#alistair riddle

[capitan-copi]

Alistair rabioso versión polvosa

[cookie-arts]

Slightly un-Twists Your Wonderland AU

The Hatter and the Prince of Roses Chapter 1.2

« CHAPTER 1.1

A/N: Sorry, several school-related stuff happened after posting the first part of Chapter 1 so I only got to post this today.

I promise you, the third part is already in the works!! ^^””

For now, please enjoy the debut of the Crown Prince, Riddle Rosehearts!

Tags: @the-clockwork-fiend @officialdaydreamer00 @cloudcountry @identity-theft-101 @aqua-beam

[unreadpoppy]

gotta replay origins just to again hear the comedic genius that is sten

[hes-a-rat-whisperer]

Alistair´s brain will instantly malfunction the moment he realizes he likes someone romantically-

even worse if that someone likes him back

[seriously-nobody]

I like to imagine that Alistair did somewhat liked being a “dad”. Like, he will not tell you that he actually did like imitating Travis’s dad, but he did.

Idk, I feel like he either wouldn't like or have complicated feelings about being any sort of parental figure because of how his father treated him as a kid

[nova-nove]

and for a third post in a row i guess

my yuusona, one of my brother's twst oc + crowley, and another riddle just for fun

[obeetlebeetle]

top 5 favorite deeply unwell characters

fitzie from cakes & ale (hello any if/cog fans out there); kokumo from being my dnd pc; wuvvy acofaf (id say kpruevvy but kprue got better so); HARROWHARK; aaaaaaaand ok let's pick a homestuck any homestuck we'll go with rose lalonde (all timer)

[shem-fatale]

Dragon Age Inquisition: "Canon" Choices Survey Results!

Tell us about your personal "canon" Inquisitor who will make an appearance in The Veilguard? What were their choices? Answers to this short survey were collected via a tumblr post between June 11th and June 22nd 2024. I have since found out which of the choices mentioned will and will not affect DA:TV but I will include all questions anyway. Text version and tags under the cut!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1. Who is your "canon" Inquisitor and are/were they in a relationship with another DAI character? Female Adaar/Blackwall - 1% Female Lavellan/Blackwall - 1% Male Lavellan/Josephine- 1% Male Lavellan/The Iron Bull- 1% Male Trevelyan/Cassandra - 1%

Female Lavellan/Josephine - 2% Female Trevelyan/Josephine- 2% Male Lavellan - no romance - 2%

Female Adaar/The Iron Bull - 3% Male Adaar/Dorian - 3%

Female Trevelyan/Blackwall - 4%

Female Adaar/Josephine - 6% Male Trevelyan/Dorian - 6%

Female Lavellan/Cullen - 7%

Male Lavellan/Dorian - 12%

Female Trevelyan/Cullen - 13%

Female Lavellan/Solas - 33% Added headcanon comment from @spiders-scribbles: Male Adaar/The Iron Bull "Kas is played with the female model cause I hate how bulky the male Qunari body is and also trans reasons" <3 And another one from @doves-wing: Female Cadash/Josephine "i think they have an open relationship and so my quizzy has dated iron bull though that relationship ends before trespasser. she is still with josie though." <3 2. What combat class and specialisation apply to your "canon" Inquisitor?

Warrior/Two-Handed/Templar - 0% Warrior/Weapon and Shield/Templar - 0%

Rogue/Daggers/Artificer - 1% Warrior/Two-Handed/Champion - 1% Warrior/Weapon and Shield/Reaver - 1%

Warrior/Two-Handed/Reaver - 3% Rogue/Archer/Tempest - 3% Warrior/Weapon and Shield/Champion - 3%

Mage/Necromancer - 4%

Rogue/Archer/Artificer - 5% Rogue/Archer/Assassin - 5% Rogue/Daggers/Tempest - 5%

Rogue/Daggers/Assassin - 8%

Mage/Rift Mage - 30%

Mage/Knight-Enchanter - 32% 3. Did the Inquisition form an alliance with the Mages or with the Templars?

Mages - 86%

Templars - 14% 4. Who was left behind in the Fade?

Alistair - 5%

Loghain - 9%

Hawke - 29%

Stroud - 57% 5. Did the Inquisition give the Wardens a second chance?

Yes - 89%

No - 11% 6. Who rules Orlais?

Gaspard - 1%

Celene - 10%

Gaspard as Briala's puppet - 14%

Truce between all parties - 32%

Celene and Briala - 43% 7. Who drank from the Well of Sorrows?

Morrigan - 48%

The Inquisitor - 52% 8. Who becomes Divine Victoria at the end of DA:I?

Vivienne - 7%

Cassandra - 18%

Leliana - 75% 9. What happened to the Inquisition at the end of Trespasser?

The Inquisition continues in the service of Divine Victoria - 17%

The Inquisition was disbanded - 83%

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A big thank you to:

@themightynej

@rotaryshakes

@slothsoep

@ladyotakukiut

@ellie-shy

@spaaace-ace

@infinitediversities

@missrosequeen

@re-venge

@tokyopewpew

@ennayeliah

@alesdaer

@what-ever-this-is-man

@maintitle

@doves-wing

@filbert-weevil

@robinthewarden

@flashyxtemplar

@0rzammar

@bonniemikaelson

@darthbootchie

@gugle1980

@hawkgirlriot

@huneybumble7

@onelessvenatori

@stillpanicking

@stuckyonbucky

@wildefiction

@animusrisunovatur

@anulindale

@azinareens

@cullens-babe

@energeticbasilisk

@fadejumper

@humonster

@joyfulpolicehologram

@krampus236

@maleficarmage

@mortalitasdeeznuts

@soft4sana

@themagnusbane

@thereiswarathand

@touchofweave

@tyralily

@witch-light

@witchybullshit

@littleballofanxiety

@precious-gem-of-a-cat @onlypartiallystars

@spiders-scribbles @titanwolfackerman @nervousparsnip @sowrongbutsowrite @argonian-at-heart @too-caught-up-in-moves @yjannu @lilywasx and also to everyone who didn't want to be tagged, plus everyone who spelled their user names wrong! I figured out some of the typos but some of you left me some crazy riddles hehe. <3

[champion-of-love]

for his resolution, dexter wants to express his feelings to raven better so he starts the first day of the new year writing her a poem. he bumps into maddie on his way to give his gift to raven and accidentally drops it and maddie picks it up and thinks it's a riddle to a secret treasure. alistair hears the word 'riddle' from the other side of the castle, magically appears and decides to join their treasure hunt. bunny joins the trio so dexter won't be alone with the two crazy riddle junkies

[sapphim]

Ok I have returned with more, actually. Here's what we know about the Ferelden Grey Wardens from Duncan's and Alistair's time, before the Blight:

Warden-Commander Polara

Duncan became Ferelden's Commander of the Grey in 9:10 Dragon [see note], assuming the mantle from Commander Polara, under whom he had served since the order's restoration in Ferelden. Polara, who hailed from Antiva, had built an amiable relationship with King Cailan. She overcame many of the objections of Teyrn Loghain, who had argued strenuously against the order returning—after all, the Wardens had attempted to overthrow the Ferelden throne centuries before. When Polara disappeared—perhaps recalled to Weisshaupt, although none in Ferelden saw her leave, nor have seen her since—Duncan bequeathed to her son a silverite axe of great value. Duncan said he had wielded it and a twin in younger days, back when he had been a far different man. He'd named the axe "Fiona" after a Warden who inspired him, and suggested that the son ought to take similar inspiration from his mother. It's unknown what became of Polara's son, other than that he fled Ferelden during the same Blight in which Duncan perished. —DA2 Codex Entry: Item: Fiona

note: The events of The Calling took place ca. 9:10 Dragon [That timeline has been riddled with errors but per WoTv2 p.81 "...when the Grey Wardens first returned to Ferelden in 9:10 Dragon... King Maric joined a much younger Duncan and his fellow Wardens in a mission to the Deep Roads."]. The 9:10 date given for Duncan to assume command of the Wardens is certainly in error, as at that point in time he was a babey Warden who'd been recruited about six months prior [per The Calling].

Warden-Constable Reyor

The following is an excerpt from a letter [...] written by a Warden-Constable Reyor two months after Alistair's recruitment: "I know you said it was unnecessary, but as I investigate all new recruits I looked into this Alistair lad... and it's rather odd. There was an old groundskeeper who knew him and seemed quite fond; she reminisced about the night Alistair was first brought to Redcliffe Castle. She mentioned a young man of Rivaini descent bringing the boy, and intrigued, I gave her your description. She didn't know if that original young man was you, but she said she'd seen you come to the castle often through the years, asking after Alistair's progress and watching him. I have to ask: Is that true? Is there something about the lad the Wardens should know?" And the response from Warden-Commander Duncan: "Alistair is the son of an old friend. As my travels indeed bring me to Redcliffe from time to time, I have looked in on him. I believe he is a worthy addition to our ranks. There is nothing more you or the Wardens need to know." —World of Thedas vol. 2, p. 80

Richu & Tamarel

Duncan stood silently at the gates of the village. To his right crouched Tamarel with her bow. He had recruited the young elf for her sharp eye; she had justified his confidence through methodical, deadly hunting [see note]. To Duncan’s left waited Richu, as experienced a Warden as Duncan himself, thick arms crossed and waiting. In war, victory Duncan recalled the start of the Grey Wardens’ motto, the part he held closest to his heart. War never offered any choice but to win; in the battles the Wardens fought, losing meant the destruction of everything they knew and loved. Any sacrifice, if it meant victory. Triumph, no matter the price. The three were nearing Redcliffe when they felt the tugging at their souls, the sensation familiar to any Warden that warned of twisted foes approaching. It is a blessing and a curse, thought Duncan, to sense the darkness in time to fight it, but also to know that a piece of that darkness will always be with us. In peace, vigilance It was centuries now since the end of the Fourth Blight, and the world had moving on. Some said the darkspawn no longer existed, or thought that occasional darkspawn raids in remote lands proved them now no more than a nuisance. But although the battles were hidden from human eyes, the dwarves still clashed with the darkspawn in the Deep Roads. Ignorance would not make the threat disappear. Here, in this remote village in southern Ferelden, the darkspawn had risen in such numbers that the people had been completely overwhelmed. Duncan shook his head, nodded once, and a several darkspawn near the center of the village fell to Warden arrows. Duncan and Richu charged, steel glinting in the moonlight, to engage the creatures in close combat. There were more than a score remaining to confront the three Wardens, but Duncan reckoned the odds fair. Blades slashed through dark flesh, and Tamarel cautiously pressed forward into the village, loosing arrows upon any darkspawn that thought to flee. The Grey Wardens cut the darkspawn down to the last. Covered in dark ichor and his own red blood, Duncan surveyed the combination of partially eaten human corpses and newly dead darkspawn. A few, maybe three or four, villagers stirred, staring out at the scene with lasting horror. “We were too late,” Tamarel said. She was right; Duncan knew in his heart that the survivors had already been tainted. Those who avoided a quick, excruciating death would be driven mad, turned into diseased and rabid killers. He cursed and spit and wiped his sword clean. He stepped forward. The villagers looked on him with mounting terror, their eyes growing wide as they turned black. They turned and fled. Tamarel’s arrows slammed into the villagers’ spines as they ran. They died because they must, died to prevent the spread of the same taint that gave the Grey Wardens their connection to their enemy. That same evil that would eat away at the three Wardens until one day each would decide it was time to descend into the Deep Roads for one final walk into the shadows, to end their lives with purpose rather than wasting away from sickness. In death, sacrifice The final line of the Wardens’ motto is doubtless the most crucial. Every life must have meaning; every death must have purpose. Waving his hand, Duncan called the others to him and they began the bitter task of burning the village to ashes. Nothing was to be left. —Bioware Wiki: Duncan

note: We know that Tamarel was no longer present at the time that Alistair was recruited [six months prior to the events of Dragon Age: Origins, per his dialogue] as he states [see below] that there were no women in the Ferelden Wardens during his time, and the only elf was a man named Tarimel................ wait oh my god he transitioned good for him

Gregor (Grigor?) & Kherek & Tarimel

Warden: What was it like to be a Grey Warden, with all the others? Alistair: I didn’t know them for very long, but I guess it was longer than you. You never met them all, did you? Alistair: They were quite a group. Actually, they felt like an extended family, since we were all cut off from our former lives. Alistair: We also laughed more than you’d think. There was this one time… well, you probably don’t want to hear stories about men you didn’t know. Warden: Weren’t there any women? Alistair: Not as Grey Wardens, not while I was there. I saw pictures of some who had been, and they all seemed to be able warriors. One was even a templar. Warden: Were there any elves amongst them? Alistair: Just one, a man named Tarimel. He kept to himself, mostly. I got the impression that his life before the Grey Wardens was… unpleasant. Warden: Were there any dwarves amongst them? Alistair: There was one when I first joined, a dwarf named Kherek. He was one of the elders and he… left for Orzammar before the reports of the Blight began. Alistair: It’s too bad, really. Kherek said that he never wanted to go back. He wanted to die fighting darkspawn on the surface. Alistair: There was one Grey Warden who came all the way from the Anderfels. What was his name? Gregor? Grigor? He was a burly man with the biggest, fuzziest beard you’ve ever seen. Alistair: And the man could drink. He drank all the time but never got drunk. Finally we all made a pool to see just how many pints it would take to put him under the table. Warden: Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Alistair: Sometimes. We were kin, of a sort. All of us had gone through the Joining, so we knew… anyhow, it doesn’t have to be deadly serious all the time. Warden: I bet I could have out-drank him. Alistair: Oh, I honestly doubt it. You might have tried, but this fellow had a supernatural constitution, I swear. Alistair: Anyhow, we never did find out. He said he’d drink a pint for every half-pint that the rest of us drank. He was still going by the time the rest of us were passed out. Alistair: I’m told that Duncan walked in later on and saw us all passed out from one end of the hall to the other, and Gregor still drinking. Duncan laughed until he nearly… until… —Dragon Age: Origins

Rondall

[...] it appeared Alistair did well among the Grey Wardens. He flourished in a way he never had in the Chantry, quickly growing attached to his fellow Wardens and they to him. One can see this in a letter he wrote to Arl Eamon but never sent: "I didn't think I belonged anywhere, Uncle. You said I should try my best, and I really did when I was in the chantry. Well, that's a lie, I suppose. I wanted to try. It was hard to want that, however, when everyone's always scowling at you.[...] "But the Wardens are different. Everyone who comes here... they didn't belong anywhere, either, and then they found this cause. They found each other. They don't know anything about me, where I come from, and they don't care. Duncan said I was worthy, and that's all that mattered. I thought the man must have been insane to pick me out, me of all people, but now... Now I don't know. They say I'm learning fast. I beat Rondall in a spar the other day, beat him honestly, and... I think I might be good at being a Warden. They think so, too." —World of Thedas vol. 2, p. 81

[pupsmailbox]

DECTECTIVE︰MYSTERY ID PACK

NAMES︰ adler. aeris. agatha. aiden. aisha. akakios. alec. alistair. amadio. amos. anastasia. andie. annika. ansel. arden. ariel. aspen. atlas. auda. audr. august. augustine. augustus. aventurine. avery. barett. beau. belladonna. benedict. bentey. bentley. bian. blanc. blythe. bonaventura. bradley. briony. buenaventura. calix. caper. casey. castle. cebba. chance. chanceline. chancey. charis. chase. cipher. claude. cleo. cliff. clu. clue. clyde. colette. columbus. conan. constance. cora. corbin. cypher. daley. dalton. damon. daphne. darcie. darcy. darnell. darwin. dean. deanna. declan. dee. delia. devin. dex. dice. dot. dottie. doyle. duncan. edith. edmund. edric. edward. eivor. elmer. elysium. enigma. fog. fortuna. fortune. foxglove. gizem. godid. hannah. harley. harlow. harper. haze. holmes. indigo. iris. juke. jules. kasper. keme. king. leto. lilith. liraz. locke. maya. mist. morana. myst. mystery. nancy. neil. noir. noire. obscure. odilia. onni. ophelia. ortun. otto. pandora. poe. poirot. quinn. river. rivers. runa. rune. runfrid. sam. scarlet. selma. sher. sherlock. silver. sitheach. spy. sylvi. sylvia. tec. tyche. tychon. veil. veila. velma. vera. verity. vesper. vesta. watson. widow. wisteria. zero.

PRONOUNS︰ analyze/analyze. book/book. caper/caper. case/case. chance/chance. cipher/cipher. claw/claw. clu/clue. clue/clue. code/code. crime/crime. crime/scene. cypher/cypher. deal/deal. detect/detect. detect/detective. detective/detective. en/en. end/end. enigma/enigma. evidence/evidence. eye/eye. fate/fate. file/file. find/find. flaw/flaw. game/game. glass/glasse. grit/git. hidden/hidden. hide/hide. hint/hint. hunt/hunt. hypo/hypothesi. inv/investigate. invest/investigate. investigate/investigate. it/it. justice/justice. lore/lore. luck/luck. magni/magnifying. magnifying/glas. murder/murder. mys/mystery. myst/myst. myst/mystery. mystery/mysterie. mystery/mystery. noir/noir. note/note. obscure/obscure. per/perplex. poi/poison. private/private. psych/psych. puz/puzzle. puzz/puzzle. puzzle/puzzle. que/question. read/read. rid/riddle. rob/rob. rob/robbery. rpg/rpg. scene/scene. search/search. search/searche. sec/secret. secret/secret. see/see. seek/seek. sight/sight. sleu/sleuth sleuth/sleuth. sol/solution. sol/solve. solution/solution. solve/solve. spot/spot. spy/spy. stake/out. stake/stake. step/step. stole/stolen. story/storie. tape/tape. thon/thon. threat/threat. track/track. watch/watche. ⚰️ . ❓ . 🎭 . 🎮 . 🐦‍⬛ . 💉 . 💊 . 💡 . 📁 . 📖 . 📚 . 📹 . 🔎 . 🔐 . 🔑 . 🕹️ . 🗃️ . 🗝️ . 🗞️ . 🚬 . 🧩 . 🧬 . 🩺 .

[rise-jez]

✨Wonderland characters appreciation

*Alistair got lost doing a riddle*

*Courtly was arrested for the Diamond Cards*

--

Small clarification and part of my AU:

Chase is Lizzie's younger twin brother by 2 minutes, but was raised by the King of Hearts to be the next Jack of Hearts (That is why Jackson is his last name).

Regardless of that, Lizzie and Chase get along well, even if they did not live together for much of their childhood, they care a lot for each other and Chase takes to heart being the next general of the Card Army, he would give his life for his sister if necessary <3

--

I'll upload more headcanons if needed⭐

[yuionyx]

Forever mad that Maddie, Lizzie and Kitty are incredible characters and then... Bunny and Alistair are just... there

All the wonderland kids had the chance to be incredible and instead we got shy girl and boy... who are in (predestined) relationship and won't be relevant ever again

It's just something something the rabbit hole IS the connection between the realms in the fairytale... so I guessed the character with the white rabbit legacy would be more important?

Imagine if Bunny was the only student capable of traveling between realms but she was cursed to be always late and needs Alistair's help because he can arrive on time.

I wished his interest/talent for riddles was more important in the WONDERLAND plotline

I just wanted them to be more relevant honestly. Their friend group deserved to be flesh out!

[sunnysidesevenup]

Rambling about Che’nya/Idia/Ali because I don’t talk about them enough </3 I still don’t have a ship name for them 😔

- Che’nya and Ali were fast friends since they met in first year, and started dating in their second year! They were initially both nervous to bring up being poly to each other and then it was basically the Spider-Man meme lmao. As long as they communicate they’re both fine if they date other people!

- Ali is super forward in basically any relationship—friendship OR romance—so yeah she would totally just see Idia, go “oh he looks like one of my fav book characters” and then immediately ask him out. She’s not particularly shy about asking people out on dates—that’s how you get to know people, right?

- Che’nya was initially just gonna cheer him on but then he saw Idia and was like, wait actually…. so he went too lmao 😭

(neither of them just EXPECT other people to date both of them, they’re both just really forward so they might as well ask him out and see what happens.)

- Idia thinks they’re playing a prank on him of course. And yet somehow they weasel his number out of him. And add him to a group chat. And then are texting him every day? And encouraging him to go on rants about things he likes? And consistently flirting with him? ….this must be a VERY long joke.

- Ali rambles about her interests so often and with no hesitation and Che’nya still seems happy with him (even when it sounds like complete nonsense), so Idia then feels a bit less scared to do so to.

- Che’nya is good at video games! Sort of. He’s good at the technical aspects of them, although he sometimes gets bored while playing.

- Ali is NOT good at video games but loves the story heavy ones.

- together they make the worst backseat gamers ever. ESPECIALLY IF THE GAME HAS MULTIPLE ROUTES.

- Idia believes only Ali is interested in dating him at first and that Che’nya is just sort of taking pity on him and being supportive of his partner. At one point Ali has to cancel last minute but the two of them are already there, so Idia is like: “well, should we… leave?” to which Che’nya looks at him in absolute horror.

- “WE’VE BEEN DATING THIS WHOLE TIME TOO??” “YES??”

- the wonderland pair constantly hype Idia up to like. an insane degree. They WILL forcibly raise his self esteem, it WILL happen.

- Ali gets into cosplay because of Idia, which is… exceptionally bad for his heart lol. Stop dressing like his favorite characters!!! He’ll die!!

- Che’nya understands both Ali’s weird riddle-like way of speaking AND Idia’s geek internet speak, meaning he is the only translator for them sometimes. However, no one can translate for Che’nya, so he gets to maintain his “reputation of nonsense” (his words)

- sleepovers are the best dates for these three, except when to actually go to bed. near impossible.

- they argue about who to date in otome games constantly. Ali actually got so upset once that she didn’t speak to them for like a week because Che’nya and Idia outvoted them 😭

- Ali is the tallest! Che’nya is the shortest lol.

- they steal each other’s clothes all the time. Idia only does so on accident, though—usually he only wears Che’nya’s because Ali’s are too recognizable.

- Ali will randomly prefer to be called Alistair some days. Idia likes to call this their “mysterious full title”

- they are all very dumb and cute together and I love them anshgshsh okay that’s all for now <3

[pestorik]

I love your AU so much, it's so cute!

I need to know what kinds of adventures Adeuce gets up to with their caterpillar. The name Absolem comes to mind (or perhaps Alistair?) just because that's what the caterpillar from Tim Burton's Alice is named, if you're wanting to keep with that theme.

I'd love to see what Octavinelle looks like in your AU (they're my favorites!!!) but take your time, and make it how you want it to be. You're doing wonderful work!

im shocked i actually forgot about there being a caterpillar in alice in wonderland. absolem sounds a bit too serious imo, i was imaging a cutesy name to match his appearance lol. im considering "fozzy" like fozzy the bear.

putting this under the cut for those who want to read my very sane ramblings

I imagine A+D adventures would be very much in the vein of the original AT episodes with every one having a new storyline and introducing new characters, and then later episodes having those characters come back and revealing more backstory/becoming more involved in the overall plot (ie magic man, slime princess, etc). and then ofc a more "core" cast with more frequently occurring characters like heartslabyul and maybe some other first years. It would definitely be ace and deuce-centric with them driving most of the interactions and then gradually having more and more episodes that arent just about them.

in my head riddle introduction goes like this: A+D are native to the garden kingdom and are doing their regular stupid shit. that day it just happens to be doing parkour in the royal gardens. riddle comes along and is ofc furious and being the overreactive little freak that he is, banishes them from the kingdom. that's how they meet cater, who introduces them to trey, and they eventually kick riddles ass and its revealed he has a very controlling mother who influences his behavior. riddle realizes the error of his ways and they all team up and usurp her. riddle takes over the kingdom and is now mostly an ally.

trust me i love riddle and a lot of other characters but almost everyone would start out as being a cartoon villain bc that's just the nature of AT. leona is a prince but has no real political power so spends his days bullying civilians. epel has been enslaved by an evil witch (vil) and needs the help of A+D to beat him up, but after vil's defeat epel understands him better and becomes his apprentice by choice. jack the wolf seems hostile at first but they learn he is actually a human who has been cursed and he spends like the entire series trying to break the curse and you only get to see him human in the very last episode lol. everyone will be a silly character with silly problems but overall still sympathetic and relatable. it will have some sad and heartfelt moments but mostly remain lighthearted (just like AT). these are cartoony, oversimplified representations of canon twst, not meant to be realistic takes or a deep dive into mental illness.

i'll be working on octavinelle once i finish savanclaw (they will all be in order) but azul is going to be the octopus wizard and he has 2 evil henchmen. they run a successful seafood restaurant as a front for their magical crime ring. or maybe A+D defeat them and convince them to go into the food business instead of organized crime and they find out they are really good at it lol

[shallowseeker]

Okay, so, while I was thinking about love and love

and the big black hole that can't be filled with food or drink or even with sex (the black hole = being unworthy of LOVE).

I started thinking about the Cupid in My Bloody Valentine and specifically how Dean relates to love, and love.

It's a normal psychological thing, especially when we're very young people, that when we start to fantasize about "love," for it to look like familiar things in our lives, or even movies that we've seen.

Like most people, Dean's fantasy "Love" comes as a montage of all familiar things in his life: for the djinn, it's the specter of Carmen, a cookie-cutter recipe of a dream-woman he saw in a magazine. The male siren is a reflection of ALL of his familiar, more stable relationships: Dean himself, Bobby's quips, John's love language in the form of Led Zeppelin, Sam's non-threatening safety and stability.

It's normal for a young person to imagine an immature love as a constellation of all these things, especially for Dean at this moment, coming off the heels of intense, long-lasting sexual assault where he may not want intimacy per se (s3-4, in See Alistair and his time in Hell; also I can’t help but think of s7’s self-pep-talk with regards to Dean's bluster versus his actual behavior: "Come on, Dean. This is what you do.")

And the funny thing is that real love sometimes pulverizes all our former expectations and fantastical illusions. Dean won't be falling for someone exactly like himself in terms of personality, or someone who mimes all the lyrics of Led Zeppelin, or someone who looks like a white picket fence ideal from a magazine, or someone "safe" where Dean gets to control the relationship terms so that it can never let him down.

But we do see Dean cling to the Led Zeppelin story as a symbol of "Love,” especially with regard to Mary and John, because it's something he believes in. Throughout his life, Dean'll use Led Zeppelin to say things he can't easily shape with words.

///

So, what's my point?

My Bloody Valentine is an episode specifically about Dean craving love.

And love is not something you can go out and get.

Love is a nebulous thing, not as simple as food or drink or sex. And it's a horrendous emptiness to not only lack love, but to feel you're unworthy of it. (Of course, the black hole is ALSO grief.)

That's the deep, dark nothing, isn't it? It is afraid of being seen and rejected.

And THAT'S why the Cupid enters the scene to cast doubt. The Cupid storyline exists to make Dean doubt that REAL love even exists. This makes the emptiness seem even more hopeless, because if LOVE isn't even real, how can the longing inside of him ever be filled?

The Cupid says Mary and John were the "perfect" couple, which was a lie, even based on what we've seen. (Personally, I think it's a metaphor for the "limerance" phase of all relationships.) No couple is perfect, and John and Mary certainly weren't. No love is perfect, and it's riddled with mistakes.

As Dean grows wiser, he chafes against these concepts of perfection and emptiness. It's as he tells Jack in Optimism 14x06 in DIRECT contrast to Harper's "It'll be perfect":

DEAN - Eh, Actually love can get crazier than that. And it might get crazier with Harper still out there. But, uh, you did good, kid....okay, alright. It's not about being right. Kay? You're gonna make mistakes, hell, I make them all the time. But it's how you handle yourself once you've made those mistakes and you've learned from them.

That's a cheat code for Dean's older, wiser feelings about mature, lasting love, and it's a direct mate to both Harper's "no-baggage, never-let-me-down perfectionism"... and AU Michael's nihilism, which will occur just 4 episodes after this in 14x10:

MICHAEL!DEAN: (Castiel) "gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition." Or whatever. But since then, what has he done? Only made mistakes, one after the other.

Love isn’t about always-and-never statements. Those are the warning signs of figments. Love isn’t about being right, or never making mistakes, or never having baggage, or never letting another person down. It’s about resilience. About picking yourself up and trying again.

Paraphrasing Metatron and Gabriel, about humans:

“They don’t give up, but you do!”

Indeed, Chuck appeals to Amara to “give up” with the concept of starting fresh, of “no baggage.”

Chuck destroys his works in a fit of lethal perfectionism.