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epic-sorcerer · 3 years

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Queer imagery in BBC Merlin

Content warning: kink/fetish, fisting in particular but I show I big image containing a long list of different kinks, homophobia, dom/sub dynamics, sex

Merlin is shown wearing a purple tunic in s4, despite the fact he is a servant and purple(especially with such saturation) was extremely expensive bc purple dye was so hard to make. Gwen also has a light purple dress(or maybe 2? It’s hard to tell). Even though it’s definitely lighter than Merlins tunic, it’s still expensive.

it was illegal for peasants to wear expensive fabrics because of the Sumptuary Law. Basically it makes sure that lower class people are not fashionable. However, BBC Merlin doesn’t seam to care about that law, considering Merlins other bright clothing so take this was a grain of salt.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that there’s no way they could have gotten their hands on these clothes without the help of nobles. Gwen might have, because she works with clothing and could have easily mixed blue and red dye together. Merlin probably not have because he’s never shown to be particularly materialistic or interested much in fashion, despite his bright clothes. Bright Purple would have been much, much harder to get.

It makes the most sense for Merlin and possibly Gwen too to have been gifted such expensive clothing by a noble for being a good servant. I’d imagine Arthur would be the one to give Merlin the tunic and morgana the dresses.

Why does this matter? Lavender(and also purple in general) was considered a queer color starting in the 19th century. Queer men especially were said to possess a “streak of lavender” and a serge of homophobia at the time was often referred to as the “Lavender Scare.” Purple and lavender is still used now to symbolize queerness.

Since Merlin is a modern interpretation of Arthurian myths, it would be perfectly plausible that this symbol was on purpose. Merlin/Arthur and Gwen/Morgana are both extremely popular ships and they are both shown to have a very deep form of trust(Gwen/Morgana being at the beginning of the show). Arthur and Morgana gifting Merlin and Gwen purple clothing could be show them they accept their queerness and/or signaling their own queer attraction to them.

Now, this next symbolism concerns only Merlin/Arthur.

Merlin is shown to have three neckerchiefs.

Navy blue, red, and light grey. Why does this matter? Well, let’s take a look at something called the handkerchief code, also known as the hanky code or “flagging.”

This code has its origins all the way back in time during the Wild West in the USA, but got more popular during the late 20th century in USA and UK gay bars. This code was used mainly by queer men and some nonbinary people to signal to other queers what they wanted sexually. While typically worn in people’s back pockets, a handkerchief could also be worn around one’s neck to show they are a versatile and experienced.

According to this code, Merlin is into;

Red: fisting and getting fisted. This color was hard to get an exact shade from, but the second best option was dark red for double fisting which is honestly so similar I’m not sure if it really matters much.

Light grey: stone topping and getting fucked by a stone top

Navy blue: fucking and being fucked anally

For any one wanting to make their own interpretations of Merlins neckerchief colors(the lighting makes it hard to tell the exact ones) have a look at this handy chart

Not only that, but Arthur is seen wearing a favour on his left arm in s3 ep 4.

What’s a favour? It’s a fabric strip of affection commonly given by maidens to knights before a tournament as a symbol of good luck. It’s often a very important scarf, hankcerchlif , towel, really any bit of cloth that can be tied around someone’s arm. This is also a popular trope in historical media for a female love interest to give a favour to a male one to show chemistry between them.

Regardless of your stance on Merlins gender identity, you have to admit how commonly Merlin is shown to be gender nonconforming(GNC) or otherwise be associated with “womanly” qualities. Especially in a society so heteronormative, the only “pure” option for a knight receiving a romantic gesture would have it be from a woman. If the token was from a queer man, it would also out the noble and cause lots of horrific chaos and destroy both of their reputations.

Even if it was common for women to give knights favours, queer men still existed and with that came romantic gestures—this time hopefully more secret.

Even though the favour on Arthur’s arm doesn’t look exactly like Merlin’s neckerchief, Merlin was the only person to speak with him while preparing for the tournament. Also, the original theorist who I linked in my sources also pointed out that Merlins neckerchief looks lopsided. Almost like Merlin tore off a bit of it and hastily tied it back on.

Although this theory is definitely flawed, it doesn’t matter. Arthur is still wearing a red handkerchief on his left arm. But what does that tell us exactly?

Regardless of wether or not it was Merlin’s, the red is the same shade and also implies Arthur is also into fisting. What about the placement? Sicne it’s on his left, it shows that he is a top/dom, meaning that he prefers to be the one fisting. Since it is worn around his upper arm, it shows that he is simply into the fetish, compared to what other placements mean. In another source, it shows taht upper arm means switch, but because Arthur is wearing it on his left it wouldn’t really make sense for him to signal being a “top-switch” compared to being a top and having the fetish in general.

If you look closely, you can see a different colored stripe on the favour. It’s hard to tell exactly what the color is, it could be yellow, gold, orange, etc. because the color is so dubious, I’ll just leave y’all with a list of color meanings that may apply to Arthur’s favour.

YELLOW: pisser/watersports kink

YELLOW, Pale: spitter/spit kink

MUSTARD: Has 8+ inch dick

GOLD: two looking for one

ORANGE: anything anytime

Also, it’s important to bring up what many in thsi fandom refer to as the “fisting scene.” Where Arthur threatens Merlin by showing him his gloved fist and pulling a bit at the glove.

youtube

In the blooper, you can see Merlin’s actor(Colin Morgan) breaking character and giggling as Arthur shows him his fist. Many in the fandom agree that this was a clear innuendo for fisting, and it is very well possible.

Merlin is shown hitting Arthur and saying he was just doing some horse play, but still indirectly convincing Arthur that he needs to teach Merlin a lesson. This is actually a common act in BDSM sex, where the submissive person purposely angers the dominant into punishing them in a way that somehow involves sex or fetish play.

If you look closely, you can see Merlin is wearing at kinky red fisting handkerchief, showing Merlin is perfectly capable of being a submissive fistee. Also, the hanky code also includes other symbols such as latex or rubber gloves that, surprise surprise, also mean fisting. Although it’s more likely Arthur’s gloves where made of leather, it can still further be interpreted as a fisting symbol if you want. Either way, Arthur’s favour still holds water as he is undoubtedly the dom in this situation.

Also, Merlin is very impulsive and a madlad. Tell me he wouldn’t wear his secret fetish symbols infrount of stuck up, Roman Catholics who are none the wiser. He’d probably think it’s hilarious which is probably why he wears them almost everyday. Merlin loves playfully misbehaving(and is also a brat sometimes) so it makes sense for him to have some dangerous fun.

Now, you may be asking. Why does this matter? At the end of the day, it probably wasn’t intentional. Well, there is alwyas room for doupt BUT I do have some ferther proof. One of the co writers of BBC Merlin—Johnny Capps—actually won a Stone Wall Award. You know, an award named after a core part of queer culture?

The award’s website and Wikipedia page say they give the award for art that describes the LGBT experience well. While I am unsure why or what Capps made to be nominated, it still shows he is very much in touch with queer culture. Capp himself even said at an interview about Merlin, “... in the end, deep, deep down it’s about sexuality and things you just can’t tackle head-on.”

Well, what says more about sexuality than the main characters fist fucking each other? That’s a lot of sexuality. While I am unsure of Capp’s age, he does look to be about middle age and it would make sense for him to know about a code popularized in a 70s to 90s. Especially for someone who has made multiple queer oriented stories in his life time.

Sources:

Why is purple considered the color of royalty?

Sumptuary law

How lavender became a symbol of LGBTQ resistance

How Lavender Became a Symbol of LGBTQ Resistance(part 2)

flagging opinicus rampant

Handkerchief code

DO YOU KNOW THE HANKY CODE?

Picspam: The Red Favour (Proof of Arthur Wearing Merlin's Favour in 3x04)

Five medieval love tokens

The Lady's Favour

Hanky codes

Nominees for Stonewall Awards announced

Merlin series 5 spoiler-free launch report

Pls reblog I spent hours on this /np 😭👊

#tw kink mention #tw sex talk #tw eye strain #tw homophobia #tw queerphobia #research essay #long post #Merlin #bbc Merlin #Merlin bbc #merthur #merlin/arthur #gwen/morgana #morgwen

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trustsalvatorewriting · 4 years

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wasteland, baby! | kol mikaelson - chapter eleven

Summary: Kol makes a deal with the Hollow to revive the first woman he ever loved. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go as planned.

Trust’s Note: Please like and reblog! I hope you enjoy. I added some Rebekah and Aniya content for y’all <3

Word Count: 2,300

❝ forgive me, for the things i did but most the ones i did not ❞

KOL WATCHED SILENTLY as Keres set a grimoire in front of him. The small building in the cemetary was lit up only by faded sunlight and several candles, scattered around the area. Aniya lifted an eyebrow at the witch, critical eyes watching for any reason to turn away from Keres and search elsewhere. Her mouth twitched when Keres suggested Henry Pearl's sacrifice, posture shifting at the smug look on the witch's face. Her fists clenched together, body void of any amusement as she prepared her attack against the younger witch.

Kol cleared his throat, stepping in front of Aniya. Frankly, he wasn't sure who he was protecting. He was only sure that there seemed to be a smug look on Keres's face. He narrowed his eyes, but quickly replaced it with a polite smile.

"The human is off the table, unfortunately. Perhaps we should move onto some other possible victims," Kol suggested. He all but shoved the grimoire in Keres's direction, a quiet suggestion that she find another solution.

It was an odd dynamic. Physically, Keres was much older than Aniya and Kol. She was a dark-skinned woman in her mid-to-late twenties, while Aniya and Kol were frozen in their teenage years. Still, Kol found himself a bit offended. Keres would have known to offer some respect to her elders.

Aniya lifted her chin, hand lightly pushing Kol to the side. She stared Keres in the eyes, as if daring the witch to lie to her. "You're quite insistent, aren't you? So willing to sacrifice my Henry for a spell you wouldn't stand to benefit from. Keres, he has no power; no ties to the supernatural world -- and yet, you suggest we trade his life for a thousand year old immortal witch?"

She had a sharp tongue for a girl her size. It was odd. She was different from the girl he'd found curled up in the foyer that night. Aniya Grover was strange, in a manner that made his lips curl at the edges and eyes glitter in amusement. She'd had a chameleon soul; an inner indecisiveness that was as wide and wavering as the ocean. Had it been Henry Pearl that awoke this fire within her?

Whatever the answer, Kol's stomach twisted at the seams. The thought of her wrapped in his arms was enough to make him gag. He couldn't bring himself to understand why.

Keres turned the grimoire in Aniya's direction, a smug look painted across her face as she pushed it toward her. "Sacrificed are more likely to work when the emotional bond is the same between the victim and the vessel. Tyaag spells are known for failing. It's more likely to work if you care as much about the person you're sacrificing, as you do the person you're trying to bring back. So, a best friend, a brother, a boyfriend..."

It registered then that Aniya had none of those. She'd only had Henry. Kol shifted his stance. If Keres's words were true and she chose to sacrifice someone she cared for, she could only choose Henry. As far as Aniya was aware, the Mikaelsons couldn't be killed. And regardless, she'd said once that they had all been family to her in her human days. Surely she wouldn't throw that away in exchange for a human she'd just met.

Surely she wasn't that idiotic.

Aniya's jaw clenched, a bitter smile spreading across her face. Her dark eyes bored into Keres's. "No."

Keres's eyes glimmered with delight, a smile spreading across her red lips. Her tone shifted, mocking the girl in front of her. "So you'll let an innocent human die in exchange for your brother? You are cruel, Aniya."

"He is innocent." Her confidence never seemed to waver. Her right hand clenched into a fist, the whites of her knuckles beginning to peak through her olive skin.

"Perhaps we should focus our attention on smaller spells," Kol cut in, the rising tension in the room seeming to eat away at him. "How many humans do we need for the memory spell? Fifteen? Fifty?"

"Five." Keres stared at him as if he'd gone mad. "One for each of the Mikaelson siblings."

Aniya questioned, "I thought Finn died."

"Mikaelsons never properly die. We never learned," Kol responded, then turned back to Keres. He would explain later. "Five humans in exchange for decades of memories. It's quite simple, don't you think?"

"You were humans when your memories were erased, so we only need to erase human memories." Keres explained. "They all need to be eighteen at the youngest and in their thirties, at the oldest."

Aniya frowned. "And what of Mikael and Esther? We won't be returning theirs?"

Kol nearly laughed at her question, the past centuries replaying in his brain. Mikael had hunted he and his siblings for centuries, in the hopes of murdering Niklaus and doing God knows what with the rest of them. He'd been killed and brought back countless times, once in particular as a result of Davina Claire.

Esther had been murdered by Niklaus a thousand years ago. She was killed and brought back several times as well, and each time she'd carried a sort of vendetta against her own children. It was as if she'd made it her life's goal to wipe them from the face of the Earth. But then, it had been Esther that had resurrected him in the body of a witch, and it had been Esther that introduced him to Davina.

Part of him resented her for it. Davina had made him a better person, that much was true. He'd fallen in love with her, convinced himself that the moon and sun rose and fell by her will alone. She had bewitched him, in ways he could not bring himself to justify nor understand. It had been Esther that introduced the pair; but then, it had been their meeting that caused Davina's death in the first place.

A heavy weight seemed to drop onto his chest. Aniya would never know the cruelty of his mother's actions. He might have envied her for it, but there seemed to be this part of him that felt a bit relieved.

"You're better off assuming they've truly died," Kol said after a moment.

"You two really have a thing for being melodramatic. Y'all deserve each other," Keres stated. "I'll get everything you need for the spell. Bring me five people, and I'll erase one year of their lives for each year you knew the Mikaelsons."

Aniya lifted an eyebrow. "And how do you benefit from this?"

"My people have lost their ties to the ancestors. We have no power and no idea how to practice earth magic. Tyaag magic is the closest thing we've got, so I wanna learn more about it," She answered almost too perfectly.

"These spells can't be practiced by ordinary witches--"

"So we'll make a new branch of magic," Keres shut her down immediately. "One where we don't have to die to become all powerful."

Aniya's face twisted into a glare, baring her teeth at the witch. Kol narrowed his eyes at Keres, immediately understanding the gravity of the situation. Tyaag magic had been forgotten, buried and disrespected for centuries. It had originated from polytheistic beliefs, with the hope of appeasing their gods. Aniya and her brother had given their lives to sacrificial magic and rituals, and now it would be stolen and forgotten without so much as a thought.

"People have lost their lives to practice these rituals," Aniya said. "You mean to tell me that you're willing to put the lives of children on the line, for the sake of convenience. You have the ability to practice earth magic, why not use it?"

"I'm trying to help you. Why ask so many questions?" Keres spoke as if Aniya were a child, trying to put her back in her place. Aniya seemed to fall back under Keres's gaze.

"I'll provide you your humans. I'll need only a few days."

She turned on her heel and made her way out of the cemetary building. Kol stared after her, a small voice in his head screaming to defend her against Keres. Before he could so much as let out a word, Keres said, "She's stubborn. You might want to find your humans sooner. I'm sure Klaus will figure out you're lying eventually, and we wouldn't want that."

'No.' Kol would be daggered and shoved in a box before he could begin to defend himself. In regards to Aniya, there was no telling how he would react to a betrayal from someone so foreign, and vulnerable. For all he knew, she would be killed as a form of punishment. His consequence for disobeying direct orders.

Niklaus had become a madman, a dictator over the years. Perhaps he'd spent a bit too much time with King Louis. Whatever the reason, it occurred to Kol that there was no telling how he would respond to twenty years of ancient memories being thrust toward him. He had hoped the twins had been close with Niklaus in their past lives. Then he might be a bit more lenient about completely slaughtering the poor girl.

Kol nodded half-heartedly at Keres and made his way out of the cemetary. Maybe there would be some humans in his path, grieving over a lost lover or family member. Maybe they would be heartbroken enough to wish to forget their grief, exchanging it for a bit of amnesia and the aching feeling that they were missing something... indespensable.

To be quite honest, Kol wasn't sure how he found himself in front of Davina's grave, how he'd somehow managed to wander there despite the exit being several paces away. He was met with a crack in the cement, the old stone beginning to harden, immortalizing the girl that lied behind it. He knew that he could not make anyone understand the insurmountable grief he held in his chest. He could not make anyone understand what was happening inside him, and he could not begin to explain it himself.

Immortals such as he should not have been able to love the way humans do. Humans loved based on survival, lived viscerally and vulnerable out of fear of their own morality. With the destruction of the stake, Kol feared nothing of the sort. Davina had feared it all, and she had loved him regardless of his dirtied fingers and blood-drenched lips. She had saved him, resurrected him when his family had all but forgotten him once more.

He knew he should have had the courage to move on. Humans die, witches die. It was what they were made to do -- and yet, he simply couldn't bring himself to let go of the girl that had loved him so dearly. The one that had given so much to ensure he would come back. He owed her that much.

It was when he turned the corner that he was pulled out his thoughts, attention now focused on a drunken man tossing old beer at a gravesite. Kol lifted an eyebrow.

"Excuse me." He made his way towards the man. The old man couldn't have been any younger than forty, perhaps fifty. He would be able to fill in for Finn. Nearly thirty years of memories shouldn't have too much of an affect on a bastard such as this.

"Oh, hello," He slurred, words tainted with a heavy Swedish accent. The man moved recklessly, beer spilling out of the bottle and landing on the ground. Kol wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Please, ignore me. I'm simply having a drink with my wife."

"Yes. Well, you're being quite disrespectful to her memory. Most men would kill to have had a happy marriage," Kol paused for a moment, his eyes fixating on the man's bruised knuckles. A bitter smile formed on his face. "Tell me about your wife."

"Ah, she was beautiful. We met in secondary school, you see. She was this tall brunette girl, quite beautiful in her own way. Our parents despised each other, a sort of Romeo and Juliet-esque situation. We were together for two years before we ran off to America, claiming it was for university purposes." The old man had a tendency to stop in the middle of his sentences, taking a short sip of his drink. He let out a laugh. "My son does love to keep me away from this stuff. Says it's bad for me, the fucking idiot."

"Your son," Kol repeated, gaze flickering to his knuckles once more. His mouth began tasted of blood, a hatred beginning to sear inside of his chest. "Tell me, how did you manage to end up in New Orleans?"

"Ah, it was our first stop. Woman wanted to go to Tulane or whatever it was, but she chose me over her studies. Smart move on her behalf, perhaps one of her only ones," The man chuckled. "A while after, we found she was expecting. We had a boy, and she became ill a few years later. I stayed by her side during that time. I had promised her till death, of course. She was ungrateful nevertheless."

"How's your son?"

"Ah, he's all right now. Twenty-three, but works in a diner like his mother. Fucking idiot doesn't know how to make something of himself," He scoffed. "Sleeps all day, too."

It clicked then. Kol felt as though he'd ate the world raw. He nodded to himself and grabbed the man, wrapping a hand tightly around his mouth and squeezing until he went limp in his arms.

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calzonekestis · 6 years

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So, I’m older. I’ve got about 1130 followers. Gonna give a shout out to my homies, with a follow forever/bias list thing where I also compliment y’all bc you deserve it.

@prof-anity Davis is my best friend in the world. Davis is my best friend in the sea.

@thelordvader Bethany is the coolest nerd I know. She’s smart, witty, pretty (selfie game unparalleled), and pretty… much always right. We had been mutuals for years but somehow over the past two years or so became friends and it is still an honor.

@viktorfrankensteins Listen I’ve followed Royan for a while bc Bethany did and I trust Bethany’s judgement, but in just a matter of a few months Royan somehow managed to become one of my most beloved and valued friends. I’ve only known her for a short while but if anything happened to her I would kill everyone on this hell site and then myself.

@jjoelswatch Sarah is honestly one of the first people I remember following on tumblr, like back around 2012, and it’s bc of her I became exposed to Bethany and like… I don’t even know when we really became friends? After being mutuals for so long, it just sort of happened and she’s been a constant and comforting presence ever since. Except when she sends me sad Star Wars videos. That’s not comforting. She’s one good natured people I’ve encountered on the internet tho.

@thealbooty Alberto is someone I met through Davis years ago, and again, I don’t even know how it happened. One day they were just there, and tho I don’t talk to them nearly enough they are just one of the nicest and raddest people you could meet. I’ve seen them grow from a youngling into an Adult, and gosh, the word could use more people like them. Kind, pure, smart, amazing, spectacular. Killer eyebrows, tbh.

@frostborn is someone who I believe I first encountered through the wonderful ladies listen above, and she herself is just really nice and awesome? She’s another person I don’t talk to nearly enough, but she’s just a lovely presence on my dash. Always liking and reblogging things, making me feel valid.

@rocktheholygrail Dana makes gifs and things, and is always willing to let me exploit her skill by taking requests. She’s also just super chill and friendly, and likes my selfies when I post them, ergo she also makes me feel valid. We also enjoy the same terrible bleached asshole, which I’m not gonna give any context for whatsoever. That’s a bond that connects us tho~

@readytocomply IDEK how or when I started following Stef. She’s another person who is just super nice and chill. She’s talented when it comes to both edits and cosplay. She’s just a great person and I’m glad I know her.

@uncleclustersthirdbrain and @helenawayne, I hope you’re not offended by me lumping you together, but I mean… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Two people who I also first encountered around 2012ish, when I was an obnoxious outspoken teenager. We kind of drifted apart and fell out of touch for a while, but we reconnected actually around this time last year. Because Donnie’s fucking talented, and I wanted to reach out and tell him that I was happy for him/proud of him. Buy his comics here. Morgan ofc is also talented, and has a YouTube channel here. They’re just both good people, who care about people, and they have a cute dog.

@88ecto Derek is someone I’ve respected for going on a decade but somehow over the past year or so, we’ve become really good friends? I’m not even sure how that happened, it’s still surreal for me. He’s actually the one person on this list I’ve had the pleasure of actually meeting. Not to sound like a broken record, but he truly is just a good person. Also, plug.

@apol-lo Cristian. Again, someone who I don’t talk to nearly enough. He’s a good person. Another person who I’ve seen grow up, better himself. He should be proud, cause I’m proud of him. You’ve did alright for yourself, buddy.

@diaryofawriter Again, I don’t remember I met Jess tbh. She’s just been another presence. Whenever I need to rant or vent, she’s there to provide an ear or distraction. Good writer, good friend. She’s rad.

@fullonzombae Kim also likes the bleached asshole. No, I still won’t give you context. She’s got a kind heart, a sharp wit, and is a talented writer. She’s also British, so that automatically gives her some class.

@timelessmulder Emily-Alice and I aren’t even the same fandoms anymore but I wouldn’t recognize my dash without them. Again, they’ve followed me since my tumblr beginnings. She has seen things. The highs, and the lows. A rational and grounded person, who is lovely and deserves good things.

@kryptonians I think I encountered Gil through Davis? I’m not sure. He’s just a good dude. Decent. Rational, funny, and all around good people. He likes Superman. That makes him alright in my book. Pretty much all of my DC exposure comes from his blog these days.

@thejazzdalek Max is another awesome guy who has been a mutual for ages, and that I don’t talk to enough. There’s a pattern here. We have a lot of the same fandoms though, and he’s always been friendly towards me.

@cimikat It’s Katie’s fault I started watching critical role, tbh. Yet another person I’ve followed since the beginning of time. Or at least, 2012. She’s just really sweet and chill. Marvel, Star Wars, whatever content she puts on my dash is Good Content.

@chujo-hime Stacy was “tumblr famous” imo and I remember having a mini freakout when she first followed me. Again, just a constant and friendly presence. A voice of reason, and back during the fandom wankery and ship wars that were going around 2013 or so… that was hard to find. Nothing but respect for her.

@ilikethequiet Ally is the photoshop fairy, and another friend who lets me exploit her talents. She reminds me of Bubbles from Power Puff Girls tbh. Really endearing and happy and fun, tho she’s not afraid to call out bullshit when she needs to. We need to talk more/write together more, friend.

@dreamimpcssiblethings Kath, you honestly are the sweetest person I think I’ve ever met tbh. We don’t talk as much as we used to, and that’s on me. You’re smart, and I love listening to you ramble on about things you’re passionate about and I’m sorry I suck and usually only reply with emojis. You’re another person the world could do to have more people like, but you’re one of a kind my friend.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone, and if I have, I’m truly sorry. It’s not a slight. Ilu. I know there are some people I’ve left off bc they’re not really that active anymore on tumblr so.

Also. @mulaney. Notice me.

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purrpetrator · 6 years

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character study » bruce wayne / batman

** This really is a very very very long post. But it’s thorough, going from 1940 to 2018...you can reblog or bookmark if this serves as any point of reference. I feel like I just wrote a whole dissertation on my OTP.

As unfortunate as it sounds, Catwoman would not exist without Batman. The story of the Bat & the Cat is a tale as old as time, starting with the very first issue of Batman back in 1940. Their relationship is characterized as volatile and passionate, full of thrill-seeking, competition, and regret. But with the culmination of a 78-year old relationship coming on July 4th, I thought it’d be a good time to talk about what role Bruce Wayne and Batman play for Selina Kyle and Catwoman. I’ll include some notes about my own interpretation and my own ideas, but this is all source material, 99% from the comics.

Back in Batman #1, we are introduced to three distinct villains: Hugo Strange, the Joker, and Catwoman. Catwoman is naturally nothing like the other two, posing a much less considerable threat to Batman than they do. He catches her on a boat (which begins Bruce’s adamant stance that they first met on a boat) disguised as an elderly woman trying to steal a $500,000 diamond necklace.

He should’ve been able to turn her in, but alas, in Batman fashion, he does not try very hard -- saying something about ‘lovely eyes’ before watching her speed away on a boat, totally smitten. Typical. So the Catwoman appeared in several comics during the 1940s, used to add a layer of sex appeal to the Batman comics.

Then some bullshit called the Comics Code Authority effectively banned Catwoman from the comics from 1954 to 1966, citing a violation of the rules of female characters, seduction, and illicit sex relations in comic books. I’m glad that thing is not in use anymore.

So during this time, how were the writers going to appeal to their female readers who “were only interested in romance”? They brought in Kate Kane, Batwoman 1 (but not his cousin but his aunt-by-marriage ?) and married her to Batman.

Needless to say this was a big flop. They ended up scrapping it and calling it one of “Dick’s Dreams”. The larger effect this had on Batman lore was that it ultimately poised Batman to be a solitary figure without room for a serious or committed relationship.

Surprisingly, though, Bruce Wayne does get involved, quite seriously, with Selina Kyle (knowing she is Catwoman, in an attempt to -- you guessed it -- rehabilitate her) to the point where she falls in love with him and decides to leave Batman. But, unsurprisingly, this relationship does not last very long.

The Silver and Bronze Age (c. 1956-1985) of DC Comics, like most other periods in DC Comics, was an unstable and ever-changing period with re-prioritizations and re-imaginings. This meant that, naturally, Bruce and Selina’s relationship would be difficult to pin down, therefore starting a legacy of the “on-again, off-again” dynamic.

Throughout this period, though she sometimes helped him, Selina continued to act like a criminal, and was portrayed as increasingly obsessed with the Bat and having the goal of marrying him. Batman, on the other hand, was preoccupied with “rehabilitating” her -- whatever that really means, you sly fox.

That last one was a dream, but what a guest list, amirite??

But the Bat, according to the writers, isn’t really the marrying type. Not on Prime Earth, anyway. So, to salvage their female readership, the Batman team introduces Earth-Two, where Bruce and Selina marry and have Helena. It can’t go without angst, though, and naturally Selina dies young at the hands of a blackmailer, causing their daughter to become the Huntress.

Now, here’s where the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) resets everything. This is going to happen more than once, so buckle up. So now we go to Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, where Selina Kyle is introduced as a ?? dominatrix-esque prostitute ?? who just casually decided to put on the Catsuit. (As you might tell, I am not a fan.)

This is where Selina’s version of how they met, “on the street”, comes about. Bruce is disguised as Matches Malone, doing his thing in the East End, when he gets involved in a scuffle with Stan, the Pimp, and accidentally whacks Holly. Selina, watching from her apartment, jumps in. Literally. And the two get into a nice little fight.

It’s during this period where Selina is more involved with serving her own brand of justice, which I am a fan of. Now, from 1985 to 2002, nothing particularly notable happens for the Bat and the Cat. What I mean is, Selina skirts on the fence between crime and justice, Batman stops her, sometimes imprisons her, and tries to change her.

Some things to note, though, during this period, Batman’s genuine belief in how good a person Selina really is starts to really shine through. It’s around this time that Selina’s pre-Crisis infatuation for the Bat melts away to genuine love. A sort of friendship built around familiarity and understanding begins to blossom between them, too, so even when they were “off” they still cared for one another. And naturally, sexual tension was always there.

They do their game of cat-and-mouse for almost two decades before Hush comes around. And Hush changes everything! I could do a character study on the Hush arc alone, but i’ll try to truncate it as much as possible.

So we start out with he same old cat-and-mouse game, where Batman doesn’t turn Catwoman in, and Bruce dates Selina in real life because she’s one of the few people he actually cares for, both in and out of suit. His feelings for Selina become a liability as he’s constantly having to choose between saving her and staying with the mission. Selina, on the other hand, is not a fan of losing the bad guy.

And this is the first time we really have a post-Crisis Bat admitting his feelings for Selina, especially after Talia beat her to a pulp. (Mind you, these are two different scenes.) The biggest thing to happen in Hush, though, aside from Batman and Catwoman “finally” kissing--

which is that kiss ! (the very one that got made into a collector’s figurine, sigh)

where he realizes how truly lonely he is :’( and he can’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the mission :’)

-- is that Bruce reveals his identity to Selina, which was the ultimate testament of his trust for her. And this changes everything hereafter, because now Selina knows he’s Bruce Wayne.

Anyway, Selina isn’t about to just jump in and be Bruce’s love interest because everything with Bruce and Selina is complicated and never easy and they can never be happy apparently. So they fight at the end of Hush and Bruce, naturally, overanalyzes their relationship so, basically, they break up (until he’s ready). Nice.

But it’s not over yet! Tommy Elliot, aka Hush, realizes throughout this whole thing how truly important Selina is to Bruce. So, naturally, he targets her and steals her heart! Not in a fun, rom-com sort of way. He literally steals her beating heart to mess with Bruce. Talk about fucked up.

... quite literally. But, fortunately for us readers, it leads us to the biggest ?? confession of love from Batman. Y’all can cry with me as I did when I read this.

Bitch ! I cry every time. Ok, so moving on from Hush.

We already talked about Helena, but it should be worth noting that Bruce, though often busy, played as much an active role as he could in giving Selina help. And this, naturally, added another layer of trust and love in their relationship.

Alright, so for the next nine years, Bruce and Selina share plenty of sweet moments outside of the cowl, usually beneath the pretense that they aren’t their nocturnal personas and that they can be normal for once.

Selina’s always wanting to leave Gotham and leave behind her life as Catwoman, but Bruce is the one thing that really keeps her there so, naturally, she’s always trying to get him to leave it with her.

(But we all know that’s a pipe dream.)

And as an add-on to that same “let’s pretend we’re not Bat and Cat” trope, here’s one of the sweetest scenes in BatCat history, from Catwoman v3 #32:

And during their date, Selina tells him she doesn’t remember ever hearing him laugh like that. And he says:

That’s not to say their sweet moments are limited to being de-cowled. There are several times where Selina has pushed Bruce to try to be in touch with his human side, to be vulnerable, to feel. Because he’s the type to lock himself up in the Bat-Persona and forget who Bruce really is.

All is fine and dandy in the world of the Bat and the Cat, until the New 52 reboot comes about. Then, like most things in the New 52, it all went to shit. Batman and Catwoman’s relationship lost the element of trust that Hush had instilled with Bruce revealing his identity. Selina was depicted as more neurotic than she actually is and without the depth of emotion she felt for Batman/Bruce.

I still think it’s worth mentioning because ?? it changed so much for them in the most recent depictions. And y’all should be aware of everything, even the bad.

It was a hyper sexualized arc that I personally did not enjoy. I don’t think anyone really enjoyed anything from the New 52 but hey.

Like ?? Really? Anyway, this is why we don’t recognize that. Don’t even talk about it.

So. Moving on to Rebirth. I won’t go too in-depth here because it’s the most current thing and I’m sure most of y’all are aware of what’s happening, but I will include some key panels.

In short: Catwoman is accused of killing 237 terrorists who blow her old orphanage. Batman knows she’s innocent, but can’t prove it, so he takes her in. He then needs her help to beat Bane, and he also wants to work out her case to prove her innocence, so he breaks her out of death row and employs her help. She helps him, everything works out. Then, Gotham Girl (a new superhero) starts talking to him about what he wants/needs and he realizes how lonely he really is and what it is that he’s lacking.

Naturally, some several issues later, she says yes and the BatCat wedding is set to July 4th.

Another great thing that Tom King did was really encapsulate how well Selina understands Bruce. (Though I’m not a fan of the whole women-fighting-over-a-man thing, I think this was used to convey how Selina knows him best? But that’s just my interpretation.)

A whole bunch of stuff happens and will happen from now till then, but this is where we are now. My two babies, getting some sort of closure after almost 80 years. And I really do hope it works out, because their Earth-Two counterparts seem really happy:

(Though I still don’t know how they ended up in that position ^ )

And, of course, I couldn’t go without mentioning the Bat and the Cat in their final years.

In conclusion: Throughout the past eighty years, the reboots, and the relaunches, the one thing that has remained constant has been their interconnectedness. Whether on opposite sides of the law or on the same team -- the similarities of their desires and fears, their common pain and their inescapable trauma, kept them coming back to one another. Bruce likes to think that he and Selina are very different (and to some degree, they are) but they’re both “creatures of the night” who aren’t entirely on the legal side of things. They get one another. They need one another. Selina brings out a part of his humanity; she gives him love, life, and laughter. Bruce, in turn, puts faith in her character that Selina has never had for herself. He makes her believe that she’s more than where she came from and she’s more than what she’s done.

For Selina, Bruce will always be her one true love, whether she’s with him or not. For Bruce, I’d like to think, like Tommy said, that Selina was the only one to truly hold his heart (but I’m very biased hehe). In my eyes, they’ll always be friends, if not lovers, due to their shared history, their experiences, and all that they have sacrificed.

#this took me....so many...... hours #if only i put as much effort into my school work as i did with this LOL #tbh i feel like i didn't add enough nuance #but there's sO MUCH SOURCE MATERIAL #i picked the most important/salient panels #this is the longest thing i've ever written #and i didn't get to talk about injustice at all #smh #or the playboy and the socialite dynamic #damn #( from the first kiss to the last (xx. batcat) )#「 CH. STUDY 」she’s got nine lives (she’s gonna need all of them).

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