”.

She lives her life as she pleases, doing what makes her and her friends happy! And she’s not gonna listen to a word that some wannabe world-destroyer has to say about it!

Until the Lady Bone Demon mentions you.

“Y/N bears my very own blood, thin though it has grown. In time, they will follow the very same path I have, to cleanse this world of pain and suffering.”

Now she’s listening. Her control over the Samadhi Fire slips, scorching a ring of death into the earth around her. The heat alone wilts the any flora that was spared outright combustion. “How…” The fire flickers, fizzles.

And then promptly reignites, blazing hotter than ever before. Immediately, the Lady Bone Demon cringes away from Mei’s sweltering power as oppressive heat waves bear down on her. She can only watch in fear and awe as the Samadhi Fire grows hotter and brighter, fueled by rage.

“How DARE you say that about my friend! Y/N would never do anything like that!” A blazing arc of black and red fire slices into the blue crystal formations created by the demon, melting them into sizzling puddles. Her anger builds with each lash of multicolored fire, reducing each and every spiked crystal around her to a mess of glowing goo.

That anger doesn’t fade even after the fight is over, not even after she gets to see the Lady Bone Demon shred apart and drift away. It’s cathartic to watch, but doesn’t make her any less angry about what she heard.

No, that anger only fades once she has you in her arms, hugging you as tightly to herself as possible. You don’t know about your lineage. No one else does either. Just Mei. Which leaves her with the worst dilemma of her life.

Does she tell you? Does she tell anyone?

She doesn’t want to be like Sun Wukong, hiding important information from even the people who would be affected by it the most. She was a victim of that, and it had hurt. She doesn’t want to hurt you. That’s the last thing she wants. But she also doesn’t want to cast any doubt on you, doesn’t want anyone to think you might end up a destructive foe that would one day need to be struck down.

The fear of losing you somehow outweighs the fear of you being angry at her for withholding information from you.

So she keeps quiet.

Mei rationalizes her silence on the matter by telling herself that she’ll tell you later. Yes, everything will work out, she’s sure of it! She’ll just… wait. Just a little bit. When everything calms down and everyone starts to move on from this disaster, she’ll speak up. Once everyone is in a better, happier mood, they’ll definitely be more receptive to the bad news, right? So she isn’t doing anything wrong. She isn’t acting like the Monkey King. She’s… just keeping you safe.

And she really hopes you won’t hate her for it.

———————————————————————

Tang has long pondered your place in this little group. It’s not that he doesn’t like having you here, nothing of the sort! Really, he sees you as family, the same way he sees everyone else in this ragtag group of misfits.

But you stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone else has a direct tie to the original pilgrims who once undertook a legendary journey to retrieve sacred texts.

Tang Sanzang for Tang. Zhu Baije for Pigsy. Sha Wujing for Sandy. Ao Lie for Mei. Sun Wukong for MK. Everyone had someone who their skills, appearance, or even personality harkened back to.

Everyone except for you. Tang had made several guesses before, wondering if there was someone you yourself were standing in the place of. But no one truly seems to fit. Rather than distancing himself from you over this disparity, he makes an effort to grow closer. “It must be lonely”, he reasons to himself, “being the odd man out.” He’s struggled with his own insecurities of being useless or weak, so he can relate to you on a personal level. After making that connection between the two of you, he starts to look out for you, trying to help guide you as you grow.

Tang probably sees himself as your father figure, just the way he sees himself as MK’s.

But, since you don’t have the support system that MK has, he tries to take a more involved role in your life. He’ll sit down with you to chat about any troubles or struggles you have, offering you a kind ear and a welcoming shoulder. And if you ever are struggling with something so bad that it breaks you down and leaves you in tears, he happily takes you into his arms and stays with you through the meltdown. If you fall asleep in his embrace after wearing yourself out, he enjoys it all the more.

He cherishes moments like that, actually.

Sure, he’s sympathetic to your feelings of loneliness and isolation. It’s true that he wants you to be happy. Sometimes he hates the world for hurting you the way it has.

But he loves that you trust him enough to break down in front of him, that you trust him to console and protect you in your weakest moments.

Even at a moment like this, where one of the greatest threats to humanity is bearing down on the two of you. For once, he doesn’t hide or cower. Not when your life is on the life. His golden shield encapsulates both of you, a fierce glare painting his face as he holds you close. You breath raggedly against his shoulder, barely able to support yourself. You had been wounded in the fight, nearly passing out after taking several blows for him and the others. Now, he holds you close, standing tall as you lean on him for support. He watches as the Lady Bone Demon throws attack after attack at the two of you, each blast of crystal and bone shattering and fading against his aureate shield.

The ancient demon glares down at him, a sneer curling her face. “You would fight your destiny? The great monk, Tang Sanzang-”

“I don’t care! Even if I am his reincarnation or his descendant… the choices I make are mine and mine alone! And I will always choose to protect my friends!”

“Even Y/N? Even the very one who bears my blood within them? Are you truly willing to risk saving them now, that they might follow my ways later?”

All the little pieces click into place for him. The mystery he had pondered the most was finally solved, and now he had to live with learning the answer.

“That- that doesn’t matter! Y/N is a person all their own, who will make their own decisions! And I trust them to stay by our side and fight for good! I won’t let you corrupt them!”

And he doesn’t. His resplendent barrier holds fast, shining brightly until all that is left of the demon has been scattered to the wind. He holds you gently, mustering the strength to carry you on his when everyone makes the trip back to Pigsy’s noodle shop. Someone like Sandy or Wukong would definitely better suited to the physical labor he was performing, but Tang couldn’t bear to separate himself from you yet.

Nor is he willing to let go once everyone has taken a seat. He props you up against himself, rubbing your back to keep you awake. “The kids eat first,” Pigsy says, carrying three hearty bowls of noodles. MK, then Mei, then you. Once all of you have your noodles, the chef goes back to the kitchen to start on another batch. Tang holds the bowl and the chopsticks, lifting the noodles to your mouth. Occasionally, he tips the bowl to your mouth so you can sip at the nourishing broth. On any other day, he would’ve swiped a few bites for himself while feeding you. Now, you’re all he can think of. He feeds you bite by bite, then guides you to lay your head in his lap once you’ve finished.

“Hey, Tang.” Pigsy peers down at him, another bowl of noodles in his hands. He passes it to Tang. “What was that demon lady saying to ya anyways?”

Tang looks down at you, watching your chest rise and fall, looking more at peace than ever before. He can’t tell you. Not here. Not now. Maybe not ever. But he and Pigsy can both keep secrets, and more than that, you’ll have two targets to split your anger between, keeping Tang from catching the brunt of it if you ever do find out. So he asks:

“Do you think you can keep a secret, Pigsy?”

Red Son

He doesn’t know why he likes you. By all means, you’re just another peasant, another mortal working at the same noodle store that his arch-rival is. But there’s something different about you. Maybe it’s the way you never seem to flinch or cringe or even cower. Maybe it’s the cool head you keep. Maybe it’s the wide-eyed awe you stare at his creations with.

Even after you had been kidnapped.

“I thinks that it was very clever of you,” you softly admit, not fighting against your bonds. “The way you used the tri-toothed 1x2 plates. I don’t see many people use those.”

He shouldn’t be happy to hear you say that. He should scoff and huff and strike down your praise like it’s meaningless drivel. But it’s not. Not to him. He’s been waiting to hear something like that for a long time, actually. Now, if it only it had been from the mouth of his father…

He shakes himself from those thoughts. “Not that a PEASANT like you could ever comprehend just how truly clever my work is! In fact, the legs of this machine are held in place by a truly unique-” “Technic angular wheel,” you finish for him. “It was a smart choice. I bet finding one that could evenly bear the weight of four legs at once wasn’t easy.”

No… no, it hadn’t been. In fact, it had been very hard to source that component. But here you were… acknowledging him. Praising him. Giving weight to his accomplishments by recognizing them. Somewhere deep inside, he’s a little touched to have his efforts commended.

Not that your kindness inspires him to release you. The only thing that frees you is MK and Mei coming in and storming through, knocking him over the head and escaping with you in their clutch.

Still, he doesn’t… hate you, at least. Or maybe, he just hates you less now. It’s a surprisingly good start.

A start that you continue to build off of throughout your repeated interactions, to his surprise. Your praise wasn’t just a one-time thing, wasn’t a way to get him to drop his guard. It had been genuine, entirely sincere. You had truly thought of him as clever, and you still do.

His schemes become less destructive, but more frequent. MK starts sending you out to deal with him, and most of your “skirmishes” end without any true damage. The two of you talk tech, and then he “tactically retreats” from the fight. Eventually, he drops the act, just swinging by the noodle store to talk with you about mechs or vehicles or rare components and where to find them at reasonable prices.

It’s a strange sight for everyone, the two of you amicably chatting. Sometimes someone will try to butt in, usually MK, who tries to keep up with your conversations to no avail. Other times it’ll be Pigsy, making sure that one of his employees isn’t being threatened or endangered. If one of his new mechs has a Journey to the West inspiration, Tang will happily chime in on it.

But most often, it’s only the two of you, happily talking as equals. Not enemies. Not rivals. Just… actual friends, somehow.

Even if it meant fighting to defend them, these are the sorts of moments he doesn’t want to lose. He wants to protect these cherished hours he spends with you, sharing noodles and blueprints in the middle of a crowded but welcoming restaurant.

Even if it meant fighting a foe he had no chance of defeating. All he has to do is buy a little bit of time. Just enough for MK and his ragtag team of idiots and peasants to smash this osseous demon into pieces. He glares up at her, his hair and hands exploding into flame. It’s a mere display, a small threat to keep her occupied. If she focuses on him, then she can’t hurt you.

Not that she’s trying.

“Foolish child. Do you really think I can’t understand the game that you’re trying to play? You would stand in the way of a peaceful world, all in the name of protecting the heir of your enemy?”

He falls to the ground, clutching his head in pain as she taps into his mind to deliver her next words.

“But a meager resistance cannot hope to undo destiny. I will find Y/N, and add their power to my own. That is their destiny, and I will see it fulfilled.”

“You- you won’t! I wont allow it, you… you PEASANT! You can’t hope to beat all of us! The Demon Bull Family, Sun Wukong and his successor, and the Six-Eared Macaque! All of us will stand against you! If we stand together, there is no threat that can overcome us!”

It’s a little funny, almost. Once, he would’ve scoffed and mocked another for saying such a thing. They sound silly on his tongue, cheesy and overblown. It’s something more suited to MK and his band of goons, speeches of friendship and overcoming adversities together. But it’s true.

And her defeat is testament to the strength that loves brings.

He thinks he loves you. You’re what he imagines having a little sibling is like. He wonders if you could love yourself, if you knew the truth of your heritage. Maybe you could. Maybe you’d fall apart and refuse to trust yourself ever again.

He chats idly with MK as you rest your head on his lap. It brings a strange peace to his heart. You look almost happy, in spite of the bruises and cuts. You look happy, which is proof that you didn’t hear a word that the Lady Bone Demon said about your blood ties.

He doesn’t want to rob you of that happiness so quickly, not when you fought and bled for it.

He absentmindedly strokes your head, thinking of how he’d roast anyone who might try to harm so much as a single hair on it. He can’t let anyone hurt you. Not even himself.

So he keeps quiet, and prays that all will turn out well.

[hopeyarts]

THE SHARED TRAIT BETWEEN ANNA AND ASHA (CHARACTER ANALYSIS)

🌟———————————————————————

Before I begin, this post was inspired by the YouTuber Aldone and the recent upload of Why Anna Is A Good Character

Let’s begin!

While both characters share the same ‘quirkiness’, they also share the concept of persistence. At least for the start of their respective movies. But persistence can go either down a good path or a bad path.

Anna’s is the good path. Why? Because she not only reaches for her goals in every way possible, but she also REACHES OUT to people in need. That person would be her sister, Elsa. Anna recognized that her sister is afraid of her own abilities, afraid of hurting anyone, and is afraid of experiencing that pain again or causing pain to others. That last part sounds very familiar to another character. Who is that?

It’s King Magnifico. At this point, you can easily compare Elsa and Magnifico in terms of traumatic behavior. Elsa tries to keep her abilities in check and even refuses to use them in hopes of keeping her sister and her kingdom safe. King Magnifico on the other hand uses his abilities to protect his people and his kingdom. They do these things to provide a safe place AND so that others won’t experience pain like they have. It’s clear to connect the dots there.

Anna learns about Elsa’s abilities and that she’s worried that something bad will happen if she uses them. When Anna finally knows, she REACHES OUT. She doesn’t demonize her, she doesn’t betray her, and she certainly doesn’t neglect her. She becomes determined to not only rekindle her family connection to Elsa, but she also tries to help Elsa see that she’s not a bad person, and that she’s not alone. That it’s okay to feel that way and that she’ll help Elsa no matter what. Listen to ‘For the First Time In Forever Reprise’ and you’ll see what I mean. She even says that Elsa doesn’t have to be afraid, and that even if she is, they can face the problem together. Because Anna RECOGNIZES the reason why Elsa did what she did and felt what she felt. She locked herself away so that she couldn’t hurt anyone. She kept her gloves on to limit the chance of another incident. And even after all these years of shutting the door on Anna, she still accepts Elsa’s fears and decides to comfort and understand her.

Now to bring my focus onto Asha; her’s is the bad path. Compared to Anna, she went through the same little scenario where she learns about the reasons and motivations PLUS the trauma behind King Magnifico’s actions. He kept his kingdom safe with his magic to prevent another homeland under destruction. THAT’S his motive, and I hate how Disney just threw it out in the second half of the movie.

Asha learns all of this during her interview. When Asha understandably questions Magnifico’s ways with the wishes, he snaps at her and later that night Asha runs off into the woods (I will get back to the snapping part later on). Like okay, I understand why Asha felt that way. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. What I do want to talk about is how she KNOWS this information and decides to do nothing about it. Now am I saying that it is her obligation to make sure that a literal grown man is comforted and treasured and reassured? No, most certainly not. That’d be Queen Amaya’s job as his wife. What Asha should’ve done, however, is acknowledge his views and perspective and not run with just her own. She practically just took what he told her, then when she’s told that most of the wishes won’t ever be granted— she paints Magnifico as a bad person for doing so despite his reasons and motives (I will not be going into who was right or wrong, because that’s a messy topic).

King Magnifico isn’t a bad person. Does this make Asha the bad person then? No. It just makes her heavily naive and a little ignorant of someone else’s perspective. Really, people in the movie just didn’t explain things well enough to her so she had to go with her own views. If Asha took a peek into a different lens, the story would’ve gone differently in a positive way. And, of course, I cannot blame Asha for whatever the hell happened with Magnifico. Those are his actions. I repeat: No one is responsible for someone else’s actions, *unless you are directly and SURELY threatened*. Yes, someone’s actions can be influenced by another’s, but as long as it is not FORCING then it is not the other person’s fault for your own actions.

I’m saying this because I know there are Asha fans (like myself, though really just for the concept of her intended character and her designs. Not really sure on the movie Asha.), who really love her. And I just want to reassure you guys that she is not a bad person. In my eyes, she was just misguided and naive. Deadass whenever she asked a question, they were never answered. For example- the questions she asked the animals before ‘I’m A Star’ played. They didn’t even answer them. They played it off and she helplessly joined in on the dancing because oohh I’m a star. Back to the post.

Would it surprise you if I said that Asha did ATTEMPT to reach out? Probably not in the way that you’re thinking because it’s only subtle. Asha tries to paint a better picture of the wish granting system during her interview. She’s freaking out because she knows that Magnifico is holding most people’s best parts of their hearts forever, including her grandfather’s. She continues to try to reason with Magnifico that the people are good yadda yadda, but then Magnifico abruptly lashes out at her almost threateningly, even with a streak of magic escaping his hand for a moment there. That shuts her up. She’s scared and all hope to reason with him is thrown out the window in her eyes. Her attempt to reach our falters.

But THAT is similar to Anna. Anna attempts to reach out too at the beginning of her movie when she grabbed Elsa’s glove and her sister is walking away. Anna tries to reason with Elsa, just like Asha to Magnifico, but is then abruptly lashed out on by Elsa who creates ice shards pointed towards the crowd. Of course, it was either an accident or an instinct, but this is comparable to Magnifico snapping at Asha. Anna was scared too, and she hushed up as well.

And even after Anna was lashed out on, she STILL decides to stay persistent and CONTINUES to reach out and reason with Elsa. She does this again and again, failing most times until the ending. And she never gives up. Asha tried to reach out once, then gives up on that plan after she is lashed out at during her interview. That’s when she decides to trash that plan and makes a new one based on her own views. She decides to not take Magnifico’s perspective into consideration.

Hopefully that makes sense. Also, I’m not saying to apply any of this into real life. If someone does happen to get hella pissed off at you, make your own decision on what to do. These are Disney characters under different circumstances, and generally more safer considering they’re family friendly movies. So if you want to distance yourself away from someone who gets like that, good for you. Do what you think is best for yourself. Stay safe and happy. 💖

All in all, Anna shows true persistence to help others. No matter what opinions that other person had (Elsa), she strived to reassure and take her views into consideration throughout the film. She used her persistence to help Elsa and to succeed in her goals. Asha also wants to help others, and she shows persistence at the beginning of her movie. But it falls flat after the first 20 minutes where she decides to dedicate that persistence to only her goals.

I get that both movies have different storylines and values, but take away what Disney wanted to put out with Wish and focus in on the movie like it is its own world. Realistically, Asha could’ve done better. I do think that if Wish was about the same values as Frozen, Asha would’ve taken the ‘good’ path aka what Anna did. So really…

I blame all of this on the writing and the executive decisions. Asha is a great concept of a character that was written poorly and is only supported by the narrative of the plot, not by itself. You can’t expect a character to succeed as one if you have to tweak up a story to make it supportive of that character. It’s like Asha won by mere luck and bias of the narrators (Disney itself). A character has to have layers in order to support themselves and not have to rely on who is telling the story. The character has to be three-dimensional by the end of their story if you want them to be worthy of success in the eyes of the audience.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! 💖 I love both characters in my own way. Aight goodnight!

[justvora]

Cassandra Cain should be BATMAN.

Art credits: Karahuset

Honestly, I am not going to expand much on this, even though I could do an essay.

Cassandra Cain should be Batman and take his place and role. Not a "she should be in an alternate future?" No. She should be him in the current continuity, and there's nothing that annoys me more than seeing how in hundreds of elseworlds they've made Damian Batman, but Cass has been left stuck in his legacy.

Why? Simply sexism.

Helena Wayne already said it at the time: the bat is a symbol, an indistinct mantle depending on gender or whatever. Batman is a symbolic figure, not a person, but a legionary entity that exists thanks to its myths, thanks to urban legends.

"She could be Batgirl, or Batwoman", no, darling, no. Those are completely unrelated legacies no matter how much they stick to the Batman nexus. They serve a completely different book in which their own story is told, ceasing to be the pages of someone else's book. And Cass is the only one capable of taking the Bat's book to capture her story there and continue that legacy, not being an extension of it, but a central part of it.

Kate Kane (taking into account the post-crisis continuity) was a self-destructive woman who was expelled from the army for having relations with her roommate and who saw in Batman the inspiration to become a vigilante herself, so she took her military knowledge to create her own "symbol", wearing a completely different mantle that, even so, was based on and inspired by the Bat's icon.

Likewise, the Batgirl title was born in a completely different form and, in the future, she would become an assistant to the Bat-family. Barbara Gordon started in a casual, spontaneous and independent way, wanting to "annoy" her father at a party, but everything would take a turn when she would end up acting more like a heroine in a given moment to stop Killer Moth.

Those are mantles that were born detached from that of Batman himself but that, in the end, have intertwined and crossed. The point is that they do not have the same meaning, nor do they represent the same thing within the fight against crime. In the end it's digging into unnecessary technicalities, but the point is that if Cassandra should inherit a mantle it would be the core one, that of the Bat itself to become "The Bat".

Cassandra Cain is the one who has taken the symbol more seriously than anyone else. The one who most adheres to the no-kill rule. The most apt and who has the best attitude for it.

With this I do not detract from characters like Dick, Jason or Tim, as they are building their own legacy and history away from what has been the history of the Bat.

In the past it was said that she lacked other skills to take up the mantle, yet Batman himself claimed that she was best suited to take up his mantle when needed. She could very well team up with her siblings to do the job, or co-exist with another Batman to complement their skills and increase the fear of criminals given the possibility that "Batman is everywhere".

But I actually consider Cassandra to have very good detective skills. Perhaps not as refined, but her past and the fact that she has been a murderer (even if she canonically only took someone's life) gives her the knowledge of how to prevent murders, both by her hand and by the hand of others; that is, she knows what to do not to kill and still reduce those who have done evil; and, likewise, she knows how a murderer will act, which helps her when it comes to solving criminal cases.

The fact that she has stained her hands only once makes her carry a great weight on her. Among so many things, she became Batgirl to redeem herself and give meaning to an empty life, absent of identity (something that did her a lot of psychological damage, which is why Babs wanted her to develop on a social level so that Cass wouldn't be so isolated); and that's why, more than anyone else, she doesn't want a single person to die. She doesn't want to shed blood in vain, and from the beginning she always put herself before bullets by sacrificing herself (although this was something she did in a "death wish" kind of way, something I personally don't buy into because of how stale it comes across, being a trope of the time, but it still demonstrates her calling and sacrifice for heroism).

She takes the rule of killing more seriously than absolutely anyone else.

"Nobody dies tonight."

"Okay, but... She does not have the deductive reasoning. She is not a skilled tactician. She has no skill at mind games on either side of them."

#1 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive storyline. When everyone figured Bruce was a murderer, Cass was one of the few who didn't write Bruce off. She looked at the victim's body and saw the first clue to Bruce's innocence.

#2 Skilled tactician. She studied tapes of the Brotherhood of Evil in action after her prior loss to them. She studied them so much the next time they fought she owned the three members that attacked her.

No mind games you say? Tell it to Deathstroke who she played mind games with owning him twice.

All this not to mention her body language skills, something that not only makes her a superior fighter to anyone, being the first person who could beat Lady Shiva in a completely fair one-on-one, but also a human lie detector as she is able to recognize the truths and secrets that people hide deep inside. This makes her a completely empathetic girl by understanding people's emotions better than anyone else, making her a more tactful girl.

Anyway those are characteristics to fulfill the bare minimum of being Batman, and she goes above and beyond. It's not just that they meet the necessary skills, or that she has the necessary attitude, determination and self-sacrifice, but that she is the best fit. Cassandra is an equal for Bruce, a reflection of his very person in a good way, though there is one thing Cass can still do unlike Bruce at the expense of all the years he carries on his back: Cassandra can change and be a full person. It is her ability to grow, mature and understand life under a full perception, because thanks to an upbringing next to a real family she can understand the world around her to be a self-made person.

She is not driven by revenge, but by justice. She is not hate, but love and hope.

Cassandra is a woman who believes in giving people a second chance, because she believes in redemption, in change.

Likewise, and to conclude, in the current continuity it is confirmed that Cass is not only Bruce Wayne's daughter (this is indirectly implied in her dialogue with Dinah), but that she is "everyone's favorite Batman".

“ Everyone experiences tragedy. Tim. Bruce. You and me. It's not about the city. It's about how you choose to see the world. Everything else is just an excuse. ”

[cookinguptales]

OH right, Blue Beetle!

I really enjoyed it! I've been a fan of Jaime Reyes for a long time and I honestly never believed he'd get his own movie. And?? Such a good one???

I worried going into it that he looked too cool in the trailers. Is that weird to say? I loved dorky baby teenager Jaime when I was a kid. He felt like One Of Us, y'know? And then I watched the trailers and I was like "hmmmmmm."

But even though he's a bit older in this movie and has his shit together a little more, he's still very much Jaime Reyes at heart. 💙 Love that weird little dork of a man that always means so well, even if he doesn't always know what to do. And I found myself rooting for him so hard!

The movie was overall just really charming and fun and occasionally emotionally devastating. A good mixture of action, character relationships, humor, and politics, imo. The characters were so endearing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how things develop going forward.

A few more thoughts (with spoilers) beneath the cut.

I was actually a little surprised by how sad parts of the movie were, but it felt right, too. The heart of the movie really was the simultaneous power of familial love and horror of family separation. Family separation really seemed to affect all the characters in their own ways, whether that was due to corporate greed, politics, war, racism, or just good-old-fashioned horrific US policy.

Like... You come to realize that it really permeated every part of the movie. Alberto's devotion to his family, the years he put into bringing them all to Palmera City. The very real fear that going to the cops would invite an unfair immigration investigation into their household. Jenny losing her parents at such a young age, and the sharp divide between her and her aunt. Jaime's family loss as well. Carapax's truly fucked-up backstory. Hell, even divisions being sown between Victoria Kord and her brother when her father gave the company to Ted instead of the person who'd built it.

(Don't get me wrong, Victoria Kord was truly evil, child soldiers and all. I was not rooting for her. But lbr, that doesn't seem to be why her equally war-mongering father cut her out of the company. You have to wonder if she would have done quite so much damage in the end if she hadn't felt such a virulent need to prove herself and destroy her brother's pacifistic legacy. But! Who knows? She might have been even worse if she'd had all that power from the beginning.)

And, y'know, all of the characters deal with the horror of family separation in different ways. Carapax became weaponized by an imperialistic power that didn't give one shit about him. Victoria became embittered, violent, and downright brutal. And Jaime could have gone the same way, so furious over the loss of his own family that he gave into wanton destruction as well -- but Khaji Da didn't let him. (WAILING.) Instead, he managed to take the same route as Jenny: transmuting his rage into a need for justice, into a passion for making the world better so no one else would lose their loved ones the same way.

Y'all, I was in there crying at a superhero movie!!! IT'S FINE, I'm FINE.

I heard that the creator of the movie hadn't actually initially intended for Alberto to die (which I understand, tbh) but I did think it was really beautiful the way it was incorporated into the movie. Bringing Mexican culture to the foreground yet again in its discussions about and attitudes toward death. God, those candles were beautiful. ;;

I mean -- as someone who literally dropped all of my DC subs the day they "fixed" Oracle and never gave DC another cent until this movie came out, I really am passionate about the need for diverse heroes. Part of the reason I felt like I was getting emotional in that theater was because I remembered how much Oracle meant to me as a young disabled teen who couldn't make sense of her trauma or her disability or her inherent power. I remember how much losing the only positive role model I had devastated me.

And like... I want kids with the same background as Jaime to see themselves in him. I want them to be able to feel the way I felt back then. Honestly, that was a lot of why I finally broke my boycott. I think characters like Jaime, while brilliant in their own right, are also important, and I want to support them.

So when I realized how raucously, joyously, passionately this movie was gonna depict Latino culture and its own diversity within the US, I was thrilled! And I cried lmao.

(What can I say, I've been kind of weepy lately lmao.)

But yeah, honestly I cheered in the theater when Khaji Da switched to Spanish. I was like YEAH GIRL.

Other times I was actively fangirling in the theater:

Nana Reyes gunning down imperialists

Ted Kord reveal(s)!!!

"Batman's a fascist. Blue Beetle knew how to have fun." :')

Khaji Da stopping Jaime from killing that man

Milagro and Rudy having no such compunctions

Dr. "Sanchez" standing up for himself and his name reveal (which is a very fun easter egg for WWDITS fans, lmao. I wasn't expecting it and I had to stifle a little shout of laughter.)

Honestly, as a former DC fan I really loved how much thought and care was put into incorporating the really messy canonical history of the Scarab. Obviously they deviated from existing canon, but in ways that I thought were really fun and interesting. I'm excited to see what happens with the Kords going forward, y'know? I hope that Jenny, too, isn't cut out of her own family legacy. I'd never want to separate Khaji Da and Jaime, obviously, but there has to be something for that woman to do to follow in her father's (secret) footsteps.

I realize that this review is kind of all over the place (like my mind the past few days), but I really, really enjoyed it. I was feeling pretty out of sorts the day I saw it and it really raised my spirits a lot. It turns out that after all these years, I still really love Jaime Reyes! And I love his family! And I love Jenny, too!

even dr. de la cruz a little bit, even if he sure did take his sweet time to find a backbone

The movie was just super fun (as well as unexpectedly thought-provoking) and I really enjoyed it!

[girlcalledwhatsername]

you reblogged my post and said to ask you about community and jeffbritta sooo!! asking

omg hi!! thanks you 💕

There's obviously a lot to talk about with community, I find that the more times I watch it the more I have to say about the characters, that's just the kind of show it is. So in the interest of keeping it relatively short I'm gonna focus on JeffBritta here

I think I didn't quite appreciate Jeff as a character on my very first watch, it's really a character whose layers you start peeling off more and more as you re-watch, and Britta is similar in that way (but dissimilar in the way that I feel the writers have often half assed her characterisation because she was an easy butt-of-the-joke character after a while). JeffBritta is the first pair we are introduced to so they seem like, the obvious pair at first and then obviously six seasons later you realise they're awful for each other but I find that's where their allure is. I don't think they should have "ended up together" but I think their dynamic reveals so so much about both characters, and it's fascinating and I love seeing it.

They are mirrors to each other, they bring out the worst in each other, they are complex and flawed people who come face to face with their own flaws when trying to go after the other's flaws. The qualities they hate in each other reflect their own. They need to take control and pretend that it's been thrust upon them because truthfully they never have control over their selves and their lives and they're both constantly compensating for that. When Annie says their whole relationship is just a competition to them like everything else she really sums it up well. They're inconsiderate jerks playing at some stupid game that no one's gonna win, but it's so stupid that no one else would ever play it with them. It's like they're in a fight club and the only one they could find willing to hit back in this crazy game is the other person. There's an element of masochism to that competition.

It's really fitting that when things start to fall apart they decide to get married and say that it "feels right" because that's familiar territory, the self destructive way they seek each other out and the fear of being left behind, the fear of situations not being in their control and the need to do something drastic to take back that control because they chose it. Of course they'll turn to each other in that time. They aren't partners in crime like Troy and Abed. They are enablers, from the petty fights with high schoolers all the way down to a marriage that neither of them truly wants.

The way Britta keeps trying to "fix" Jeff with her half assed understanding is a running joke but beneath that it's so much more: it's that she's trying to fix herself and that's why she does manage to get Jeff to have those revelations about his father or about his ego, and that's why Britta gets so emotional about it when Jeff stands up for himself, because it's all too close to home, and she's fixing in Jeff the flaws she subconsciously sees in herself. It's a joke, sure, but it's also that somehow they know each other because unfortunately, they know themselves.

And at the end of it they started this together and they're the only ones left behind when everyone else leaves. That's what Jeff is so so afraid of, that he'll be the one left behind and he plays it cool and projects that fear onto others but it's always been him who is stuck in the rut while everyone else moves on, and at the end of it all when the goodbyes are said and the tears are dried we get the shot of him returning to his unmoving spot and she is still there because she's in the same boat. They're extremely lonely people with aspirations to do so so much but an inability to move on, and in twisted and toxic ways they'll always end up with each other.

[zuko-always-lies]

The post, as promised: One of the things that's important to note whenever we talk about LoK is that it is very much a superhero story, in contrast to ATLA which is fantasy magical chosen one adventure. The two are very different genres. The main difference between the two genres is that ATLA tends to function on fantasy rules, while LoK functions on more realistic rules. ATLA and Lok may be set in the same universe, but the laws and worldbuilding and rules, etc, are very different.

LoK functions on the rules of a superhero story, which is basically the real world but with superpowers. Things (which are actually encouraged in fantasy chosen one adventure shows like ATLA) like mass destruction and questionable decisions and talking like a fictional character and assuming things will be fine because chosen one, etc, are not okay in LoK.

The conflict in LoK also tends to be similar to the conflict in superhero stories. The main difference between LoK and other superhero stories is that LoK actually focuses on how the general non-superpowered populace feels rather than only the feelings of the main character and other superpowered individuals like them.

With that explained, I'd like to mention something: Korra embodies a lot of the traits that are acceptable and even encouraged in fictional superheroes and chosen ones yet would be STRONGLY discouraged in real life. This is what she was raised to be, a fantasy chosen one. Henceforth, she embodies all the traits that fantasy chosen ones are supposed to have at the end of their arc: She's confident in her identity as the chosen one, she doesn't run away from conflict no matter how hard it will be for her, she's confident, outgoing, ready to defeat bad guys, a capable fighter, compassionate, caring, etc.

If Korra was in ATLA, she'd be so beloved, because she's what is needed. But in LoK, those traits that she was raised to have actually are a deterrent and a flaw.

And back to how Korra was raised. She was raised to be a literal character, like in a book. A chosen one, not an actual person. And honestly, the way characters are viewed...is kind of sadistic. They're not real, so we don't have moral problems (99% of the time) watching them suffer and be hurt and grow because of those negative experiences. They're tools, they're symbols, they're entertainment. Korra is kind of like Katniss, but she was raised to be a sacrifice instead of being a potential participant. She's entertainment. A symbol. A tool.

And most people see Korra in this way, which strongly contributes to their negative feelings about her. She's a symbol of their pain, at least to them, rather than an actual person like them. It's also why the villains have no problems just completely wrecking her with no compassion. She's not viewed as human who can feel pain and hurt, but a fantasy being.

So Korra acts like one. She acts like a chosen one fantasy hero, living in a chosen one fantasy world. She sees herself as a character, too. Just her bending. Just her abilities. Just the Avatar. Because that's all people see when they look at her for the most part. So that's all she sees.

But Korra is more than just a chosen one. She wants to do stuff other than what she's told to do. She wants respect. She demands respect! She wants to have hobbies. She has a personality that makes her naturally resistant to the white lotus's attempts to shape her into the perfect chosen one. She wants to leave her very miserable life. She wants to stop being the Avatar. She wants to be like everyone else.

And the two conflict, Korra's non chosen one traits and her fantasy traits. Which is good for the populace, because she actually tries to help them and consistently sides with them. But it's not good for the white lotus or Tenzin or her parents (who, while being well meaning, need to see Korra happy to assuage their fears that what they're doing is WRONG), who very much depend on that flawed system and want to only see a happy chosen one who does what they want without question.

So they push her back into that role. Tenzin tries to make her the perfect airbender without actually considering Korra's feelings or personality. The White Lotus don't let her see what life outside of her bubble looks like so she doesn't get any ideas. And when Korra actually confronts her parents, they refuse to actually explain to her about the red lotus or why they think Unalaq being her mentor is a bad idea.

Everyone tells her to do what they want without considering that Korra actually has feelings and understands what they are doing and how it is wrong or that Korra may actually comply if they treat her with a degree of respect and treat her like an actual human being, and perceive her, you know, actually acting like a human and feeling what a human being feels being rather than a one dimensional fantasy character as rebellion.

After all, if they actually considered that Korra was a human being with actual feelings and thoughts and opinons that are worthy of respect, if they actually let her not be a tool for their agendas, then the whole thing falls apart.

So essentially, everyone views Korra much more as a symbol, architype, or tool than they do a person? And Korra was raised as if she was a symbol, as if she was a fantasy hero like Aang was idealized to be, and thus struggled when she faced the real world? Interesting ideas.

[meowmeow422]

YOU

I see you like the warriors of hope from danganronpa

Any hcs you can share?

Finally! /hj

Quite a few, tho they may not be the best lol😅

Also, influenced by my 'Princess of Light' AU—basically a universe where Monaca met Makoto instead and was inpired by him.

Oh, and the rest of the Warriors are yanderes cause why not?

If anyone wanna check it out, here! I have some hcs that are specific for that au as well—if anyone is interested, I can post those too.

Anywho, hcs. Tw: angst, dark stuff. I'll add some silly fluff ones at the end so just scroll there if you wanna avoid the heavier drabbles

Monaca Towa

I have a feeling that Monaca is a bit like Cruella and/ or Himiko Toga. She already had some questionable tendencies that only worsen with the way she was treated; she just needed some help but we know how that ended up

Monaca def has a sibling complex. I think she always just wanted a family. No matter what, it's a fact: she was just a kid; a half-sibling was still a sibling to her, yet Haiji was absolutely disgusted by her very existence. (As someone with two older siblings I can't even imagine the pain)

I mean, just look at her wiki. The way it describes what others, what Haiji thought if her? Her own quotes? Yikes

Which is probably why she was so quickly and obsessively attached with Junko; the person who could be her sister—her family

Wanna know the 'best part'? It is canon that she knew perfectly well that Junko not only didn't actually care for them but was using them too. Ouch

Nagisa Shingetsu

Due to what his parents put him through, he abhors games where you have to grind or constantly level up.

He does however love cute casual/ mindless stuff; games where you can just turn off your brain and enjoy yourself—games where you don't need to be perfect, you can just be you

He is either completely terrified or utterly apathetic to needles. Like when the school nurse come to give the annual shot, he's either gonna break down or be like 'huh, another one.'

Pretty numb to sensations most of the time. Especially bad during exam week or if his parents have a new theory they wanna 'try out'

Kotoko Utsugi

Panics when men get into her personal space—espeacially fearful of the older/ bigger ones

Has dark tendencies too; it's unfair that she had to go through the abuse, so why not share the pain?

She'd tear some of the girls' skirt or top, or splash water onto them.

She wants other girls to be tainted so that she herself feels less dirty

When she used to act in school plays, she tried to spend as much time at rehearsals so that she didn't have to at her 'other job'

Probably has an eating disorder—mostly cause her mom keeps telling her she needs to be cute or else she is worthless

Jataro Kemuri

His obsession with hatred comes from the belief that while he is despised he is still paid attention too

Afterall, hate and love aren't opposites—they're paralells. Apathy is the true opposite

Jataro would pick being degraded and laughed at 1000× over being ignored

His worst experience was when his mom got so fed up that she didn't even get mad at him, just glared and walked away. A whole day of damning silence

Also, likely why he says random stuff; it confuses others and gives him their attention, if momentarily

Masaru Daimon

Due to his dad's addictions, Masaru flinches at the sight of a lighter

Additionally, he really hates strong smelling substances

He learnt how to patch himself and knew basic medical skills at a young age

As we've seen, he can also be self destructive; bruising himself when he feels like he's not living up to the title of 'Hero'

Lived off instant foods since his dad only gave him meager pocket change for it.

Now, onto the more light-hearted ones!

They like playing the Sims and/ or Minecraft together! Kotoko would design their characters and work with Jataro to build their house; Nagisa prefers playing free/ creative mode cause there's no goals or restrictions to abide; Masaru would likely be the only one hyped to finish certain milestones purely to brag; Monaca, well, she's gonna unleash all her pent up frustrations on those poor Sims/ mobs.

They used to have movie nights together! It was Kotoko's idea since it was an adorbs trend. Initially it was just the girls but eventually the guys joined too. They usually do it either at Monaca's place or very rarely at Jataro's.

They each have different love languages! Jataro's is physical touch, since he never recieved anything from his mother due to her disgust of him; Masaru's is words of affirmation as his dad never really said anything good about him and only talked when necessary; Kotoko's is quality time—since, prior to Monaca, people only interact/ spend time with her they have an ulterior motive; Nagisa's is acts of service—as he never had someone do something for him that didn't harm him; finally, Monaca's is gifts—she's the girl who has everything, but feels like she has nothing—a present, no matter how big or small, as long as it is genuine is precious to her

Speaking of, Monaca prob has a few gifts from the Warriors, and possibly even her other classmates, that she keeps. She says it's just for future blackmail but her heart says otherwise

Masaru is actually a pretty decent cook! He had grown tired of fast food so much he actually learnt how to make some basic meals. He sometimes even cooks for the others—mostly to impress them but still! Though he much prefers eating then preparing the meals

Jataro is awful at cooking tho—in fact, he's banned from the kitchen. He tends to get distracted and ends up putting random things into the mix

I have a feeling that all the Warriors have a 'liking' to Monaca, by different degrees however: Nagisa's is of course pupply love; Masaru thinks that they belong together since he's the Hero and she's the Princess; Kotoko probably sees her as a pure untainted angel that needs to be protected; and Jataro... well, maybe he's just confused lol

[hellsqueenlilith]

Task 001

Post a picture of your character or describe what they look like in detail. Note any distinguishing facial features.

Describe your character’s personality. Lilith is smooth, cold and hard like a diamond, she has the ability to charm with the best of them and uses her looks to gain what she needs though she wouldn’t dare insult her husband by laying with another. She can be a kind loving mother or the worst nightmare anyone has come across, determined when she has her mind set to something as well as vengeful and cruel when someone crosses her.

What is your character like in relationships? She demands to be an equal if not superior, if someone is clearly not up to her standard she will not lower herself for their benefit.

Are they clingy? No

Faithful or unfaithful? Faithful when deserved

Do they jump from one relationship to the other? yes in the fact she jumped out of her forced relationship with Adam to Lucifer. No in the way that she would never leave Lucifer.

What kind of things does your character like? Destruction of mankind, the suffering of Adam, strength, loyalty, painting, 

What do they dislike? Angels, God, Adam, Eve, being told that she less than what she believes, being called the whore of Babylon.

How does your character treat their friends and family? Lovingly, if they keep a good standing within the cause to bring Lucifer back from his prison. Friends aren’t something that Lilith has had time or need for but she remains civil to the supernatural that they will one day need.

How about strangers? Only kind to the supernatural that they require or those that will be used to break a seal.

Enemies? Hell hath no fury like a women scorn and Lilith is the first scorned woman 

What kind of people does your character surround themselves with? Why? Demons, they are her children and all share a general cause

Where was your character born? Eden

Where have they lived since then? Cast from there to live on earth and from there she was cast down to hell

Where is the place that they call home? Home is her husband

Where does your character go when they are angry? Where ever Levi is

What is your character’s biggest fear? That she will never see Lucifer again

Who have they told this to? Levi

Who would they never tell this to? Why? The other children, she doesn’t wish them to know she has any fear let alone one centered around Lucifer’s return

Does your character have a secret? Yes

If so, what is it? She would sacrifice anything or one to get Lucifer free, her own children even

What makes your character laugh out loud? When those who think they pray to Lucifer think he wants anything to do with their naked forms

What makes them angry? When her children don’t take breaking the seals as seriously as they should. Humans speaking of God like they know anything about the truth

Has your character ever been in love? Yes

Have they ever had a broken heart? Yes

Does your character have any flaws? Many

What are they? She’s proud, angry, vengeful, lustful, cruel, sadistic

And the final question, which is more for us Admins than anything else and possible plots in the future, which would never be put in play unless with your permission:

Would you as a mun be okay with the death of this character in play at some point? Yes

[marlasomething]

(my) Mag a Week: Ashes To Ashes, Dust to Revenge

Hello there!

I am participating in the "a mag a day" idea by @a-mag-a-day  which is BRILLIANT and I decided to do "statement a week", rolling dice with the characters and fears that were ftw that week in the episodes I have listened.

For today I rolled Archivist!Gertrude Robinson and The Desolation (Eps. 133-139).

As usual, please do forgive my quick tipper and non-native speaker mistakes, Marla

Allons-y!

CW: major character dead, romantification of pain and self-harm, jealousy, toxic relationship, swearing, child-abduction

Also on AO3!

Statement of Jude Perry, regarding the pleasure obtained from destroying not only those who hurt you, but also one-self.

Audio recording by Gertrude Robinson, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute.

Statement begins.

 I know you are reading this, Gertrude. I know you are breaking your rule of only using your abilities when completely necessary just to assure I have such a good handwriting.

Don’t bother: it’s Diego’s. He transcribed it for me in exchange of not killing off his new best friend, that supernatural you-tuber who went crazy on a live stream? Yes, that’s the one. I admire her looks and how loyal she is to herself, but that is about everything I can tolerate from her, even our methods of serving The Divine Flame are quite…different from each other: she’s weak and sentimental, I am not.

If I were, I wouldn’t have done what I am about to tell you.

 This is your entire fault, you know? If you haven’t chosen for once in your despiteful existence to actually take pity on one of your victims, Agnes would still be here, by my side (not in a hundred years you could have won her fair and square) and not…and not completely erased from the planet, turned into pure ashes (bones included) while I made sure Barnabas drowned in pure acid that she still could watch through the flames.

Do you know how much fire, how much heat, is necessary to destroy to such a root level someone born and raised to embody the element on itself? By the end of it, I had to crawl outside the building, for my legs had melted completely.

But this is all flavour for the ending of my tale, a tale of which you only know the preamble.

 As you know, being destructive has always been my thing; you even called it out when I first threatened you if you dared to even though about killing my beloved Agnes… Now, I wish you would have done so.

However, there was one thing in my life I was certain I just simply couldn’t tarnish as everything else on Planet Earth: Agnes Montague.

You cannot begin to imagine how she was when I first met her [y tú tampococomo era ella antes de años de ser tratada como un mono de feria, psicópata de los cojones], so filled with glorious purpose, so willing to enjoy even the most mundane of destructions…she used to love going to the beach and observe for hours how people waste time and effort on building gorgeous castles and then, when they hadn’t calculate well enough the tides, those where destroyed either before they could be completely finished or they could take a picture to remember them by.

From that to lighten up the thoracic cavity of a beautiful person; all was wonderful for her and exhilarating for me.

Then, something happened. Something that needed to happened,but was still as bad as if it had been a crushing accident with no victims nor any unrepairable damage: Arthur came to remind us that the time for our Ritual was coming close and Agnes had to focus on her tasks, to stop being so random in the trail she left by serving The Lightless Flame. So, just like that, what used to be a willing activity became an obligation; soulless, all marketed for one objective and one only.

She even had to do what was basically pledge and pageantry, for fuck’s sake! All so our troupes would grow, so more people would see our side of things…

…even though, not only. Sometimes, she had to play the, ugh, the bad guy: she had to be herself without the light in her eyes of pure joy, just ice-cold (as paradoxical as that is), to be seen being just purely cruel for the sake of being cruel. That way, those who would never join us,as well as those who might, but who we needed and wanted to pray upon, could be scared of her, of us, of what we meant to them.

Look; I do enjoy being feared. I enjoy being hatred, but Agnes…Agnes was created and raised to be our Idol, our Mesiah… It, it wasn’t easy on her and she…started to question things, beginning even to wonder what was so marvellous about those sand castles that were never accomplished on its totality.

We began to lose her.

And, then, you approached her and…cast your fucking spell on her. Made her wonder about all the things another type of life could offer her. I don’t even think it was on purpose, I honestly believe I have more emotional intelligence than you. Still, the point remain that you messes with her heard, somehow, it went both ways.

Because, instead of killing her when you got the chance, you let her go. I bet that, if you hadn’t known what her touch could do to you, you would have offered her more than just emotional corruption hid as guidance.

You killed my Agnes and gave birth to that pathetic imitation instead.

 You know the part that hurt the most? My Agnes [nunca fue tuya Jude, admítelo de una jodida vez] was still in there, and I could see glimpse of her the few times I tried to get her back…until it was clear she would never join us again.

After she burned half of Barnabas’ face and, afterwards, instead of coming back or taking the easy road (I come from a Wall Street job-like background, I have seen hanged people out of being overwhelmed by the consequences of their actions plenty of times), she went looking for him and, what is even worse, he took her back.

And puff! Just as in that Disney movie, our wonderful Beast was turned into a pretty dull-looking prince. One that could touch you without burning you from inside out.

 As you know, many years have passed since, but I finally decided to locate her and her dreadful partner a few months ago. She had aged; not terribly, but nor gracefully either, and she had a child. A child she had the shamelessness to call Gertrude Barnabas; just a baby, but somehow, I can see a future of destruction on her eyes.

Therefore, this is how events proceeded: I arrived to her place and faced them. Of course, I didn’t kill them, I just starting burning down all the foundations, then the paper walls, I made sure they saw (as scared as they were) how everything was being slowly but steadily destroyed by yours truly, then I lightened up the cradle of their baby and, there, there is where my Agnes came back and I could see all the will to break the world possessing her once again.

I smiled, as I felt hope growing inside of me as her own pain and hatred made Jack begin to burn from the hand they were holding until, in the very last instance, the part of his face that had already being treated by Agnes’ fire before. He died next to her and she didn’t even notice. Just as she didn’t notice her baby was still crying, as if it wasn’t surrounded by pure fire.

Ups, did I described the death of Jack differently before?

Very important fact about me dear Gertrude: I lied, it’s funnier that way.

 She came for me; her decisions managing to make me afraid for a hot second and then…her mouth opened in a completely unnatural fashion and her skin started to stretch in all the wrong angles. Her body began to bulge with swelling blister filled with liquid fire until her very knees were consumed by the heat, making her still alive remains felt to the ground with a completely wrong sounding thud.

I tried to brush it off: pathetic, she had become so normal that even half of her essence coming back to her had been enough to take her down because she could even attempt to hurt me…

…and, just like that, I realised: there was a new feeling inside of me, a strong sensation I had never felt before: my wax internal organs were becoming the mouldable mass it used to be before hosting my very soul. I couldn’t stand in two feet.

Still, there was apparently nothing wrong me. Physically. I had been destroyed by Agnes’ passing, even if I already knew she was gone, even if I had come to end her myself…was what those sandcastles building felt anything like this?

Wasn’t it this delicious, to have that desolation so strongly tied to yourself you could just feed on your own body, gorging on the dreadfulness of your pain?

Agnes couldn’t have given me a better gift…only, that she did.

Baby Gertrude had kept crying the whole time. Apparently, whatever was within Agnes, passed on to them.

I am likely never going to see our End of Times, but I really hope I do, because that would mean you will see you do too. Your precious Agnes’ offspring turning into what you prevented her to become.

It is the very least you deserve.

 Statement ends.

 That bloody…sorry, I don’t want to lose my manners too much. Jonathan, I know you do revise everything I record, if you are not actively listening to me right now; that it is.

Martin Blackwood had to go; after he chose not to surrender to that unfortunate offer from The Slaughter or, instead, join The Web…he became too powerful. I couldn’t allow someone that made Annabelle Cane seem mild go free.

Well, maybe I should, had I known his<e/m> tiny boyfriend could be such a menace with a strong tendency towards my very patron…strong enough for my former boss to take a liking to him and send him as director since I quite made his primary option, that Peter Lukas, quite indisposed in a permanent manner too.

Are you bonding over the loss of your terrible partners? Is that why you chose to leave the statement describing Agnes’ death to me?

At least I have the consolation of knowing that horrible cop, Tonner, having brutalised Jude until not even being made of wax was enough for her not to suffer beyond all measures of comprehension.

You will never have that,

  Be sure of it.

End recording.

[inthemelancholymoonlight]

From September 28, 2020:

I want to talk about the contrast between Lucy and Cedric's core fears: water and fire, respectively.

Lucy is terrified of water, specifically drowning. While this is due in part to a near-death experience in the ocean as a child, I think this fear says a lot about who she is as a person as well. In the wizarding world, werewolves are seen as monsters, even though they are really only dangerous for a single night once a month and wolfsbane potion exists that removes the danger entirely. Lucy's fear of water mirrors what she fears most about herself — she's constantly worried that the monster within her will pull the parts of herself she likes beneath the surface, too, never to be seen again. She fights to keep her humanity and her lycanthropy as separate as possible, but in the same way that water is literally always a part of us physically, Lucy can't run away from her condition. (Because, trust me, she would if she could.)

In contrast, Cedric is terrified of fire; specifically, uncontrolled fire, such as that of a dragon or an accidental fire like at the Quidditch Cup. Because he has no directly fire-related trauma the way Lucy has water-related trauma, this fear reveals even more about Cedric's personality than Lucy's fear reveals about her personality. Amos Diggory's expectations of his son have demanded excellence - dare I say perfection. And Cedric, bless him, rises to the challenge every single time. Cedric's life has been one of control, both self-control and his father's control, so it's only natural that he fears the brainless destruction fire can bring if left unchecked. I think that his popularity at school plays into his fear of fire as well.

I think that, deep down, Cedric is afraid of not holding up to everyone else expectations, were he to be completely exposed and vulnerable to metaphorical fire, whatever that may be. I think that, at least in my story, he's hesitant to participate in the Triwizard Tournament because he's afraid of being exposed as a fraud... which everyone will point out to him is completely RIDICULOUS because he is in fact an extremely talented wizard.

It's been hard trying to reason to myself why Cedric Diggory would want to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. I was tempted to pin this all on Amos Diggory. I was tempted to have his father guilt him into doing it or threaten him into doing it, but I soon realized Lucy would never stand for that. I knew that, in the end, submitting his name to the Goblet of Fire needed to be Cedric's decision, and it needed to be a decision his loved ones could support. I think that, if Cedric decides that he's ready to subject himself to the fire he's spent his life trying to hide from, he'd have the support of everyone who loves him. I don't want to give Amos Diggory the satisfaction of being the reason his son decides to enter the Triwizard Tournament. I want Cedric to be the one who calls the shot, after 17 years of his dad calling the shots for him.

And I know. I'm sorry. This is breaking my heart too. But I think it needs to be done. I need Lucy to have something good to cling to after everything has come to pass. I need everyone to see Cedric the way I do, at least in my story. I need everyone to see Cedric Amos Diggory as a boy who tragically lost his life in the pursuit of claiming it for himself. And I want him to be more than a martyr, more than a figurehead everyone rallies around. I want Cedric, my version of Cedric, to be a character complex and authentic and endearing enough to both celebrate and mourn as the events of the next several chapters come to pass.

...but more on the Triwizard to come later. I really wanted Lucy and Cedric to have opposite fears to show the way they balance each other out. Lucy IS fire. I associate fire with Gryffindor, and I actually go into detail about this idea in Chapter 2 when she says, "When given a place to burn safely, fire glowed brightly and happily, sharing light and warmth as long as fuel — or magic — kept it alive, until it contentedly settled into embers and gave the last of its life before dwindling into darkness and cold. So, I supposed, was the life of a Gryffindor." This type of controlled fire doesn't scare Cedric, and he'd never do anything to extinguish the fire in Lucy's heart or in her eyes. But sometimes, Lucy's fire spills over, as we see whenever she's emotional. She gets angry, she gets hysterical, she gets self-destructive. THIS fire is what Cedric balances out.

Where Lucy is fire, Cedric is water. I know Hufflepuff's element is usually earth, but I wanted Cedric to be water, too. Steady like the earth, but adaptable like water. A foundation for Lucy to rely on, but also someone who can change to meet her needs in an instant.

And for what it's worth, Cedric needs Lucy's fire, too. She certainly keeps his life interesting, but beyond that, she teaches him that it's okay to be emotional. Her condition ingrains empathy into every fiber of his being, because he's the only person in the Diggory family who really truly takes care of her in that way. And hey, in canon, he's not at the Burrow very much; because of Lucy, he gets to experience more of the Weasley fun. As much as Lucy depends on her brother, Cedric needs Lucy, too. She brings fun to his life, something I suspect is lacking in canon based on what little we see of Cedric's father-son relationship. Because... yikes, the canon there is honestly kind of disturbing to me, as someone whose parents are similarly obsessive when it comes to my accomplishments yet know nothing of emotional sensitivity.

BUT. One important thing I wanted to show with their relationship is that they both recognize that fire and water both have purposes BECAUSE OF EACH OTHER. Sure, Lucy is terrified of water, but she knows she can turn to Cedric when she needs comfort because his metaphorical water balances out her metaphorical fire. Sure, Cedric is terrified of fire, but he knows that without Lucy, his life could very well be cold and lifeless and predictable, as water can be without a little something to direct it otherwise.

[tumblezwei]

I really would like to heard your analysis of Jinx, she is such an interesting and well written character.

I have several thoughts about Jinx and what makes her so fascinating.

I will start, however, with a disclaimer. Most of what I'm gonna say is from Jinx's perspective. I don't actually believe Vi abandoned her and doesn't love her. She was a kid too when their family died, and it isn't her fault that she wasn't there for Jinx, being in prison and all. Silco is not a good person and was absolutely not in a good place to raise a child who was just horribly traumatized. I do believe he loved her, but no matter how much he loved her it doesn't excuse how deeply toxic he was to her mental health.

Anyways.

Powder was severely insecure throughout her whole childhood. She offers nothing to her family and is constantly belittled or pitied for her weakness. Even though Vi offers her all the support she can manage, it's not enough to make Powder believe that she's anything but a burden. It's something we can directly see through her diary in the Legends of Runterra archives that came out recently.

Vi has never doubted her sister will be something great, but that deep insecurity about her place in the world colors Powder's view. It doesn't matter how many words of encouragement she gives, Vi secretly doesn't believe in her. She thinks Powder is useless, just like Mylo says she is.

Hell, in that diary Jinx draws a picture of her entire family, Ekko included, and Powder herself isn't even there. She's represented by the crease between pages, too insignificant for even herself.

And that insecurity also feeds into a bad case of codependency. Because she's unable to survive by herself, Vi is her pillar. She can't do anything without Vi, a fact she simultaneously hates and is too afraid to change.

And you have both of these facts converging That Night. First, Vi leaves her behind when she goes to save Vander. To Powder it's the ultimate slap in the face. Her father is being held captive and he might seriously be in danger, all three of her siblings are going but Powder needs to stay home and wait. She's nothing but a liability to Vi in that moment, one that Vi can just leave behind whenever she wants, and it breaks Powder. Obviously you can see it the clearest when she has an anxiety attack after Vi leaves, but I think the second clearest is when Powder finds out she killed Vander and her brothers.

"Why did you leave me!" She just wanted to help, why did Vi leave her behind? And Vi answers her, confirming two of her biggest fears. She isn't able to help anybody, only ruin them, and Vi believes this. All of the reassurances, all of the encouragement, a lie.

That lie is the foundation on which Silco raises her. Because like her, he was abandoned by someone he thought had his back.

And the persona of "Jinx" is created as a way to cope with herself. If all Powder does is bring destruction, why not revel in it? Silco needs someone that can cause destruction, a tool of intimidation to solve conflicts with others trying to fill the power vacuum that Vander left behind. If Powder is a jinx, then why not be a jinx.

Much of the rest of her screentime is self-explanatory after that, but there are two things I want to talk about. The first, the obsessive hatred of Caitlyn.

As funny as the jokes are about Jinx being homophobic or not getting that Vi and Cait's relationship is different than Vi and Jinx's, the true point of her hatred is that Vi has someone else by her side at all. Just like Jinx never healed from her deleterious view of herself, she never grew out of her codependency either. For so long it was Vi and Powder against the world, always together, always sisters.

But now there's Enforcer Caitlyn Kiramann, who's competent, who Vi trusts to have her back, who Vi wants to protect. And Jinx can't stand it, because all it does is remind her of what she isn't, of what she can never be. That she is still all alone.

The second is Silco's last words. "Don't cry, you're perfect."

This line is probably the basis for 90% of the discourse surrounded Jinx and Silco's relationship. And in order for both sides to understand where I'm at, I will state for the record that Jinx is not perfect as she is. She is a traumatized teenager who acts petty, mean-spirited, cruel, and is in serious need of therapy.

But. But. Silco truly is the only person that's ever looked at her and seen someone who doesn't need to change.

You have to remember that Jinx never believed Vi when she encouraged her. Because Vi wasn't like her. Vi could say all the nice things she wanted, someday her inventions will work, but at the end of the day Vi is the one knocking out thugs in alleyways and planning heists while Powder was too scared to slide down a roof without encouragement and throws away their loot when she panics. There was always a part of Powder that felt bitter toward her sister.

But Silco is like her. He hurts like her, he needs help like she does. Vi leaves her to deal with Vander's kidnapping on her own, Silco trusts her to "handle it," to treat his eye, to protect his goods. Silco, angry, broken, scarred Silco sees Jinx as she is angry, broken, and scarred. And says she's perfect. It's the first time she's ever felt truly seen and truly loved for who she is.

This ended up a lot longer than I thought it was going to be, but I truly love Jinx and her fucked up character arc. I can't wait to see how she evolves from here, for the better or for the worse. I do hope that her and Vi come to an understanding about one another, because God knows they are not on the same wavelength.

[larentsaloud]

strongly worded letter from Gorya's lawyer

dear f4 fan,

it has come to my attention that you have committed great offences against my client, gorya thitara jundee.

you are standing on trial for treason of the ship gorya x thyme and also misunderstanding gorya and defaming her character.

should you be found guilty, the judge (me) will execute on the spot and ban you from f4 fandom effective immediately.

the charges against stand as follows:

you said thyme should give his heart to lita

you expressed that gorya doesn't deserve thyme

you stated that gorya has made a mistake by rejecting thyme

you are not shipping gorya x thyme and seem to be apprehensive to comprehend her character arc

you have publicly stated that gorya was terrible for breaking thyme's heart

you don't appreciate gorya's pain of her letting thyme go

your lack of empathy for gorya is showing through your posts and this I have clocked and do not accept

it has been brought to my attention that you failed to defend gorya when she rightly called thyme out. she said he was wrong to ask her who talay was. indeed she saw him kiss someone else. what is a girl to do? she has correctly tried to put some boundaries in place.

you are unable to see she is hurting and cannot bear witness to his new relationship

you are condemning her, yet your fickle heart was beating for her when she was giving him a sponge bath and literally was the only nice person in his life when he was shunned out from his own family and nobody gave a shit about thyme, my client was by his side, patiently teaching him basics and guiding his moral compass

you seem to have forgotten that she has been humiliated by him MANY times, he has caused her the UTMOST pain by enticing the whole school to bully her

you are under the impression they were in a relationship. THEY WERE NOT. my client never accepted his offer and he failed to disclose nature of their relationship to her frenemy lita

you are blind to her strengths. yes, it is her weakness not to believe in herself sometimes and to give up out of fear. but my client values kindness and treating people how she would let to be treated (on most occasions...)

you seem to have forgotten that my client is under due duress, is carrying financial and emotional burden for her family, as is on scholarship at an exclusive school

you accuse my client of physically assaulting her once friend, never a boyfriend, who's whole family is responsible for her own family's ruin...

I feel it is my duty to address the jury (also me) and honourable judge (me as well surprise) and the public (maybe you) as well as the offender (better not be you!).

nobody can change the beginning, but we can change the future. it's true with both thyme and gorya. thyme has learnt how to adapt and change and mould himself into a better version.

the question is, where is gorya's growth? it occurs at a different pace, she has already started as such a fierce character, incredibly motivated and strong and self-reliant. she is not afraid to use violence against her enemies. she has kicked and punched thyme many times, and this seems to be what I as her lawyer refer to their love language, where she beats the crap put of him to behave. thyme has this bond established from his sister, and it is no surprise that anyone who does this, finds the way to his heart. but wait. lita does It too?

I want to go back to gorya.

she has put up with a lot of bullshit from thyme, so when he shows up ASKING questions in a public place about her and causes a scene, she KNOWS this could end up in the press. he is famous, remember?

she also needs to deter him from this self-destructive path he is on, by clinging on to her. the only way she can get him to stop worrying about her, fretting about the company she keeps; if she pushes him away ONE LAST time.

she says we are nothing to each other.

even though it couldn't be further away from truth. she can't stop thinking about him. she considers herself as lita's one and only friend and as such she takes her duty seriously. yes it's inconsolably stupid of her.

you know what? thyme didn't even hit talay, my client got played.

but this is the thing with the boy who cried wolf. thyme has been aggressive in front of her so many times, of course she believes talay.

this is her second mistake of not trusting him, which corresponds with Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy.

gorya is PREJUDICED against him and he is TOO PROUD to explain certain things to her, like he'd rather accuse her of being in the wrong when her grabbed the wrong girl at the party than apologise.

that's their problem.

he calls himself he 'ex' and then accuses her of having a new guy, which couldn't be more inappropriate considering my client just saw him kiss lita, they are the official IT couple, so what right does he have getting jealous.

worst of all, talay is not her guy. so none of his suspicions about her are even justified.

he called her easy.

that's the last straw.

she has been nothing if not exclusive with her heart. in fact she is so afraid of letting herself fall in love she just love of her life.

she is not easy.

she is the hardest person to let go of her heart. and he broke it, whether he knows it, or acknowledges it. it is the truth. thyme broke her* and they were not even a couple. so how can she allow herself to love anyone, if it's not him?

everyone makes mistakes. and this one is on gorya. so please show her the same kindness and patience she has shown thyme all along.

I came here to execute all of you, but it is my clients wish to ask for your understanding.

*she broke his trust, but their separation hurt her too. just because she was the one who called it off, doesn't mean she is not hurting.

[testudoaubrei-blog]

“I’m loyal, that’s my whole thing.” - Scorpia, Season 4 Episode 6, Princess Scorpia

“Everything they taught us in the Horde about loyalty is meaningless” - Lonnie, Season 4 Episode 5, Protocol

Rewatching Season 4, I just finished Princess Scorpia. This is an episode that has always stuck with me, especially the A plot of Scorpia realizing how badly Catra has treated her and everyone else and deciding to leave. One thing I’ve been thinking about since I finished the series, though, is what this episode is telling us on a larger level. Looking beyond the character arcs and more at this show’s larger themes and message. Because this show is very much a show that says things, made by people who believe them. That earnestness and depth is one reason I keep coming back to it.

In the pull-quote above, and throughout the episode and before it, Scorpia defines herself in terms of loyalty. It is her identity - as she says, that’s what Scorpions do, they’re loyal. Her actions for three and a half seasons bear this out. When she first shows up, she tries to position herself as Catra’s new best friend, the one who won’t leave her and will stick by her no matter what. And that’s what she does, until this episode. She sticks by Catra through Catra’s increasingly villainous plots and erratic behavior. But she doesn’t just stick around. Until the portal, she barely contradicts Catra, and even afterwards, does so only furtively and immediately backs away as soon as Catra pushes back. For more than a year of show time, Scorpia has not just stood by Catra, or supported her, she’s actively assisted her in her most villainous and destructive acts. Scorpia is fighting by Catra’s side, eagerly carrying out her orders, and doing her utmost to see that Catra succeeds. But her loyalty goes beyond this practical help. Because for all that Catra loudly declares that she doesn’t need a new best friend, she consistently seeks out connection throughout the show, even when she’s at her most isolated in season 4. She needs moral support, and connection, and to know that she isn’t alone. Scorpia provides that, and keeps Catra going. Though Scropia isn’t initiating Catra’s various misdeeds, she’s assisting and supporting Catra throughout. On a personal, psychological level, the only word that seems adequate for this is ‘ennabling’ - Scorpia, sweet as she is, is Catra’s enabler. We see in the next few episodes what happens when Catra doesn’t have Scorpia’s support - she breaks down, and realizes that her actions really do have consequences, and that the affection she took for granted for so many years is something she can’t live without. But as long as Scorpia’s still around, Catra can’t make that realization.

Now I’m not going to say that Scorpia is morally culpable for Catra’s own actions. She’s not. Catra is solely responsible for her various betrayals, manipulations, violent outbursts and assorted murder attempts against...most of the rest of the cast (though being raised by Shadow Weaver sure as shit is a mitigating factor). But while Catra is obviously being a bad friend to Scorpia throughout, Scorpia isn’t actually being as supportive or helpful to Catra as she thinks, because Catra doesn’t actually need unconditional support, she needs people to be honest with her and express to her how she’s hurting them. She needs people who will stand up for themselves just as she needs to take responsibility for her own actions. This is part of why she and Adora have such a healthy dynamic in season 5 - Adora doesn’t take her crap, and Catra takes responsibility for her crap.

However, Scorpia -is- responsible for her own actions. And as I said above, she’s been with Catra every step of the way as Catra has attacked just about everyone and made war on Etheria. On a larger, political level, Scorpia is a willing participant in upholding the Horde’s oppressive system, and executing a war of aggression and colonization against innocent people. Speaking of colonization, perversely, she’s loyal to the very organization that dispossessed her and literally stole her birthright, then discarded it like a useless trinket when it was no longer useful to them. No one ever suggests ‘why don’t we let Scorpia connect with ~her runestone~’ until Glimmer does (and Glimmer’s motivations and arguments aren’t exactly forthright). Scorpia’s loyalty makes her an accomplice in her own oppression (like a bunch of the themes in this show there’s some interesting post-colonial stuff that the show doesn’t fully explore, probably because Noelle and the crew felt self-conscious about telling a post colonial story, or just didn’t know where to go with it). Interestingly, Scorpia’s loyalty to the Horde here parallels her loyalty to Catra, which has made her completely disregard her own wellbeing, which is the most obvious take away from the episode.

But I would argue that everything above shows that for Scorpia loyalty has been a way of avoiding developing her own moral compass. Scorpia repeatedly shoves aside questions of right or wrong in favor of being loyal to her friends and to the Horde. Loyalty has made Scorpia not only willing to accept her own mistreatment, but to willingly mistreat others, and to keep herself from asking any hard questions about what she’s doing or why. This is despite the fact that Scorpia is, by inclination, an incredibly gentle, kind and compassionate person. She’s willing to silence the best parts of her nature out of loyalty to Catra and the Horde. In the end, she also commits acts of violence and perpetuates the oppression of Etheria. And this is so insightful, because we see this sort of thing in our world all the time. So many oppressive institutions depend upon the loyalty of their members to keep them ‘just following orders’; so many abusive systems depend upon loyalty to stifle dissent and silence potential whistleblowers before they even speak. We see this in some of the most oppressive institutions and the worst scandals in our own society, and looking back through human history we see it in some of our nation’s and our species' most infamous crimes.

And when we look at the Horde as a system that Hordak has built in imitation of his elder brother’s empire, we see just how central loyalty is an ethos. Hordak himself is motivated entirely by loyalty to Prime - being a former clone, he spends the entire series not fully capable of accepting himself as an autonomous being (even when he acts like one and enjoys it, there’s some fucked up religious shit there that I won’t get into). He seems to have instilled this in his followers. The Horde Trio, Catra and Scorpia all hold loyalty as one of their highest values. Catra clings to it as her biggest accusation against Adora - that she was disloyal, as expressed in Catra’s perception that Adora broke her promise and abandoned her. Loyalty keeps the Horde Trio together and fighting for the Horde, and Scorpia with Catra. I think we can read between the lines and say the Horde runs on loyalty (as well as fear) and this is a very insightful portrayal of oppressive military and paramilitary institutions like armies of conquest and occupation and other instruments of state violence.

There’s another, related way of looking at how a sole reliance on loyalty as a moral framework has stunted Scorpia’s moral growth, and I think that brings together both the ways that it makes Scorpia willing to accept her mistreatment and participate in the mistreatment of others. Namely, loyalty in the Horde style isn’t just sticking with someone or something, but subsuming your own will into theirs. Following orders. Supporting your friend in what they do no matter what. Whatever you call it, it’s about turning off your own self - your self preservation, your self respect, your conscience, whatever other things you value - and just going along with what the person or institution you are loyal to wants you to do. And this is where Horde loyalty goes full circle, back to its origin - Horde Prime, the narcissistic self-made god who wishes to control or destroy everything that is not himself. Loyalty as Hordak conceived of it and as the Horde believes in it is a reflection of Prime's absolute control over all his domain.

In a way, self-determination is one of this show’s highest values (together with love). It’s at the heart of Adora’s 5-season, 3 year struggle to become her own woman and her own hero as she shrugs off one imposed destiny and then another and finally embraces what she wants. In a more negative form, it’s at the heart of Catra’s arc, as she finally accepts responsibility for her own actions and their consequences and starts working to make a world that she actually wants to live in, as well as admit to herself that what she really wants is love. And I could go on. This self-determination is existentially, obviously threatened by Prime chipping people, but it is also stunted by horde-style loyalty that demands unquestioning support and obedience.

Both the Horde Trio and Scorpia reject the Horde’s ideal of loyalty and walk away, but I think it’s interesting how they do it. Neither rejects loyalty entirely (not on the way Adora does) - the Trio, realistically, remain loyal to each other and simply walk away and walk out of the war (this might save their lives), joining the other disillusioned cynics in the Crimson Wastes. They reject loyalty to the horde and embrace a more supportive and respectful form of loyalty to each other. Scorpia leaves, but she actually comes to her crisis and makes her decision out of loyalty, and because it’s clear that her loyalty isn’t returned. The immediate situation - loyalty to Emily and Entrapta’s memory on one hand and Catra’s orders on the others - creates the conflict between loyalties that forces Scorpia to actually make her own choice rather than deferring to Catra. But she also reflects how Catra betrayed her loyalty to Entrapta, and thus how all of her friends’ loyalty to Catra is not returned.This is another point about horde-style loyalty - it’s one way - Hordak or Catra will demand your loyalty, but they feel no obligation to return it, which reflects Prime’s view of every other being in the universe as disposable. It’s only when she’s with the Princesses that Scorpia starts to find a new moral center, though sticking up for and protecting her friends remains important to her. In neither case, though, are these kinds of loyalty coming at the cost of either the Trio or Scorpia’s autonomy or ability to make moral choices of their own. In the very next episode, she says she wants to 'be A good friend' which is how the Princesses typically describe sticking together, which is a much more active and holistic concept than 'loyalty'. Scorpia confesses that she doesn't even know how, but she wants to learn and thinks the princesses can teach her.

There's another interesting counterexample to Horde Loyalty. Adora repeatedly breaks with the people around her to do what is right. First she leaves the Horde, then walks away from Catra by stages when it is clear that Catra is going to continue to harm other people and Etheria. Then she walks away from Glimmer, defies Light Hope and breaks loyalty with her supposed destiny and purposes as well as loyalty to the homelans she has never known. By season 5, Adora is loyal only to herself and the people she cares about, but she isn't constraining her will to anyone else's. For all that she seems like a rule follower Adora has a rebellious streak a mile wide, and she will do what is right, no matter what. This is what allows her to save the universe 3 times.

So the show’s argument is that loyalty is not a good moral framework to base all of our actions around. I don’t think it goes so far as saying that loyalty has no place in our ethics (being a good friend, which is such a huge part of the show, certainly includes loyalty, especially sticking with people when the going gets tough), but the show stresses time and again that being loyal to something or someone shouldn’t make you disregard yourself and what you think is right. Because it’s only by living out our own values and taking responsibility for our own actions that we can come into our own as moral beings. Moreover, if we insist on maintaining loyalty to institutions that oppress us and others, we can’t dismantle the systems of oppression that are holding us and other people down. (Yes, this is a pretty radical message, but I suspect that Noelle is some kind of anarchist? Anyway, it’s a thing.)

Okay, so that’s what I, a 35 year old, get from this kids show. I think it’s also worth pointing out that this lesson applies to younger viewers too, in their most immediate lives. Younger viewers will have had friends who didn’t treat them well, or might not have treated other people well, and who might have pressured them into participating in the mistreatment of others (this is kind of how bullying works a lot of the time). I think it’s important that younger viewers see how being a good friend never means disrespecting yourself or other people and it means a lot to me that She-Ra shows this in such a nuanced and realistic way.

[cruelfeline]

All right. I’ve cried enough about it; now let’s try to do something useful.

I’m going to try to articulate my interpretation of the scene between Hordak and Adora. I’m not certain that I will be able to do so adequately, but I will attempt it. 

It’s... it’s everything, this scene. Everything haunting and terrible and tender and wonderful about this story. And I want to express why it affects me so deeply. So. Let’s try.

Upon having Horde Prime’s consciousness purged from his body, Hordak experiences a flashback to the moment he found Adora. The triumphant music that has been playing suddenly stops, and we experience this utterly silent moment between two characters that have, over the course of the show, interacted directly only a handful of times.

Hordak looks so very young, so innocent. He wears an outfit that appears to be a sort of mix of clone attire and his future armor, and it makes him look small, non-combative. He has his dyed hair and black eyeshadow, but none of it is as dramatic as it becomes later on. His face carries none of the stern bitterness and rage that we’re so used to seeing in him.

He’s just... quiet. Contemplative, perhaps. Maybe even a little confused, but entirely devoid of any malice, of any hint of evil that one might anticipate, remembering his demeanor back in the first couple of seasons. 

He holds Adora gently, almost tenderly, the way one would expect someone, a regular, non-clone someone, to hold an infant. As he appears to adjust the blanket around her face, her hand rests close enough to his that, if she wanted, she could touch his skin.

This moment... I don’t know if I can properly express the emotions this moment instills in me. A sense of immense importance in a seemingly innocuous act. Something foreboding and melancholy, yet tentatively hopeful.

Here is a Horde clone, a cultist whose sole purpose is the glorification of Horde Prime, and here is a tiny infant girl. They are so very different, so entirely unlike one another, and yet they are the same. Both infinitely far from home. Both lost and alone in this strange place. Both beholden to others’ machinations, whether they recognize it or not. Both fated to suffer so terribly, for reasons entirely outside of their control. And neither knows it: what the future holds for them.

Hordak will suffer through chronic illness, and shame, and loneliness, and the terrifying disgrace of failure. He will visit grievous harm upon Etheria in his desperate bid for validation and acceptance. He will return to his god-Brother full of misguided hope, only to be mentally and emotionally destroyed.

Adora will be given to an abusive woman who will instill in her insecurities and traumas that will affect her for life. She will spend her days driving herself to meet everyone else’s needs while pointedly ignoring her own. She will experience the horror of being groomed to be a weapon.

They will both suffer immeasurably, and yet within that suffering, they will find friendship, and love, and strength, and eventual peace.

And this moment? This moment that Adora is too young to remember, and that Hordak once claimed to forget? This brief moment of a Horde clone’s inexplicable mercy towards an infant girl is what starts a chain of events that ends with the death of a monstrous tyrant and the liberation of an entire universe. 

Neither recognizes this moment. Neither knows its significance. 

They don’t know that Hordak, by indulging in mercy and saving this child, has likewise saved himself and the rest of the known universe. They don’t know how incredibly important this brief moment is to the both of them, to everyone. They won’t know it until everything is said and done, until the journey is over.

It’s such a poignant, haunting realization: that everything we see happen, everything they all go through, every triumph and frustration, is the result of this single decision Hordak made for reasons he likely doesn’t quite understand. The result of a small connection that neither Hordak nor Adora realized they shared.

But once they do realize it, once She-Ra purges Prime from Hordak’s body and mind and recognizes this connection, we witness a beautiful moment of understanding and forgiveness.

Her hand gently cupping Hordak’s cheek, She-Ra sees that, despite everything, despite all that Hordak has done, there was no malice in him. Not really. Not when all of the anger and frustration and fear are peeled away.

She sees him not as a tyrannical conqueror, but as the wounded, frightened, emotionally sick person he truly is. 

She-Ra sees that, in the end, Hordak is a victim of terrible circumstances, of another’s sordid plans, just as she herself was. She understands that what drives him is not the desire to rule, or to destroy, but rather something so much more tragic and painful and desperate. Something that necessitates healing, rather than punishment.

She sees all of this. She understands it. And so she chooses to forgive. 

And because She-Ra is Etheria, and Etheria is She-Ra, it is as if the planet, too, recognizes what Hordak is and what he has done. Etheria sees Hordak, Etheria understands Hordak. And Etheria, too, forgives him.

Despite everything that’s happened, despite the war and the destruction and the litany of pain and fear he has wrought, Hordak is forgiven.

And as She-Ra smiles at him, he quietly realizes that the tiny infant he rescued from a silent field all those years ago is the reason all of this has happened. The reason he is free. The reason he is forgiven. He remembers her. Hordak remembers a moment and a connection and a choice he once made, and he recognizes the loving act of kindness that has resulted from them. 

It’s so tender, all of it. So kind. So compassionate and gentle, that this man’s wrongs can be seen for the cries of pain that they were, and that he can be helped up off the ground instead of subjected to vengeful justice.

Because that is what this story is about: compassion and forgiveness. People and how their most unassuming connections can radically change their lives. Choices and personal agency rising above destiny. Recognizing the pain and trauma in others’ mistakes and reaching out to them in healing rather than retribution.

And all of it started and ended with two lost individuals who, without knowing, without meaning to, would forge a connection and save one another’s lives.

This brief scene is a loving celebration of everything this show stands for, every compassionate message it has conveyed, and every hopeful lesson it has taught. It makes me weep more than anything else this show has offered, and though I will never be able to truly express my feelings about it as well as I would like, I hope I’ve provided at least some idea of why it is so important to me.

[thefools-journey]

So. Some of you may be wondering why we haven’t written a whole ton about the secondaries or what have you. Here’s the reason: we were waiting for them to end before we really dug into the problems we were noticing. We felt that it was only fair to wait for the routes to finish so that we had an understanding of the writers’ vision. Who knew, we thought, maybe they would see the problems themselves and course correct, maybe they are building to something we can’t quite see yet and these issues will have actual payoff, maybe-

In light of Muriel and Lucio’s endings, and the general mess that has dominated Portia’s route for a year plus now, we are breaking our silence. We are actually going to talk about this shit show.

The fandom at large has talked about a bunch of issues with the secondaries but for me, the cardinal sin, the thing that really all the issues lead back to, is this: the writers lost sight of the tarot themes which so strongly defined and held together the primary routes. Let me explain.

The primary routes each center around three thematic cores:

The Love Interest’s Major Arcana and its Reversed/Upright meanings

The MC’s Fool’s Journey, both how it can go right and how it can go wrong

A question about the MC’s identity and their relationship to said identity

Asra’s route asks: Who was the MC? How does the MC navigate a past they cannot and will not remember? What do they owe a past they cannot remember? How do they handle the revelations of what Asra, Nadia, Julian, etc did? How do you right the past? Can you?

Nadia’s route asks: Who is the MC? The MC has no past. Are they the Fool only? Are they actually the same person they were? How can they tell? Who are they, really? Are they an imposter? No one can answer these questions for them.

Julian’s route asks: Who will the MC become? How does the MC see their future? Is there anything worth fighting for for that future? What will become of them and their loved ones? 

Now, if you notice, these themes are expertly woven throughout the primaries. Asra’s past dominates his route, Nadia is also missing memories and trying to construct her identity both with her family and with Vesuvia, and Julian’s fear of the future drives his flailing for control. Asra has to learn to take a broader view of his actions to get his Upright Ending, Nadia has to learn to trust herself and those around her for hers, and Julian has to learn how to let go for his. These lessons are the issues their cards stand for. The primaries are so dang elegant and delicate in their handlings of theme it is honestly awe-inspiring.

Thematically, the secondary routes have completely lost their hearts. First of all, the MC does not have strong, core questions which need to be answered. They just don’t. I suppose the writers did not want to retread old territory (which is weird considering how tightly bound the primaries are; it really tricks you into thinking you’re living the same events but from different angles depending on your route) but they did not replace the old with anything new. Muriel’s route is, on the surface, about discovering and owning his past, the good and the bad. Why not tie MC’s self-discovery to that story? Or they could have taken the angle that Muriel’s route is about convincing him to be present and active in the world while MC builds an identity for themself outside of Asra, the shop, and the memories they cannot retrieve. Why not tie the investigation themes running through Portia’s early route back to MC and their past? Portia has the unique angle of being as in the dark as MC about all of this, why not discover the past together? And for goodness’ sake, Lucio has no future when his route begins, why not tie that to his need for growth, responsibility, and MC’s own future between the Fool, the Devil, or something mortal and in between?

Secondly, the routes lost their tarot backbone. We have a primer on how to get specific endings for each LI and it still holds, but the writers did not follow through on the thematic coherence of each secondary. The Hermit is looking for something, be it perspective, insight, a solution to a problem, whatever. The key here is that the Hermit must find or learn what they are searching for, this thing must change their understanding of the world, and finally, they must bring this lesson back to the world from which they retreated. Can someone please enlighten me as what exactly Muriel learns then teaches the world around him? Nothing Muriel learns from Morga, MC, or even the Hermit ties back into anything. The Devil warns that you are out of control and exerting a lot of manipulative, destructive behavior on the world around you. It asks you to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. So can someone tell me why Lucio’s route actively avoids any interaction or reflection on two of Lucio’s biggest victims: Muriel and Julian? Why does the route only try to make amends with the “easier” of his victims in the cast? The Star is first and foremost the card of clarity, the light at the end of the tunnel. Perseverance, if you will. Yet Portia’s route has been the muddiest of the trio; the writers drop the investigation aspect of her route in favor just handing her and MC information they could have easily found and muddying the waters with Tasya (she blows up the palace but it’s all okay bc she has a secret daughter Julian never thought to bring up or mention) and the complete removal of the Devil as antagonist. 

So that leaves just the Fool’s Journey trying to hold this stool up with only one leg. And well...it doesn’t go well. At best, the secondary route books pay the barest surface level homage to the themes of the individual cards. At worst, they ignore the cards completely. Muriel's Moon book has nothing to do with illusions or delusions or lies or even an Alice in the Looking Glass upside down world. Portia's back half is a complete and utter mess, starting with her Temperance book being so badly mangled that Muriel's aftermath book does it better. Lucio's route too bungles the Tower and the Star. There just isn't enough here to carry the routes alone.

Add to the core loss the loss of intertextuality. The primary routes are very good, even great but they too do have their moments and mistakes. What helps strengthen them when the cores stumble is how the trio is woven together. Things you learn in Asra's route can inform the way you play Nadia's, for example. Julian's route informs what is going on in Asra's route and slots some missing puzzle pieces together. Nadia's route tells you of the power struggles she is facing and informs the other two routes' handling of Julian and his trial. On and on, the three routes support each other because they are built out of the same basic plot beats, just tackled in very different ways. Now, the writers are allowed to try and write whatever they want. They apparently wanted to be more experimental and less tied down to an overarching plot with the three secondaries. Okay, fine, they are allowed to do that. The problem is that they sacrificed one of the key strengths of the primary trio and didn't replace said strength with anything else. They also, on some level, harmed the very premise of the game, which is that only the player's choices and route selected change the overall plot. Instead of feeling like legitimate possibilities or offshoots of the same timeline/plot, the secondaries feel almost like Arcana AUs. The secondaries throw out all relations to the primaries and each other as quickly as possible and for what? 

It is probably the height of arrogance to suggest fixes for works whose behind the scenes I do not know. At the same time, some small, obvious changes could have salvaged Muriel and maybe Lucio's endings (rip Portia). Instead of having the Hermit appear as a disappointing cameo, why not have him say something cryptic to Muriel, then have MC start trying to seal the Devil. Then let Muriel use his forget me mark to cloak MC and hide them from the Devil's attacks. Protecting MC by hiding them from Lucio, keeping him focused on Muriel, seems to me a simple third solution between Muriel's desire to run and his desire to never fight again. It lets him stand up to Lucio and let him have it while holding onto who Muriel has become. The Reversed End would have MC try to draw Lucio's attention at some point, disrupting the sealing, and eventually leading to Muriel killing the Devil. With Lucio's Upright End, I just have to ask: why doesn't MC fully claim the power of the Fool instead of the Devil? We don't need the other Arcana involved in this fight; we have three routes that demonstrate that. Just have MC pull Scout into the conflict, then have Lucio tell MC he believes in them, then add his power to the mix. You got yourself a full Fool who leaves Scout guarding the realm until they and Lucio's mortal bodies fail and they return to the realm to be together forever. Boom, you're done, you can even add some ambiguous lines so that players can decide how happy their MC is with this arrangement, send me the check.

Here is the bottom line. Our group is full of aroace, and several combinations therein, individuals. We are the last group who should have gotten into a dating sim of all things. But the Arcana did something with the primaries that was special; they wrote a compelling plot with dazzling lore, complex characters, and strong themes wrapped up in a dating sim bow. The writers know better and we know they know better. I do not know what happened with the secondaries, especially around books 10-11, which is where minor issues slowly start spiraling into major ones, but it is clear that Nix Hydra needed some more planning before they released these routes. Hopefully they will learn.

TL;DR: Nix Hydra fired their tarot consultants about eighteen months ago and it has wrecked their secondary routes until they were just embarrassments. They never intended for the secondary routes to even exist and once they had to make them, they scrambled and threw out everything that made the primaries work.

- Mod Telos