#pretended we didn't just tell one another to rot in hell and that they'd be better off dead on the side of the street | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tacticalvalor · 8 months

Text

«────── « HEADCANON » ──────»

I've been thinking about this for a hot minute, but I only just remembered it again and felt like sitting to write it out… But the whole dynamic between Anakin and Palpatine, right? Especially the opera scene from Revenge of the Sith?

That's how Harcourt and Elsa's dynamic was prior to everything that led to Wilson's Heart. At least, that's how I envision it based on the little we do hear about them in game. More below the cut.

I skimmed through a no-commentary playthrough of the game again, and here's everything that's said about them and their dynamic (both between them, and the wider family):

[First Mention] I was to meet a… colleague. Here. Dr. Arthur Harcourt. He collects data from mysticisms all over the world; any culture claiming to have a link to the afterlife. […] If we can find him, Dr. Harcourt will be able to truly explain what is happening here.

[Finding the Journal] My God, it's… his journal! Harcourt's notes! He never let anyone examine them…

[Seeing the Device] I can't believe Harcourt did it. He… actually created it.

[Banter] No need to curb your language, Wilson. My late husband was… well, let's just say I've heard it all before.

[Examining Corpse] I'll be fine, Wilson. I'm a mother, I have to be self-reliant.

[About the Journal] I needed Harcourt's journal in order to gain the knowledge to build the device for Andrew myself. After months of searching, I finally tracked him down here; residing as a doctor. Pretending to care for people… pathetic.

[About Wilson's experimentation] You, Wilson […] just another casualty of his cruelty […] to keep the device from me, he put it in you.

[About Haunting] No! Of course not. Even after all these years researching the supernatural together, we couldn't have expected this […] I didn't even have to attempt to create it. The fool did it himself.

[About Harcourt's "Innocence"] He deserved it, and more! I might not have intended for him to be killed, but it is a far better fate than he deserved. After what he put us through… What he did to us is unforgivable.

[About Relationship] Arthur Harcourt… was my husband. Brilliant, but only in his mind - not his heart. My son's human body was made… unusable… thanks to a drunken outburst one evening, from Arthur. A small push down a flight of stairs. That's all it took to ruin the life of an innocent, sweet child. And Arthur? He didn't even care. He left us; conducting more research - our research.

[About Separation] Arthur - that son of a bitch! He knew it! But he took the research - and his journal - that we had discovered together… and abandoned us. So if there is a God, Wilson, and any justice in this universe, he is rotting in Hell as we speak.

NOTE: it's important to remember that Elsa is an unreliable narrator, to a degree. She leads Robert and the others on to achieve her goal of resurrecting Andy. That said, I don't think she ever lied about Harcourt's actions, just their relationship dynamic (re: initially telling Robert they were colleagues, not spouses).

But circling back to the original concept of this post… The build-up to this conflict between Elsa and Harcourt.

Given the time period, the age differences, and the later abuse, I believe that Elsa was manipulated and groomed by Harcourt from the get go. They seem to have a lengthy relationship, and given I imagine Elsa to be in her mid-30s, it's likely she was in her early to mid-20s when they'd become acquainted. So there is already a power dynamic, but it seems like there was another factor as well.

Harcourt is easily able to find a position as a head doctor in this hospital, meaning he has experience. Elsa seems to have similar experience, though on the side of clinical research, meaning it's likely that Elsa could have worked under Harcourt as an intern throughout her later education. Being someone in a higher position, it's not unlikely that (prior to their interpersonal endeavors) Elsa idolized Harcourt as a mentor and authority figure.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? That's the dynamic Anakin had with Palpatine, and the one that ultimately led to Anakin turning to the Dark Side. The one that ultimately led to Elsa becoming willing to kill people, and use them not unlike Harcourt used her.

And we see the seeds being planted in that aforementioned opera scene. The way that a subtle sense of doubt is created to lessen the trust held toward the Jedi Order. Just watch:

The part that really inspired this, too, is when Palpatine tells Anakin to search his feelings and explore what trust is held between all the involved parties. Especially the line:

" They asked you to do something that made you feel dishonest, didn't they? "

More headcanon for Elsa, but I imagine she always did believe in the supernatural. That's why she was eager to work alongside Harcourt, too. He used that to bait her in. But how? Well, again… looking at the time period (and even to a degree, today's beliefs), if someone says they believe in the supernatural or mysticism, what is the reaction? Mockery. Ostracization. Out casting.

If Elsa had ever expressed her beliefs, or the type of research she would wish to delve into, she'd just as quickly have to bury it. To be dishonest with herself, her feelings, and those around her. Harcourt would have been one of the few people who would listen to her grievances, if not the only one. It would have been easy for him to use that to his advantage.

And I just think their dynamic is so… interesting. Awful and tragic. But interesting to delve into and try and develop from the bread crumbs that the game gives us.

#(headcanon)#(m: elsa wolcott)#(m: dr. harcourt)#(tw: child loss)#(tw: abuse)#(long post)

1 note · View note