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seb-owns-these-tatas · 4 years ago

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Witcher of the Night (Chapter 20.1)

THIS IS MODERN ERA READER WHO WOKE UP IN THE DIMENSION OF THE WITCHER.

DOUBLE UPDATE FOR A WEEK Y’ALL! MWAH MWAH! PLEASE DO LEAVE A FEEDBACK BEFORE YOU GO---OR MAYBE A REBLOG WILL BE NICE FOR MY EFFORT. Hehehe. Thank y’all!

CHAPTER 20

WOTN MASTERLIST

Characters: Geralt of Rivia x small!Naive!Reader

Summary: Sometimes other people's stories were actually not just a tale of fantasies when the protagonist in the story can't even give you an answer to soothe your insecurity, curiosity and fear over being alone in a dimension you didn't belong in.

Warnings: Soft, touchy and caring Geralt. Insecure and anxious reader. Brooding witcher. Baths with the witcher? Mention of Yennefer. Nudity. Angst. Geralt being too blunt and saying...things. Heh. Don't hate him later please? 😥😘 Mention of Parallel Universe. Doppelganger. Ingrith is just a character I made up, alright? she ain't a part of Yennefer's story in the games, books or show.

Words: 7.6k

A/N: So, Yeap. I wanted to leave ya with all these angst. Hehehe. COMMENTS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED! MWAH! *waits for comments about people cursing Geralt lmao 😂😂* @casualfansoul You’ve been such a sweetheart! BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE! I hope you’ll love this chapter dedicated to you! Mwah!

TAGLIST IS STILL OPEN FOR THIS ONE! Heehee! Don’t forget to REBLOG, COMMENT OR GIVE FEEDBACK IF YOU DID LOVE THIS CHAPTER! IT’LL MAKE ME SMILE! Sorry for the grammatical errors and such because English isn’t my mother tongue! PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK AFTER READING, BB! This is kinda a rough draft. I apologize for many errors.

Disclaimer: PNG’s and pictures used in edits are not mine even the GIF’s too. However, the edits and this fanfic is definitely from moi. Character development and personalities are based from my understanding and how I want them to be.(Credits to those who made the GIF’s. Some don’t have their watermarks included. I don’t remember where I’ve saved the others from)

MY WORKS ARE NOT NOT NOT NOT NOOOOOOT TO BE POSTED ON ANY OTHER WEBSITES. My official username in Wattpad is “TATATHEPOTATO” and that’s the only other site I have for writing aside from Tumblr. Thank you, Tater tots!

"Will you tell me why you are utterly cranky all of a sudden?"

Face to face with the rim of the wooden bath, you've had your knotted brows in a twist. Pout oh-so-long that Geralt knew as he sat behind you, seeking answers for your upset state. He'd gotten you out of your clothes; forcefully must you say. Earning a glare from him as he was peeling your clothes away like he was caring for his sick, pouty child.

No complaints were accepted as he'd given you the idea to care for your wounds in the tub. Downright secretive about wanting to feel the comfort of your nudity grazing against his without any monkey business going on.

The witcher has received constant grumbles and whines of protests as he poured the potent medicine that evaporated through the fresh wounds; painful enough for you to shriek while his arm surrounding your waist tightened with every whimper of your sobbing self; shushing your cries with a soft coo of his endearment on your ear and the feathery nuzzle of his nose against that tiny spot behind your ear while he soothes your pains.

They've fully had injured your back with more than just wallops. He'd knew by the looks of the lesions, the people in the castle has even burnt your skin with metal; scorching metal that has given you scars that would forever haunt oneself. The mere thought tormenting him by their brutal punishments; keeping him all in wonder when he has never received any violent retorts and schemes from you as they did everything in their willpower to strike a hand. Your submission making the witcher glower behind as Geralt caught sight of such deep wounds whilst taking off the gauze; seeing blood seeping out of the healing skin as it was a sign that he really and badly needed to treat your body.

Sobs were emitted while he watched your wounds dry from the potion he'd mix, receiving kisses on the cold, sweating nape of yours every now and then. A gesture that Geralt started doing when you were shrieking in the midst of being poured by such elixir while you felt his breath on your skin. Sweetly kissing through your pain and lowly humming that you were going to be okay and you've been good.

It felt like all the energy downed on you after he'd stop and was done pouring the elixir everywhere around your body. The warm water lining on your chest turned colder when you've slowly leaned your back on Geralt, hissing from the soreness but actually ending up loving the warmth that he could only give while he kept his burly arm around you, your lips still in a pout while staring at the bed from the far corner of the room; basking in the witcher's silence before he asked.

His question gotten you unready for an honest answer as he bluntly shot the query out, planning to resolve the problem with you in the best way that he thought. Being forthright.

"Hmm." you hummed back in displeasure, sounding exactly the same like how he does.

The corner of his lips lifted in a small smirk, his voice vibrating at the back of your head and against his chest. The buzz keeping you calm and at ease rather than being alone in the castle when he haven't arrived yet. Your anxiety giving you such trauma that made you want to sob again.

But, Geralt's distraction to stifle your cries has technically been useful when he felt you sigh again, watching your face from above and behind to see a frown etching to grow. He heedlessly fetched a cup of water with the palm of his hand, delicately pouring your cheek with water as he gruffly quipped.

"That's my line. Not yours, Midget."

Geralt repeated his gestures with you, lightly damping your hair with water as he gently brushed your tousled wet hair with the spaces of his fingers, keeping them light and comforting which made you lean back a lot more, accepting his gentleness after being physically whacked in harsh moments prior before he came around---your purpose of being upset has now been forgotten by his unfamiliar gestures that was tickling your spine with ants racing on your skin because of how his actions was giving you cavity. A sweet tooth.

Just being held so softly felt good in real life---you didn't know how comforting it feels even back in earth, but right now was just the right time to feel how you would yearn for it when Geralt wouldn't be around.

"I told you, before I even realized that you were important to me was after you've made a wish to the Djinn."

Your swollen cheek fell on the skin of his biceps; sighing while you stared out of nowhere and finally held onto his arm surrounding your waist, keeping you still and steady in his arms. His nudity becoming not much of a problem for you now because it was an experience that you could never forget; eventually having the privilege in familiarizing his body just like how a lover does while he did the same to you.

Though, his imperfect beauty could still get you blushing nevertheless as he liked seeing yours no matter how insecure you get---but he seemed to admire your nakedness a lot which he received with a 'men versus boobs' explanation that his kind of gender would always love the idea of breasts no matter how big or small as the same goes for a vagina.

You'd received a pleased hum after that and also some horny witcher begging and trying his best to get your clothes off in his sneaky techniques.

"I know. I'm sorry I was cranky, Geralt."

The white wet-haired witcher pursed his lips, looking down at your face as you've felt his gaze heavy while he calmly spoke.

"It's...alright. But, must it be for Eanraig to see and hear?"

You've given him another sincere, sweet and soft apology. Caressing your thumb over the top of his scarred hand which was under the waters and he'd let you graze over the tiniest marks on his fingers and palms, swaying under the bath water. Breathing calm and collected while he stayed in bath with you; cherishing such moment again that could get his chest feeling the lightest out of all the times he lived in the continent; more freeing to than the one he had with a particular sorceress whom he had also been connected with; via Djinn.

His free hand lifted away from leaning onto the edge of the tub, reaching down to sweep your hair to the side. Clearing the space on your neck and such wounds from the shoulder blades, others being a scar from his potent medicine that he has poured.

"I remembered your skin clearly in the back of my head. Thoroughly silk like a bairn's bum,"

He paused, prolonging the silence as he gently danced his fingers on the skin of your shoulders; too tender that it began to lick your spine, igniting the tiniest shiver when you've felt the soft, warm feathery feeling of his lips giving your painted shoulder a peck of his specific comfort that he only gives to people who have turned his world a much better place than how much of a hell it has been.

"Now, you are scarred." Geralt grumbled against your skin, giving one last kiss and making everything all worth while as he was still around. Continuously denouncing what they've done to his family---even beating Jaskier to pulp.

"---They've...turned you like me,"

You've slightly turned your head to see his amber eyes withdrawn from reality. Thoughts probably plaguing his mind while he scowled. A simple purse of your lips, suggesting to receive a small, quick buss has Geralt dipping his head down to sweetly smack your lips to his, letting him feel that you were there; finally there with him physically and he didn't need to worry.

Thus, it was just like that. Geralt and his presence, including such soft gestures that you rarely receive nor see that he does for anyone and a soundly kiss has let the upset feelings go away, simply just like that.

Even though, he has never confessed any love yet---this was forging you both to understand what connection you have for each other. Though, clearly unspecific and undistinguished. Or was this his type of love? a love never needed to be told for it can be felt?

The question here, does he even love you? was this love?

Partially turning around in his arms to see him gazing back at you, Geralt seemed to be nonplussed and introverted with his thoughts. Keeping words to himself while he was giving you a solemn frown of his face, examining your swollen eye that you tried pulling him out of his regret and blames with a quirky tone of your voice; sounding like nothing has happened to you nor have you been battered to bruising limbs.

"When are you going to leave?"

"After I take care of you, midget." he deeply murmured, watching you like a hawk with golden eyes as the candle light was making his eyes glow prettier than usual. You grabbed a handful amount of water with your palms, arms sore as you reached up to pour water on his face that surely gotten a deep, complain of his humming when it made him close his eyes from the uninvited rainfalls of liquid.

The fading colored grime has been softly scrubbed off by the pad of your damp thumbs over the apples of his cheeks. His gaze was utmost heavy, shooting you a warm, loving sensation on your chest; surrounding the fading Cicatrix that somehow turned insipid after the nights before with the witcher.

You couldn't help but notice his grouching and grumpy self as he scanned your face with an affectionate flicker in his amber that made you tut. The gentleness you were giving was a thorough unfamiliar feeling he always received from you despite of your negative characteristics---though, he doesn't mind it at all---sometimes, he does but that was beyond the point when he felt comfort from you and aspire to give it back despite of not knowing what and how comfort is to a witcher.

"Stop being such a wild cat---Let me guess, you haven't gotten to have your nap again?"

Geralt huffed out a breath of complaint. A short, low growl that made you giggle quickly when you wiped his face with your fingers; playfully glaring at how you were bathing him.

"When did I ever?"

"It seems like you haven't had it last night again---Stop scowling like you want to strangle me," you lightly poked the dimples of his nose that got him deeply growling his protests. His expressions completely emotionless as he turned his face to avoid your play-time; considering on biting your fingers off to stop annoying the heck out of him.

Howbeit, Geralt went on in silently letting you touch his face. Mesmerized by how his scars really never affected his beauty and probably added perfection over his gorgeousness. The witcher mutely let you trace the bridge of his nose and the scars on his face whilst intently staring at your face in return.

"---Until you came along," he surprisingly continued the topic, never breaking his gaze as he'd seen you lean closer to his face. The tangy scent he was familiar in recognizing from you, mixing with the medicine on your skin. Yet, it didn't stop him to wait for what you had in mind. Your bruised, healing lips brushing against his that made both of your chests tingly for over such sweet intimacy that you've both eventually become accustomed with.

Geralt pursed his lips for your thirsts to calm down; such desperate feeling that both parties yearned for. A twee, syrupy connection of your lips on his---a kiss that made warmth spread through you like an angel's halo trying to make you holy and worth for his affections.

Men in your world will certainly not impress you anymore. Geralt of Rivia has raised the bars of what men should be---he'd ruined the normality of what you expected from such gender because you believed that they may not reach the level of what you've felt for him.

Love as you may see now.

But, it can be quite blurry of a picture for a future that you do not hold or knew how it'll be for the both of you because you've teleported as a miracle that nobody expected to receive.

"If I---If I die---" your pessimist self started to run your mouth over Geralt. Yet, he was quick to cut you off with a sullen chide and an avoidance of your gaze with a grumpy sigh.

"Stop. Don't." he groused with the mouth ends pulled down, "---You're not going to die,"

"What if I do?"

His eyes turned penetrating as if he wanted to tell how much you are wrong about that argument. Those cat-eyes of his; sharp and making a stand for the idea he didn't want to accept.

"I will never let that happen. They can have me hunt down whatever they want, even slice a throat of a nobleman or a monster but I will never let anything happen to you,"

The witcher gently scooped water with a palm of his hand, pouring them over your face. Coming forth with a scrub of it as he shoved his large palm that made you shriek against his hold while he lightly scoured your face as a gesture to clean you more inside the bath; avoiding your healing bruises.

"---I don't want to hear that again while I give you a bath,"

Darkness suddenly turned into seeing Geralt's stony stare after being suffocated by his hand that was suddenly shoved on your face, "I'm sorry," you immediately tried to woo over his vexation, your face wet from the bath water he tried to rinse you in, an involuntary response of your arms slipping around his bare waist shocked your consciousness because of how touchy-feely you've become around him.

The latter welcomed your apology and touches, humming in appeasement for your quick sorry; knowing your way with him and reading that he could not tolerate such physical-contact from you without liking the feel of your skin, you've leaned your body more to him---your naked chests flushed together that got him curling his lips in a small smile whilst feeling your forehead fall on the side of his neck, nuzzling with an apology.

"I-I didn't mean to upset you,"

Quietude embraced you both. Sitting in a tub. Entirely bare for each other to see but it was so wholesome for the betterment of your relationship with him; nurturing what understanding you both have for each other, not entirely specific nor knowing what it is. As a matter of fact, you do know what you felt for him, but not the other way around.

"She..She isn't a queen in my world,"

Bamboozle screamed inside his eyes for your statement, his fingers gliding along the small of your back under the waters as he hummed in curiosity.

"Hmm?"

You've remember the time that the queen has visited your cell. Retched between the hatch of the door came in view was your kind boss who wore the finest set of golden, silk, long gown with rich trimmings. She stopped by to check on your victimized state with a glaze of ignorance in her eyes. She didn't care for your condition because if so, she wouldn't have left the slammer with a quiet scoff.

Out of all the people who could turn out evil was a queen in Geralt's world and a boss you've highly given respect to.

Nonetheless, in this world; it seemed to be like the opposite personalities of how people had been in your world.

"Your queen. Queen Makeda. She's named Angela Cincinnati. The boss of mine who also works in the pizza parlor that I'm in,"

Geralt has leaned back on the edge of the tub in a relaxed posture, lifting his other hand every now and then to pour water on your hair that tickled your insides because of how cold the water has been already. His warmth being your therapy while thinking such hypothetical answers for what mysteries that the continent has been giving you. Jotting down possibilities that a typical earthling could try to guess like they were watching a very interesting movie.

"Does this mean I have someone who looks like me in this world too?" pause. "---Does she have a better life than me?"

Your witcher cocked his head to the side as he was in deep thought over the woman who looked like you. His mouth opening and closing for whatever shit he wanted to say because Savia has been the person who ruined your future by creating such crimes being pointed at you because you looked like her twin.

"Worse. I can say that you had a better life than her and also complicated yours at the same time," he gravely informed.

"My doppelganger then? have you already seen her?"

"Will you try to find her if I say yes?"

"No. I...don't wanna scare her with this drama movie I'm in."

You've leaned away from Geralt and his consoling cuddles, trying hard to rip your body away from him when all you wanted was to bask in his own embrace. Splashing your face with more bath water, he'd given you a curious glint of his eyes. Fixating his gaze on your bare form, subtly sliding his focus on the depths of your neck and wanting nothing more than to give more sweet busses of care. Geralt ignored the modern reference you've muttered about being in a movie and found it more interesting to appreciate the nudity you've freely have been giving him.

It's not like you were naked all the time. The witcher snickered to himself; appreciating the best view of you that he can ever get.

"The water's cold now. Are we done?" you softly whispered, the thought of your doppelganger out there; like a twin from another mother and dimension that you didn't expect to have. It was interesting to know, but frightening to actually see the real her because people like your doppelganger who lived in the medieval era might not be a great sight for the woman.

Geralt grabbed onto the end of the tub, whisking a thin, Ivory robe that was made of silk as he deeply grumbled, "Stand."

You've stood on your feet, hopping off the tub entirely dripping wet from the bath water; feeling eyes heavy on your body and raking over your nudity from behind. The heat started to rise up your face again, making you clear your throat when you've turned your body to grab onto the robe that Geralt has reached out for you. His keen peepers grabbing the chance to shamelessly rake your body in silence.

He'd received no refusal or a loud scolding after thinking it through that he had the liberty of doing so; also, the idea being a gift after trying to protect you from any harm and sacrificing over an endless hunt just for the Kaedwenians to cease their punishments.

"Hmm. A movie. I missed watching one. Though, It's not like if I ask you to go on a date with me again, Geralt---A movie date this time---watching a movie with you will never happen," you turned your head at your front, slipping your arms inside the short sleeves while tightening the knot around your waist; frowning when the witcher couldn't see your face. The truth beginning to bother you when problems began to rise and for such abrupt topic that lingered along your consciousness.

"---Because you and I both live in different worlds, it's like they collide."

Geralt kept his mouth hushed. The loud splash of water echoing around the room when he left the wooden tub; strolling behind to promenade past you. His stark-naked self never bothering him after the night you both had each other. Basking in more of his nudity especially when he slept; knowing that he was mentally complaining over how reserved he needed to be while you slept beside him, his clothes very uncomfortable because of the heat he was feeling.

Basically, he did not know the meaning of clothes after the night of ravish; constantly taking his slumbers in the nude as he covertly tried to wrench them off you as well with his witcher needs.

His bare back and derriere was displayed before you, the distinct foramen of his brawny back giving you a loud greeting as he grabbed onto his trousers on the end of the bed, lending his ear and slipping on his leather pants that was bursting through the seams because of his thick thunder thighs and curvacious derriere.

"My world and yours, they sound like a parallel universe that I completely don't understand even back in earth, it's too complicated to know---too scientific for my thriving brain,"

Quick panic-stricken questions were sent to the witcher; the motion of the words hasty and apprehensive because of such negative ideas forming inside your head; skyrocketing like a plague in your mind while Geralt wore his breeches, not trying to take cover in front of you.

You couldn't help but shift your eyes constantly at Geralt and the queen sized bed, his gigantic biceps straining along his movements while buttoning his pants; lowly grunting from each pull of the hem to fit his curvaceous, muscled arse that you couldn't help but clear your throat, forgetting what you needed to say for a second and being distracted over your trembling anxiety.

You eyes took heed of the opened windows where the brisk wind was slipping in a breeze, seeing how you could see the pale moon from afar. A guess telling you that the room was in a high place. In a few short strides, you've looked out of the window, peering up the Tartarean night sky to meet the moon in its full glory, finding no flaw that you were in a different planet and not yours.

Confusing and complicated to understand in your human perspective because nothing human was basically being shown as you lived in their world.

"This...This is your earth. Your continent. While my earth out there also exists without any one of you knowing. What if I have a count down while I stay in your world---what will happen to me---would I get to stay alive forever in this world when I have been too dependent over you?"

Heavy strides alarmed you for Geralt's presence who loomed behind your back. His mouth curled down when he has heard your questions; feeling no trust in between you both, hesitance scrambling your way and filling your heart when it hasn't been there before you even came to the castle. It was baffling him for your curiosity and determined self to seek answers when he has no answer to it at all.

The sorceress has probably told stuff to you, he silently thought as he brushed a hand over your arm and clothed shoulder. The roughness of his palm colliding against your bruised ones as he tries his best to provide what you needed; not knowing what because of how he does not understand this kind of relationship with women because it has always been typically greed, lust or a needed release to calm his overly mutations.

Except for you, Yennefer or Renfri because he actually really cares.

"Do you not want me to protect you?" he gravely mumbled behind, seeming to be slightly taking umbrage after hearing the queries.

"You're only doing this because you have no other choice just like how you've told the king that I was your betrothed when it isn't true at all,"

How sure were you to say that it wasn't true?

Reflecting and debating his thoughts over your judgement, Geralt marred an agonized frown that creased his forehead. He rarely does claim such label but he didn't regret the action after hearing how it made the king lessen the punishments for you; excluding all planned damnation. The witcher had no explanations about the moment he had called you his betrothed nor did he want whatever you were thinking about his actions.

Hence, it instantly made him cantankerous when he hasn't been feeling it before you opened that mouth of yours again.

"You think I have done it with a purpose I don't understand," he incoherently rumbled in his baritone timbre. Slightly pulling away from his own touch on yours to turn around and walk through the end of the bed to wear and grab onto his armor and under shirt, half naked with a straining back; all rigid and stressing under the skin.

"Geralt---"

"With the mishaps of my world and yours, if I ask you to stay; will you leave your kingdom?"

He'd turn his foot around to see him slip the under tunic over his head, the scowl prominent making him appear stony; dour and solemn. His eyes eager while it reflects the candle light on the side of the bed. Reading through the golden hues lay a pining greed that the witcher never knew he craves for; such hungering he does not know that he wanted to find and receive when it was his own faults over not having it because when he feels a deeper connection with someone, the white wolf suddenly becomes disfunctional; pushing her away because of not spitting the truth about his feelings.

He was capable of it; having feelings over another. Love as people may describe but he was in denial and can be reflective, the processing quite slower than usual because he had never received love through out his lifetime; not even a mother who actually cared.

No one.

You didn't understand him; what he really wanted to say or do because his words were spoken on a race track, passing through the chuckholes that could get you knowing what his true feelings were.

Was he letting you stay out of love or out of pity that you were lost, vulnerable and needed adoption?

"Do you believe in love, Geralt?" you've countered back, feeling the warmth spread around your chest for skipping around bushes over the real meaning behind your words; sounding like a confession if he was smart enough. The warmth spreading through like wildfire, scathing your skin as it felt like it was burning from the reality you were seeing.

"---Or are you only doing this because of the Djinn incident? you're only feeling this way for me because I came around while Yennefer isn't?"

The latter gave a grim frown upon the mention of her name. Just like how he always does when Jaskier says her name when it shouldn't been uttered. Now, it was your turn to give a grouch. Your feigned smile joyless when Geralt was unblinking from your unexpected argument.

Was this true love you have with him? Did he even feel the same way when he can't even say the word at all? or will you both hate each other until it grows into spite?

Will you eventually be killed by the hands of a man you love as said by Eanraig's understanding over the curse set between?

"I've heard from the sorceress that you have been finding Yennefer from her a month before I came along and that this connection I had with you also had been the same with that Vengerberg. What if she comes back around? what will happen to me?"

Ingrith has said more information than you can bear. You weren't just physically pained but also mentally as well for whatever bullcrap she wanted to address. Palms over your ears were the only solution to shut the truth off as it echoed around the dungeon. She'd smirked when you've whimpered from the stones, the back of your sweater drenched in blood for using hardened sticks which had pointy twigs; never believing what they were doing to you as they also tried to throughly kick your stomach.

The men who were ordered to do so had no idea why they've been commanded to batter your torso, but you knew it had something to be involved with the cunning sorceress because of how she'd given another dagger of her gaze lingering on your middle like you would magically grow a baby inside of it when it was impossible from the start because of Geralt's infertility.

The witcher was like a bomb about to detonate. Though, the explosion never came other than a tight clench of his jaw. Geralt was wearing a lour like a bad omen over being interrogated; debating over answering the confusing truth that left him debating over himself as well. He has never remembered the sorceress until you've mentioned her; remembering that he'd taken full measures to even try finding Yennefer's long lost cousin for a plan to get back with her and earning nothing in return.

"You're blathering complete nonsense, Midget. You've also been listening to Ingrith when I told you not to. She's cunning and will do anything to ruin you---kill you,"

Your mouth turned upside down; tighter and pensive for being swerved again, "You didn't answer my question." an exasperated huff was let out, "---she was once important to you. I've heard from your bard; you had adventures with her, shared powerful moments that are exactly the opposite of what we are having---she's the first woman you've loved. A powerful, independent lady that you will never regret having in your life because she can defend everyone---and I'm...just me,"

You didn't know what has gotten to you. The insecurities lighting up the sky, constantly reminding you that his existence can be a mere catch of your dreams because he was too good to be true---or jealousy infecting your blood into thinking that he would leave you alone when he never had yet?

Perhaps, it may be how proud Jaskier has told you that she was powerful that it has intimidated you. Her name seems to be beautiful and there was no doubt she was when he has been avoiding of hearing her name.

He had probably been devoted of Yennefer when a tight frown couldn't be erased upon the lips you have been kissing---thoughtlessly thinking that it was genuine or had any meaning to it.

"Really, what am I to you? "

"My home. Also equally important."

"More important than her? Do you dream of her?"

"You know I don't---not anymore."

Not anymore, he said. So, he does dream of her before.

Crossing your arms over your chest, your fingers went straight to the sleeves, anxiously rubbing over the silk against each other for the dreading beats of your heart, your eyes turning to look away as you quietly spoke; highly aware of an expected rejection.

"If I tell you what I really feel about you, will you give me an answer?" you softly spoke to the chilly air embracing your fidgety form.

"---Because then, you will know my answer about staying in this world you're in."

You've turned your head to see him wearing a permanent pucker of his brows, veiled with furrows of indifference and a look of betrayal. Your bluntness being a detriment because of giving an indefinite answer as well, avoiding his question and misunderstanding the sour expression on your face a while ago.

"Is it hate? Disgust?" he gruffly gnarled. His attitude turning colder like an executioner's ax, unaware of the slight wince on your face because of how glazed he appeared to be.

"---because I am highly aware of what people see of me. I am at loss for what Ingrith must've told; lies or what may result that I am seeing you look at me like I've cast the Djinn's curse on you when you have never looked at me like that at all,"

He spat those words with a sardonic drip of his tongue. The frown darkening his expression more than it ever was.

"Don't blame me on this one, Geralt. Don't shift my words like I think so lowly of you when you and I both don't know the real deal between us with the Djinn incident,"

Geralt loudly exhaled his breath through his nose, marching towards you with the face of an angry ape. Disbelieving what he was comprehending from you, saying that what you shared was beyond reality; like he has been told by it the second time. Your words inconspicuous of loudly saying that maybe what you were both feeling was magic after all; having the presence of the Djinn around for another relationship that he was having.

"You don't want to stay," he ceased his footsteps, looming before you. His irritation suddenly intimidating like a bulldozer when you realized he was bigger than he could get if he was mad at whatever you've done; or probably it was just your point of view because you were feeling small over his blaring anger.

"---Isn't that what you wanted to say?" Geralt emphasized much clearer this time, drawling his words with a hopeful hint that he just misunderstood you and he was right.

"What---? I didn't even said that! Give me a reason to stay then! I am in shambles for your way of thinking right now!"

He had a wide-legged stance; leaning onto more of your personal space while his Aureate eyes deeply stared into yours. Volatile and blazing as it looked like a fixed glare, baring his teeth as it curled---his fangs slipping through as he bluntly spoke.

"You aren't being entirely forthright,"

You couldn't help but cross your arms tighter against your chest, shuffling on your feet as you mentally gasp from his retort. Defensive as his attitude was beginning to irritate you too.

"Well, you aren't being forthright too!"

Geralt huffed before you. Momentarily scoping out the ceilings before peering down and staring right back with blazing peepers. Though, the witcher has never raised his voice on you when you've did. But, you knew he was fuming; seething deep inside, "I don't know what's wrong with you." he gravely mumbled to himself, steaming up from your sudden, churlish attitude.

"---you're a cherub for a while then acting hostile the next. Is this your pathetic insecurity talking or you just hate me all of a sudden?"

Your eyes instantly went wide open and jaw falling slack at how he'd open his mouth. Raising a finger to his chest as you slightly backed away.

"You're calling my insecurity pathetic?" you uttered in disbelief, swallowing hard for having to hear him be this way---though, you knew he was capable of being such because of how blunt he was. But, he was never mean to you as much as calling your insecurity pathetic. Tight lips were given to the witcher who had his chest puffed out for his own frustrations and repulse.

"---Also, aren't you the one who said that maybe this whole thing is actually just the Djinn effects before you've even---! Even---!?" put his pickle in a jar. Wreck the punani. Ravished you in bed. Shared Netflix and Chill despite having no Netflix in their world.

You shook your head for stammering, quietly growling for the annoyance he'd given after basically taking care of you---expecting that it was done out of love, just like how you've first initially thought of staying forever by his side when he has asked you to stay in their world regardless of the consequences and disadvantages.

"What's next then? My anxiety is childish for you too? nonsense?" pause. "---You don't even know what I mean---and even have no idea about what feelings I was talking about. You can't even tell me what happened between you and Yennefer without disregarding my question or avoiding the topic---or even cut Jaskier off!"

Standing akimbo, you've narrowed your eyes, tilting your chin to the fullest because of his skyscraper height. The displeasure shown from how your nose was twisted and from how you couldn't control your mouth from taking a marathon.

"If I shut up and never question you about things anymore then it just means that I don't care for you at all when I do so badly. Do you know what this means to me? Nobody has plagued my mind so hard---no other man has filled my mind with crazed thoughts. In my world, this means that I---"

Geralt immediately cut you off. His teeth bared and jaw set as he interrupted you out of the blue, catching you off guard.

"It must be for the better then," he rasped, clearly disgruntled for what he should respond to the quick blatter of your brain. His mind gripping so hard like wires being tightened.

"---It must be for the better that you tighten that mouth of yours because you don't know when to shut up sometimes,"

Geralt had a cloudy countenance from his sudden bark. Suddenly forgetting how to respond after hearing every word inside his head. He shouldn't have cut you off especially when you were about to say your secret---the one you've been delibitating over countless of times inside your head; making everything sure before saying those heartfelt words because it was three words that meant the world to you as it will be the first.

Yet, the witcher had to fuck everything up with his petulant mood.

Your clenched fists turned slack. Expression stolid with your throat tightly swallowing the bane sipping through your esophagus like it was being punished for even hoarding all your confidence over confessing what you've felt for the white wolf. You've rapidly blinked your hazy, cloudy eyes; your chest tightening because it was reading 'rejection' because of how Geralt wanted you to shut up.

Maybe, he didn't need to hear the confession at all.

Eyes cast downward; feeling the medicines he'd given you seep through your skin and making everything numb. You didn't expect the concoction to also numb your fragile heart, experiencing your first heart break. Your palms turned clammy over tightening them over. Passing beside Geralt and avoiding those eyes that was thoroughly regretting what has been said, the bed may seem to be a better place to faint on and cry yourself through the night rather than his comforting arms that you wouldn't get to reject if he'd say his apologies, trying to stop you from crying.

Hurriedly hiding your face away from him, you've sat on the bed with your back away from him. Your face like rain experiencing in the middle of thunder, utterly gloomy and despair for reading the signs in the opposite of what you didn't expect. Forgetting that love shouldn't be filled with expectations so disappointments may be less.

Your toes were scuffing against the carpet with a voice turning smaller, shaky as the tears were threatening to fall and it would be when Geralt decides to talk.

"I hope you didn't say that but...but considering my profound hearing tonight and how angry you made me feel, I suggest that you take care of that monster hunting of yours. I sincerely hope you find that witch. You can throw me away soon so you couldn't hear anything from me again, Geralt. You want me to zip it? I'll zip it, then. Don't bother talking to me if you genuinely don't want to,"

Everything would be perfect. This would've been a utopian scenery when your leading man decides to wrap his arms around you, comforting you from the verge of crying your heart out for his mistakes or for both of yours. But, Geralt was no leading man or a prince that he was highly opposing of. He was beyond repair or a man whom you needed to understand more than any normal one should because of how he was raised and created.

Geralt of Rivia was a witcher you couldn't understand. Hence, he was more human than he could ever get as he decided to be unresponsive. Silent and basking in his own regret. Just like a new potion he'd recently encountered, trying to decipher how it worked---knowing the ingredients to get you simmering down in no time.

It was a wrong word to say. Geralt was sure of it. He was beginning to argue with himself, grinding his own teeth together when he has seen your posture slouch. Your fingers fiddling with the sheets of the mattress, tightly holding them in your hands as you looked outside of the window from the side of the bed, avoiding his eyes.

Then, he heard familiar padded footsteps coming forth outside the doors of your chambers.

Eanraig. He was being requested to be seen for his upcoming hunt in a few hours.

Geralt was dreading to leave you in a state like this because he knew you were mad.

He heard loud taps against the locked door which has subtly make you turn your head towards the doorway without wholly turning your body. A frustrated growl reverberated around the four corners of the room---it was Geralt.

The latter tightly closed his fists on his sides, shooting daggers on your back who avoided giving him attention after his fuming episode, hearing the word 'fuck' slipping through his lips in such an exasperated bark to himself while he padded through the room and grabbed onto his belongings; his weapons and his resentment for such an argument that you blocked him in after receiving a petty, personal attack.

You've heard the lock sliding out of its hook. Swiftly turning on your bed, Geralt was already paving his way out of the door, heavily marching and begrudging. He'd open the door to reveal Eanraig raising an arm to knock a little more louder.

"The king requests for you, Geralt---"

The witcher gave a displeased, unmannerly grumble of his chest. A hum that surely given the druid an understanding that he was not in the best mood to talk, passing through Eanraig as he went straight out of the door with the nastiest scowl he has seen since the moment he arrived.

Lovers Quarrel. He mindlessly thought to himself, watching the witcher strut away and along the stoned hallways like he was bringing all the storm with him. Nobody would notice he was aggravated if they knew him better.

Eanraig quietly shut the door behind him, his eyes meeting your bleary ones that complimented the pouty frown growing more and more when you've realized Geralt left you all mad, never even intending to comfort you, ask what 'feelings' you meant or even bother to tell you that he didn't mean you were pathetic.

In a flash, you've gotten a queasy feeling inside of your stomach which made you grab onto your mouth, your face flinching as you suddenly stood up on your feet, "Little woman," the druid sauntered to where you've strolled---before the open windows as you shot your head out of it, retching after a little while before he was beside you, calmly patting your back to make you feel better.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just...nauseous. Thank you, Eanraig." wiping your mouth with the back of your palm, you've heaved exhausted breaths while the druid ushered you to sit on the bed. Talking in the midst of it, assuring him that it was nothing but just a stomach bug and feeling weary over it, "---Probably because they've beaten me to pulp,"

The Druid earnestly stared upon your pale face. Hands shaky as you grab onto the soft sheets, softly grazing them beneath the pad of your fingers, caressing with such feeble strength. Eanraig scrutinized your condition as you turned your head away with a face falling over your current fight with the witcher.

The latter languidly sat beside you, a genuine smile turning his eyes into crescent shapes that tells he was intrigued and amused over what signs was receiving from you especially the warm, tender aura radiating off you; more than what you can offer like you came in two's.

"Will you wholeheartedly accept the responsibility of being the mother of your witcher's child, little one?"

I hope you loved the double update, bb’s! FEEDBACKS ARE SO APPRECIATED!

Taglist for WOTN: (Strikethrough means you couldn’t be tagged, Bb. Please check your settings) @alyxkbrl @himarisolace @barkingbullfrog @ayamenimthiriel @hellodevilslittlesister @turkish276 @spookypeachx @grungelovebug @fangirl-inthe-us @nympeth @amirahiddleston @gabethelobster @dreaming-about-fanfictions @uncoolcloudyhead @melaninstylezz @psychosupernaturalhero @missjenniferb @dance-dreamer @marvelousell @kingniazx @angelias134 @tapismyforte @chook007 @covid-donotenter @deadlydemon @cheesecakeisapie @angelofthor @carrieannewaywardson, @plantingmum @stuckupstucky, @shesthelastjedi, @a–1–1–3, @gutfucks, @britty443, @suhke3, @shadowclawstudio88 @ruthoakenshield

Overall witcher taglist: @pizza-eater-i-ate-the-pizza, @crazybutconfidentaf

General taglist for Henry Cavill: @agniavateira, @iloveyouyen, @rahdaleigh, @silverkitten547 @henrythickcavill @kaatelyyynn @madelinelina, @summersong69, @raynosaurus-rex

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idkwhoiamanymorebutwtf · 4 years ago

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Amity absolutely in not going to choose the Emperor’s Coven over Luz.

I keep seeing it suggested that Amity’s ties to the Emperor’s Coven could become an issue. That she may decide supporting Luz isn’t as important as her ambitions related to the Coven. That she might chose to side with the Emperor’s Coven, causing a rift between her and Luz. However I don’t believe that for a second, and that’s for two reasons.

1.) Luz is, as of right now, the most important thing to Amity. It's always felt to me like Amity already chose Luz over everything else. Amity has sacrificed her own physical wellbeing, even putting her own life in danger, to help Luz in the past. There's no way Amity's parents approve of Luz so she's put her relationship with her parents, something she's worked desperately for, at risk just by liking Luz, but she continues to be around her. Amity was willing to throw out her social group for hurting Luz. Why wouldn't she follow the pattern and pick Luz over the Emperor's coven too? And I mean..she must know she'll have to. Amity knows that Luz is Eda's apprentice. She knows that Eda is wanted by the Emperor's Coven. She's gotta know that she'll have to pick between the two things eventually, right? And if her plan wasn't to eventually pick Luz when she had to make the choice, why would she have put Luz before her own physical wellbeing, before her social status, and before her abusive parents' wishes? Not to mention , Amity's greatest fear was being rejected by Luz. It wasn't her abusive family. It wasn't being denied by the Emperor's Coven. It was the idea that she could lose Luz. Which makes it pretty cut and dry what the most important thing to Amity is in the end. Amity has already been willing to put so much on the line for Luz. I feel like she isn't going to stop now. Especially since, tbh, it seems like Amity has never been happier than she is currently. Realistically if you were a normal person with a good strong support system and a healthy conviction to follow your dreams then you wouldn't be willing to risk your life and dream job for another person. However Amity isn't a very healthy person. Her family is abusive, her friends are cruel, etc. Amity made their goals for her into her own goals because she didn't feel like there was anything else out there for her, not becsuse she personally wants it. She wasn't happy. Until Luz was kind and optimistic and showed her the potential that there are good people out there. I mean, why do you think she latched onto Luz so quickly and has put her physical wellbeing, social status, and relationship with her family in jeopardy just through having feelings for Luz and standing by her so far? She's willing to do that because Luz is one of if not the only person in her life that isn't abusing her to some extent. She isn't going to act like a normal person with a good support system and healthy ambitions they care about because Amity isn't any of those things and right now Luz means so so so much to her by proxy of being the only person in her life who's good. I don't think she'd give that up for anything, speaking both from personal experience and from the behavior ive seen her exhibit as of late and how much she's already risked.

and

2.) Siding with the Emperor’s Coven would go against Amity’s strong sense of morality. Amity has been an incredible human being for her entire life. Every flashback we've seen of Amity has shown her as nothing but a good person. She was wrong to treat Willow the way she did, sure, but Amity did it all in an attempt to protect Willow and in the end how could anyone hate her for that? When she was told to befriend Boscha, Amity immediately refused, acknowledging that the other girl was mean, and for as long as the two were friends she never seemed to warm up to the cruel girl. When Amity accidentally got her Grudby teammates hurt she felt so horribly guilty that she quit playing forever. She's made mistakes cause she's a human being and people mess up sometimes, but I honestly think Amity has always been an admirable person. Why on earth would Amity ever support the Emperor’s Coven when she finds out what horrible things they’ve done? And some people suggest that while she’s not a bad person, her ambitions may make her do bad things. But Amity’s integrity has always come before her ambition. That much is made exceptionally clear back in Covention. Amity wasn’t willing to cheat in their magic duel. She refused to lie or cheat and that means that if Luz had really been better than her and won fairly, Amity would have taken the loss. She easily could have cheated. Everyone else did, it wouldn’t have been hard for Amity to do the same. But she didn’t, and she was extraordinarily upset that the other people involved did. Amity was horrified that Lilith cheated in her favor. Even if it helped her look good in front of the Emperor’s Coven, cheating was never even an option that crossed Amity’s mind and she was completed mortified that Lilith tricked her into it anyway. Her ambition was never as strong as her integrity back then, so why would it suddenly overwhelm her morals now? I mean, if cheating in a competition was a disgusting thought that she never considered for a second. Something that Amity screamed at Luz for doing and was completely ashamed when Lilith did it. Then how can anyone expect that Amity would support the Emperor’s Coven after all they’ve done? Even with all the pressure Amity’s under from society in general and her abusive parents, she hasn’t sacrificed her morals yet, and to suggest she might now is to completely disregard the strength of character she’s been shown to possess so far.

“But Wait!” I hear you say, “A clear parallel was drawn between the relationship of Luz and Amity vs the relationship of Eda and Lilith! That means Luz and Amity was likely to go down the same route and become enemies!”

And you are correct that there was a clear parallel drawn between these four in Covention. However i’d venture to suggest that this parallel will be used as a contrast rather than to show history repeating itself.

I’ll start by saying that I personally believe the “history repeats itself” trope is very hard to get right and is only really effective in certain situations, this not being one of them. Tell me, what, narritively, would be the positive effect of pushing Amity and Luz down the same route Lilith and Eda went down? I can’t see any good reason for it except the ~shock value~, and honestly anything you do with a character exclusively to shock or upset the audience rather than to develop the characters in their natural progression is a bad choice by default. There’s no reason Luz and Amity need to be like Eda and Lilith. And in fact, not only is the idea of their relationship being a foil the the Clawthorne sister’s relationship more interesting to me because it has an actual purpose (to show that the sister’s both screwed up their relationship and that if you communicate and try to be good people then you won’t end up in a fight to the death against someone you’re supposed to love and that both sister’s could have made steps to be better siblings but they didn’t and that’s on them), but it also seems to fit a lot more cohesively into the narrative knowing what we do about both the relationship between Lilith and Eda and the relationship between Amity and Luz.

I get the feeling Lilith was always jealous of Eda. That Eda was stronger. That Eda outshone her. It may not even have been fair a lot of the time, after all, Eda is known to cheat her way through things. And it also seems as if Eda, instead of supporting and reassuring her insecure sister, was proud of this and held it against Lilith that she was better. Well, when Luz and Amity first met, Luz outshone Amity too. Amity was angry and bitter and disliked Luz because it fucking hurt to have her achievements taken away from her unfairly. They easily could have gone down the same route Lilith and Eda did. With Luz sticking to her guns and insisting she was better, that she deserved the recognition more anyway and Amity acting like a jealous, vindictive child. But that didn’t happen. Luz tried her best to make it up to Amity and Amity, once Luz expressed her remorse and took steps to make amends, not only accepted it but reflected on her own behavior and admitted she herself could have been better too. How did Amity and Luz manage to overcome a conflict that’s still tearing two grown women apart? By overall being better than Eda and Lilith were. Luz felt terrible for hurting Amity. Eda was proud of outshining Lilith. Amity didn't let herself be overcome with bitterness or jealousy and instead reflected inwardly on how she could have been better too. Lilith just kept getting worse and worse and straying from the path of morality more and more. We can see it clearly in Covention. Lilith cheated. Amity on the other hand would never stray from her integrity even if she wanted to win and was mortified to find out what happened. Eda bragged and taunted and teased Lilith for cheating. Luz ran after Amity to comfort her. Overall Amity and Luz are better than Lilith and Eda and that's why I don't see them making the same mistakes. Another difference I see, Lilith let her desperation for power make her a bad person. Amity realized she was being colder than she'd like to and instantly ditched her cruel friends and tried to he better. Eda let's her wild nature make her inconsiderate (she's not just a criminal for not joining a coven, she does actual morally wrong crimes too) but Luz tries her best to be kind and to make people happy and he selfless in general. As I said before, they're both better than their mentors. Both Eda and Lilith made mistakes that lead them to where they are (although Lilith is objectively the worse of the two, she isn't necessarily the only one to blame for their relationship failing). Because Luz and Amity are a contrast to Eda and Lilith, not a repition of their story. Luz and Amity show what can happen when you communicate and try to understand and empathize with people and don't stray from your own morals no matter what other people may do to you.That's something it doesn't seem like the sister's ever learned how to do, and that's what tore them apart. But it's something Luz and Amity exhibit consistently. Communication, mercy, understanding. and that's why they aren't doomed to be like their mentors. Because as I said before, they contrast Lilith and Eda's dynamic in every way simply by being better friends to each other and people in general.

#the owl house #lilith clawthorne #edalyn clawthorne #eda clawthorne #amity blight #luz noceda

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bloodraven55 · 5 years ago

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Gaslighting as a Form of Abuse in RWBY

With another comic focussing on an abuse victim having just been released today in the form of Weiss’ issue of the DC comic series, I want to tackle another analysis post in the hopes of bringing some more understanding surrounding emotional abuse to this fandom because in some parts it seems to be sorely needed.

There are a couple of points I’d like to address in this post, the first being the identity of the person speaking to Weiss during the sections set post-V3 in the comic. Most people assume it to be Jacques, but some also think it might be Willow. I can understand both arguments, and I’m not totally decided myself yet on which I think it is.

On the one hand, the type of abuse seems more subtle and manipulative compared to Jacques’ usual direct and aggressive approach, and we’re never actually shown who’s talking, which could suggest Weiss’ mother. But on the other hand the only thing we know about Willow is that she drinks to excess and fights with Jacques a lot so there isn’t really any basis to assume she would be manipulative towards Weiss, and the tone of the dialogue does fit Jacques’ sleazy and condescendingly pleasant demeanour that he assumes when he’s pretending to be nice to Weiss like in V4, so it would also make a lot of sense for it to be him.

For the purposes of this article I’m simply going to refer to them as Weiss’ parent to avoid any confusion and prevent me having to change it later if we get more information or I form a concrete stance on who it is. Their identity doesn’t impact the content of the post at all so it seemed the most logical solution.

With that covered, let’s move on to the main thing I want to talk about, which is the parallels between the way that Weiss’ parent gaslights her in the comic and the way that Adam gaslights Blake multiple times throughout the show but primarily in his Character Short.

“You are not the first Schnee in history to suffer disappointment, and this behaviour is really rather excessive…”

“Blake, I'm sorry. I told you it was an accident.”

This first part is representative of the main principle of gaslighting, which is to undermine the other person’s judgement and make them doubt their own ability to think rationally so that they’ll act the way you want them to.

Weiss’ parent diminishes her suffering by claiming it’s no worse than what other people have been through before—an interesting reference to the quote in the White Trailer which directly contradicts it by stating that “everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or forms of measure”—to invalidate Weiss’ pain.

Adam downplays the importance of innocents being killed on his missions by framing them as mere “accidents” to make Blake seem paranoid and foolish for being concerned by them and prefaces it with an insincere apology so that she’ll immediately feel bad because she thinks she’s hurt his feelings.

These both show the abuser using the way they talk to make it seem like the victim is totally detached from reality and as though their point of view on the situation must be false, leaving the abuser’s way of seeing things as the only correct option.

“Weiss, I just… don’t understand why you’re behaving this way. You act as though you’ve been kidnapped or imprisoned, and that is simply not what happened.”

“I don't know. I'm out there fighting for us, and when you fight, people get hurt.”

This is a continuation of the first part, further cementing the supposed “irrational” nature of the victim’s behaviour and showcasing the abuser moulding the scenario so that they’re never the one in the wrong.

Weiss’ parent feigns confusion and disbelief at the fact that Weiss is upset at being dragged away from her school and friends against her will, insisting that she isn’t being forced to stay and outright denying the validity of Weiss’ perception of what happened.

Adam dismisses Blake’s concerns at the deaths he’s caused by shifting the blame away from himself, falsely presenting the loss of life as an inevitability of fighting, and placing himself as the victim who’s having his heroism questioned.

In both cases the abuser warps reality to make themself seem as though they’re in the right so that the victim will stop trusting their own perception of events and come to believe that their abuser is right.

“It is natural to be unhappy to leave Beacon Academy, but friends come and go, and go more often as they get older… but family is forever.” / “And if you did have to leave those radicals, those ‘friends’ behind, well… all the better.”

“What, do you want me to just abandon our cause? Like your parents?”

This part ties into another major aspect of emotional abuse which is isolating the victim from their support network of friends and/or family so that they have nowhere else to go and no one else to rely on. However, it is also another example of gaslighting as it involves making those close to the victim appear like the bad guys in order to push the victim away from the people who might try to help them and further into the abuser’s control.

Weiss’ parent describes Weiss’ friends as “radicals” and mocks her bond with them, saying that it was good for Weiss to leave them and reminding her that she’s alone now without them, even spinning it to sound like they never cared about Weiss at all in the first place and as though her family—a.k.a. them—are the only people she can trust.

Adam deliberately brings up Blake’s parents, which he knows is a vulnerable topic for her, to remind her that they’re “traitors” and brand her a traitor too by association, reinforcing the idea that he is the only one she has left.

I suspect that this is the aspect of gaslighting that most people have the least trouble identifying since it basically amounts to guilt-tripping and even the majority of people without much knowledge of emotional abuse are aware of how that works.

“Weiss, sweetheart, please, don’t sulk!” / “Weiss, I love you, but you are really quite overreacting to the whole thing.”

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought them up. I just get scared when it feels like you don't believe in me anymore.”

This part I think is what blinds a lot of people to the fact that emotional abuse and manipulation is happening. And that’s because the abuser offers what might appear to be a sincere expression of affection or a genuine apology, when in reality it’s simply a way of convincing the victim that everything that they’re going through is for their own good and that their abuser has their best interests at heart.

Weiss’ parent calls her “sweetheart” and tells Weiss they love her, while in the same breath solidifying the idea that her behaviour is unwarranted and undermining her grievances.

Adam apologises for mentioning Blake’s parents after the damage is already done, while in the same breath making Blake feel guilty for being worried that he’s killing people and making it her job to reassure him instead of the other way around. He deliberately blows what she says out of proportion so that he can pretend to feel hurt in order to illicit sympathy from her.

The veneer of niceness that the abuser uses to hide the way they double down on their manipulation is what makes this facet of abuse hard to spot and can lead other people as well as the victim into thinking that the abuser is right because they seem to be being honest, when in reality it’s all part of how they manage to deceive their victim as well as sometimes serving the added purpose of further isolating the victim from their support network as the people close to them will often side with the abuser here.

“At a certain point, you have to take responsibility for your role in all of this. If you choose to continue in this way, Weiss, then we will have no choice but to keep you here. And you’ll have only yourself to answer to.”

“Why did you have to come into my life and ruin everything?!” / “… but not before you’ve suffered for your betrayal, my love.” / “I wouldn’t have to be doing this if you’d just behave.”

And this final part is a clear example of the end goal of emotional abuse, which is to make the victim think that everything bad that happens is their fault. This is achieved by distorting their perception of reality via gaslighting, as we’ve already covered, so that they trust their abuser’s judgement before their own and will believe it when they’re told that they’re the one to blame for the harm that the abuser causes.

Weiss’ parent makes it Weiss’ fault that she’s not okay with being confined within her own house in a relentlessly unpleasant environment and puts the blame for it on Weiss while claiming to have “no choice” but to inflict pain on her.

Adam places responsibility for the results of his own actions—a.k.a. Blake leaving him, his losing power in the White Fang, etc.—on Blake instead of himself and insists that if she doesn’t “behave” then he has no option but to punish her.

When people in this fandom blame Weiss and Blake to any extent whatsoever for the actions of their abusers, they’re doing the same thing as Weiss’ parent and Adam do here. It’s victim blaming pure and simple, and y’all who are still saying that Weiss deserved to be “disciplined” by Jacques and denying Adam’s abuse of Blake need to just stop.

If you’re interested in reading some of my sources, then here’s a list:

How to Recognize Gaslighting and Get Help

11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting

What is gaslighting? And how do you know if it's happening to you?

You’re Not Going Crazy: 15 Signs You’re a Victim of Gaslighting

#rwby #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #adam taurus #rwby analysis #my analysis #rwby meta #my meta #tw abuse #abuse tw #tw gaslighting #gaslighting tw

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celticheartedfangirl · 7 years ago

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25 Fucking Stupid Writing Choices OUAT Made

This post is a snarky response to Adam and Eddy’s little humble brag article that came out today:

http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/14/once-upon-time-crazy-storylines/

This is meant to be snarky and critical and if you don’t like that -- don’t read it. (MY post, not the link above.)

Look, I am a OUAT fan an there are many things I love about the show. But there are many I just DON’T LOVE and I think they’re worth discussing. If you don’t like criticism, you won’t like this post. That’s fine.

Thank you for all the suggestions! I think I got quite a bit crammed in here.

Under the cut for length and so as not to upset those who only want to ‘think lovely thoughts’ . . . . .

25. Here’s a magic doohickey thingy we’ve never heard of before but NOW we’re using this thing.

Look, I’m not gonna list all the MacGuffins this show has used, I’d be here all day and there are worse things they’ve done, and this IS a show about magic after all.

But there’s also such a thing as overkill. And there was too much MacGuffin use that we didn’t know about before in this show. It was far too convenient and usually used as a cop out in lieu of – you know – actual STORY TELLING. THAT is my MacGuffin issue. Don’t use it to replace character development. We’re not here for that.

24. The Lost Boys/The Untold Stories and Other Dropped Plots

So the Lost Boys -- Did they get homes? Did they grow up? I don’t know! Do you? Of course not – we’ll never know!

What about all those Untold Stories folks? Weren’t there a bunch of them? Are they still meandering around in Storybrooke?

Edited to add: Maleficent and Lily. SO SORRY I forgot to initially include you in this one. My bad. You are missed, ladies!

Edited once more to add: Poor Gideon. Both parents dead and his extended family doesn’t give a shit about him. Or at least I assume so because we don’t know where he is. The child of Beauty and the Beast -- treated like a disposable plot device. Nice.

OUAT is great with creating and LOUSY with follow through. I know there are many others. But there shouldn’t be. There shouldn’t be that many dropped plots on this show. If you’re not going to follow through with a story line, why add the characters AT ALL? Speaking of that . . .

23. JFC, how many new characters do we NEED on this show???

Especially since you still haven’t figured out what to do with some of the ones that are CONTRACT PLAYERS on your show! Hey, didn’t Archie and Ruby used to be those? (Waves hi to Belle! Also the Charmings post S4. More on that later.)

22. You know – Rumple is Henry’s GRANDFATHER

He is! Really!

You’d never fucking KNOW IT, would you? The erasure of any sort of familial relationship with Henry/Rumple was a damned shame. And much of that, I believe, was because if they acknowledged THAT, they’d have to mention the character they want us to forget. More on that later.

21. The Shattered Sight Hype

Remember what a BIG DEAL the whole Shattered Sight thing was gonna be in S4? OMG people say what they REALLY FEEL about each other! It’s gonna be EPIC!!!

And then it – wasn’t. We basically got some Snowing/Evil Queen snark, Henry bitching at Hook, and Belle – well, Belle was asleep – what else is new?

I think of all the things that were PROMOTED as something amazing for this show – this is the one that was a big old dud and a whole lot of NOTHING.

20. Belle’s mom/Belle is written out of her own storyline in S6

In Family Business we met Belle’s Mom for about two minutes. Then she was dead. And Belle didn’t remember what happened. And then – we never heard about it again.

I don’t know about you, but I wanted to know what happened there. Why didn’t Belle remember? Did Moe get a roofie magic thingy from Arthur? Did Belle’s mom turn into an ogre and she killed her and blocked it out?

SO MANY possibilities there. But hey – it’s just Belle. Why write a story for HER?

In the same regard -- whatever your thoughts are on Rumbelle in S6 (MHO – it was garbage and an OOC shit fest, but that’s just me) – what happened with Gideon – Belle’s SON – was because of HER CHOICE. Choices have consequences. And in GOOD WRITING – the person that MADE the choice that caused the mess is supposed to be the person to help CLEAN IT UP.

But apparently – it was a better thing for ZELENA of all people to be the one to do that. And Emma and Hook too. Because why the hell not, right? That makes all the sense.

Yes, Rumple played his part too in the whole Gideon mess. And he did get to take part in the resolution. But that was something they should have done TOGETHER (what a concept!), and overall Belle was just – not part of it. Even in the last two minutes they sidelined her with a sprained ankle. Absolutely ridiculous. Which leads me to . . . .

19. Belle being sidelined since Season Two.

OUAT brought the lovely Emilie de Ravin onto the show as a regular cast member in Season Two, and had no fucking idea what to do with her character. So she gets fridged. She gets stuck in the hospital, left behind while the rest go to Neverland, she’s very fond of naps, she’s forgotten about in Camelot, not cared about while in a sleeping curse because the “heroes” care more about “stopping” her “evil” hubby (see #17) and written out of her own damn storyline in 6B (see #20) – and then she’s dead. (More on that later.)

I love Belle. I love Rumbelle. And I will forever be resentful that for the bulk of her time on the show, the character of Belle, one of my fictional heroes, was written as nothing but a plot device. She deserved so much better.

18. The Musical Episode

I mean – if this nonsense (and it WAS nonsense) had moved the story forward, I could maybe – MAYBE – let this one slide. But it didn’t. It just rehashed the same shit that we had been talking about for 6 seasons. And then Hook married Emma and her Stepford Wife conversion therapy was complete. (More on that later.) This episode WILL NOT HOLD UP in the future. Future generations will be “WTF-ing” all over the place with this one, mark my words.

17. Rumple is a Hero – no he’s a Villain – No wait he’s a hero, nope a villain, make up your DAMN MIND WRITERS!!!!!

I got whiplash trying to follow the trajectory of Rumple’s story, as many times as they changed his characterization. He’s a villain – then in 3A he’s a hero. Then he’s the victim of a molester and kidnapper and show doesn’t address that AT ALL. Oops he’s evil again. Except now he’s not – his heart is PURE! He pulled Excalibur out of the rock, he’s a HERO! Nah – he’s dark again. Bad Rumple! Oooh now he’s REALLY DARK and his fetus with no brain stem hates him and his wife is living on a boat with his sworn ENEMY while pregnant, so he traps here there (!!!!!) and he’s macking on the Evil Queen . . . come ON. Enough already.

Rumple is a complex character. You can’t just flip/flop willy nilly with a complex character. You have to know how to write them as nuanced, and CONSISTENLY complex but never falling fully into one camp or the other of ‘good’ or ‘evil.’

Rumple is played by Robert Carlyle, one of the best actors around. And the ONLY saving grace from the horrible writing of this character over the years is the fact that Bobby knew how to play him most of the time – even when the writers didn’t know how to WRITE HIM. Which was almost ALL the time.

16. Hook is a Dark One/Resurrecting Dead Hook/Hook the Gary Stu

I toyed with ranking the dark one higher on the list and as its own thing because really, this reveal caused the biggest MID EPISODE ratings drop in the history of the show up to that point. Nobody liked it. Nobody wanted it. And it ended up being a setup to the ‘Save Hook’ trajectory because of COURSE of all the characters in the history of the show, HE was the one that deserved saving THE MOST. But I think all of these things tie together.

What this moment did was solidify the fact that Hook was officially a “Stu” character. He definitely had Gary Stu tendencies up to this point, and was basically an irritant to anyone but CS/Hook fans, but from here on? That’s pretty much all he was and all he’d ever be until he was replaced (or should I say upgraded?) by his doppelganger.

I combined the DO/Save Hook/Stu thing because it was in the Underworld that Hook’s full Stu-pification took place. There wasn’t a line of people he had murdered wanting a word with him – as there SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

And Hook still got to keep all his murder trinkets when he got resurrected and made out with his girlfriend over Robin’s grave. What a guy.

15. Regina/The Evil Queen Stay Split

I’m just saying – wouldn’t it have been better character growth for Regina to have to live with her ‘evil’ half than to split it off? And no, the ‘heart mixing’ thing doesn’t count. I get that the whole thing was really fan service to the Outlaw Queen fandom. But that doesn’t make it good writing.

14. The Wish Realm

Oh, I could write a whole post about this (and I may do that at some point) but there are so many damn holes in the whole Wish Realm mess I wouldn’t even know where to start. But so many things about it just DO NOT line up in a sensible way. And even if you find one that DOES, it’ll create three things that DON’T line up.

I’d have bought a ‘parallel universe’ over the ‘wish realm’ stuff. They could have gone with that and it would have made much more sense. But you know – they wanted dead Belle, dead Baelfire, dead Snowing, no Emma and old Hook so – Wish realm it was. I just got to a point where I didn’t care anymore. But that doesn’t negate the stupid.

13. The Timeline

The timeline in OUAT made sense – and then it didn’t. And then they just stopped trying. And I stopped caring. But for paid, professional writers – just not cool. DO YOUR JOB!!!!!

12. Will Scarlett

Do I really need to say any more here? No? Didn’t think so. Moving on.

11. Neal’s Apartment in New York City

Have you ever been to NYC? Places of residence are at a premium there. There is no way in hell that an abandoned apartment wouldn’t have been emptied and taken over by a new resident in that much time. And I’m sorry, but odds are Neal did NOT pre-pay his rent for TWO YEARS out.

10. Belle and Hook – Best Friends Forever!*

You know – no woman with a brain in her head would befriend a man who straight up tried to murder her FOUR TIMES. So, either Belle doesn’t have a brain in her head, or that’s some crap writing right there. (My vote is with the latter if you’re wondering.)

It was bad enough when Belle was just handing over the dagger to “Hook” in S4 (yes, I know it was Rumple but details shmetails, Belle didn’t know that), but a PREGNANT BELLE going to live on a boat with Hook to be ‘safe’ – come on. Who does that? I get that Adam and Eddy wanted to wave the middle finger at the Rumbelle fandom, but they could have found a way to do that without making Belle look STUPID.

*Honorable mention to Belle/Zelena being friends which was equally as stupid

9. Zelena is Marian

Come ON – they pulled that one out of their asses halfway through S4 because they wanted to find a way to bring back Bex. There was NO INDICATION of that until the reveal. Because it didn’t EXIST until the reveal. Ridiculous.

8. Making the Charmings Supporting Players

Starting with S4, Snow and David basically became secondary characters. They had MOMENTS, but overall they were on the backburner and if they left the show at any point – would it have made a difference to ANY of the trajectory they were playing out? I’d say no.

I mean – how the hell did that happen? How do you run out of ideas with the couple that you touted as THE ‘main couple’ after only three seasons? I don’t get it.

7. Golden Queen

Just no. There was never anything romantic between these two characters. It was stupid and out of character for both of them. No.

6. Queer baiting 101

If you gender-swapped either Emma or Regina – made one of them a man – they’d be banging by S2 and by the end of the series they’d be married with at least two more kids and three break-ups/reunions between them. (Hey, I watch soaps, I know how this shit works.)

The chemistry between the actors is there. They share a kid. But they’re both women. And you know – family show -- #nohomo and all. Sure.

The writers KNEW that Swan Queen was popular. Now okay – if ABC didn’t want to go there, fine. I don’t agree with that, but fine.

But don’t keep freaking queer baiting your fans every chance you get! It never stopped. In fact, it got progressively WORSE as the show went on! That’s just bullshit right there. Either do it or drop it. Because what OUAT did with Emma and Regina and the baiting of their fans was just flat out shitty.

And if that weren’t bad enough, we got the whole queer baiting with Mulan/Aurora, and THEN in S5 we’re handed Dorothy/Ruby as a token olive branch to the LGBT community and then – we never see them again!

Okay, in S7 they got on the right track with Alice and Robin. I will give them that. But after six years of baiting, it kind of rang hollow for many, and rightly so.

5. Hey, Here’s a Person of Color – Let’s Kill Them!

One of the first warnings I give to any new OUAT is ‘don’t get attached to any POC’ and with good reason. They don’t last long on OUAT.

Now I don’t want to assume or accuse any of the OUAT writers of flat out racism but . . .. . you’ve gotta admit – they don’t have the best track record there.

It’s especially obvious when they bring on a character that is compelling and portrayed by a charismatic actor that the audience enjoys. Lancelot, Merlin, and Facilier are the three best examples of that. Okay, so Lance was resurrected but – where’d he go? Is he still trying to undo dead-Arthur’s roofie on Guinevere?

And then we have an amazing hero and a compelling villain in Merlin and Facilier, respectively. Both of these characters – and their actors – were bright spots in the show. So naturally – they needed to die. Without their storylines resolved.

But it was just a coincidence that they weren’t white. Of course it was.

4. The Death of Belle

Yeah, yeah, I know, Beauty was a beautifully written episode and Bobby and Emilie loved it and we got some great moments, blah blah blah . . . . . . but was it NECESSARY? Did they REALLY NEED to kill off Belle? You’re telling me that there’s absolutely, positively, not one plausible scenario for S7 wherein Belle is in Hyperion Heights and Rumple can find a way to rid himself of the darkness WITH HER THERE???? Really? They couldn’t write even one lousy full season of Rumbelle (hello BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) happy and in love with struggles but still beating the darkness in the end? Really??? There weren’t any options for that scenario AT ALL???? Give me a break.

3. The Stepford Swan

Over the course of seven years, many of the OUAT characters suffered with out- of-character moments. It’s not uncommon and I would even venture to say that this happens on occasion on MOST television shows. But on OUAT, it was a common occurrence from Season Four onward. And NONE of the characters experienced as much of an out of character de-evolution as Emma Swan.

When we first met Emma Swan she was a badass, intelligent, independent woman. Yes, she had her issues and her inner demons and we saw her work past those as the series progressed.

And then . . . . she got a boyfriend. And he became the center of her universe. And Emma – changed. The writers (and Jennifer Morrison) will swear up and down that it was an ‘evolution’ but I’m sorry – a character that starts OUT like this:

Does not END UP like this:

That’s not evolution. That’s a shell of a woman dependent on a man for her self-worth. That’s NOT who Emma Swan is. This was THE worst character assassination on the show, and I’d say it’d be up (down?) there in the top 10 (er, bottom 10?) of worst character assassinations in all of television. What a shame.

2. Rapists – rapists everywhere!

Once Upon a Time has always been marketed as a family show. For a family show – there’s sure a heck of a lot of rape in it.

The first CANON rapist we have is Regina and her 28+ year imprisonment and repeated sexual assault of Graham. Regina came a long way as a character in the show’s 7-year run – but it would have done great service to her if this had been addressed somehow. Now, I know that Jamie Dornan is all famous and off making money playing Christian Grey but – you know, in this particular case – I’d have been good with either a recast or at the VERY least an apologetic mention. But we never got that.

And that’s the problem with every rapey issue on this show – it’s never addressed for what it is. In fact – it’s really not addressed at all. Hook’s rape jokes in S2 are treated like ‘playful banter’ by the writers, cast, and viewers alike. Zelena’s ‘Hester the Molester’ stuff with Rumple in S3 doesn’t even warrant a discussion. Hook’s rapey innuendo in the CS movie is also waved off. Then we have Zelena raping Robin in S4, Arthur magic roofie-ing Guinevere and probably raping her in S5 (Is she still roofied? Who knows!), and Mother Gothel raping Nook in S7.

That’s a hell of a lot of rape for a “family show.” And aside from the off-handed comment from Robin about lack of consent with Zelena, none of it is addressed for what it is – RAPE.

1. The Death of Baelfire/Neal Cassidy

In Season One there were three main story line arcs driving the series: Regina’s war with Snow White, Emma as The Savior, and Rumpelstiltskin’s quest to reunite with his son, Baelfire. All three stories intertwined, and it only made sense that the trajectory of the show would be that in the end, all of these characters would somehow come together, as they all were tied to one character: Henry.

Unfortunately, the writers made the foolish decision in Season Three to execute one of the main (if not THE main) driving forces on the show. Baelfire/Neal was connected to all of the aforementioned people, and his loss was a blow to everyone. At least it should have been. But that’s not what we saw.

Not only was Neal/Baelfire killed off – he was flat out ERASED from the show. His name from the point of his death on was rarely brought up. We didn’t get to see anyone truly mourn or grieve him. (Okay Rumple, but BARELY – and anyone who has lost a child understands that it’s quite possibly the deepest type of grief imaginable. I’m told you never get over it.) As the show moved forward, you could literally spot the times when the writers made deliberate dialogue choices to avoid saying the name Neal/Baelfire in places where it not only made sense, it was WARRANTED.

Let’s be REAL here – we all know the “reason” Bae/Neal was written off the show. I don’t care what the writers say. I’m not an idiot and neither are you. And I’m sorry, but if the ONLY WAY you can think of to make a “romance” happen on a show is to kill off a character that would be forever “in the way” of said romance – you’re not a skilled enough writer to be writing a television show for a major network. I mean – it works in spiteful fanfic (which I am more than guilty of writing). But for a television show? The viewers deserve better than that. NEAL/BAELFIRE and every character that ever loved him deserved better than that.

I know I probably missed a bunch but I really did try to hit the highlights and put them in the order they deserved.

Thoughts? Comments? If you think I’m missing a tag for this (I’m doing my best) let me know and I’ll add it.

#ouat criticism #anti ouat writers #anti hook #anti cs #anti stepford swan #tw: rape #anti zelena #anti golden queen

386 notes · View notes

orionsangel86 · 7 years ago

Note

Can we talk about the endgame human-cas vs angel-cas argument? I find it unsettling that a lot of folks think Cas needs to become human; for his good, or Dean's, or narrative. I understand that Cas needs and wants to get away from the other angels, their jobs, their world - but why have to be human? And people who say "I hope he doesn't become an archangel, how awful for him!" Well I think Cas enjoys being an angel - but he's his own sort of angel. He seems to want his powers and identity. Hmph.

It has taken me ages to answer this ask as I’ve been hesitant about it for ages since it will most likely blow up in my face somehow. So look, I’ve answered it here but I also have a disclaimer on my blog that I want you to read because after all the Cas related drama against meta writers last year I need some sort of protection okay:

http://bluestar86.tumblr.com/CasDisclaimer

Please read the link if you expect to be offended by my answer (and if you’re just curious of course).

A lot of other great meta writers have already tackled this, but seeing as you have come for my thoughts specifically I won’t link other posts on the risk of upsetting you. You are clearly already aware of the various discussions that turned into arguments that turned into a huge wank fest so I’m not going to feed into that.

The problem with the human Cas vs Angel Cas endgame debate,is that it is all just speculation, none of us know what way the writers of the show will choose to take Cas’sstory line. We can only interpret the canon story we have been provided with atthis point. Anything I speculate about future event, could turn out to be totally wrong. But its still fun to speculate anyway. I just want to stress that I am not saying that by disagreeing with me anyone is WRONG. We all have our own opinions after all.

There are a lot of reasons why people might feel like beinghuman is the best fit and most satisfying endgame for Castiel. There is also alot of evidence in the show that suggests that this is the way Cas’s story isgoing. I don’t particularly think this has anything to do with Dean or destieleither, though there will always be people who do think this.

For starters, the whole concept is a well known TV trope.The immortal character who seeks to be human? Yeah it’s been done before, and whilst this isn’t necessarily a good thing, it is a commonthing that we have been conditioned for years to expect in basic storytelling.The fact that this often comes attached to the love trope that said immortalgives up immortality so they can be with a human is just an added bonus forDestiel shippers.

So even without exploring the evidence within the show, thevery idea itself is already a favourable one for most people because it fits astandard storytelling trope that resonates with people. It is a comment on thepower of humanity, and also makes us all feel a bit better to think about theidea that an immortal being would prefer to be human than continue to havetheir godlike power and eternal life (because humanity itself is supposedly agreat gift).

(I should clarify here that I don’t believe that Cas’s fallfrom grace should be connected to Destiel and that Dean would love and be withhim regardless of whether he were angel or human.)

There is every possibility that Supernatural may go againstthe grain here, but the evidence in the show suggests otherwise. Castiel’sstory since his origins in season 4 has been that he is the angel that fallsfor humanity. His love for humanity and continued choice of humanity over hisangelic brethren makes the idea that he would eventually join humanity as oneof them poetic. I think that is why this is the most popular endgame theorywithin fandom over everything else: itis poetic.

Humans generally enjoy poetic stories, as well as ironicones. They are far more satisfying. It feels like the natural conclusion for acharacter such as Castiel, whose journey of self-discovery and acceptance hasoften had him questioning his own place in the world and exactly what kind ofcreature he is meant to be. This is his continued theme throughout his entirerun on the show. The idea that the show would end with him remaining in hiscurrent state, or even elevated to something such as an archangel just feelswrong for his development. I can understand why people would consider that “awful”for Castiel. You say that he “seems to want his powers and identity” but youmiss the point the show is trying to explain to us, that his identity is not tied to his powers. In fact, in the later seasons, it can be argued that hispowers have held him back from really understanding who he really is:

I know that there is a big split here in fandom, but I dofeel that those fans who desperately want Cas to stay an angel have anemotional attachment to the idea because it resonates with them on a personal levelthat he is currently “different” so for him to become “normal” feels like aninsult to those fans. It is the same way those fans who view him as asexualfeel I believe. These are delicate issues. When you want a character to be likeyou and you identify with them so greatly, for the show to then fundamentallychange that character in any way feels like a big hit to you personally. But Ithink this is why there needs to be some detachment between what we personallyfeel attached to, and Castiel’s own story that the show itself (via subtext,narrative structure, and text in certain places) is telling us.

(I should also disclaim here that I am in no way against asexual readings of Castiel and don’t want this to come across this way, as there is certainly room for that interpretation in the text - my own personal view on Cas’s sexuality is “undefinable” )

Aside from the narrative poetry of Cas’s eventual fall fromgrace to humanity, I think the reason a lot of us believe it is the naturalconclusion to his story arc is just the sheer amount of evidence and textualunanswered questions that seem to be leading this way.

There are the parallels to Anna early on, and how it isimplied heavily that he also desires those things that she does.

The constant questions that Cas is never able to answer:

“As what Castiel? As anangel? Or a man?” (no answer) - 9x06Heaven Can’t Wait

“I am an angel.” “andyou’re okay with that?” “If we’re going to war, I need to be ready” (hardlya yes) - 9x09 Holy Terror

“Who are you?” (noanswer) “What are you now? A penitent?” “I’mnothing” (not exactly positive) – 9x14 Captives

“No! If I’m gonna die,I want answers. Like, who are you now? Like, you’re obviously not an angel ofthe Lord. And what about all of this walking the earth like Caine from “KungFu” crap? Cleaning up Heaven’s messes. How many more rogue angels are there outthere? And, what are you gonna do once you’re done with all that? Go back toHeaven? Please. The angel formerly known as Hannah has restored order up top.Smoothest it’s run since God cut the ribbon on the pearly gates. So tell me,Castiel, truly, what is your mission now?” (Cas told Metatron to shut up –but Metatron had a point) – 10x18 Book of the Damned

“Brother? Ha! What areyou?” “W-what? I’m an angel of the Lord.” “That so? ‘Cause, near as I can tell,when you have to choose between heaven and the Winchesters …” “You choosethem.” 11x02 Form and Void

Then to go along with these questions, Castiel himself hadsome very interesting conversations. In 9x11 the talk with Sam about peanutbutter and how Castiel used it to describe the things he missed about beinghuman was particularly enlightening for those of us who now believe that this is his endgame. He basically called his angel-hood “disgusting”.

When he spoke to Daniel at the start of season 10, Danieljust wanted to stay on earth and experience humanity. The conversation he hadwith Hannah was most interesting. Remember that Daniel was a Cas mirror here. Aglaringly obvious Cas mirror:

Hannah: “You are anangel, once and forever.”

Daniel: “Droppedunwillingly…Unknowingly…Into a strange land, a land that, as it turns out,celebrates the free, the individual. For the first time in thousands of years,I have choices. And with each choice… I begin to discover who I really am.”

Hannah: “This isnonsense.”

Daniel: “Because theydon’t teach you this in heaven? Perhaps they should. Then you would understandwhy it’s worth fighting for… What I’ll never understand is why angels won’tacknowledge the wisdom to be found down here.”

Hannah: “What wisdomis to be gained from humans?”

Daniel: “I’m notspeaking to you.”

Hannah (To Castiel): “Doyou understand what he’s…” (Cas never answered, but it was obvious hedid)

This whole conversation imo is foreshadowing Cas choosing tostay on earth with the humans, and when this is then followed up with this:

Castiel: “Well,perhaps I’ve been down here with them for too long. There’s seemingly nothingbut chaos. But not all bad comes from it. Art. Hope. Love. Dreams.”

Hannah: “But t-thoseare human things.”

Castiel: “Yes.”

It implies that Castiel is longing for the humanexperience.

Later on in 10x03 Cas textually states his reasoning forwanting to stay an angel however:

“You know, only humanscan feel real joy, but … also such profound pain. This is easier.”

He said it in relation to Dean’s choosing to stay a demon,but he understood exactly. Cas longs for the human experience, but he can’thandle the pain of it, hence his choice currently to remain an angel (eventhough it isn’t what he really desires).

This sentence by Cas was a direct response to what he saidearlier in 9x23:

“I just want to be an angel”

Because when Cas said that, he was mourning the death ofDean. It was the easy choice for him. It was less painful to remain an angelthan to go back to being human. It’s not good enough evidence imo that Cas shouldremain an angel for his endgame because he said it when he was deeply mourningthe loss of Dean and it was framed extremely negatively by the show and thenwas countered continuously in early season 10 in the subtext of every conversation he had with Hannah.

Most of these examples came out of seasons 9 and 10 however, but as I always say, the endgame arcs for all the three main characters were laid out in seasons 8 - 10 and Dabb is expanding on those concepts. One of the interesting things from the later seasons and Dabb era that I have noticed is just how little Castiel uses his powers now. Most of the time we either see him fighting normally, or trying out his new hunter knowledge to solve a case. What I truly believe Dabb’s goal with Cas’s endgame is to show Cas that he is wanted and needed and loved and useful without his powers. Because it has been tied heavily to his depression arc in seasons 11 and 12 that Cas doesn’t feel useful or powerful enough. The whole point is for Sam and Dean to show Cas that they want him with them regardless of how powerful he may or may not be. For Cas to become empowered, without literal powers.

The main issue that we have with Cas being powered up, is that for character development purposes, it makes no sense. How is Cas supposed to learn his lessons that way? If he becomes this super powerful being? How is that gonna help him get over his issue with only being ‘useful’ or a ‘hammer’ or to stop him obsessing about his ‘missions’? What meta writers tend to scream about is that Cas doesn’t yet seem to realise that it’s not his powers that make him important to the boys, but just HIM. We have not had this clearly resolved in the show, and it won’t be, until the damage that was done in season 9 is finally healed. Cas has gone through a fundamental change since the end of season 8 and this arc is not yet resolved. Powering him up even further will only hinder this character development arc, not assist it.

Remember how in 12x19 Cas made so many terrible decisions because he was so desperate “for a win” for both Dean and himself? Remember how in 13x05 we were screaming because Dean just wanted a win and then Cas showed up? Remember how in 13x06 Dean told Sam explicitly that Cas was his win?

Cas doesn’t need to be powerful for him to be needed and wanted by Dean (and Sam), but HE STILL DOESN’T KNOW THIS. NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN MADE CLEAR TO CAS. We still haven’t had a resolution to Cas’s own issues that were made so very clear in 12x09. That he doesn’t feel competent enough on his own.

This is why to power Cas up even further, or to keep him with his grace in tact, doesn’t really seem to fit the story structure. Cas needs to learn that its not his powers that make him special, its fundamentally HIM. It’s what he used to face the empty entity, its what brings a smile to Dean’s face whenever he’s around, it’s what made Jack choose him as his father (though not made explicitly clear, it is heavily implied that it was Castiel’s goodness that made Jack choose him - because Jack hardly needs protecting - more just the right kind of guidance).

It’s my opinion that Cas will choose to become human at endgame (or before who knows) because his grace is holding him back. Its not even about his obligations to heaven or the Winchesters, I personally don’t think he should lose all ties with all the angels, because I think there is still a lesson that the remaining angels need to learn here and that Cas will be the one to teach them (along with Jack). Its about Cas’s inner struggles and his personal growth, rather than the relationships he has with others. Its about Castiel finally asking himself “Who am I?” “What do I want?” “Where do I belong?” and answering those bloody questions. Perhaps he can answer those questions and keep his grace, its possible sure, but then all of that talk about human things in season 10 wouldn’t have made much sense, and Cas will always be missing something fundamental. The human things that he never got to really enjoy last time. The human pleasures that Dean revels in so much. I think it would be damn tragic to reach the end of his story and not have him indulging in the things we KNOW canonically he longs for.

Because as the Empty Entity said in 13x04

I have tiptoed through all your little tulips, your memories, your little feelings yes, I know what you hate, I know who you love, I know what you fear...

But remember that feelings, that love and fear, along with hope and dreams are human things and Castiel shouldn’t have to be always torn in two. Right now, that’s what he is. Half an angel, half a man, lost and conflicted. As far as I am concerned, Castiel becoming human answers all the questions the story has been asking him, and provides him with a level of happiness and satisfaction that he could never have whilst still an angel. For his own personal growth arc, imo its the only logical outcome.

I’m sorry if this isn’t what you wanted to hear nonny, but I am just trying to interpret this show logically with the information I have been given, and that all points to a human Cas endgame. As I said at the start of this post. I could be wrong. I could be interpreting all the wrong signals here, but the thing is, we meta writers are not a hive mind, and we sure as hell disagree on a LOT of things about this show, as we all have our own ways of interpreting things, but the majority of meta writers I follow also believe that Cas’s endgame is to be human and we all came to that conclusion individually based on information the show presented. Yes we could all still be wrong, and no I am not saying that any other opinions are incorrect because, and I stress this, all interpretations are valid. But please don’t get upset that I don’t agree with you over this. We just see things differently. You did ask for my opinion after all, so I gave it.

#Castiel #supernatural #spn meta #destiel #spn speculation #cas analysis #endgame speculation #endgame human!cas #angel!cas vs human!cas debate #my beautiful angel #my poor angel #dabb era #carver era #interpreting the text #asks #Anonymous

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sxpiosexualx · 7 years ago

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Keep faith Jonsa fam <3

With S07E06 it’s easy to lose faith in the ship and so many people are reasonably upset but fret not! We still have plenty of points that are still as valid as they were prior to this episode.

Let’s go through them and calm down, alright? (For Jonerys shippers, people are allowed to ship whoever they want. Please don’t take this as an attack to your ship.)

Here are some summarised points just to refresh yourself on why this ship makes so much sense!

1) Sansa being the first Stark to reunite with Jon, forming a bond between the two. Think of all how refreshing it was to see Jon and Sansa smile on screen for the first time in forever, and how crucial it is for developing the plot!

2) The marriage symbolisms in the scenes they share. Sansa is cloaked in(what I assume to be) Jon’s cloak when she first arrives at Castle Black. She then cloaks him in the Stark fur she makes him(and he’s worn it ever since - even on the cliff at Dragonstone). They both have also shared a drink together, which just paints more wedding imagery. Not to mention, Jon has promised to protect her(sounds like something you’d vow to your partner).

3) How their scenes are shot in a particular way that may suggest a foreshadowing of them being endgame. Candle lit rooms, gentle snow falling and panned close ups of anytime Sansa’s grabbed Jon’s hand/arm.

4) Bickering like an old married couple while still empowering each other and Sansa reassuring the Jon that he’s good at ruling thus giving him the confidence he needs and reminding him that he’s a Stark to her. Wow I love a supportive dynamic. Nothing but mutual respect from my two children.

5) How well they work together and how they balance each other out. Jon of course being the military man, and Sansa being more politically savvy. Wow, Westeros is shook at this power couple.

6) The Ned and Cat parallels. I don’t even need to get into this one because there are plenty of sources out there that have pointed this out!

7) Littlefinger’s panned close up of him looking at Jon, then looking at Sansa as if he’s putting two and two together. This is incredibly significant considering the event that led up towards it could be seen as Littlefinger trying to see what would make Jon tick.

8) Angry Kitten Jon i.e. the strange way in which we see him react to different people bringing up Sansa. Choking Littlefinger, glaring and not being interested in discussing her with Tyrion, Sansa being the only reason he chooses to spare Theon. Davos’ close up right after his interaction with Theon. Very suspicious.

9) Them mentioning each other even when they’re miles apart. It’s an odd thing to note that Sansa keeps saying she wishes Jon were with her and that she hopes he comes back soon, meanwhile we also have Jon not being able to escape the mention of Sansa.

10) Jon taking notice of her new silk dress. Remember when he said he’d want to see Ygritte in a silk dress... so he could tear it off of her?

11) The forehead kiss and lingering gaze. They could have reshot this if it wasn’t meant to give off any other vibe that wasn’t perceived as brotherly. 10mill for that last episode, just saying.

12) The deleted scene. In which Jon tells Ghost to stay behind and protect Sansa.

13) Name parallels in both the Stark and Targaryen family tree. There was a Jaeherys Targaryen(some people think this may be Jon’s true name) who married an Alyssane(which is remarkably similar sounding to Alayne - Sansa’s adoptive name while she was in the Vale. But even if it turns out his true name isn’t Jaeherys, there’s still the Jonnel Stark that married a Sansa Stark. Now that’s on the nose.

14) Sansa giving his new life purpose. When we see Jon after he’s resurrected, he was ready to abandon his post as Lord Commander. Sansa walks in just in time, and she gives him a reason to fight for - the reclamation of Winterfell. Jon is truly reborn when he resurfaces from the crowd and we see in him something that’s been missing throughout the season - purpose. Then he goes and knocks the sh*t out of Ramsay.

15) The Prince Aemon/Joffrey bit. Ned had promised her someone brave, gentle and strong like Prince Aemon, noting that the match with Joffrey was a mistake. This happens in Season 1 and in the 1st installation of the ASOIAF books. In the 3rd installation of the books, Jon recalls a time where he and Robb would be training as kids, referring to himself as Prince Aemon the Dragonknight.While in the show in Season 7, we see Jon get insulted at the thought that Sansa might think of him to be like Joffrey - to which she says he’s as far as Joffrey as anyone she’s ever met.

16) Sansa’s hair. This is often overlooked but I remember reading that when Sophie Turner got her role, she asked the producers why she had to dye her hair. They told her that it’s actually important and crucial to the plot in some symbolic way. Let me just point out to you how most if not all the women in Jon’s life that he’s been involved with in some way or another has had red hair. While this seems like merely a coincidence that’s not worth bringing up, it could be tied to the validation he never received while growing up - of Catelyn’s(who had more of an auburn shade), and Sansa who took after her mother in never accepting Jon fully.

17) Janos Slynt. Sansa had wished for a hero to behead Janos Slynt(in the books). Jon ends up beheading Janos Slynt(in the books and the show). This has a romantic connotation since the hero always falls for the princess in the songs.

18) How their arcs almost reflect and mirror each other throughout the story. Both Jon and Sansa had romantic ideas of the world that are debunked by reality. Jon believing the Night’s Watch is a place of honour, and Sansa having her whole reality flipped. (My poor bbs </3)

19) How their arcs are at one point reversed. Sansa finds herself born into a position of power in the beginning, while Jon was a bastard. She then at finds herself being the bastard, while Jon is raised up as Lord Commander. This is good to take note of as they now have a better understanding of each other respectfully.

20) How them getting together would literally give them both what they wanted as children. Sansa’s always wanted her prince(and since Rhaegar annulled his marriage, Jon is a Targaryen Prince), and Jon’s always wanted a family and to live in Winterfell(+ deep down I’m sure he’s always craved the validation he was denied as a child growing up in Winterfell - he had hoped Ned would have the King legitimise him).

21) Poetic justice. How fitting would it be to have a situation that started out from a Targaryen/Stark wedding to end with a Targaryen/Stark wedding(this time done right)? Too perfect.

Those are some of the points I could think of straight off the top of my head, without taking into account the points that stand against D*enerys. I wanted to make sure this post was as positive without having to be perceived as me taking a go at D*ny. But, for the purpose of making this complete, let’s see some points against that ship(you can stop reading at this point if you only want positivity, but I’ll try to be as rational!)

1) The argument that J*nerys together makes the Song of Ice and Fire. This is a questionable point since there could be many interpretations of what’s truly Ice and Fire so I’ve never found this to be persuasive. You could argue that Jon is the Song of Ice and Fire himself, since it’s been revealed that he is both Stark and Targaryen.

2) D*enerys’ story arc serves as a foil to Jon’s. The reason why these characters seem alike is because they seem to mirror their positions throughout the story. However, if you take a closer look - D*ny has risen to power on account of her birthright and dragons, and she has actively sought out her power. Meanwhile, Jon finds himself in a position of power not because he wants it or has a birthright, but because people want him to assume that position(like being elected Lord Commander and then crowned King in the North).

3) The highlighted differences between these characters. In Mereen in Season 5, we see D*enerys sentence a man to death but have Daario Naharis carry out the sentence in front of her people as a deterrent. This has always been interesting to me because she cannot bring herself to look at him as he is being beheaded. It reminds me of the saying that he who passes the sentence should swing the sword. In the same season, we see Jon behead Janos Slynt himself.

4) The direction the show seems to have taken in relation to D*ny’s methods of ruling. Yes, I do agree that you’ve got to be more and more ruthless as you hold more and more power but it’s interesting to me how they’ve decided to shoot her scenes lately. There’s her insisting that she is Queen(Tywin: “Any man who must say “I am the King” is no true King.”). Then we are asked to empathise with the Lannister army for the first time in the series - with Ed Sheeran’s cameo meant to humanise the soldiers, and the Field of Fire 2.0 battle being shot from the Lannister army’s point of view - of devastation when going against a weapon of mass destruction(Drogon). To top it all off, she displays ignorant hypocrisy - saying she wants to break the wheel but only when she’s already on top, deflecting and ignoring any attempts Tyrion makes to talk some sense into her(we’ve seen Tyrion trying to deny that she’s being irrational while with Varys, and mentioning that she’s known to lose her temper), telling the army she’s not there to murder them and then giving them an ultimatum of bending the knee or dying, and burning the Tarlys alive. That last point is interestingly enough never brought up with Jon the same way the maesters don’t inform Samwell - which makes me feel like it’s been left out for now, for a reason. It’ll come back and change Jon’s perspective of her further.

5) Contrasting D*ny’s ruling methods with Sansa’s. While D*enerys’ loot train attack destroyed the food that would have fed the people, in the same episode we see Sansa trying to ensure that her people are fed. It’s there for a reason. For us to be able to extract and juxtaposition these two together and start questioning who would make a better Queen - a ‘foreign invader’ and conquerer who uses her weapons of mass destruction to pave a way for her on the Iron Throne, or the key to the North who has learnt how to play the Game of Thrones from arguably a few of the best players(Cersei, Margaery, and Littlefinger).

6) Cersei’s Prophecy of the Younger, more beautiful Queen. People seem to overlook this when it’s actually quite indicative of endgame. People are also quick to assume that D*ny is the Younger Queen that would talk all that [Cersei] holds dear. But how could she be? D*enerys had nothing to do with the deaths of Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. Sansa did. Although unknowingly. Sansa was the one who informed Olenna Tyrell of how much of a monster Joffrey was - this set the chain of events that led to all three of Cersei’s children’s deaths. While Margaery could be perceived as the Younger Queen as well - she had no clue of Olenna’s involvement, and furthermore - Cersei still has Jaime while Margaery has already been reduced to ashes. So, if Jaime were to sometime in the future join forces under Sansa, she would fulfil the prophecy. I highly doubt that Jaime would be keen on joining D*enerys after what he’s seen her do with fire - I’m sure he was getting war flashbacks, poor guy.

**I’d like to mention and give fair warning that past this point, I’ve hinted at some things that happen in E06 so if you want to be absolutely spoiler free, please stop yourself from reading further. Or, you could go ahead and read only the bolded first line of each point!**

7) A marriage between D*enerys and Jon serves no greater purpose. We are reminded that D*ny is barren(please don’t make it seem like I’m picking at this being her fault and hating her for it, I’m trying to be rational), she cannot give Jon an heir(children he’s always wanted though I don’t doubt that if he truly loves someone he wouldn’t mind giving that dream up, so don’t see this as me trying to pit two women against each other for the sole reason of one not being able to have children). So the Targaryen lineage would truly die with D*enerys if this marriage is realised. Furthermore, the North will not accept a Southern ruler, and will always follow the Stark name. If Jon bends the knee, not only will he be giving up what his family fought for, but he would be betraying the wants of his people. If it is revealed that he is Targaryen and it’s made public knowledge, the marriage that makes the most sense to maintain peace is if he marries Sansa - a Stark, since Jon would be abdicating his position as King in the North by bending the knee and Sansa would still be Lady of Winterfell as she has the Stark name. On the topic of children though, for some reason in E06 we keep getting hints of possibly foreshadowings of Jon having his own children - specifically when Jorah doesn’t accept Longclaw, saying it would serve [Jon]’s children well - and then the scene cuts to Sansa and Arya.

8) Jon possibly playing D*enerys is not completely OOC. Take into account what he did with Ygritte, then take into account the number of reminders he’s had this season alone. Sansa reminds him to be smarter than Robb and Ned, and one of the other Northern Lords reminds him that Robb rode South once, married a foreigner and lost the North. What’s the one thing Kit Harrington says about Jon this season? That he’s beginning to listen to Sansa. You may argue that it’s character assassination to have Jon, who’s so pure, resort to manipulation but he could be putting his family and duty first - he needs to do what he can to secure her alliance. In fact I think it’s more insulting to his character if we were to assume that he would deliberately give up the North without first consulting his people, let alone Sansa. It’s way past time Jon plays a little bit of the game, it does his character justice to develop and learn from past mistakes at least that much. Of course, there’s also guilt following the events of E06 during the wight hunt. Let’s not forget D*ny’s prophecy that states that she will be betrayed thrice - once for blood, once for gold and once for love(this last one has yet to happen).

9) The Odysseus/Penelope/Calypso parallel. I saw this going around at some point and it’s been quite popular ever since! Unfortunately I’m not too sure who the original source is, but please feel free to tag them below! They made a link between the three greek characters with Jon, Sansa and D*ny respectfully. Calypso had detained Odysseus on her island for some time, while Penelope stayed behind and ruled on behalf of him in his absence. Odysseus and Calypso end up sleeping together but in the end, he comes back to his Penelope. It’s not to say that I like the idea of Sansa being ‘second’, but I’m choosing to interpret this in a way that guarantees Jon coming back to Sansa despite the boatbang.

That concludes this little list/semi-meta(?) I’ve never taken a go at these, in fact I’m pretty sure this is my second time making my own textpost. Again, the point of this was not to put one character against the other just so we can be satisfied with our ship. You are allowed to ship whoever you want to! I simply felt the need to bring these points up again because the night is dark and full of red-herrings.

Please try to leave this post as hate-free as possible. If it appears on the wrong tag, I apologise. But if you were secure with your ship then you wouldn’t feel the need to come at me. Although if you do still feel the need to defend a certain character, no one’s stopping you - just be respectful! x

Last but not least... can we just... appreciate these two. (I saw this gif online but I’m not sure where, apologies if it’s yours - all credit to you and please don’t hesitate to let me know.)

#jonsa #jonsa meta #jon x sansa #sansa stark #jon snow #anti jonerys

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newtonmediagroup · 4 years ago

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The Echo Chamber - The Art & Science of Self-Growth-Peter Hollins-The Ar...

Intellectual curiosity also helps because it encourages you to simply pursue knowledge and dig below the surface level of information you are bound to find. View people as sources of complex, fascinating knowledge and seek to discover it for your own benefit. To lower your guard enough to properly learn, you also need to learn to avoid the echo chamber, which is where your opinions and viewpoints get amplified. Instead, you need to get into the habit of seeking out opposing and alternative viewpoints to avoid confirmation bias. The final aspect of humility is to tell yourself that you are never quite at your destination. This isn’t to lower your self-esteem; rather, it’s to put you into the mode of constant learning and always striving for more, as opposed to being satisfied with adequacy. We are all unfinished products; at least view yourself that way in order to feel that continual learning and progress is necessary. The Art of Intentional Thinking: Master Your Mindset. Control and Choose Your Thoughts. Create Mental Habits to Fulfill Your Potential (Second Edition) By Peter Hollins Get the audiobook on Audible at https://bit.ly/IntThink Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-shownotes Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://www.PeteHollins.com to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. For narration information visit Russell Newton at https://bit.ly/VoW-home For production information visit Newton Media Group LLC at https://bit.ly/newtonmg #Abominable Snowman #achievement #Confirmation #Einstein #Himalayas #humility #intellectual #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheArtofIntentionalThinking #EchoChamber The Echo Chamber

Speaking of challenging what you think you know, there’s a phenomenon that’s snared a good portion of the population roughly since the dawn of the new millennium, especially those with rather strident and unshakeable belief systems. It’s the echo chamber. This runs counter to the intellectually curious mindset, in which the most important part of learning is learning from people outside your immediate comfort or knowledge zone. The echo chamber is a closed-off precept in which humans of all stripes and kinds tend to circulate in packs whose beliefs match their own. Rather than reach out to hear alternative or opposing viewpoints, they seek to find more “information” that supports their own opinions or standards. In reality, they only end up hearing echoes of their own viewpoints and opinions. This kind of mindset is called “confirmation bias.” Confirmation bias leads someone to seek out and legitimize “proof” that confirms the beliefs and theories we already espouse—and to shut out, declaim, and often berate evidence that disproves our beliefs. You see this quite frequently in current political discourse, which often leads to the acceptance of “fake news” that validates our own views. If you want to find evidence that smoking is healthy, all you need to do is type “smoking is healthy” into a search engine and you’ll have found your echo chamber. But it also occurs on more personal levels. If you’ve decided that a casual acquaintance is a philanderer, you might ignore testimony about their committed relationship and believe that friend of a friend who might have seen them possibly hook up with someone else from a distance. The confirmation bias mindset can lead to far more than just intellectual rot; we’ve seen it damage relationships and long-time friendships. Avoiding confirmation bias and seeking to challenge your own beliefs is akin to the humbleness that one needs to learn, which takes a drastically different approach than merely finding only people to agree with. It’s tough and truly requires being open to the fact that you might need to humble yourself. One method in doing that is to take a certain belief or inclination that you have and to come up with two different hypotheses that differ from it—so you have three different theories to work with. Not only do you want your original belief and its theoretical opposite, but you also want a third explanation that might float between the two extremes or occupy a certain gray area that neither extreme necessarily considers. Seek out opposing perspectives or something that will prove the opposite of your assumptions or views. Collect as much information as you can, and make sure you’re learning instead of confirming your biases and subconsciously seeking out your own echo chamber. Then go to town and research your beliefs, finding evidence or explanations that support all three hypotheses. There’s a good chance you might find yourself slightly updating or revising your original theory—and that’s a win. It reflects your ability to understand from all sides, and you’ll find out which of your core beliefs are the most important. As an example, I’m going to try and pick a “controversial” topic that’s so ridiculous it will make nobody upset: let’s say you have a firmly held belief that the Abominable Snowman actually exists and is causing trouble for dwellers in the Himalayas. That’s your one hypothesis. Coming up with an opposing hypothesis should be pretty simple. The Abominable Snowman does not exist, and Himalayans are doing just fine. A third theory might be trickier, but it could be that the Abominable Snowman didn’t quite exist as we knew him: he was in fact an extremely tall, antisocial, and hairy man that most of the Himalayans didn’t like. The first thing I’d do is find as neutral of a source as possible to find what we definitely know about the Abominable Snowman. I no doubt would have plenty of sources confirming my beliefs (websites, sympathetic friends), so I would go to them to find statements that support my own view. Then—and this is where we all experience discomfort— I would seek out information from sources who diametrically oppose my point of view (other websites, friends who tell the truth, most mountaineering experts) and try to summarize their viewpoints. I’d then try to find information supporting my third hypotheses. It’s likely I would find enough information to at least revise my opinion of the Abominable Snowman’s existence or change it altogether. I would take a note of that. (Once again, I urge you to come up with an actual belief or controversy that’s not this unbelievable. Also, I apologize to any hardcore Abominable Snowman believers.) This approach to tackling confirmation bias is supportive of another extraordinarily helpful mindset to cultivate: the humble, inquisitive mindset. Humility is often confused for weakness of character, whereas qualities like presumptuousness, arrogance, pretension, and closed-mindedness are considered outward signs of inner strength. This is possibly the biggest fallacy of philosophy in the present world—the truth is the exact opposite. Humility and curiosity show strength of character and the self-confidence to investigate the world and not be shaken down by new understandings or beliefs. In contrast, people who exhibit arrogance and narrowness almost always do so out of insecurity—they’re covering up something that makes them very, very vulnerable. Intellectual curiosity suffers under the delusion of arrogance. While the humility mindset offers access to deeper understanding and gained knowledge, the opposite mindset courts failure because the need to be “right”—or not even that, but just to be “certain”—is a need of the ego. The ego cares only about insularity and protection. It cares not one whit for learning, which in turn has nothing to do with ego (because you know nothing, remember?). Intellectual curiosity leads to learning, even if it’s not the kind of answer you were expecting to find. The egotistical approach leads to failure because of the arrogant “need” to be correct. The point of the humility mindset is to check your pride during the course of learning. You don’t have to chuck all of it out the door at other times (though it probably wouldn’t hurt), but at least in the act of finding new things, listening to others, and discovering new truths, set your pride aside. Confronting our own beliefs isn’t easy because we fear the prospect that we’ve lived under false impressions for most of our lives. Adopting the always-learning mindset relieves a good deal of that fear—and makes eliminating confirmation bias more of an opportunity than a risk.

You’re Never There: Perpetual Progress vs. Achievement

Finally, here’s some stone-cold truth that will bug some of you but hopefully relieve most of you: you are a work in progress and always will be. You will experience monumental changes in the way you think, feel, and behave over long periods of time. Most of these will be improvements and developments on your way to becoming an amazing human being. But you will, unfortunately, never quite be there—at least in mindset. It’s not that you won’t accomplish great things or shouldn’t show some pride in your achievements. It’s just that you can’t stop there. Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity—arguably the most significant scientific moment of the 20th century—in 1915. He could have stopped right there and cemented his legacy forever. But he continued to refine his theory throughout the next decade and a half, incorporating information about electromagnetism and finally updating his findings with the theory of distant parallelism in 1929. Only when he felt he was finished did he move on to other theories. Our actions are highly susceptible to the labels we give ourselves—the short and terse descriptors that we use to identify who we are. This is especially true with negative identifications: “lazy,” “stupid,” “weak,” “unstable,” “angry,” or “unimportant.” That’s why I suggest a change in your mindset of self- identification: the elimination of the phrase “I am” and the adoption of the phrase “I’m working on it.” When you say “I am,” you’re immediately giving yourself a label that frankly acts more like a stamp: “I am lazy,” “I am stupid,” and so on. You’ve crystallized that belief and made it part of you. That makes change so much harder. If you really are lazy, the “I am” statement has boxed you in that corner and branded itself to you. But changing that statement to reflect what you want to become, you’ve flipped the momentum. Instead of saying “I’m lazy,” say “I’m working on being more industrious and productive.” Instead of saying “I’m stupid,” say “I’m working on improving my knowledge and study skills.” Instead of saying “I’m unstable,” say “I’m working on knowing my triggers and how to react more evenly.” Even if you’re completely broke, don’t say “I’m broke”—say “I’m working on managing my finances and finding ways to earn income.” Will some people think that’s just a roundabout way of saying “I’m broke”? Probably. But that’s their label, not yours. They’re just being judgmental—or I should say, “They’re working on being more empathetic and accepting of people in challenging circumstances.” This way of thinking also keeps you in line with the humility aspect of the learning mindset if you flip it toward your positive traits. Instead of saying “I’m smart,” try saying “I’m working on being smart.” Instead of saying “I’m talented,” say “I’m working on developing my talents.” You’re not saying you’re not smart or talented. You’re saying you’re working on improving yourself— which can and should be an unending process. In turn, it might increase your enthusiasm for learning and discovering new things rather than stunting your enthusiasm with the idea that you already know it all. Not only are you removing the disparaging quality from your identity, but you’re also articulating your purpose every time you say you’re working on something. And you’ll always be working on it—because we never stop learning.

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spockandawe · 8 years ago

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So, I think we need to talk about Terminus. Because there is some interesting stuff going on there. And after LL06, I was upset and confused and wanted to figure out what was going on, and I tripped over some fascinating things along the way. Behind a cut for spoilers and length.

I’m so sad about this, guys. I wanted to adore Terminus so bad. I still kind of do love him, like I love Prowl or Getaway. But I’ve been assuming that he’s a good boy, and… I’m pretty sure he is not that thing.

The picture we’ve gotten of Terminus thus far (filtered mostly through Megatron’s fond/affectionate/admiring point of view) is of an intelligent, resourceful mentor who was able to help him channel his thoughts into his publications, and then get those publications distributed even from their shitty mining outpost. Terminus gave him the guidance he needed to find his footing. I really, really wanted to adore him as much as Megatron does.

But let’s take away those affection goggles. Terminus is used to being able to steer Megatron. He proofreads(/edits, I’m sure) his writing, and he controls distribution. The time we see him sitting (lying) with Megatron, while his legs are gone, that’s some quietly powerful stuff. We see the injustice the miners are dealing with, his insistence on the importance of Megatron’s work, the intense amounts of future potential babby Megatron is working with. But how about we take a quick look at the things he’s doing and saying.

Okay, Megatron is writing. He’s a good writer, he has a talent for it, and it seems to be work he finds rewarding. Terminus is telling him that no, if that’s not enough, then you, PERSONALLY, must do more. You may have to force the issue, and you may have to use your fists.

Megatron, in the innocent flower of his youth, is kinda distressed by this. He’s upset at the idea of him personally wading into a fight, but Terminus turns the conversation away from directly discussing violence. He uses Megatron’s own words to emphasize how important it is for someone to work against the injustice at the heart of a system. And this is all being framed as Megatron’s job, mind, not a duty where he volunteered, knowing the full scope of what he was signing up for.

Let’s just look at that quote one more time.

“Never back down. Never compromise. Never bend. The moment you try to accommodate a rival set of interests, you subordinate your own.”

Like… wow, dude.

In the context of this conversation, this moment kind of rolls past without being lingered over, kind of like the Pharma-feeling-guilty tidbit in the Tyrest arc. We’ve just seen Terminus with a busted body, where it’s not worth it to save him, so he’s been left to starve to death. And we’re headed right into the reveal that he’s been menaced by people who want to stop Megatron from writing. Plus he delivers the line very calmly and quietly, and he’s been speaking about righting injustices.

But dang is that an impressively bitter line.

This isn’t as intense as the last panel. But Megatron tries to call attention back to the group, and power resting with the collective, and Terminus is like nope, one Supreme Leader, you’ll be able to see after you force people to accept it.

And the contrast between needing someone to rally behind and needing someone to hold that leadership position forever is interesting. Because Megatron’s three questions to the senate were: ‘In whose interests do you exercise your powers? To whom are you held accountable? And how can we get rid of you?’ There are ways to answer that within Terminus’s paradigm, but not really in any way that’s reassuring that abuses of power won’t occur. After the war ended, Optimus ditched his name and peaced out into space, specifically trying to avoid this exact problem. And this is still sheltered, innocent, young Megatron. This isn’t setting up a healthy, fair future government structure, as is.

So the scene wraps up in a much less directly pushy way. But when Megatron suggests that maybe he should take a little break from writing to protect Terminus, Terminus shoots that right down. It’s still pretty pushy, even if it’s more subtle than before. Not only should Megatron keep writing, he should write more. And that writing makes him a leader, like Terminus said before. So just, y’know, keep that stuff in mind. About forcing the issue and using your fists and being a figurehead.

But that statement, that the people are hungry and Megatron needs to feed them… This is pretty classic imagery, fairly commonplace. However, consider it in the context of how Terminus isn’t getting repaired and his rations are getting withheld, and Megatron is going on dangerously short rations to help keep him alive. This is a sucker punch right to the heart, and I have a hard time believing Terminus wasn’t aware of that incredibly direct parallel. Look what you’re doing for me. Are you saying you’d do less for all of Cybertron?

Terminus’s active influence ends there, because he poofs off into the sunset, and Megatron is just left to remember what Terminus taught him. And to feel intensely guilty that in the last few minutes before evacuation, he gathered the datapads with his writing instead of looking for the missing Terminus.

Anyways, smash cut to four million and something years later.

We’ve got the first edition of Megatron’s big manifesto being dedicated to Terminus, though that was removed in all subsequent editions, because Terminus taught him ‘not to get attached.’ Given the emotions in that scene up above, maybe this is just because the pain and guilt there made him reluctant to open himself up to that happening again. But… this is honestly fairly in line with the philosophy Terminus was trying to convince him was right.

Look at how Megatron generally behaves during the war, in phase one and early phase two. I tend to refer to him as cult leader Megatron to differentiate him from present Megatron, because the differences are huge. Now, check out all those things Terminus was telling Megatron were necessary. Use your brain and your fists. Take the lead personally. Be a figurehead. The collective doesn’t matter as much as the person sitting pretty in a position of ultimate power, and be prepared to sit there alone.

And more than anything else, consider how he was told to never back down, compromise, or bend.

Terminus was legit out of the picture, as an independent, active force. But when you look at his philosophy and look at the behavior of classic warlord-flavor Megatron, Terminus’s fingerprints are all over the way Megatron carries himself.

The comic has memories and truth and manipulation as some of its major, major themes. Mnemosurgery means these come up pretty regularly, but manipulation comes up in other ways too, like with attempted blackmail, Rodimus being pressured to bring Overlord along for the ride (and Chromedome being recruited to work with him), Trailcutter’s drinking problem being derailed with a brute force permanent reactivation of his FIM chip, all kinds of flavors. Especially Getaway, right now.

In the pre-trial part of the comic, Megatron makes it very clear that he has an extremely negative reaction to the idea of anyone going into his brain, even if they claim they only have the most benign intentions. He’s also just generally pretty resistant about being influenced by… anybody. He does what he wants, and doesn’t afraid of anything. It shows through in general, even once he starts developing in a positive direction, like with how high-handed he is with permanently reactivating Trailcutter’s FIM chip. But it shows up more explicitly at times, like in phase one where Starscream tries to ask why they’re farting around one stupid alien city when they should be winning an intergalactic war. Even when Starscream makes an appeal about the ideals under which the Decepticons were formed, Megatron completely ignores those words. He just… does whatever the heck he wants.

Now, it’s not clear how much of that is due to what Terminus taught him versus the trauma from the almost-lobotomy and the rest of that day. But it’s very much in line with the things we see Terminus telling him about never bending or compromising. That’s almost the last thing Terminus ever tells him before he disappears, and it’s very much in line with how we see Megatron acting during the war proper. Even once he’s on the Lost Light and starts to really become a part of the crew, he’s just not a person who seems very concerned with what other people think he ought to do.

But then at the end of MTMTE 55, Megatron is a stressed-out mess, who was planning to die and was only barely persuaded away from that when Rodimus teleported in to rescue him. He’s just broken the vow of pacifism he’d been trying to take up, he’s on a planet that’s a massive reminder of his past mistakes, and he’s fighting the DJD, another reminder of his past mistakes. Then he watches his old, old friend die. He decides to peace out, and even threatens Ratchet in the heat of the moment, when Ratchet is trying to talk him down.

But then Terminus pops up, and Megatron just immediately snaps out of it. He drops the cannon, drops the idea that he’s going to leave, all of it. He goes straight to Terminus and immediately embraces him, which is a gesture of intimacy unlike anything we’ve seen from him in the comic. He’s been affectionate with Ravage, giving him scritches, but in the holiday comic he even says specifically that he doesn’t do hugs.

And his very, very first words to Terminus are about how he ‘lost his way’. He’s vulnerable, he’s taking comfort in someone, he’s telling his old mentor, who used to teach and guide him, he lost his way. It’s hard to say whether he completely falls into orbit around Terminus with the way the comic POV cuts away from them, but at that incredibly low moment, he recenters himself on Terminus. No matter how hard Megatron is to influence, Terminus has this old leftover backdoor into his trust, and the way Megatron reacts to him here is unlike we’ve seen him react to anyone else. Megatron is used to letting Terminus guide him, even if he’s been operating without that active guidance for millions of years.

Now, the overarching narrative of this comic keeps coming back around to manipulation, betrayal, and lies. A lot of this comes back around to Rodimus, with the way Prowl manipulated him into taking Overlord on board, the way Drift took the fall for Overlord to protect him, the vote of no confidence after he owns up to Overlord. Plus there’s always Getaway and his… everything.

This goes all the way back into phase one and the spotlight issues about his history with Dealer. We don’t see much of the fallout directly, but it really sounds like Rodimus took the loss of his team hard, and that has to hurt even more once he learns that it happened because someone he trusted betrayed him. And then we see it playing very, very directly into the story right now, with how furious Rodimus is over Getaway. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen him this angry, and it’s kind of alarming. Which makes it pretty painful to read the way issue six ends with him thinking that after the Dying Of The Light, after everything they’ve been through, Megatron has betrayed them all.

Now, Megatron being resistant to manipulation is something that I already discussed. But Megatron himself can be pretty darn manipulative. He plots, he’s always planning, he’s always assessing the situation and working out strategies to get what he wants. And frequently that involves getting people to do certain things. I don’t know if this is even all conscious. He’s charismatic enough, he’s an icon in his own right, and he’s a large, intimidating person. But it’s definitely sometimes conscious. We see the way he provokes Optimus towards the end of phase one, getting him to lash out. We see him needling Starscream in spotlight: megatron until he finally lashes out. And we see him prodding and provoking Rodimus in quieter ways after he joins the crew.

I’m sure this is a combination of deliberate action and longstanding bad habits. But as he spends more time on the Lost Light, you see that start to fade. He’s more respectful of others, you see him expressing his doubt over everything he’s done and seeking ways to better himself. He’s less dismissive of everyone and more understanding. And even though he’s always been so resistant to outside influence, by the time we hit the Dying Of The Light, he’s willing to defer to Rodimus as a leader instead of just prodding him into making the decisions that Megatron wants, because Megatron always knows best.

He calls Rodimus and Ultra Magnus his conscience, which really says that he recognizes some of his own bad habits he’s learned over the years, and is trying to compensate for them. By the time issue six ends, he’s preaching peace through empathy, which is an incredibly striking change from his earlier philosophy. Instead of tyranny and ordering people to do what you decide is best, he’s advocating compassion and trying to understand other people’s needs.

The flip side of manipulation and betrayal is the idea of trust, especially building trust, and repairing relationships once that trust has been betrayed. We see this trust building between Cyclonus and… everyone, really, but especially Whirl and Tailgate. We see the way Nautica is so upset by the reveal that Brainstorm has been lying, we see the aftermath of Rodimus revealing to the crew that he was responsible for Overlord, and we see Drift and Rodimus reuniting, and the way Drift is hurt by the way Rodimus never came back for him after the truth was revealed about Overlord. We see the effort that goes into it

Nobody trusted Megatron at first. Which makes complete sense. The gradual buildup of trust has been slow, but it’s such an important part of his development. Instead of being that lone figurehead Terminus told him to be (the authoritarian figurehead that he ultimately became), he learns to back away from that position and respect other people as people.

And gradually they start to accept him. For most of the crew, it’s more that they just tolerate him. Because they have to. But the environment he’s in is enough that he tells Velocity that he’s never been so happy in his life. In particular, his relationships with Ultra Magnus and Rodimus in season two go from being persistently antagonistic to being cooperative and friendly, with teasing that’s teasing instead of just conversational jabs at each other.

There are similar slow-burn trust-building relationships in the comic, like with Cyclonus, or with Drift and Ratchet. But the effect it has on Megatron is incredibly striking. This time when he’s never been so happy in his life, this is the same time where he’s feeling more guilt over his past than he ever has before. This is when he dents his own head with how much it affects him when he’s hit with the guilt gun. If the inside of Megatron’s head is about guilt, he’s drinking what he thinks is poison for every meal, and he’s making drastic moves like refusing to fight in any way, but he’s still this happy (and just look at the softness of that smile, coming from Megatron, oh my gosh), that happiness almost has to revolve around the relationships, and trust, that he’s built since coming aboard.

Now, consider how much time it took to build even an uneasy trust between Megatron and anyone from the Lost Light. Consider his trust in Ravage. And then just take a look at how easily he yields into Terminus. It’s a shame Ravage died, because I’d love to see how Megatron would react to Ravage and Terminus disagreeing over something. That trust with Terminus was built when Megatron was young and inexperienced, and I have a hard time believing someone could earn that much trust from him over anything at this point in time. The conversations they have are short, which is a shame. But the only time we see anything even close to this open from Megatron is when he’s talking to the distant past version of Optimus.

Okay now. Let’s remember what Megatron said to Rung.

If Terminus taught Megatron not to get attached, this is… different. Now, there is that ambiguity of how much Terminus explicitly taught him versus how Megatron dealt with the trauma of his terrible horrible no good very bad day.

But then if you look at Terminus’s quote about never bending, never compromising—Those don’t sound like how you ought to be treating a friend. Terminus doesn’t even tell him not to compromise his ideals, he tells Megatron not to compromise his interests. That’s pretty extreme. And then take into account the things Terminus said about a lone figurehead being necessary, one who sits alone. The text doesn’t lay everything out, but the implication I’m taking away from his words is that he doesn’t think Megatron should get attached to people, or at least that interpersonal relationships need to have a hierarchy that places Megatron at the top.

Which is kind of odd, given the way he and Megatron play off each other.

If you take as a basic premise that Terminus outright told Megatron ‘don’t get attached to people,’ then how does that flavor what we see on the page. It says don’t get attached to anyone… except me. Don’t bend to the will of other people…. even though this is a conversation where I’m telling you to do things you don’t want to do. You need to be the lone figurehead, the single ultimate leader…….. but still you need to do these things I’m telling you to do.

On its own, I never even noticed those contradictions. Megatron here is young and inexperienced, he doesn’t want to fight or lead, he’s more comfortable in the land of philosophy than in taking direct real life action. It makes sense that his mentor would be nudging him to grow and expand his comfort zone.

But then why does Terminus still keep acting similarly once Megatron has four million years of wartime leader experience behind him?

Megatron and Terminus are sitting in a massive field of the death flowers, Megatron has been explaining the war, and given his recent development, has almost definitely been very frank about how much death and destruction he’s been responsible for. Like… the war destroyed their entire planet for a while there, never even mind Cybertronian and alien casualties. Or the MTOs and their horrifyingly short expected lifespan. Even if Megatron only bears partial responsibility, he’s still responsible for a LOT.

Terminus’s response is immediately about how he’s sure Megatron is being too hard on himself. Um. About that. Well— This is a difficult conversation to field, and an incredibly huge scope to process. It’s understandable that he’d make some kind of comforting/reassuring response. And then the next two things he says are about gosh, look at you giving orders, and how he can’t wait to see Megatron TAKING CHARGE. Again, in the moment, not suspicious. But it’s really starting to play into a thematic whole.

And when you’re looking at the page with suspicious eyes, it even starts with him telling Megatron how to feel, and reminding him of wow, you remember when we were MINERS? And stuck in that dangerous mine? Remember what our life was like back then? And again, on its own, this looks incredibly innocuous. It feels like overreacting to mistrust this. But it’s really in line with the quiet way he tries to steer Megatron.

In the next issue, Terminus gets excited again about how good Megatron is at command and fights (even If Megatron himself is not directly fighting). Like before, it feels so overblown to get hung up on this panel as something suspicious, but it keeps adding up to a consistent whole.

But here’s where I start feeling a little less guilty about that suspicion. Terminus knows that their war is over. Megatron did the war leader thing, Megatron ditched the war leader thing. The personal cause Terminus was trying to get him to fight for, the cause that Terminus was so bitter over (only a day or two ago by his awareness), that’s been resolved. Terminus never got to watch it unfold, and he didn’t get to win. He’s heard that Megatron was that authoritarian leader, but Megatron didn’t get to win the war and seize full control like Terminus had been urging him to do.

And would you just look at that, here’s another Cybertron with another clearly oppressed class just begging to be led and saved. Compassion is the easiest motive to read into Terminus here. It’s natural. It’s what’s the reader has been nudged to feel. That’s how I read it the first time through.

Consider, why does Terminus want to stay here? Their universe isn’t perfect, but functionism has been solidly obliterated. Nobody’s being pushed into the mines. Paying for medical services doesn’t seem to be an issue as far as the medics we’ve seen. There’s social space for noncombatants to exist. There’s this group of friendly mechs here who seem glad to have him, including his old adoring mentee, who was so overwhelmed and happy to see him miraculously alive again. Why does he want to leave that? Even if Megatron didn’t win the war, the oppressive social structures that were screwing them over are gone. Why does he want to go to this war-torn, fascist mess of a planet, where those old enemies have been getting more entrenched, more powerful, and more oppressive? Compassion is one answer, sure. But are we sure he doesn’t want to just… win?

Terminus decides for himself to stay. Which is his right. And it’s understandable. And it’s understandable that if he’s staying, he’d try to get Megatron to stay with him. But it’s sure interesting that he watches Megatron and Rodimus squabble over Rodimus not trusting Megatron’s intentions. And then the moment Terminus and Megatron are alone again, Terminus is leaning on Megatron hard to stay here with him.

It’s all those old urgings again. Megatron led, Megatron fought. He’s done that for four million years. But the way Terminus talks to him here is just like when Megatron was young and inexperienced and reluctant to be a figurehead. Sure, this could be habit, Terminus hasn’t had long to adjust to the massive time skip. But again, Terminus told Megatron to never bend. To never bend for anyone. Except Terminus, apparently. Because when Megatron has just pledged his loyalty to the group leaving (right in front of Terminus), and while Megatron is saying no multiple times, Terminus is sure pushing hard that Megatron is the ONLY person who could lead and save these people.

And this is after Megatron and Terminus had a private, intimate conversation about how Megatron done fucked up, and when Megatron has been drowning in remorse and the awareness of how much he has to atone for. Terminus continues to tell him that no, never mind your trial, screw justice, you know what’s best more than they do. We know what’s best. You’re above justice.

Before, Terminus told Megatron about how important it was that he be the figurehead, the lone figurehead, placed above everyone else. He told him to never compromise in favor of someone else’s interests. He never took that back. He argued when Megatron told him that power needed to lie with the collective. And again here, he’s talking about Megatron being so very special that he’s the only one who could possibly lead. But the moment Megatron says he can’t keep putting himself first, Terminus pivots smoothly to noooo no no, this isn’t about you, this is about the masses!

Guys, Terminus is kinda super sketchy.

He’s talking about how justice is less important than Megatron’s skills. Megatron published a treatise that talked specifically about how the government needs to be held accountable, but Terminus is telling him that he’s too important to be held accountable. He’s trying to pull Megatron away from the faith he just, just pledged to Rodimus and Ultra Magnus. Terminus tells him that pledge Megatron values means nothing compared to what Terminus thinks he should value.

Megatron digs in his heels here and refuses to break that trust, just before the conversation is cut short, but. Dang. Seriously, it’s not the easiest thing to notice given the action movie pace of the Cybertron plot right now, but Terminus is being incredibly sketchy.

In the context of before, this pings me like an indirect ultimatum that Terminus is trying to lay down for Megatron. He knows their relationship, and he knows how much Megatron trusts him. He knows Megatron is used to being guided by him. This more self-assured, confident Megatron is new to him, but because of the way he disappeared, that mentor/mentee connection never went away, it just hibernated. Before, Megatron was going on starvation rations to keep Terminus alive. Is he really, really going to leave Terminus now?

Well, yes. He pledges faith again, and though Rodimus has been so on edge, even though he’s reacted in some really alarming ways that seem to tie back to trust and betrayal (like how he’s been burned with Getaway and Dealer), even then, Rodimus agrees to trust him. Megatron calls Rodimus captain. An overt gesture of respect for Rodimus and his authority, and an implicit deferral to that authority. Him learning to respect Rodimus as a leader was a slow-burn part of his development, but Megatron’s trust (and the way he shows it) is an intense, heavy thing. Rodimus is reluctant, but still decides to take him at his word.

Annnnd the moment they’re alone, there goes Terminus again, trying to lean on him to change his mind. He just saw Megatron make that promise to Rodimus, and he knows how serious Megatron was. But still, let’s have one more little nudge to break faith. Megatron doesn’t just dig in his heels here, he pushes back, and I’m very glad about that.

But when they have to go to a different teleporter, Terminus has an opportunity. Maybe Roller could have lied about the coordinates. But what have we seen to suggest he would do that? He seems like a nice, friendly guy. But we have seen a certain someone leaning harder and harder on Megatron that no, seriously, you need to ditch those guys and stay here with me.

Oooh, yeah, they gave you a second chance, that’s definitely how this happened~

Nice immediate spin on the situation to make Megatron feel like he should be grateful to stay here. The way he’s been insisting he doesn’t want to do. Terminus wants him to stay. The others totally want him to stay (yeah, even though Rodimus was so angry about the possibility of Megatron bailing on them). If so many other people want him to stay, shouldn’t Megatron… bend? :)

It kills me how urgent Megatron is in trying to find them, and how dismayed he looks in that last panel. He didn’t want them to leave without him, and he knows how generous they’ve already been with him, and he wanted to leave too. I’m reluctant to put too much weight on comic illustration microexpressions, but the way Terminus has that half-smile thing going on… I don’t like it.

But Megatron gets to return to his philosophical roots! Doing it right this time! Pacifist reform, peace through empathy! And he even gets to reconnect with Optimus and have a second chance to do that right too. Even if Terminus lied to get him here, this is a really happy ending, right?

NO!

Your mileage may vary, but one of the big narrative themes in this story has been… history. It comes through in a lot of ways, but one of the most common ways we see it is the idea that painful memories are hard to deal with, but they’re necessary and important. We see it with Tailgate rewriting the past so it hurts less. We see it with Chromedome for himself and for Rewind. Skids is told that the memories that are blocked off are going to be incredibly painful, but he keeps chasing after it, because it’s part of him.

And a lot of Megatron’s character development involves coming to terms with everything he did in the past. He’s aware, in a clinical sense. But as the comic follows him starting to treat people as people, it also follows him gradually becoming aware of the impact of that history. It’s what lets him connect on a personal level… but it’s also closely tied to how intensely he starts regretting the entire war. But those personal connections seem to be an integral part of what makes him so happy that he tells Velocity he’s never been happier.

He’s willing to face justice. He’s delayed his trial, but he’s never tried to escape it altogether. He could have done that during his trial under Optimus, when there was a flat-out rescue attempt. I’m sure he and Ravage could have easily peaced out at some point if he really wanted to. Here, Terminus offers him a nice, appealing escape, and he still insists he wants to face justice and atone.

So in what way is it a happy ending for him to land in a universe where none of that history happened to anyone except him? He came out of the history just fine, and ah, here we go, we’re in a place where those people dead because of you never existed. Nobody here knows anything about his past, except Terminus. I seriously doubt he’s going to publicize it. Even if people believed the ridiculous story, on a world that’s so inexperienced at war, why on earth would they trust him as a pacifist philosopher? No, now he’s free to redo everything and never face justice, because nobody is here to hold him accountable for that past. He can be the messiah he tried to be before, but this time he’s got it RIGHT, so nothing will go wrong. Just like he was so sure he had it RIGHT last time.

Oh, and would you look at that, he even gets to have a second chance with Optimus! Isn’t that wonderful. In their universe, things got so poisonous they had a jolly conversation about how many times they’ve almost killed each other, and then Megatron talks about how mmmm, he sure loves killing for the sake of killing, all to provoke Optimus into torturing him. He says that he didn’t think he meant it sincerely when he said it, but after saying the words, he realized he believed it. No, that’s all gone now. You can just pretend those memories don’t exist. This Optimus doesn’t have them, so it’s all good.

Rewind II had difficulty reconciling a relationship with Chromedome I, and that’s after only maybe like… two years of being quantum duplicate not-spouses. They had millions of years of history that they still shared, but Rewind still struggled with it. I would say that this Megatron and Optimus have four million years of divergence, but that isn’t even properly true. Megatron never existed here. His works influenced Optimus, back in the day, even apart from the effect of their toxic interplay once the war took off. This Optimus is a very, very different person from the one he knows. Honestly, I can see a lot of character ways this Optimus could even be a functionist enforcer. It was Megatron who originally nudged him out of his comfortable government-supporting groove.

And even if Optimus’s personality is fairly stable across universes, even if he feels like the same person, Megatron is going into this new relationship (platonic or not) with four million years of baggage and expectations. What an… incredibly intense weight to load onto that relationship. Is Megatron telling Optimus about his past? No? Well that’s four million years of lying by omission, that’s a nice honest start to things. Or is Megatron telling Optimus about everything? Look at how inexperienced these Cybertronians are with violence. Even if Megatron can get Optimus to believe him, how appalling is the full history going to be to him? The scale of the atrocities Megatron ordered, condoned, and carried out— Even for the characters who lived the war, Getaway says that it’s so much that you stop being able to process it. How is an unhardened, un-war-like Optimus going to feel about that? Thank you for telling me, I am taking this in stride, now how about we make out a little?

In TAAO, Starscream just cornered Blast Off into making a very difficult decision. He manages to box things in so that it’s a choice between ‘let the person you love destroy himself’ and ‘lie to him to keep him in line, and live a happy, romantic life together.’ Two shitty options, but of course Blast Off chooses the less shitty one, even though he knows he’s agreeing to live a lie, manipulating the person he loves so much. He chooses it, but he feels awful about it, because he knows what a dishonest foundation he’s just laid for their relationship, and he knows that he’s poisoned the trust between them. The narrative doesn’t expect me to be happy for him.

I’m not happy for Blast Off. So I’m not going to be happy for Megatron.

I’ll be sad for him, but if you’re going to value trust and honesty, this isn’t a happy situation.

Another huge theme in the narrative is that history can’t be rewritten. We see Tailgate abandoning the lies he told to prop himself up. We see Brainstorm fighting so hard to go back in time and fix things, and he doesn’t succeed. We see Chromedome rewriting Prowl’s memory to remove blackmail material, and whatever that is, I assume it isn’t going to be gone from the story forever. This isn’t literally rewriting history, but if it’s framed as a complete do-over for Megatron, it’s nearly the same thing. Megatron was willing to die as part of his atonement at the end of Dying Of The Light. He tells Tarn that he’s drowning under the weight of his past, and at the end, he only reluctantly lets Rodimus save him.

If he was that miserable then, I don’t think being the adored, beloved savior of Cybertron is going to be more than a temporary patch. It isn’t a long-term solution for the things he’s been struggling to deal with. And he didn’t choose this. He had the choice forced on him.

Terminus shamelessly exploited the trust Megatron had in him. He leans on Megatron harder and harder to get Megatron to do what Terminus wants. And then when that fails, he outright lies. All this while Megatron is very, very clear about what he wants and why. Terminus shoves himself in the way of Megatron’s new positive relationships, and sabotages that trust that’s been so slowly built up.

Megatron is upset to be left behind, but Rodimus is furious. And he blames Megatron. I was worried about him even before this, but this made it so much worse. Rodimus isn’t just angry for the sake of angry, he has that history with Dealer that made him shy away from leadership roles for ages. He’s still hurting bad over Getaway. And now he thinks that here we go, a third time someone has shamelessly exploited him. And he wasn’t going to trust Megatron. Megatron promised. And then immediately broke that promise (as far as Rodimus knows). Rodimus says that he’s heart over head, every time. Which has its value, for sure. But that has to make it so much more painful when someone he trusts abuses that trust.

In TAAO, at least when Blast Off was manipulated into making a shitty choice, he was aware of the manipulation. He knows the character of what Starscream is doing to him. It doesn’t get him out of the situation, but at least he knows what’s happening. Terminus is manipulating Megatron ~for his own good.~ No matter what Megatron says he wants, Terminus knows better. So why doesn’t he just… slip in there and quietly undermine everything you’re trying to do and sabotage some personal relationships you value. And then pretend like he didn’t do anything about this, nope. And the idea that it’s for Megatron’s own good… This is about what Terminus wants. His first appearance makes it clear that he’s very bitter and very ruthless. He was actively working to push Megatron into the ‘right’ decisions then, and he’s doing it now. It isn’t a happy ending that he succeeded in keeping Megatron from doing right by the people who put their trust in him.

Two frivolous little things. One, Terminus as a name. According to the wiki, “Terminus was the name of the Roman god of boundaries, with the motto ‘Concedo nulli’ - ‘Yield no ground.’” Innocuous enough on its own. But plenty telling given what we see of him here. He’s unyielding, but over what, exactly? He tells Megatron not to bend for anyone and then spends lots of time trying to get Megatron to bend for him. I think Terminus is unyielding over what Terminus wants, and like I said, he is a… very bitter man, and he has a major fixation on strong, authoritarian leadership.

And two, look at the contrast between these covers.

Melancholy and quiet, private introspection on the left. And high-energy action, no time to think, being pulled in against your will on the right. Both of these covers are gorgeous, of course. But I know which one makes me feel like it’s positive in a character sense. Kind of like it’s better to make your own difficult, painful choices than to be dragged in a direction you tried to resist.

Anyways, if I was meant to feel decent about the ending of this comic, it would have been really easy. It would have BARELY taken a change at all. There’s a post by @sunderedstar that summed it up well, but basically just… don’t have the lie. Have Megatron trying to keep faith, have Terminus supporting him while he tries to keep faith. Have him rushing to the new teleporter coordinates, but he’s just, just too slow. He and Rodimus reach out for each other, but the teleporter activates, and they only barely miss each other.

It would be bittersweet. But it would be better for Rodimus, knowing that Megatron didn’t lie to him, that Megatron didn’t use him. Megatron tried to keep his promise. And Megatron would know that they didn’t abandon him. Even if it’s framed as a gift of another chance, it’s still going against the difficult decision he made to face justice for his actions. He didn’t ask for another chance, and he resisted attempts to nudge him into taking one on his own. He’d know he wasn’t lied to, that nobody was trying to block him from doing the right thing. And honestly, the parallel to the climax of Dying Of The Light is so strong, I’m kind of shocked they didn’t go for this anyways. All I can take away from this is that the point was that Terminus blatantly lied to Megatron. And even if he’d say it was for Megatron’s own good, that isn’t a very happy ending.

In issue 28, when he’s talking to Rung, Megatron says that his life has been a series of decisions made in confined spaces. It’s in that same scene that we hear Terminus’s name for the first time. And now, Terminus has fenced him in again, against his will. The increasing pressure we see him exert on Megatron is uncomfortable enough, but it’s ultimately an outright lie that fences Megatron in here, and a lie that’s designed specifically to slip around Megatron’s explicit ‘no’. That isn’t a happy ending. It isn’t even bittersweet, just tragic. Terminus wins and everyone else loses. This isn’t happy, and I can’t and won’t be happy over it.

#terminus #megatron #lost light spoilers #lost light #mtmte #rodimus #transformers #meta #it's like the opposite of how i tripped into the overlord breakdown

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lavendermuses18 · 5 years ago

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Anne with an E Season 3 Trailer Breakdown Part II

I saved my very favourites, and the very best, for the sequel post!

Alright, so there are 3 things I am LIVING for this season of AWAE: kindred love, shirbert, and Anne’s search for self.

So let’s do this:

Kindred Love - Anne/Diana

Those heart necklaces!!!! I mean, who didn’t have some kind of friends forever trinket with their kindred spirit (I still have mine!). Based on weather and clothes, this looks like springtime, so my original theory of the necklace being Diana’s gift to Anne for her birthday is probably way off.

I can’t tell if Diana has the necklace on in this scene, but the clothes match, as does the forest and the lighting. Plus we get to see Jerry (wow, did he grow up!). The fact he’s fixing his coat makes me think he might be off to meet someone important to Diana (cough*parents*cough). It’s possible this scene could take place after Diana and Anne part ways with those adorable blown kisses.

BTW, what are we calling this pairing. Is it too late for me to throw Diarry into the ring?

Diana’s necklace appears again in this scene (can’t see Anne’s for all of that magnificent red hair). Once again, it seems it’s springtime as the girls appear to be dressed like Maypole dancers and their bonfire ballet certainly has that same energy. I don’t think the necklace shows up again save for some photos Amybeth posted after their last day of shooting.

It looks like, despite some romance on the horizon, Anne and Diana’s friendship is as solid as ever. Case in point:

I wouldn’t want to be Josie Pye right now. She’s about to be DESTROYED.

The Anne/Diana kindred spirit friendship is what all best friendships strive to be, and I hope everyone in the world is lucky enough to find their own bosom companion.

Alright. Next, the one ship to rule them all...

Shirbert. How I love thee, let me count the ways...and we’ll be here for years.

I am very excited for the Shirbert we will get this season, and with the upcoming dance and Anne’s search for self, I think we’ll have a lot more of those wonderful Anne/Gilbert parallels that have peppered the show since the start.

We actually get quite a bit of footage from the dance practice episode, including the above scene. Like most, I do think this particular scene takes place after the day’s dance lessons. Why they are looking at each other like that, I have no idea, but their expressions definitely have me thinking that someone has said something rather reveling about their feelings (unrealized and/or unacknowledged as they may be).

Other great moments from this episode that appeared in the trailer include:

And...

I’m suspecting this scene will happen before Anne and Gilbert’s staring at each other moment...

...because Anne certainly seems panicked in a similar way.

As Charlie has his jacket on, this scene is likely happening before the dance lesson, which makes me suspect that the dance partners are assigned not picked (although, Anne appears to be enjoying her dance with Charlie).

Maybe Charlie’s too obvious affection is worrying Anne, and then maybe she says something to Gilbert in passing conversation about Charlie liking her and that’s why they stare at each other so intently. After all, Anne’s face suggests a ‘crap-didn’t-mean-to-say-that’ expression while Gilbert just looks confused and perplexed and even a smidge worried (I’m not a big fan of the jealous-boys trope, but I do like the idea of Gilbert having to really examine/explore his feelings for Anne when he’s made aware that one of his chums has semi-sort-of declared intentions towards her).

This next shot of Anne walking:

I think could be from the same episode and immediately after the Gilbert look, since Anne appears to be deep in thought, as she often is when she has a charged run-in with the love of her life. Also, the clothing does match, as does the lighting and the time of year as suggested by other scenes.

Plus, and I can’t explain it, something about her expression just says ‘boy troubles’.

Then, of course, we have this promo pic...

...which seems to confirm, based on the costumes, that it was taken the same day as these dance scenes were filmed. If I recall correctly, this pic was posted pretty early in production, so that may mean the dance lessons are an early episode (yay!).

And finally, I end my Shirbert dance analysis on this too, too romantic moment:

I know, the Gilbert Blythe heart eyes are amazing and Anne’s smile is radiant, but have you looked at their HANDS!!!!!!

I don’t know why I’m obsessed with it, but the way they’re holding hands in this moment makes my heart squeeze and race and fly and flutter and gasp and just ACHE with how wonderful this tender touch is.

And now, we close on the final theme of AWAE S3: Anne’s search for self.

I am very excited for story and character development. One of my favourite parts of AWAE S2 was Gilbert’s gap year in Trinidad as he searched the world for experiences, knowledge, and adventure, but also for healing, meaning, and identity. I was tickled when it was announced Anne would embark on her own search for knowledge as to who she is, which would include where she came from.

In fact ,it seems as if part of Anne’s journey will involve having to go delve into her past, and that may take her to some dark places.

Does this brick wall and staircase look familiar? Because I’m pretty sure this is the asylum where the girls tormented Anne with the dead mouse. A recent promo indicated Anne will be returning to the asylum for answers.

Anne’s coat and hat match up.

The coat and hat also have me thinking that this moment:

Might be Anne departing for Charlottetown on the first leg of her self-discovery journey. I say departing rather than returning, because Marilla looks just a bit sad and reluctant to let Anne go, but let her go she shall.

The good news: it doesn’t seem as if Anne will be going alone. Besides the fact that Cole appears at her side as she’s approaching the asylum, this BTS pic:

Hints that Gilbert may be taking part in some of Anne’s journey, too. Her hat and coat match up, and we know that’s Gilbert thanks to his ever present book bag and paperboy cap.

Do Anne and Gilbert go to Charlottetown together? Do they meet up? Does Gilbert go to the asylum, too, or is there another leg of the journey he’ll join her on? Will they go back to the Hammonds? To the Thomases? Will we go all the way back to Bolingbrook?! My heart can hardly wait.

Finally, I end this breakdown/analysis with the theory that no one wants to talk about, but is certainly the one that needs some attention:

The possible, and sadly likely, untimely death of Mathew Cuthbert.

We know he dies in the books, and we know he dies when Anne is 16. Although AWAE is an adaptation, Mathew’s death feels like an inevitable conclusion; it will happen at some point, and most likely when we won’t expect it, but it will happen.

Mathew doesn’t feature much in the trailer, but he does get one of the rather poetic and emotional lines, speaking of love being like a storm, upsetting your plans, but he reiterates that, though he never could have planned for Anne and the upheaval she brought to his life, he wouldn’t change it, not for the world.

Truly, it is Anne and Mathew’s relationship that has to capture you from the very beginning if AWAE. If you don’t crumble when he calls her his daughter, then why are you watching this show?

The father/daughter relationship is set up as being important to both of these characters, so the loss of that connection through death is certainly going to have some devastating effects on the young lady left behind. At first I thought Mathew’s death (which, if it does happen, I believe will occur in the middle of the season) might be the impetus that spurs Anne on to learning more about herself, but now I’m wondering if his death may be what makes her realize that her past, the good and the bad, is what brought her to Green Gables, and to Marilla and Mathew. While she may feel glad to know who made her and where she came from, that doesn’t change the simple fact that she is Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, daughter of Mathew Cuthbert, and that girl, well, she’s rather spectacular.

And so concludes my trailer breakdown for Anne with an E Season Three.

Let me know your thoughts!

Share your theories with me as we make the agonizing wait for S3 a pleasant passage of time with kindred spirits one and all!

#awae #awae s3 #awae season 3 #anne of green gables #anne shirley #gilbert blythe #diana berry #dairry #mathew cuthbert #shirbert #trailer breakdown

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artigas · 8 years ago

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So, that was it! this beautiful, inclusive, stirring, and literary show has finally reached its conclusion. I’m really eager to see what the feedback and readings of the episode will be tomorrow and on, once everyone has seen the episode. But, gosh. just like that. The show is over. Wow. MAJOR Spoilers ahead.

I’m honestly disappointed that we didn’t get a significant maxanne scene to end, but I understand that timing didn’t quite allow it and that the hand-holding scene suggests the future of their lives together. If I could have done anything different, I would’ve made it so Jack holds his arm out for Max, too- in love for her, in gratitude for her work, in a nod to the fact that they’re, all three, going to find a future together in love and partnership.

Billy was immensely tragic, even if I told him to fuck off countlessly. I loved the parallel to the first season- the confrontation between Flint and Billy was satisfying and intense.

Fucking. Mark. Read. Is it really femme Mary Read? Is Mary a trans!boy now? Who knows!! We decide!! God BLESS.

I’d like to thank god and also jesus that Woodes got snuffed and Jack reigned victorious. This ep was truly prime quality, gold star Jack Rackham.

Now the heavier stuff:

I’m really rather conflicted. I’m not devastated, I’m not outraged, in a lot of ways they did a lot of service to what the audience wanted to see and they were very, very kind to us- enough to bend history and TI canon to do it. But, I’m really fucking upset that we were robbed of a parting scene between Silver and Flint. We had four goddamned seasons of their friendship and I know why they wanted to use narration, but that, to me, weakened the episode. I wanted to see the parting scene between them- I wanted to see that Silver, despite all his fucked up moves in this season and CERTAINLY in this episode, still had to contend with how much he loves and respects Flint.

I’m overjoyed that Madi was angry at him. Silver doesn’t deserve her and he is my child, my son, the character I loved from day one. But what he did was deplorable and wrong and I loved that Madi and, to some degree, the narrative concede to that- God bless Luke Arnold. His acting was out of this world but that pivotal moment when he relays the story of Flint’s end, expecting to have remedied all of Madi’s suffering, and it fails- that look on Silver’s face. You can see him recognizing how deeply, how intensely he fucked up and I will go to the grave believing that he’s experiencing a mutual devestation for having lost Madi’s confidence and for having sacrificed Flint in the same stroke. And, honestly, Silver foreshadowed it in 4.09: Flint foretold his future and Silver is going to ultimately be a tragic figure in TI. I accept and appreciate the tragedy of it, but...sigh.

I don’t know what to make of that last scene with Madi. I’m angry for her and while it’s ridiculous to have ever expected that they would succeed in their attempts to change the world, what Silver did cost her something bigger than Silver could ever understand. And that last shot of her- especially wearing a dress, looking less like a soldier and more like a wife, made me sad for the end that she has in TI. I don’t want her obscured into an inn-runner. I don’t want her dejected and alone while Long John Silver hits the seas with Jim, searching to reclaim a name for himself because he became suffocated by a quiet life.

Now, the big scene: let’s be fully transparent. Ya’ll know I’ve always been invested in Flint and Silver as a romantic pair. But, my mixed feelings for that reveal have nothing to do with that- I was so happy to see Flint not just survive, but have happiness. I was really happy to see this show un-bury it’s only “dead’ gay character. But I also feel like Flint deserves more- that a life of squander on that plantation, under the rule of some English aristocrat, is a slap in the face to all that he is, all that he’s done. He was a leader, a captain, a revolutionary- I don’t want to accept that he and Thomas live a life of servitude under a corrupt man who has built his industry off the backs of laborers and the money of English aristocrats. I’m upset by the idea that Flint would leave everything behind for Thomas, when everything in me says he would instead say to Thomas: Let’s free the world together. What does this reveal do to seasons of conviction, of philosophy, of deep, real investment in liberating the world from England’s shadow? We didn’t get Flint recognizing the war was futile and I think that would have remedied my issue- we instead got the “true” motive to this war pinned exclusively on his wanting to have Thomas back and ... I disagree. Yes, of course, Thomas was his motivator and he wants and loves him- but Flint was invested in this war for a plethora of other real, important reasons and they were literally reminded to us in 4.09.

Ten years is a long time to go without the person you once loved- I wish I could see more of what Thomas and Flint’s lives are together: what’s changed and what hasn’t, what can be remedied and what splinters between them. Just as I feel Madi will never entirely heal over Silver’s betrayal, I don’t think Thomas could dismiss Miranda’s death. I want to know what those two make of those conflicts, of those scars and ghosts... I know that isn’t feasible to ask for, but god I just- Flint deserves so much more than what he got and .. perhaps laughably, he got a miracle. But the man deserves heaven to open up for him and rain miracle upon miracle over him, honestly.

“We will have been for nothing”... that line is going to haunt me forever. It’s 3:48 and I desperatley need to sleep- I’ll better articulate and analyze and think tomorrow and maybe some of these criticisms will change and maybe others will arrive. I hope you guys enjoyed the episode, i so look forward to knowing what others think!

#estefania rambles #black sails #black sails spoilers

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spotlightsaga · 8 years ago

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Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... This Is Us (S01E16) Memphis Airdate: February 21, 2017 @nbctv Ratings: 9.354 Million :: 2.48 18-49 Demo Share Score: 9.5/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********** AGGGH! I want to just scream, but I can't because of the tears. If one episode of 'This Is Us' has made me 'ugly cry' the hardest, so far its 'Memphis'. I might need a minute to emotionally adjust and calm down to get through this review because I promise you I'll be crying while I'm writing. The show has given me another chance to parallel some feelings and experiences (and lack of ones) with Randall and William, and I won't let it pass me by. Both men have been given such a rare opportunity, Randall was given a rare chance to connect with his biological father and was able to explore that relationship in depth and even take one last ride with the man. William was given a rare chance of redemption... Something that doesn't often present itself in our lives, not like the way it did in William's. I'd like to think it was because William has good soul and underneath all the pain, regret, addiction, and lost dreams... There was a beautiful man who loved and felt very, very deeply. Sometimes, those of us who feel those emotions in such a volcanic & visceral way, end up masking that intensity or running from it because they seem to be inexpressible. From the very start of 'This Is Us', I felt an immediate connection to Randall. The Randall-centric episodes gave me a chance to explore a possibility, or maybe live a fairy tale, and also truly put some emotions into words about my feelings towards my own abandonment by my father and explore feelings I didn't know were in there. If you've been following along with me on our Website, TVShowTime, Twitter, or Tumblr (and now our Facebook page), The Trip' S01E09 was where I really just RELEASED and not only connected with Randall feeling like an outsider in his own adopted family, trying to find his place, but also dealing with the absence of my father and the grief of losing a loved one who was my connection to that part of me. I made some statements in that piece that my mother read and was upset by, I want to make it clear that tho my mother and I do have a strained relationship at times, I love her deeply and know that sacrifices she made having me at such a young age, early in her high school years. She could've made the problem go away, she could've not given me the chance for life, but she did and by doing so risked her own future and made her own ride through life even more turbulent. And even tho we live our lives very differently, I will be forever grateful for the life she gave me. Watching her struggle through high school, then leaving me behind while she went to college, coming back for me and going from poor apartment life, struggling through our step fathers addiction and subsequent & extremely inspiring recovery, to them both rising from ashes as both being independent & successful business owners has been almost intimidating for me as their son. Yeah they've made incredible mistakes, parenting mistakes, along the way, but we are human and their fighting spirit in life is inspirational and I hope to one day even come close to achieving what they have in their lives. Like Rebecca, who did not appear in this episode my mother was extremely apprehensive (that's probably not a strong enough word) about me meeting my biological grandparents... But I think the worry truly lied in the possibility of somewhere down the line meeting my biological father. Since I've already covered the subject, I'll leave it at this, but I needed to set some things straight as I continue the parallel. Many people reached out to me after writing that piece on 'The Trip' and a few other extremely naked and raw pieces, letting me know that they had gone through something similar. Somehow it's comforting to know that throughout this universe that my brothers and sisters who reached out to me from France, Brazil, The UK, Spain, Iran, and several other countries are connected to me through a similar struggle. A struggle we also are connected with through Randall, who actor Sterling K Brown has really made come to life. He's incredible and without his vulnerable and incredibly powerful performance as well as Ron Cephas Jones who also gave us an award worthy, captivating presentation as William, this just wouldn't have popped and have given us such a deeply affecting experience. This last hurrah with William, this trip to Memphis, a trip that Beth wasn't exactly on board with (as we saw in she and Randall's heated, but equally adorable back in forth in Doctor/therapeutic consultation) was the perfect leg to end this arc on. Knowing that there wasn't much time left to live, they set out on their cathartic road trip journey, something I myself am in need of as of late... Giving William the chance to go back home to face his demons, make amends, and live like nothing was wrong one last time... And giving Randall the chance to meet extended family, to trace his roots he'd only been able to dream about since he was a boy. For most of us this will never happen, I'm in my 30's and still waiting on that phone call or email from my father, but it hasn't come, and I don't know if it ever will, so watching it happen is like vicariously living through Randall. It's surreal. As they start the trip Randall says they won't be using GPS and pulls out a bunch of maps to which William promptly throws out the window... Yup, "Just drive, son... We'll get there." Truer words have never been spoken. They really captured that freeing road trip experience, an empty road as they forged ahead, surrounded by trees on either side, bright grassy medians, and windows down, wind blowing through their souls... There's something so cleansing, so purifying about a road trip. And as they followed the winding highways and byways to Memphis, we saw William's own timeline paralleled as his walk in life was explained... The show had started with his birth and then we saw that his father was killed leaving him with a single mother... The trip started with his mother seeing him off to explore his music and art to see if he could spread his wings the way that she knew he had it in him. Let's be clear, success isn't defined by the house you have, the things you sell... It's defined by the people you touch and whether or not you leave this plane of existence with a smile on your face. Randall and William traded stories about their lives, Randall talked about Jack Pearson, the myth, not necessarily the man, and how he used to calm him down through his debilitating panic attacks. At this point in the episode I had probably welled up with tears at least twice... Ok maybe three times, or possibly four. William wanted to know more about Jack and I just love hearing the three 'children' talking about Jack. When one of close loved ones passes we start to forget the bad and remember all the amazing things they did, the little things that brought us joy, relief, or just smiles. This is how we immortalize our lost ones, we all are terribly faulted, and if you can't look back and smile at a fault then it's probably not worth remembering. It's a human condition thing, I don't know if it's right, but it's what we do. I miss the long talks with my Aunt, who was more of my sister than anything, she'd talk to me on the phone for hours as I moved across country looking for a place I could call home. She always fantasized and pushed for me to come live with her, but we both knew I belonged somewhere far away. I remember when I was very little she would play on the piano and sing... My favorite was when she would sing Bette Middler songs... But she could do everything from 'Guns N Roses' to Power Ballads. She introduced me to music and we would sit in her room for hours and she'd write down and memorize every lyric to every song... Poison, Whitesnake, REM, Tesla, Joan Jett, Tone-Loc, nothing was off limits What I wouldn't give for some of those pieces of paper. I'd probably collage them out into a piece of artwork, but they are long gone. You never think about those things then because you don't think that one day they'll unexpectedly leave you. I pretty much knew that when William suggested that they drive a half a day out of the way to pay respects to Jack, that he knew this was his last trip. His speech to Jack's official resting place, where he says 'I would've liked to have met his son's father' had me in knots. To all of you out there like Randall, like me, who missed out on their real life blood father, I hope you get your redemption story. I hope that you are able to meet your cousins and your brothers and sisters. I hope that you don't just get to meet them once and swap an email or meaningless Facebook posts every once in a blue moon. I hope that what we are seeing in 'Memphis' is a possibility and not just a fairy tale, manipulating our emotions on NBC. We all deserve closure and to all the lost fathers, lost mothers, I don't care what you've done... You all deserve redemption. But you can't just sit back and hide in fear of get stuck in your feelings, frozen in their icy hold. You have to reach out. You have to make a call. You have to tell your sons and your daughters that deserve to hear you say that you're sorry, or you did what you thought was best... Whatever it may be. You might not get your Memphis, but even if you receive a emotionally charged reaction.... Anger, Sadness. Relief, Fear (and whatever else is controlling us from the inside like in the existential Disney/Pixar masterpiece 'Inside Out'), you owe it to your children and you owe it to yourself to just say something, anything at all.

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whitewolfofwinterfell · 8 years ago

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Hope for Stelena - why they could still be endgame (v.2)

I wrote a post about a year ago about why I believed a Stelena endgame was still feasible (read here) and since the finale is only a month away, a few people requested that I write an updated version. So, here it is.

Reading version 1 isn’t necessary, but there are points in there that may not be included in this post. Likewise there may be some repeated points, so forgive me.

As always, this isn’t Delena or Steroline friendly. You’ve been warned.

I know that the mood amongst Stelena shippers has been grim for a long time now, since most believe there is no possibility of our ship being endgame, but I’m here to tell you that there is a possibility.

The way I’m going to approach this is from three directions. The first is by assessing Stefan and Elena’s relationship purely on the show. The second is assessing it off-screen through the cast, production, writing and all of those other elements that are behind the creation and life of Stelena. The third will be discussing the importance of narrative (which I already explored at the end of v.1).

1. Signs suggesting a Stelena endgame on the show (this list may be familiar to you if you read v.1)

Season 5:

Elena is thinking about Stefan whilst she is with Damon. (Katy Perry’s Thinking of You comes to mind.)

Thinking about Elena is enough to keep Stefan holding onto his humanity and stop him from turning it off.

Elena is ecstatic to see Stefan for the first time (who was actually Silas) and practically throws herself into his arms.

Elena is nearing tears and furious at Damon because she is so worried about Stefan.

Elena thinking of Stefan is enough to break through Silas’ compulsion.

Elena dedicates herself to finding Stefan and bringing him home.

When Elena finds Stefan unconscious and covered in blood she runs to him and is frantic with worry.

Elena places Stefan’s daylight ring on his finger (parallel with 4x01.)

Elena goes through the effort to reminisce with Stefan about their relationship and their happier times, because she so desperately wanted him to remember.

The two of them openly flirt, laugh and bounce off one another naturally.

Stefan is attracted and drawn to Elena even though he has no memories of her.

Elena feels a physical attraction to Stefan (her hand lingers on his chest when she touches him).

Elena admits that Stefan is the most compassionate person she knows and that he was the perfect boyfriend.

Elena’s feelings for Stefan are still so strong that she almost kisses him and only stops at the last second because she knows she should.

Elena drops everything and goes running to Stefan after she receives a phone call from Tessa.

Elena is jealous about Tessa flirting with Stefan.

Stefan still instinctively protects Elena even though he has no memories.

Elena admits that she’s missed Stefan and is ecstatic to find out he’s got his memories back.

Elena tells Stefan he knows her better than anyone else (with Damon standing mere feet away, oops).

Stefan saves Elena from Wes.

Elena admits that her “dreams/hallucinations” of Stefan were the perfect life, and has tears in her eyes when they end.

Stefan says that the life he and Elena had together was amazing, that it was real and that they fell in love on their own.

Elena and Stefan tell each other they will always love each other.

Stefan tells “Elena” (Katherine) that when they were together every single atom in his body told him it was the right thing and that they were the perfect fit.

Stefan loves Elena enough to kiss Katherine believing it is Elena.

Stefan is the first one to notice that Katherine is a passenger inside Elena, because he knows her best.

Stefan kills Katherine without hesitation in order to bring Elena back.

Stefan actually gives Elena advice on her relationship with Damon, because that’s how much he cares about her happiness.

Stefan trusts Elena so much that she is the only person he tells that he killed Enzo.

Stefan and Elena get on so well and spend so much time together that Caroline suspects something is going on between them.

When they’re kidnapped by the Travellers, Stefan rescues Elena instead of leaving and saving himself.

Stefan is hurt to see Elena run into Damon’s arms.

Elena fights to bring Stefan back from the Other Side, even killing herself to do it.

Season 6

Stefan is the first person Elena calls whilst she is grieving and crying about losing Damon.

In a conversation with Alaric Elena admits she loved Stefan, that she was always faithful to him and that Katherine was right about her loving them both.

Elena and Stefan light up when they see each other for the first time in months.

Elena tells him that four months is way too long for her to go without seeing him.

Elena spends the day with Stefan to understand his grieving and to be there for him.

Stefan tells Elena he’s avoiding Mystic Falls, not her.

Elena has photos of Stefan in her dorm room.

Elena asks Stefan for advice on how to tell Liam she’s a vampire, because he’s the person she trusts most.

Stefan tells Elena he was in love with her and wanted her to know everything.

Elena is upset when her daylight ring (representing her forever with Stefan) gets destroyed.

Damon tells Elena if she was human she wouldn’t be with him, because she would always choose Stefan.

Elena admits once again that she did love Stefan.

Stefan asks Elena to bring him back to his humanity.

Stefan tells Damon that he and Elena are soul mates.

Caroline also refers to Stefan and Elena as soul mates.

Stefan admits that he loved Elena more than he thought it was possible to love someone else.

Elena chooses a 5 mile hike to say goodbye to Stefan, implying that she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before they had to say goodbye.

The hike also happens to be the place she spent what she believed to be her final day as a human with Stefan. It’s a romantic place for them.

Elena tells Stefan he knows her better than anyone and that he always has.

When they’re saying goodbye Stefan says “I can’t do this. Not now. Not ever”, showing that even after all that time he still couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. This is also a parallel to 2x05 “If I say “I can’t do this anymore, what I really mean is that I love you.”

Stefan has tears streaming down his face when he says goodbye to Elena.

Everything - absolutely everything - about Elena’s final words to Stefan confirmed how important he was to her, how much happiness her brought her and how he changed her life for the better.

Elena tells Stefan “I love you so much.” (Might I add, she didn’t even say this to Damon. She told him she loved him but not “so much”. Hmm.)

Their goodbye very much has a feeling of “goodbye for now” rather than “goodbye forever” and Elena actually states, “This isn’t goodbye, Stefan,” and the two of them say, “I’ll see you soon.” On the other hand, comparing Delena’s goodbye is very different and it does feel final. There’s no “wait for me” or “I’ll miss you” or anything of that nature from Elena.

Season 7

When Stefan finds out Elena is “dead”, he reacts very strongly to it. He lashes out in rage and repeatedly punches Damon in the face, hits the steering wheel and actually cries.

Similarly, when he finds out she’s alive, he’s utterly relieved.

Season 8

Stefan talks about the night he whooshed Elena to the top of the ferris wheel. A memory, that is clearly still special to him.

Stefan says that his life with Elena was a chapter in his life when he was good and he loved her.

Stefan reminds Damon that he gave Elena her necklace to protect her from him.

Stefan is still so confident and assured in his and Elena’s love that he tells Damon she wouldn’t have looked at him twice at the Founders Day Ball if he’d have been there.

“Take it from me Elena Gilbert never really goes away”.

Stefan is human.

There are probably even more points that can be added to this list, (particularly from seasons 7 and 8, because I haven’t watched them so I’ve probably missed some smaller details). But what is the point in listing all of these interactions between Stefan and Elena or mentions of their relationship? The point is, that every single one of these points suggest that Stefan and Elena’s love still exists or has the potential to exist again. I’m not naive enough to believe that Stefan and Elena are in love now, because Elena’s lying horizontally in a box, for one thing. But whether or not they’re currently in love does not determine whether or not they could be endgame. Do you know what it takes for two people to fall in love? An instant. One moment in time. It’s called “falling” because it’s sudden, it happens before you can stop it, before you’ve even noticed it happening. Obviously, a lot of the time there is a build-up to it, but the point is it generally goes unnoticed until the person has that sudden fall and with it comes that sharp realisation of “whoa, I’m in love.” Now consider how long it would take for this moment to occur with Stefan and Elena who have so much history between them? Who have a natural chemistry and cosmic connection? Who have maintained such a high level of love and respect between them in the years that they’ve split? There is still the potential for them to be in love and all of these moments throughout the seasons prove that. They both still consider their relationship to have been a happy, positive and special times in their lives - Stefan said being with Elena was a good chapter in his life because he loved her and Elena has said that Stefan made her happy again, that he changed everything for her. The fact that there’s no hostility or hatred between them and that they still look upon one another with such adoration and fondness means that they are certainly not off the cards.

Just look at that one line from Stefan in 8x09: “Take it from me, Elena Gilbert never really goes away”. To me this can only have one possible meaning: Stefan still harbors romantic feelings for Elena. How could that be interpreted in any other way? He’s saying that once you’ve loved Elena you can never unlove her. She stays with you, she never goes away. That doesn’t sound much like someone that has moved on. 8x09 actually had multiple mentions about Elena from Stefan. Why is he even talking about her? Why is he telling Damon that if he’d have been at the Miss Mystic Falls dance Elena wouldn’t have looked at him twice? Why is he almost angrily telling Damon that he gave Elena her necklace to protect her from him? This is Stefan showing his true emotions (ironic since his humanity is supposed to be off, but then again, Elena has always been the one to awaken his humanity). He’s showing his anger and hurt at Damon essentially stealing Elena from him. He’s finally letting it show. Why do that if he doesn’t care? Why bring it up now? It shouldn’t matter. He split up with Elena years ago and is supposed to be in love with and marrying someone else. If you’re truly over someone you wouldn’t even think those things let alone say them aloud.

Mentions of Stelena in 8x09 is just one example of the subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) signs that prove that Stelena could still 100% reconcile, but I want to move onto the next issue that I feel is important from the list above - Stefan being human.

This is huge for so many reasons. First of all, I think that the dream endgame for any Stelena shipper is the AU we saw in 5x18 and now we’re halfway there. Stefan and Elena are human. Now, again, this might be a coincidence, but it does make me question, why not Damon? Damon’s the one that wanted to take the cure just before Elena went into the coma. He’s the one that wanted to be human and spend his life with her and we would assume that this is the direction the writers were going to go in - a human Delena endgame. So, then why have they turned Stefan into a human instead of Damon? What could the possible reason be for that? Humanity has always been a key element of Stelena’s relationship. They’ve both always desired to be human, they’ve always valued their humanity and each other’s, they’ve always longed for a “normal” human life.

I was supposed to grow up. Decide if I want to have kids and start a family. Grow old. I was supposed to have a lifetime of those choices.

If it meant that I got to be with her, have children, grow old with her. If it meant that we’d die together, be buried together, then yes. I’d take the cure.

You know how much I wanted a human life with you.

It was a fantasy, like a movie. It was a life we never could’ve had, but it still felt–amazing.

It was paradise. I saw a perfect life. Stefan and I were married and we had kids.

I’ve already discussed this in other posts, so again I won’t go into too much detail, but suffice to say, being human and having a human life is something Stefan and Elena have always shared. It’s something they’ve always wanted for themselves individually, but also collectively. And actually, if you took away vampirism and everything else supernatural, Stefan and Elena would’ve been together from the beginning and stayed together until the end. There is nothing that could’ve broken them up if it wasn’t for supernatural interferences. The fact that Stefan was a vampire was always a barrier, because Elena didn’t want to turn so in her heart she knew she couldn’t stay with Stefan always, but she tried not to think of that. And then when she actually turned, they didn’t automatically have their happily ever after, because Elena was sired to Damon.

This is what’s very often overlooked with Stefan and Elena - they’re incredibly compatible. Not even necessarily on a romantic level, but just generally. As people they get each other. They understand each other’s wants, desires, thought processes, emotions, they know exactly how to read each other and empathise with each other. They share common values and beliefs and all of these things are what bring them together as people. So bring Stefan and Elena together as mere humans, no vampirism or supernatural stuff, and there is no doubt that they would be 100% in love and in a relationship without reservation or hesitation.

Let’s also not forget that Julie has stated multiple times that Elena as a human belongs with Stefan and that she firmly believed that Stefan was what was pure in Elena’s heart as a human. Elena could only fall in love with Damon and act on her feelings for him truly once she was a vampire. Elena was a human for a total of what? One and a half episodes before she went into the coma. Her choosing to stay with Damon during that time means nothing. It doesn’t mean she would’ve stayed with him for the rest of her life. Who’s to say what might’ve changed? Is it possible that when she wakes up in the finale that she starts to get resurfacing feelings for Stefan?

More importantly what will Stefan feel now? He’s finally human. It’s what he’s always wanted and he never expected to get it. And how will it affect his relationship with Caroline? Damon never wanted to be human and only agreed to take the cure for Elena’s sake and now Caroline is going to face the same issue. Caroline has never expressed any desire to be human. Like Damon, she enjoys being a vampire, she likes the person she’s become since she turned and the chances are that Stefan being human will challenge their relationship.

It would be easy for the writers to have Damon drink the cure from Elena and Caroline drink it from Stefan and have both couples live happily ever after as humans, but from a character POV that would make absolutely no sense. They’d have to go against the very nature of Damon and Caroline’s characters to force that and even more embarrassing, they’d be ignoring this epic couple that have always had a profound love and connection, that are the love story of the show and that have always wanted to be human in favour of these forced couples. How could they logically do that? Damon and Caroline would have to go against what they personally want, to discard who they fundamentally are as people, sacrifice their own desires or plans for their lives in order to be with Elena and Stefan. On the other hand, Stefan and Elena wouldn’t have to sacrifice anything. They’re already both human, they’d both get what they’ve always wanted - a normal, human life with each other - and neither of them would have to sacrifice their own happiness for the other. Which one of these scenarios makes more sense? I know which one I think makes more sense.

Personally, I always thought that Stefan being human could mean only one thing. Yep, you guessed it. A Stelena endgame. Because how…just how could they have Stefan and Elena be human and not go down that route? It would be defying the very nature of the universe. There is absolutely no way in hell that the two of them could be human at the same time, on the same planet and not explore that further. Even if it’s just sitting down to talk about what it means to them and how they feel. I mean, this is Stefan and Elena. I could never buy into a world where they wouldn’t be curious about how this change affects their feelings for each other, because it would. As recent as season 6 Damon said that Elena wouldn’t be with him if she was still human because she always loved Stefan, I mean…come on.

But enough of that, now it’s time to move onto the next issue, which I believe is the biggest indicator that Stelena could be endgame.

2. Indicators Stelena could be endgame from the cast/crew

Since it’s been confirmed that Nina’s returning for the finale, we now know that the Stelena endgame we’re so desperately hoping for could actually happen and the multiple pictures we’ve seen posted of Nina and Paul give us even more hope. Of course, they may just be innocent pictures of old friends reunited, but ask yourselves why? If you look at Nina’s Instagram she only has a picture with Paul. Why only him?

And of course, we know that the lovely Kevin Williamson has returned this season. It’s no secret that he is the King of Stelena, they’re his babies and he’s expressed that multiple times. Just look at all of the things he’s said about them:

This show is always going to be about Stefan and Elena. It has to be. They’re soulmates.

The look on her face, the way they connected in this moment [the pilot], that’s what worked for me.

One of the most important things Julie and I wanted to do is cement the love between Stefan and Elena. It’s that love story that will be the anchor of this entire show. We have to earn that.

Elena is always, no matter how single she is, she’s still standing there with Stefan.

She’s got a big journey, because 100 percent, yes, she’s attracted to this man [Damon]. Yes, she loves Stefan unbelievably — I mean, it’s an epic love that’s never going to change.

This is a story about Stefan and Elena’s love story.

It’s about these two lost souls, these two dead souls, one human and one a vampire, who are together, their love for each other brings them back to life. I mean that’s epic.

All of those quotes are from the earlier seasons so some might say it’s not relevant anymore, which is a valid point. But in the season 8 promo/TVD Forever video, what did Kevin talk about? I’ll give you three guesses. Oh, that’s right, Stelena. This is what he said:

Elena was like this walking dead person, she felt dead inside. And along come Stefan, who literally is dead, and looking for a way to come back to life. And these two people, these two souls who were really, you know, out of breath, find each other and learn to breathe again and fall madly in love. And from that, this epic love story was born. (x)

He also spoke about how the story of TVD originated from a dark time in his life when he was grieving from the death of a loved one and that he connected to Elena emotionally, along with hers and Stefan’s love story.

So here is the man that essentially created the entire story of Stelena, that was emotionally invested and devoted to their relationship because it was special to him and he’s returning for the final season. In addition to that the first and only thing he talks about in the first promo he features for season 8 is his love for Stefan and Elena. Therefore, what are the chances of Stelena having some sort of happy ending? I would say very high, if Kevin has any part to play in it, which he does.

His bias and favoritism of Stelena is so clear, even on his Instagram. He posted the following picture recently:

We all know this is a final tribute to Stefan and Elena, since he still considers them to be the heart and soul of the show. And if you actually go to his Instagram and scroll through, the pictures he has with the TVD cast are primarily all with Paul and/or Nina. I also feel it’s relevant to add that there are none of Ian at all.

Now that I’ve mentioned Ian, I might as well address the elephant in the room: Nina and Ian’s relationship. The two of them consistently insist (Nina in particular) that there is no bad blood between them and everything is fine and dandy, but that can’t be true. Even if there’s no hostility or hatred between them (which I don’t think there is), they are still human and there’s got to be some level of awkwardness to not only work with your ex, but actually be in a romantic relationship with them on screen. Are we supposed to believe it’s just a coincidence that Nina left not long after her split with Ian and his engagement/marriage to Nikki? Look at it like this, Nina and Ian split in 2013, season 6 took place in 2014 and Nina left at the end of the season. So basically, Nina lasted one season after her split with Ian before she called it quits. There were only two more seasons left of the show to go and Nina must’ve known that, yet she couldn’t even hold out that long. What does that tell you? Personally, I will always believe that her reasons for leaving the show were related to Ian, even if that’s not the only reason. And Ian has made it embarrassingly obvious how he felt at the prospect of Nina’s return in Comic Con 2016. If you haven’t seen it already go and watch it (x). Ian blatantly seems uncomfortable, annoyed and adamant that Nina won’t be returning. His entire behaviour there only adds to people believing that there’s an awkwardness between him and Nina, because whilst the rest of the cast are smiling and nodding, happy at the prospect of Nina’s return, his face is like thunder. And the point remains, if Nina left because she could no longer handle having to play an on-screen romance with Ian, why would she want to come back and do it again? Regardless of how professional Nina and Ian are, I think that they’d both prefer that there wasn’t a romantic Delena endgame and the writers are obviously going to know that. I’m not saying this factor alone is going to give us a Stelena endgame, because of course it won’t. If the writers want a Delena endgame, they’ll make it happen. But I’m just making a point that there’s a preference to Stelena even from the main actors.

Again, a lot of the quotes I use might be outdated, but Paul and Nina have always expressed how much they love Stelena. Nina compared Stelena’s love to The Notebook.

I love The Notebook, and I know an epic love story when I see one, and I felt like Elena and Stefan had an epic love.

And the most interesting thing about this is that it actually came from Julie first. I know that amongst Stelena fans she’s actually earned the reputation of being the devil, but she clearly still holds a lot of love in her heart for Stelena. She’s the one that told Nina she saw Stefan and Elena’s love as being similar to Noah and Allie’s love in The Notebook, so Nina always played Elena’s love for Stefan with The Notebook in mind.

In 2014 (which isn’t really that long ago) Paul revealed that his favourite scene of the entire series was the first time Stefan and Elena made love in 1x10. I know that Julie has also admitted in the past that this is one of her favourite scenes.

All of these wonderful quotes from the cast and producers show their ongoing love for Stelena and that counts for a lot. After all, these are the people that are creating the story, that are bringing it to life and if they enjoy it, are invested in it and believe in it, then of course it increases the chance of it being ignited again.

One final point to make is the choice of episode titles. Someone actually made a wonderful post about this (which was perfect timing!) about the season 8 episode titles and their connection to Stelena (x). Yet again, is this a mere coincidence? I know that each of the episode titles can be applied to a more general theme or idea and that’s why they were chosen, but the fact that they’re still mostly quotes somehow linked to Stefan and Elena is very telling. Let’s dissect this further.

Today Will Be Different This is a quote from the pilot that Elena writes in her diary and is directly linked to the beginning of her new life because it’s the day she meets Stefan. That day was different, because as Elena herself said, Stefan changed everything for her.

Coming Home Was a Mistake Again, this is something Stefan said to Elena when he left town. This is an example of how the quotes chosen can be applied to a broader theme, because it’s essentially about the guilt Stefan (or Damon) feel for coming home because of all of the trouble they’ve caused. But even still, a large part of Stefan’s decision to leave and his reasoning for saying it was a mistake, is because he felt he was putting Elena in danger and wanted to keep her safe.

The Next Time I Hurt Somebody It Could Be You A very Stelena-centric quote from a very intense and romantic Stelena scene. Again, this is linked to Stefan’s fear of endangering Elena merely by being in his life and his desperation to prevent that from happening.

We Have History Together Does anything really need to be said about this? One of the most epic, simple and meaningful Stelena quotes to exist.

The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch Although Damon is the one that ended up doing the dance with Elena at the Miss Mystic Falls dance, Stefan is the one she was supposed to dance with, he’s the one she practiced with, he’s the one she was with when this line was said and they’re the ones that giggled and played around with the whole idea of the intimacy of the near touch.

You Made A Choice To Be Good Another very important quote from the 1x20 scene.

What Are You? The moment that Elena found out that Stefan was a vampire. Because they were the two characters that were at the center of the show. Elena was the human, Stefan was the vampire, they’re the characters that fell in love, Elena learned about vampires because of Stefan, they shared that journey. Everything the show is built upon started with them and how they came together as friends, boyfriend and girlfriend, human and vampire.

I Was Feeling Epic Even the finale is named after Stelena. This quote is said by Lexi, but we all know that epic is a word that is directly linked to Stelena’s relationship and she said this after she helped Stefan and Elena “make up” so to speak.

Maybe it’s a coincidence so many of these titles are related to Stelena in some way, since they were such a key part of season 1, but what if it’s not?

3. A narrative Stelena endgame

Now that I’ve explored the main two points that I wanted to discuss of how both the show and the cast/producers hint at a Stelena endgame, I want to openly express my thoughts on how/why a Stelena endgame is possible really from a story POV.

If you’ve ever read any of my other meta’s on Stelena (or any other show/ship/character) you will have probably noticed that I have a slight tendency to talk about the narrative or story a lot. The reason for that is simply that I’m a writer and I naturally assess shows by analysing the storytelling that is taking place. So many writers on shows get caught up in the shock factor, they create drama to surprise fans and cause a stir or in the modern world of social media they get swept up too much in other people’s opinions, rather than telling the story properly, but for me, all that matters is the story. I’ll always have my ship and character preferences, but I don’t give a crap if all of my ships and faves are killed, as long as it’s necessary to produce a well-rounded, coherent and organic story.

Getting to the point, it’s important to identify what is The Vampire Diaries about? What’s it’s story? Here are a few summaries I found online about the show:

It follows Elena Gilbert portrayed by Nina Dobrev as she begins to get over her parents’ death and two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, portrayed by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, respectively.

It follows the life of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenage girl who has just lost both parents in a car accident, as she falls in love with an 162-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Stefan’s mysterious older brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) returns, with a plan to bring back their past lover Katherine Pierce, a vampire who looks exactly like Elena.

Here’s one about the book series:

The story centers on Elena Gilbert, a young, beautiful high school girl who finds herself eventually torn between two Italian brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, who are centuries old vampires.

They’re all very similar and essentially all say the same thing - the show is centered around Elena and her relationships with Stefan and Damon. Sounds pretty obvious, right? Then how the hell has the show become what it is? For a start, Elena is no longer in the show, even though it’s supposed to be following her life and her relationship with Stefan (when she was on the show) was essentially swept aside. So two basic elements that formed the basis of the story have been taken away, and this is the core issue with the show: it’s lost it’s way. It’s strayed so far from the original narrative, that it’s actually crazy. I also fell it’s necessary to add here that I have never seen a summary of the show that says it’s about Elena and Damon. Most of them, if not all of them, say it’s about Elena and Stefan falling in love or if not it mentions a love triangle. But it never says anything about following Delena’s life or love.

But what’s more important to look at is what the writers/producers themselves say the story of TVD is, since they’re the ones writing it (all quotes below are primarily from Julie or Kevin):

When you have a love story that’s this powerful, and then you throw this genre element into it, with the great guy across the room who’s moody and brooding and sexy and dangerous, and also happens to be a vampire, then you end up with stories you can tell for days!

The thing that works so well about this show is that’s a serialized mythology genre love story. It’s about these two lost souls, these two dead souls, one human and one a vampire, who are together, their love for each other brings them back to life. I mean that’s epic.

We always said in the pilot it’s a girl who feels dead inside and a boy who is dead inside and how they bring each other back to life.

In the beginning of the series it was very important to have the journals because the two of them didn’t have anybody to talk to about their deepest feelings. Stefan is alone and caring this huge secret and needed an outlet for that. Elena was spiritually alone in that she’d lost her parents and didn’t feel like anybody really understood what she was feeling and where she was coming from, and so they were able to express themselves on paper. But the minute they felt in love they had each other. He doesn’t need to write something down if he doesn’t keep secrets from her, and she can express herself to him, she can open herself up to him, so the actual dramatic need for the journals diminished just by definition of putting those two into a relationship.

It’s clear that when the show was first developed, the entire vision of the show was built upon Stefan and Elena and their love. These quotes from Julie and Kevin confirm that 100%. Even the title of the show “The Vampire Diaries” is embedded in Stelena. It’s two characters who are so alone that they have to write in diaries, but once they meet each other and fall in love they don’t need to anymore.

But let’s go even further with this and see what else the writers had to say:

This show is always going to be about Stefan and Elena. It has to be. They’re soulmates.

It’s that love story that will be the anchor of this entire show. We have to earn that.

This is a story about Stefan and Elena’s love story.

In the books… Stefan & Elena, their love is just so important.

It’s really the story of this sort of triangle in a sense, but really actually more so the love between my character and Elena.

We want to make it as real as possible, and as genuine, and we want to make everyone fall in love with these characters and believe the love story. That’s what it’s about. It’s about Stefan and Elena’s undying love.

The bottom line is that Elena and Stefan are the true epic love story of the show. Damon is the third point of the triangle.

This show is cemented in a love triangle over the whole run of the series.

I can only say that it’s a show predicated on a girl coming back to life and her development of love for one brother who then, because of who she is, changes the life of the other brother and that’s our show.

Consistently Stefan and Elena’s love has been described as being the true story of the show. You’ll notice a few times the triangle has also been brought in, because this is also an essential aspect of the story. Delena is as much a part of the story of The Vampire Diaries as Stelena. Julie in particular focuses a lot on the triangle and she’s the one that says it will continue for the whole run of the series. But similarly, she’s the one that said he’s the third point of the triangle and this is what I think is important to remember - yes, Delena had to happen and it was always going to, because I agree with Julie that it would’ve been bad story telling to never go there. However, they are not supposed to be how the story ends.

Why did the writers choose to have lines from season 1 as the episode titles for the final season? Why are they bringing so many old characters back? Why are they reminiscing over old memories? Because good story telling is writing a fitting ending and to do that you have to go back to the beginning, back to the root and heart of your story. And what would the writers have seen if they did that? They would’ve seen that Stefan and Elena are the heart and soul of the show.

And this above all the reasons I’ve listed or spoke of is why I believe Stelena have to be (and could be) endgame. I won’t bore you with more quotes, but Paul hit the nail on the head when he said that Stefan and Elena splitting was inevitable and that she needed to explore the Damon side of things, but that eventually it will have to come back around to Stefan and Elena. Delena have had their chance and honestly I think they’ve got a hell of a lot more than the writers ever planned. I know Delena shippers would insist that they were the intended endgame right from the start, but I don’t believe that one bit. When the story was first conceived Damon wasn’t even given any consideration. The entire show was built upon Paul and Nina’s chemistry, because that is how important Stefan and Elena’s relationship was. They searched high and low for the perfect actor to play Stefan, because they needed that chemistry there between Stefan and Elena and when they found Paul they said the show would work because of the amazing chemistry between them.

Back in the early days the writers never sat there and said, “Okay, we’ll have Stefan and Elena together for a couple of years, but in the end Damon is Elena’s true love and that’s our story.” That would’ve never been said, because it’s not true. I’ve never seen the kind of things being said about Delena that have been said about Stelena. There isn’t the same positvity or love from the cast or writers and they’ve certainly never been described as the core of the show or the love story of the entire series, because despite what it might’ve seemed these past few seasons Delena are not what this show is about. It’s merely got twisted and caught up in them, for whatever reason, but they were never the intended story. I have to believe that the story will end the way it was supposed to, with the ending it deserves and that ending is with Stefan and Elena together.

Whilst I’ve explored a lot of why I think Stelena could and should be endgame, I haven’t talked much about the how. I’m aware that this post is already very long, so I’ll attempt to keep this bit short and sweet.

I don’t know why, but there’s almost this attitude amongst people that a Stelena endgame is impossible, because they haven’t been together since season 4 and I’m sitting here thinking, “Have you actually watched any other shows before?”. I know I’ve probably used them as an example before, but look at Ross and Rachel. Ross and Rachel broke up (for the final time) in season 4 and although there were the occasional signs that they still had feelings for each other, they generally moved on in every single way. They dated other people, they navigated a very platonic relationship and they got back together IN THE VERY LAST EPISODE of the series. This isn’t the only time this has happened in a show, it’s actually very common for a couple to reunite at the very end of a show as a surprise to the fans and to make the ending even more epic. Every possibility of a Stelena endgame has already been explored, discussed or written and so my idea of how it might happen is hardly original, it’s merely the way I feel it would be most effective and organic. I think that Elena should wake up (which we all know is going to happen somehow, I personally hope that it’s a loophole in the spell, because I don’t want my lovely Bonnie to suffer AGAIN by dying or becoming a vampire), she should reunite with Damon, do her thing, maybe give him the cure (if he wants it), I really don’t care. Similarly, Stefan does his thing with Caroline, gives her the cure and they get married. Whatever in the present happens happens and I really don’t care, because it can all be solved and made okay with a simple five minute time jump at the end whereby Stefan and Elena are both human, they’re out and about doing their thing, they bump right into each other (parallels with 1x01) and they’re so happy to see each other, they’re beaming at each other, they catch up on everything they’ve missed. Elena asks how Damon is and Stefan asks how Caroline is, Elena knows he split up with Caroline and Stefan knows Elena split up with Damon a long time ago, but they don’t say anything about it. They just exchange pleasantries, but there’s a familiariy and ease in their communication. They’re laughing and their laughter dips off, Elena sighs softly and looks up at Stefan, a fond and reminicent smile on her face and says, “It’s funny how things never turn out the way you expect.” Stefan smiles and nods and you can see there’s blatant chemistry between them.

Honestly, I would be happy with that ending. Obviously, it’s not perfect, but I’m trying to be realistic with what the show could create. In an ideal world I’d write something so much better than that (and I probably will write a fic at some point, so keep your eyes peeled!). But I definitley think the key to a Stelena endgame will be through time jumps and/or flashbacks. I think flashbacks could be a way to bring them to the realisation they’re still in love and jumps forward could be a way to reconcile them.

All I know is that if the writers want to make it happen there are truly a million ways they could bring Stelena back together. It’s not as impossible or ridiculous as some people suggest. Even with so many seasons of Delena, with a few key scenes and a time jump, Stelena could feasibly be brought back together. For those of you that have watched season 7 of PLL you’ll know that if the writers want to bring a couple back together they will do it quick and easy, and any current relationships the characters may be in will not stop them. They’ll always find loopholes or re-write certain aspects of the story to fit what they want. Look at what the writers did with Stelena and all the retconning that took place to make Delena happen. If they could so easily undermine and cast aside such a significant and deep relationship as Stelena’s to make Delena happen, they could do exactly the same to Delena to make Stelena happen.

If you pay attention to the details, a Stelena endgame can be narratively traced throughout every season, including the seasons where they were no longer together. There have been consistent scenes and mentions that could all be (and should be) used to lead to a Stelena endgame.

I also feel it’s important to say that no other couple on the show have had this. There’s so many complaints from Stelena shippers that our ship has been bashed and undermined, but actually we are so incredibly lucky in comparison to other ships. Our ship ended officially in 4x06 and after that we still got beautiful moments such as the 4x19 dance, we had an entire two episodes dedicated to remembering their love in 5x04 and 5x18. 5x18 was real closure for them and honestly, it was beautiful. It showed how much love and respect was still between them and even though it effectively ended the romantic side of their relationship, the fact that we even had that is so much more than other ships have had. Even in season 8 we’re still getting mentions about them. Yet with Beremy I can’t even recall them having a real final scene together. One day they were in love, the next Bonnie was dead, then Bonnie was alive, but Jeremy had left town and no one seemed to think it was important to tell him she was back. I don’t even know what happened there, it’s such a mess. Then we have Forwood, who broke up and have been completely ignored in every single way since. Like they were each other’s first love, they were so important to each other and the way they’re spoken about and Caroline’s reaction to his death makes it seem as though they’ve always just been friends. Klaroline have never even had a real shot at a romance, they had no closure, a two minute romp in the woods that the writers threw in to try and satiate Klaroline shippers and that’s it. I could go on and list the endless ships that have been completely and utterly forgotten, that are nothing more than ghost ships and are barely even mentioned or acknowledged.

So the question remains, why keep talking about Stelena? It’s important, because even one quote can be used to bring a couple together. Something as simple as Stefan saying “Elena Gilbert never really goes away”, could be the beginning of Stefan starting to question his feelings for Elena and lead to him realising when Elena is awake that he still has lingering emotions that he never really got over.

What I’m trying to make a point of, is that there is still hope. That’s what shipping Stelena is all about - hope. It’s one of the key elements our ship is built on and it’s what we must have now. Regardless of whether or not you believe it will happen, I’m here to tell you that it could happen. It’s not impossible, it’s not off the cards, it’s not overreaching or being unrealistically optimistic. We understand what the story of the show is, what it started as and what it should finish as, the writers themselves have said it repeatedly and Kevin Williamson the literal daddy of the show reaffirmed it only last year. Everything is already in place for a Stelena endgame, now we just have to wait to see if the writers will use what’s already in place to give the story the ending it deserves.

The pilot started with two people who were dead inside and brought each other back to life and the only possible ending to that is to have the pay off. Otherwise what was the point? What was the point in creating this beautiful story in seasons 1-3 to then not acknowledge or bring closure to that? The two people that made each other better, happier people, that shared an unconditional, passionate love that saved them both, that defined and changed their life deserve to have their ending. They deserve to be not just metaphorically, but truly alive as humans, with beating hearts and warm flesh and to live the life that they both so desperately yearned for and dreamed of - the life Elena called ‘paradise’.

The Vampire Diaries is Stefan’s story, it’s Elena’s story, but mostly it’s Stelena’s story. Nothing can change that.

(If you made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! You can find all of the quotes I used here and if you want to discuss this further or have anything to ask me, please don’t hesitate to message me).

#the vampire diaries #tvd #stelena #stefan x elena #stelena shippers club #stelena stan club #elena x stefan #mine #my meta #tvd meta

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