#i'm percolating

Mmm, I don't know if Rio's necessarily totally tethered to Detroit? Rio's separation from Marcus while he was recovering with Turner in 3.01 and Rhea's subsequent conversation with Beth established that he's occasionally been absent from Marcus' life, so it's feasible that Rio could commute between Nevada and Detroit if push came to shove. After all, it's only a four hour flight, and Rio could split his weeks too, or leave work in other people's hands like he does with Canada.

That said, I totally agree with you about the show exploring how deep Rio's feelings run for Beth this season, while I think also balancing that with the fact that he still puts business first. In that sense, I can't really see him following her to Nevada either, at least not while she's married and while he's still tied up with Nick's protections in Detroit.

There's a lot of similarities between these pieces of media. They both have unreliable narrators, the inevitability of fate... bird people... a hero that's not what they seem... and of course, princes and princesses. I am pretty sleep-deprived but I wanted to write this down before I forgot it!

Princess Tutu was transformed from a duck into a human girl (Ahiru/Duck) that turns into a magical girl, all to be the one who restores Mytho's heart, just like the Long Quiet was created by the Narrator to destroy the Princess. The end for both of these that the narrators want is destruction. Drosselmeyer wants Tutu to be destroyed for the tragedy and drama it creates, the Narrator to (supposedly) save the world.

Princess Tutu gives Mytho pieces of his heart, just like the Long Quiet gives the Shifting Mound different hearts. With these they become whole, though the process is not without pain. For Mytho it's the shards of his heart themselves, and for the Princess it is the creation.

In Princess Tutu the characters are in a town that doesn't exist in the real world but characters (such as the traveling show) can come from outside it. In Slay the Princess they are isolated from the world and it is just the Long Quiet and the Shifting Mound. In both we are told there is a "real world" filled with people out there but the characters within these stories can't interact outside of their bubbles.

Tutu does things without violence- everything she does is through the medium of dance. However in Slay the Princess it begins with a pristine blade. even if you choose to not take it, it will still be there. Death is inherent to your dance.

Princess Tutu is set up as a tragic love story, but by the end it's unclear she DOES have romantic feelings for Mytho. She is told that is the case, and that her confession will destroy her. She cares for him and they have a deep bond- she literally gave him back his emotions. She was told she must love him, and that her entire being revolves around him. However, her bond with Fakir is just as strong, and Drosselmeyer hates that. Slay the Princess, on the other hand, is a game with horror elements but it's also a love story. You are the only two souls in the world, destined to kill and free and kill and save in a cycle. You are told by the Narrator that your only choice is to destroy, but you have other options in the end. The Narrator wants to manipulate the Long Quiet into NOT loving her, the opposite of what Drosselmeyer wants for Duck.

Also, both narrators are echoes. Drosselmeyer is a ghost, kept going by the fact that he wants the story to end on HIS terms. The narrator in Slay the Princess is connected to you, only there to make you slay the Princess, and create the world the way it "should" be.

“May those who accept their fate be granted Happiness, may those who defy their fate be granted Glory.” I'll definitely have more to say about this line specifically when I'm running on more than 4 hours of sleep but it feels thematic to both. Edel says this to Duck, trying to let her know she has options, but warning her there will be consequences.