My dad, a huge movie fan, got our family to watch Troy with him. I enjoyed it.
The best part was me making an Epic the Musical reference when I saw Hector's baby and my dad asking me what I meant. He had to pause the movie. Explanations needed to happen.
tell more abt the kalim overblot au is seems interesting
OH BOY ok yapping incoming so I’ll put a readmore here lol-
I’ve been mentally referring to this au as a “round two” of overblots- where some charas that didn’t overblot in canon actually uh. well. do. As the whole “round two” thing kinda implies though, all the canon OBs still got their time to shine, and this is just the next wave.
Anyway with all that out of the way I can actually go over Kalim’s “book” if you will LOL
Things kick off with him getting poisoned- (probably) by a rogue Scarabia student who made up their mind about who they’d want as housewarden- causing him to jump to conclusions and assume Jamil is at fault. Now falling victim to his own trust issues and paranoia, he kicks Jamil out and begins constructing a moat of sorts around the dorm building itself, using his signature spell to flood it. As per usual overblot spiral fare, his paranoia worsens and more ppl get kicked out, with the moat growing in scale. Eventually it escalates to the point where he’s isolated himself alone on an island of his own creation.
In the meantime, Jamil’s presumably crashing at Ramshackle (because of course. where else is there to go lol) and subsequently dragging Yu into things. From there, Yu & the gang start digging further into things in order to figure out what really went down- both in order to hopefully calm Kalim down, and because I’m sure Jamil is being somewhat evasive as per usual lol.
Eventually Yu (et al.) confronts Kalim with this, only for the ol’ overblot final boss fight to ensue as the paranoia continues to drive his decision making. He gets some sense knocked into him in classic NRC fashion and finally de-overblots, after which the path is (…theoretically. with time and therapy) paved for some real discussions regarding the impacts of constantly being at risk of poisonings & kidnappings & betrayals & whatnot does to a person (especially given that he’s still yknow. a kid. and this has been the case for his entire life.)
ANYWAY. ^ vague-ish plot synopsis. I’d love to force myself to write a fic or something at some point but erm teehee im not really a writer. But can yap!
Like, I've been in a handful of gifted groups and surrounding by very intelligent people. I can say this: most of us lack common sense. Solve the equations in five minutes? Sure. Runs into a door that's not even automatic? Yes. Smart people are always a little stupid about certain things. Doesn't make them any less intelligent.
It is okay to hate a character. It is okay to not understand why people hate a character. It is okay to like a character everyone hates. It is okay to hate a character everyone likes.
You don't owe anyone anything. And if you want to have a discussion with someone as to why they like/dislike a character, do so civilly.
GUYS I know everyone wants a spinoff trilogy/singular book about Tella and Legends daughter, but hear me out... (SPOILERS)
What if to continue their story, there is a man out there "hunting" the fates. I imagine it is to "rid" the world of them again, but in the meantime what if he made them into a kind of circus prison? So the fates would become attractions in media while the others are being hunted.
This could bring in characters from both Caraval and OUABH. And because Scarlett is half-fate... She gets captured, and Julian, Tella, and Dante have to save her and the others while Scarlett and Jacks and Evangeline (plus other fates) are working from inside the "prison" (Evangeline got captured because there's no way Jacks would have been caught unless it was by trying to save her)(IMAGINE JACKS, EVA, AND SCARLETT TOGETHER WHILE THE OTHERS ARE TRYING TO GET THEM BACK)
AND ITS PERFECT BECAUSE IT GIVES SCARLETT A REDEMPTION AFTER SHE GOT SIDELINED. And I imagine that Lala was able to not get captured, because the guy doesn't know who she really is, so the team working to save them is Tella, Julian, Dante, AND LALA.
Answering @rosalija pt THREE ugh I'm so sorry for this rant I'm about to go on and I'm sorry this one's late.
Okay, this is less headcanons and more my thoughts, so format will be different.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, dude.
Yeah, we don't know much about Paloma, but what we do know is enough to explain why Scarlett turned out the way she did. She abandoned (yes, abandoned) her family with no clue of why she disappeared, leaving Tella and Scarlett to deal with their monster of a father. Paloma already knew how Tella acted and she already knew how Scarlett would respond in turn. I'd say she had a hunch it would turn out like this, like Scarlett playing mother to Tella, but I don't think she fully accounted for Marcello losing it entirely.
As far as Scarlett was concerned, her mother left her in the hands of her awful father. And in the eyes of a young child, that is an entirely valid assumption to have. To hold resentment towards her because her disappearance caused Scarlett to grow up quicker is reasonable. I'd say she didn't hate Paloma enough.
A lot of her issues really do stem from her mother leaving, plus an irresponsible younger sister and a violent father. Could she see her mother as the cause for her entire family's downfall? I do believe so. It probably didn't help that Tella was holding onto hope that she'd come back (again, completely valid). Scarlett felt she had to fill the gap while also feeling like she'd never be enough to. That's a heavy burden to place on a child.
Am I glad she had a talk with her mother? Yeah, I am. I think it helped her better understand Paloma's situation and how much she really loved her children. It was closure for Scarlett, learning that her mother didn't leave them out of sour reasons, but ones to protect her children. Especially since Scarlett pretty much operates on empathy, I think having that moment was vital to her forgiving her mother.
However, I don't think Scarlett fully forgave her. I think she was closer to forgiving Gavriel or even Marcello. While they were awful fathers, they stayed. I think that was what really got to Scarlett. They forced her to be things she didn't want to be, but at least they stayed. From what I can tell from her relationship with Julian, I would say that being there is very important to her. It's the foundation of any relationship, familial or otherwise. They were there. Paloma was not. And while I do believe she understands her, I don't think she fully forgives her. Again, a lot of her pain and problems stem from her mother leaving. It was like a domino effect of trauma.
In the end, I think Scarlett just needs a parental figure that's actually a good one. Full stop.
Answering @rosalija bc I said I'd do a pt 2 and I don't lie when it comes to Scarlett Dragna
I have genuinely never thought about this. Like, actually. Wow. I feel like this one's difficult? Idk, having a favorite animal feels so personal, but lemme see:
What Would Scarlett's Favorite Animal Be?
Horses
Bro. Dude. Homie. She'd definitely be a horse girl. Like actually. Okay maybe not an extreme one but. She'd like horses.
Especially since she really likes the whole castle/fortress idea. She wants to be protected, right? Who protects? Knights. What do knights ride? Horses. Boom. Connection made.
She'd probably also enjoy how they can be untameable but also docile. It's freedom to choose.
And she'd actually love horseback riding. I just decided that right now.
This whole idea is peak you're so right.
Unicorns
Okay. Now. You have to hear me on this.
Scarlett likes magic. She likes the whole allure of magical people and shows and whatnot. It's her thing. It's what she hopes for, what she wishes for.
That in mind, she'd love unicorns.
Real? Who cares. It's a magical horse. It's literally so up her alley.
I'm now thinking about how Tella told Dante if he dressed like a unicorn all the girls would want to pet him.
Tella tells Scarlett that and she'd hate unicorns for life or smth.
Kidding. She'd make Julian dress as one.
I've said too much.
Butterflies
Pretty. They're pretty. Sure, maybe that's all they've got. Everyone thinks butterflies are pretty.
If this was her favorite animal, Scarlett would dive deeper. It started off as "they're pretty" but turned into "they spend their whole lives waiting for the one adventure that will change them."
Scarlett coded? I do believe so.
She would probably have a secret butterfly garden and get sad when they die.
Butterfly funerals. Poor baby.
Dogs
I'm projecting bc I think Tella is more of a cat person. But hear me out.
They're loyal, energetic, man's best friend and whatnot. Scarlett would adore dogs. They're reliable and sweet.
She would be scared of them at first. There's no way she hasn't seen her fair share of guard dogs.
However, maybe one day she decides to be sweet to one. Why? Idk. That's a fic I'll never write.
And the dog is so sweet back. Bam, she's hooked.
She'd be the type to feed strays and take in rescues. Any pup that looks at her with those eyes is getting adopted immediately.
Songbirds
Especially after Finale.
She sees a songbird in a cage and it would remind her of the cage she wore on her head. Restricting. Claustrophobic. Trapping.
She'd free it immediately.
It's less that she adores them and more that she relates to them.
She doesn't let birds stay in cages in her palace. She hates the whole look of cages, but that's a separate problem.
I genuinely don't think I can top horses. Your hunch is so right.
Tella probably likes zebras or snakes. She gives snake phase energy. Julian appreciates birds for their artistry, but really likes fish. I feel it in my gut. And Dante likes wolves cause he's an alpha male.
Dropping more Scarlett questions in your ask box as requested (hopefully I am not overdoing it, I can stop if it’s too much….)
What do you think she would wear in “modern “ world? ( if you have specific aesthetic in mind)
-Obviously she would be fashionable there is no debate. I think she would dress very formally ( I have a vivid image of her wearing a red turtleneck and gold jewellery) but nothing to draw to much attention ( since she is all prim and proper), later I think she would experiment a bit more ( no demanding parent behind her back) I don’t know much about fashion though .
What do you think her favourite animal would be?
-I think she would like horses but that’s just a hunch
Also what do you think about Scarlett’s relationship with her mother?
-Granted we don’t know much about Paradise/Paloma she is just to quickly killed off. But resentment Scarlett feels in the beginning is completely understandable. Like she left her with a violent father and a little sister, kinda pushing Scarlett into a mother’s role. (I think a lot of her issues stem from the fact that she had to grow up so quickly). But I was glad she could at least have a talk with her in the end…
Oh my gosh. Overdoing it? Bro bsfr you could submit a hundred asks and it wouldn't even scratch the surface of "too much." Do you know how often I talk about her? This is so fun.
I've never thought about what kind of style she'd wear in modern times (mostly cause I myself don't really have a style so I don't think about it often), but lemme see:
Before you see, please forgive my lack of aesthetic knowledge.
What Would Scarlett Wear in Modern Times?
Light Academia
You are so right bro, she'd dress very very formally.
I think under the thumb of her father, this would be her main aesthetic. It gives dignified while also giving intelligent.
It also uses brighter colors, but still dull in a sense that she's holding back from a style she'd really enjoy.
She might stray back to this after she's able to explore more, mostly because it's a comfortable style for her. This is her casual.
Also, going back to the intelligent look, I feel like she'd want to dress smart. The last thing she'd want is people underestimating her. Or maybe I'm projecting idk.
Old Money
Okay hear me out
Under Marcello, she's light academia. With his new money thing and the fact that she doesn't come from a long line of whatever, she'd stick to that. Never be more than you are or whatever.
Under Gavriel? Old money.
All of a sudden her outfits are classic. They're less smart and more chic. It's a hint that she's worth more than anyone else, that she comes from a long line of somebodies. It gives the aura of wealth gained by illegitimate methods.
It's just like light academia, but richer. She doesn't particularly like it.
However, it's nice to be dressed nicely. There's something validating about going from a father that hardly spoke to her unless it was important to a father that showers her in expensive items.
Different style, same cage.
Cottagecore/Balletcore
Her first taste of legitimate freedom, she'd go here first.
Still modest, academia adjacent, but now she can add more colors! And accessories that don't look like they're from minimalist weekly!
I think she'd love softer colors and cute patterns. She'd like flowy skirts and breathable blouses. At first.
The thing is, it's not fully professional. It's nice from time to time, but she kinda does enjoy dressing in a business casual type way.
She loves the pastels, but she's almost drawn to the darker colors, the ones she wasn't allowed to wear.
She still dresses like this, but it's not her final form.
Dark Feminine
My only reason for this is that Scarlett would want to wear dark colors.
"Why would she do that?"
Idk man. Go with it.
She presents herself as one way, but maybe she wants to spice it up a bit. I say let her.
She might've been shocked at the way the magical dress shifted during Caraval but she never said she hated it.
In the end I do think she'd drift towards this, genuinely.
It's feminine, which is a style she obviously enjoys, and she's able to add her own flare, which she was never able to.
And also crimson is her color. Argue with the wall.
In the end, I think she'd wear whatever she'd like. She's got the freedom to do so now, so she'd go for it.
Tella dresses either y2k or skater idk she feels like a rebel fashionista to me. Julian is a fan of smart looking attire, but I think he'd drift to more edgy preppy looks? He'd want to match with Scarlett, obviously. And Dante dresses like a performative male.
I'm gonna split this into three parts btw, so it's easier for me to digest sigh. But I'm on it!
This is the year that the instrumentalists stand up for themselves and let the instruments lead. The rhythm section is there for a reason. The piano is. The lead guitar. All of it.
Why should we bow down to the will of the vocalists?
If you're in a band (like idk a worship team or smth) and you don't have the metronome (or haha a click and cues) up in your in-ears (yk the things that are for hearing everyone else and not just yourself excessively loud) you need to turn it up right now.
If you're stubborn (prideful) and don't do it (because you think yourself better than the instrumentalists) then I need you to pay attention to aforementioned instrumentalists (who have to have click and cues up in their ears and know what they're doing) so you don't get off time. Because you will.
When eurylochus said "but we'll die", he wasn't asking ody to spare the crew. He was looking for a shred of remorse, a tiny bit of guilt in his friend. He wanted to believe that Odysseus would think twice, although he knew in the end, ody would pick penelope, he wanted to know that even a tiny bit, Odysseus cared about his crew. Not that he would spare them, that he would care. He got no such answer
When eury killed the cow, he wasn't hungry, he had given up hope. He wanted to die
Every character in this musical is FLAWED (besides Hermes) eurylochus is no different
So can we stop treating him like the worst thing ever?
I forgot how much Aaron Burr means to me. Like, legitimately. All that time waiting, all that time trying to live up to the expectations that everyone placed on him. His legacy was already decided for him, he had to live up to it. He didn't get to craft his own legacy. He didn't get to write his story. Instead, he had to watch as someone who shouldn't even be able to climb his way to the top. It was amazing to watch, but painful. Because he can't do what Hamilton does.
Shooting Hamilton, that duel, was all his. No people pleasing, no "talk less, smile more," no putting on a persona to avoid the hatred of the people. It was his choice. He defied his legacy, but at what cost?
First all your headcanons on music Scarlett would listen to are on point. ( again I really enjoyed reading it also Legend listening to male manipulator music made me cackle).
But that pissed off playlist reminded me how much I wanted Scarlett to snap at the end of first book. Like everyone lied to her and she watched her sister die and then all were like chill it was just a game hehe. Like she deserved to have her fallout or at least her hurt should be taken more seriously ( I think the books just glaze over it-that’s why I think your headcanon of her not liking heights is neat since it acknowledges her trauma).
Also Scarlett wanted her entire life to go to Caraval and to see her childhood dream turned to nightmare is so sad like she suffered enough…
I just wanted to get it out because it bugged me so much when I read the book.
For some positivity I loved that she got to wear a magical dress ( for almost three books) and I hope you have a nice day❣️
You're so right. A lot of my headcanons come from the idea that Scarlett's trauma is highly looked over. Like, why are we not acknowledging how much she was lied to especially? And people just kept lying to her. She definitely deserved a crashout, especially at the end of the first book. Childhood dream turned nightmare? Ugh, I wish she followed through on her threat to kill someone. She deserves it😔😔
It bugs me too broski. But yes, the magical dress (and by proxy magical gloves) was a huge boost. She's magical bros. I hope you have a nice day as well!!
