#the jilted lovers brigade

[greyias]

I found a datamine letter that Theron send you if you romance Arcann and omg my heart it hurts so much to read it! :( though being a datamine in the first place I don’t know if it’ll be released in game but still

I mean it is hard to say, what with it being datamined (although I would love to know where they find that within the game data because I needs me some copies of the letters in-game without having to actually play through 100+ hours of content to get them!)

(Spoilers, as well as a little salt in the wound below the cut)

The letter in question (as well as some others from the Jilted Lovers Brigade can be found here): http://boards.theforce.net/threads/the-old-republic-mmo-the-new-official-thread.50004324/page-239

I can’t focus. I just keep thinking about you. I’m usually so good at controlling my emotions, but I guess you’re my weak point. This is a good lesson for me. Don’t open up. Don’t let anyone in.

I need to be on my own for a while to forget about us. Shake away my lingering feelings.

This is why spies should never fall in love. 

Yeah… honestly that letter doesn’t surprise me at all. 

And can you blame him, really? I mean, honestly, can you blame any of them? Kaliyo’s is particularly blunt and on the nose, but that’s kind of who she is. They all kind of have a point… if these indeed do appear in game (and, well, we’ve seen them remove some datamined letters that accidentally gave the plot of their current storyline away especially if some mysterious sleep-deprived idiot were to accidentally decode their super sekrit messages)

I mean, honestly? I really don’t ship Outlander/Arcann for a lot of reasons, so I’m kind of with the Jilted Lovers Brigade here. Especially considering these letters appear to only really be sent if the PC is in a committed relationship. And infidelity kind of sucks? But, you know, that’s just me.

(Yes I realize the game doesn’t have a convenient “I changed my mind let me break things off” function built in. I guess that’s what the “Are you sure you want to confirm this romance” button is for.)

People who are a little more dug into the mindsets of the other Love Interests could probably chime in more on their perspective, but Theron’s? Yeahhhh… the game and other ancillary material hasn’t exactly been shy about his attachment and abandonment issues. Considering that the Arcann romance lock-in looks like it’s set post-KOTET (but probably pre-Umbara, maybe pre-Iokath), this comes right on the heels of some pretty big character development for a romanced Theron…

That being he actually said the “L” word, and very possibly it was said back to him. And while this is a bit of speculation on my part, that’s… kind of a big deal for him. A really big deal in fact.

(And if for some reason you disagree with the following statement, fair enough, but I don’t really have the energy to argue it nor the patience to deal with potential character bashing, so please try to be courteous in that regard.)

If you think about the relationships that Theron has cultivated in his life, specifically with the people who he loves and who love him (Satele, Jace, Zho, Marcus, Teff’ith) -- none of them have either been in the position to, raised in a culture of, or in some cases *coughTEFFITHcough* have that sort of dynamic where any of the parties would say the words “I love you” to him, much less have him say it back.

It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t feel deep emotions of affection, or dare I say, love for his family, but they’re all a giant disaster space family with giant disaster communication issues. It makes for great fictional drama, but less so for healthy normal human interactions. But it’s implied in text (Lost Suns, Annihilation), and in the game’s subtext that Theron does care very deeply for everyone he considers family, but also that he’s a man in great, great denial about things that are very important to him. (”Who needs the Force” indeed.)

He makes a pretty big to-do about being a loner, about keeping people at arm’s distance and not really having anything of a personal life in Lost Suns, Annihilation, Shadow of Revan, heck, it’s even kind of hinted in the dev blog story about him and Jonas. 

So when he not only enters into a committed relationship with the Outlander (after pining for them for five years where he may have even believed them dead for a period), but he finally gets over his mountain of personal issues and a lifelong practice of self-denial, he’s pretty still reluctant to drag out the words “I love you” -- a phrase he likely has never actually said out loud to anyone before.

And if he hears those words back, probably for the first time in his life, well, prepare yourself for a giant cropped in screencap of Theron’s face, because what’s the point of having the ability to get 4K screencaps if I can’t crop in on minute details that no one cares about?

That’s pretty much the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Even during Shadow of Revan when you first lock in the romance. And maybe it’s just the lighting, but I swear he looks like he’s about to cry.

(I realize they reused this animation on at least Torian too, because reusing assets is easy and saves monies. But come on, it was probably originally worked out for one character in particular.)

So yeah... it makes complete sense for Theron to be kind of devastated after laying his heart out for the first time ever and then just kind of being dumped for the guy who literally stabbed you in the gut and sort of razed half the galaxy because he thought you were his daddy? I’m pretty sure that would change Theron, and if he ever did open up to someone again it would take him a long long long time.

But um, I’m obviously a little protective of my boi at this point so I’m obviously greatly biased. But he’s had a rough six plus months, okay? What with everyone calling him tr8r, losing his beloved jacket, the now-infamous barber mishap that he thought was super cool and edgy guyz but everyone kept insisting looked like a thong, oh, and half of Twitter constantly demanding the ability to kill him five updates ago GAWD DEVS WHY CAN’T YOU RETROACTIVELY CATER TO THEIR MURDEROUS WHIMS. So seeing him all broken hearted just makes me a little sad and mamabear and why can I not hug this stupid idiot yet plz Bioware #HugTheron2k18

(Also, sorry Arcann/Outlander fans -- I know you like the ship! And while I admit it is sweet in its own way, it just kind of has some Oedipal issues built in that I personally can’t look past... but to each their own!)

[critical-ramblings]

That Ulysses Guy

Jumping off of this cool post by @moonybear, I just want everyone to remember that this is the very same Ulysses Stanneras who was abandoned by his (business?) partner: Lawrence. The very same Lawrence who later ran off with Tary at the end of c1.

Quote from Matt, episode 115:

“During a gambling run in Port Demali to follow, Taryon stumbles upon a now slightly more haggard Lawrence, now working as a tanner. They immediately fell right back where they left off and Lawrence cashed in his life as a leather worker to join the Brigade alongside Taryon.”

From Ulysses, episode 8:

“Well, things change. Life changes. Partners disappear with your business’s goods and funds and leave you having to make a living showing people around the city...We used to run a business that sold and traded leathers, but I was ousted and I’ve been scraping by ever since...I was more of a business connection, if you will. My partner was the crafter. I knew a few things I’d picked up throughout the years, but–”

So, you know. In addition to being a possible Xhorhasian spy, he is DEFINITELY a jilted (lover???) of some campaign 1 connections.

(as always, thank you Critrole Transcripts for my Life)

[imamarifpamudi-blog]

A man found himself in a sticky situation when his current girlfriend and his ex both threw themselves into a river, to see which one he loved the most. Confused Wu Hsia, 21, had broken up with long-term girlfriend Jun Tang, 20, after meeting new love 22-year-old Rong Tsao. However, over the following three months, jilted Jun kept hassling him to get back with her. Wu decided to arrange a meeting between the three of them. When they gathered together in Ningbo, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, the situation went from bad to worse. The girls began arguing. The man's ex-girlfriend felt insulted by a comment made by his current girlfriend, so she jumped into the river and called for her former lover to save her. His current squeeze, fearing that he might indeed jump in to save his ex-lover, then jumped in as well. Both of them began calling for him to rescue them from drowning. Wu settled the matter by jumping in the water to save his current girlfriend, and then taking her to hospital. He called his brother to rescue his ex, who in turn called the fire brigade. They arrived at the scene and helped the heartbroken woman out of the water. #throwback