OverviewIn order to drive Van away from Zoltan, Red and his friends aim to appease Ljubo and Lavender. Rit is the one who volunteers to negotiate with Lavender. The method she utilizes is… love stories?!Our Take In the aftermath of Van’s defeat by Ruti, Red and the group embark on a mission to gather intel that could aid them in confronting the new Hero’s Party, alongside Cardinal Ljubo and Lavender. Their approach involves negotiating separately with each faction while ensuring mutual support among themselves. Through this process, they uncover insights into Van’s upbringing and personality, highlighting stark differences between him and Ruti, particularly his lack of connection with others and his disregard for the well-being of those around him. Consequently, they opt to keep Ruti indoors to avoid provoking Van, whose mere presence could trigger him.With assistance from Esta, Red and the gang set out to scout Van’s Crew, leading to encounters with Lavender, who initially seems receptive to Ritt’s overtures due to their shared loyalty to their respective leaders. However, it becomes evident that Lavender’s devotion to Van is one-sided and deeply entrenched, posing a challenge in their interactions. Meanwhile, their strategy with the Cardinal hinges on appealing to his better nature, eventually leading to a revealing twist. But the real question is, does Van want to be helped?Overall, a decent episode where it for once attempts to make the villains sympathetic and slightly likable at least. While the Cardinal was easy to please in terms of how they persuaded him into hearing what they have to say, I can’t say the same for the Fairy Lavender who has some twisted secrets of her own and has yet to realize that her obsession with Van isn’t really love. Love is also about growth and encouraging your partner to be the best versions of themselves. And the fact that Lavender doesn’t want Van to grow as an individual outside of his current (and twisted) way of thinking says a lot about her character. Hopefully with the next episode things can ease up as long a Van doesn’t see Ruti…