Ulf turning double turncloak so both sides die for no reason. Ormunds plans are fruitless and his death is shameful and in vain. The children soldiers crying and panicking and being burned alive. Hugh realizing his dragon and newfound power are meaningless only after cradling the body of his dead wife. Even Daemon looking around feeling guilty for all the grief he’s caused. Gwayne desperately trying to keep Daeron safe at the cost of everything else. And of course the shot panning out of the city where we see the destruction, and in the bottom right there’s a soldier sitting by the bodies of his dead comrades, hyperventilating and rubbing his leg trying to ground himself to no avail. The themes of feastdance have providence over HOTD
Torture by waterboarding aside Helaena calling Rhaenyra ugly and Rhaenyra retaliating by having her friends hold her down and pour soup on her is the first time they’ve ever acted like sisters
"it's ok to show (x) in fiction as long as the bad guy gets punished!" the bad guy doesn't have to get punished. in fact the bad guy can win altogether. the bad guy can entirely get away with it. hope this helps
and this part might make some people's head explode but: characters can be written to forgive things you personally wouldn't ever forgive. not everything is written as what you'd perceive to be the right choice. not everything is a self-insert & protagonists don't have to be relatable.
So, uh, I know a lot of people like toxic Lancelot. I asked a few of my friends about it, and they said they think it's toxic too. And that's totally fine, I understand why people think it's toxic(and like it because of its toxicity), I also thought that it had that "toxic potential" when I first started watching Voltron and discovered the existence of Lancelot, but I just get so excited when I like a pairing that I almost constantly use it as a personal anti-depressant like: "Oh, sad? Just imagine these two kissing each other's faces until they pass out", no matter how toxic it might seem, turning it into something mushy, gushy, fluffy and tender with nothing toxic left. So, I hope I won't disappoint you with these headcanons, and they won't be seen as something cringy...😭
⚠️Warnings: (possibly) cringe/absurd/ooc content
[These are kind of my very long headcanons(or just a big headcanon) of the Lancelot dynamic and the stages/phases of their relationship(that I will use to write more headcanons lalter(maybe)).]
{The beginning of their relationship is, well, definitely a long journey of deconstructing the "idealized self" to embrace the "authentic self", which they both struggle to accept. Their relationship functions like a double mirror, where each of them initially sees in the other precisely what they lack before finding in the other the ability to embrace their own imperfections, uncovering a deep, symbiotic healing process.}
●☆The first Dynamic/Phase/Stage(whatever you wanna call it): "Projected Rivalry and The Illusion of Perfection"☆●
○At first, their relationship is defined by projection. For Lance, Lotor is everything he aspires to be: handsome, balanced, well-liked, Allura-liked too, high-status, and effortlessly(which is very important) charismatic, the list is too long, he is apparently PERFECT. Lance's early perception is clouded by his unrequited longing for Allura, he sees Lotor not as a person, but as a rival, competing for the "girl of his dreams". His inner monologue is a relentless critique, a desperate attempt to find a flaw in Lotor's composure in order to pacify his own insecurities and ego, because it's psychologically easier to hate than to admit you fear the person(or the alien in Lance's case) in order to affirm your own worth. In short, Lance, bound by his unrequited love for Allura, views Lotor through the lens(get it, get it? Okay, sorry)of defensive/competitive jealousy. He sees in Lotor a mirror of his insecurities, (which he believes, Lotor lacks, unlike Lance himself, you know that "I'm just a boy from Cuba" scene? Yeah... not surprising Lance has his own tag for (L)angst), where everything Lotor has, Lance does not(but desperately wants to have), he sees a guy possessing some things that Lance wants to find in himself, but fails. Lance responds to Lotor's calculating charm with prickly skepticism, mistaking Lotor's charisma for simple manipulation(well, okay, maybe he was a bit right about him) that Lance himselt doesn't fall for. Things get even worse for Lance, as he's convinced Allura loves Lotor as much as Lotor loves her, especially given how good they look together, how well they get along, even without Lotor constantly having to flirt with her, unlike Lance. This is why Lance's criticism becomes a shield against his own fears, only this shield qulckly becomes a sword directed at Lance instead, forcing Lance to compare himself to Lotor, leading him to unconsciously criticize himself and compliment Lotor, even if only in his own mind. Lance struggles with his own identity and his place among the paladins, just as he did when he was still at the Galaxy Garrison. That's why he also perceives Lotor's calmness as a personal insult. Meanwhile, Lotor views Lance through a prism of fascination mingled with condescension. For Lotor, who's spent his entire life navigating the complex Galran politics and living in his father's shadow, Lance's sincerity feels alien (yeah, there we go again). He sees Lance as a chaotic variable, unpredictable, raw, blunt, intriguing, yet possessed of a wild spirit that Lotor had to suppress to survive. (I don't know what it is about the "one sided rivalry/one sided love" trope(wait, does it even have a name???), but I LOVE this dynamic, and I love that they both admire each other, even if very differently.)
●☆The second Dynamic/Phase/Stage(whatever you wanna call it): "Breaking the Illusion"☆●
○However, the shift begins when the veil of "rivalry/secret longing" cracks or tears apart, revealing a shared despair. As they remove their masks, the tension shifts to empathy. They discover a striking symmetry: both live in the long, suffocating shadow of those seemingly above them: one a paladin burdened by duty, the other a prince haunted by the legacy of his father's conquests,( a villain as well). Their notions of "perfection" and "flawlessness" begin to crumble. That's their transition from "idea" to "person"(this also happens when Lance's cynicism falters). The realization that Lotor is not a monolith of perfection, but a man bearing the crushing weight of a legacy, shatters Lance's protective walls. Stopping looking for cracks in Lotor's armor, Lance begins to see the man behind it. Instead of weaknesses that he was struggling to find earlier, now Lance discovers complexity. He begins to understand that Lotor's charisma(take a shot everytime I say "charisma" and "mirror") is not a mask of perfection, but a self-protection mechanism. By stopping to look for reasons to dislik him, Lance can't help but understand him. There comes a moment of quiet realization when Lance stops comparing himself to Lotor and begins to observe him, noticing the loneliness in the prince's eyes and the weight of the crown he bears. This awareness is mutual, the vulnerability is terrifying, while Lance now cannot see Lotor's flaws anymore(and doesn't need to) and accepts his admiration, Lotor also finds himself captivated by Lance's raw, primal humanity, but on a different level(since he already felt something towards Lance from the very beginning). Lotor, who has always viewed others as tools or obstacles, begins to see in Lance something unique and perfect in the sense his ability to be himself despite his insecurities. For Lotor, Lance's imperfections are not seen as bad in any sense. These are the traits of a vibrant soul, he is captivated by Lance, while Lance remains unaware of the prince's feelings. It may sound corny(the whole thing is), but Lance makes Lotor feel alive, the gray emptiness and hollowness of the world become much more bearable when Lance is simply standing next to Lotor or talking to him. Interesting how Lance makes Lotor feel things the prince never knew he could, without Lance even trying.
●☆The third Dynamic/Phase/Stage(whatever you wanna call it): "Shared Emptiness and the Discovery of Self-Worth"☆●
○The starting foundation of their future romantic relationship (that is not there yet, but just wait) is a shared psychological trauma, the struggle for inner acceptance and love. Both of them have lived lives dictated by external expectations. Lance often felt like he had to act a certain way to be the "hero", if given the chance, the "flirt" to show his charm, or the "funny one", hiding a deep-seated fear that he wasn't truly good enough behind false confidence, also related to his role as a paladin in their team/possibly friend group, too. Lotor, on the other hand, lived entirely in Zarkon's shadow, also experiencing certain feelings and the need to prove his worth, defining his existence by his origins(being half Galra, half Altean) and ability to control his own destiny. Both suffer from a lack of self-esteem, both seek a home that isn't a place, but a feeling of being seen(didn't mean to rhyme, but oh well). A mutual transition occurs from one-sided rivalry/infatuation to the spiritual depth of mutual recognition.
●☆The fourth Dynamic/Phase/Stage(whatever you wanna call it): "Healthy Synthesis (final dynamic/phase/stage(whatever you wanna call it))"☆●
○I like to think that their evolution would result in a stable, healthy, and deeply affectionate relationship. Unlike the tension-ridden early days, their final dynamic/phase/stage(whatever you wan- okay, I'll stop) is characterized by emotional security. The road to that is paved through an understanding of their mutual fragility, but their love becomes a refuge where self-esteem ceases to be a battle and becomes something natural. The tension softens, turning into a quiet warmth. They stop needing to prove themselves to the universe and begin simply seeing each other, no longer defining themselves by their usefulness or origins. It's going to be a slow calibration of two souls, finding stability in the wreckage of their destinies. In their relationship, romance is expressed through small, intimate gestures: a gentle touch on the shoulder from Lance when Lotor hesitates, or Lotor using his charm to boost Lance's confidence when the blue paladin is feeling down. They become each other's safe haven. At the core of their romance is a shared lack of self-worth (as I've said before a million times, if I'm not mistaken, but I just really wanted to repeat it again, they both just need to be loved), as both guys have spen their entire lives believing that love can only be earned. It's a partnership born from seeing each other's "imperfect" sides and deciding that that's enough, where Lotor's complexity meets Lance's emotional depth, and for each of them, vulnerability in its various forms is no longer a weakness. By finding love for each other, they ultimately gain the ability to love themselves and be loved unconditionally in return, realizing that they don't need to be perfect to be worthy of devotion, affection, attention, recognition, and so on without! a price.
(I know it's just plain plain PLAIN water, but at least I made it sweet, or at the very least I hope so)
☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Let me know if you want me to do a part 2(at that point, probably proper headcanons, unlike this) <:3
sketch req from @seihdacalling: Lotor in a swimsuit. Now, he seems like a wetsuit kind of guy, which is basically what he already wears, SO I went the headcanon route to make it more interesting. In my AUs, coldblooded galra commonly swim in the nude, so swimwear is very decorative for them. It is usually sheer and/or revealing in order to show off scale patterns :)
I'm gonna think about this scene for the rest of my life alicent's eyes going from otto to rhaenyra and being met with the most charged complex look in human history ouch ouch ouch
germansingergirl
stormborns
yousharknotpass
theartofmadeline
origamiaround
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
titsay
