#their sacrifices matter

[andreal831]

Elijah and Stefan could live without Klaus and Damon

One of my tik toks about the end of The Originals has brought forward a lot of people saying Elijah "couldn't live without Klaus" or something to that effect. I've seen people use this same argument for Stefan. And I hate this thought process.

First, it is usually said to completely discredit their sacrifice. For instance, when I talk about how it made no sense for both Elijah and Klaus to die at the end of TO and completely orphan Hope. I will always argue that Elijah should have been the one to sacrifice his life and Klaus to live for his daughter. Would this ending have broken my heart, yes, but it would have aligned better with the character arcs and overall story.

When the fandom talks about Klaus' sacrifice, it's to say how amazing he was, how he finally got redemption, and how much he loved his daughter. When Elijah's sacrifice is talked about, it's to bring up Hayley's death and talk about his codependency with Klaus. The same thing happens with Stefan, they mention Elena and his codependency on Damon. Completely neglecting the fact that these characters did in fact sacrifice their lives for their family.

Second, it's canonically inaccurate. Elijah and Stefan both showed multiple times that they can live without their brothers. That, in fact, they are better off without their brothers. We don't know their full lives, but in most flashbacks we see, they are either separated or recently reunited. Stefan makes friends with Lexie who completely turns his vampirism around. She is his best friend and knows him better than anyone and she warns Damon to stay away because Damon has the tendency to push Stefan off his sobriety when he gets bored or angry. Damon actually does more harm to Stefan. When Damon 'dies,' Stefan creates a life for himself away from the supernatural. Sure the fans didn't like it, but he still moves on. Unlike Damon who wants to entomb himself because Elena is gone.

Elijah and Klaus do spend the large majority of their eternity together, but they also have spent large chunks of it apart. Specifically most of the 1900s. Elijah leaves in 1919 to lead Mikael away and only reunites briefly in 1933 to warn Klaus. They are only together for a matter of days before Klaus threatens to dagger Elijah. They go their separate ways again. We don't see how Elijah is coping in this time, but he does manage to live nearly 100 years without Klaus and seems to come out on the other side fine. Similar to Stefan, Elijah thrives without Klaus when he erases his memories. It's the happiest we see him throughout the entire show.

Finally, we see throughout both shows that Stefan and Elijah are a little bit unstable emotionally. They both view their lives as less than because of their trauma. Both Stefan and Elijah choosing to sacrifice themselves had less to do with codependency and more to do with self worth. They were both characters who felt an immense amount of guilt for all of the harm they had caused and viewed themselves as monsters. They did not think they deserved to live and be happy, unlike Damon and Klaus. So when we frame their deaths around their brothers, it detracts from their struggles and their deeper characters. I know the show liked to push the narrative that their lives revolved around Damon and Klaus because of ratings/Julie Plecs' weird obsessions, but it completely erases the characters to do so.

Elijah and Stefan could live without their brothers. They did and seemed to be happier. Obviously losing a sibling would be devastating and they would mourn, but it would give them a chance to find true purpose in their lives. Both families had a mass amount of codependency but it's usually only focused on Elijah and Stefan as a way to make their characters revolve around the other brother. It's sloppy and honestly tired writing. If the writers cared more about the story than ratings, we would have seen character growth and seen Stefan and Elijah learn to branch out on their own and break the toxic cycle.

These narratives that the brothers can't live without the other is simply pushed so the fandom can feel good about their sacrifices instead of actually looking at it for what is was: a sacrifice.

#elijah mikealson #stefan salvatore #klaus mikaelson #damon salvatore #their sacrifices matter #the writers were just terrible at dealing with mental health #and building any kind of character development #tvdu #the originals #tvd #the vampire diaries #the mikaelsons #metas #salvatore brothers #mikaelson brothers

[demigods-posts]

i don't know man. but sometimes i think about percy breaking the news to nico that his sister's dead. and nico plummetting into depression, screaming at the boy he once thought of as a hero to die. and percy watching this ten-year-old disappear into the shadows mid sobbing. and percy's shaking and traumatized and exhausted. but he forces that pain down his throat and accepts the role as the prophecy kid so nico has a chance to create a future he wants. while percy's is set in stone. and i don't know man.

#like poor baby #you shouldn't have had to make a sacrifice like that #and poor nico getting the only sense of permanence he had ripped from him in a matter of weeks #and each breath he takes is a reminder of all the ones bianca won't get to #and then i die inside #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo #pjo text post #percy jackson #nico di angelo #pjo spoilers

[turtleblogatlast]

Imagine little Leo having trouble sleeping so he ends up watching tv and movies with Splinter to pass the time. Splinter often just passes out in his chair, but Leo likes the company anyway.

One day, Leo’s rifling through the movies his dad brought back for them (usually 70s and 80s stuff - Splinter has a bias) and he gasps.

Leo runs over to Splinter and holds up a copy of The Last Unicorn, begging that they watch it that night.

Splinter remembers absolutely nothing about the movie, but hey it’s got a unicorn and it’s animated so it’s gotta be fine, right? So he turns the movie on and passes out near immediately.

He’s woken up roughly an hour and a half later by Leo climbing up onto his chair and sobbing hysterically into his chest.

The movie is now one of Leo’s favorites.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt leo #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt splinter #Leo: you wouldn’t let ME leave would you? #Splinter: no of course not my son! #but it was never a matter of letting by those left #rather it is a choice by those leaving #it’s one of the many moments that flashes through Splinters mind when he hears his boy sacrifice himself #anyway leo loves unicorns so obviously he gets to be emotionally devastated and terrified by the last unicorn like the rest of us #he considers forcing his brothers through the same emotional turmoil he went through #but he hides the movie instead #wanting it to be something just for him #man this really hits harder for all those ‘future leo lives’ AUs huh

[s1ithers]

it could be a drider-kissing game

#bg3 #my draws #kar'niss #karniss #baldur's gate 3 #you know i've got character disease when i'm doing the dopey smile portrait :') #well if they're designated mad (derogatory) & thus positioned as a moral sacrifice to the player i will simply make them my top blorbo #& make it my player avatar's purpose to change their fate no matter how far i have to bend canon to do it #we're predictable on this blog

[edorazzi]

Page 5 of my Miraculous Mentor AU comic A Matter of Trust! Well done to everyone who guessed Bridgette was about to barrel into Felix's life at top speed and change everything! 🐞🚗💨

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Weekly updates each Sunday! You can also read ahead early on Patreon, and/or buy me a Ko-fi if you'd like to support my work! 💖

#miraculous ladybug #mentor au #felix sphinx #bridgette cheng #A Matter of Trust #josie's art #oh the fun i had with late-90s technology on this page #RIP to felix's portable CD player on the first day of school :') #a worthy sacrifice for bri's tamagotchi surviving unscathed

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

i wanted to try drawing him visually softer and now im near tears because I Can't Hug Him

#what does he need in order to enter the real world #apples? prayers? ritual sacrifices? name it ill fuckin do it #screaming dying sobbing crying etc etc #scribble salad #welcome home #welcome home puppet show #welcome home fanart #wally darling #wait maybe its a good thing i cant hug him #bc i think i would just keep Squeezing. no matter what. all of my strength into one good long Crushing Embrace

[riccissance]

yellowjackets does cannibalism as love so well and i think it's important that the cards/hunt itself was also drenched in love just as much as violence.

it started with lottie saying i don't think i will survive but i want you all to live. use my body, eat me when i die. then the yj saying no. we can't lose you. either they have made lottie their god or they love someone who has made lottie their god or they love all that is left of lottie the girl. no matter what, they cannot lose lottie.

so they say i will accept the chance that i might die if it means lottie will live. they say i will die or i will kill to keep my team alive. nat doesn't want to die and shauna doesn't want to kill but they try so hard to do it anyways. and nat only runs once travis asks. he puts himself in the line of fire, is willing to die so nat might live, so nat runs.

and that doesn't even cover tai and van's visible dread when the other pulls a card. or javi going to help nat after travis asks. or shauna putting jackie's necklace on nat. they are pushed to violence out of desperation but even then, they cannot suppress the love.

#it was love and devotion and worship and sacrifice #no matter what they do or how dark things get #they cannot outlive their love #they were kids and it was awful #yellowjackets

[littlebittyhollowbugs]

They drive me insaaaaaaane !!!!!!!!!!!!

#The pale king considers it a sacrifice!!!! #For hollow!!!!!! #Dedicates a fountain in the center of his city to Hollow #The totems in the path of PAIN #THE PATH OF PAIN IN GENERALLL #THE WORLDSENSE SPELL #HE LOVED HIS CHILDDD!!!!! #He didn't have to/shouldn't have done any of this #!!!! #If Hollow was truly an empty vessel none of it should matter #But it mattered to the pale king his child always mattered AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA #And he was loved in return :') #They drive me LITERALLY INSANE!!!!!!! #They are so messed up #hollow knight #hk thk #hk pv #hk the pure vessel #the pale king #Yes I do recognize that PK was not at all a good father #And was quite horrible in many ways obviously #And this relationship was really messed up but listen #That's what's makes it so interesting #It's what drives me insane #!!!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Bestie Deficiency

[First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #a-qing #xue yang #xiao xingchen #Xue yang is cold because cold blooded creatures can't generate their own body heat #I am skipping over drawing the stories they tell due to the fact this arc is already really dragging #but I think they are very key in understanding the yi-city characters #Even if they are stories that really bring down the slumber party vibes A-Qing was hoping for. #I mentioned some of my thoughts in the tags of no. 76 but to continue on a bit more #I think xxc and xue yangs stories inversely mirror each other on the meaning of sacrifice and what it means to 'deserve' something #to xue yang he has only ever sacrificed - therefore he is in his right to 'deserve' what he wants. And he wants everything. #xxc leaves song lan thinking its the best course of action to atone but my god. No it wasn't. Poor communication crown actually goes to xxc #but it's what xxc he feels he deserves - continued sacrifice to atone. He wants to want nothing. #both are very stuck in the past in ways that are not actually accounting for their actions #It's easy to look at xue yang and go 'dang you need to get over your childhood trauma' #but that very much ignores that fact that we - real human beings - define so much by our childhood pains. #Growth is having to come to terms with it and trying to move past it...and not everyone is ready for that. #I have a lot of thoughts on that matter but I'll let it be for now. #Anyways. Amiguito appears to be one of those words whos meaning change depending on speaker and contextual factors #So as far as I can tell it slides around on the scale on romantic and platonic. Which works for this dynamic. I think. #Native Spanish speakers I am so sorry.

[haunted-xander]

Song of Oblivion

#ooough my poor cataclysmic bird daughter #she loved so much and destroy everything for it #she denounces existance because to exist is to suffer- and suffering is her enemy #not realizing that in doing so she breeds so much of the suffering she hates #several of the fallen stars only fell because her question spurred them into a self-absorbing path #and then... and then the one singular meteia that realize her folly... who could be convinced of lifes meaning #by seeing you continue ever onwards even with your dearest friends' deaths on your shoulder #by seeing how everyone accepts oblivion for another tomorrow- even if they had suffered so much. even if they wanted to die #no matter what they fought. they fought and died and kept marching forward even in death #they loved life enough to sacrifice it. how could she not accept that? #and the realization that the reason she came to the conclusion she did was because she was flawed- bc hermes was flawed #as hermes said- he gave her wings to fly but did not teach her how to tread the earth #she was given freedom to experience the feelings and emotions of the world- but not the groundwork to understand it #she could see. she could hear. but she could not comprehend #she has knowledge- but without context it gets misinterperated and warped #OUGH im going to scream. i miss her. #meteion #endsinger #final fantasy #final fantasy 14 #final fantasy xiv #ff14 #ffxiv #art #my art #xanders art #digital art #fan art

[ittybittybumblebee]

FOR THE LOVE OF BEING CREATIVE PLEASE KEEP DRAWING THOSE DRAWINGS YOU THINK ARE SHITTY, THEY MATTER MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW JUST BY BEING, JUST BY YOU EXPRESSING YOURSELF, JUST BY YOU WANTING TO MAKE IT AT ALL, LETS HOPE THE FUTURE YOU HAS LEARNED TO NOT CRINGE AT THE TIMES YOU WERE LEARNING AND HAVING FUN AND MESSING UP AND STILL KEPT GOING BECAUSE YOU WERE ENJOYING CREATING SOMETHING DAMMIT

#hi i am emotional about art #i am emotional about artists that belittle their past selves drawings for not being good enoughh then #littlehint from Me: they were always good enough there is no good enough it exists because you loved whatever you were doing enoug to do it #standards are fake in art just make something i promise it matters what you make matters #i wish i could say things better but im very tired sleepy #you get what i mean #hi artists. please keep drawing if it brings you joy. please learn to not sacrifice joy for perfectionism. i love you all

[liesmultixxx]

In the low lamp light I was free

Heaven and Hell were words to me

#percy jackson #pjo #pjo series #pjo tv show #pjo fandom #rick riordan #riordanverse #percy jackson and the olympians #annabeth chase #percabeth #percy x annabeth #annabeth and percy #percabeth is percabething #hozier #music #txt #pictures #work song #work song hozier #quote #lyrics #explanation: basically percy and annabeth being willing to sacrifice themselves for the other #the second set obviously hints at the later fall into tartarus #and how despite the hell they went through it was okay #because they had each other #they were together #and that’s what matters the most #soulmates #otp

[sleepgarden]

Unfortunately I don’t have much of my egl wardrobe with me here, and what I do have doesn’t coordinate well at all, so I’ve settled on this normie dress for photos ^^; but I wanted to share the headdress in motion to showcase how the pink “blushes” in the light!

Some photos first, great posing (I didn’t feel like putting makeup on):

And a small video:

It still doesn’t fully come through, but it gives some general idea. In some light the lettering is almost invisible ^^ This is my first completed personal piece of the year I think, so I’ve been excited about it.

#Unfortunately the ribbon that ties it on is a little short. A sacrifice paid for the cute bows #I mean maybe it’s not that short and all of my hair under this wig just made my head a little big hehe #I did stitch the bows on in the end. I tried multiple ways to use pins but they were an eyesore no matter what I did #Anyways ideally I’d be wearing exactly what varre wears with headdress on top lmao.. so covering my face is a little on theme

[utilitycaster]

(this is tagged for it as well, but putting it here: the below involves some non-graphic mention/discussion of suicide in relation to episode 3x78)

I think it's important to keep in mind, regarding the most recent episode, that while Ashton's behavior was extremely dangerous and reckless, it was not suicidal in intent. Ashton thought it would work. They thought that they would fix things, and they ignored all the smart people warning them against it because it would imply a lot of negative things about their parents. That doesn't mean it wasn't an action taken out of a certain lack of self-regard (Ashton's realization of this is what drives much of his conversations in the first half of the episode); but it's much more akin to an accidental overdose, or a drunk/reckless driving, or other dangerous choices. It feels very true to the idea of punk that Taliesin is going for, in which dying young is always very much a possibility, even perhaps an expectation; but not necessarily a goal. Ashton did not expect taking the shard to result in their death, and is incredibly shaken specifically because it did.

With that in mind I think the party's reactions seem very real and very understandable. The fact is, when someone does something very risky and nearly dies (or even is briefly clinically dead, using real-world terms) but ultimately survives it's extremely normal for one of the emotional responses to be anger that they put themselves in such danger. It is not, perhaps, rational, but most emotions aren't. It hurts a lot when someone one is close to does something that harmful to themselves. I don't judge the other members of Bells Hells for expressing those feelings. Frankly, them not expressing similar feelings in the past might very well be why Ashton made the decisions he did: the party lacking trust and walking on eggshells around each other is why he didn't confide in them, and why they fell apart so completely here.

I think it's relevant that Chetney tells Fearne, after stating he likes Ashton, that either she or Ashton can talk to him if they "want out", and he pretty heavily implies that this indicates not just leaving Bells Hells, but suicide, and that he has considered the latter in the past. It's clear that initially Chetney considers that a possible reason for Ashton's actions. He then gives Ashton the "You should leave" speech only after everyone present has been talking at dinner, after Ashton has indicated that he will help find Laudna. It only comes out after Ashton's emotional state is made more clear to him: it's pretty bad, but not actively at risk of self-harm (and indeed, desperately trying to avoid it and to change).

Finally, it's worth considering how important anger is to Ashton. Obviously I don't think having Imogen, FCG, and Chetney yell at them feels good. I also think it's going to feel better than apathy, and more honest than any other option. I don't think a forced gentleness would be better; in fact it might be worse, with them taking a break because clearly Ashton is having a hard time and needs to recover (shades of how Marisha mentioned Laudna feeling like a burden following her resurrection), rather than "we are clearly all in disarray and all have been not dealing with a lot of emotions, and this could have been any of us, and we should all regroup." I mentioned before that ultimately what's important is, angry as they are, Bells Hells undeniably stayed, and FCG and Imogen at least made it clear early on that they would, even if they were angry. Ashton was abandoned in the past by people who weren't even angry, is the thing. I don't think they cared enough to be.

#tw suicide #let me know if you need other tags. #critical role spoilers #critical role #ashton greymoore #truly the flat out stated similarities between ashton and fcg and some people's responses have been. unfortunately enlightening. #some who claimed FCG was going to sacrifice themselves/destroy others in the grand disc and were pretty vile about a hypothetical #are quick to paint ashton in a light so sympathetic it demands no one else feel any emotions #Ashton even states his shittiness about the changebringer was bc he thought this would lead FCG to do...exactly what he did with the titans #really it brings us back to a core question: is it action or is it intent. the answer is both but action matters more. #but also. much more bluntly. some of you have never either fucked up real bad or had a friend do so huh. #this felt extremely true to life; that's really it in the end.

[thistleation]

ALSO.

I think it’s easy to underestimate the enormity of Beatrice’s decision to try and place the crown on Ava.

It happens in a flash, it’s followed by The Kiss (which is everything). I think some viewers might even have missed she was holding the crown at all.

And so much happens and events spiral so quickly, it’s easy to forget where in the story Beatrice stands at this point.

Beatrice does not know the specifics of Adriel’s plan. At this point in the story, the OCS’ best guess is Adriel will use the portal to bring through unlimited wraith demons. 

That’s the stakes for them: complete the mission or face a full on demon apocalypse. It’s literally “do this or the world ends.”

And Beatrice has lost so much. She’s lost Shannon just months ago, she’s lost Mary, Vincent betrayed them, to all appearances they’ve lost Lilith to Adriel for good. More of her closest family have died or abandoned her than not.

What more could the universe take from her?

And then the universe points at Ava and says “that one.”

You know those few months you got to spend away from the thick of battle? The short breath of time where you tasted life? Where you fell in love? Where you let yourself believe that — just maybe — happiness was possible? I want that. I want the person at the center of that, I want the one who gave you that.

Beatrice says no.

Putting the crown on Ava is not a discussion. It’s not a reassessment of the plan. It’s putting her unconscious to get her out. It’s aborting the mission.

The mission to save the world, where failure means wraith demons everywhere and most likely a literal apocalypse, and Beatrice says “No.”

Not if the cost is her.

Because how just is a world that keeps demanding this kind of suffering and sacrifice? There has to be another way for the world, because if there isn’t, she will not save it.

Not at this cost.

#avatrice #warrior nun #warrior nun fangirling #I'm not exaggerating when I say Beatrice will let the world burn for Ava #But also it's not just because she's cool — she is — and so in love with Ava — she is. #It's also I think born from a deepening of her understanding of ends vs means #Her shifting belief that there is a limit to what you can ask of people to give #even for great causes #because what are we doing if the path to salvation is made of nothing but blood and suffering? #what kind of world are we saving — are we *building* — if all our tools are drenched in the pain of good people? #there's something so powerful in Beatrice of all people being the one to say 'no. enough.' to the demand of yet more sacrifice. #no matter how great or lofty your cause #enough

[hiyaluronic]

I just—I just need a minute because Letters just learned he was a real boy in time to have his big damn hero moment and it’s…😭

It’s not fucking fair.

#And the few people I’ve seen commenting because Otohan should have survived that explosion? #Please go take a long walk off a short cliff and turn yourself into a goldfish #It didn’t matter what Sam rolled you could tell Matt had already made his decision as soon as he confirmed that Sam knew the consequences #He honored FCGs sacrifice to save his friends by sacrificing Otohan #critical role #bells hells #cr spoilers #fcg