#Paragraph Taylor

[manifestiv]

2025, week 2, (1/3): Pai neighborhood solace

[inkskinned]

the thing about some men is that they want you to remember, at all times, that you are underneath them. that with one word or look or "joke", you will stay beneath them. that even "exceptions" to the rule are not true exceptions - the commonly cited statistic that one in eight men believe they could win against serena williams.

women's gymnastics is often not seen as real gymnastics. whatever the fuck non-euclidian horrors rhythmic gymnasts are capable of, it's often tamped down as being not a sport. some of the most dominant athletes in the world are women. nobody watches women's soccer. despite years of dancing and being built like a fucking brick, men always assume they're faster and stronger than i am. you wouldn't like what happens when they are incorrect. once while drunk at a guy's house i won a held-plank challenge by a solid minute. the party was over after that - he became exceedingly violent.

what i mean is that you can be perfect, and they still think you're ... lacking, somehow. i hope you understand i'm trying to express a neutral statement when i say: taylor swift was the possibly the most patriarchy-palatable, straight-down-the-line woman we could churn out. she is white, conventionally attractive, usually pretty mild in personality. say what you will about her (and you should, she's a billionaire, she can handle it), but a few things seem to be true about her: 1. she can write a damn catchy song, and 2. the eras tour truly was a massive commercial success and was also genuinely an impressive feat of human athleticism and performance.

i don't know if she deserves the title of "woman of the year," i'm not debating that in this post. what i am saying is that she was named Woman of The Year, and then an untalented man got onstage at the golden globes and made fun of her for attending her boyfriend's football games. what i am saying is that this woman altered local economies - and her dating life is still being made into a "harmless" punchline. the camera panned, greedy, over to her downing a full glass of champagne. congratulations taylor! you are woman of the year! but you are a woman. even her.

fuck, man. write better material.

a guy gets onstage at a college graduation and despite the fact like half the crowd is made up of women, he spends a significant proportion of it warning these people - who spent possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education - that they were lied to. that the "real" meaning of femininity is motherhood. that they shouldn't rest on the laurels of that education-they-paid-for but instead throw it away to kneel at a man's heel. imagine that. sweating in your godawful polyester gown (that you also had to pay for!), fresh out of 4 years of pushing yourself ever-harder: and some guy you've never met - who knows nothing about you - he reminds you this "win" is a pyrrhic one at best. you really shouldn't consider yourself that extraordinary. you're still a woman, even after years of study.

god forbid you are not a pretty woman, but if you are pretty, you must be dumb. god forbid you are not ablebodied or white or cis or straight or good at swallowing. you must be beneath a man, or else they are not a man. the equation for masculinity seems to just be: that which is not a woman or womanly (god forbid). anything "feminine" is thereby anathema. to engage in "feminine" things such as therapy, getting a hug from a friend, or crying - it is giving up ones manhood. therefore women need to be put in their place to ensure that masculinity is protected.

this is something i have struggled to explain to terfs - they are not doing the work of feminism, but rather the patriarchy. by asserting that women and men must be (on some secret level) oppositional and in conflict, they also assume that being a woman is akin to being another species. but bigotry does not stem from observational truths or clarity - that is what makes it bigotry. there was nothing in my childhood that made me fundamentally different from my brother. we are treated differently nonetheless. to assert there is some biological drive that enforces my gender role is to assert that women have a gendered role. men do not see women as equal to them not because of biological reality - but instead because the core tenant of the patriarchy is that women aren't full, realized people.

we are told from a very young age to excuse misbehavior as a single man's choice - not all men. it is not all men, just that one guy. all women are gold-digging bitches who belong in the kitchen - but if a man is mean, bigoted, or violent to you, it's just that particular guy, and that means nothing about men-as-a-whole. it is only one guy who got mad when you gently rejected him. it is only one guy who warns her this trophy is heavy, are you sure you can hold it? it is only one guy who smashes her face into the cake. it is only one guy talking into a mic about hating our bodily autonomy.

i have just found that they often wait until the moment we actually seem to be upstaging them. you sit in a meeting where you're presenting your own findings and he says get me a coffee? or you run to the end of the marathon and are about to finish first and he pushes your kids out in front of you. you win the chess game and they make some comment akin to well, you're ugly away. we can be the billionaire and get the dream life and finally fucking do it and yet! still! they have this strange, visceral urge to say well actually, if you think you're so great -

it's not one just one guy. it's one in eight.

[taylortruther]

idk how to articulate this, but i'm thinking about how some fans think taylor creates numerous sophisticated, subtle easter eggs/hints about her life - to the point where, if this was true, she would be going to an extraordinary amount of effort to be even more self-referential than she already is. planning every move, every outfit, every letter in every tweet, every tiktok like, every interview answer, every photoshoot, every jewelry name, every pap shot, every friend, every meal to mean something. and if that was in any way realistic (it is not), at what point would the taylor in their minds cease being a person and simply become a collection of easter eggs?

[trans-queen-administrator]

I'm 93% sure I made a post about this before, but Taylor using other people's powers better than they do is such a fun part of her character, especially since she seems to constantly be thinking "damn if only I got that actually useful power." Like, Lisa thinks Taylor would do better than her with her insight power, Taylor coordinates Cuff and Theo to make a lightning rod during Behemoth fight when neither of them had thought of that, Clockblocker with the string, ordering around like 10 people including fucking Eidolon to hold Behemoth still for Phir Se, she's always scheming and using people as chess pieces in such a way that they're not even mad because it's a learning experience. I think a large part of it is a want to be anyone but herself, which leads to her looking at other powers and considering their uses more than most people do because she just finds every reason to be jealous and justify her passive belief that she's inferior and weak. Also she's just so used to high stress fucked up situations that she performs well under pressure. She kinda acknowledges that in the chapter where she's like "what the hell why is Amy so stupid she should be using microbes to form defenses" because she realizes Amy has no experience in fighting, so she's never had a need to think about this. But Taylor is always fighting, even when she's finally safe she doesn't let herself relax, so she's used to this.

And as for wanting to escape her body and be someone else who's cooler and has a better power and isn't lame and worthless, if I recall correctly she comments more than once on how powerful Genesis is and how she would love her power, which honestly fits so well. She wants to have other people's powers because she doesn't like herself, and Genesis's power lets her create and customize new bodies that aren't her and can do whatever she wants. It's the perfect way for her escape being herself.

And then Khepri is thematically significant as always. She finally can use other people's powers, and damn she's good with them! She magnifies Sundancer's sun with Vista, she combines Ballistic and Foil, she uses every combination and interaction possible for an advantage. She can use other people's powers like she always wanted, and she stops being herself, just like she always wanted.

[heart-shaped-pupa]

call my Slash Jacked the way my bottom growth extends far beyond its physical limits

[lee1504]

the shop across the street

(inspired by @primalmagic , college coffee shop au)

"I'm running a bit late, sorry," Taylor said. Her phone was connected to her car, and she could hear Aiden and Tyler's voices through the speaker, arguing as usual. She resisted the urge to laugh; once again, they were arguing over what to wear tonight for her show.

She was wearing a blue sleeveless dress, ankle-length. Ashlyn said it complimented her eyes, and that she'd look stunning as she presented her pieces. The final work was next to her in the passenger seat, covered by a cloth. This would be the second show she hosted, and yet she was still nervous, her finger tapping against the steering wheel.

She heard Tyler sigh through the phone. "Don't be late again."

"I know, I know," Taylor scoffed. At her first show, she ran late because of a coffee spill. She didn't want that to happen again.

There was arguing between her brother and friend for a few moments, and then silence. Then Aiden said, "Can you pick something up for me?"

She could practically feel Tyler's scowl burn through her phone. "Stop being greedy. She might be late again."

Taylor ignored the comment. "Yeah, I'll get you something. You too, Ty. Should I just get you whatever I get?"

There was a pause, then Tyler's voice said, "Whatever you get."

+++++

She stopped the car in front of a shop called The Aroma Bazaar. This was one of her favorite shops, and it was close to her university. Earlier, she had gone back to her apartment to change, then headed back to the college, where she'd present her projects in Building C. Inside the shop, she could see people bustling about. It looked slightly crowded, and she hoped this wouldn't take long.

Her white heels clicked against the pavement as she made her way to the small cafe, opening the door. A blast of AC hit her, ruffling her hair slightly. Smoothing it, she headed over to the counter, where a girl she recognized stood.

"Looking for Ben?" Lily asked. She'd grown up, and looked much older than how Taylor remembered. Her light brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, with hairclips attached to her bangs.

Taylor's cheeks tinted slightly pink. The girl was years younger than her, but acted more devious than what her innocent smile showed.

"I'm just here to pick up some coffee," Taylor answered. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She felt nervous, but she didn't know if it was from going to the shop or for her upcoming show.

"Alright," Lily replied, still grinning. "I'll call Benny." She disappeared behind a curtain, then Ben appeared.

Hi, Taylor signed. Her hands shook slightly, but Ben didn't seem to notice.

Ben smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. That was one of Taylor's favorite features about him, but she was always too embarassed to admit it.

Hi, Ben signed back. Order online?

Taylor nodded, then watched as Ben pulled three drinks from under the counter, carefully placing them into the cup holder. He slid it towards her, making sure not to spill anything. After waiting for her to pay, he signed, I might not make it to your show.

Taylor felt something deflate inside of her, but signed, That's fine.

Nobody moved for a few seconds, until Taylor added, I ordered a seat for you and Lily though, just in case.

There it was. That smile again, where the corners of his eyes crinkled. Taylor's face was still warm, but she accepted the smile. See you there? Maybe? She took the cup holder.

Ben nodded. Of course.

As Taylor sat back down in her car, on the lid of her coffee, she noticed there was a small heart.

+++++

Taylor peered around the curtain, one hand gripping the microphone tight. The theater was two-thirds full, but the six seats she'd reserved for her friends only occupied Tyler and Aiden, who, once more, was arguing quietly under their breaths. Logan and Ashlyn would arrive a bit later; they were helping move things from Logan's grandparents' shop. She was unsure if Ben and Lily would come, though.

She took a deep, shaky breath. She recited her lines in her head, her greeting, how she would introduce her pieces. They were already inside of their display cases, their metal curves and spikes glistening in the light. She smoothed her hair with one hand, glancing at the stage member next to her. He spoke something into the walkie talkie he held, then gave her a thumbs-up.

She took another breath, then stepped onstage.

The light was almost blinding. She had to blink twice to clear her vision of the bright white-yellow. When she could properly see, she saw the hundred people that sat before her. Her heart thumped quickly, and then she noticed.

Quietly, two people made their way to the front row. She could recognize them inches away, or even miles away.

Next to the boy, the girl smiled. When he sat, Ben signed, You got this.

Taylor returned his smile, hoping it would be viewed as confident, as ready. And then she began.

[fritzes]

via The Athletic

[radish-club]

This girl ain't getting home is she lmao

It's so funny. Taylor was so single minded about saving Dinah and as soon as she does she starts exploiting the girls power to answer questions. And Dinah starts getting depressed because she can literially sense the probability of Taylor getting her home dropping.

[aslightaddity]

Ed isn’t a cold logician he’s just autistic.

I could leave it there but I have to expand on this if only to be able to explain why I resonate with him.

We’ve seen him referred to as cold or unfeeling since like the start, in the first few seasons it’s not even overtly it’s just implied that that’s how people view him. But he isn’t. He’s incredibly emotional in actuality, to a point where I could put him as a second place for Gotham’s most emotional character.

He only gets called cold because people don’t see how logical and factual his feels are to him, like the pier scene in season 4 or 5 where Oswald tells him that if he listened to his heart more than his head he’d understand, but in season 5 he even admits that he rarely ever harmed a person who didn’t wrong him in someway! When you stop the look at all his major moments in the show it’s all very clearly emotional. Season 3 possibly shows this the best after Ed finds out Oswald killed Isabella, with his violent fantasy where he stabs Oswald. Or when despite everything in season 5 he stays. Practically every major event per season for him is emotionally driven.

He’s seen as always taking into account every fact and detail he can and one of his most driving facts that isn’t mention is his why. His emotions are, to him, factual and are taken into account. Even if he can’t fully understand them, like in season 4 as we see with Lee, or denies them, like how he cares for Oswald, he analyzes them and uses them like he would any other factual thing. And the only reason others don’t see this is the fact that he expresses his emotions in a different way than other people and when he enacts plans that are based on his emotions he’s already gone through feeling them viscerally enough to cause anything that would show it so he basically seems emotionless during it.

And when we put his kind of emotional and juxtapose it against say Oswald’s kind of emotional, most would immediately point out how in this comparison Ed looks emotionless and cold but when you take a closer look it more shows that they’re sides of the same coin. They are cunning, dangerous, and motivated by their heart but act with their heads. For Oswald his heart is stronger than his head and it’s the opposite for Ed but they are both emotionally driven.

TLDR- Ed is very personally emotionally intelligent and a emotional person but people see him as cold because he’s autistic.

[manifestiv]

2025, week 1 (4/4): north to Pai

[sinnabunii]

stsg is so ridiculous because not only can i not look at any two black and white objects standing next to each other the same, but somehow every single song i listen to is them

[mylucayathoughts]

When will it be Taylor's time? He is a beautiful soul with a huge heart, he is always on the front lines supporting all the people he loves but I want to see him get the same back because it's not fair that he still has to stay in the corner supporting others who have wonderful careers while he struggles so much. I loved that article and his words for Nick but I'm honest that "I'll be in his corner, rooting him on, knowing the best is still to come" made me so sad, it's a beautiful phrase but it makes me sad .

When will his time come? When will they start doing the same things to him? To support him in the same way? To give him the same space? He is not just the Hollywood cheerleader for other actors and artists who achieve everything they want. I don't know how you cannot feel bittersweet with that article and I say this with all the love for both of them. I swear.

Hi.

I am gonna cut up part of your ask and answer them.

When will it be Taylor's time? He is a beautiful soul with a huge heart, he is always on the front lines supporting all the people he loves but I want to see him get the same back because it's not fair that he still has to stay in the corner supporting others who have wonderful careers while he struggles so much.

Success is subjective you know. It's kind of an oversight to say he is not successful currently. You should read Taylors Forbes interview where he says there are many talented actors he knows who are putting in the same amount of work but not getting anywhere. If you consider that, he is in a very very privileged position, which he obviously earned. He took a year off from work after Red white and Royal Blues success, to grieve his sister. He has started auditioning only recently. So, things will pick up from now. In the Emmys red carpet interview he already said that he several projects in the works. Plus he made so many connections in the industry over the years. Producers, directors, actors who follow him and commend him. Also, success doesn't come without struggle. Most of the actors who are successful now have struggled at some point or other. Yes, some had to put in more work to get to the same point, but that's just how everything in life is.

I loved that article and his words for Nick but I'm honest that "I'll be in his corner, rooting him on, knowing the best is still to come" made me so sad, it's a beautiful phrase but it makes me sad .

Being in someone's corner doesn't mean living in obscurity. It means supporting them, which is wonderful. Even though if Taylor wanted anonymity for himself we should respect that. So, unless you compare Nick and Taylor's careers, this statement shouldn't make you feel sad. It's so nice to know that he loves and supports Nick this way. You shouldn't assume Nick isn't doing the same for him just because there isn't a public article about it.

When will his time come? When will they start doing the same things to him? To support him in the same way? To give him the same space? He is not just the Hollywood cheerleader for other actors and artists who achieve everything they want.

Taylor says how he always had the support of a core few friends that he made earlier in his career, he also mentions his sisters. He does have a support system. Also, there is nothing wrong with cheering fellow actors in this industry even if they don't always show the same energy towards him, publicly. We don't know what kind of in person relationship they have with each other. Don't lose your mind over something you have no way of verifying. And Taylor has achieved far too many things for someone to reduce his role to that of a "cheerleaders".

I don't know how you cannot feel bittersweet with that article and I say this with all the love for both of them. I swear.

I think I have pretty much explained eveything above. I wanna end it with this following quote by Taylor.

"We are all kind of attracted to the industry, the movies, films, name and lights and I have done that all now and I realized how empty and hollow that dream was as a young kid. I realized that we are storytellers and we change the way people think and we make them think again and that is so much more fulfilling than just being a face on a poster or a face on a magazine, when you actually stand for something."

- Taylor Zakhar Perez, conversation with SAG-AFTRA

So it's obvious that Taylor loves roles and stories that are impactful and those aren't easy to come by. It may take some time for him to find THAT role and even if it doesn't bring him the kind of attention you're looking for, know that he will be content with it. And that's all that matters at the end.

[taylortruther]

also re: the racial component of TS/fan base, if you haven't you should watch Alex Avila's video on Taylor Swift, I think it was really well done

this is SO good. thank you SO much for this recommendation.

i really liked how avila noted how masterfully taylor blends authenticity and social normativity - "the reason taylor swift seems so authentic to young girls is because she's conforming to an image [of white patriarchal girlhood] that young women internalized from a young age." similarly, the popular feminism of 2014 (when 1989 was released) was flimsy and did not challenge patriarchal norms, and we see how she made feminism part of 1989's branding.

and he asks a question i often pose: is there anything subversive in idolizing the most popular cultural object? does poptimism (the critique of pop music as a serious form of art) simply reinforce existing power structures??

taylor swift and whiteness

understanding how someone becomes a legend and icon means understanding how they challenge, but also reinforce, the biases in society, which includes race, class, gender, and so forth. and "there IS something deeply white about [taylor's] image" (1:18:33). her image is cultural whiteness! taylor swift's relatability (which is and has always been part of her brand), her social capital, her social normativity, is directly tied to the neoliberal racial philosophy that, instead of calling whiteness superior, establishes whiteness as the norm (1:21:23).

millennials want celebrities to be morally pure. this is a mistake.

also - LOVE that he points out that millennials don't judge female celebrities by their sexuality or modesty anymore, but instead they judge based on political awareness, which is just another way of continuing the "patriarchal history of regulating narratives around women's actions" (1:42:39). avila focuses specifically on millennials here, cautioning us not to consider this a a sign of true political engagement from millennials. as he points out, systems of oppression adapt to our ever-changing culture. when we try to 'cancel' or 'hold a celebrity accountable' for their ideologies or missteps, sometimes it's because they're truly terrible, and other times it's because we hold women to "unrealistic standards of purity." ie, this isn't necessarily real political engagement, it is just another example of judging women. often it's both (pointing out missteps, and also being sexist.)

whiteness again

avila goes on to discuss how white women have long been held up as virtuous, moral centers of american families - and while this is a racist and sexist practice, given that woc aren't seen as virtuous, it also lays the foundation for why white women in particular dominate conversations about politics in the public sphere. it is an Event every time a white celebrity frames their political awakening as a personal, spiritual journey of self-realization. yes, this act is important, because women must learn about their own oppression, and talk about it, in order to educate others.

but when taylor (or any other famous white woman) frames politics solely through the personal, it relieves her of the obligation to critique systemic issues. her own political awakening is all that matters - she must prove her own political purity (instead of sexual purity, as before.) there is a deep problem in society demanding this, rather than larger systemic change, but we'll get to that later.

this personal political purity awakening earns her a lot of goodwill, but her resistance ends with herself. and this is a pattern that we see happen all the time, in what robin james calls "neoliberal resistance discourses" in pop: someone is damaged by oppression (sexism), she overcomes it brilliantly with an awakening (miss americana/lover/denouncing trump era), and she absorbs this goodwill into her brand. these individual damages and awakenings supposedly symbolize society's own awakening and resilience(!). (1:52:48)

🚨 some readers might be getting tired/annoyed at this; i can hear y'all saying "well, what do you even WANT from her omg!!!" just stay with me here. 🚨

she holds a mirror up to society, tho

what avila so brilliantly points out is that... this cycle of damages and resilience isn't helpful. it goes nowhere! and we are all at the mercy of the same patterns as taylor. it's not about taylor, it's about us, and how capitalism commodifies everything, including social movements! including personal 'goodness'! a neoliberal system wants individuals to care about their individual choices and looking like good individuals; it encourages the use of "purity tests" and "commodified algorithmic social movements" to discourage challenges to systemic issues (reminds me of the celebrity blackout situation earlier this year, and conversations we have about politics, well, daily on here.) and the pattern of a person failing politically as an individual is part of this machine. if we're too busy policing individuals for their purity, we won't ever organize together for shared material goals. unfortunately, unlike taylor swift, most of us are not extremely powerful, wealthy, and influential as individuals. she does have more power than us in this regard.

taylor as cultural hegemony

anyway, avila goes on to talk about how taylor had this musical renaissance with folklore, and became more honest about her masterminding her own career in midnights. she has shown herself not just to be a musical chameleon, but a cultural one as well, positioning herself as white teenage purity when the culture called for it (circa 2008-2010), neoliberal pop feminism (1989 -> lover), pandemic escapism (folkmore) - and the culture has become part of her brand, part of her music. music that is already heavily wrapped up in her own life. she is the brand she is the culture. of course she put the work in, and not just anyone could do this. but imo, her whiteness (which, again, gives her this "default" "neutral" background to work with) is part of this success. "sure, she's challenged the institution but all in the effort to become the new face of musical hegemony" (2:06:25.) she challenges systems to assimilate into them, or create them in a way that requires assimilation.

of course, this is all based on her REAL experiences, her REAL life. she is living her own life, and also living it in this metacognitive way that mirrors culture.

but we don't have to hate taylor, actually!

and MOST interestingly, avila closes out by suggesting: it's not actually super healthy to always be suspicious and critical of art (2:17:24.) yes, there is a long political history of "paranoid reading," of critique based on marx, freud, and nietzsche's philosophies. it is the basis of A LOT of our frameworks for thinking about the world, including art.

as i've said before, it's interesting to discuss taylor or celebrities because they hold a mirror up to society. but we can't just relentlessly critique ourselves - after all, the critique is supposed to protect us from being bad! the critique is what keeps us good! and it's why we project so much onto them (the celebrities, or "bad" people.)

this video dove into a term that may be new to a lot of people (i only learned of it recently) - "reparative reading." rather than relentlessly critique art or what-have-you, engage with it in ways that is "affirmative, creative, and caring." this does not mean you toss out critical readings - reparative readings can coexist, and give us hope, optimism, feelings of beauty/appreciation, and affirmation.

for example, it's why -while i enjoy critiquing taylor (or what she Represents) - i am also here to just... have fun. i don't want to linger 24/7 on her emissions, or what she hasn't done, or who she's friends with. it's also why, as a fan of color, i hate that she is often dismissed and minimized to "white musician making music for white women." i find affirmation in a lot of her music, regardless of her race; i find optimism and hope in the way women so deeply relate to her, and how queer fans (also like myself) relate to her! (which avila points out too 2:21:00.) it's why i stopped debunking stuff, because queerness - like any other aspect of the fandom - is such a critical, significant part of why her music is beloved. it's so important for people to recognize that she is more than just 'music for straight white heterosexual cisgender women.'

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

“But this mostly perfect life can feel a lot like being a tiger in a wildlife enclosure. It’s pretty in there, but you can’t get out! It’s peculiar to me that after all these years, I still get so anxious when I see a group of people staring, amassed outside my house, pointing, camera phones up…they could never imagine how much that feels like being hunted. And no matter how big my house is or how many albums I sell, I’m still going to be the rabbit. Because the hunters will always outnumber me. The spectators will stand by, shaking their heads, going “That poor girl.” But the point is, they’re still watching. Everyone loves to watch a good hunt. …They need to possess things. They need photographic proof that they were there. They need to then post that photo online so their friends can see it. So that they can spend all day checking the comments underneath. That level of possession worries me.”

-Taylor Swift, August 14, 2013

[mistresscitrusslice]

"I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care 🩷😘"

Mastermind is THE Meljay song from Mel's perspective. It's about time I did a song breakdown for Meljay bc honestly they deserve it. Truly an underrated overhated couple

"Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned" Brings up the visual of the astral-looking magic that brought them together in the first place. Maybe fate didn't bind them, but their love feels celestial anyway.

"You and I ended up in the same room at the same time" I don't think Mel intentionally bumped into them in the hallway, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did. If that hadn't happened, I do believe she would have sought him out at a later date, maybe offered him her patronage under the table, but that's getting into fanfiction territory.

"And the touch of a hand lit the fuse" This could not get any more literal

"To assess the equation of you" THE NERDS ARE FLIRTING. wee woo wee woo They're literally so cute I'm fuming. Can we be certain this song isn't actually about them?

"Checkmate, I couldn't lose" I feel like Mel has this attitude about a lot of things. She seems like the kind of person who has at least three contingency plans for every situation and as a result is used to getting her way.

"What if I told you none of it was accidental / And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me?" Mel certainly had her eyes set on Jayce from the moment of his trial. To an extent, even before the trial, from the moment she heard his name from Elora's mouth. Post-time skip, every one of her moves toward him was intentional to attract and mold him. Even before it becomes obvious that she fell harder for him than intended, she clearly harbors feelings and admiration for him as far as pre-time skip.

"What if I told you I'm a mastermind?" BECAUSE SHE ISSSSSS "And now you're mine" BECAUSE HE ISSSSS

"You see, all the wisest women had to do it this way / 'Cause we were born to be the pawn in every lover's game" Something something Mel is a fox. She has to be because she doesn't want to be the pawn to her wolf mother. This is not something she can just turn off when it comes to her love life, but maybe she can learn to (or maybe they can make each other worse)

"I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails / And the liquor in our cocktails" Ship motifs, only loosely tied. (I think that line would work better for Melvik) The second line here works really, really well for Meljay, though. I'm specifically thinking of the opera scene where she hands him the golden flute of golden wine.

"What if I told you none of it was accidental / and the first night that you saw me, I knew I wanted your body?" Oh, she for sure wanted Jayce's body, but more than that, she wanted his mind. She and I can agree that nothing is hotter than reckless intelligence

"No one wanted to play with me as a little kid / So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since" Hmm something tells me Mel didn't interact with a lot of people her age as a child

"To make them love me and make it seem effortless" And she does it well too!

"This is the first time I've felt the need to confess / And I swear / I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care" This song plays it off in a joking way, but this is unironically Mel 😭 She cares about peace, she cares about not going to war, she cares about progress, and she cares about Jayce. The road to Machiavellianism is paved with sweet little arm kisses with your lover's head in your lap and soft finger brushes in the chilly night air.

"I laid the groundwork and then saw a wide smirk / On your face, you knew the entire time / You knew that I'm a mastermind" Jayce absolutely does not know. He knows that Mel is a political mastermind, but he does not know that that is also being directed toward him, the sweet boy. If he found out that Mel approached him partly out of ulterior motives, he would be mad, but it wouldn't last. They've both harbored feelings for too long not to repair their relationship. He can't stay mad at her and she has a way with words. Their character flaws have glued them together.