#and kind of in the opposite vein of 'for a hot minute there thr 2023 didn't have *any* male protagonists'

[ct-hardcase]

we were kind of talking about this on twitter but god it really does get to you how few women bell prominently has in his life, and the few that are are just...discarded by the narrative

#I love bell zettifar he's either my favorite or second favorite in thr #(may have been superseded by keeve but they pretty much tie) #a mutual pointed out that Indeera becomes his Master for a year and he pretty much has no thoughts about her after #and I get his distance during because losing Loden (especially this far into them being Master and Padawan—Bell was effectively ready #to become a Knight when he lost Loden) deeply impacted and seeing loden die more so #but after? idk feels weird #and kind of in the opposite vein of 'for a hot minute there thr 2023 didn't have *any* male protagonists' #bell (though indeera and pell are *there*) mostly has significant male figures in his life #which isn't entirely the worst thing? #but even thr 2023 which I mentioned #just added like four men to the cast #and I like them btw! nothing against those guys #but if they can be added to the thr 2023 cast would it kill the writers to give bell a female friend or mentor #again. reading EoD rn and Pell is there but she's not really filling that 'close-knit' niche yk? #He might befriend Vernestra soon but it feels a bit too little/too late for me #sw negativity