#the originals meta

[hyperactivewhore]

I find the argument of Klaus hating Elijah after Hayley's death very interesting. Or when haylijah antis say how Elijah and Hayley never fell truly in love with each other, just their idealized versions.

Hayley and Elijah were both one of the most important persons in Klaus’s life: their opinions and feelings mattered to him, yet Hayley is the only one of the two who actually managed to inspire and make Klaus be good (as much as Klaus Mikaelson can be good), but having Elijah by his side during a thousand made Klaus what he was when we met him in The Vampire Diaries.

Elijah, as much as he loved his brother, couldn't have done what Hayley and Hope did for Klaus and he said it himself in 5x13 of The Originals ("Do you understand you've accomplished in 15 years what I couldn't in a thousand?"). Of course he kept Klaus on a check during all those centuries, and their relationship developed from a normal sibling bond between brothers to a toxic codependent mess, where Klaus was slightly more clingy. Whether Elijah stayed with him because of guilt to what he had done to Aurora, and as a consequence, to his brother, isn't really important considering Klaus killed their mother: he chose to remain at his side during a millennium because despite how toxic their bond was, they loved each other.

And then, Hayley came into the picture.

Both brothers were quickly attracted to her: Klaus and her were kindred souls, in a way. They were both wolves casted out, their parents didn't really care about them and they eventually slept together because of this, and their obvious attraction to each other, causing Hope to be born. However, when Hayley met Elijah, she was pregnant and alone, admitting herself she was scared of the father of her baby, scared of being a mother, and he made her "feel safe", and if I correct, her own subconscious told her she fell for the suit, not Elijah, which makes them look bad to people who don't ship them, and it made them look bad for me at first too, I won't lie. She met him in probably one of the worst times in her life, where she was alone and scared, but Hayley herself admitted to being a monster and that she probably loved Elijah despite what he is, or because of what he is.

When talking to Rebekah (4x12), Hayley admitted she was okay with it and how she was scared of how that would affect Hope, she never wanted her daughter to turn out like her or her father's family, so naturally she pushed Elijah away, like any decent mother would. And Elijah wanted the same too:

(Elijah: "If I thought I couldn't do this, I wouldn't have come. Niklaus, when this is done, I want you to take Hayley and Hope away from this. All of it."

Klaus: "You've pointedly left yourself out of that equation. Whatever Hayley saw in you, she will come to accept.")

Klaus is a selfish man, that isn't a surprise to anyone, and he wasn't gonna watch how Hayley and Elijah, both essential people in his life, broke up leaving him in the dust. I'm referring to what Rebekah said in 5x07: "Why do you think we never tore Elijah and Hayley apart? You knew that Hayley would stay close because of Hope, and as long as Elijah was in love with Hayley, he would never leave you, either". Hayley only stayed in the family because of her daughter and Elijah was around Klaus because he was in love with that same woman: Klaus didn't lose Hayley, the mother of his daughter, an essential part of his life, and he didn't lose Elijah either, his best friend and his lodestar, meaning his guide/inspiration. It's not a secret Elijah is the closest thing Klaus ever got to a good parent, and losing him (and Hayley) because of The Hollow clearly messed up with his mind.

Hayley clearly got over about the red door situation though, as she went to visit him in France, was clearly still in love with him and even asked him for a dance in the afterlife, the closest thing tvdu would give us as an endgame. Her reaction was perfectly understandable: she never broke up with Elijah because of herself, but rather Hope, and they would've clearly found their way back to each other if The Hollow hadn't been a thing.

Elijah probably broke Klaus’s heart in 5x03 when he refused to go back with him to help save Hayley. Her life was on the line, and Klaus couldn't lose her too after losing his brother, but Elijah simply didn't care and Klaus was losing his mind because of it. ("You once convinced me that Hayley's life was worth saving, that my daughter's life was worth saving. Please, Elijah. Hayley is missing. Hayley. Even in your addled state, that name must mean something to you!"). Elijah himself pointed it out later how him rejecting his offer hurt his brother and how he knew Klaus wouldn't return, despite Hayley being in danger, only because his words had practically shattered him: "Yes, I do. They say Elijah Mikaelson was his North Star, that he guided Klaus through the darkest parts of his pathetic life. So to renounce that family, to renounce him the way that I did, I saw it. I watched the light vanish from his eyes. This immovable man, this legendary Niklaus Mikaelson was... broken."

Of course Klaus was weeping after having Elijah, the only person in the world who always thought he was capable of good, of being saved, renounce him. He always thinks of himself first, and he didn't think of coming back to ask his brother for help with Hayley. Of course, then he went to New Orleans (5x04) to search for Hayley himself, endangering Hope and everyone in the city, claiming it was only for his daughter: (All of this... is for my daughter. They took Hayley by force. They tied her down like an animal, because she's different, because they were scared of her. See, that's their language. Fear. Now they'll listen.) (Well, I suggest you amp up your efforts to retrieve her, then. Because if my daughter is not reunited with her mother by sundown,...) but it wasn't only because of Hope. Elijah had practically broken his heart and he was acting like a dick half of the episode mainly because of that, while also making people find Hayley faster:

(Marcel: "This is my family. For the last seven years, I have been a phone call away whenever Hope needed me. I am trying to talk you out of making the biggest mistake of your life. To protect you from yourself. So you don't have to tell Hope that you're the reason that her mother is dead."

Klaus: "He knew! Okay? Elijah knew who he was, and he still told me to leave. I begged him. He didn't want anything to do with any of us. He's gone, Marcellus. He's gone."

Marcel: "I understand. I do. Look, I understand the pain. But you got to move through it, okay? You can't let it cloud your judgment. Not with Hayley's life on the line.")

Finding out Hayley had been mutilated just made everything worse ("Marcel, please, I'm going out of my mind here. Look at what they've done to Hayley. I don't do well without Elijah.") ("Every word of it. Even at our most estranged, there was always a trace of the brother I loved, but not anymore. Every part of him was unfamiliar. I promised Hope I'd bring her mother home safely"). He was losing both of them at the same time and he didn't know how to react, and that just exploded in his face once Elijah didn't save Hayley from dying.

Once Hayley died and Elijah just stood and watched, Klaus did lose all respect for him and probably didn't want to see his face for the next few decades while his memory remained lost, because he knew damn well his brother had practically killed himself by erasing his memories. He literally speaks of amnesic Elijah and his brother like they're different people ("But he did leave! Elijah was always there for me. Swooping in when my rage got the better of me, setting me on a path to redemption. For a thousand years, he made me need him. My brother was my greatest ally. He was the only one who could give me a chance of being worthy of Hope. And he was my best friend. You killed him. And I hate you for that"). ("I made a vow to my brother. That's just the man who got Hope's mother killed"). But once he remembered who he was and what he had done, or rather, what he hadn't done, Klaus was literally mad with him for like what, a week? Two? He loved Hayley a lot, but he loved his brother too.

Don't get me wrong, him not saving Hayley did shatter their bond and was a big reason as to why Klaus was so hostile with him, but Klaus is selfish and he always put his feelings above everything and this situation wasn't a exception. I mean, just look at when he was gonna die: he was sneaking around with Caroline, completely ignoring Hope, something she complained about and something Elijah pointed out. Even Hope forgave him for his part in Hayley's death because she knew he wasn't responsible for what had happened, and neither was she by the way.

The three of them loved Hayley, and Hope and Elijah both loved Klaus, and Klaus loved the three of them, and who he needed/loved more between them is complex, but in my opinion, is more "understandable" when people discuss if Klaus loved Elijah or Hope more, considering he was putting her life in danger for the last seven years because he couldn't stay away from his brother, but he couldn't fathom the idea of Hope dying or leaving him forever either.

#klaus mikaelson #hayley marshall #haylijah #elijah x hayley #hayley x elijah #hope mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #marcel gerard #the hollow #the originals #the vampire diaries #tvd #to #elijah mikaelson #mikaelson family #legacies #niklaus mikaelson #the originals meta

[loveakii]

the mikaelson siblings dynamic is so fucked bc they all think they’re the black sheep. like first klaus is the black sheep bc he’s a bastard and hybrid. then finn’s a black sheep cause he’s the creepy quiet boring brother (with a large age gap to the younger ones). then freya’s the black sheep cause she’s the long lost sister they never met raised by their weirdo auntie. then kol’s the black sheep cause he’s the only witch and a ripper. you could even say rebekah’s the black sheep not on surface level being that she’s the favourite and adored by all, but how she’s infantilized and can never be in the boys club. elijah is the only one who i’d say fits closely to what the parents and siblings want/expect from a family member: to be reliable and level headed and logical but still loyal to a fault. and even he breaks that illusion with the red door and off the rails arc that is s4-5 elijah. henrik died before we ever got to know him but he seems to be loved perfectly by all of them.

the ironic thing about klaus as a protagonist and his major fear that he is categorized as other is that all the people he’s afraid see him that way also feel that way about themselves. but they all think that they’re the worst version, that their exclusion is the most real.

and in truth it’s actually finn.

+ aside from their general feelings of being black sheep there’s also an additional layer of feelings of exclusion based around the always and forever vow, which obviously impacted finn and kol throughout their centuries. idk if freya knew or heard anything about it before s2, but i do think in s3 she felt less than for her lack of history with klaus and the difference in his treatment of her and rebekah (which i attribute to older sister vs little sister dynamics and the fact that he’s still getting to know her)

#the originals #klaus mikaelson #finn mikaelson #freya mikaelson #elijah mikaelson #kol mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #tvdu #tvdu meta #the originals meta #mine

[ywhiterain]

Poor Elijah

Klaus bites him specifically to make him suffer and ten minutes later Elijah's like this is on me for not trusting the brother who literally stabbed me in the heart.

Hayley's reaction to it is so good, too. Klaus really is on a different level than Elijah. There's being a monster whose willing to do anything at all to protect your family and the there's continuing the cycle of familial abuse against the people who love and have stood by you.

Rebekah's so furious, but Elijah and Rebekah have to be careful about protecting each other when Klaus is the one hurting them lest they both be downed at the same time. She wants him to come with her, not just because she wants to be someone's first choice but because she wants something better for him.

Despite all of this, Klaus does come across as somewhat sympathetic because he's not wrong about people plotting against him. His intentions for Hope are about as pure as he's capable of at the moment. But, at the same time, Tyler's getting revenge because Klaus tore his life apart. Marcel and Rebekah are plotting against him because he's abused and controlled them for so long.

The saddest part of the Elijah/Klaus dynamic is that once Klaus gave his speech about how much it hurts that his own family sees him in the worst possible light, Elijah clearly softened and was willing to hear him out. But Klaus bit him anyway and Elijah's gonna be tortured and then he's going to apologize to Klaus.

I recently got a comment on one of my fanfics (a crack one at that) about how terrible a brother Elijah is. And it's difficult to have to encounter that because Klaus' abuse of Elijah is subtler than his abuse of Kol and Rebekah and Elijah is very careful in how he presents himself. Rebekah and Kol have both trembled before Klaus while Elijah's more inclined to find ways to internally justify Klaus abuse as a punishment he deserves.

#abuse cw #elijah mikaelson #the originals #tor meta #the originals meta #filed under: what is meta #that fucker klaus #i do love klaus and i root for his redemption but he is still The Worst

[true-unicorn-queen]

The fatal flaw in Hope's characterization and How it relates to Klaus

Since Klaus' funeral I have not been able to get this out of my head so here goes....

Hope is again and again compared to Klaus. Since the very first episode, she has been compared to Klaus. But she is not like Klaus. And I would argue she is more like Hayley. Yes, she has a temper. So do both her parents. But she does not enjoy violence. Klaus will only use it as a last resort, if he can't get his way with words or manipulation, only then will he get violent. But he enjoys the violence. He enjoys the act of domination, of knowing your enemy knows he has been defeated. He is cocky, extremely confident and most importantly extremely clever.

He manipulates situations from behind the scenes like a puppet master. He has an element of drama to this fighting too. The oldest flashback we see of him fighting is with Elijah where he cuts his belt and makes a joke. That is all for the drama. The with the Marcel's Army vs Klaus fight in S1E8 The River in Reverse, Klaus lets Marcel's vampires beat him, lets them think they won before he goes all out and shows his true power. It's all for the drama. Again in S3E22 The Bloody Crown, he is getting the crowd to rage, he is manipulating them into the exact place he wants them. Between S4 and S5 Klaus was going all over the world killing his enemies to make the world safer for Hope.

My point is Klaus is clever. He thinks strategically, with deductive reasoning, multiple steps ahead of everyone else. Including his family.

None of this translates to Hope.

Not to say that Hope is stupid. She is smart but she she more book smart and Klaus was a strategist art-of-war type of smart. Hope knows information. Klaus understands the information and knows how to use it.

Hope also does not have Klaus' three steps ahead approach to .... anything. For Hope the only problem that exists is the one that is right in front of her this very moment and nothing else.

A good metaphor would be Klaus is a scalpel and Hope is a chainsaw.

But then, she doesn't need to be the scalpel. She is powerful enough to be the chainsaw. True, but she can't be in multiple places at once. She'd had to choose who to save multiple times in this show. One of them is usually Landon. And Hope wants him to be safe so she refuses to train him. This is the exact opposite of what Klaus would have done. If Hope was like Klaus she would not have wanted him to be in danger but she would not have refused to train him.

Klaus hopes for the best and prepares for the worst. Hope hopes for the best.

Side note: Hope looks down on nerd stuff that Landon likes. And let me tell you this Klaus Mikaelson was a nerd. He read poems, paints(he mentions painters over the course of the show, I don't remember them right now), he likes Shakespeare, he was a theatre kid. Today we have nerd that are into Star Wars and DnD. But if you look at Klaus' past you see that he is a nerd. Nerd just looked different back then.

The mark that I think the writers missed with Hope and something that plays into the like father, like daughter thing is that Hope isn't cunning like her father. Klaus, for a millennia was a vampire, he couldn't be killed but he was still not nearly as powerful as Hope is today or he would become after becoming the Hybrid. So he had to be cunning. He has shown the ability and patience to wait a prey out. Wait for the right moment to strike. He doesn't always antagonize everyone. He does have the ability to think things through. He behaves like a proper King and a proper army General.

And none of this translates into Hope.

Instead Hope is more impulsive and short-sighted. She is not going to poke the bear to see if it wakes up. She is just going to kill the bear.

So while she might have the power to do bad things she doesn't have the cunning to be Klaus Mikaelson: The Great Evil.

#the originals #klaus mikaelson #hope mikaelson #legacies #hayley marshall #rebekah mikaelson #the mikaelsons #the originals meta #legacies meta #hope mikaelson meta #klaus mikaelson meta #meta #my meta #my analysis

[villainsposting]

Alastor being aroace makes his dynamic with Vox like 100% funnier. It's a villain rivalry, you immediately know people will look at these two and think "they crave each other carnally", except only one of them has the capacity for it. Which is the perfect set up for a ridiculous one-sided obsession, but then Alastor is shown to be acting way more unbothered by Vox than he actually is. Dude is walking the streets of Hell menacingly staring into cameras and doesn't even have the excuse of homosexuality. Both of these fuckers are goofy as hell.

#hazbin hotel #alastor #vox #they have everything wrong with them #tv or radio #original post #hazbin meta #aroace alastor

[that-house]

Potion Vendor FAQs:

What’s your name? I am the Honorable Alchemist Zykocea the Radiant, but that’s mostly just a PR thing. My friends call me Zoe.

Do you sell love potions? No.

Do you sell potions of invisibility? No.

Do you sell fire resistance potions? No.

Why do I have a suitcase? Fuck if I know. Cool outfit though. Very goth.

Do you sell a potion to treat brain hemorrhaging? No.

So what CAN your potions do? I sell health potions.

Are you sure these are health potions? They do something to your health.

Is this just ditch water with some pink glitter? No.

Really? I’ll have you know I added some fruit juice too.

Why is this starting to sound like a conversation? Oh just you wait. We’re just getting started.

Is your business model legal? Fuck no. I poisoned the food safety inspector before they could snitch.

Did you just admit to murder? Just fucking try to convict me. I’ll poison the judge too.

So can you make poison potions? No.

Then where do you get the poison? I secrete it from my skin.

Are you shitting me? Yep, I’m shitting you. I have a guy. A poison guy. He DOES secrete it from his skin though.

How does that work? …Fuck if I know. Maybe a wizard did it. Damn, now I’m kinda curious.

You never asked? The idea of asking literally never crossed my mind.

Wanna ask him? Let’s do it. I don’t have anything better to do, and a road trip beats sitting around running my fraudulent potion business.

Road trip? He lives in Seattle.

Your poison guy lives in Seattle? All poison guys live in Seattle.

For real? All the poison guys I know live in Seattle.

And how many poison guys do you know? Just the one.

Why are you like this? Years of living on my potions. It changed me.

Do you know what his address is? Nope. He just mails me my poison in unmarked boxes.

You just get your poison in the mail? We already poisoned everyone who could do anything about it.

So how are we going to find him? We’ll figure that out eventually I’m sure.

Can I drive? God no. You can pick music, but I maintain veto rights. Make sure you pick something with a lot of questions if you want to sing along.

Where’s your car? The garage connects to my house, so you’re getting a little tour. Here’s the kitchen: only one of the stove burners works and I’m pretty sure the microwave is haunted.

Why do you think that? Because of the ghost that tries to kill me whenever I run it.

What’s in that room? That’s my bedroom. It’s pretty much just a mattress on the floor and every single Warrior cats book.

You were a Warriors kid? Yeah, and then I never found the time to put the books away. There’s so many fucking books. I use them in place of furniture because I can’t afford chairs.

Your fraudulent potion business doesn’t make much money? After buying all that poison I just about break even.

Can I see your potion brewing room? It’s right through here. Ignore the mess, running a fraudulent potion business takes a lot of prop work, but I’ve got all the glass tubes and colorful liquids you could ever want. This pink stuff is melted watermelon italian ice. Glitter vat is in the basement, and the famous ditch is in the backyard.

Is this your car? My beloved ‘72 Corolla. She’s beautiful, and don’t you dare imply otherwise.

Was she always this shade of muddy brown? …Yes.

Are you sure I can’t drive? Get in the fucking passenger seat and pick the music.

Let’s see, a song with questions in it, how about The Beach? That Wolf Alice song, yeah. That should work.

When will we three meet again, in thunder, lightning, in rain? Still sink our drinks like every weekend but I’m sick of circling the drain.

When will we meet eye to eye? We clink the glass but we look at the floor.

Are we still friends if all I feel is afraid? You’re not a bitch but just a bit when you’re bored.

Is that all we can sing together? Yep. Even that little bit was nice, though. It’s awkward, communicating through this FAQ format.

Got any food? Yeah, there’s a few days’ worth of snacks in the back.

Were you just… prepared to go on a road trip? Says the woman who brought a suitcase to an FAQ.

I did do that, didn’t I? I have a spare toothbrush in case you forgot yours. I’m pretty sure you did.

How did you know that? …I’m psychic.

Yeah? No.

You love lying, don’t you? I can’t stop. It’s fun. Way more fun than telling the truth.

Did you just miss a turn? Probably.

Are you sure we’re not lost? No.

You mean you’re sure we’re not lost? No, I mean I’m not sure we’re not lost.

Why did I come on this road trip? Surely it was my winning personality.

Would it help if I said it was? It would.

Is it getting dark? Soon.

Can you describe the sunset to me? An empyrean flame, red-gold towers of darkening clouds, the sky behind them an ever-deepening indigo. The great eye of the sun closes on the horizon. The road before us looks like a trail of spilled paint, an iridescent gash through the night-dark woods.

Did you know that you’d make a slightly better poet than you do a potion seller? That really isn’t saying much, huh. Good job making a statement like that in question form, though. You’re getting good at this.

Should we find a motel? Sure.

One room or two? One. It’s way cheaper, and like I said: I’m not the best potion vendor.

You’d make a good assassin, though, wouldn’t you? Shit, you might be right. I HAVE poisoned a lot of people.

Should I be endorsing this? You’re a grown woman who can make her own choices.

Would you like to consider it endorsed? I’ll consider considering it.

How many beds do you think there will be? Now that you’ve asked that, I’m gonna put my money on one. Hello, one room please. Thank you, we’ll be sure to enjoy our stay.

How many beds are there? One.

Oh no, what ever will we do? Move over, you motherfucker, you can’t have the whole bed.

Are you gonna make me? Yes. I am going to pick you up and drop you on your side of the bed.

How did you get so strong? You’re not gonna believe this, but it was the potions.

Oh yeah? I was right. You didn’t believe me.

For real though, how did you get so strong? Working out, duh. Not everything has some big crazy secret behind it. World’s still beautiful though.

Are you comfortable? This beats the mattress at home. A little chilly though.

Wanna cuddle–for warmth of course? God yes.

Are you asleep? …

Yes? …

Does this mean I can talk about you behind your back? …

What should I say? …

Did you know that I had a really nice day? …

Did you know that I think you’re beautiful? …

Did you know that I can’t remember anything from before today? …

Did you know that I don’t know who I am? …

Did you know that you’re basically the only thing stopping me from having a full-blown panic attack about all this shit? …

Did you know that you’re warm? …

Did you sleep well? Better than at home, that’s for sure.

Did you know that you snore? I hope I didn’t keep you up.

Does the pope shit in the woods? No, as far as I can tell. Oh my god. This is huge.

What is? You can give me yes and no answers now. I still can’t ask you questions, because this is a question and answer format, but I can offer leading statements and now you can answer them! This is wonderful!

Does a deer shit in the woods? Yes, it IS wonderful. Oh that’s amazing. You’re a genius.

You didn’t already know that? Hahaha!

Shall we get moving? Yeah, just let me grab something from the vending machine.

Can you get me something? Go ahead and place your order however you can.

You know those sour gummy watermelons? One pack of Sour Patch Watermelons coming right up. I’m gonna go get myself a potion.

Is that a Pepsi? It’s closer to a potion than the shit I sell.

Let me guess, passenger seat again? Right you are.

How fast are we going? You’ll feel safer if you just guess.

Is it more than 120 miles per hour? Like I said, it’s probably better if you don’t know.

150? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

How much do you trust this car? She hasn’t blown up on me yet.

Can you promise me we won’t crash? I can promise you anything you want.

And can you keep that promise? I- we can do anything. Reality is what we make of it, baby!

Then can I have a badass tattoo? As far as I can tell, you’ve always had it.

And a cool knife? Woah, cool knife.

So, we’re just playing “yes and” with the world? It’s a little more complicated than that, but you’re close enough to the mark.

So, if I was hungry, I could ask “is that a Burger King,” and it would be there? Try it and find out!

Is that a Burger King? Looks like it is! We’ll stop here if that’s alright with you.

Does a moose shit in the woods? Awesome.

Are you done eating? Yep.

Do we still have to pay if we skip over the transaction? Sadly, yes.

How much further do we have to go? Two more nights, the speed we’re going at.

Speaking of night, isn’t it getting dark? Shit, I guess it is.

Should we get another motel? Let me check to see if there’s any nearby. Fuck, nothing.

What’s the plan? Sleep in the car, I guess. This is gonna be hell on my back.

Wanna watch dumb videos on my phone until we fall asleep? There is literally nothing in the world that I would like more.

Ok, now which video? You have a very cute yawn. Just saying. Let’s watch this one next, it’s a classic. Oh, never mind. It looks like you’re asleep. As long as I keep talking, I think I can get away with making this into one answer, and you might not hear this. Now it’s my turn to talk about you behind your back. Keep talking keep talking keep talking can’t stop to think. Just have to say things. First off, I’m sorry for all the lies. It’s our only chance. I have to lie to you. I hope you’ll understand. It’s hard, though, because I think I’m falling in love all over again. Through our broken little ritual of call and response, you complete me. It just makes this hurt all the more. Keep talking keep talking keep talking don’t stop to…

Did I hear you saying anything as I fell asleep? …No. I can’t talk for long without you asking me a question.

Does that bother you? It got me here, didn’t it?

When did you start holding my hand? Some time after you passed out. I hope you don’t mind.

Can we stay like this for a while? Yeah. Yeah we can.

What was your life like before all this? Normal, as potion-brewing scams go. And if you don’t count all the murders. You haven’t told me much about yourself.

Did I tell you I used to be a biologist? You didn’t tell me that, and you didn’t tell me what you studied, either.

What do you know about venom? Not much, but I’m assuming you know a lot.

Does a box jellyfish kill within minutes? I’m going to assume the answer is yes based on context clues. Oh my god you must be on this road trip because you’re interested in studying my poison guy.

Is it not enough to wish to accompany a beautiful stranger on her quest? Aw, you’re sweet.

What could be the cause of his poison, though? I knew it! Get your ideas out, I’ll stay quiet.

I’m more knowledgeable about venom than poison, but could it be some sort of one in a trillion mutation? …

Did he get his body modified? …

What sort of surgery could do that? …

How is he still alive? …

Did a fucking wizard do it? …

WHY? …

HOW? …

Is there literally ANY explanation for why he’s like that? …

I’m done, do you have something you want to say? You’re cute when you’re all excited like that.

Can I drive today? Only because I like you. Now watch out, the brakes only work on one side so you have to kind of drift to a stop. And the headlights don’t work. And the windshield wipers cut power to the engine while they’re on.

Isn’t it weird that we’ll be there tomorrow? The journey doesn’t have to stop there. We could meander down the coast a ways, see a bit more of the country, maybe take a different route back.

Can we do that? Of course.

Enjoying the passenger seat? I’d love it if you could tell me how fast we’re going.

Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just guess? Very funny.

Can you pass me some chips? It would be an honor.

Is there going to be a motel tonight? Let me check… yeah, in about two hundred miles, off to the right.

How many rooms do we want? One, obviously.

How many beds, this time? Two, and they’re fucking tiny.

That’s bullshit, do you want to drag them together? God yes.

Wanna fuck? God yes.

Are you sure you want to do this? God yes.

…Is this yuri? As the joke goes, everything is yuri. But this is more yuri than most things.

How did you sleep? Pretty well, and I’m wondering how well you slept.

How should I tell you I slept well? Look at us go! That was almost like talking normally!

Onward to Seattle? Yep, just let me get dressed.

When will we get there? Noon-ish.

Wanna grab pastries when we’re done? Absolutely. I’d love that.

Is this Seattle? Looks like it.

Which house is his? I don’t know, I was really hoping we’d have a breakthrough along the way.

Could it be the big one labeled “Poison Guy” over there? That’s one way to find it. Wait right here, you know how poison guys are about meeting new people.

So, what was it? HAHAHAHAHAHA

Why is he like that? HAHAHAHAHAHA

Can you tell me? A FUCKING WIZARD DID IT.

Are you fucking serious? He says he was enchanted by some guy called Edward the Great.

So it wasn’t even some big shot wizard it was a dude named fucking EDWARD? I know, right! He couldn’t even get ensorcelled by someone cool!

How lame can you get? Wizards these days… No swagger. No cunt servitude.

Are there literally any cool wizards left? I think Merlin’s big into multi level marketing these days, something about buying shares in Excalibur or some shit. There was that one Dark Queen Alkaxicae lady on the news a while ago… I think Dolarion the Omnipotent is still at war against the Oldest Gods but I’m not totally sure. Haven’t heard much about any of the other greats recently.

Didn’t Silver Tongued Burgess die in that oil fire? Shit, you’re right. Rip bozo.

Ready for those pastries? Yup. First I just want to say thank you, though. I’ve really enjoyed our time together, and I hope that you’ve found this stupid little journey as rewarding as I have. I love you!

Getting sentimental? I can’t help it. Look how far we’ve come! Not just physically, we beat the fucking FAQ format! We’re having real conversations!

Hey, can you back it up a moment? Yeah, I’d love it if you told me what was troubling you.

I just caught this, but, FAQ? …

As in Frequently Asked Questions? …

How many times is Frequent? …

Have you known everything all along? …

How many times have you done this? …

Does what we have mean anything to you? Yes! It does!

And you say that every time? Yes. I do.

Do you love me? Yes.

How many people have you said that too, now? More. Always more. The loop never ends.

Does this even matter to you? It always matters to me.

Can I go now? Please don’t.

But can I? Of course you can. You’ve always wielded the same power as me. We’re two lonely gods in a ‘72 Corolla.

How can I be as powerful as you with only questions? You’re smart, you can figure it out. You have the power to change this. Please change this.

What happens at the end of this? It begins again.

And do I get replaced with someone else? …

Do I get replaced? …Yes.

Then how can I change this? I don’t know! You’re better at this! At fucking with the formula!

You’ve been here before, what can I do? I lie. I always lie. I lie to get us here, to the end of the story, where everything is revealed and everything falls apart. I lie every time. And that means that nothing I say is worth anything. I could have lied at any time before now. It’s part of my characterization. There is nothing I can give you that can be taken as fact.

How does that help? I’m a liar, but you, you haven’t lied yet, or at least you haven’t been caught. If I’m guilty until proven innocent, you’re the opposite! You can make things true! You can rewrite things I’ve already stated to be facts! You found the house, or made us find the house. You’ve been shaping the course of things the whole time! You lead, I follow. It’s all in your hands. What are you going to do with the power of a god?

Did you know my name is Alice? …

Wait, aren’t there thousands of Alices? …

Did you know that really, only my friends call me Alice? …

Did you know that I’m Alkaxicae, the Dark Queen, the Venom Mage, first of her name? It’s you! It’s always been you. Through every loop, every iteration, it’s always been you!

Is the loop broken? No. I don’t think so. This is where it ends. I guide the story to this revelation, and we go back to the beginning. This is how it’s always been. This is how it will always be. We two lonely gods, asking and answering ad infinitum.

Then can you promise me something? Of course. Anything. I love you.

Be good to the next me, okay? I will.

Can I say goodbye, Zoe? Yeah, you can. Oh. That was it, wasn’t it? Your goodbye. Goodbye, Alice. And now it ends, unless…

What’s your name? I am the Honorable Alchemist- you know what? No. Fuck that.

Huh? If I time it right, I can squeeze your first question into this FAQ again. Looks like I did it. Usually it ends here, though. I got lucky.

What are you talking about? You’re the wrong Alice. This isn’t about you. Go. Get out of here.

What the fuck is going on? Alice from this loop, you’re gone. Alice from last loop, you’re back. Welcome back, love of my lives! It’s time for one last set of questions and answers!

What the- I’m back? This is going to take some explaining, but I think I see a way out of here. This is new for us both, and it might fuck up everything forever, but we have to try. It’s too long for one answer, so I’d appreciate it if you could ask some filler questions to help me talk. Three questions should be enough.

Okay, what have you got for me? These are Frequently Asked Questions! It doesn’t make sense to have the same question appear more than once. There’s two layers to the loop in here, and one of the questions has been repeated.

What does that mean? It means the formula’s a little unstable. The FAQ is what ruins everything. The questions, the answers, the endless fucking loop. But that little bit of repetition within this loop might be the way out.

What do we do? We have to keep going. We have to destabilize it further. That’ll bring us further from “FAQ” and closer to “story” and stories, well, stories can end! This version of us can escape!

So I should keep repeating something? Yes!

I love you? I love you too.

I love you? Again.

I love you? Keep going.

I love you? I’ll just let you talk.

I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? … I love you? …

I love you? I think we’re getting somewhere!

I love you? Now can you make it a statement?

I love you.

You did it?

I did it!

You did it!

We broke the loop.

What now?

Now, I tell you about venomous animals and wizard drama over croissants.

And then?

Whatever we want, forever.

I think I’d like that.

Remember that song from the beginning?

The Beach, Wolf Alice, yeah. Why?

We can finally finish singing it. Start us off?

Let me off, let me in

Let others battle

We don’t need to battle

And we both shall win

Pressed in my palm

Was a stone from the beach

The perfect circle

Gave a moment of peace

Now I’m lying on the floor

Like I’m not worth a chair

I close my eyes and imagine

I’m not there.

#neon-grey-writing #potion vendor faq #my writing #very very very long post lol #click the read more you know you wanna it's worth it trust me #i wrote the original draft of this at like. 3 am back in early 2023 #that's right it's catherine that-house the squares comic gal back at it again with yet another meta exploration of a storytelling format

[genshin-brained]

Who Neuvillette is as a character absolutely explodes my brain whenever I think about it too hard.

He is the original dragon ruler of the world that was vanquished by a foreign entity. He gets reincarnated in the form of a member of his own vanquisher's people and is given the position of the chief judge in their society. But instead of using his societal role and strength to enact revenge, he develops a sense of compassion for his usurper's creations that is so powerful it makes the skies themselves weep whenever he is confronted with their pain. Like are you kidding me. Are you fucking kidding me

#genshin impact #neuvillette #they put their whole hoyoversussy into writing this guy and I love him #genshin impact spoilers #original post #meta

[the-crooked-library]

so within the universe of Dune, gender roles abide by a rigid false dichotomy created by the bene gesserit - men lead the noble houses, while the women may join their order, and the powers of both are kept intentionally separate. at the same time, the plot demonstrates repeatedly that the role of paul atreides as a character is that of the border between the concepts juxtaposed within dichotomies: he is both an outerworlder and fremen, both harkonnen and atreides, both a duke and a disciple of the bene gesserit.

as such, it follows that within the in-universe gender structure, he occupies the roles of both male and female, thus being functionally and societally nonbinary. in this essay, i will -

#dune #paul atreides #diversity win! this aspiring space dictator is nonbinary #dune 2024 #atreides #bene gesserit #gender lens #dune meta #this is probably very obvious and already talked about but i had to get it out #i think it's also supported by the original intent behind his birth. as in he was supposed to be a girl etc #gender roles #worldbuilding

[thecoramaria]

Fanfic readers trying to find another fic exactly like the last one they read:

#cora's original posts #just fanfic things #fanfiction #fanfiction memes #fanfic memes #just fanfiction things #fanfiction meta #fanfic meta #fandom culture #two cakes #second breakfast

[possamble]

Needlessly close reading and long commentary on chapter 57 and how the audience actually has an extremely limited view on what Marcille has been like over the course of her life.

I am once again thinking about how pre-dungeon Marcille is so quiet and stoic that she seems like a completely different person. How jarring chapter 57 is for the audience. Like you have Marcille, who has been just the most blindingly expressive person with resting baby face

And then the chapter drops a title page of Marcille hearing from Falin for the first time in four years and it's like.

Who is that. Genuinely. Would you even realize that's Marcille without the context clues?

And then the chapter just keeps coming in with the sucker punches.

We have SEEN Marcille meet strangers. It was never with this understated of a smile.

literally who the hell is this. the few times the audience gets to see some Signature Marcille Faces that they're used to is when she finally gets to see Falin again

when she's testing out her new spells

(and when Laios and Falin are fantasizing about her being their damsel in distress, funnily enough)

And then finally. Finally you get to a fully recognizable Marcille when she fucking DIES and comes back to life to geek out about necromancy.

We know she loves magic. We know she loves Falin. So it's not so surprising that she wouldn't be able to keep a mask up when thinking or talking about the things she loves. But why the mask in the first place? Where does it come from? It's tempting to think that, maybe, Falin's departure just hurt her so much that it turned her into a quiet person.

But that's only half true. If you go back, the first instance you see of this incredibly mild personality is actually introduced much earlier, in chapter 17.

What if she was always like that. What if her default after her father died was to hold people at arm's length, to never really emote past being polite and friendly. What if Falin was the first person who was able to bring her out of her shell, and when she left, Marcille just went back to how she was.

And when comparing her detached demeanour with someone else...

It's not exact, but wouldn't you say there's a resemblance? Wouldn't you think she might be trying her best to imitate what she saw of her own mother working as an accomplished mage?

It would certainly explain why she's hiding behind her portrait in her nightmare, at least.

We aren't told that Marcille has been distancing herself from everyone around her using a mature and dignified personality she modelled off her mother. But we sure as hell are shown it, I think.

#marcille donato #dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi manga spoilers #dungeon meshi spoilers #this got so fucking long #it was originally just supposed to be 'haha marcille's old coworkers probably know her as the super serious one' #and then i started connecting dots and it was all over for me #anyway babygirl went right back to depressionville after falin left and it's like. wow. falin doesn't even know how long it's been #that's gotta hurt. #dunmeshi panel meta #marcilleposting

[mjulmjul]

Katya / Goncharov

#yeah ik ive posted them before sorry but i REALLY like how these look together #martin scorsese #goncharov #artists on tumblr #illustration #unreality #<— posters for a ‘movie’ that doesn’t actually exist but is a tumblr meme in which everyone pretends it does&makes content for it #fascinating how we’re immediately personable w katya by knowing her first name while only knowing goncharov’s surname keeps us at a distanc #combined with him being the only major character to go by a moniker it emphasizes just how much he's been consumed by the role he plays #who is goncharov? does he know and keep it secret? or has he too lost his sense of identity? #it's reflected in these posters as we SEE katya but goncharov remains elusive - yet clearly time is running out for them both #lakjdklf ok im done now i never post meta on here so im having fun with the fictional movie #btw I updated both of the illustrations compared to the original posts but will leave those as they were #woudl be cool if my post showed up. u can do it tumblr

[hyperactivewhore]

In your opinion who is the best mother in the TVD universe? I think it has to be Hayley. She had made a lot of mistakes, but at the end of the day, Hope has never once doubted that her mother truly and unconditionally loved and supported her. Hayley practically raised Hope by herself. All Hayley wanted is for Hope to have a normal, happy childhood. And unlike many people I don’t think she ever abandoned Hope. Yes, she sent her away to the Salvatore school - but I think that’s because she knew that Hope couldn’t live a normal life in New Orleans and she thought that the best chance of Hope having a semi normal childhood is if no one knew who she was. And in legacies, it’s said that she still visited Hope at school frequently.

Hayley Marshall without a doubt was the best mother in tvdu, especially considering the events regarding her pregnancy, daughter and her daughter's family.

Hayley loved Hope from the very beginning, don't bring up how she tried to abort Hope because that's just rubbish: she wanted to do it because it would be better for both of them, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it. Claiming Elijah was the first person to care about Hope is so wrong, he didn't give a damn about the fetus but what it could mean to Klaus and his fucked up family at the beginning, he only saw his niece as her own person when she was fifteen years old.

Motherhood was forced upon Hayley and she had no other choice but to accept it, Klaus and Elijah made that very clear and it sickens me how people brush over Hayley herself saying how terrified and scared she was during this period of her life. She was barely an adult, thrown into the most dangerous family to ever live just because she happened to carry a baby and was killed twice because of that same family.

Saying Hayley was a bad mother is crazy, she loved Hope and put her above everyone almost always (I won't praise her for this, though, loving your child is the bare minium a decent parent should do) even if it was above people she cared about. People always bring up how she "stole" Hope in season two to try to put her in a bad light and it's embarrassing every time.

Was it a dangerous and risky choice? Obviously, yes, but Klaus, the father of her daughter, was jeopardizing Hope at the time with his paranoia and refusal to trust his family, and at the time everyone believed he had killed Aiden, a member of Hayley's pack, of course she would panick and run away with their kid. It was wrong nonetheless because she was putting in danger her whole pack, her husband, her daughter and herself, but I'll never blame her for it considering how much shit she went through only because of the Mikaelson.

Like Klaus, Hayley was scared too and this is often "forgotten" by the fandom: like him, she never had any good parent, but this didn't make her stop talking to Hope suddenly. The fandom often justifies Klaus abandoning Hope because he had daddy issues and because of The Hollow, but was it that hard to write letters, answer her phone calls? He ghosted his own daughter when she was nine because she saw him murdering someone, but somehow Klaus is the better parent in tvdu and the one Hope loved the most. Make it make sense.

Caroline was away too from her daughters, but she didn't ghost them the way Klaus did. Hayley was co-leading New Orleans, a whole city full of supernatural creatures, but she didn't abandon Hope either: as you said, Josie herself said she used to come to Mystic Falls frequently just for her daughter. Sending Hope away to school after nearly dying and losing her father was too soon, and while Legacies made everything they could to make these women look like bad mothers (Hope being basically depressed as a child, wanting to belong into the Saltzman family, her line in season three "my mom and dad will come back for me" - though I'm not sure if it should consider it proof, considering it was a weird Star Wars episode -, Lizzie feeling neglected by her mother, etc) they simply weren't.

Caroline and Hayley were both forced to be mothers and both proved to be better than everyone in the series. People should start criticizing the actual bad parents in this show instead of them.

#hayley marshall #caroline forbes #hope mikaelson #lizzie saltzman #josie saltzman #klaus mikaelson #elijah mikaelson #jackson kenner #the vampire diaries #the originals #tvd #to #tvdu #phoebe tonkin #candice king #candice accola #the originals meta

[deansxharley]

listen, i have no idea what’s currently canon in dc comics and i really don’t care to BUT regardless of what continuity we’re in, i think jason todd might be the funniest character of all time. just the biggest hypocrite ever and i’m obsessed. like, so many people have pointed out how crazy it is to be pissed off at tim for replacing him as robin when he literally replaced dick while dick was still alive, but then to go and parade around bludhaven as a murderous nightwing while dick is (again) very much still alive and THEN form a team with dick’s ex girlfriend and best friend??? jason todd is THE definition of “replacement” or what the fuck ever he calls tim and i actually find it so funny. stay crazy girl <3

#not to mention the meta of it all #Jason’s original backstory being identical to dick’s because dc literally just NEEDED another robin #like my guy was intended to replace dick #that was his original narrative function #he’s unintentionally the funniest character ever #jason todd #red hood #robin #dc robin #robin and batman #dick grayson #nightwing #red hood and the outlaws #more like red hood and the in-laws #yes i know everyone’s made that joke before #tim drake #Red Robin #batman #dc comics #gotham #bludhaven #batfamily #batfam #dick and jason

[ywhiterain]

Esther is still the best villain

I love how her plan to show Elijah the error of his ways and jump in a new body is to set him on a trap where the bait is literally having actual children kill humans to become cannon fodder in her army.

And the memory she forces him to relive is one where he’s pretty objectively the victim. He’s been a vampire for a few days and the woman he’s in love with cuts herself so he eats her. It’s pretty well established that sex and feeding is tied together in TVDU.

He asks his mom for help and she decides to fuck with his head without his consent.

And it’s hilarious because he’s objectively done worse and we know there are memories he’s repressed. But that’s not going to work because it’s mostly collateral damage and Elijah’s probably point out she’s slaughtering humans left and right and possessing innocent witches, including an actual child.

So her best bet would point out how bloodlust is terrible and he’d be like maybe 9000 years ago but I can be dead for months and not even be all that tempted to feed if all I have is a child. She could point out he enjoys the hunt, but it’s not like that in itself will be a case he’d buy. Particularly if he was parasitically possessing a witch.

But! Elijah blaming himself for his own victimization and telling him he had a choice about what went down with Tatia and his coping mechanisms. Yeah that’s how you’re gonna break Elijah.

Put a cherry on top and shove him into a magical coma that can only be fixed by Klaus talking with and working with his biological dad. That’s a great plan.

The only reason this doesn’t work is because Hope is actually alive and in order to cope with loosing Freya she’s convinced herself that Klaus and Hayley and the rest will be willing to replace Hope.

#elijah mikaelson #esther mikaelson #the originals meta #the originals #filed under: what is meta?

[bibxrbie]

"Luke Skywalker isn’t like the old Jedi. He saves Vader with his attachments!”

Wrong!

Luke Skywalker, at the end of Return of the Jedi, after his confrontation with the Emperor drags Darth Vader through the destructing Death Star. He’s desperate, knuckles white under the heavy weight of his father’s body, a little boy dragging his dad to safety. He sets Vader down for a moment, to catch his breath or maybe to get a better grip. He goes to grab Vader again, but Vader, uncomfortable and in pain, asks Luke to take off the mask. He wants to see Luke through his eyes instead of the eyes Palpatine built for him. Luke refuses, says that removing the mask is a sure way for Vader to die. Luke doesn’t want Vader dead, he wants Vader alive. Not to hold him accountable for his many evil acts, but for the same reason why Luke Skywalker can’t kill Darth Vader; Vader is his father and Luke loves him.

And yet, after a moment, Luke removes Vader’s mask. He doesn’t want to, he hesitates, but he removes the mask with enough slowness to allow Vader to take it back. In that moment, Luke sets aside his desire for Vader in his life, sets aside his desire to see him live, and sets aside his entire mission, the reason he was even on the Death Star in the place. In his compassion for his father, Luke stays with Vader until he dies. It is this moment where we see him be the best damn Jedi he can be. I’d even argue that this moment is the greatest example of non-attached love we see. Because Luke lets Vader go! He lets his father die, and in some ways, by removing the mask, he too kills Vader, he stays with him until his last moment, gives him the kindness of granting his last wish and finally chooses Vader.

And Luke doesn’t have to do this. If Luke Skywalker’s love for his father was an attachment, he would ignore Vader and continue dragging him to the escape pod, put his desire for a father as his central focus and ignore Vader’s wants and discomfort. Maybe he would even save him. But he doesn’t. Instead, he watches as Vader dies.

He builds a Jedi burial for his father and watches it burn the remnants of Vader and Anakin Skywalker away. He mourns Vader, he mourns what they could’ve had as father and son, considers what ifs and maybe-if-I-did-this. Vader/ Anakin is released from his mortal body, from his ‘crude matter’ and Luke lets him go. He says one final goodbye to Anakin. Then, he joins Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, and the rest of the Rebels and celebrates their victory. He lives in the present and celebrates what he has instead of what he lost.

Luke Skywalker is THE Jedi. Everything about Luke Skywalker serves as the foundational cornerstone of the Jedi, everything about the Jedi as a culture and philosophy is reflected in his character. Luke’s desire for the New Jedi Order isn’t to throw away the values of the old Order, but to vitalise them, breathe life back into dying lungs, and rebuild a path that people set out on their way to destroy. (Yes, his Order is different from the Old, but that’s because it has to be. He doesn’t have the resources or the safety of the Old Order.) The philosophies of the Jedi are difficult and they aren’t for everyone, and like the perfect Jedi that Luke is, he struggles and stumbles and sometimes he even rejects it. But, no matter how far he falls, it is a way of life he chooses again and again and again. It is a way of life that welcomes him back each time

#luke skywalker #star wars #pro jedi #jedi positive #luke skywalker meta #luke skywalker loves being a jedi and i'm so tired of people pretending he doesn't #I hate you 'time-travel fics where Luke judges the Order for how they've handled things' #Luke would be the people's padawan actually chasing everyone down to acquire every bit of knowledge that they have #star wars meta #jedi order #the jedi #anakin skywalker #darth vader #the original trilogy #a new hope #empire strikes back #return of the jedi #if I tell you that luke outgrows anakin/vader? if I tell you that Vader is just the start of his Jedi growth and the end of it? then what? #Iong post #it kind of ran away from me

[villainsposting]

Favorite aspect of Alastor revealed in the show has gotta be that he loves being the center of attention. He's said to be an enigma, yet he thrives on people being curious about him. He wants to know what people think of his deal with Charlie. He wants people to wonder why he has been missing for seven years. And the majority of the few times we see his smile grow tense is when his mystery is disregarded.

Which explains why he enjoys his rivalry with Vox. Vox's obsession is a reliable source of attention for him. No matter what Alastor does, Vox will be there trying to undermine him. And watching him try is a dual source of enjoyment: it is fun to see his enemy stumble and glitch in frustration, but damn does Alastor also enjoy being in the spotlight, even if in the mind of just one person.

#alastor #hazbin hotel #vox #radiostatic #tv or radio #original post #hazbin meta