#so right

[wendyfooterf]

Shout out to this diva

[artisanscribbles]

Valec and Bree

Something I really like in the Legenborn Cycle is how Valec is subtlety positioned as the Merlin to Bree's Arthur.

Tracey is never explicit about it, but there's a kind of shift that happens with Bree when she meets Valec.

Bree is extremely reticent to having a Kingsmage (as the Order sees it). As much as she likes and trusts Sel, She's not comfortable with him taking that role with her otherwise she wouldn't push back at him as much as she does. And, frankly, while Sel is a damn good protector he has a lot of trouble letting Bree grow in Bloodmarked which is the source of many of their fights. He doesn't want to let her make mistakes like she has to. And he's not wrong! Bree's mistakes have big consequences attached to them! She's in an unbelievable amount of danger! And Sel wants to keep her safe from it, because he loves her, because that's how and what he's been trained to do and because I think he feels he's failed so badly with Nick and he's trying to keep the one thing he knows how to do together while his whole world is falling apart.

And as much as Bree doesn't want a Kingsmage, she's perfectly happy to let Sel keeps the title because she recognizes that it's a fundamental pillar of his identity, and she's not willing to let the Order take it from him.

But Bree puts up quite a few boundaries with Sel and draws lines on his behaviour that keep putting them at odds, because Sel needs desperately to hold to his training and Bree rightly refuses to let him treat her like he was treating Nick In Legendborn. She refuses to let him put her in a cage in the name of safety because it isn't right and it doesn't work! Their conflict is really interesting because at its core both parties are right. Bree needs to be careful and listen sometimes to stay safe. But Sel can't keep her from doing what she needs to do because it makes him feel more secure.

Similarly, Bree doesn't want Lark either for different, understandable reasons. He's being forced on her, she doesn't know him, doesn't trust him, doesn't trust the Order and isn't willing to bind her life to someone just on a whim. She isn't willing to make that deal. If it wasn't Lark, she'd reject any other contender for the same reason. She won't be pressured into this because "it's always been done that way." She's seen too much of Nick and Sel's relationship to know how toxic this can turn.

(side note: I love Lark as a character, but by the funeral I knew they were never going to click the way Bree needs to for this bonding to work)

But Valec! Bree and Valec click immediately! Even with the general shadiness he's introduced with Bree and Valec are immediately on the same page. Even with the whole mess at the bar, Valec doesn't take much persuading to help her. And he does help! He forces Sel to confront his own insecurities, he helps Bree understand what magic she inherits, hell he even reveals the great secret of her Line. And then he tries to help hide her away from her enemies. Even in Oathbound hes down to help and even he gets angry, it doesn't have the acidity Sel does. He's mad and worried, because he understands exactly the degree of problem she's gotten into. He swings being a uncle, older cousin and mentor, like the guide Bree really needs.

And this is so interesting to me because it's so much like the classical Merlin the older Arthurian romances, and from some of the older modern works like The Sword in the Stone, or the Mists of Avalon. Merlin as a mentor to a young King, helping him to figure out how to rule, hiding him to keep him safe, acting as a counsellor when he asks for advice etc.

And just get that vibe from Valec and Bree whenever they have a scene together. By the end of Oathbound their relationship is a very warm one that feels in some ways healthier than all of Bree's other new relationships to date (IE we don't count Alice or her Dad).

Like I said, it's subtle, but it's very heartening to see

[fairydrowning]

– Mary Oliver

[TEXT ID: "A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty of this world and the responsibilities of your life." END ID]

[thesamoanqueen]

[dilfgp]

Daniel serving gym cunt mid-race everyone say thank you for reminding us that cunt exists amidst a largely cunt-less grid 🙏🙏🙏 - 🧚🏻

As it turns out cunt belongs exclusively to drivers of the number 3 car.

[domistique]

Yeah and quite frankly there is a lot of Carlos fans bashing people for shipping/liking Charlos (because according to them it’s disrespectful to Carlos) 💀 Don’t get me wrong there is also some Charles fans who hate Charlos too but at least they don’t spend their entire time criticising people that ship them (at least at lot less to what I’ve seen compared to some Carlos fans, especially here on tumblr)

[rvspecter]

@flowercrowngods