The title of this episode was Angels and Demons; this title was chosen with the intention of drawing the parallels between Valtor and Avalon. Avalon represents the angel, and Valtor, the demon. I didn't want to move on without having this moment of reflection for Valtor, because while this story is indeed enemies-to-lovers, I don't want it to be the toxic kind. I can enjoy those stories as well, but for ETI, that's just not the path I want to take.
This episode marks a change in Valtor's feelings about Bloom; he's slowly starting to realize he can't live without her and that his obsession with her might be more than hatred.
To me it was always very important that Valtor owned his mistakes and reflected on the things he did wrong. Which is why telling Bloom's story was so important for this relationship to develop beyond just lust and want. Now Valtor can see the similarities between him and another evil in Bloom's past, and he realizes that he doesn't want to be that. While he isn't suddenly Jesus himself, he is reflecting on the things he did and was planning on doing to Bloom specifically. He doesn't regret his quest for power or his manipulation of planets and kings and queens, but he does regret what he did to Bloom. He realizes that he doesn't want this fairy to leave his life; he wants her to be in it in whatever way possible. But for that to happen, he still has a lot of work to do. 🙈
Bloom doesn't hate him anymore, and hasn't for a while, but will she set aside her own loyalties for him? Right now, it's nothing serious; one kiss doesn't change much after all. No emotions need to be involved...right? But what happens when she begins to realize she also doesn't want a life without him in it? For Bloom there will be a lot of challenges awaiting her in the future. Will she take his mark? And if she does, what will that mean for their relationship?
I did want to make this episode a bit lighter after everything that happened in Episode 1. 🙈 While I couldn't ignore the conversation, I did want to move past it. I didn't want to end another episode on a heavy note. So, I tried my best to smoothly transition into some light-hearted banter between Bloom and Valtor. I just love these moments that show that they may be on friendly terms, but at their core they're still at each other's throats even if it's in a less literal sense 😆 Them bickering always gives me life!!