#Anti TO Klaus

[hurricanejane]

Klaus could've gotten sober in a skirt, STEVE.

[sublimeinal-messages]

I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but you’re not a bad person for seeking happiness after the abuse you suffered, and your life has value just by existing. Full stop. No negotiation. You do not need to atone for the ‘crime’ of being born

[laurrelise]

rip to all the people who discovered tua because of season 4 and only heard how terrible it was and never watched the first three amazing, wonderful, well-written seasons because they knew the finale would be a letdown

[queenbonniebennett]

✨STUNNING✨

[thewalrusespublicist]

Hello! Love your blog and your takes, objective and sane and well researched chefs kiss! I had a blast scrolling through it like it was my feed yesterday lol can you elaborate on klaus and Paul if possible? People mostly talk about them like it’s already understood but I don’t understand 😭 I’m kinda lost on their (all of them, including stu) dynamic during the hamburg years specifically when it comes to Paul

Aww thank you anon! Tbh I was starting to feel a bit down about my blog and what I was putting out ( the eternal crisis on how to give full answers and opinions without being stupid, boring and annoying lol). So I really, really needed this. :)

Oh Paul vs/and the Exsis, it's quite a long one so buckle up.

Disclaimer: all of the people involved are essentially art kids/young adults who are famously the most exhausting people on the planet. Do not blame them for being dramatic, it's their natural state of being.

If we want to go into Paul and Klaus, we have to kind of start with the John, Paul and Stu. Now these three are a mess that's too big to go into here (though I have THOUGHTS about how Stu is utilised in the Beatles narrative that I'm more than happy to share if asked lmaooo). But in short(ish):

John and Paul had had an intense year and a bit of closeness. Then John meets Stu at art college.

John and Stu become c l o s e for many reasons (being peers, living together, similar artistic leanings + ego, Stu being a gentle guide to John, sharing art projects/poetry/long letters and feelings etc.) They became 'closer than two men' a friend had seen (remind us of anyone gang?). Most importantly, John could be open about his feelings with Stu in letters. If John had BPD which I subscribe too, I think Stu was his 'favourite person' and as Aunt Mimi said his 'special' and 'closest friend' from this period up until his death (though imho the transference back to Paul was starting prior to his death).

It's not clear what exactly happens as there's differing accounts but Stu uses his money to buy a new bass as John wants him to come to Scotland then Hamburg and play bass as he will 'look good'.

Paul doesen't like being relegated to the seat behind John and Stu when he used to sit next to John. He also isn't thrilled when he gets to Hamburg and not only does he get to sleep in the other room with just Pete but Stu cannot be arsed to play because he's hanging out with his hot new girlfriend Astrid (more on her in a sec). Our boy has spent a lot of money he doesen't have and given up on further education to be here and is jealous and annoyed.

Paul and Stu probably were friends and I think their mutual antipathy is overegged. HOWEVER, can't be denied that Paul is jealous of Stu and Stu is jealous of Paul (and getting flare-ups from increasing brain damage). John and Stu tease Paul and steal his money, Paul is mean to Stu (as are the others encouraged by John). Do I think John was playing games with both of them? Yup. They end up scuffling onstage because Paul said something about Astrid (not clear what, one account is that Paul said that Stu could borrow money off Astrid if he needed it which isn't really that bad a dig but who knows Yoko??).

Why is this dynamic important? Because it directly impacts the 'Exsis' (Klaus, Jurgen and Astrid's) group's relationship with Paul:

The Exsis were young artists living in Hamburg. They were artistic, cool, interesting and edgy. They were paramount in introducing the Beatles to cool new concepts, aesthetics and ideas. They also took themselves VERY seriously ie pretentious as all hell.

Astrid met Stu at Kaiserkeller and hit it off. They embarked on an all-consuming romance.

Letter from Stu to Astrid, c.1961

I've seen people say they were the proto-John and Yoko in terms of making their romance the whole world and influencing John years down the line and I can see that. With Astrid and Stu it's far more endearing though because they ARE young and the right age to have a relationship like that. Stu is popular with the Exsis in general and brings them into the Beatles group.

The Exsis didn't like or trust Paul. Astrid said later it was because Paul was 'too nice' which she herself admits is a ridiculous reason. The others also thought he was a bit of a show-off. It makes sense though if you're cool and edgy and want to stick it to the world to be sus about a guy being friendly show-off with seemingly no inner world. The other problem was a perfectly reasonable one imo, you're not going to like your friends frenemy who you don't connect with. Compound that with Paul not taking drugs as much as George or John and being in the other room and you begin to have a division.

Paul had been popular his whole life, like from what we know since-primary-school-popular. He had never been in this position before, let alone in a foreign country. I believe it became a bit of a brutal feedback loop. Paul's response to this type of behaviour consistently it to go more surface level, snide and passive aggressive. The natural response of any group with a designated 'ugh' person is to become more shady and exclusionary. The cycle continues and gets worse. Stu letters back home at this time says that in a shocking turn of events Paul is hated by everyone but Stu 'just feels sorry for him' (lmao OF COURSE you do Stu, its giving 'loathing' from Wicked lol). Klaus drew a lot of artwork of the early Hamburg Beatles that includes this highly unpleasant picture of Paul in 1961 which I think says a lot:

Klaus is also a musician and fancies himself a place on bass. When Stu leaves to pursue art, Klaus asks John if he could take over but John says that he thinks Paul is going to do it.

Klaus has later gone on to say that he thinks he was a better bass player for the Beatles' sound at the start and then Paul developed into being better for the group. It's one of those I cannot believe those words actually left your mouth and you are not deeply embarrased moments. But it's important to keep this desire and viewpoint in mind.

Klaus stays in touch with all of them and close to John and George, George especially. They visit Klaus on holiday in tenerife in early 60s and Klaus later draws the Revolver artwork.

This whole context of how they met and Hamburg is crucial and has to be taken into account when hearing Klaus' statements. Klaus and Paul started off with a lack of connection and with Paul on the outs, the Exsis got an incomplete view of Paul and an inaccurate snapshot of the Beatles dynamic overall. This is why when Klaus says 'Paul was always slightly apart from the others' and that 'divorce was inevitable' from early 60s we should remember that that is what Klaus is expecting to see as that's what he saw in Hamburg.

Klaus wanted to be the bass player (and was holding out hope to join a band with George and John in the 70s), was really close with George and suffers as many did with 'John Lennon aspiring boy bestie syndrome' (JABBS). Paul had what Klaus wanted and from the Hamburg experience, you could see why Klaus thought he might have an in and may have been jealous of this 'shallow' Paul of all people having the connection that he felt he should/could have with John and George. As with most sufferers of JABBS, he took John's side with everything, always refused to say any regrets about his involvement in How do you Sleep and thought Paul was fine with the song because 'he was even closer to John than [he] was. (Again Klaus to put yourself in that level of closeness with John that it's comparable to Paul is ???.) JABBS and its secondary condition PMIETGSH (Paul McCartney isn't even that good shut up) are virulent diseases that incapacitate sufferers objectivity and judgement, so it's fair to say that Klaus is a source you have to take with a pinch of salt on the early 70s period.

It seems that Klaus and Paul did get on a lot better the older they got (probably without the jealousy complication of George and John) and developed a sweet friendship. Here is Klaus' tribute to Paul for his 80th:

Here is the jam session he's talking about:

He now wants Paul to live in his house lmao so things have gotten warmer. But Klaus and Paul's dynamic is a great example of how and why natural bias, little jealousies and spats can consciously or subconsciously influence our internal narrative and why we need to be so careful about not taking one perspective as gospel.

[pinkhysteria]

"Actually, where is Mr. Saltzman? Oh, that's right... I killed him."

[anewkindofme]

Kol is such a baby in this scene and I love him for it. Clearly, Klaus can't resist how adorable he is either.

Another reason to resent Julie, because imagine if The Originals was actually about the family becoming whole again...

[stelenasfav]

just got to season 4 of my tvd rewatch. i hate damon and his stupid sirebond. forever a damon and delena hater

[sxnshxnxxnddxxsxxs]

sometimes i just think about bonnie bennett

and how she was never intended to be black. her equivalent character in the vampire diaries novels is white and the only reason she’s black is that the producers of tvd told julie plec that she couldn’t have an all white cast. yet bonnie bennett is the embodiment of the magical negro trope, she’s probably one of the best examples of it in 21st century television. and it just makes me wonder what bonnie bennett would be like if she got the storyline julie plec would have given her had she been white. both joseph morgan and ian somerhalder argued for bonnie to get a romance plot with their characters. i personally would have liked a subplot of kol teaching bonnie magic in tvd season 3 and 4 perhaps with a romantic plot within it. but the symbolism of kol who was taught magic by ayana being the first person who teach bonnie since her grams died and teaching her all these ancient bennett spells from his childhood is something that i think just made so much sense for both their characters.

sometimes i just think about bonnie bennett and who she would be without julie plec’s racism.

oh and this is everyone’s reminder that stefan and damon had nothing to do with the confederacy in the vampire diaries novels they were just 500 year old dudes from italy. the whole mystic falls confederacy lore is entirely of julie plec’s own making.

[klaysexual]

My daughter has an advantage Klaus never had, she will never ever know you.

THE ORIGINALS | A Closer Walk With Thee (1.20)

[occulthours]

If Bonnie took over as headmistress for Alaric, what would her relationship be like with Hope? Would Klaus suddenly attend Parent-Teacher conferences?

Hello anon! Sorry this took me ridiculously long, I've been packing, moving, and adjusting to dorming for uni this year.

@klonnieshippersclub gave a wonderful answer to an ask similar to this (link), but I'll add my own thoughts!

Of all the TVD/TO characters, Bonnie Bennett was not only the most qualified person to run a supernatural school, she was the only person qualified. The fact that Alaric and Caroline were the ones to open it was a bit ridiculous.

Alaric was very abusive to Hope in canon. I never bought the father-daughter relationship the show attempted to push. Alaric constantly used Hope to shield his own children from violence and fully admitted to allowing Hope into the school for that sole reason. He constantly used Hope for her power while simultaneously reprimanding her for having that power in the first place. Shaming a child as powerful as Hope and then being shocked when she grows to be bitter and resentful towards you is peak delusion.

In contrast, Bonnie, who knows what it's like to wield powerful magic (dark or natural) would be far more understanding of Hope. Hope was guilt-tripped into being the school's savior due to her physical and magical advantage over all of the students. There's no way in hell Bonnie Bennett would have a child on the battlefield in any circumstance. Especially given how she was pushed into being the savior of her friend group at a young age. Bonnie would not only refuse to have Hope fighting a grown-up's war, but she'd ensure that Hope gets the proper emotional and mental health she needs (the proper emotional and mental health that a teenaged Bonnie deserved to have) to combat her suicidal tendencies.

Hope was often left alone to essentially raise herself by her family members throughout her life, namely after her parents died, which is something Bonnie could relate to. Bonnie often came home to an empty house due to her father's work schedule and mother's absence. Aside from Grams, Bonnie didn't have any consistent adult figures in her life. Hope, as someone who grew up isolated in a boarding school, was in need of someone to guide her and Alaric did not meet the criteria to do so. Hope would've majorly benefited from having someone like Bonnie as a mentor.

As for Klaus, I do think that Bonnie would be more proactive (maybe a little more than she should be lol) in the home lives of her students. Especially of those she knows the parents of. Seeing as Bonnie had a deadbeat parent, there's no way she wouldn't have shit to say about one of her students having one (I do think that it's unrealistic and ooc that Hayley nor Marcel even tried to reach out to Klaus when he started his deadbeat era to be the shit out of him, but). Bonnie would take the parent-teacher conference to him if she had to. She wouldn't sit by passively as one of her students wallowed in their suffering nor would she use it to her advantage like Alaric did (seriously. He SUCKS.)

Bonnie would relate to Hope in more ways than any of the other TVD/TO could in regards to magic and family, and I would've loved to see them interact in canon!

Thanks for the ask, and your patience lol.

[wearesociety]

one of klaus’ redeeming quality was how much he hated damon. he was always on that man’s neck. he treated him like the dirt on his shoes and i had to stan just because of that!!!!! like the amount of times damon would offer himself in place of stefan to be his ripper buddy and klaus would be so disgusted. it reminds me of how bonnie hated him in the earlier season. no one has ever hated damon like klaus and bonnie have. we had to stan the smartest tvd characters.

[reblogandlikes]

Tell me the mating bond isn't actually just a sire bond.

Rewatching TVD, and it got me thinking, Feysand's mating bond gives me major Damon and Elena sire bond vibes. Because what do you mean you had your own opnions once upon a time, but the moment you got a sire - I mean, mate - all their wants suddenly became yours? Your actions drastically changed and mimics theirs. Even if you originally think another way (Feyre - Just asking Tarquin and being upfront/ Elena - in agreement with Caroline that the blue dress is best without hesitation. Safer), you get convinced that the alternative (Rhysand- stealing the Book from Tarquin/ Damon - Prefers the red dress so Elena's preference changes) is better. And that's just one example.

"Being sired doesn't mean you feel differently about someone. I hated Klaus, but I still did everything he said. The bond affects how you act, not how you feel." Tyler Lockwood

Though it could be speculated that the additional feeling of love being involved can then make the acceptance of one's actions more comfortable, especially when the "mate" encourages and justifies it. You're not doing anything wrong when what you're doing makes your sire happy.

Ugh, I need to get acotar out of my head. I need a detox to stop drawing comparisons.

[queenbonniebennett]

These two live in my head rent free😌

[philtatosbuck]

the thing about the thing is that any klaus ship makes more sense than kl*roline and those people have to act like that to compensate. and i do mean literally any klaus ship.

the originals edition? klaurora ate. would've done great things if not for elijah. klamille? ain't everyone's cup of tea but it still makes more sense for klaus to have an interest in her than that other blonde girl at the very LEAST from a psychology aspect and to get at marcel and kieran. klayley? even if the only thing they Ever did was hate fuck, it still would've been more in character. klaus and lucien, klaus and genevieve, all of them make at least some sense from a narrative point of view.

tvd? klaus and elena? would've been a dark and twisty ass romance, but would've been great to witness. klaus and bonnie? not only would it have been eagerly accepted, but it was WANTED by the actors too. klaus and katherine? c'mon. (if you come to me about 'he killed her family!!' i'm sorry but i do not care they would've been so fucking funny). klaus and stefan.

even in the fucking BOOKS, klaus and vivianne were so, so much better. it's just.

like i'm SORRY but no matter what other ship it is kl*roline falls flat. he liked her because why? he has a weird complex about his sister and he wanted to assert dominance over tyler. there was literally no other reason for that man to give a shit about her.

[hyperactivewhore]

People who actually think Tyler cheated on Caroline with Hayley drive me insane.

It's 2024, people. Hayley was the only one clearly interested, Tyler looked uncomfortable as hell anytime she flirted with him and she was the one who didn't understand boundaries. Tyler adored Caroline, and Caroline adored him, until Hayley and Klaus ruined their relationship.

Like, I'm pretty sure Klaus was the one who slept with Hayley, the girl he thought Tyler had been unfaithful with on the girl he was currently in love with.