#love is complicated

[moreespressoformydepresso]

Hot take:

Coriolanus Snow did not love Lucy Gray, even though he loved her.

Bear with me for a second I know this sounds like an oxymoron but I promise I can make it make sense. The TL;DR is that both SnowBaird shippers and detractors are right, but also very very wrong. I’ll explain.

People who say Snow was genuinely in love with Lucy Gray are wrong. Flat out incorrect. And I say this so bluntly because of one simple factor: before the games, he needed Lucy Gray to promise total devotion to him. This 16 year old girl was about to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death and his concern was whether she was committed to him?? That’s not love. That’s need. Remember the saying “if you love someone, let them go”? It exists for a reason. If you truly love someone, you want what’s best for them. You want them to be happy, even if that means stepping away. Snow was not ready or willing to do this. If there was even a chance of him having to step away, he was prepared to just leave her to her fate to die. And this happened relatively early in the story when you look at the importance of events. Most of the moments we can point to and go “that’s a turning point for him” happen either during or after the games. Funnily enough this ties to a very simple fact of the story that seems to fly over a lot of fans’ heads, if they’re not just outright ignoring it.

Snow did not lose his mind or go insane over the course of the story. The whole point is that he was always this way, and looked every opportunity to choose to be a good person dead in the eyes as he dashed them to pieces, burned them to ashes and used the charcoal left over to draw happy little doodles on their graves. This story has two points, with the first being a subversion of the “uwu villain with a tragic backstory to excuse their actions” trope. The second one is gleefully stewing in all the ways the people Snow wronged in his early life haunted him until the day he died, especially Sejanus and Lucy Gray. That’s just one example of Snow not actually caring about Lucy Gray, but there are more. They’re sprinkled all throughout the story, culminating in the final scene where he attempts to murder her.

However

Coriolanus Snow did have genuine feelings for Lucy Gray. He was prepared to ruin his entire future to save her, knowing that getting caught cheating would destroy all he’s worked for his entire life. When he was forced to become a peacekeeper, he asked to go to 12 in hopes of seeing her again. He went out of his way to track her down and they shared genuine moments together. By now, he has no ulterior motive for being around her. No prize, no game to win, nothing to gain except happy memories. Snow wanted to be with her. And Lucy Gray wanted to be with him. There’s a skeleton of a genuine relationship there, inklings of the love story Lucy Gray was convinced they were destined to have. That wasn’t fake, those were real feelings and it could have been beautiful. If it wasn’t for one tiny little problem: Lucy Gray is not who Snow thought she was. She isn’t who he wanted her to be. In other words:

Coriolanus Snow thought he loved Lucy Gray Baird, when in actuality he loved the idea of her he’d created in his mind.

You see, this boy is the least reliable narrator to ever narrate in the history of ever, beaten out only by Humbert Humbert. And in similar fashion to Lolita it looks like people are making the mistake of taking his word at face value when the point the book tries to make is that you should not do that. Snow looked at his choice to keep bashing Bobbin over the head after he was already knocked out and decided to take it as evidence that all human beings lose their humanity when cornered (even though he was no longer cornered), he is very clearly not a trustworthy individual when it comes to making logical deductions. Especially because he can be neck-deep in denial sometimes. Snow never cared about Lucy Gray, the Covey girl, singer and performer who lost most of her family to a massacre and was forced to stay in one district rather than moving around like she used to. He cared about Lucy Gray Baird, district 12’s female tribute for the 10th hunger games. And those are not the same people. Tribute Lucy Gray Baird was locked in a zoo, forced to perform at all times to survive. Lucy Gray was free to be her authentic self (trauma not withstanding) and while she loves to perform, it’s a different kind. There’s no pressure, she can leave the stage if she so desires. She can roam as free as one can in the districts and no longer needs a mask to live.

In the book, Snow outright says he wishes she was still locked in the zoo so he knew where she was and she couldn’t leave. He loved the Lucy Gray that was contained. The one that was considered his by the people around him. The girl who relied on him completely because she had to. He loved what she was forced to be in order to not die, and when he saw the real her he wished she would be more like the girl he met. Which was not the real Lucy Gray. Snow loved the act she put on, and to some extent the control he had over her. He had genuine feelings for her, but not for the real her.

To conclude this rambly mess: shippers will pretend Snow genuinely loved Lucy Gray for all she was. This is not true. A certain subsect of people who hate this ship will say he never cared for her at all. This is also not true. And in a fandom for a book about the nuances of even the worst people on earth, that’s very funny.

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #the hunger games #10th hunger games #hunger games #lucy gray baird #lucy gray x coriolanus #coriolanus snow #character analysis #I saw one too many posts warring about whether he did or didn’t love her and decided that the correct response was to piss everyone off #so here we are #analysis #hot take #i guess #idk #love #love is complicated #people are complicated #nuance

[dumblr]

You don't love me, and that's okay.

#quotes #feelings #emotions #love #wise words #thats okay #romantic quotes #thoughtful #love quotes #no problem #the art of love #love is complicated #loving you #but i love you #dumblr

[endlessmidnights]

I’m afraid that the kind of unconditional love I want doesn’t exist

#is love real #unconditional love #love is complicated #can I be loved #afraid of love #happily ever after #i want to find it #please let it be true #lgbtq #omnisexual #lgbtlove #lgbt pride #love is love #will I find love

[laszlobruhl]

It's complicated...

#daniel bruhl #laszlo kreizler #the alienist #dr laszlo kreizler #daniel bruhl gifs #my gifset #Mary Palmer #caleb carr #love is complicated #love

[ansatsu-sha]

Shin / Yubisaki to Renren S1E8

#shin iryuu #oh wow he's really into emma #love is complicated #yubisaki to renren #a sign of affection

[coffeeshades]

hi everyone! a little update on part two of love is complicated: it will probably be posted some time next week. i have college assignments to finish and lots of material to study so that’s why it won’t be done sooner. i’ll make the effort to get it done as soon as i can :)

thank you so much for all the support you’ve given to part one, i’m so happy you guys liked it!!! and remember my ask is always open if any of you wants to talk or just say hi 💜

#diana rambles #love is complicated #i’ll make sure to tag everyone💜

[mysteriouslytransparentwitch]

2 new timeless divination guidance are here, for singles and complicated situations. Be careful, listen to your intuition, you may be attracted to the single person or it's complicated.

SINGLE

IS COMPLICATED

#divination #tarot #tarot reading #dating #single #love is complicated #relationship #love #etsy #etsyshop #small business #zodiac signs #cartomancy

[miaikonartstudio]

Two variations to this one! Do you prefer #1 or #2?

Gabriel, one of the women that raised my little Blue, writing a letter to her long-lost friend/ partner/ co-parent Lily. The picture was inspired by the Indigo Girls' song "Ghost". This is my first time drawing Gabriel, and my first time drawing something so soft, bordering on Shoujo-style. What do you think? Like it or not?

#digital art #artist on tumblr #miaikon #fantasy art #ice wings #in love with your ghost #love letter #love is complicated #sunset aesthetic #winged woman #oc art

[peaseblossom-and-cobweb]

Woollen

Hope dug her nose further into her coat collar. It was chilly— it always was this far North, but this January held a certain unfailing cold that rattled even her weary bones. She retreated like a turtle into her shell as she thumbed through the various paperbacks on the shelf by the secondhand store. They were care-worn, loved. She even recognized a few novellas her friends from the village had donated, books that once sat proudly on a teetering coffee table. Or books on raising children held lovingly by parents who now had large streaks of grey in their hair and empty bedrooms.

She peeked over her lapels at movement by the nearby produce stand. There, she watched her son Remus inspect a few pitiful-looking fruits with his mouth drawn. He looked ages older than she’d ever seen him, always found with a deep unsettlement that each time he came back from Hogwarts he had grown more unrecognizable. Grown taller, more reserved, more sarcastic. He talked back as if he was hiding a festering wound. Hope had once thought it was the wolf that was causing such pain. But no, she saw him with the boys he was with. She saw him smile, and laugh and be polite. She thought with a grimace that it was their relationship instead that was causing such harm. The cover of a book caught her eye and she wrestled it from the shelf.

“What’d you think of this one, mo leanbh?”

Remus seemed to tense at being addressed, and Hope tried to bury the flash of frustration and hurt that ran through her. He dragged his gaze to the cover, mouth twitching in characteristic reservedness.

“Hm.” He said, reaching out to inspect the book. She had raised him, she knew this was his approval. He looked at her, his eyes gold, gaze cold but wanting to be warm. “Suppose it’s nice.”

Hope nodded and took the book back under her arm. Remus stood beside her now, looking through the secondhand novels. Just like his father, it was not something he could resist. Just like his mother, though, forgiveness was hard won.

She pulled her coat tighter and clicked her tongue as she noticed the large tear in the shoulder seam of his wool jacket. “Ah Christ. I’ll need to fix that. You’re growing faster than I can sew.”

Remus shrugged, unwilling to rise to her bait.

She was compelled, suddenly, to apologize. For what, she wasn’t certain. She remembered back when he was a babe, honeyed curls and toothless smile, endless possibilities of their happiness before breakfast. He always ran to her, then. What had happened? She moved to brush the hair from his brow and he flinched, and that made her hopelessly sad. Their conversation from the night before seemed to whisper between them.

“He can’t be here. The moon—”

“I know.” He had said shortly. “You’ve said.”

“I’m looking out for you.” 

“Well, look somewhere else.”

“Not when you’re influenced by these-these hooligans!” 

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Constant detentions Remus— what am I supposed to think? Not to mention the trouble he got into last summer. Disinherited! Chased around the country by the ministry. And you want him here? He’s trouble— and that’s all I have to say on the matter.”

“He’s the best person I know.”

Remus hadn’t said it angrily or with the intention to wound. It still hurt. Hope had done everything for her child- loved him so much she feared she’d tear him to pieces. She saw the same love glinting in the eye of her son then. Oh, she knew, she knew. It scared her, she had seen that ruin in Lyall’s eye, once. They’d burn together. And suddenly mother and son stood at other ends of a chasm. One did not understand the other. May not ever again.

She adjusted his collar and patted his shoulder. It really was too cold for holes in clothes. “Come.” She said. “Let’s get you a new coat.” 

She could at least say I love you in the only way she had left. @wolfstarmicrofic

#mother #wolfstar #wolfstar microfic #remus #hope lupin #woollen #sad :/ #love is complicated

[dollfaceksj]

because i cannot understand his hypocrisy. He fucks other girls with an intention to try to move on from reader. But still ends up at her door and to some extent its okay, but still even saying I love you to her doesn't seem at all like he is even trying to move on.

Not to offend someone but if I were in reader's place, I would've gladly let him fuck me (cuz why not!) But yeah that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Even if I would still have feelings for him, that doesn't me a I would walk straight into his toxicity.

He really puts blame on the reader even when he knows she broke up with him for his own sake and there was even full conversation of it, so it also doesn't leave the option for any misunderstanding either.

She even told him that she would be there for him while he is learning to improve himself. She is kind. To me what he does is plainly an asshole move and is making no redemption for it and his moves doesn't make sense to me.

Like what does he expect from the reader now? Seriously reader should also fuck with others if he is doing it. It should be from both sides. Only him doing so and still if reader takes him back, would only prove that she is blinded.

They should just break it off for real

dang this is crazyyy

something tells me u didnt really get the story so ill explain it to you again:

as mentioned, jungkook has never been by himself. he comes from a line of short relationships and situationships and his first actual love is y/n. he is extremely, extremely attached to her.

jungkook has never once blamed y/n, he has only stated the fact that she walked out on him which is true, she did choose to break it off with him. he doesn’t blame her for it, not at all, in fact he understands. he only reminds her that she has no right to fuss over what he does when they are not together anymore and he is right.

you say that y/n should just ‘start fucking others too’ and that it should ‘come from both sides’ but that’s where you’ve lost the plot.

again, jungkook has never been by himself. so his attempts at moving on is looking for affection some place else, he can’t imagine living without it because he never had to nor has he experienced it. (until y/n broke up with him.) he is scared of being alone.

y/n on the other hand, has a healthy relationship with herself as stated in pt1, doesnt cling to the past, forgives anyone that has hurt her without a second thought, always trying new things, always looking for change. the thing with her is that she has fallen deeply in love with jungkook but she isn’t terrified of being alone like jungkook is so for her to start sleeping around doesn’t make sense, she doesn’t crave that. you saying that just tells me you read reminder in a very black and white/one dimensional mindset when its much more complex than that.

i do agree that jungkook saying ‘i will never let you forget about me’ is narcissistic however he never once claims ‘i will never let you move on from me’. yes, he doesn’t want her to move on from him but that doesn’t mean that he’ll actively prevent it.

yes, he keeps showing up at her front door. yes, he knows she can’t resist him. that is selfish of him.

but its been made clear that if she tells him to stop, he will stop. jungkook will listen to whatever she says. he couldve thrown a way bigger tantrum when she first broke up with him but all she had to say was ‘stop’ and he stopped. he processed her words. he asked for one more night and he left without another word.

because he trusts her with his life. he loves her too.

every single time he returns to her home he very clearly asks if he can kiss her and if he can have sex with her because she can decline, she can tell him to leave and he’ll obviously respect that. she just cant bring herself to make him leave because she still loves him, still wants him, still craves him.

so that being said i hope i gave u more insight because i wholeheartedly have to disagree with what ur saying. i respect people’s opinions and thoughts nonetheless and i always encourage my readers to share their thoughts and reactions but you completely misunderstood the story and i just wanted to take the time explain it to you.

#clover over #reminder is a much more complex story than ur making it out to be #reread it after uve seen this if u want #love is complicated #inner battles are complicated #reminder jjk

[music-moon]

#toxic relationship #concept playlist #playlist #spotify #spotify playlist #music #music playlist #playlists #malachite #toxic love #bad for me #sad love #why do i do this to myself #want you back #self sabotage #love is complicated #heartache #anti love #love is a losing game #let you break my heart again #cinnamon girl #songs for sadness #aesthetic playlist #mood playlist #playlist curator #ultraviolence #sad grl #mood music #relationship issues #on and off

[inksplashgirl]

Do I scare you?

When I get like this?

When get carried away in a tide of hysteria

And the more I talk the worse I feel

And the less sense I make

Do I scare you?

When I can’t stop laughing or crying

Or both

And I’m completely carried away

In the sway of my own mind

And I’m sorry

If I scare you

So if you run away, I won’t chase

And if you stay?

I’ll push you away.

#poem #poetry #poets on tumblr #original poem #poet #poems #art #creative writing #original poetry #poetrycommunity #spilled fear #fear #poetic #original peoms #original writing #prose poem #my prose #prose #love #love is complicated #but worth it #i’m sorry #manic #abandoment issues #love poem #poets #poets corner #writeblr #writerscreed #i am a writer

[dumblr]

#quotes #feelings #emotions #love #aesthetics #green aesthetic #love quotes #wise words #thoughtful #art #romantic quotes #leaves #wishful thinking #would you? #love is complicated #dumblr

[krethes]

You believe in true love until death does part you.

Yes and no? Uh...lots of words incoming 🤣 short answer: I believe it's possible, but not a guarantee and not "for" everyone (like not their style) and that's ok!

See, love is tricky. I personally am married to someone I've been with for over 10 years. Love isn't just the words you make at a ceremony in front of a bunch of people or when you sign a legal document binding your finances together... It's something you HAVE to work for and fight for and choose, every day.

I know, for myself, that I will love my husband until the end. Like, hands down, he's my person (even though he thinks he's a burden with his physical and mental health issues), and I choose him every day I wake up and I've never looked back and genuinely wondered "what if" or have had regrets. He's not the same person I married in 2016, but neither am I. We grow, we adapt, we learn.

But our love is not everyone's experience of love. I think some people fall in a love that is genuine, but perhaps not a long-term thing, and that's okay. There is NOTHING wrong with divorce, and we need to destigmatize that shit. Life happens! Love and relationships come in all shapes and sizes and colors and sounds and vibes and like, just be good to each other in the end, whether that's splitting up or figuring your shit out.

As for until death... The facts are that my husband is very likely to predecease me. He has type 1 diabetes and about 8 other things assaulting his body, and we've had long talks about what happens then. He told me he wants me to live my best slut (affectionate) era and if I find someone who makes me happy, amazing, don't weigh myself down with the memory of what we have/had. Even still, I don't think I'd ever stop loving him. I'd just build another room in my soul for another person.

I'm not even sure I answered this correctly but...those are my thoughts on love. 🤣

#asks for krethes #assumptions #let's make asses #asses are great #love is complicated #thoughts on love

[colibrie]

Prompt: "Tell me why you love her so much."

From: @crystal-dragon-of-dreams

"You wouldn't understand," Twilight huffed, turning away from them and back towards the broken monument. The soft white sands of lurelin muffled the sounds of his boots as he moved to run wistful fingers over the stones ragged edges.

"Then help me understand Twi," Wild begged, moving to follow his elder brother. "You always make jokes about it, but I can tell that whatever she did really hurt you. Tell me why you love her so much. Tell me why this Midna is worth all of your pain?!"

"For the same reason that Flora is worth all of yours, or Fable is worth Legends. Why Time will still respond when Lullaby calls for his aid, and why Four will go to ridiculous lengths for Dot. For the same reason that Wind will move heaven and ocean if Tetra needs him, or why Sky fell through the cloud barrier to follow Sun," Twilight replied, one hand coming up to grasp at the cord holding his crystal. "Love, kid. Different forms, different reasons, but love all the same."

#linked universe #linked universe twilight #linked universe wild #midna #angst fairy writes #love is complicated #Twi needs hugs

[coffeeshades]

ok so i’m in the process of writing parts four and five of love is complicated (after weeks of putting it off because i had horrible writers block) and somehow formula 1 made its way into the story lol anyways this great news to the pedro girlies who also enjoy f1, you’re welcome 🙏 and to those who don’t give af, i’m sorry 🙏

#i needed someone to get in the way of reader and pedro sooooo hehehe #i have so many ideas the thing is i can’t seem to know how to write them #*sigh* #please don’t give up on me i will deliver 🫶🙏 #love is complicated #diana rambles