So we know the magic in Prythian ties the land, Courts, and the High Lords and can be vaguely sentient (as with the Cauldron).
It's unclear how it chooses the High Lords but the magic seems to be deliberate and adheres faithfully to whoever it chooses. Even Amarantha couldn't fully access it despite all that she did - she could only prevent the Lords from using it against her.
So imagine if this was explored.
E.g: The time when Feyre and the IC stole the Book of Breathings from the Summer Court as guests - literally committing a crime worthy of a magical death sentence. This then left the Summer Court open to Hybern's invasion, further enabled by what Feyre did in the Spring Court.
This didn't just harm the High Lords. It harmed the Courts in a major way. The very land and the people living in there were devastated by it. And it must have caused mass turmoil that even the magic sensed.
So imagine because of this intricate connection to the land, the people and the High Lords - it caused Feyre's bond to the Spring and Summer magic to become hard to control or even the magic rejecting her.
The kernels of magic are technically still the High Lords'. They're not Feyre's magic but were gifted like handing her a scale off their essence. And it would make sense if the magic reacted to the state of the High Lords (and deeper the courts themselves) if they experienced deep, visceral emotions & damage thanks to Feyre.
Magic being fickle about who wields it would sort of suit the capriciousness of Faeries.
It would also require Feyre to use her wits and sense to navigate situations instead of resorting to the Feysand tactics of Lie, Steal and Justify.
It would give actual consequences and gravity to her actions, and add depth to why her being a Made Fae is a big deal. She is now attached via these kernels of magic to the land in a way that she can't run from. Just as High Lords (even those reluctant like Tamlin are).
Just the plot potential and character development. And the internal conflict over actions that we never got.
But the day it suddenly occurs to Roy just how fun it would have been to play football with Jaime, if Jamie hadn’t been such a colossal prick back when they were on the team together? Like, of course he’s always known that Jamie was great and all, but the whole ‘makes me want to puke’ thing really obscured the fact that it could have been brilliant.
But it wasn’t, and then Jamie was gone and Roy retired and then Jamie was back and Roy returned as a coach and he never thought too much about what could have been, until one day when he sees Jamie and Richard or whoever pull some truly spectacular, nigh on telepathic shit on the pitch and he’s suddenly stunned by the realization that I fucking missed out on that.
It pisses him off a bit (as most things are wont to do), so he confronts Jamie about it, like, “Why the fuck did you have to be such a prick, we could have been fucking fantastic together?”
Jamie makes a face, because hello, random and uncalled for? “Um, why did you have to be such a nasty old bastard, mate? It takes two to tangle, like.” And before Roy has time to tell him that it’s tango, you dolt, Jamie adds, “Besides, doesn’t matter how nice I’d been about it, you’d still have been proper bitter about me being better than you.”
And that’s… a little bit true, maybe, because Roy did fucking love being the best on any team he ever was one, and he was fucking bitter about slowing down and growing old. But even so…
“Would have been fucking worth it,” Roy decides.
Jamie nods, slightly subdued, perhaps. It would have been. And it’s a sorrow, the fact that they wasted that opportunity on hating each others’ guts – but isn’t it a wonder, too, that they found their way past all that?
“We’re pretty fucking fantastic together now, Coach,” Jamie says, gently bumping his shoulder against Roy’s.
Thinking about the Blackthorn Siblings as one does
No but really
Just thinking about the Blackthorn sisters and how Helen is to Dru as Julian is to Tavvy.
Let me explain:
1) Same age difference (about 10 yrs between Julian+Tavvy, about 10 yrs between Helen+Dru)
2) Tavvy is Julian’s baby, just like I think Dru was Helens’. We know Helen was parentified at a young age as well. Dru was the baby of the family for almost 6 yrs till Tavvy was born. Of course for a while Eleanor was still alive, but being the oldest Helen still would’ve stepped up especially as Eleanor was getting sicker in the years before Tavvy was born and she died. (Although now that I’m thinking about it Mama Blackthorn couldn’t have been that sick if she was still able to have a full pregnancy with Tavvy right (?!)) (And who knows what Andrew was doing but not being a super present father and running the institute ig— tho his teen son was able to do both smh)
3) but anyways yes Helen and Dru. Helen was Dru’s go to for stories and comfort when she was little. Oftentimes little Dru wouldn’t be able to keep up when the twins + Jules+Emma went exploring, but she would stay back with Helen.
4) in addition Julian and Helen are both the main (or one of the main for helen’s case) parents in Tavvy + Dru’s lives during the same time in both their lives. Dru and Tavvy were both about 2-7/8 and Helen and Julian were both 12-17/18.
5) Which is what makes Helen’s exile and return and Dru’s reaction to it (though understandable) more tragic. Bc Dru was Helen’s baby, and at one point Helen was Dru’s main person. But now Helen is back, and while being Dru’s older sister/parent was such a big part of Helen’s identity for so long and she remembers it well, Dru’s memories of Helen are now more distant childhood memories :((
This parallels Julian + Tavvy’s relationship a bit as well (though they are not as extreme bc ofc Julian will check in often and come back to stay in LA a lot) but Julian will no longer be Tavvy’s main parent. And in time although being Tavvy’s parent was such a big part of Julian’s identity it will be more distant childhood memories for tavvy :((
6) the parallels!! Like how Dru is said to be the one who looks most like their mother but Dru barely knew her while Helen was the closest to their mom. (We learn most that we do about Eleanor from Helen’s pov) So Helen (+Emma) are the closest to maternal figures that Dru has ever gotten.
Similarly Julian is always compared to looking like Andrew, and he had to kill his own father (most of what we learn about Andrew as a parent is from Julian). But Tavvy doesn’t remember Andrew, and Julian is the best father figure he could have.
7. Finally, the way Julian + Helen switch off in their little siblings lives. Helen was one of Dru’s main parents till she was about 7/8, then Helen is exiled and Julian is Dru’s main parent from 8-13 (close to when Dru is ready to go to the academy). Where as Tavvy is the exact opposite since Julian was his main parent till he was about 7/8 and then Helen is taking over as Tavvy’s main parent from when Tavvy is 8 till presumably when he follows in Dru’s footsteps and goes to the Academy (15ish—till he’s sent back to LA bc of the pandemic lmao)
So Dru + Tavvy had the same parents just 6 yrs apart
The Blackthorn siblings as divided by who their parents were:
Helen + Mark: Eleanor + Andrew (+nerissa when they were babies but don’t rly remember)
Julian: 10 yrs Eleanor + Andrew, 2 yrs Helen + Mark + then himself :(
Headcanon "deleted scene" from the Bad Batch finale because this is how I'm coping... Not my best writing but I'm still trying to get back into my best headspace so this is what I've got at the moment
Hunter: "Now we get to choose who we want to be."
Omega: "Like what?"
Hunter: "Whatever we want, kid. Whatever we want."
Omega [now leaning on Hunter's shoulder]: "I wish... I wish Tech could be here with us too."
Wrecker [glancing back at Omega as he tears up]: "Me too."
Hunter [with a small sigh]: "We all do."
Crosshair looks down, saying nothing - but if they could have seen his eyes, the regret would have said it all for him.
Omega [voice full of tears but still strong]: "But... it's like you said before, Hunter: Tech sacrificed himself, he gave us a chance, and we didn't waste it. And... he's happy for us. He knows we're all safe, and he's happy for us."
Hunter [hugging Omega]: "You've got that right."
Wrecker pats Batcher as the tears slide down his cheeks, but Omega's statement has brought a small smile to his face. Crosshair doesn't look up for a long time; Hunter notices, but knows it's not the right time to say anything - Crosshair will decide what he needs to do on his own.
Later, Crosshair goes to the archium. He can't cry - the aching emptiness is still far too deep for tears - and he momentarily thinks that facing Tantiss again was easier than this.
But Omega's words have finally started breaking down the near-impenetrable wall of guilt and regret.
Tech had given him a chance.
He will never, ever waste it.
He will not only stay with what remains of his family, but he will find a new purpose.
He reaches out to touch Tech's goggles - really acknowledging them and what they represent for the first time - and even though he finds he can't even speak, his mind and heart are full of just one feeling: "Thank you."
One of the more heartbreaking episodes of this show was released on April 28, 2019: "This is Not A Drill", featuring Drill Man (...and his absolutely abysmal excuse for a father). To commemorate it, I drew him over the weekend (and touched up the shading today). As always, the poor guy is not having a good time.