#not that i dont love nice lillian fics or a redemption arc

[rustingcat]

I had a thought about the Luther family.

I jokingly thought how they basically say hello with an assassination attempt and Lena was the rudest because her only attempt was successful.

But then I realised (correct me if I'm wrong) that no, almost all of the attempts we see in the show are orchestrated by Lillian.

Right after we meet Lena she has at least 3 attempts on her life and they are all Lillian realising Lena might be uncooperative with her plans. After that doesn't work she starts with the emotional manipulation and when she realises that doesn't work, she just frame her and sends her to prison just to break her out and to make sure no one will believe her ever again and she can still use her for her fucking blood! (If it wasn't for Kara that would've actually work)

And even her golden boy wasn't safe, because when she thought he went too far without being caught she tried to poison him and when it didn't work she went with the emotional manipulation  again.

(I see a pattern here...)

She was only cooperative with one of her kids when her life was threatened. Even with Lex, when he attempted to kill anyone against him.

What I'm trying to say is, I don't think I've realised how truly horrible that woman was. Not just for Lena but for Lex as well, who in some cases got the short end of the stick. Yes Lena was considered never good enough for Lillian no matter what she did and ended up with a supermarket lists worth of trauma, but Lex got all of this horrible woman's attention, all of her expectations and I believe also in a way all of her anger she had ( especially for Lionel after his death).

Even Lex's crimes are mostly about everyone seeing how he is superior to everyone and how everyone should adore him, all the stuff Lillian nurtured in him.

And this is not to say that Lex wasn't at fault, he most definitely is responsible for all of his heinous acts. 

But considering what we know of him as a kid I think it's fair to say that if it wasn't for Lillian, Lex could've been if not decent at least a normal human being that could potentially use his intellect to actually help people (or at the very least not destroy them)

And the saddest thing is, she truly believed she loved her kids. That was considered love for her. And maybe at some level it was, if so it's even sadder.