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klayleyism · 1 year

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a semi big rant about klayley

Since I'm bitter and bored i wanted to give a deep dive into klayley's relationship because no one gets them like i do

First things first, Klayley is NOT platonic and it's absolutely hilarious and obliterates Klaus's entire redemption arc to think so

We all know the main focus when it came to Klaus's character was the way fatherhood changed him/made him want to be better

The reason i said thinking klayley is platonic literally ruins his redemption arc which is basically the main plot of the show in many ways is season 2

Season 2 genuinely makes it impossible to say his relationship with Hayley was platonic,

1) Klaus was insanely adamant about Hayley not getting married, my guy literally wanted Jackson dead the second he got married to hayley lmao / tried to kill him after beating the dog shit out of him to stop him from marrying Hayley so it's safe to say the thought alone enraged him

2) his lame excuse for his jealousy was once again hope, because his ass can't admit he even cared for Hayley if his life depended on it , his excuse was " Jackson knowing about hope puts her life at risk" add to that the fact he literally murdered his biological father because he was terrified of the POSSIBILITY it MIGHT put his daughter's life in danger and mind you he actually loved his dad and was in tears when he killed him

3) he actually steps aside and lets Hayley marry Jackson, now Klaus paranoid Mikaelson who was gutted to kill someone he loves to protect hope from something that might or might not have happened actually allows the marriage to happen and let Jackson live even after securing the wolf army so Hayley won't hate him

If you say his jealousy was about hope and not mainly Hayley you're literally saying Klaus cared more about Hayley's feelings than his own daughter's life and more than having a good relationship with hope because after all his excuses he couldn't hurt Hayley and didn't want to lose her

That alone literally takes away so much from his character and it's a very dumb take

Now i personally believe he actually loved Hayley more than hope but that's a different conversation

But i still understand that he wouldn't put Hayley's feelings above his daughter's fucking life or above having a decent relationship with hope especially since he doesn't give a fuck about Jackson unlike with Elijah

And this is only one of the many proofs Klaus's jealousy was about Hayley therefore you can't pull the platonic card unless you want to butcher Klaus's character

Season one is Klayley's best season alongside season 2 tbh because if you watch it and still can't see how in love they were you should rewatch it

It also shows his jealousy was about Hayley and not the baby

You have Klaus ask Hayley about her interest in Elijah and is actually hurt by her response in 1x03

The moment he feels they're getting closer in 1x07 he bites his brother and leaves Hayley with him knowing damn well dementia would kick in and Elijah could seriously hurt/kill Hayley and that means his child that he made such a fuss about would die

Now if he didn't give a fuck about Hayley personally why the fuck would he put his child's life in danger out of jealousy

He then goes to lock her away from his family and assigns literal bodyguards to watch her likeeee that man was insane

What made me laugh was the way even after he bites his brother and puts Hayley and hope's life at risk because he's a

man child, Hayley was literally telling him she wants to believe in him and to not let HER down (5x08 flashback)

Like he throws a tantrum that could've gotten her and her baby killed and she's still telling him that despite him not giving her any reasons to believe in him she WANTS to , if not for her feelings for him why on earth would she tell a man Who almost killed her for wanting an abortion and almost killed her again out of jealousy that she's desperate to have faith in him

And now i do not in any way think choking her for wanting an abortion is okay and i do realize their relationship was initially very problematic

But the funny thing is that after he almost killed her for wanting said abortion she was fucking smiling and happy because he promised her to fix the air conditioning 💀

Like he got her giggling and kicking her feet after he almost killed her because he said he'd fix the air conditioning

Down bad is an understatement

We move to 1x11

In the middle of a literal apocalypse, everyone is losing their shit because the world's ending and Mr "i don't care about Hayley" is literally carrying food boxes with her because his ass couldn't watch her cry

What's funny is that he not only tries to comfort her but he actually gives her advice on how to make things right with Elijah

And he's the Same person who has been whining about Hayley loving Elijah and how it's about "his child"

If he really didn't care about her he will not give a shit about Hayley being sad over something dumb in the middle of an apocalypse

And if it were about hope, the most logical thing is for him to not react because at the end of the day it works in his favor if Hayley and Elijah's relationship is ruined

So why on earth would he risk not having the relationship he wants with hope to help Hayley with the Same thing he's worried about just because she's sad

1+1= his jealousy was never about hope as much as it was about Hayley because he ends up choosing Hayley over and over again

And my 2nd favorite klayley moment in season 1 which is 1x20

Klaus is unhinged, now when hope's life was in danger that episode he literally says he'll "rip it out of her himself" and he's insane enough to do it but funny enough when Genevieve tells him that means Hayley dies he backs off instantly

He's literally presented with a choice between Hayley and hope and he chooses Hayley

Which takes me to the ultimate Klayley moment in the entire show that supports the fact he actually cared more about Hayley

The finale of season 1

His daughter gets taken to be killed, and he chooses to mourn Hayley's death

Something Marcel said about Klaus is that he's the best at mourning and taking action at the same time

Yet when his daughter could be sacrificed at any moment by those witches he can't move away from Hayley's corpse

Jesus,i repeat, his child was taken to be killed and he's so insanely in pain about losing Hayley that he chooses to hold her dead body as close to him as possible instead of taking immediate action

From night to morning he didn't do shit to save hope until Elijah's annoying ass came in with his dumb monologue

Now season 2 my beloved, i already explained why season two makes it impossible and very dumb to say they were besties which is why the writers never once in the entire show ever say or even imply klayley is platonic and Why one of the show runners straight up say they have a very complicated relationship/there's attraction

And Joseph Morgan talks about Klaus having romantic tension with Hayley

Now to one of my favorite parts of season 2 is the way the writers begin ruining haylijah's relationship and it's incredibly hilarious because i don't think even they realized it as much

We know that Klaus and Hayley aren't talking after giving hope away

We also know Hayley's not adjusting to vampirism and is clearly depressed

Elijah,the man she supposedly "loves" couldn't help her , he doesn't know what to say or do and she isn't even allowing him to help her

She's lashing out at him and pushing him away

And lmao because Elijah doesn't actually have a real connection with her he BEGS Klaus to talk to her and straight up admits only Klaus can understand her

I mean if you have to beg your brother to help the girl you love because even you can see they have a better connection with her than you do that's embarrassing

And also funny enough Klaus succeeds where Elijah fails

Hayley who was throwing a tantrum anytime Elijah breathed next to her was so eager to actually let Klaus comfort her after he hasn't talked to her in months

And where Elijah was upset that Hayley isn't the perfect girl who redeemed his brother that he put on a pedestal anymore he tries too hard to "fix" her

Meanwhile Klaus was taking her to kill witches to make her feel better and was literally proud of her😭

Showing who actually loved her for who she is

And mind you Klaus wasn't liking it when Camille was having her "rebellious vampire stage" yet he was smiling when he talked about the way Hayley brutally murdered people

Because he too put cami on a pedestal in a way just like Elijah did with Hayley

They both loved the version of cami/ Hayley they had in their head

Hayley who pushed Elijah away gladly welcomed Klaus's different attempts to help her

He didn't mind taking her to kill people if it made her happy but when that failed he pushed her towards leading her pack again

And she didn't have faith in herself, she didn't think she'd be a good leader but he still believed in her and only then she too finally believed in herself

Something that Elijah tried for months to do but failed and Klaus did it in less than a day

That's proof enough she valued Klaus above Elijah and cared more about what he thinks

And god season 2 was peak klayley angst

So in 2x13 hope is almost murdered by Finn/blown up in that explosion

Hayley decides to leave then as she should

But when Klaus asks her to stay she does

Like her ass was so in love with him that she ignored the fact hope could've died as a result of all the crazy family drama because Klaus wanted her to stay

That woman was down bad for him

In 2x12 Hayley had just broken up with Elijah and is supposed to marry another man and she was crying and throwing up because Klaus is not "letting her in"

Now me personally if i supposedly broke up with the love of my life to marry this new guy i wouldn't be crying in the woods because my ex's brother who tried to kill me twice because he's insane is pushing me away but I don't know about you

They're such good "friends" right?

Hayley taking hope away was literally about Klaus pushing her away again

After she agrees to stay with him she threatens to leave if Klaus ruins it with her one more time

And when he gets too paranoid in s2 and pushes everyone including Elijah away and then takes the blame for Aiden's death only then she leaves

She literally gets fed up of forgiving him and giving him second chances and decides to abandon Elijah(again she's supposed to be "in love") and Rebekah who protected hope for months and leaves the Mikaelsons behind because she felt like she lost her connection to Klaus

Proving Klaus was more important to her than Elijah and the Mikaelsons as a whole

Also it's deliciously angsty how Klaus was so terrified of Hayley leaving him that he tried to turn her pack against her so that she has no option other than staying with him

Yet his fear of losing her is what ends up driving her away

It's also confirmed by one of the show runners that Klaus did all that drama later on to save Hayley from dahlia

Dahlia wanted Hayley dead and even when she decided to leave him after he considered her family and was ready to do anything for her he still chose to save her life and convinced dahlia to curse her instead

Now Klaus is fucked in the head if that man wanted real revenge he would've killed Jackson and her entire pack but he still spared them because not even after her betrayal could he manage to actually hurt her feelings that way

Now to say my last piece especially about the other dumb ships

And more into Miss Hayley's perspective:

Hayley's reasons for "loving" Elijah is that he was kind to her/is a good person (exact same reasons she loved Jackson)

And it's something Hayley herself admits, when Klaus asks why the sudden interest she says "he was kind to me" she says she thinks Elijah is in no way like Klaus and is "better" in 1x07

All superficial dumb reasons that show she doesn't know Elijah and only romanticized the idea of him because Klaus was both horrible and unavailable

In season 4 she talks about how she was pulled towards Elijah cause he made her safe at a Time she WAS scared of Klaus

She's literally having a dilemma in season 4 and breaks up With Elijah after entering his mind

She faces Elijah when he first turned and had absolutely no control over his blood lust

Seeing him fall off the pedestal she put him on shatters her perception of him and makes her partially aware of the delusion she was in

Yet despite everything Klaus has done which is genuinely way fucking worse given that the real Elijah never did and would never hurt her in any way

She was still risking her life for him at every possible chance knowing she has a Whole daughter

In season 5 , we know Klaus was dropping dead bodies like it's nothing, he was massacring people to the point rumours about him losing his mind started to float , you can imagine how bad it was

And Hayley was still defending him😃

He literally abandoned her and their daughter for YEARS and when hope was rightfully upset, Hayley still sided with him and her big excuse was that "but he's really sad☹️"

Lmfao she broke up with Elijah because he's not the knight in shining armor she thought he was but when Klaus was going on murder sprees she sends him letters telling him she misses him

And he never read her letters, she kept writing to him knowing damn well he's just gonna return them

She loved him that fucking much

Now I've already talked about how Hayley very obviously loved Klaus way more than she ever loved Elijah

He was a safe choice/ placeholder for Klaus

She chose Jackson over him, she straight up says she would chose Jackson over Elijah again in season 3

She valued having a decent relationship with Klaus over Elijah in season 2 by leaving his ass because she was having an imaginary divorce with Klaus

Elijah only fell for her because he saw her as his family's and most importantly Klaus's savior since she carried his child

He at first loved her out of nowhere and for no fucking reason yet without his memories of his family and despite already meeting her and having a somehow intimate moment with her he ends up killing her because he cared more about Antoinette

Proving ultimately the only reason he "loved" her is his weird obsession with his brother

And when he didn't remember his family he chose Antoinette over Hayley despite having met her before

Klamille was decent,

Klaus was genuinely irritated when she started to not act like the version of her he "loved" as a vampire and he Said shit like "this isn't you" despite enjoying that same "darkness" in Hayley

The ship lacked more development/screen time and it's obvious she was put there as just a love interest

She didn't contribute to his character at all

The only, i repeat only characters to actually change Klaus were Hayley and Hope

Klaroline, lmao , can't believe i have to talk about them but god the shippers are insufferable and delusional

Klaroline's entire "relationship" is on the same exact level as tvd klayley before all the development on the originals

He's infatuated with them both except with Hayley it was explained and made sense ,

At that point Klaus knew of Caroline and he didn't give a shit which is Why it's dumb how he didn't give a fuck about her and attempted to kill her but out of nowhere had a crush on a random 18 year old he didn't know anything personal about, and throughout their entire "thing" he still never got to actually know her which is Why he thought having a simple life wasn't "enough" for her even tho she chose the said simple life with Tyler over him

She even celebrated his death at some point lmao

Klaus was never in love With Caroline just like he wasn't immediately in love With Hayley (!on the vampire diaries)

Now with Hayley he acknowledged how attractive she is the moment he saw her on tvd 4x03

She challenges him and he admires her courage to stand up to him when he first gave her her nickname

What makes klaroline not exactly special and on the same level as tvd klayley is that A not only does Caroline makes it perfectly clear she didn't like him or the "bad boy" type anymore after what Damon does to her

I mean even with how horrible Damon was she still forgives him and they become "friends"

It's who she is, she had plenty of time and chances to seek Klaus out and she didn't even after years of Stefan's death

She has compassion for him after seeing his struggles as a parent and it makes him worthy of something a bit better just like she admits she forgave Damon because she found a common ground with him (Loving Liz)

Now tvd Klaus whose life and his loved ones lives were in danger when the cure was out

And only Hayley could get him to Katherine and the cure and he was still so weirdly gentle When "interrogating" her even she questions it and he admits it's because it's her(basically she's hot lol)

She has insanely valuable information he desperately needs as his life depends on it and he was flirting with her instead

He could of used his knowledge of her real origins as a way to get her to talk because she hasn't told him shit yet but he instead tells her that randomly and then let her go

So saying Klaus loved a crush more than the woman he came back to the city to save knowing it can cause an apocalypse and chose to mourn her death over saving his daughter's life is way too insane

In conclusion Klayley>>>

#klayley #The originals #Klaus Mikaelson #Hayley Marshall #Anti haylijah #unpopular opinion #But still true tho #Pro klayley #speaking my truth #Anti Elijah Mikaelson #Anti klaroline

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rockinhamburger · 2 years

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Nathan Shelley: A Defense

Who deserves empathy? Who deserves judgement?

I am not surprised but still disappointed by how much people seem to be really missing one of the central themes of Ted Lasso. It is not as bad as it was back in October when the finale aired, but god, there are still so many people that seem to want Nate to get no redemption and, in various ways, continually express no interest in seeing him become the best version of himself. A lot of people seem to want Nate to get his comeuppance, to see him suffer, ironically behaving a lot like Nate when he got to see the people who had wronged him suffer and receive their comeuppance.

For a show about the healing, transformative power of forgiveness, love and empathy, dang do some people stop short when it comes to Nate, arguably the most demeaned, bullied, downtrodden character in the entire show. Redemption and forgiveness for Rebecca, who tried to destroy dozens of careers and lives, and Jamie, who behaved like shit to the people he saw as beneath him, but none for Nate? So, we have three characters who have used their power incorrectly, but only one of them is the outlier who deserves judgement and retribution?

Alright, got that rant out of the way. Now I want to specifically address a thing I’ve seen that is utterly baffling. I’ve seen people argue that Jamie’s and Rebecca’s respective journeys are different than Nate’s because we saw them get better, whereas we saw Nate get worse. We didn’t see Rebecca and Jamie getting to the dark place they were in by S1; we landed on the start of their positive trajectory. The difference is that we are watching the entirety of that story play out with Nate.

Another argument I’ve seen is that the show hinted at Jamie’s and Rebecca’s good natures in S1, whereas we apparently saw the opposite with Nate. So, basically, Nate doesn’t deserve redemption because he got worse and his truly bad nature was hinted at early on. This implies something utterly ridiculous: that he was always bad, that Nate did not actually have positive traits to begin with. And that’s just… I can’t even cope with how wrong that is.

Selective memory for sure, so let’s go back to season 1 and remember why we love Nate and why his turn is so devastating.

In 1x01, Nate defends Roy’s great legacy as a footballer when Beard suggests his star years might be behind him. He gives Ted and Beard a lift to their places. Nate is loyal and generous with his time. He is also clearly self-conscious and lacks confidence, but he works hard and takes pride in his job.

In 1x02, Nate is still showing surprise that Ted is even deigning to notice him, let alone asking after his opinion. Nate says Sam has been ‘underperforming’ since he arrived from Nigeria. That’s a very generous thing to say; it’s clear he knows Sam has potential, but something is getting in the way of his success. This helps Ted make some great coaching decisions. Nate is smart and good at reading people. He also makes adorable boxes with his niece. A few of the players laugh at him for having done this. Jamie also calls him “bitch boy” to ringing laughter, and it doesn’t seem like it’s remotely the first time.

In 1x03, Nate nervously but bravely shares his idea for a strategy. He is speechless with joy when he gets to see it in action. He also shows that he cares whether the pitch is properly taken care of. He’s the kit man; presumably, he is not responsible for clearing shit off the field, but he does it anyway. We also see tinges of that in his first scene - caring about the field the players use. In the midst of all this, we also see that Nate is being bullied and harassed by Jamie, Colin and Isaac every day, and that no one has intervened, even Ted, who has decided Roy has to be the one to intervene.

In 1x04, when Ted invites Nate to be his plus one to the gala, Nate says, “I’m free every night.” As Jason has said, jokes on this show have consequences. This illuminates for us that Nate spends a lot of time on his own and even suggests Nate may not have many friends. We also learn that Nate can’t afford to buy a new suit. He later shows some gaining confidence when he says hello to Rebecca and a marked amount of grace considering she doesn’t appear to recognize him or realize he works for her. Later, Nate thanks Roy for talking to Colin and Isaac.

In 1x05, Nate encourages Ted to open up about the problems in his marriage by asking about the distance, but he does so in a very gentle way, asking if he can ask something first. He’s also self-aware enough to notice and apologize when he inadvertently provided unsolicited feedback on something with which he doesn’t have experience: “Marriage. Just so, you know, so complicated. So many different challenges and... I think. I don't know. Sorry.” Then he makes a smart conversational move to bring Beard into the discussion. “You ever been married?” After they win the match, Nate also walks Henry on to the pitch to see Ted after the game, reuniting father and son.

In 1x06, Nate participates in the ritual with the team, sacrificing sunglasses that made him feel perceived in a positive way. He is honest and contributes positively to the group.

In 1x07, Nate says he believes Richmond can do anything; he believes in the team and their ability to succeed. He has thoughts about the team, but he is scared to share them because he believes it could lead to losing his job and having to move back in with his parents. He also instantly accepts Ted’s apology, and once he’s finished the roast portion of his pre-game speech (which Ted encourages him to give), he provides Roy with genuinely good advice, not just on the field but in life, to make sure he isn’t keeping his anger inside because of what it might do to him as a person if he holds it in. He cares about Roy and his well-being.

In 1x08, Nate is supportive of Ted’s one night stand, like Beard and Higgins. And when Beard asks if Ted had fun, Nate immediately follows up to ask if *she* had fun. He also comes up with the name for the Diamond Dogs.

In 1x09, Nate apologizes for walking away from Ted over the Roy situation and for his dream self.

In 1x10, he believes he has been fired and lashes out. He is surprised Rebecca even knows his name, an echo of the first episode, and it turns out he has been promoted. He is so excited about this that he keeps blowing his whistle at inopportune times out of zeal. Later, he mourns the loss with the team.

I just have no patience for people suggesting Nate isn’t the wonderful character we saw so many hints of in S1, alongside the signs that Nate might lose his way for a minute. All of us have the capacity to hurt and help within us; we are all struggling with the tug between ego and soul. The idea that Rebecca and Jamie deserved redemption but Nate doesn't is not only a terrible message for the show to end on, it’s also a bleak way to look at the world. Either we all deserve redemption, or no one does - or more accurately, it's not about deserving redemption but about earning it. That is what Rebecca and Jamie have been doing along the way, so it’s not too late for Nathan Shelley. He can, as Rebecca said in 1x09, get on the road back.

We are all worthy of love and empathy because we are human and make mistakes. We hurt people because we are damaged by interacting with a broken, human world. This show presents the central thesis that kindness and empathy is transformative, and that wanting violent revenge and retribution is an ego-driven desire borne out by pain and suffering.

We need to appeal to our best selves, always, by returning to our greatest strength: love.

#nate shelley #ted lasso #tl meta #another nate post because i love him #character growth is positive even when the character's actions aren't

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raayllum · 1 year

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I know it’s a longer one, but I vote for Rayla’s Position In The Narrative as a Dual Antagonist!

*cracks knuckles with shania twain music* let's go girls

So I've talked about this very briefly before in the context of a much larger meta about something completely different, but 'Rayla is the only character who enters the show as an Antagonist for both the humans and the elves. She is the first character to be caught in the middle, opposing everything the human characters are currently all trying to save (King Harrow’s life), and also ruining whatever chance her mission has of success, angering and endangering her fellow assassins. Much of season one, then, is pushing her into a more positive role for the humans, and much of season three examines whether or not she is right to oppose the elves — and how to reverse it if she can. This is part of why she wrestles so intensely with the ‘failure’ of both her own mission and her parents’

After all, neither Viren nor Claudia are an antagonist in any way until 1x03. Soren doesn't arguably become an antagonist at all until S2. Part of this is because Soren and Claudia, while they face set backs in what they were trying to do (protect the royal family; keep the egg on their side), they don't 100% shit the bed, so to speak. Claudia would've had the upper hand if Callum hadn't blind sided her and even then they struggled to get rid of her smoke wolves and she got out of the chain herself. Soren did successfully protect Callum and reeled from the loss of Harrow, but was still confident in his ability to find the princes when he thought that was the mission Viren was giving him.

Which is to say: Soren and Claudia don't go looking for redemption until much, much later, if at all; Soren only reaches that precipice 2.5 seasons later in 3x05 and then finds in full in 3x09. And even when they are opposing the heroes, they are not opposing their father; they are still aligned with a certain side. Likewise, even though Callum and Ezran are working against some humans, they have confidence that they are making their mother proud with the mission they have taken up and are later reaffirmed in their choices by Harrow.

Rayla doesn’t have any of this reaffirmation. Even Ethari, with their brief reconciliation in S3, doesn’t offer her much, if any, hope or comfort beyond their initial hug.

Rayla enters the show, has one scene, and immediately shoots herself in the foot, because she fails at the one uttermost thing she was absolutely supposed to do on a mission we have every indication she begged/fought to be on within an inch of her life, and she chokes at the finish line.

R: I am pretty awesome at everything... right up until the moment when it really matters. I dunno. I hesitate. I think too much. Get confused about the right thing to do. Then the next thing I know, I've failed.

Then, to make matters worse, she covers up her failure and lies about it until it’s forced out by circumstance. Then, even after being removed from the mission, she resolves to make up for her mistake and heads to the castle in secret... and then defies and fights her mission leader. Thus, Rayla is squarely an antagonist for the first two episodes and it is only because we see her spare a human / struggle (both things our favourite princes are not privy to) that we root for her and trust her when she begins to turn in 1x03.

And in fact, much of 1x03 revolves around narratively ‘rehabilitating’ her as she follows Ezran’s lead, answers the boys’ questions, defends them, stands against Runaan to protect them, and is cinched by her vow to Callum: “Say the word and I’ll go back in that tower with you.” Say the word and I’ll fight against the rest of my troupe / people for you.

She goes from being both an antagonist to the humans and elves to switching right around and becoming an antagonist to her own people, the elves as well as her own family, with her and boys becoming their own side and their own team in many ways. Otherwise known as, in Rayla’s words:

But even once she’s switched sides, this double antagonism doesn’t just go away. Rayla is often directly opposed to whatever the boys want in S1-S2 - to go to the Banther Lodge, to take the boat, to take the easier path up the mountain, to trust Soren and Claudia at the Moon Nexus, to have Callum go out into the storm, or to try to save the dragon in forest. And in addition to this double antagonism, much of S1-S3 is Rayla’s reformation and redemption arc to both sides of the war, to both the humans she would have hurt and to the elves she left behind.

However, and this is where it gets somewhat tragic, is that it’s not like S1-S3 are smooth sailing for Rayla. She continues to consistently fuck up, often regardless of the support other characters’ offer in action or in word.

Which is to say: Rayla is also the most antagonist to herself. She gets in her own way, she trips herself up, and all of that just compounds and reaffirms her belief that the problem is her. She can switch sides, run away, get people to back off, take or learn every possible maneuver, and disaster will still follow, because the disaster is her.

Which is to also say: Rayla focuses so hard on redeeming herself to other people, to other causes, to other nations, she forgets that redemption is also supposed to be for herself, let alone that in so many cases she has nothing to forgive herself for. Not all, as we see in TTM and S4 and the way she blows her own life to pieces and Callum is caught in the crossfire most of all, but much of it. Even in the way she comes back into season four, knowing that she fucked up in some capacity, and that now she has to make up for it.

In many ways that what makes S4 so complicated for her, as Rayla is simultaneously at her best and her worst. On the one hand, she’s come home to try and let go (as far as we know). On the other hand, she still can’t let go, and she’s lost what made her Rayla in so many ways in her time away. Which just makes me think of this quote from a recent podcast interview with Head writer Devon Giehl and writer Iain Hendry on the show (reflecting on Rayla in 4x08 rather than 4x04, mind you):

You see her through seasons one through three like — just seems like any opportunity, she’ll be the one to make the big sacrifice. She’ll go out there to try and save the dragon, she’ll go and try and fight Viren and his army alone to protect everyone and so on. So the fact that once again she defaults to ‘I have to give up something painful to myself.’ [...] But I think you don’t do the — usually, you don’t do the greater whole any good by completely sacrificing yourself, and I do think that is often the lengths, like you said, a lot of the Moonshadow elf culture norms and mantras go to eventually is ‘You have to be willing to completely forget who you are’.

So now it seems, perhaps, that her heart is finally hard enough to do whatever it takes.

Or is it?

Rayla reminds Callum that destiny is a book he has written himself. That the pen and paper is in his hands. That the Narrative is his to control. And I think it’s particularly purposeful that Rayla says this in response to Callum pigeon-holing them both into the roles they initially started out in. Callum, feeling powerless and out of control as a ‘regular’ human or as a dark mage, submitting to the terror of doing horrible things. Rayla, being asked to be a proper assassin, and kill the accidental snag in her plans, her mistaken target, for another’s sins. He’s asking her to be his antagonist again, if he’s forced to be hers.

And, of course, this extends even further into the season finale, in which Rayla does the last thing the world that Callum wants, running after Viren again, highlighting what’s changed about their dynamic and what hasn’t, the ways they’ve grown to understand and accept each other, and the fundamental misunderstandings and clashes they’re still having. If you want to read more about this exchange and interplay of foils I’d recommend reading this meta here :)

Last but not least, I’d like to close this meta off by saying that there is one character who shares this dual antagonism from the start, and that’s Aaravos. He ‘helps’ people while really making them indebted or flat out pawns in his game. He offers gifts that leave the mages who take them dead shortly thereafter.

He opposes the elves and dragons, yes, but has no love for humanity left in his heart. He opposes and orchestrates the downfall of each effort of peace. He will use humans and discard/destroy elves and dragons alike with little recourse. He doesn’t care about anyone, and Rayla (used to at least, and still does, deep down) care about everyone.

And just one of the many ways they parallel each other across the seasons, but particularly in season four.

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aceofwhump · 2 years

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Can you recommend foody scenes and fics where the whumpee gets poisoned or drugged? (No no-con please)

Thanks

Sure thing! Here's some great drugged/poisoned scenes:

Burn Notice 7x11

MacGyver (1980s) 1x11

Hawaii Five-0 and 1x23 5x07

The Alienist 1x07

Timeless 1x06

Merlin 1x04 and 5x08

White Collar 1x10

The Mentalist 5x02

Sherlock 3x01

Murdoch Mysteries 9x18

Harrow 2x10

Leverage 4x10

Leverage Redemption 1x09

Legends of Tomorrow 3x05

Teen Wolf 3x01

Hudson & Rex 2x16

Once Upon a Time 3x03 3x04 and 3x05 for Charming poisoned and the whole of season 7 (Hook's poisoned heart)

Dark Angel season 2 (Logan Cale is infected with a genetically targeted retrovirus that is activated when Max touches him.)

General Hospital April 2021 multiple episodes

Free Rein episodes 3x01, 3x05-3x10

Legend of the Seeker 1x01

Fate the Winx Saga 1x03

Supergirl 2x22

Outlander 5x09

NCIS 1x20 and 2x22

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 3x21 and 3x22

Emerald City 1x02

Hallmark movie Hailey Dean Mystere: Deady Estate.

Off hand I can't think of any fanfics but you can always look through my masterlist and see what you find: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jfJ8rHwvGCzmCfwJolr925mSCjcR5TS0TDPlCnzCOEY/edit?usp=sharing

#mod post #mod replies #ask #anon #whump recs #drugged #poisoned

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vole-mon-amour · 1 year

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IWTV, 1x03, part 2.

Speaking of normal nails in ep3. Lestat's suddenly got shorter? Huh? The hell changed?

He's already jealous, but the reaction and the acting are hilarious. I need gifs.

Queen.

Another difference from the book: Louis' mom suddenly figured out Louis is immortal? While in the book his sister and mom (?) were visiting his grave, thinking he was dead? But that was after the fire so IDK. But they didn't figure out he was a vampire. They didn't know. I feel like the Mother has way much of a role in this story. It wasn't like that in the book.

You're so precious when you're jealous and drunk. :') "I thought we can have an orgy. You can fuck them, and I can eat them." You go, silly boy. Can't wait to learn more about your history and the abuse in your past.

White nails again? That is some serious inconsistency. I doubt that he found a way to have his nails black and white over the century and then he didn't know how. Lestat was more than 200 and his nails were always white. This IS an inconsistency.

*heart eyes*

BABY, NO! :(

Never thought I'd agree with Lestat, but yes. This. What did 'Louis' think life as a vampire would be? Yes fucking humans. Steal blood from blood banks, for god's sake. I'm tired of him. And I'm even more tired before Claudia shows up because that's where he kinda starts killing again for a while, but it's not that Claudia & are they even going to Paris together? Are they?

Oh, and btw, contact lenses are sooo bad. Jacob looks more or less ok, but Sam with them? Big yikes.

I think I might be here for him only. He's the real doll in this mess.

Yes. Also, let's not forget that it's not out of respect for 'Louis' (if there's any real, idk with this show), but simply bc Lestat is not interested in running it in the slightest. He already has "all the money we need", wherever those came from, so he wouldn't even start running a whoring house. He wants all the fun and killing, not whatever this is. Which I find very interesting 'cause in the book he was literally threatening to kill Louis if Louis let slave go and sell the plantation.

ahhh.

Wondering how the story would went if they both were white, like in the books. "You two pale lovers"?

Oh to be praised and loved by Lestat. I admit, they could've had so much fun. While I can empathize with book!Louis, this one? "I did it for my people, for my city." Girl, who are you lying to? Mehhh.

King. Queen. I think I'm starting to understand the 'gender envy' phrase. I think I'm both attracted to him and want to be him.

Are you your own person or is Lestat your actual master and you are his slave? Stop blaming him for your decisions. I'm so tired of you.

You can have fun with this dude every night, but nooo, you choose to be broody and miserable about it. I don't like both Lestat and Louis in the book, so I'm glad to enjoy at least one of them here. Where's that iconic "There's still life in the old lady yet!"? Give me fun.

Baby boy. Baby. Deserves better.

"My light. My Claudia. My redemption." (checks where the ending of the book is coming for theatrical purpose) I'm gonna fight you, Louis. I'm gonna fucking fight you.

Now 'Claudia' is 14. And it's not her mother who died but her aunt, apparently. Sure, let's rewrite the entire canon. What's the point of aging up a character if you're not going to do anything about it? The entire struggle of her age is that it's an elder woman trapped in a body of a five year old that loved Louis her entire life. What's the point of aging her up if there's not going to be any romance. WHAT IS THE POINT. Not to mention that Claudia slept in Louis' arms in the book. In here? Apparently, it'd be too weird.

Y'all are cowards.

The episodes feel sooo long, but the Inside the Episode is like a very short version of it. Tempting to just go through those. x)

#natiswatching #iwtv 2022

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cakeandpi · 3 years

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Breanna!! major spoilers below

I love that Parker is trying and failing miserably at teaching thief skills because she doesn’t know how to teach this particular student yet.

Harry’s first Leverage-client meeting! And Parker upset that Sophie is taking back the lead, a role that Parker isn’t ready to entirely hand over to Sophie.

Also poor Breanna, she thought she did well on the ‘follow the money’ but came up waaaay short. It’s like showing up for the first class of college thinking it’s just going to go over the syllabus except per the professor’s email there’s already homework due.

Oooh, game of nose-goes? What’s the role that Harry’s going to play that the other’s didn’t want? It can’t just be to avoid playing Sophie’s fake-husband.

“I’ve lose track of the marraiges but I only had one husband.” Where’s my fanfic of all the women Sophie married in her past?

Hahahahaha Breanna managed to pickpocket Harry but she got pickpocketed by Parker. And I love the explanation of “I’m Parker”.

“Get him with a misdemeanor.” Oh Breanna Breanna Breanna. Those can be bribed out of. And oof, Harry’s a bit mean about the whole ‘they don’t care and bribe their way out of trouble’ bit, meanwhile Eliot is very matter of fact. I hope Brianna finds her footing pretty soon.

"I assume it’s rather difficult to rob a casino in general?”/“Eh, kinda.” LMAO PARKER. Also!! Did the Leverage writers finally get to write their casino heist story?

That ‘clothes in trashbags from couch to couch’ sounds like something’s Breanna’s done. Felt a little too throw-away-y for it to not be from her past.

“Hardison used to get me the job. And sometimes, a 401(k).” AMAZING. I love this detail.

Etouffee and jambalaya Brick&Basil truck! “The crescent city’s best local food truck” I love that little sign on the side.

“Huh. I couldn’t find the ‘Get Eliot a 401(k)’ section in the manual.” Omg the manual referenced earlier is for Leverage-thievery-stuff, not just hacking stuff. And of course Hardison would leave a (15 volume) manual for his little sister.

"You can’t plan a grift with a flow chart.” You can if you’re Parker and the flow chart is flexible enough.

“Parker, are you using a flow chart for all your interactions?” Oh no. But at the same time, a sideways callback to how Sophie was using grifting tricks on the team/Nate just because she could.

Parker does a great southern bell accent.

“Renegade. That’s what they used to call me on the job.” Amazing.

“I didn’t put police on your resume!” Oh Brianna, there’s all sorts of reasons someone would leave a job off a resume, he’s just gotta go with one that’s not “it was too long ago”

“Where were you stationed?” Hm, and this is for a casino job? Shreveport. Has to be.

I’M RIGHT

“I don’t miss.” You are going to miss, that’s definitely a Special Disc. And... he misses.

Chaudry’s an attractive looking bad guy.

Parker and cereal!

Oh and Breanna can’t stand the temptation. Also that pearl for whatever reason looks fake, though that might be because I’m more used to fake pearls.

I bet Old Cop’s spreadsheet is gonna be important later.

“I told you not to do it.”/“You would’ve.” Yeah but Parker would have waited, not gone for it right then and there. But Parker doesn’t feel the need to prove herself. Breanna does.

And Sophie keeps it from spiraling out of control by being very matter of fact - they’ve all messed up, but Breanna’s mess up makes her recognizable, so she’s off the front lines for the con.

Breanna leaves out of frustration, only none of the three others notice. Hm. Is she going to go get into some more trouble? Oh, no, she’s gone to be alone out in their hideout’s courtyard.

“Let me guess, you’ve come to make me feel better.”/“Oh, I think I’d be about the worst person in the world for that job.” At least Harry knows his strengths and comforting others is not one of them.

“Oh, poor baby, all you have is money and good looks and privilege and access.” Ah, this is not just about having to be sidelined for this con.

“And what about you, seems like you could do just about anything and all of its scary, what do you want?” And Breanna’s obviously feeling a bit down on herself, but rather than follow her into that mood Harry turns it around on her, pointing out that she is ridiculously talented and can do a lot of things, she just needs to decide what she wants to do with those skills. Does she just want to fool around and mess up and have fun? Does she want to work? Does she want to laze about? Does she want to improve on the skills she has? Does she want new skills? Because each one of those takes her on a different trajectory with Leverage and the team.

“I want the world to stop sucking. ... This team, it says it can make a difference. Okay, fine. I’ll give it a shot. Because I love my brother, and because I’m desperate, not because I believe in hope or something stupid like that.” I love her character motivation speech here.

I’m laughing at Parker getting frustrated because she can’t hide the money fast enough. And then she figures out a way, but they’ll have to make the dress bigger. (Oh, are they going to get the client involved with the dress design? That’d be cool!) And Parker and Sophie have a little talk about how Breanna wants to impress and that Parker’s going to have to teach her. And a reference to how the og team helped everyone on the team get better.

Now that is an amazingly poofy dress. I love it.

They did get the client involved with the dress alterations!! Yes!!

Eliot and Old Cop having cake together. And that’s gotta be some good cake with Eliot genuinely complimenting him.

Oh dear, Parker’s flowchart is getting caught because she’s sticking to it a little to hard, not letting it flow around her. It feels like she should be better at this though, with the 10-odd years that she’s had to do this without Sophie. But this might be more her falling back into old patterns, just like Sophie falling into patterns on leading the cons.

Ooh okay these guys are in on the con. Wait I should know these people?? I... don’t think so but maybe?

Flounce, flounce, kick

Oof. Too much money to carry out. Way too much. And Russian mob. (Is it a very distinctive tattoo Eliot?)

Okay the con’s gone off the rails, so it has to be rescued somehow. Breanna’s figured out a way (“did the math twice”) though everyone waits for Parker’s okay to go through with it. I don’t know exactly what it is - sink the vault into the river? Plant it on various gamblers? Make it seem like Chaundry was stealing from himself? But it rests on Breanna being right and not just showing off. But Parker’s seen that when Breanna’s under pressure - not fake 'practice’ pressure, the real stuff - she can perform, its just when she’s trying to impress that she fails.

“You cut your way through an ice cave. You escaped a gorilla enclosure. And you catered a wedding for the mob.”/“It wasn’t catering. It was a food sensory experience.” Is that a reference back to season one? If not, I really want to know more about that not-catering job!

Oh no!! Old Cop took a hit for Eliot. And as soon as the mafia goon is taken out, Eliot takes time to make sure Old Cop is all right. (If they mess up the con, the family loses the house but they can if needed con Chaundry again and get the house back. If Old Cop dies they can’t get him back.)

Okay Breanna at least has to know the baddies see real camera footage again, right? And Eliot seemed to almost deliberately not-quite look at the camera. They’ve got to be counting on the bad guys finding out and hitting the emergency lock.

All the money’s gone! But... how? Did Parker take Eliot with her into a vent? Fake wall?

Oh sir you are not good enough to accuse Sophie of having conned you without her turning it right back around on you. And she gets a one-person gloat too.

Lol and the pearl is gone.

Squish? Oho. They went through the floor and down the river.

Aww, Breanna’s joined Eliot on the ‘receiving end of Parker’s too-hard physical affection’.

“That was ... my cake, Parker! He made it special for me!” Methinks Eliot doth protest too much about him and Old Cop not being friends.

“I want to take on the bad guys. I have to learn everything.” ‘Have to’ is an interesting choice.

“Parker. My first memory is of 9/11.” Whereas that’s my.... 9th? 10th? grade math-class memory. Breanna's grown up in a very different world from Parker and Hardison - probably Eliot’s background is closest to hers.

And.... Parker how did you steal that pearl? Is this an exercise left to the viewers or a bit of ‘it’s tv, we’re having fun’? (Or both!)

#leverage redemption spoilers #leverage spoilers #spoilers #redemption 1x03

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mistressvera · 3 years

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Parker, what do you think?

#parker #eliot spencer #eliot x parker #leverage redemption #eliotspenceredit #parkeredit #lr spoilers #leverageedit #leverage redemption spoilers #leverage #leverage redemption s1 #1x03 #beth riesgraf #christian kane

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dorian-they-ao3 · 3 years

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LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION (2021) | starring ALEYSE SHANNON as BREANNA CASEY and BETH RIESGRAF as PARKER

#gen z culture #gen z life #millennials #leverage redemption spoilers #parker leverage #breanna casey #leverage redemption 1x03 #leverage redemption #leverage

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thewynne · 3 years

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Apropos to nothing i love Eliot wearing old man reading glasses to fill out a job application for the con while he loudly complains like a grandpa about having to fill out the job application

#leverage #leverage redemption 1x03

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fourteenthofaugust · 2 months

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Sophie Devereaux + pink suit Leverage: Redemption 1x03: The Rollin' on the River Job

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thieves-never-say-die · 3 years

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LETS GO STEAL A RIVERBOAT CASINO

#leverage #redemption #redemption spoilers #r 1x03 #m liveblogs

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botanicallyinclinednerd · 3 years

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"I'm not scared. Kinda ready to kick it in the junk." Oh I like her

#breanna casey #leverage redemption spoilers #leverage redemption #leverage #leverage spoilers #1x03

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raayllum · 1 year

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i found it interesting when rayla admitted (to a sleeping callum but still) that she ruined what she and callum had, but she selected the word revenge, and it reminded me of their fight in s3! but i also wonder what are your thoughts on it, since at the same time it confused me a bit if u don't want to answer it's totally fine, idk if this counts for you as s4 negativity :(

S4 / TDP negativity is mostly like "This part was bad [with no room for disagreement]" or like, people flat out complaining. But that line stuck out to me too, so I think perhaps it comes from like, the difference between Rayla's feelings and what she names / how she actually processes her feelings.

Rayla moves from calling her assassination mission in 1x01 from Justice to Vengeance (1x03) to Revenge (1x05) and resolves that upon seeing the egg, she's embarking on a journey of Redemption. I think that fits in line with how Rayla sees her own return (which choosing to come back is implied to have been a decision she only made a week ago, and we still don't know what precisely made her reach that conclusion either, so I'll be curious if S5 goes into more detail with it) as her chance to redeem herself to Callum for leaving, maybe?

It's also possible as time went on that's more and more what her journey became, as something clearly happened to her to cause her to react the way she does in the Drakewood, which Soren calls her out on: "You can't save everyone," is a far cry from Rayla going back to save the dragon all on her own. TDP loves to recontextualize things like this, though, so are just guesses until if/when S5 possibly sheds more light on it though

#s4 spoilers #tdp rayla #4x03 #s4 #arc 2 #tdp spoilers #anonymous #thanks for asking #requests

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miseryinyou · 3 years

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You know how Breanna is reading Hardison's training manual (12:55 - "Huh. I didn't see the "get Eliot a 401K" section in the manual.") throughout 1x03 of Redemption?

I have this headcanon that Hardison left special instructions for how to take care of and interact with Parker and Eliot in that manual too.

Like in the "Guide to Parker" chapter:

1. Create algorithms to break the safes for Parker (in case she needs them) BUT DO NOT tell her about it unless she asks you to break into the safe for her. She is a safe cracking device. Do not offend her.

The folder of existing safe cracking algorithms is saved here.

2. Always have chocolate on hand. Chocolate makes Parker happy (but hyper - use only in emergencies).

3. Parker is very tactile. If she looks sad - hug her.

4. Parker doesn't usually sleep in a bed (try vents, corners, kitchen counters, under tables). If you see her sleeping on something uncomfortable:

a. Get Eliot. He'll carry her to bed without waking her up.

b. If you can't get Eliot: wake her up and make her sleep on a bed (or at least a couch).

5. If Parker's acting fidgety, get her a weighted blanket or give her an opportunity to climb something.

6. Parker gets distracted easily when she's not working a con. Help her focus grounding her with physical contact and increasing the volume on any movie you're trying to watch with her.

7. Parker doesn't always understand how to interact with people. Be patient with her and try not to take offence to her social awkwardness. If you give her your patience, she'll give you hers.

8. Parker will appear in a room with no explanation. Don't question it. The woman is a cat burglar who likes to climb things.

9. Parker likes to smell money. She likes pretty things and cash. Don't make it weird.

10. Parker is a treasure. A priceless treasure. Treat her like a queen.

11. If Parker's acting strange and you don't know what to do:

a. Call me.

b. Call Eliot.

And in the "Guide to Eliot" chapter:

1. Eliot does NOT like physical contact. Do not touch him unless he initiates it. Parker is the only person allowed to poke and hug him without permission.

2. Eliot will kill you if you wake him up. Seriously. His reflexes wake up before his brain. Don't wake him up.

3. Eliot is always some level of cranky. Don't take it personally. As long as you're not trying to hurt anyone he cares about, he's just a grumpy teddy bear.

4. Always make sure there's ice packs and heating pads around for Eliot. Parker does it too - but it's best if two people are on the job. He goes through a lot of them.

5. Eliot is always in some sort of discomfort. He's prone to headaches (from all his concussions). If you see him squinting - he has a headache - dim the lights.

6. Eliot's a good listener. He'll grumble if you try and talk to him about nerdy stuff, but if you need someone to listen to your problems - Eliot's your man.

7. Eliot loves to cook and he's really good. Try anything he puts in front of you and compliment him. People don't tell him he's good at something other than hitting people very often.

8. Just because Eliot can hit things, doesn't mean he should. Try and stay out of danger - we need Eliot around for a long time and he doesn't like doctors.

9. Give Eliot's aliases Star Trek and Doctor Who related names when possible. He'll grumble about it but then you can make fun of him for understanding the reference.

10. Eliot doesn't like technology. Between his chronic pain, the small buttons, and the learning curve - he just doesn't have the patience to learn. Make any tech you need him to use SIMPLE and TOUCH or VOICE activated. Otherwise he won't use it.

11. If Eliot's acting strange and you don't know what to do:

a. Call me.

b. Call Parker.

#leverage #alec hardison #parker #eliot spencer #breanna casey #pry this headcanon out of my cold dead hands #i'll die on this hill

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