I really really loved Helene's speech to the Empire at the end of the book, the one in which she gets made Empress and I just realized why. You guys remember Blackcliff? Helene used to see thousands of Scholar slaves walking around Blackcliff, beaten, raped, abused, and not only didn't do anything about it, but also never felt anything wrong about it other than a slight discomfort. This is the person who hadn't understood Elias' decision to run away from the Empire, because where her best friend had seen injustice in the shackles around Laia's wrists, she'd just seen righteousness. She had been blinded to her people's crimes by her love for them and that veil got ripped away from her eyes in the last book. While I truly regret that she came to the knowledge through so much suffering, she finally realized that the Scholars are her people too, that they live in the Empire too, that they have a right to live on this land without being forced into servitude, and I'm so, so glad about it. Helene Aquilla went from a person who protested at Livia setting the Scholars free to a person who refused to rule an Empire with Scholars as slaves at the cost of her own nephew's safety (because you cannot honestly believe most of the Illustrian Paters were happy with her decision), and like, if that isn't phenomenal character development, I don't know what is

Unpopular Opinion

I don’t mind Helvitas’s ending in A Sky Beyond The Storm. Their relationship always made me uncomfortable considering the first time they meet is him beating her for five days and beating her so bad her father was horrified upon seeing her. It wasn’t a light beating either and her family ended up having to nurse her back to health afterwards.

Helene was even so traumatized by it that when Avitas so much as moved his hands she would flinch. Then as time progresses he never brings it up again. Never apologizes. Never sits down and talks about it with her. Granted that still wouldn’t magically make everything okay. I’d still find it very problematic but at the very least it still should’ve been acknowledged. That’s not to say he’s a bad guy. As all masks had to do horrific things in their life. So I don’t think Avitas is evil or anything like that. I actually think as a friend he’s fantastic. I do not hate him. He’s done many good things and has been there through some of the roughest times to help out and battle through. He clearly is kind and does believe in the cause he’s helping.  It’s just this concept of their relationship is not okay to me. As well as the fact that the reason she caught his eye in the first place was because he realized that she was close to his brother so that peaked his intrigue. They just started off on the worst foot that I can’t look past it. It feels wrong to romanticize a relationship that had started with trauma and assault and try to pass it off as okay cause he ends up deciding to team up with her and be nice to her afterwards.

Its very triggering actually.

It’s just a very sensitive topic for me.

He crossed a line when he brutally tortured her and that’s something he can’t undo. The damage has been done and it took a huge toll on Helene afterwards. Both physically and mentally. It also doesn’t feel right to me that instead of talking about it together Helene just justifies the situation for him to herself so she can accept him as an ally. No matter how nice he was to her afterwards it doesn’t erase or lessen the grief he put her and even her family through. She wasn’t able to feel trusting or comfortable around him for months and not in an enemies to lovers sort of way but because she genuinely felt threatened and would remember the interrogation torture whenever she saw him.  I’m not saying this means his character is completely ruined and no one should ever like him. I still like him enough. Just not as a love interest. Avitas by himself? Perfectly fine. But pairing him up with the girl he tortured, traumatized, and whose mere presence had her on edge and would make her shudder and recoil whenever he was near, not so much.

Laia of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES 

I made new socials @ foxfloros twitter & insta

I want to tattoo this on my forehead. She looks like a goddess!  THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL! MY GODDD! This does her so much justice - I might cry!

 Please draw Elias and Laia together one day 🥺🥺🙏🏼 ♥️

Who are you? Perfect Blue (1997) dir. Satoshi Kon

Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー), 1997 dir. Satoshi Kon

Nobody cares for you anymore.

Perfect Blue (1997) dir. Satoshi Kon

some perfect blue posters I think are really pretty

Perfect Blue (1997) dir. Satoshi Kon

tsukasa mizugaki x isla, plastic memories

💖No One Can Hurt You Now💖

『 Happy New Year ❤ 』

★ つえづ | 15話 ☆ ⊳ darling in the franxx ✔ republished w/permission

“They’re imperfect, incomplete creatures. But for some reason, their way of life, struck me as profoundly beautiful. It was beautiful, I f e l t.”

★ 【とま】 ダリフラまとめ４ ☆ ⊳ 002 (darling in the franxx) ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me on twitter

DARLING in the FRANXX